Midpoint!

We are midway through meteorological Winter. In a little more than two weeks, Druids will celebrate Imbolc on February 1 and 2. That's about halfway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. That's also the feast of St. Brigid. So, effective today, we will focus on preparations for Spring. No doubt we will still have to report from time to time on Winter's doings, but the emphasis will be looking toward the future and warmer days.

fly box, flies and pliers

Photo by J. Harrington

Here's a Spring event not too far away to put on your calendars: the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo and Film and Video Showcase, March 15th through 17th at Hamline University in St. Paul. We're pleased that this occurs in March and doesn't compete with the hundreds or thousands of events held in May as many Minnesotans once again begin to explore the world outside their warm, hopefully snow-proof, houses. We'd be even more pleased if it didn't also occur on St. Patrick's Day, which is another noteworthy celebration in our Capital City. Between now and then, we need to reorganize our fly boxes, make sure our fly rods, reels and lines are in good working order, and that there are no holes in our waders. Maybe we'll see you at the Expo?

one of the black chokeberry bushes to be transplanted

Photo by J. Harrington

We need to finish a planting schematic for the area behind the house where we've almost finished pulling buckthorn. We're going to try some high-bush cranberries and see what happens. The question is which spot to plant them in and where the wildflowers and the transplanted black chokeberries go. Ah, Spring!

Various Portents

By Alice Oswald

Various stars. Various kings.

Various sunsets, signs, cursory insights.

Many minute attentions, many knowledgeable watchers,

Much cold, much overbearing darkness.

Various long midwinter Glooms.

Various Solitary and Terrible Stars.

Many Frosty Nights, many previously Unseen Sky-flowers.

Many people setting out (some of them kings) all clutching at stars.

More than one North Star, more than one South Star.

Several billion elliptical galaxies, bubble nebulae, binary systems,

Various dust lanes, various routes through varying thicknesses of Dark,

Many tunnels into deep space, minds going back and forth.

Many visions, many digitally enhanced heavens,

All kinds of glistenings being gathered into telescopes:

Fireworks, gasworks, white-streaked works of Dusk,

Works of wonder and/or water, snowflakes, stars of frost . . .

Various dazed astronomers dilating their eyes,

Various astronauts setting out into laughterless earthlessness,

Various 5,000-year-old moon maps,

Various blindmen feeling across the heavens in braille.

Various gods making beautiful works in bronze,

Brooches, crowns, triangles, cups and chains,

And all sorts of drystone stars put together without mortar.

Many Wisemen remarking the irregular weather.

Many exile energies, many low-voiced followers,

Watches of wisp of various glowing spindles,

Soothsayers, hunters in the High Country of the Zodiac,

Seafarers tossing, tied to a star . . .

Various people coming home (some of them kings). Various headlights.

Two or three children standing or sitting on the low wall.

Various winds, the Sea Wind, the sound-laden Winds of Evening

Blowing the stars towards them, bringing snow.

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