Day 59: Fuzzy

On the right is a bud on the earliest blooming tree in the valley. I think its called a tulip tree? On the left is something I've never seen before...is it a yak?

Day 58: Bright & Clear

I love watching the Northward progression. Check out the same view on January 30th and January 9th. It's coming up about an hour earlier now. Just in time to Spring forward and make it an hour later again. : (

Day 57: All in one day!

The ice on green was taken (with flash) at dawn, but the rest of the day was too amazing to leave out.

Day 56: Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Makes a boy eager for sunrise!

My little one fell asleep around 7 and woke on his own at 5:30. Not the norm in a house full of night owls. He kept saying, "The sun's gonna come up!"

Day 55: Zoom!

Have a good day Honey! Drive carefully!

Day 54: Little Light of Mine

Guess it's time to take these down, huh? ^_^

Day 53: Yesterday

Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday...

Everything seemed far away, because we drove up to Brewster, WA. Like yesterday, today was another gray dawn, with a nippy wind that has now brought rain. Instead of taking another gray morning shot, I decided to use the picture I took yesterday of the afternoon sun as we drove around the tiny orchard town by the lake. We were waiting for the church to open for the memorial service for Bernice Stout. She and my Grandmother were good pals back in Columbia Adventist Academy in the late 20's. Both women are truly inspiring; enjoying life into their 90's. My grandma has told us, "no more parties," until her 100th birthday in three years.

Day 52: Forgotten

Day 51: ...easy ivy over!

One of the first jump rope songs I ever learned, from first grade, I think:

Bluebells,
cockle shells,
easy ivy over!

Day 50: Cold

Day 49: Potential

Day 48: Rocky Road?

Where'd the water go? ^_^

(It's an irrigation ditch. I never know what it's schedule is. It runs most of the year.)

Day 47: Highwire Hello

Day 46: Icy Bubbles

Day 45: Lone Leaf

Day 44: Perchin' Proud

Day 43: Crystallized

I took no photos this morning. But, for the second time ever I saw "perfect" snowflakes. The picture above was taken the first time I saw them, January 17th, 2007. Today, as I took the boys to school I saw them again. I had no time to stop and try to catch one of the flying beauties. They were melting on contact, so I just had to enjoy the little glimpses I got. The whole way to school I kept exlaiming:

"Oh, did you see that one?
Wow, look at the size of that one!
Ahhh, they're SO pretty!"

"Mom," the oldest retorted, "it's just ice!"

Day 42: Morning Visit

Day 41: Cloud Genie

Day 40: Staying In

Day 39: Kissed By Frost

Day 38: Farm Cat

I finally got one of the cats to pose for me! She is slightly out of focus, but better than her brother on Groundhog's Day!

Day 37: Fleeting Moments

A poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

MUSIC

Let me go where'er I will,

I bear a sky-born music still:

It sounds from all things old,

It sounds from all things young,

From all that's fair, from all that's foul,

Peals out a cheerful song.

It is not only in the rose,

It is not only in the bird,

Not only where the rainbow glows,

Nor in the song of woman heard,

But in the darkest, meanest things

There alway, alway something sings.

'T is not in the high stars alone,

Nor in the cup of budding flowers,

Nor in the redbreast's mellow tone,

Nor in the bow that smiles in showers,

But in the mud and scum of things

There alway, alway something sings.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm not sure I agree with this as much as I used to. I have a better understanding of how dark and mean this world can be than when I first read this as a child. But I do still like the poem and it makes me think about how to find the good even when it is hard to see. As we are told:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:4-7

So, about the weather...I think it rained from here down to San Diego last night. At least it was pouring when I was talking to people there and in LA. It did make it seem like a small world after all. It froze in the night so in the morning I went out to photograph the icy rain drops studding the orchard, but they quivered and dropped off as I kept trying to get the right focus on the camera. I stopped to snap a shot of the ice crystals melting in the water around the pile of old bricks, and the cat came to investigate. Did you see his reflection? Once back inside the light seemed to change. I peeked out and found that the melted rain drops had all evaporated into a thick fog completely obscuring the Blue Mountains.

Day 36: Smudge Pots

Day 35: Links Between Morning & Night

Sean blue sky
slides down
icy bars
colliding
with fiery rust
leaping to catch my eye

eerie cries of tired owls
call out
to waking
heralds of the dawn
linking morning to the night
as time stretches and yawns

Day 34: Little Walnut Tree

Day 33: Groundhogs, Cats & Daffodils

Happy Groundhog's Day All!

As soon as February rolls around, I am always thrilled to see green creeping in. This is a TERRIBLE photo of the first signs of Spring, but I like it anyway. I actually did get some focused shots of the daffodil shoots, but they just didn't have any pizazz.

I was having a hard time keeping the cats away from my ground shot. Maybe I should work on getting them to pose!

Day 32: Candy Striped Sky