Winterscape

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

- Robert Frost

Christmas Yet To Come

The Spirit stood among the graves, and pointed down to One. He advanced towards it trembling. The Phantom was exactly as it had been, but he dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape.

“Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point,” said Scrooge, “answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?”

Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood.

“Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!”

Halloween Snow

Image source.

Happy Winter Solstice

Fire And Ice

More works by Scarecrow Atelier here.

Smiling Fire

Image by Brian Raicich.

Snow Update

Yulish.  Very Yulish...

Now Playing: Some Winter Ambient

Eishalle by Paysage D'Hiver.  As some snow rolls our way (not much of it), I think back on those days when the white stuff was exciting and brought with it an early dismissal from the torments of school.  Or, even better, a snow day.  The most glorious of nature's gifts.  No school, and an entire day of building snow forts, having snowball fights, and sledding at a local golf course (owners probably hated it [and us]).  

Seems it doesn't snow much in these parts these days, and I'm a little sad to admit that I don't miss it.  As I get older (and older), I finally get why my grandparents seemed to live in fear of snow.  And the cold for that matter.  As I imagine a draft on my neck and scrunch up like Ebeneezer Scrooge.

But I AM really looking forward to this light snow.  Perfectly timed for the weekend before Christmas.  We'll have the appropriate music playing... and cookies baking.  And I will finally wrap some presents.

Click below...

Anoka Halloween

I received some wonderful photos from Dan Wiswell of the Halloween capital of the world - Anoka, Minnesota.  As we dealt with temps in the low 80's, the fine folks of Anoka dealt with the white stuff - three inches of wet snow, with temps in the 30's.  

Thanks, Dan!

Cooling Off

Going up to 86 in these parts today...  remembering snow fondly.

Image source.

October Creek

April 20: The six of us met tonight. From midnight until one o'clock, we planned the death of Blake and his comrades. I tell myself that Blake's gold will allow the church to be built, and our small settlement to become a township, but it does not soothe the horror that I feel being an accomplice to murder.

More images from October Creek here.

Snowy Cemetery

Love how this layer of snow looks on this home haunt.  I'd imagine folks who live in areas where snow is a possibility on Halloween aren't the biggest fans of the white stuff covering up their hard work, but it definitely seems cemetery-friendly (though I'd be pretty miserable if I had to deal with snow during our setup and display).

Click below...

Winter Fear

Is it just winter
or is this worse.
Is this the year
when outer damp
obscures a deeper curse
that spring can’t fix,
when gears that
turn the earth
won’t shift the view,
when clouds won’t lift
though all the skies
go blue.

- Kay Ryan

Now Playing: Wind-Bitten

Remembering fondly when it actually used to snow around here.

Click below for a really nice winter track from Aindulmedir.

Southwalk Ritual 2023

Always so amazing and unique.  This year is no exception.  

Incredible at night and in daylight.

More images here.

Now Playing: Resonans

A winter song... by Altarmang.

Click below...

The Houses October Built

Images by Chris Collins.

Now Playing: Hibernation

By Sabled Sun.

Click below...

Image source.

The Town Witch

Crab-Faced, crab-tongued, with deep-set eyes that glared,
Unfriendly and unfriended lived the crone
Upon the common in her hut, alone,
Past which but seldom any villager fared.
Some said she was a witch and rode, wild-haired,
To devils’ revels: on her hearth’s rough stone
A fiend sat ever with gaunt eyes that shone
A shaggy hound whose fangs at all were bared.
So one day, when a neighbour’s cow had died
And some one’s infant sickened, good men shut
The crone in prison: dragged to court and tried:
Then hung her for a witch and burnt her hut.
Days after, on her grave, all skin and bones
They found the dog, and him they killed with stones.

- Madison Cawein

Image by William Wimble.

Let It Snow