it didn't snow for more than a half hour or so at my house - it was so pretty while it lasted.
this handsome fellow came to visit. Turns out, he's a total jackass. There were some bushtits (tiny, tiny birds that travel in flocks) who were eating from the same suet feeder and he chased them all off. When they tried to come back he took a bite out of someone and had a mouth full of feathers.
one of these birds ended the morning with a bald spot somewhere. (bushtits along with a chestnut-backed chickadee)
And here is the lady woodpecker - I didn't notice her being a jerk to anyone, although to be fair nobody really came around while she took her turn. The bird feeders have been a lot of fun so far this fall/winter.
I'm crazy about this version of Let it Snow! by Sufjan Stevens - it's both lovely and a little creepy. The arrangement makes me think of the Snow Queen and how this could be the song of one of her enchanted, kidnapped boys. For all the talk in the song of being warm inside it still sounds like it's happening in a beautiful frozen ice cave where you can't talk very loud or a stalactite will fall and pin you where you stand. Which is, of course, just what the Snow Queen wants for some reason.
p.s. it may snow here tomorrow! It snowed a little today, but nothing that really stuck. Certainly nothing to make an ice cave from.
It's snowing! It's a brief, concentrated snowfall and may even be gone by morning, but it's so beautiful right now. The weather's been flirting with snow since yesterday, but all we'd get were a few fat flakes that melted by the time they hit the ground. Now everything is covered in white, the sky is that weird snow-sky pink that happens in the city, it's quiet and still. (cool and crisp and even.)
Well, it's quiet apart from the stereo that Otis the kitten turned on when he ran over it in his haste to get to the window looking out on falling snow.
They (meteorological cabal) say it will be gone by mid morning, replaced with rain. We shall see! In the meantime I'm going to go look out the window and read some more Dickens. One really good snow day and I could finish reading this book!
HOORAY for the winter solstice! It happened (according to the internet) at 4:04 AM pacific time. (I am intrigued by the double 4's. I keep noticing doubled up numbers lately.) Anyway -- I miss the sun and I'll be glad for the days to start getting longer.
It's still beautiful and snowy here, but the furnace stopped working some time last night. the good news: it's not the only source of heat, I have lots of layering items and it will be fixed tomorrow. Right now I'm sitting in front of the fire (v. nice!) with blankets, fingerless gloves, many layers, and a hat. I would try to work this up into some kind of tale of Dickensian winter suffering (with, like, COAL and socks that need to be darned only I can't because I have frostbite in 9 fingers from selling matches to victorian villains all day), but since my reality is considerably more comfortable, I will refrain.
These pictures are from earlier in the week -- it's snowed a lot more since then (although not nearly as much as at Maggie's house -- holy cow!) , but I haven't caught up on my flickring quite yet. I worked at my favorite library this week -- it's close enough that I was able to walk, which is when I took this picture and the following. I walked for two reasons: 1) it's down a pretty steep hill that is always causing problems when it's potentially icy. It's much easier to walk up than to drive up when the weather turns bad. 2) I really wanted to spend some time IN the weather, since it's so unusual for us here. It was lovely! (I should walk there all the time, but I never seem to leave soon enough.)
I love how sunny this yellow house looks against the snowy sky.
From Saturday. I think there are drunken elves who go to the park and cause mischief every night. This snowball was probably about four feet tall, and made of snow and leaves.
SOLSTICE BONUS: I love this Beatle video! I saw it on Fluxtumblr tonight -- so great! I haven't seen many Beatle performance videos that aren't the usual ones (from Ed Sullivan, Shea Stadium, their movies, etc.). I love that this was in a recording studio context, I love Ringo's tie, I love that George looks cool, that Paul is wearing a sweater vest (!!), that John looks like his transformation to werewolf is almost complete, and I've always liked Hey Bulldog anyway.
I am tired from a marathon bout of holiday lazing and eating delicious food, but I wanted to share some of the things that made today a good day for me. So here are some pictures:
it's like a sickness -- I can't stop taking pictures of these lights with the plastic things on them.
Four epiphyllum blossoms today! Usually it blooms in the summer right around my birthday -- In my experience it's unusual for it to bloom twice in one year. Yet here it is!
technically, this is from Christmas Eve. I was walking up Fremont to pick up a couple of last minute things and saw these cabbages in front of a new store. I think they're wonderful.
I went for a walk in the park and it started to snow! The local news said it might, but I never actually believed them, since it's the kind of thing they're always saying when they actually mean "it will snow on the mountain," or "it will snow in the gorge." but this time they were right!
There are still some red leaves left -- so pretty.
The snow began as just hard mean rain, but then it got into the swing of things and started getting nice and flaky. By the time I got home it felt like I'd been to the dentist because my whole face was numb. (I wore a hat and a jacket, but no gloves or scarf because of course it wasn't going to snow! and I don't need gloves for rain.) The snow has since melted away in my part of town, but it was sure fun for a few hours.
I received such thoughtful and generous gifts, including this necklace from my mom. I love it because it looks a little bit mod and a little white stripes at the same time.
....and now I have to go to bed before I am felled in transit by a turkey/carb coma.
SNOW! We had lovely beautiful snow yesterday, and tonight it seems like things will be melting without major icy repercussions. (translation: the places I need to go are not icy.) Hooray! I walked down to the library today because I had holds waiting for me. (I am not even joking when I say this is exciting.) I could have probably driven with minimal trouble, but getting out in the snow was more fun. Plus, walking took longer, and this morning it was crucial that I get Out of the House or I was going to Lose My Mind (more on that in a moment).
I'm so glad I did walk! The steepest hill had been completely taken over by sledders who were having contagious fun PLUS I got to see three very stylish snow persons (one boy, one girl, one gender undetermined). I also got a blister, but that's a small price to pay considering my lovely purple docs did not skid or slip even a little bit. All this fresh air and exercise helped me to come home with a more positive attitude to my sweet Aunt C., who was trapped here overnight because of the weather. I love my aunt. She is one of the kindest and well-meaning people I know. However, she is also a raw-food enthusiast who told me "Jesus is the only anti-depressant" and works on what I like to call an Alternate Universe Genealogy. Don't get me wrong -- I love family histories and stories of ancestors, particularly the malcontents and screw-ups. But ... well... this time she's searching for elusive connections to the court of Elizabeth I. Of course no new "discovery" will ever top the great Wizard Connection. Forget Daughters of the American Revolution, fellow Daughters of Merlin, I salute you! Why limit yourself to history when the whole wide world of mythology awaits? The roads cleared enough that her ride was able to come fetch her, so I hope that she's happily searching for ladies in waiting or famous sorcerers from the comfort of her own living room by now.
Law of Sympathy, i.e. the assumption that things act on one another at a distance through a secret link, due either to the fact that there is some similarity between them or to the fact that they have at one time been in contact, or that one has formed part of the other.
