A Season of seasons

It will take a Season of seasons to know this place I now call home.

To know which trees or bushes start the parade of autumn and where the yellow, orange and reds are the brightest.

How shadow and light tracks along the land and in the cabin.

Where does the sun decline behind the mountain in each season? When does Orion and his dog Sirius first rise in the east and come visible to us earthbound admirers?

I have learned which directions the wind blows and what the covering of snow reveals of this slope of hill in this winter.

It has been a long and sometimes difficult fall and winter. And so the Wheel of the Year turns. I have witnessed two seasons…fourteen more to go for the full Season of seasons. A small sample size to know how the rest will unfold.

Recently I woke late in the night and unable to sleep rolled over to catch my breath in wonder. Orion and Sirius were framed neatly in the liquid velvet of the dark sky. Although the nearly full moon was not yet visible from the bedroom window, the hanging icicles glowed as if lit from within. All in the glory of the moons refracted light.

I watched the familiar stars move westward from an unfamiliar vantage point and felt comforted. Past and present with change and timelessness are bound up together in this life and this future. For now the heat of the wood stove and warm glow of light emanating from the windows keep the cold, chill winds at bay…I can’t wait to see what adventures await!

Here at CoyoteCrow Farm.

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

We’re not going out one last time, no, No, NO! And you can’t make us.

Can’t say I blame them. My wife’s iPhone app says -25 with wind chill. May everyone’s version of God be with anyone outside tonight!

I thought about going snowshoeing today. It looked so beautiful once the sun came out.

Until I took the dogs out and witnessed the wind first hand. I quickly changed my mind. Tanner was the last one to leave the pen and the first to the porch…by racing past Zelda and leaping over Frankie. No fool that boy!

Elizabeth and I left our place once this weekend to have lunch. This is what our driveway looks like.

Becket General Store is 1 of 2 places around these parts to eat and grab a few essentials like milk, ice cream, bread or beer. An out-of-town first time visitor came in while we were there.

You might ask how we knew he was new to the area? I’d say it was probably the shocked look on his face when he realized there were no green vegetables to be had unless he drove around and down the mountain to Pittsfield or Lee.

We’re learning it’s different up here in the hill towns. You’d better keep what you need close at hand and travel in 4-wheel drive vehicles to get to town. Most of us have roof rakes, spiked boots and heat with wood.

It’s a close-knit community and folks are starting to recognize us. Heck, half the town knew where we lived before we actually met them. So we wave and offer help to each other and practically blow kisses to the plow guys…especially this first winter! It’s feeling like we’ve finally come home to the warmth of hearth, love and community.

What I think most people want and I am blessed beyond measure by having the wife and life I’ve always dreamed of. No fool this girl! Especially in my lined farmer pants!

May you all be as blessed with the warmth of love and shelter on this cold, blustery and star filled February night.

And the stars answered…

badcookiesforweez

a winter nights wish                        weez  february 14, 2002

tonight I stand and watch the crystal
brilliance of unshrouded stars
feet firmly planted on frozen earth
while a north breeze sounds wind chimes
and plays upon my face
with lips tasting cold winter air

my heart, my senses, and yes my soul
cries out to the universe
for the one to complement me
not complete me
for I am complete
and wish to find
another complete soul

I feel like I’ve always been a creature of the night, even as a child.   My senses become sharper the darker it gets.   And it’s amazing how much easier you can tell what season it is in the absence of light.  While I love the night and the moon it has been the stars that fascinate and speak to me the most.  When it is very still I can hear them… a…

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