Friday, February 12, 2016

Patterns in Ice

A frosted morning,  clear sky,  noisy rooks. I took the long way home from the post office across the fields. The river had burst it's banks earlier in the week and the fields had turned to lakes. From my window I had imagined I was in Avalon. Now the water had receded leaving shallow still pools.  The sun shone a sparkling path of light across to the other side. 
The surface of the pools were frozen into beautiful patterns. Etched windows to a transient watery world beneath.

 A labyrinth of tiny frozen pathways. Fused shards of water crystal, welded, woven between grass.
Lace, stitched of water glass.
So beautiful.
I imagined what might have happened before. 

'The temperature dropped to below freezing so suddenly, just after the sun set. In the darkness, hidden in shadows, with only Orion for her lamp. The Snow Queen reached into her frozen pocket and retrieved a silver needle. When I was warm and deep in sleep and dreaming, she stitched.  By the distant bark of fox she thread the most beautiful  blanket to cover the Earth. And when the sun rose and the Robin began his song, it sparkled just as precious as any of Earths jewels. A gift to a new day'



Every day

I see or hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight, 
that leaves me
like a needle
in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for -
to look, to listen, 
to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself
over and over
in joy, 
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional, 
the fearful, the dreadful, 
the very extravagant - 
but of the ordinary, 
the common, the very drab, 
the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar, 
I say to myself, 
how can you help
but grow wise
with such teachings
as these -
the untrimmable light
of the world, 
the ocean's shine, 
the prayers that are made
out of grass.

Mindful ~ Mary Oliver





16 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your walk. Such beautiful observations and photographs.

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  3. Just absolutely magical, like the skin of a winter's song.

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  4. Amazing, fabulous photos and love the Snow Queen idea. And at last, the promise of a few beautiful frosty days to revel in, before Spring claims the land again! ;) x

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  5. I love the Snow Queen connection too - lovely pictures of that transparent veil coating your part of the world.

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  6. Hello Karen,

    My goodness, such beautiful photographs and inspiring citations. :) You make me want to go out into nature, when today I must stay at my desk and work!

    Your photos of the "winter glass" - I have never before seen such a thing... It really does look like the snow queen has been stitching. Marvellous. :))

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  7. These photos are so magically spectacular! Love the moving snow, too! Quite wonderful! Nancy Lee Artist By-the-Sea

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  8. So SPECIAL these ice pictures !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  9. Absolutely magical and enchanting read. Thank you for sharing.

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  10. Absolutely magical and enchanting read. Thank you for sharing.

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  11. Such an inspiring post! I love to see the world through your camera lens, the sparkly path of light across the water, the stunning icicle photos, such magic everywhere! xx

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  13. Stunning beauty in the harshness of winter. Mesmerizing!!

    Lori from Gathering Stars

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  14. What absolutely stunning ice pictures. Thank you so much for this blog; it is always such a tonic.

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