Winter Blues

Now, it's not that bad! These days, as usual for this time of year, I find myself wanting to slow down, stay inside where it's warm, and eat everything in sight! Happens every year, and I figure it's that prehistoric winter hibernator ancestor in me, fighting for dominance with the modern person who knows better.

So this morning, I dressed up warm, took the camera and went out to shake off the winter blues-and I found the blues! But a different kind than I expected. Even Jim's Owl's Haven totem pole, standing out in front of our garage was wearing a snowey cap this morning. It was a beautiful cold crisp, 21 degree, clean sunny winter morning out there, with the sun sparkling off that beautiful white snow, and blue shadows adding depth to everything. I tromped around out there for a while, feeding the cats, filling the birdfeeders, and making a start on pruning the blueberries-and there's another blue! Even the icicles hanging down from the eave of the house are blue with the siding behind them, and the smoke from the chimney looks blue against the sky.

So I filled my eyes and heart with the blues this morning, and came in, much cheered up.

Spring is on its way-and soon now. For the past two mornings, I've heard the owls in their mating calls. That fast, confused, hooting of two or three voices at once, in a flurry of noise. One of these days, we'll hear those wonderful baby owl tentive hoots. Wonderful music.