tracks

Daylight savings time started on Sunday. Temps in the 40's. Snowmelt dripping on the walkway at work. There is still a lot of snowmobile activity, however. When Allyn & Ellen went skiing, Allyn said that almost every field they saw had snowmobile tracks on it.

small miracles

February was the coldest month in Rutland in recorded history. Hearing more birds in the morning.

3/25/08
A couple of revealing moments about life in a cold climate. This morning on our morning walk we ran into Barb, and we all remarked about how it was getting light out. About two minutes later, we were walking by the Dufner's house. I heard a high pitched repetitive sound. I couldn't figure out what it was. It sounded like maybe a squeaky fan might be running in their basement. It finally dawned on me what it was. It was a solitary bird, singing to the rising sun. In a few weeks there will be hundreds of them doing the same thing. It has been so long since I'd heard that sound. It seemed like a miracle!
To a lesser degree I experienced the same feeling yesterday walking to production. The snow on the lawn has been receding, and it disappeared completely over the weekend. That which had been covered with snow and invisible for so long was revealed. Again, it seemed like a miracle.
On the one hand, there's something a little pathetic about living in a place where a singing bird is considered a miracle. On the other hand, it's a gift. Complacency is one of the greatest killers of the joy of living. Living in a cold climate continues to offer opportunities to appreciate and savor the small miracles of life. In many ways that is the heart of this daily journal. Opossum seen along the road in West Rutland last night. 

confused

Google Images

Fifteen below this morning, full moon shining brightly. Saw a robin in the lane the other day. It looked confused.

I live in the open mindedness

of not knowing enough

about anything.

Mary Oliver

Zen page-a-day calendar

Sa Ha world

The temperature yesterday was in the 40's. Tonight it's supposed to be below zero. Doug explained the implications to me the other day. The snow starts to melt & then freezes. Coyotes can then walk on top of the snow, but the deer break through. This is a very dangerous time of year for the deer population as they are already weakened by the snow, the cold, and the long winter season.
The other evening when John was here having dinner, he pointed out a deer running full speed through the woods in the back. We never did see what it was fleeing, but it gave me a very unsettling feeling. The only other time I saw something like that was in June one year when a fawn was being pursued by a coyote. You really feel for the deer this time of year, but coyotes are God's creatures just the same as the deer. Coyotes have to eat, too.
There's an old Sanskrit term, the Sa Ha world. It means "barely tolerable." Sometimes that's exactly how it feels, certainly for members of the animal kingdom.

triangular cinder blocks

Ice and snow in the wheel wells are an everyday problem. I try to kick them out whenever possible like everyone else. They are scattered across parking lots throughout the area like triangular cinder blocks.

town meeting day

Town meeting day is today, a longstanding Vermont democratic tradition. Lawn signs for Rutland mayoral candidates to be seen in snowy front yards in the area.

open water

Commuting to work, the sun is on a much more northerly track above the Green Mountains than even a month ago. Over the years, I have started to see ducks flying over the marsh in West Rutland at this time of year. I haven't seen any so far this year. Don't know what that means. Maybe the areas of open water are few and far between this year