Tis the season

Christmas lights prominent at night. Sound of the Salvation Army bell. Christmas music in stores. Stocking hung by the wood stove. Christmas cards coming and going.

walk in the woods

Home alone and gobbled up too many Christmas cookies. Decided to take a snowy walk through the woods on the Crossroads to work them off. Muffled sound of traffic offset by raucous calls of blue jays. Sound of cracking branches and jack hammering of a woodpecker deep in the woods. Tracks of rabbits in the snow. Sounds of snowflakes bouncing off my winter coat. Even spotted a white tufted snowman.

You can observe a lot by watching.
Yogi Berra
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snow!

Back from sesshin and the world is transformed. We had about a foot of snow when I was gone. Six degrees below zero yesterday morning. Allyn has enjoyed great cross country skiing.

After a still winter I awoke with the impression that some question had been put to me, which I had been endeavoring in vain to answer in my sleep, as what-how-when-where? But there was dawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face and no questions on her lips. I awoke to an answered question, to Nature and daylight.

The Pond in Winter
Walden
Henry David Thoreau

rare Saturday post

Gone for a week.

Buddha's Enlightenment Day

Wonder of wonders! All living beings are Buddhas, endowed with wisdom and virtue, but because men's minds have become inverted through delusive thinking, they fail to perceive this.
Gautama Buddha

Devils!

from somewhere on flickr years ago

It's early in the college basketball season, but my Duke Blue Devils are number one in the nation! When winter arrives, Allyn and I take turns making soup for dinner. I made soup over the weekend. Allyn made soup the other night.

When the leaves are gone, nests are revealed; birds, squirrels, and bees. Temps in the 50's today, but looks like it's going to be colder for the foreseeable future. Flannel sheets on the bed.

Leaning against a tree,
leaves and branches are few:
A night of stars.
Shiki
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