Thursday, January 30, 2014

warmest sun, coldest day

driving home with tristan this afternoon, moments before i turned into our wood, 
a generous light caught my eye, a layer of snow so dazzling, and evergreens -- 
breathing large and casting shadow


a cleansing breeze found its origins and whispered waken


we pulled into our driveway, pulled on some additional layers, and went for a walk



it was brigid's medicine:  the call of the great heralds of healing









a couple of rotund birds hopped about us
a flock of geese traveled across our sky, flying northward
four favorite farm animals turned in unison and ran toward us, 
but sadly were cut afar by a middling fence



tristan asked why the sky was so blue today 
why we couldn't just walk through the wired off pasture to the animals
begged me to run down a steep hill, to have a leaf fight, 
to visit the great fallen tree in the woods 


our numbing fingers reminded us that we are just half way through the winter season, 
and we turned toward home, sun kissed



on our return a hawk flew overhead purposefully
i was not able to capture the detail of its feathers, but can see speckles when i blink


the great and glorious sun blazed her final wink in our direction


and then settled, asking us of tomorrow


the day rolled her stony shoulder over and cast us under a shadow of dusk


and i breathed a great thank you for her protection, her beauty, and her light

we are half way to spring, friends! 
i'm guessing climate challenges will remain
but even on the coldest days, the light will continue to grow 
enjoy this moon cycle as we enter february!
and whether you call it imbolc or candlemas: 
it is time to rejoice in the  great powers of good!

p.s. my camera lens needs a professional cleaning.
i can't seem to make those spots disappear from sky photos.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

a bright and shiny snow day


i was quite disappointed at 4pm yesterday thinking that all the snow 
warnings were bust. but then a nice steady sprinkle of flakes developed and 
by bedtime our homeplace was covered in lovely sparkling blanket. 


i am usually home on wednesdays with tristan, 
but it was pretty fun having tashi join us for the day!




i feel far more balanced if our virginia winter doles out at least one decent snow event. 
this was pretty minimal,  but it certainly satisfied some snow lust!






there must be at least one decent snow day food spread enjoyed 
in front of the wood burning stove


ours included turkey meatballs, tzatziki, hummus, carrots, greek olives, 
and some cumin rice fried in coconut oil. 


everyone was pleased, including the cats basking in their sun puddles.


and while it certainly is very cold outside, i'm glad that it is encouraging the snow 
cover to remain through the week. it is often just a little depressing when, after a snowfall,  your carefully assembled snowperson turns to a puddle by midday!


what are your favorite things about a snow day?

Sunday, January 19, 2014

where we are: virginia wine country


there is nothing like an afternoon wine tasting in a gorgeous spot close to my home to remind me how much i love where i live. i am continuously wowed by the beauty that surrounds us, and the fine offerings of the land. visiting a vineyard is almost always a great treat for the senses. the drive to the destination, the views, the architecture, the entertainment, the tastes, and the delicious details of a great or humble estate, depending.



mountfair vineyards is definitely on the humble side. the small, rustic space is full of hand built details, the wine bar awash with light, and the tasting room lined with artfully stacked wooden barrels. we enjoyed acoustic music by james harris moore while drinking a glass of twang and eating crackers and brie. we followed our glass with a tasting of their other offerings, appreciating in particular the amore and the intertwined. all of their wines are blends of their own and/or locally sourced grapes. they also offer potters craft cider, which i learned is brewed in our neighboring village of free union.



a bustling wine bar



mountfair vineyards has a lovely logo and pleasing labels on their wines



i added vixon to the suggestions. we were on fox mountain after all! 





wooden barrels from my childhood home-state


beautiful views from every window


kid friendly!


so much beauty


our local fox mountain. we drove over it to reach the vineyard. 


it was cold out there!




late afternoon light is the best




thanks for the lovely afternoon mountfair vineyards!


and then we drove home


did i mention that i love where we live?