Northern Hemisphere Only

The end of the day, the beginning of tomorrow.

The end of the old year, the beginning of the new year.

The end of the winter, the beginning of spring.

In the Northern Hemisphere all of these have resonant overlays.

The last weeks have been cold. The ground has frozen but not covered with snow. Winter is heavily just around the corner. It has its beauties, its discoveries; but it inevitably drags before it finishes. That is when I kling to the hopes of spring.

Kenneth Grahame—consummate observer of nature and seasonal changes in ‘The Wind in the Willows’—captures those spring hopes in reality through his character ‘Mole’. In the attached audio file, I read 90 seconds of Kenneth Grahame’s work wherein he describes how Mole becomes overwhelmed by excessive joy in the arrival of spring.

Mole embodies how we all endure the long winter—endure the hard life without the warmth and light of the sun. And, how we all feel such joy and relief in those first warm days of spring, when, in the meadow, hopes come true.

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Trees…

…can you hear them…

…and green meadows…who can not love them?

Oscar Hammerstein II, said that in the 1950s when he wrote the lyrics for the musical, The Sound of Music.

The title song has these simple lyrics. “The hills are alive.” Think about it. The hills are alive…with what?

He wrote, “with the sound of music.”

No, not the music written by Richard Rodgers…but their own music. “The songs they have sung for thousands of years.”

Think about that because that is what anyone can feel when they visit these hills. These hills are alive with the sound of music. These hills will let you ride on the sound of their music. It is real.

And Hammerstein finished with:

“I go to the hills when my heart is lonely,

I know I will hear what I’ve heard before

My heart will be blessed with the sound of music

And I´ll sing once more.”

Happy New Year, all. 🙂

Sky, water…

…I'm here now…or was…

…earth…

…and humans.

Please remind me–the humans are powerful enough to have done what to this earth?

Fear, uncertainty and dread…all built upon imagined human hubris.

Just take care of your stuff. That should be what humans do. That’s what I see in the above photo where humans have been living for at least a millennium.

People and Plants Caption?

Caption?

Caption?

This is a bit of a change. But most of my posts are about real life, so I guess this fits in.

All I see in this photo is an attempt at ‘cross-cultural integration’. Is that sad or is that just a practical fact of life?

Do any of you have experience with signs like this?

If so, in public or in your home?

Do any of you wonder why this sign was put up?

Do any of you wonder what happens if this sign isn’t put up?

Caption?

Oh heck, forget it. I’ve been living in foreign countries too long. I’ve forgotten what is culturally right or culturally wrong.

Happy holidays to all. I’m going out for a walk, maybe an adventure.

…some blow…

An adventure in the making…going my way?

Stuck on a metaphor

Is this a living landscape where the sun, the earth and moisture combine in a joyous dance? Or am I reading too much into it?

Is this a living landscape where the sun, the earth and moisture combine in a joyous dance? Or am I reading too much into it? I see a dance hall.

 

Is this the invitation to dance? I think the moisture emerging from the earth in that cloud is wanting to dance in the sun. This cloud wants its dance card signed.

Dancing clouds—I’m stuck on that metaphor.

I’ve lived on many continents, in many climates but only in this region have I felt—joyous, dancing clouds. Only here have I seen the clouds emerge from the earth.

Yesterday I watched clouds emerge from the earth, become dancing players in the sky and then dissolve before my eyes. Over and over. Great pleasure indeed I had.

For dedicated cloud watchers, I have, in this region, learned to distinguish between watching the dance and participating in the dance. Yesterday I watched.

Here are some of the players arriving for the dance–look carefully–each has its own style:

danceplayer005r

danceplayer004r

danceplayer003r

danceplayer002r

I’m stuck in that metaphor; and I don’t mind. It is a simple pleasure.