Reflections on January

There are two holidays during the month; New Year's day and Martin Luther King day. It often snows, in fact, it snowed here today.

A month of finishing year-end tasks and starting out new.

January is also a month of birthdays of several friends and family, including my mother's. She gave us this little snowman a couple of years ago; she liked sweet things like this. She also liked romantic comedies with Cary Grant, the song "Deep Purple," and roses.

Although the holidays are well over, the little snowman is going to stay out for a while longer. His sweetness softens the harsh cold of winter.

Wolf moon

The moon tonight, which is the first full moon of the new year, will also be the largest of the year, according to online science news. That's because the moon's orbit will bring it to the closest point to earth, right as it is in full moon phase.

And the name, Wolf moon? It's of Native American origin, according to the Farmers' Almanac:

Full Wolf Moon - January: Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Native American villages. Thus, the name for January's full moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next moon.

Do full moons cause craziness? Some people swear it does. Many moons ago when I worked in an ER, we tried to track whether patients and other things during our shift became crazier during full moons. It didn't prove to be true, at least through our research. We just had cycles of crazy, regardless of the phase of the moon.

May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.
~ Irish blessing

Seeing red

Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky at morning, sailors warning
~ Proverb

A story about red: Scientists have found that at least one dinosaur may have had reddish tail feathers. They came to this conclusion after examining fossilized remains of the Sinosauropteryx. The feathers were more like bristles than feathers, but have some of the same type of cellular development as feathers.

Of course, there are other scientists who disagree with these findings. I guess you could say they were seeing red in a different way....

Caught

Reminds me of a small piece of stained glass, reflecting the winter light. Fragile leaf. I wonder how long it will remain stuck in the branches?

Speaking of fragile, saw in the news that a woman attending an art class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art lost her balance and fell into a Picasso, leaving a 6-inch rip in the canvas. Museum officials said they can repair the painting to where the rip is not noticeable. The article didn't say, but I'm guessing that if the woman was injured it would have been mentioned.
The embarrassment would be bad enough.

Berries

For birds and squirrels in winter -- and for photography nuts who happen to be wandering around clutching a camera. :)

Weather

During the morning, sunshine and blue skies. Now dark and windy. Storms from California blowing in.

Tree lines

Every fall the City parks department ties straw bales to the tree trunks in this park.

After a little investigation, I think I found a possible reason why. It may be that the bales are a safeguard to hold back sediment and debris in case the area floods. Just above these trees is Camel's Back, a tall land formation that's part of the foothills. Several years ago, fire burned nearly all of the vegetation. If there was a very heavy rainfall, it's possible the water rushing down the hills could carry a lot of debris and mud, and flood the street and surrounding areas. So, the bales would help slow the rush of flooding.

Anyway, that's my theory. Does anyone else know?

Hillside traffic

Climbing the path on Camel's Back.


Traffic jam

Lacy light

Seems like visual music -- fitting for a Sunday.

Shopping

I don't shop because I need something, I just shop for shopping's sake.
~ Cat Deeley

Sometimes that's true for me. But this weekend I need to buy some gifts.

On the one hand, shopping is dependable: You can do it alone, if you lose your heart to something that is wrong for you, you can return it; it's instant gratification and yet something you buy may well last for years.
~ Judith Krantz

A roar by the door

Even though he's in a reclining position, he still looks a bit grumpy. Although he could just be contemplating the day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I had another dream about lions at the door
They weren't half as frightening as they were before
I'm thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy's got a hold on me
And I'm wonderin' where the lions are

~ Bruce Cockburn

Reaching for the sun

Reaching up, reaching out, reaching new heights, reaching home, for the stars, for lucidity, for sanity, forward, backwards, goals, the top, for quiet, for others, for laughter, for a solution, reaching for the last cookie, the last piece of chocolate.

What are you reaching for in this new year?

Snowman yoga

The snow's almost all melted here -- except for a few, well-shaded places.

Winter clouds

take a moment
from a busy day
to stop
and watch
the shapes
that appear

how many
new ideas
have grown
out of
clouds?

Shine on

Although fall has passed, I'm posting this just because I love the way the light shines through the leaves. And red is one of my favorite colors.

Potential

Another scene from warmer days to lift the mood of cold and gray weather.
Look at all the buds!

Fall flashback

It's been gray, wet, and cold here today. With so many people buried in snow and shivering in frigid temperatures, a brief trip back to a sunny fall day with its gorgeous colors seemed appropriate.

It was warm that day, too. :)

Dancers

Two trees grown together sway
back-to-back with every breeze.

Daybreak

Brilliant moon
is it true that you too
must pass in a hurry?
~ Issa

Snowy art

There have been some snowy, but beautiful mornings lately.

When all is coated in snow, it feels like I'm in a timeless magical place.

May 2010 bring some magic (the good kind) into our lives.