April 12

On the road to home,

The snow clings tenaciously

to the hills. Drive slow.

Winter travels here

Winter travels here,
I stand watching – they are gone
Finding no warmth here.

winter road

The road to some where
Lit by the stars reflections
Lost in the clouds

Lima, NY

The Aftermath or the Next Day

Morning came early as it usually does.  Dog kisses wet on my nose tempered with small whimpers.  The sky is dark – sun rise is 2 hours away.   Winter solstice has passed, but the sun moves in stately progress toward its northern edge.

Clothing assembled and finally on, coffee gone,  coat, hat and gloves,  flash light,  where is the leash – red flasher on – “Hold still, it was your idea to go for a walk this early,” I grumble, halter and leash in my hands.   We are soon out the door and moving down the driveway.  It is too warm for the day after Christmas – the gloves stay in my pockets and coat unzipped.   Our neighborhood is quiet – no wind, few cars,  lights shine out of the windows in an occasional house.  Holiday lights are sleeping off the ecstasy of the last few days.  Twenty minutes and a mile later we are now home again.

The sun hides behind the grey rolling clouds this morning.  A sulky morning, given to  thoughts of winter to come, chores to complete.  Work beckons, I head to the office to spend a long day answering phone calls,  hopefully someone will call and talk to me.   It is a morning to travel back roads and I drive south in Pinnacle Road.  It is a road of churches – a church of the world,   a Hindu temple, a Presbyterian one, a Korean one.  My church, I find is an open field, edged by rough trees and a Norther Harrier (Circus cyanide) soaring through the trees or a view of the office pond filled with Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens).  They gather, launch from the pond in great goose discourse.  I smile, the day awaits!

Holiday reflections

Day of rest reflections
Blue skies, Blue water
Thinking of you and glad you are here.

My husband took the initial picture – of course I had to play with it a bit.  This was taken on our kayak trip yesterday (US Labor Day) up the Oak Orchard Creek in western NY.  It was a totally marvelous day!

Here we are again

Summer began the other day.  One of many days that become years.  We have now been in Rochester for 27 years.  I haven’t counted the days, but they have gone slowly gathering steam to disappear behind us in a trail of memories and photographs.

We have decided to sell our home of 23 years and have begun the process of making it ready for sale – packing up the unused mementos and forgotten treasures of our lives.

A chance once more, to  find the mislaid memories written on the back of an envelope, buried in the box of old letters.  Scribbled in the lightly used notebook from 6th grade.

The challenge – what to keep – when I want to save it all – my earlier self – before Rochester, before our son, before  you.

The corsage from my first prom, the letter from a lost friend,  The good citizenship award from 3rd grade.  What should go – what to keep for when the memories are gone. What will remind me of who I am?

Clouds over the Mississippi

A relevant picture to my thoughts tonight. The picture I took visiting family in Dubuque Iowa earlier this month.   Enjoy the following song by Chris Rea.

Song by Chris Rea “When the grey skies turn to blue”