I took this picture in the fall. I haven't posted it until now because I've been so nervous about the amount of drama potential of posting it. Fear of being shouted down and demonized for a simple picture. I'm not pro-life, just thought this shot was interesting and had turned out well — but that I am required to explain myself and my reasoning for posting a photograph says something to me about the political climate and what it says isn't good.

Woke up about an hour ago, had a bowl of creamy mushroom soup and went outside to start shoveling. The snow had turned to sleet by the time I got out there. A good 5 inches of the mix, mostly loose snow, was on the ground.

I got some pictures of one of the dark-eyed juncos that have been hanging around yesterday, but the sun had went down too far to get good exposures. I'm going to try again Monday. Without my birding camera, I have to be sneaky to get close enough for a good shot. Sneaky in this case means feeding them on fenceless fenceposts near the window.

From the The Universal Household Assistant or What Every One Should Know (1884):

Lamps — why they explode. — Many things may occur to cause the flame to pass down the wick tube and explode the lamp.    1. A lamp may be standing on a table or mantle, and a slight puff of air from the open window or the sudden opening of a door, cause an explosion.    2. A lamp may be taken quickly from a table or mantle, and instantly explode.    3. A lamp is taken into an entry where there is a draft, or out of doors, and an explosion quickly ensues.    4. A lighted lamp may be taken up a flight of stairs, or is raised quickly to a place on the mantle, resulting in an explosion. In all these cases the mischief is caused by the air movement -- either by suddenly checking the draft, or forcing the air down the chimney against the flame.    5. Blowing down the chimney to extinguish the light is frequently the cause of an explosion.    6. Lamp explosions have been caused by using a chimney broken off the top, or one that has a piece broken out, whereby the draft is rendered variable and the flame unsteady.    7. Sometimes a thoughtless person puts a small-sized wick in a large burner, thus leaving considerable space in the tube along the edges of the wick.    8. An old burner with its air drafts clogged up, which rightfully should be thrown away, is sometimes continued in use, and the final result is an explosion.

when a window shatters
you can pick up the pieces
and glue them back together
but the cracks will still be there
the window will never be the same again

the window is always shattering
there are so many cracks that what is behind the window can no longer be seen
the cracks have become the world
but what lies beyond
is still there and never dies

This afternoon, I received my first package at my new residence. A housewarming gift from my sister. I hope I can keep good care of it, I've never had much of a green thumb.

Today marks purpleglitter's and my 12^th anniversary! Twelve years ago she made faces at me through the windows of the Haymarket Café in Northampton. Twelve years ago I made faces back. Twelve years ago she took a crazy homeless person she had just met back to her place and the rest is history.

Berv Love Lake
∞

i felt myself drifting into the unlookingness a bit. i fight it. i got up and walked around and reflected on what is. I went to the window and saw two crows on a tree looking at me. I breathed in and felt the air in my lungs. The All is here. Always has been, always will be, I just have to remember to remind myself to keep looking.

Ground. Center. Outside the window, Sol is gracing brightly the snowlined streets. Cars speed by splashing in the puddles of icemelt. In a blink of an eye, the brilliance of spring will eclipse the desaturated tones of winter. Nothing is static, change is the order of the day. The future is arriving now; leave behind what was, acknowledge what is, and make what will be.