November Evening

November evenings offer muted colour; evergreens against the ghostly outline of deciduous trees.  The leafless trees, at rest for the winter, comfort me, give me permission to drop responsibilities, to focus inward and rest.  

To rest and let go.  

Rest and be.

Autumn Reds 2014

Some falls there is an abundance of yellow, brown and orange but reds are rare.  This year the leaves are brilliant as usual and reds are everywhere. 

Oak and Maple Leaves

 

The sugar maple in our side yard.

 

 

Oak leaves from Taylor's Lane in Hillsborough, NB

Peony and Ant

 

 

 

 

We have peonies and we have ants...boy, do we have ants. The peonies are about to bloom and the ants are busy. 

 

There is debate about whether ants are needed to help the double buds break open, by eating away the nectar-glue that coats each one.  Some say no; some, yes.  I don't know.

 

I do know when the ants show up, within a couple days I'll have peonies in bloom at the back of the garage...a display that forces me to stop whatever it is I'm doing.  Stop and stare.

 

Peonies are extravagant: lush blooms, opening and opening, scenting the air, nodding under their own weight in colours difficult to describe.  Generous with full-bodied loveliness; layers of petals, each one a different tone, each layer coaxing, "Come closer."

 

The blooms make me remember summer barbecues with my great-aunts; each auntie wearing an ample hat to protect against the sun, each hat festive with silk and velvet flowers, delicate, handmade, often peonies.   Make me remember the first grown-up dress I ever wore, a satin the shade of the inner lip on the palest pink peony we grow.  Make me remember the gardens of my childhood with peonies spilling over their cages and filling the yard with perfume; peonies floating in a crystal dish on the table, lending elegance to our ordinary suppers. 

 

And if an ant crawled to the tablecloth, my grandmother would shrug, capture the ant and remove it.  "You have peonies, you have ants,"  she'd say.  

 

Just life, this mix of irritant and perfection.

 

Words and photo are copyright 2011-2013 Carol Steel.

 

 



Winter Sunrise

Winter Sunrise

What if the dark
and the white
of a winter morning
stand stark
against the pink-gold feast
of a sunrise sky?

And what if the sun
has the same melting sheen
as the butter
soaking into
my hot orange
and cranberry scones?

Then that is enough;
enough to spread
glory
all over my day.

Words and photos are copyright Carol Steel.

From My Windows

Wordless Wednesday

Photos are copyright Carol Steel

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Have you ever had a day when you keep noticing the same phenomena over and over again, like a private message just for you?  I have.

Recently, I had a day in which the colour rose kept turning up…everywhere I looked.  I was awake early and saw the sun rising over the neighbour’s rooftop, rosy hues in the dawn sky.

The sunrise started me humming the tune “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”   I smiled and noticed my insides were bubbly and light.  It was a cheery start to my day.

Later it rained (as red skies in the morning foretell) and the sedums in the garden became vibrant rosy pink in the wet.  I smiled as I noticed them.  Felt happy too.

 

As the day was ending, sun and cloud mixed.  The rain had slowed and the hydrangeas in the front garden glistened with droplets and were edged with rose.

All day long the tune ran through my head and rosy hues popped up, not just in my own yard but everywhere I went.

Ever had a day when colours displayed themselves and music sang itself to you, over and over again?

I wonder why it happens.

Photos and words are copyright © Carol Steel.  Words in red contain hyperlinks and will take you to another site with additional information, if you click on them.

Christmas Lights

Today is the first day of winter, the shortest day of the year, a day when night dominates and light is at a premium. 

Christmas lights outside on houses and in yards cut through this darkness to touch our hearts and cheer us.  My favourites are houses decorated with small white lights.  The warmth of the glow and the understated quietness of white lights make me feel peaceful and content.

While I prefer little white lights, I recognize that there are myriad colours and combinations which mean Christmas to others.  Differences give life variety and wonder.  Some folks prefer lighted figures and vibrant colours.

 

Some folks spend much time creating wooden shapes to decorate with lights, love bright colours and work diligently to make their home look festive.  Even to the point of creating sequences of lights flashing to a jaunty Christmas tune.

 

 

And some folks like a bit of everything, festooning the interior and exterior with myriad colours and figures and wreaths and candy canes and signs.

All are cheery and bright.  Each different combination pleases those who placed them, lovingly and carefully to light the darkness. 

At this beginning of winter, may all your darkness and all your light be in balance; may you be filled with joy and wonder, appreciating differences, and recognizing yourself in all others.

Enjoy this season of rich darkness and of twinkling lights.

Autumn Photos

It is a challenge to write indoors when there is such beauty and change happening outdoors.  The world is mulching itself.  Colour and crunch and crispy days.  Hammocks which until recently held the drowsy days of summer are filling with drifting leaves.  Soon there will be stacks and stacks of dry leaves, raked and ready for children to jump and scream and play.

It is energizing to be outside, to write appreciating the last sheltered warm spots in the sun.  Soon enough the earth will be resting, trees bare, and the snow, which surprised us on Sunday, will no longer quickly melt away with a morning's warmth.  Best not to dwell on that, better to pause and enjoy the shorter balmy days and the gaudy, visual feast. 

Pause and breathe the mossy scents of autumn, hear the crunch of dry leaves as squirrels dart about gathering winter's store,  see the bright colours turning brown, wrapping the earth, taste the seasonal freshness of ripe apples, leeks, parsnips and cabbage, feel the dampness of the cool autumn air, cradle the firm, dry bulbs of daffodils and tulips while planting them in the chilled earth; enjoy it all.

Enjoy this autumn!