Why is the stillness of winter so complete?
At no other time of the year is there such silence in nature.All other seasons of the year animals make their presence known, no matter what time of day or night it is.
Not true in winter.

I walk outside, in the woods or even in my neighborhood, with the sun beaming down through the chill air. Silence.
No birds twitter, no dogs bark.
Just me, and the silence.

…

Yup – there he is – another furry gray body with a rat’s tail, mashed on the road. Mr. Opossum. I’m curious about him. Rarely do I see one alive. Instead, they’re all dead
on the road. Is there something about ‘possums that makes them more likely to be ‘roadkill’ than other species?

I found the following information in the 2013 Farmers’ Almanac in an article titled, “Mother Nature’s Janitor.” I was surprised to learn that:

• An …

While searching for a quote that spoke to me for today’s post, I ran across a couple of entries in the 2013 Farmers’ Almanac. I wanted to share these with you. So often we
forget how very much things have changed in our country over the past one hundred years.

The Industrial Revolution changed everything, drawing farmers’ into the cities from the fields, offering jobs for people who had always lived in the country. Granted, those jobs often paid little,
…

It’s easy for me to assume that because I am snug and warm inside my house, all of God’s creatures feel the same. Not so. However, those creatures which are out and about
in winter often have adaptations allowing them to find food, stay warm and thrive.
 
Here’s some info tidbits about various animals who thrive in winter.

Boys’Club – Mountain sheep finish mating in late December to early January. Males then leave the females and …

“They” are out there and they need something to eat!

Remember the song, “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins? Maybe you are too young to remember, but in that movie or Broadway play, there was a bird lady who fed the pigeon’s in
one of London’s popular squares. You could buy a bag of seeds for tuppence. (What’s that worth in Euros?)

Birds of different species eat different things. Here’s a list of some of the those foods and the common varieties of …

“January is here,
With eyes that keenly glow —
A frost-mailed warrior striding
A shadowy steed of snow.”
— Edgar Fawcett, American poet (1847-1904)

Okay, it’s not January quite yet – but this great little poem spoke to me. January IS snow — even though chances are we won’t get it here in Oklahoma. I watch for it in the forecast, and think of
January as the White month of the year.

So, …

On a clear winter night, with my breath sending a cloud of fog out into the darkness, nothing is more delightful than staring up into the starry sky. (Especially when I know
a hot cup of cocoa waits for me inside the house!)

These long, dark winter nights are wonderful for stargazing. This weekend, we are blessed with a gorgeous full moon, which makes the starlight a little dimmer. But, this is the month to take a few
minutes every …

This first week of true winter – between the celebrations of Christmas and the New Year, symbolized true winter to me. The nights are loooong, too little time between dawn
and dusk, but that winter world is full of activity.

The birds flutter about, their wings puffed out for insulation against the cold, always searching for a seed or tidbit to fill their tiny bellies and keep that tiny heart pumping for warmth.

The sun, …

Fall is over. My favorite season, done.

The sky is bright and blue and the comforting cycle of time and life continues. What choice do we have but to accept?

“Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world, and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.
…

The day dawns. How do you feel?
Today, on December 21, 2012 – I feel a new beginning. It doesn’t have anything to do with the end of the Mayan calendar, or what will – or will not – happen at some point today when the planets come into alignment. I’ve read the theories. I glory in the rise of the sun and the turn of the earth, and whatever the day brings.