Stormy Weather
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O Wind, if Winter comes, can Spring be far behind ?"
---P.B. Shelley, Ode to West Wind

Fog:©stock.xchng, phelle

Birch Tree: ©stock.xchng, vaultsafe


Bare tree: ©stock.xchng, irene123

December, and the year, coming to an end. For us here in the San Francisco Peninsula, the rains came late but we are getting enough of it not to worry about drought in the summer.

The gingko trees on the street lost all their leaves. The blankets of golden leaves no longer cover the ground; the storms blew them away. The bulbs that I planted in October are looking strong and healthy. Not too long before the blooms appear. The sweet peas are beginning to emerge. This is when they are most vulnerable to snails.

JHL and I went for our traditional hike on Christmas afternoon. It was drizzly when we began and raining hard by the time we finished but, despite the muddy trail and rain, there were other hardy souls out in Arastradero Preserve.
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Winter haikus
"The bottoms of my shoes
are clean
from walking in the rain."
---Jack Kerouac, 1964

"The desolation of winter
Passing through a small hamlet,
a dog barks."
---Shiki (translated by R.H. Blyth)




Comments

Anonymous — 2005-12-28
Beautiful photography! Hope you had a great 'holiday season".
I love that Kerouac haiku, its so simple, not sure why it appeals to me so much. Just does. Thank you!