Winter's Final Days

Winter - 2008 is down to its final 17 days and today you'd have thought it was already finished. A beautiful, sunny day with a high of 58 degrees. It was a time to work in the yard - pick up limbs, fix the loose siding on the barn where the wind has lifted it, sweep debris from the porch and even cut a bouquet of not-yet-open pussy willows. They'll open in indoors and we'll be assured of an early spring!
But with the day coming to a close, I noticed it was about time for sunset so I grabbed a jacket and walked across our back lawn, startling three deer (a mother and two young ones) who were grazing there. This is the view across the field behind the house.


A few moments later and the sun touched the horizon and dropped across the roof of the neighborhing farm. Bulls-eye! The field is empty and wet from all the recent rains but it holds promise for a bumper crop of corn this summer.

And yet another few minutes and the sun has drifted farther west and is gone from view, another day's promise fulfilled. A few wisps of cirrus are now highlighted by the sun from below the horizon and jet contails bloom above. A perfect day.

I ended "Pinehaven" with this line: "What wonders it will behold when finally it clears." One of the answers is here.