Monday, February 07, 2011

Looking Up and Across

What leads one to climb part way up a hill in February and just stand there looking up at the rocks and snow draped trees? What lies at the heart of an impulse to stand out in a field somewhere and contemplate snow, gates and fences on a bitterly cold day in February?

Is it a wild and somewhat melancholy pleasure which arises out viewing wide expanses of rippling snow demarcated by rocks, trees, old rails and pipe gates, nary a building in sight? Is it Zen thoughts of emptiness, the sound of the hollow wind sweeping across the hills and sculpting random waves, billows, figurines and abstract shapes as it passes? Is it the intense colors of the deep shadows which lie over and around everything, a desire for the order and containment represented by old cedar rails and rusty gates? Is it the realms which beckon beyond summits and rude gates?

In winter, the landscape is revealed to a patient wanderer as it is at no other time in the turning year. One can see the undulating shapes of the countryside and and trace the rocky bones with her eyes, feel the land's peaceful slumber and share its slow dreams, sometimes even sense the shape of the springtime to come (although spring seems far away on such a day as this). If one is quiet and observant, there are rainbows of color to be seen in the snow and shadows, and there is music in the wind.

There is no profound reason for this ramble, that I can see anyway. I am here, and that is enough, no reason at all to wonder why.

7 comments:

Cindy said...

For me it's the "Zen thoughts of emptiness" that make me go out into nature and just stand there, especially in the wind whipped snowy days of February. I usually stay until I can't feel my fingers or toes.....but that makes warming up inside all the more pleasurable by the fire. Hot cider does the trick.....nicely.

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that there were any number of beautifully said and profound reasons in your post.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

So beautiful. The snow is falling around my cottage. Flakes look the size of silver dollars.
Beautiful on this Monday afternoon.

judy said...

to quote a very wise frog...
"Why wonder why?"

mama p said...

no profound reason other than this: while i'm sure spring is very nice there in the Lanark Highlands, it's your posts like these that leave me celebrating the very soul of winter. thank you, again and again, year after year!

the wild magnolia said...

Your woodlands are wrapped in winter white. Burrr....

Great photo and share!

Victoria said...

Your last sentence in this post sums it up best.