12 February 2011: Winter Sunset

12FEB2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

I drove out to another part of Lake Hefner and found an area that was frozen over with ice. A man and his teenage son and also stopped and the boy picked up a rock, threw it out on the ice, and laughed when it just bounced and skidded on the surface. He had hoped it would break, that there would be a big splash, but instead he was humored by the futility of the attempt. The ice blanket is deep.

I also saw an empty 12-pack cardboard box on the ice. Maybe a few fools got together on the ice during the night to drink oblivion.

10 January 2011: Snow whisps

10JAN2011, originally uploaded by blueathena7.

It snowed just a tiny bit this morning and early afternoon in Oklahoma City. Much of it melted away around lunchtime, but I managed to capture a few images in the gardens at my workplace. This is a Japanese Maple with just a dusting of snow. I liked the subtle color contrast of the faded red leaves against the green holly bushes in the distance.

winter or spring

Today is the first day of spring, or so we thought.  During the night a winter storm came through with a few inches of snow, some slushy rain, and a lot of gusty wind.  I'm tired of winter and ready to plant some seeds in the four huge planters in my front yard and probably some spinach in my backyard.  But it was a beautiful sight to see the white reflection of snow through the windows behind my daisies in wine bottle vases.

I realized I was out of coffee, so I had to walk to the nearest store and purchase some so I wouldn't have one of those painful headaches I tend to get when lacking caffeine.  On the way there and back the big-breasted robins were hopping quickly from snow-covered parking spot to sidewalk and back again.  I managed to get a picture of one.

Here's to hoping that this is winter's last hurrah this season.  May spring arrive in its full glory and thrust of seedlings, birdsong, and bloom.  And spring breaking ground makes me think of a quote I cannot find, one that says something about the violence of spring, but this one by Whitman will do:

"The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks." - Tennessee Williams