The Beautiful (But Evil) Snow

After a night of fitful appearances from behind the drifting clouds, the moon has at last emerged to illuminate the frozen town. It has not been cold enough for the snow to freeze, and it remains a soft powder which dissolves quickly in my hand. Nor has it been warm enough to melt the snow from the branches of the trees, and now the branches and twigs are all bright in the moonlight. Did I say the other day that the trees in the fog seemed like their own shadows? Now, snow clad and moonlit, they seem like their own ghosts, and their shadows are stark on the white ground. A few ice crystals on the pine needles catch the moonlight and reflect it against the dark sky, and are as bright as the stars above them. When day comes, and the sun warms the air, the snow will begin to drop from the trees with soft thuds. But for now, everything is suspended in this muffled silence. Everything, but time.

Poetry, Art, and More, On Line

At times, there have flourished periodicals of limited circulation known as little magazines. Publishing the work of little know writers and artists, they have usually been hard to find, but have often set the standards which magazines of wider circulation eventually follow. In recent years, with the rising cost of publication and difficulty of distribution, these magazines have become ever more difficult to find. But now, many publications of this type are showing up on the internet.

If catelin is not on your friends list, you probably did not see her post in which she links to the publication Atomic Petals, which she edits. It reminds me very much of the little magazines which I used to seek out in the independent bookstores of Los Angeles. It is worth a look, and not only for the delightful content. It is also a very well designed web site; stylish, elegant, and well orgnanized. Do take a look.

Melty

This was rather flimsy snow. It still sits on some lawns and well-insulated rooftops, but has almost entirely melted from the pavements. (Yay!) And the sky is mostly clear, so it looks like there will be no more. Still as cold as the proverbial mammary glands of a sorceress, though. Oddly, there was more snow at the lower elevations of the ridge than we had up here. It think that the warmth rising from the waters of Lake Oroville may have moderated the storm on this side of town. With luck, I may be able to get out for a walk tomorrow afternoon. I'm considerably happier than I was yesterday. Minimal shoveling, and pleasant sound of runoff from the rain gutters. Nice.