Early Winter

~ Ashley 

Early Winter

His breath,
Cloaks every surface;
Father Sky.

For a few days last week, we awoke to fog and mist.  On one of those days after breakfast, standing in the garden, it felt as if the sky had fallen to earth; the air was full of moisture, everything was damp.  Later I took some photos and wrote the verse above.

Today, as I prepared to publish this, I received posts of particular relevance.  Harini in India, writes about a dream and her wish for a bit more rain, and Rosaliene in the USA, introduces her readers to another wonderful poet.  Here are the links:

Snow on the plateau

“Waiting for Rain (Again)” – Poem by Jamaican Poet Tanya Shirley

I have been re-reading some chapters of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s wonderful book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Allegiance to Gratitude.  She writes that like many Native peoples across the world, her own Potawatomi sunrise ceremony is rooted in gratitude. At school they would give thanks to all the waters of the world, for quenching thirst, giving strength and nurturing the life of all beings.

May we all be grateful for Earth’s bounty.

Ashley

76 thoughts on “Early Winter”

  1. Thank you, Ashley, for the apt photos of the wintery visit in your garden, and a short poem that made me put a cardigan on! I too give thanks for water as it is the greatest gift of nature to us.

    Joanna

    Reply

    1. Dear Joanna, thank you for your visit here. I’m sorry to hear that my post made you put a cardigan on but it’s best to be prepared as this week is expected to be a cold one. Stay warm and keep well. 🤗💌😘😊

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  2. Your short poem is on point! Love it, and the pics, and Tanya Shirley’s poem on rain, which made me ashamed to complain when we have so much. I’m truly grateful , really!

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    1. Dear Ute, thank you for your wonderful comments. I wasn’t aiming for perfection but just wanted to honour Mother Earth and Father Sky. 🤗💐🙏

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    1. My photos are from last week and over the weekend the temperature has certainly dropped. It’s unlikely we’ll have snow where I live, too low, but they will have some on the hills. 🤗💐🙏

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    1. Thank you, Mike. I know that some look to space for a solution to our problems but the earth is our only home and of course, a space ship will only ever carry the few who can afford it! 🙏

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  8. Thanks for the lovely poem and photos! We’ve still got some fall colors here but it’s moving into winter with more and more rain, and rain/snow mix.

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  9. An evocative poem, Ashley. And those photographs! It looks as if the bushes are transforming into clouds. 🙂

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  10. Ashley, I never get to see Father Sky touch our garden the way he does in your amazing photos 🙂 It has gotten way colder here, though. Thanks for the introduction to Harini’s blog and for kindly sharing my featured poet Tanya Shirley ❤

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    1. Dear Rosaliene, we rarely get extreme weather, perhaps once in a while, but we do receive a good deal of rain throughout the year! Now that winter is here we may have some snow on the hills, forecast for this week, so it’s out with the “big” coat, a hat and gloves! I should have asked before adding a link to your blog; I was taken that both in the east and in the west, water was on everyone’s minds. 🤗💐🙏

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  11. What delicate and amazing webs–are they created by spiders or insects of some sort?
    We are also lacking rain at the moment.
    I remember that part of Braiding Sweetgrass. It’s a wonderful idea, to begin your day by giving thanks to the earth. (K)

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    1. Hi Kerfe, I believe they are tiny spiders webs! It would have been good to draw the webs but they are so fine and delicate, gossamer like. I didn’t know there were so many little creatures around our little garden! Braiding Sweetgrass was a real find for me, a few years ago; I gave it 5 stars on GoodReads. An amazing book! 🤗🙏

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      1. Spider Woman’s children for sure. Spiders are everywhere, thank goodness. Even though they, along with insects, might not be our favorite creatures, the earth needs them to function.

    1. Thank you, Marina, for your lovely comments. Today, Monday, the temperature has dropped and we’re expecting snow. maybe not here where I live as it’s too low, but the hills will have some. We’ll just get sleety rain which is not nice to be out in! The weatherman tells us it’s time for “big” coats! 😉💐🤗

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      1. Sleety rain doesn’t sound ideal!
        We had rains and winds all previous week and now the sun is back. It’s cold / flu season as one starts a day with a light jacket and ends up feeling really cold a little later because of the strong North winds… [our case!] 😉
        🌷🎶😊

  18. Beautiful photos of Father Sky’s frozen breath! The hokku is really nice, Ashwood! We are expected to get some pretty cold weather this week. That reminds me of when people say, “I really love winter,” when they really mean they love their central heating. ha Stay warm!!

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    1. Thank you Edo-san. Today we’ve had some snow but it won’t last very long unless the cold weather persists. This morning we visited a small art exhibition at the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island. Some lovely paintings and of course we visited the café too for some tea. It’s been a while since we were last there; if only we’d had our walking gear on we could have wandered around the area. Next time, and I’ll take some photos! 🥾

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    1. Thank you Andrea for your wonderful comments. 🤗 We had a little snow yesterday and likewise, it’s all gone today. It is still very cold though; hat, gloves and big coat needed. 🙏

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  20. Hi Ashley, your poem is so magical! I can really imagine how the fog envelops the landscape and creates a mystical atmosphere. It sounds like you’ve experienced a very special moment in the garden – the feeling that the sky has fallen to earth is truly poetic!

    I admire the fantastic photos! It is always fascinating how such atmospheric days can inspire us. 🍂

    Ashley, I wish you all the best…..Rosie from Germany

    Reply

    1. Dear Rosie, thank you for your wonderful response to this blog. It was a magical moment, for sure! Stay warm on your travels, maybe you’ll see some snow! 🤗🙋‍♂️

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  30. The real cloak of surfaces is snow, isn’t it?
    We hoped for snow and ice for Kb’s birthday at the end of November but unfortunately, we only had snow for one day. But in January we’ll go up North and surely will have some snow.

    All the best
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 

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  31. Up north? Haha, I’m in NORTHERN Ireland and in low country so didn’t have much snow! The damp sky descending to the earth and settling on the usually unseen world of webs, was a joy to see. Perhaps you’ll head further north into the highlands of Scotland, better chance of snow there! Thank you for your visit here. 🤗🤗🤗🤝

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  32. You’ve captured a mysterious beauty in these shots. Lovely! I imagine a lot of spiders went hungry that morning! 😉

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  34. What a beautiful reflection of connection and gratitude toward nature. Your words and verses carry such warmth, reminding us of the beauty in simplicity and the interconnectedness of all beings. Thank you for sharing these heartfelt moments, Ashley. 💝🌷

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