The Sacrament of the Woodburner

The Lord of Dragonwood and Faerygirl performing the Sacrament of the Woodburner in February

It is early when you find yourself at the top of the stairs, adorning yourself in thick layers. Chilly air hits your face outdoors, but the daily pilgrimage must be made. Perhaps you don't really want to go, but the sacrifice is important to keep your family warm. The dark lies heavy on the world, even though you know the glint of sunrise is not far from coming. The woodburner must be approached with solemnity and caution; after all, you don't know yet what you will find inside. Some mornings, the open door belches forth hot smoke that could singe the unwary, and some mornings there are merely warm ash and coals. Reach in with the broken garden rake, stir the ashes to find the still burning coals. Go forth, and hunt fuel. Sometimes, you must dig through the snow to find it. Bring the fire to life with sticks and scraps of wood from the Manor construction. Lay on great logs, to sustain the fire as it burns all day. Dust it, perhaps, with the creosote preventer. Then close the great door. Listen as the machinery clacks and whirrs its power, moving hot water through the house. By this time, you can tell the day is coming. The morning rush surges in your blood, and you are now ready for tea and breakfast.

Every morning, I have honored this time. It is my daily time to contemplate, and to sense the changing of the seasons. But last night, we let the woodburner go out. Although we may keep it going a little longer, the sky is no longer dark in the morning, nor are the temperatures so cold. Another morning ritual must replace this daily visit to the source of our warmth. Perhaps it is time to turn to greeting the sun! It's quite nice to take a cup of tea on the deck and toast the sunrise.

Quickening Moon

Some cultures refer to the second full moon of the year as the "quickening moon". I heartily agree with the name. Thawing has begun in Dragonwood. All the beasts and birds are becoming more active. We hear lots of birdsong, owl hooting, and woodpecker knocking. This past weekend, the Lord of Dragonwood started to feel better. I helped him strip wires and prepare for running speaker wires. One of the nice things about building your own house is that you can build in surround sound! The kids helped clean and clear the spaces that we are finishing up. Over the past week or two, I've observed the robins and the geese returning. Branches I brought into the house have opened into soft green leaves. The Lord observed a hawk on its kill right at the end of our driveway! All this melt is making me antsy to begin laying out our garden beds for the coming year. It's hard to be patient when you know warmer weather is coming!

A Winter Picnic

When Faerygirl was wee, I used to take her out for winter picnics. Sometimes we would slip into the kayak and paddle down the creek to an island. There we would find a log to sit on and have a snack. This was when we lived along the Wildcat Creek, so it was only a short trip...but always exciting. Today, I felt gloomy being stuck in the house for so long by winter weather and illnesses. So I decided to seek adventure. I put on my flashy earrings, bought last summer at the farmer's market, a jingly-jangly bracelet made for me by my girlfriends and some outrageous costume jewelry. I bundled up Squirrelboy and packed my dad's old army backpack with surprises. Then I donned my favorite leather jacket and my cloak. We set out into the snow. Squirrelboy is not very fond of the snow and the cold, and truthfully, neither am I. But sometimes you have to face discomfort to find what you need. We explored a little, worked through a tantrum (sigh), and then found a destination worthy of our expedition. In the woods, Faerygirl has built many "hollows". This particular one, her latest, is woven of branches and still-living trees bent over. It looks like an igloo. Being a grown-up, I had to dig into the snow just to create an entrance I could slither through on my knees and forearms. Squirrelboy enthusiastically followed. Once inside, I could sit upright, bundled in my cloak. Then I opened the bag and shared the clandestine treats I had packed. Oh, I did it right! Peanut-butter crackers, dried fruit and nuts, marshmallows, and kool-aid mini-packets to dump in water bottles (from last year's birthday parties). It was wonderful to sit in a woven shelter looking out at the snow and enjoying a forbidden treat (yeah, we don't eat a lot of sugary snacks here in Dragonwood). But it was so appropriate, and we were happy. As we finished up, we left a nut for the squirrels and marshmallows on sticks for any snow sprites that might be around. The moment I mentioned "snow sprites", a bunch of snow fell down right on my head!! I hope they like their marshmallows. Fingers burning from the cold, I managed to follow Squirrelboy out of the igloo and wander towards home. It was a short outing, but a merry one. I highly recommend a winter picnic to anyone who is feeling the winter blues.

Hoarfrost

It's been a snowy week. Three out of five school days were cancelled due to weather. I start feeling a bit isolated when we are snowed in for so long, but the heated floors and prudential grocery shopping (before the winter storm) certainly help. Unfortunately, the Lady, Faerygirl, and Squirrelboy have all been "under the weather" with sore throats and nasty energy-sapping colds. Still, nothing can mar the beauty of this day! As the sun started its way up the sky, the branches of the trees swiftly turned white. At first, a bare glisten graced the branches, but as we watched, a thick coat of hoarfrost formed. The woods became utterly enchanting. Every surface outdoors is now covered with perfect crystalline structures. It makes the forest look fuzzy. Above, the skies are blue and the sun shines. The tops of the trees are brilliant. Our family went out doors for a while to enjoy the bizarre cold beauty.

TreetopsBeehives

Dragonwood Manse

Window View

Blue (Da Ba Dee)

Blue is the color of the morning and evening this snowy February. Not the pale blue of a summer sky, nor the inky velvet of a starry night, but a bright cobalt you expect only in a painter's box or a child's plastic toys. And it's not just the sky. The snow also reflects, resonates, radiates this color blue. It's like being enveloped in slow bluesy jazz, smooth and vibrant. These mysterious sensuous blues don't exist very long, only in the moments before sunrise and after sunset. Stark trees stripe the landscape with their black silhouettes. It's ineffably beautiful and almost impossible to capture with words. Not even photos can do it justice.