Just now I've been sitting in my study with a cup of good strong coffee and the cedar incense sweet Maxwell gave me for Christmas, reading about the white-tailed ptarmigan:
It virtually vanishes into its snowbound habitat on the timberline. White on white: snow-white against snow, fog-white against winter fog and clouds as it flies in long, skipping glides like a flat stone scaled across water.
Cortelyou Road, where the trolley once ran, is right outside my window, and here come the men from my local firehouse, in full gear, holding on to the back bumper of a slow-moving SUV. One by one they fall off and collapse onto the snowy road in paroxysms of delight, these firemen in an hour without fire, restored to boys.
Snow day. Forget Monday's sludge—it doesn't exist. If you put on your
mittens and head to the park right now, a stranger neighbor will almost
certainly let you take a turn on their sled. You bring the cocoa.
Soundtrack: Yoko Ono, Snow Is Falling All the Time, via UbuWeb.
Photo credit: Steph Goralnick via Flickr
What it looks like from my balcony today. Anyone else want to share?
For the record, the activity the firefighters were engaging in is known in NY parlance as " skitchin". It was actually such a big problem in the late 70's and early 80's ( a coupla kids were killed) that the NYC Transit Authority actually had te redesign the back bumpers on city buses.
Reminds me of the other Yoko song about snow that Galaxie 500 covered: Listen the Snow is Falling. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/card/0,,433766,00.html
Hi Anne, great photos! I would love to share.
Today has been a magical day of pancakes, walking in the snow, nesting at home, and catching up on reading for class. Since these were taken very early this morning the snow seems like it has doubled! I love snowdays.
Wow, Christina, you really went out in it, didn't you! I went out to get the paper and should have taken my camera because it was so beautiful. All I could muster up are the 4 taken from my balcony. I got too cold and rushed back inside to the kitties and warmth.
that is the one thing that could have made today even better, a kitten or puppy. : )
i'm thinking a nice sunday dinner and some chocolate brownies should be the perfect end to the rest of this snowy, chilly sunday. enjoy the rest of yours!
That UBUweb rocks. Joseph Beuys chanting (probably to wolves) or Walter de Maria's ocean? Heaven.
Well, here in the Bay Area, we're out in t-shirts and sandals and sunglasses. It's a hard life but we manage to strugge through.
I just put up a few pics to show what it looks like here in Soho... just click on my name.
ebrown, hey someone's gotta do it.
trisha, make sure the airport is open before you trudge that suitcase thru all the "corner lakes."
Trish, the fire escape picture is just gorgeous.
Really beautiful photos Trish, my favorites are the cross-country skier and the fire escape. Have a great night and a wonderful trip!
I agree - that photo of the fire escape looks like something out of a turn of the (last) century photography book. Stunning!
Hey thanks you guys! Blogger can't seem to display the fire escape image in it's larger size but I'm glad you could make it out. It was a very pretty day, wasn't it?
Hey Trish, you know what that looks like - 2 giant Zs. Very lacy giant Zs. If only you knew someone who's initials were ZZ and you'd have the perfect gift for them. I'd love to have a copy of that photo to frame for my walls.
Anne if you send me your email address I will send you the picture in its larger size. It's actually longer with four sets of stairs instead of the three seen in the blog. You can crop at will :) I'm at trishm (at) mac dot com.
Firemen falling (safely!) off trucks onto the street/snow around us... my prayers have been ANSWERED!!! ;)
but seriously, what a beautiful line: "these firemen in an hour without fire, restored to boys."
Thanks for the post, Shannon.
well, my prayers too: I'd been wishing for more comments on my posts, so a snowy, stay-at-home day was just the ticket.
thanks for the kind words.