WolfDen of Bluster

[ismo]

One reason February is a cruel month because the growing light entices us to think that spring must surely be drawing near, but we're still embedded in the fist of the frost giants, as the snow flies and the cold wind bites cruelly. Yesterday, I shoveled away several inches of snow that had fallen in the night, and today I scraped off another inch or two. On Valentine's Day, the Sparrowhawk valiantly took my place. But later in the day, the snow fell again and I stared out the window, half-mesmerized by its falling, falling, falling, and swirling, swirling, swirling. We missed out on the more dire prediction, though. The wind is blowing hard tonight, but I think it will only bring in bitter cold and not another foot of snow. Today, we saw a couple walking their dogs down the middle of the street, where I guess they thought the footing was better. Their little boy amused himself climbing up the snow mountain at the end of our driveway. I remembered doing that, when the mountains of snow seemed so much taller!

The moon is waning now, but it has been full, though you can hardly ever see it. Even from behind the clouds, its light suffuses the sky and gives the snow a gentle refulgence that prevents the darkness from taking complete possession of the night. I woke up just before dawn yesterday, and discovered the moon in all its glory, having slipped out from under the clouds as it sank into the west. I'm lucky to see another moon rise and fall, another season turning, however slowly!