If You Lose Your Purpose, It’s Like You’re Broken

"If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken." ~ Hugo Cabret
“If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken.” ~ Hugo

Everything has a purpose, even machines… They do what they are meant to do… Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me so sad, they can’t do what they are meant to do… Maybe it’s the same with people. If you lose your purpose… it’s like you’re broken. ~ Brian Selznick (spoken by Hugo Cabret  in The Invention of Hugo Cabret)

In the summer of 2006 my bride and I set out to repair a broken house. Rosslyn, a stately but crumbling old home, boathouse, ice house and carriage barn needed us. We could save them. We should save them. We would reawaken a property that had lost its purpose. We would pump our passion, our time and our limited loot into repairing the broken property.

If You Lose Your Purpose

But over time we came to understand that we were at least as broken as Rosslyn. We had both lost our purpose, and we were both foundering. Leaping into an adventure as feckless and risky as moving our lives and work from New York City to the Adirondacks while renovating four buildings many decades past their “best if used by” dates nearly destroyed us. Emotionally. Economically. Physically. And yet, little by little we discovered that Rosslyn could (and eventually would) repair us. The broken, purposeless wreck we set out to rebuild ultimately rebuilt us.

Two years ago I holed up in a remote abbey in the New Mexico desert to sort through my recollections and artifacts from the years of renovation. A month alone reading and revising. One night I watched Hugo for a refreshing distraction. A children’s movie. Sort of. Sort of not. I was enchanted. Something happened to me that had never taken place before (nor since). As the movie ended, I restarted it and watched the entire film through a second time. Double header. Better the second time than the first. It resonated profoundly with the book I was trying to write, a memoir about the years spent rehabilitating Rosslyn.

It’s Like You’re Broken

Hugo is one of the best films i’ve seen in a long time. Be forewarned though, this is not your typical fantasy movie…  The movie reveals the darkest times and how fear can be the driving force in everything we do… Also the fragile nature of human beings can be at any age and the limitations we have are only the ones that we put on ourselves. ~ Melissa Arditti (Windsor Square)

I’m not sure that Hugo is one of the best films I’ve seen, but it was the perfect narrative at the perfect time. And I will watch it again. Soon. I need to, in part, because I’m still grappling with this idea of a what it means to lose your purpose. I’m still working on repairing the broken machine. Rosslyn. And within. I’m reawakening purpose. Thank you for assisting me along the journey.

If you haven’t seen Hugo yet, here’s a teaser, the passage that still appeals to me two years after first experiencing it.

Purpose Lost & Purpose Found

As a storyteller and I writer I’m conscious of the temptation to “find” purpose where it isn’t, and to ascribe purpose where and how it fits best. How I’d like it to be.

Over the past decade I’ve been trying to unlearn the habit. Rosslyn Redux, marriage, small town life, the joys and woes of midlife and the rapidly evolving world of publishing have served as my tutors, and I’m confident that I’m beginning to make headway. Two final quotations from Hugo offer the optimistic note I’m hoping to achieve in my closing, and they both offer a glimpse into the view from where I am lately.

I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too. ~ Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

In that moment, the machinery of the world lined up. Somewhere a clock struck midnight, and Hugo’s future seemed to fall perfectly into place. ~ Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The machinery is still aligning, but I’m confident that soon it will all fall into place.

Word to the wise? If you lose your purpose, hold off on plunging into the sort of adventure we undertook. First watch Hugo. And then… plunge!

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on March 3, 2014
Posted in Redacting Rosslyn, Rehabilitation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Kestrel Sighting

Kestrel at Rosslyn boathouse in Essex, NY
Kestrel at Rosslyn boathouse in Essex, NY

Katie Shepard posted this vintage photograph of the steam yacht Kestrel on the Essex blog recently to see if anyone could identify the vessel, the boathouse, the men on the pier, the approximate year, etc.

Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company: Wow, what a great photo. That’s the steam yacht Kestrel, owned by Samuel Keyser. The Keyser family used the Kestrel while summering in Essex and she was a regular sight on the Lake from the 1890s until the late 1930s. This beautiful 19th Century yacht still exists today and I’ve actually had the pleasure of seeing her first hand, she’s a magnificent vessel…

George Davis: You ghosty folks sure are good. Well done. And extra credit since you’ve seen the Kestrel in person, up in the 1,000 Islands, I imagine. Right?

Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company: Thanks! We were visiting Alex Bay this past summer and went out to see Boldt Castle. Admission also covers the Boldt’s boat house over on Wellesley Island which we had never visited before. Sitting in one of the slips inside the boathouse was the Kestrel in all her glory. It took a minute of head scratching and “hmmm…where have I seen this boat before” until it finally clicked. It was a bit of a jaw dropping moment. I had no idea the yacht even still existed, but she’s an amazing survivor.

Kestrel at Boldt Castle Yacht House

While I knew that the Kestrel still existed and was afloat in the Thousand Islands, I was surprised that others were aware of the local connection and even more tickled by the fact the Plattsburgh “ghost folks” had spotted (and identified) the handsome old steam yacht. The following information is published on Boldt Castle’s yacht house web page. It helps illuminate the Kestrel’s lengthy history.

The Kestral was designed by D. Crawford and built by George Lawley at his South Boston shipyard in 1892.  Her first owner is not presently known, but the first available written records indicate that she was sold on June 14, 1899 to Samuel Keyser of Baltimore, Maryland.  After a succession of owners who lavished money and care on her, she was sold to James A. Trowbridge of Norton, Connecticut on February 19, 1937.  Mr. Trowbridge enjoyed her for nearly 33 years and her ship’s log shows  many short trips up and down Long Island Sound with a favorite stop at Northport, Long Island.

Records show an overhaul and some replacements in 1957.  Her original boiler was replaced first in 1926 and again in 1967.  In 1972, she was sold to Robert P. Scripps of New York, and appeared in the New York Harbor for the 1976 Parade of Tall Ships.  She was then sold to the American Maritime Academy on Staten Island.  The American Maritime Academy used for a few years and then abandoned her.  In 1988 she was acquired at auction by Mr. John H. Luhrs of Ponte Verde, Florida.

After purchasing the Kestrel in 1988, the owner chose to have the steam engine completely repaired by the renowned Conrad Milster at his boiler room at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.  In 1990, she was taken to Kettle Creek Yacht Services at Tom’s River for final finishing.  Some of the individual items that were salvaged and could be reused were her 1967 boiler and cylinder blocks, part of the engine shaft and assorted hardware.  She now has four pineapple finials atop her compound engine.

Her interior has been completely redesigned and painted white.  She has sixteen “Wylie” ports with decorative wedges, ten 22-inch deck cleats, and a compound curved sliding hatch on the forward deck.  Her outward appearance shows a semi-permanent canvas awning with roll-down protective panels around her fantail stern.  Her new five foot stacks displays Mr. Luhr’s private signal and brass decorative dolphins adorn her railends.  Her capstan is original, while her galley has all modern conveniences and the head has a very unique brass faucet with shower attachment.  During a period of five years Mr. Luhrs completed her final restoration at St. Augustine Marine Center in Florida.

The steam yacht Kestrel is representative of the period and vessels owned and operated by George Boldt.

On July 30 of 2009 Mr. Luhrs generously donated the Steam Yacht Kestrel to the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority for permanent display at the Authority’s Boldt Castle Yacht House facility for the enjoyment of present and future generations. (Official Boldt Castle Website)

Our Friends at Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company shared this ”photo of Kestrel docked outside her palatial new home. She sleeps inside the center (largest) berth in the yacht house.”

Kestrel at Boldt's Boathouse, Wellesey Island (Credit: Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company)
Kestrel at Boldt’s Boathouse, Wellesey Island (Credit: Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company)

Kestrel at Keyser’s Boathouse in Essex

Nowadays I refer to our boathouse – the revitalized dock house captured in the vintage photo at the top of this post – as Rosslyn boathouse, but the name is actually slightly misleading. Rosslyn, the name given to our home by the W.D. Ross family when they built it in the 1820s, would likely not have originally been used for the boathouse.

You see the boathouse wasn’t built for another three quarter’s of a century, and when it was, the waterfront had been sold off from the rest of the property. It was purchased by Samuel Keyser for construction of a boathouse / dock house to moor and service his steam yacht, Kestrel. Sound familiar. Although the Keyser estate is located north of Rosslyn by a half mile or so, the pier on their own property was ostensibly damaged during flooding or perhaps an ice flow during Lake Champlain’s spring thaw. (Still trying to learn more about this, but scarce information available.)

The turn-of-the century building was most likely designed and built for the Keyser family to accommodate their 62 ft. long, steam-powered yacht, Kestrel. Constructed entirely of mahogany, the yacht plied Lake Champlain’s water the 1890’s through the 1930’s, becoming as much an iconic vessel in Essex history as the boathouse has become in the century since it first adorned Merchant Row. (Essex on Lake Champlain)

Thousand Islands Field Trip

In closing this already run-on post, I’d like to make myself a promise to visit the elegant old steam yacht. Soon. And in the mean time, I’ll try to contact the staff to see if they have any interest in a few vintage photographs of the Kestrel to add to the ship’s log…

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on March 1, 2014
Posted in Archeology of Home, Artifacts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

La Vie en Rose

La Vie en Rose: Rosslyn boathouse during late February sunset (Credit: Kristen Eden)
La Vie en Rose: Rosslyn boathouse during a late February sunset. (Credit: Kristen Eden)

Je vois la vie en rose
I see life through rose-colored glasses ~ Édith Piaf

Édith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose” – usually translated as ”Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses” – inevitably, joyfully came to mind when this sexy photograph was shared with me on Facebook by an Essex friend and neighbor, Janice Koenig. It turns out the photographer, Kristen Eden, is also an Essex neighbor and, if Facebook counts, a new friend.

Kristen’s photographs (see gallery below for a few more) capture warmth and tenderness, unusual characteristics for mid-winter images of icy Lake Champlain. Even on sunny days our North Country light in February tends to by harsh and severe, so these unlikely photos were a welcome sight. They lit up Facebook prompting “likes” and comments from many local and distant fans. My downsized, watermarked versions of her photos don’t fairly do the originals justice, but you can enjoy the image above, “Ducks swimmin’ in pink lemonade” (in larger, better format) on Kristen Eden Fine Art and Photography.

Sensuous & Harsh: La Vie En Rose

Piaf, France’s “Little Sparrow”, similarly blends the sensuous and the harsh. Perhaps it’s the scratchy old recordings. Or her crushed velvet sound. Or her swooping transitions and confident refrains. Who knows? A siren’s mystery. Listen and decide for yourself.

Piaf’s song wove itself inextricably into my already Pollyanna-prone psyche during my college years, and despite the lyrics’s unlikely resonance, they remain evocative and hypnotic half a lifetime later. Piaf’s sensuous sound makes me nostalgic for the years I lived in Paris even now as I type these words about photographs that remind me how much I am enchanted with Essex, a world away from The City of Light.

Thanks for your Rose-colored Glasses

Thanks, Kristen, for your stunning photographs. And thanks, Janice, for bringing them to my attention.

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on February 27, 2014
Posted in Lake Champlain, Seasons | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Venison Green Chile Stew

Venison Green Chile Stew: looks like dog food, tastes like bliss!
Venison Green Chile Stew: looks like dog food, tastes like bliss!

He that strikes the venison first shall be the lord o’ the feast. ~ Shakespeare, King Lear

I admitted to the butcher at the Village Meat Market in Willsboro the other day that I could easily give up beef for game. I enjoy meat of all sorts, but my pallet is especially charmed by seasonal wild game including duck, rabbit, venison, antelope, elk, boar, pheasant and even goose which many people consider too rich or greasy. So you can imagine my pleasure when I received this text message from our caretaker, Doug, earlier today.

Hey, George, I have some venison sausage. Do you want it in the fridge or the freezer?

Thanks! Freezer would be great. I just cooked up the last of my venison sausage yesterday to make green chile stew. Perfect timing. Thank you, Doug.

I’ve been fortunate to receive gifts of venison from Doug and other local hunters ever since moving to Essex. North Country gourmets (and gourmands) tout the merits of tenderloins – the venison equivalent of filet mignon, small strips of meat located along the spine inside a deer’s cavity – and backstraps – larger strips of meat located along the spine outside a deers’s cavity – but ground venison and venison sausage are often overlooked. Not delicacies, perhaps, but unfairly neglected, especially considering how much more ground meat than tender steaks is produced when a deer is butchered.

One of the easiest preparations for ground venison is a grilled burger.

Ground venison makes the tastiest burgers, though the trick is to cook the meat to medium for six to eight minutes total, preserving the texture and juices. ~ Elizabeth Folwell (Adirondack Life)

Because venison is very lean, you may wish to add olive oil, butter or lard when preparing and seasoning the burger.

My favorite way to cook ground venison is to mix it with pork sausage as the protein base for Green Chile Stew, a dish that seduced me when I lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico during my twenties.

Venison Green Chile Stew.
It looks like dog food,
But it tastes like bliss!

Here’s the most current version of my perennially evolving venison green chile stew recipe.

Venison Green Chile Stew Recipe

Utensils reconnoitering with Amaryllis. (Credit: virtualDavis)
Utensils reconnoitering with Amaryllis. (Credit: virtualDavis)

This time of year, green chile stew is an ideal core-warning, vitamin rich comfort food. If you’re only familiar with red chile, it’s time to try something new. The flavor is totally different, and you just might change your chile preferences.

Consider the following recipe a rough guide, not a set of rules. (Ditto for all recipes, mine or otherwise!)

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 medium/large onions, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb. venison, ground
  • 1 lb. pork sausage
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 16 fl. oz. chicken or beef stock
  • 16 fl. oz. white wine or beer
  • 3-4 cups green chiles, fire roasted/peeled/chopped
  • 2-3 large potatoes, chopped
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

[Note: I prefer a slow cooker to cook green chile stew, but these directions can be adapted to crock and range cooking.]

Heat olive oil in a large skillet (or range-safe slow cooker liner/crock). Add onions and garlic, stirring over low-to-medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent. Add venison and pork. Break up any large lumps of meat and continue stirring and heating until ground meat is fully cooked and mixed with onions and garlic. Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and mix thoroughly before transferring to slow cooker. Set temperature and timer for four hours (high) or eight hours (low). Stir and check for adequate moisture from time to time. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on February 25, 2014
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Essex-Charlotte Canal

Ever seen the Essex-Charlotte Canal? Snapshot from an icy ferry crossing on February 19, 2014.
Ever seen the Essex-Charlotte Canal? Snapshot from an icy ferry crossing on February 19, 2014.

The Essex-Charlotte Canal offers a chilly commute, but it sure beats 3-4 lanes of traffic jammed, coffee guzzling, angry drivers on a thruway…

It’s not every winter that we get to enjoy the ferry commute between Essex, New York and Charlotte, Vermont (remember when the Champlain Bridge was closed for demolition/replacement?), but the “landlocked” winters certainly do make us appreciate it when Lake Champlain Transportation keeps the ferry open. And this winter has provided plenty of ice to make it challenging, but the boat, captains and crew have endured. Thank you for creating and maintaining the Essex-Charlotte Canal!

Essex-Charlotte Canal Confusion?

By the way, if you’ve discovered this post by mistake, you’re probably looking for the Champlain Canal, not the Essex-Charlotte Canal. The former has been in existence since 1823, about the same time that Rosslyn was constructed (and probably one of the ways that non-local materials were transported to Essex for construction, furnishing, etc.). The latter, the “Essex-Charlotte Canal” I reference in this post, is a figment of my icy imagination. And the collective experiences of the LCT captains and crews, and most every ferry commuter who’s crossed Lake Champlain in the last month or so! But you won’t find it on any maps…

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on February 19, 2014
Posted in Seasons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fox Tracks, Foxtrot & X-Country Skiing

Fox Track & Ski Tip
Fox Track & Ski Tip

An inch or two of fresh powder and bluebird skies above lured me away from my desk on Monday for a mid-morning x-country ski outing with my lab.

Hooky!

Crisp but otherwise perfect conditions were the enticement; fresh fox tracks (I think) were the unanticipated reward.

Griffin, my water and snow loving labrador retriever was quick to find the scent of a recently visiting fox. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

Judging from the single line this fellow was doing the foxtrot, not just wandering aimlessly.

Foxes walk or trot in an alternating pattern, with prints nearly in a line. In shallow snow, foxes may trot in a two-print pattern or gallop in a four-print pattern. Dainty, oval tracks (2.3 to 3.1″ long) usually show small triangular foot pads, claw marks, and foot drag marks. (wildthingsultd.org)

Tracking a Foxtrotting Fox

Fox Track (Credit: wildthingsultd.org)
Fox Track (Credit: wildthingsultd.org)

I x-country skied all through Rosslyn’s meadows and woods for about an hour, and Griffin lunged giddily along, sending great colds of powdery snow up into the air. And throughout our adventures we kept crisscrossing the path of our foxtrotting friend. The fox tracks periodically followed my ski trail from the previous day, and at other times veered off on their own course. And yet throughout the 30+/- acres we were exploring the foxes tracks returned again and again.

There’s a pleasant geometry in x-country ski trails, and the linear perfection of the fox tracks added to it, at times creating the illusion of a loosely interpreted argyle pattern across the undulating fields.

Of course, Griffin was eager to pursue the fox tracks, but he mustered the focus to stay on course with me. And the reward was an extra long, extra fast workout for both of us.

Here are few more photos from our outing.

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on February 10, 2014
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Mallard Jacuzzi

Ducks at Dawn on Icy Lake

As Lake Champlain freezes and thaws and freezes again, trying to create a seamless skateable expanse between the Adirondack Coast and Vermont, Rosslyn’s boathouse bubbler offers the wild ducks welcome refuge. It’s a veritable mallard jacuzzi! Or a bald eagle buffet? The shrewd raptors observe from the trees nearby, waiting…

Mallard Jacuzzi or Bald Eagle Buffet

While others have witnessed the bolides snatching confit de canard from the frigid “pond” in front of Rosslyn’s boathouse, I’ve never actually experienced myself. But I’m keeping an eye out from my office, wondering if this will be the newest Rosslyn safari.

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on February 9, 2014
Posted in Nature, Seasons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bald Eagle Breakfast

Bald eagle sitting in tree along Essex waterfront watching ducks.
Bald eagle perches along Essex waterfront watching ducks.

I saw a young bald eagle recently flying over the lake just off from the hamlet. The ducks by the ferry dock ignored him but I bet they were keeping a close watch nevertheless. ~ Rob Ivy (Essex Column, Feb. 5, 2014)

I bundled up this morning – thermals and lots of fleecy layers – to brace against the subzero temperatures. After almost 24 hours of continuous snowfall I was excited with the prospect of an early morning skiing the fresh powder at Whiteface. But an even greater gift  surprised me as I finished scraping the car and climbed in.

Bald Eagle Breakfasting?

My mobile phone buzzed to tell me a Facebook message had arrived.

“Bald eagle out there this morning!”

It was Willsboro neighbor, Beatrice Disogra, a daily Essex ferry commuter with a gift of spying bald eagles (and spectacular Lake Champlain views!) I parked at the end of our driveway, craning my neck to survey the trees. I didn’t see him at first. Our digital dialogue continued.

Look to the left of the boathouse up in the tall trees on the WATER’S EDGE. It came down and plucked a fish out between the boathouse and ferry dock last week. I’m at the ferry dock watching it right now. There’s a young one without white feathers that hangs out in front of your house. Should be easy to spot when the sun comes out.

I got out of my car and walked north, inspecting ash, maple, locust and cottonwood. Then I noticed a likely suspect.

Just walked toward Sandy Pt. Saw large blackish mass high in tree. Not certain it was eagle, but now gone.

It was. It flew past me at ferry dock. It will come back.

"Sitting ducks" enjoying open water created by the boathouse bubbler (while bald eagle watches.)
“Sitting ducks” enjoying the boathouse bubbler (while bald eagle watches.)

I had snapped the blurry photo above with my mobile phone in order to zoom in and take a closer look once I was back in the warmth of my car. And the eagle must have flown off as soon as I turned to walk away.

Bald Eagle and “Sitting Ducks”

I verified with Ms. Disogra that she’d witnessed the eagle catching a fish, not a duck. She assured me that she had been close enough to see it.

But bald eagles are also fond of ducks, and the area we keep bubbled in front of Rosslyn’s boathouse inevitably offers an inviting smorgasbord for hungry eagles. So far no photos of an eagle flying away with a duck in its talons!

It is worth noting, I am conflicted about this bald eagle and “sitting duck” situation. I am a big fan of the ducks. In fact, I want to raise a few ducklings myself one day, if only my bride would relent. And I am also awed by the magnificent bald eagles which frequent the Adirondack Coast in winter. But one could argue that we are effectively manipulating nature by creating open water which attracts the wild ducks, causing atypically high concentration which favors the bald eagles.

All recommendations welcome…

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on February 6, 2014
Posted in Lake Champlain, Lifestyle | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Snow Falling on Cedar Shingles

Snow Falling on Cedar Shingles
Snow Falling on Cedar Shingles

A parting glimpse of the boathouse blurred beyond veil of soggy snowflakes. Southwestern sirens are calling me away — by ferry, airplane and rental jalopy — so I leave the homestead in the able care of my bride and my dog for a few days. I’m willing deep drifts of powdery snow upon my return!

By the way, if “snow falling on cedar…” rings a bell, there’s a reason why: an amazing novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson. Read it. You won’t regret it. But don’t waste too much time trying to decipher the similarity between the title I used for this snapshot and Guterson’s. No hidden meaning. Just a descriptive reference to Rosslyn’s boathouse roof which received a new shingle roof a couple of summers ago.

by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on January 16, 2014
Posted in Lake Champlain, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Cold Snap Boom, Boom, Boom!

Griffin listening to the cold snap "thunder" booming...
Griffin listens to cold snap “thunder” boom, boom, booming…

One very cold and quiet evening last week, I was outside accompanying Ginny on her last foray of the day, and heard what sounded like distant fireworks. It was a low rumbling that brought to mind quarry blasting, but it went on and on. I thought the truck stop on the Northway was on fire, but nothing unusual over that way, and there were no fireworks to be seen. What I believe was happening was the sheet of ice covering our hay field was contracting in the extreme cold, and as it broke into large slabs it emitted deep booming noises. The next morning we went for a walk across the field and indeed, the ice had split into irregular sheets in the night. There’s another phenomenon called frost quake, which is when water saturated soil freezes rapidly due to a sudden plunge in temperature and then splits apart. Ice expands slightly as it forms, and in places like plowed parking lots, where there’s no snow to provide insulation, the ground can suddenly crack open thunderously as pressure from below is released. This occurs more commonly on sandy or gravelly soils and foundations can suffer damage. ~ Rob Ivy (Essex Column, Valley News)

I experienced the same eerie sounds and came to the same conclusion less than a week ago. It was almost dark, and I was walking around on the meadow behind the carriage barn with Griffin, enjoying the sensation of walking on frozen snow (without crushing through). Wondering about the sound, the ground cracked audibly – thunderously – a foot in front of me, and for an instant I had the panicky notion that an iceberg was fracturing and I would plunge into the icy depths.

Griffin was startled. He flinched and looked up at me for reassurance. I laughed and he wagged his tail.

We wandered, listening to the booms in the meadow on the other side of the stream. It was truly beautiful. The sound of the cold.

The weather’s been all over the place. Snowy and cold followed by warm and rainy followed by bitterly cold and dry.

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These photos are from a cold snap already passed. Since then warmer temperatures and heavy rain reduced the volume of snow, and then temperatures plummeted again. Everything (including the driveway) is covered in 3″ to 6″ of bulletproof ice. It’s pretty lethal!

What next?

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by G.G. Davis, Jr. (virtualDavis) Posted on January 9, 2014
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments