Month: February 2021

Annie the Snow Dog

/ Katie / 15 Comments

She loves the snow as much as I do.

Annie is an almost eleven-year-old Australian Shepherd. She’s been with us since she was just a little puppy.

Though I would not recommend an Aussie to an inexperienced dog owner, watching her experience the world is one of the great pleasures of my life. She’s smart, spunky, friendly, curious, quick to learn, and easily the most energetic of all of us. She loves Graham best, and she’s happiest when they go for walks on the path along the mill race.

It snowed Sunday morning, and while I sat by the fire with a cup of coffee and a book, Graham took Annie out for some playtime and a snow day stroll.

It snowed almost as much in six hours as it did over the course of two days last week, and it was just beautiful.

I’m glad Graham got some good pictures before it melted. Which it did, by Sunday evening. But as always, I enjoyed it while it was here to enjoy. And Annie did, too.

It looks like we’ve got more winter weather to look forward to this week, though there’s apparently a chance for some significant ice, so, we’ll see. I was worried, back in the beginning of December, that we’d see a winter with barely any snow. How lovely to be wrong.

Found Friday #19: 2021’s First Snow

/ Katie / 6 Comments

And it was a good one! It snowed for almost two days. I’m very pleased.

I don’t remember exactly why or when I decided to love winter best. I suspect I was just born that way. I love a winter landscape. I love the feel of cold air. I love how the world looks covered in a blanket of snow.

This time, I didn’t even mind that we got just a tiny bit of ice.

And I was surprised to find that the mill race had frozen over.

The world just feels a little more quiet, a little more slow, and a little more bright when it snows.

We’re expecting more wintry weather over the weekend, and I’m ready. I’ve got hot cocoa in the cabinet, cider and wine in the fridge, firewood by the hearth, and a list of books I’ve been meaning to read.

I feel like spring is just around the corner, but it’s not here yet. To everything there is a season, and this is the season for snow.

Some Days Are Just Like That

/ Katie / 14 Comments

It’s been sort of a strange day.

I stayed up way too late last night watching a meeting of my local Board of Supervisors, and woke up this morning feeling foggy and sleepy. No surprise.

I had some meetings and non-writing tasks to complete, and they went well. Always good, though they kept me quite busy.

I made way too ambitious a dinner for a Wednesday. It was tasty.

And I got some sad news, which is never fun, and which has me feeling pretty down.

And between all of it, I haven’t had much time to sit and write today. I don’t write every day, but I’m never super pleased when I feel like I can’t write, as opposed to just choosing not to. Anyone else feel that way?

Anyway, I’m just not quite myself today, I think. I don’t have any interesting thoughts or stories to share, and I’m tired. Some days are just that way, I guess.

On Friday, I’ll post some pictures of 2021’s first snow, but until then, enjoy this admittedly low-quality video of my dad, my uncle, and me playing one of our favorite songs at a little café in southwest Virginia. This is from a few years ago, but John Prine never goes out of style.

Practice Makes Perfect (A Poem)

/ Katie / Leave a comment

One, two, three
Chapters
Lines
Cups of coffee
Thousand words

Not quite done

Write it down
Write it down
Work it out
Find the phrase that
Makes it perfect
Over and over
Then and now

“Time, time, time
See what’s become of…”
My work
My mind
Too much
Or much too finite

Practice, practice, practice
The difference between:
Talent
And
Mastery

Patience, patience, patience
Is a virtue
Is a struggle
Is the space between
Good
And
Great

Not there yet, but –

Almost, almost
Always almost
Forever so close

Keep it up,
Keep it up,
Keep up the fight
It’s the plight
Of the creative soul:

To make it beautiful
But know
It will never be whole