the dark time?

We're so into that winter feeling. Shorter days, the inevitable advance of the holiday season that usually makes me feel blue and all dog-eared-depressed, but not this year. I can choose how I react to this season (what a concept!). I've just discovered that I can (and often do) actually choose my emotional responses. I can sink into despair and miss my family until it hurts, or I can march on, and enjoy the lights that have suddenly sprung up all over town, bake some biscotti, decorate the one evergreen that manages to survive after 23 years of a succession of dead trees on our land and choose not to suffer. If the roses can hang in there and not fade completely, in spite of below-freezing nights, snow, than so can I. And most days there is sun. Blessed sun. My power source.

Swainson's Hawk
There are benefits to the season. Like the flying creatures that visit now, stay awhile and go on their way. The last two days this beautiful creature perched on the highest limb of the furthest tree at the edge of our land. He stayed for an hour each time, surveying all that surrounded him, allowing me to grab my camera with the extra-long zoom lens and snap from an acre or so away. At these times I almost wish I had a DSLR, but I still like light and small.

I've worked the last few days to get the house ready for my BBF who is arriving tomorrow evening and will be staying for two weeks. One of those weeks we will be in a six day writing and meditation retreat together and I'm looking forward to it. I ordered husband unit out today to buy Xmas lights (multi-colored) for the one evergreen (that seems to have suddenly turned brown, oh dear!) and some to string along the railing of the second floor deck (blue). He did his job admirably and without too much complaining. BBF and I are planning a mutual friends dinner party next week and perhaps that's why I wanted lights. It's been so long since we celebrated the season. But lots of things have been missing for a long time and it's time to reign them in and engage.

Untouched. No fx needed. This is exactly what tonight's sunset looked like. That's the Pedernal (O'Keefe's Ghost Mountain) about forty miles away. I stepped out onto the deck, barefoot and with camera, blue lights strung out all around me....life is good. But my feet in the lingering snow were cold!