Day 276: Icy bridges

"But which is the stone that supports the bridge?" - Kublai Khan

Project 365: #276

On my run in Saturday I did a little cross-countrying to see the snow. Although it has pretty much been blue skies and above zero temps in the day there is still tonnes of snow on the ground. The streets are a bit scary to run in because the minute you leave the borough there are no sidewalks and you have to run in the street....and some of that is taken up by piles of snow, with nowhere to go when a car heads your way...luckily on most of those roads the speed limit is 20 miles per hour, and hopefully the cars you come across are actually driving at the speed limit...anyway, I took myself to India Brook Park to see the river which was stunning, trickling through the ice, forging a path with the snowmelt. I was getting a little tired after my expeditioning, so decided to shortcut home the way I usually go - across the river and along the path home...well, I actually missed the causeway as the stepping stones were  covered, and only realized when I came out at a road further along. I surveyed it for a little while, wondering which ice-stone was supporting the bridge, and whether I would be able to get across. I did take a chance as I figured the water was only about a foot deep, and my feet were already soaked through from the snow, so a splash in the river would not be entirely disastrous, as long as I kept my phone dry!

I made it across easily, and it turned out that the icey snow on the top was a superb support for the bridge, and was actually easier than jumping from pillar to pillar that you usually have to do! What I was not expecting, however, was the depth of snow on the other side. Rather silly, I know, as we have the same amount still sitting in our garden! That section of path was the hardest I have ever run, worse even than running on the beach in the sand! I was completely exhausted, so decided to exit sooner than later, and get back onto the road. Well, the path I took got me to the road, but what I forgot was that I had to detour a huge section to get back home as there was no direct route...so my quick little 5 k run turned to a rather exhausting 10 k and today I can hardly move! What I also learned from running in the snow is that ice crystals are rather like little needles, and have cuts around my ankles where my skin was exposed! Will remember the long socks next time! There is a quietness the snow creates, almost like a dampener, and it makes the most amazing crunching sound underfoot. Despite all my moaning - it was awesome, the snow was stunning, and well worth the expedition!

Day 275: Bright blue skies

"I love life. There's so much to learn and see all the time, and nothing nicer for me than to wake up, and the sky is blue." - Pattie Boyd

Project 365: #275

Bright blue skies...they provide so much more energy than gray skies! It is energizing to wake up in the morning to bright blue. It is uplifting...well, for the first half hour anyway...then you remember it's Saturday and how tired you are! But, the blue skies do make everything seem not so bad as when the sun is not shining...it is so much easier to embrace all opportunities, instead of being overwhelmed with what still needs to be done. The graduation requirements for Caitlin are being ticked off one by one, and the end is in sight, or at least seems more do-able. Nicole has her subject choices for next year under control, and the second marking period is done and dusted...the girls now know what is expected of them, and what they need to do. It is unbelievable that we are already half way through the academic year! Thank goodness the blue skies keep us moderately sane! 

Day 274: One of my favourite places

"Contrast is what makes photography interesting" - Conrad Hall

Project 365: #274

This little section of the river below us has to be one of my favourite places, and is always beautiful, no matter the season! When I went exploring yesterday the river was frozen...but not quite solidly as I could hear the bubblings and murmurings of the water underneath the ice.  The snow made everything look fresh and clean and inviting, until I remembered just how cold it is...after all, it is minuscule icicles! What is amazing is the contrast between the bright blue sky and the white snow, with the dark branches of the trees. I never even notice these things until I look at my photos later, I usually just take pictures of what I like, without giving it too much thought. The contrast between the seasons is also amazing - reminding me again of the continuous circle of life. Moments are fleeting, and cannot be relived, so it is important to embrace each one, look up, notice the contrast, admire the beauty in what surrounds us, and be grateful for where we are and what we have!

Day 273: Anyone for a seat?

“A bench in the street can be a good writer because all kind of material comes onto it like a heavy rain!” - Mehmet Murat Ildan

Project 365: #273

I have been dying to venture onto Patriot's Path since it snowed, but the snow is still rather deep, and difficult to wade through in some places. I was very excited to hear a grader yesterday, so I wandered down to explore this morning....there is a passable path, but everything else is pretty much still under snow. The snow has melted a little, and frozen overnight. It is a little like 'ice-cap' chocolate sauce...frozen on the top, but nice soft ice-cream underneath...It has excellent shoe-cleaning properties...my running shoes are now nice and sparkling. This park bench did look quite inviting, but was pretty much still buried. Not only covered in rain occasionally, but snow too! Imagine what this bench has witnessed and the stories it could write!

Day 272: Winter wonderland

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" - J.B. Priestley

Project 365: #272

This is pretty much what we woke up to on Saturday morning. We have been waiting the whole season for snow, and it did not disappoint us! It was truly magical, especially as we had no idea what we were in for, as the snow did not let up the whole day - giving us almost 30 inches! It is unbelievable how it completely transformed the world from colours to black and white, with an enchanting purity and stillness! It is amazing to experience each season and what it brings, it helps to tell the time, and know that that there is a season for everything!

'There is a time for everything, 

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot, 

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build, 

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away, 

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak, 

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.'

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

Day 271: Sunrise through icicles

“Just when normal life felt almost possible - when the world held some kind of order, meaning, even loveliness (the prismatic spray of light through an icicle; the stillness of a sunrise), some small thing would go awry and the veil of optimism was torn away, the barren world revealed. They learned, somehow, to wait those times out. There was no cure, no answer, no reparation.”- David Wroblewski, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

 Project 265: #271

There is a beauty in the stillness of the early morning, and the sunrise after a storm, made even more beautiful by the presence of icicles that sprayed light into the room through their tiny prisms. For just a moment, life stood still, and felt as though things were falling into place. This seems to be the story of our lives at the moment. It feels as though we are on this never-ending treadmill, with little glimmers of hope at a bit of normality every now and again...and just as we start to feel the optimism of normality, and settle in its complacency, something else crops up, disrupting the delicate balance! I do feel that the moments of normality are more frequent than they were a few months ago, and that we will get back to normal life as we knew it! In the meantime, we will just sit and wait, patiently (or not-so patiently), enjoying these special moments of loveliness!

Day 270: Delayed start to the day

"One of the very best reasons for having children is to be reminded of the incomparable joys of a snow day" - Susan Orlean

Project 365: # 270

The girls were desperately hoping for a snow day today, but no such luck. However, there was a delayed start, to they only had to be at school by 9:30 am. This is why...

The roads and parking bays at school have been cleared leaving mounds and mounds of snow everywhere.... This is what most of the roads look like as there is nowhere to put all the snow, so it is piled up to make some space! I am grateful we live just down the road and did not have to negotiate miles and miles of this! I am also grateful for my all-wheel-drive car!

Day 269: The day after the storm...

 "If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm" - Frank Lane

Project 365: #269

We weathered the storm well, and spent the whole day cleaning up, clearing the driveway, un-burying the car, and playing in the piles and piles of snow! It was the most beautiful, peaceful, still morning, with brilliantly blue skies and smiling sunshine!

Day 268: Blizzard 2016!

"Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm" - Marcus Garvey

 Project 365: #268

It seems as though it is all or nothing here. We have had such a mild winter, with just a couple of snow sprinkles, that I had kind of hoped we might get away with it....however, Mother Nature had other ideas and dropped the entire winter-load in 24 hours! It was quite spectacular! Things I am most grateful for today are a warm cosy place to stay, electricity, and warm running water! What I am amazed about is the power of nature, and beauty of the snow. It is a true winter wonderland! There is nothing more invigorating and refreshing than playing in the snow!

Day 267: Twelfth night celebrations

 "When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself" - Shunryu Suzuki

Project 365: #267

Through the seasons we are becoming immersed in all that is Mendham, and has been Mendham for the past 50 to 100 years, slowly absorbing the culture. The twelfth night celebration was hosted, naturally, by the fire department and  is one of the traditions that has been continued annually without obvious question. It was an awesome display of fireman might, with the staff out in force. On the twelfth night after Christmas, or as close to as possible, you unload your undecorated (real) Christmas tree onto your verge, and for a small voluntary fee the fire department cart it away to the Green (which you can also do yourself). Then, after dark, the community gathers to drink hot chocolate and behold the spectacle of the biggest bonfire I have ever seen! It is pretty much all or nothing here. It was an amazing spectacle of the power of fire, and fireman bravado, but I am not entirely sure about the environmental impact!

Day 266: Burning cold

“Nothing burns like the cold” - George RR Martin, A Game of Thrones

Project 365: #266

Coming from warm sunny ZA, with mild winters in the Eastern Cape...even our little sojourn to Germany did not really prepare us for this cold weather. After an exceptionally mild December in NJ, we were hoping that the temps would stay as moderate as they had been. Of course, on the day the girls went back to school in January, the temperatures really plummeted! Anyway,  as everything is nice and cozy and warm inside here,  we didn't think too much of it, and I took a pic of the temperature gauge in the car, to prove just how cold it was. After school I tootled off to fetch them, parking in my usual parking spot. When they arrived, I tried to start my car and it was as DEAD as a doornail! Ohoh! This was absolutely NOT good! I do belong to the AAA, but was not really wanting to phone them without knowing what was wrong...so, Nic opted to stay at school for band later and Cait and I decided to walk home...not too far, about 2 miles! What we had not really thought about was that we were not dressed appropriately, and the wind chill took the temp from 12 F to 0 F....-17 C! It was absolutely BURNING cold! Well, we did make it home, defrosted, and retrieved the car later, which had a flat battery. I am very grateful for warm houses and functioning transport. I will not take these for granted again in a hurry. I will also be prepared for the eventually of a breakdown in these temps...warm clothes in the car, supplies, water, and jumper leads. Luckily we are tough...born and bred in Africa!

Day 265: Ice cubes on the ground

 "I love summertime more than anything else in the world. That is the only thing that gets me through the winter, knowing that summer is going to be there" - Jack McBrayer

Project 365: #265

While we have only effectively been dusted with snow, the temperatures have not been very high, typically not increasing above 30 F on a daily basis (sitting at about -1 C), so whenever it rains, the puddles quickly turn to ice, and pretty much just lie around as giant ice cubes. It does make for pretty scenery :-) We have also had substantial rainfall in between the cold weather, so every time I go on the search for iced rivers, it pours with rain and washes the ice cubes away! Anyway, it is a very good excuse to get out and run in the pursuit of pretty scenery and get some exercise to release those endorphins! But, in the midst of all this, I have decided that I definitely love summer more than anything in the whole wide world... from the sunshine to the endless hours of daylight, nice warm temperatures, and green everywhere!

Day 264: The blur of January

"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties" - Helen Keller

 Project 365: #264

The beginning of the year is always a time to reflect on the past year, and set goals and resolutions for the new year ahead. Well, the Christmas break was so short that it seemed as though I had just caught my breath from last year, when this year began, and we are already more than half way through the month. I had a little lapse in gratitude, not that I wasn't grateful for anything, but sometimes it has been hard to find joy and be grateful on a daily basis, even though I have so much to be grateful for! I find that winter before the snow is depressing in itself. It is dark and dreary with little uplifting greenery, and often the sky is grey. So, when all seems dark it is important to find happiness from within, as success will always follow. My resolution is to keep happy, find my joy, and overcome all the obstacles in the way!

Day 263: New Year's Eve

"From the end spring new beginnings" - Pliny the Elder

Project 365: #263

So, the end of another big year is over for us. In one breath, 2015 has flown, but in another it seems to have taken so long! Hopefully the with the end of the year, we can look forward to being settled in our new beginnings. It also doesn't really matter how much planning you do, somehow, the plans always change, and everything always works out for the best! So, here's to a rather festive toast to 2016 and all that it holds!