Wednesday, February 20, 2008

February Funk



Now wind torments the field,
turning the white surface back
on itself, back and back on itself,
like an animal licking a wound.

Nothing but white--the air, the light;
only one brown milkweed pod
bobbing in the gully, smallest
brown boat on the immense tide.

A single green sprouting thing
would restore me. . . .

Then think of the tall delphinium,
swaying, or the bee when it comes
to the tongue of the burgundy lily.

Jane Kenyon






February is flying fast. I cannot seem to get anything done. My house is a mess, my road is too narrow with wet, heavy snow. Work is a grind, not enough work in winter, too many bosses, too much TSA. All I want to do is knit and spin and hang out with my family.


I am longing to walk in a conservatory or some serious greenhouse. I need to smell things growing. I want to smell wet dirt. I am hoping Ohio will bring me a peek at the next season when I go next month. I am not dreaming tropical vacation, I am thinking of just seeing something sprouting. I am dreaming of not having to hunt around for a lost mitten, snow pants, warm socks.





On the up side, the chickadees have come back. All the chickadees (with the exception of one black capped chickadee) left us for about six weeks. The suet dough was languishing. Now we have about six black capped that visit us every day and about three boreal chickadees. Two of the black caps have deformed beaks. One has a long, curving top bill. The other has a beak like tweezers.

12 comments:

Mary said...

You need hugs. I hate February, too. It's the dullest, most tiring month of the year. I'm not living in your weather, Trixie, but I used to come close to it...for many, many years. Heading south will do you good!

I have a white-breasted nuthatch with a scissor bill. They survive. I'm blad your Chickies are back.

{{{{Hug}}}}

Mary

Seabrooke said...

Cool chickadees! Boreal has been a nemesis bird of mine, one of those species that for whatever reason you've never seen despite visiting prime habitat. The black-caps are wacky, I wonder what caused their beaks to do that?

Dave Dorsey said...

I love that top pix. February wouldn't be so depressing if we had real winter weather. Maybe you'll find some in Ohio. :)

Anonymous said...

I think, Trixie, that next February we should plan a two week house trade! You can be in muddy, green California as she sprouts green with touches of color, and I can be in a cozy white world of knitting by the fire and waiting for chickadees. Sounds like a good solution to me. In the meantime, a big hug. xoxoxo

Larry said...

Hang in there -help is on the way! I hear you though-spending some time at a greenhouse or something like that would be a good idea.-maybe a mini-vacation is in order.

Anonymous said...

I have read that they have been seeing the deformed bills up in Alaska. Thanks for sharing and great series of photos!

Susan Gets Native said...

We will try our best to have SOMETHING green growing when you visit.

RuthieJ said...

Aw Trixie, as one who has been there, it WILL pass, the knitting definitely helps though and so does the Blogging Friends Support Group. Hang in there girlfriend....only 28 days till spring!
XO,
RuthieJ

entoto said...

Oh, thanks everyone. I am always ready for winter to leave by the end of February. Sigh... I will exalt in the May sunshine. And I will tell you about that, too.

Anonymous said...

Trish --

Coming down to Mom's? Well, can't promise you green. In SE Ohio, we're supposed to get to the mid 40s today, but only upper 20s Wed. Typical roller coaster, even w/o a Pineapple Express -- we have Alberta Clippers.

Maybe see you when you come to the Buckeye State.

Bill

KGMom said...

Since I was born in February, and I have an aunt, an uncle, and a grandmother, a cousin on the other side of the family all born in February--I always kinda liked it!
Besides, if you live--oh, say, somewhere like Australia--it would be summer.
It's all perspective, no?

nina at Nature Remains. said...

We'll start thinking tropical thoughts--may be able to raise the temp a few degrees by the time you get here!