“We sleep, and at length awake to the still reality of a winter morning. The snow lies warm as cotton or down upon the window-sill; the broadened sash and frosted panes admit a dim and private light, which enhances the snug cheer within. The stillness of the morning is impressive… From the eaves and fences hang stalactites of snow, and in the yard stand stalagmites covering some concealed core. The trees and shrubs rear white arms to the sky on every side; and where were walls and fences we see fantastic forms stretching in the frolic gambols across the dusky landscape, as if nature had strewn her fresh designs over the fields by night as models for man’s art.”
“While the earth has slumbered, all the air has been alive with feathery flakes descending, as if some northern Ceres reigned, showering her silvery grain over all the fields.”
“Why do you flee so soon, sir, to the theaters, lecture-rooms, and museums of the city? If you will stay here awhile I will promise you strange sights. You shall walk on water; all these brooks and rivers and ponds shall be your highway. You shall see the whole earth covered a foot or more deep with purest white crystals . . . and all the trees and stubble glittering in icy armor.”
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.”
I always enjoy reading Henry David Thoreau’s naturalist musings on winter this time of year. It’s good material to curl up with on a cold night, or to read aloud with friends and hot drinks. For my fellow Thoreau enthusiasts out there, I stumbled across this blog last year called “The Blog of Henry David Thoreau” where entries from his journals are posted on the same calendar date of the year they were written. The selections are good, and with there being such a massive volume of work in his journals, there’s plenty of material to keep it interesting: http://blogthoreau.blogspot.com/. Happy reading.
Wow, thanks for the link.
Stay warm. x
Thanks for sharing. cheers Marie
SOOOOOO glad I found your blog! Amazing!
Blessings,
Samantha (Woodland Woolens)
I so love reading what you write here. As for Thoreau, his words have helped pattern my life. Simplicity was forced upon us as children by the economic situation in our home, but I have chosen this way as an adult. 'A man is rich in direct proportion to what he can afford — to live without'. (not an exact quote)