Archive for the ‘strategies for winter’ Category
a moment of beautiful – an ice lantern
the space: our living room on a winter evening
the beautiful: an ice lantern with cranberries and periwinkle vine
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As Christmas approaches, candles are among my favorite decorations. For the past few years, I have made ice lanterns (also called ice candles).
I use a square plastic container that freezes well. In the center, I place a paper cup weighed down with rocks. Then I fill the outer ring with cranberries and greenery (this year I used the green vines of Periwinkle, Vinca minor, from our garden). Then I fill the ring with water.
This goes in the freezer, or in colder weather, out on the porch. Once the water has frozen, I put hot water in the paper cup, to free it from the ice. Then I run cold water over the outside of the bigger container to free the ice lantern. I light a tealight or flat candle and put it in the center space.
The shimmering ice lantern will last several hours. These lanterns will also last a long time outside in cold weather.
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Jane Tims 2013
getting ready for Christmas #1
For me, November began with a hurried Halloween and a week-long trip to California. Once I returned, I promised myself full attention to getting ready for Christmas. At the risk of behaving like the stores who run Christmas music in November, I am going to share some of my Christmas projects.
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This activity is fueled somewhat by Pinterest. I discovered it quite recently and find so many creative ideas there!
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My first project was a paper garland for our entry. Cardinals and white ribbon.
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
the colour of November #2 – wood for the winter
November in New Brunswick can be bleak. Before the snow is on the ground, the colours are dominated by browns and greys. Like the browns and greys in our woodpiles.
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We have several woodpiles. These include ranks of large round wood, cut and split into stove lengths, and stored in our shed. We also have spruce and fir kindling, chopped fine to start the fire. In the garage is a pile of smaller round wood, mostly the limbs trimmed from our maple trees. This smaller wood will be the base for our fires, a way for the flames to step from the kindling to the bigger wood.
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Nov. 14, 2013 ‘wood for winter’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2013 Jane Tims
winter water-scape
On our drive to Black’s Harbour this past Monday, we took the cross-country highway #785. It travels directly to the southern part of the province through the woods.
Many streams cross the roadway. All are lined in snow, but the center channel is just a sheet of ice away in most streams and rivers. In some cases, the water is moving so swiftly, the ice has been breached by the flow. The result is a carved ice-world of frozen water. At these openings in the frozen river, you can catch a glimpse of the winter water-scape: the layers of ice, the icicles and frosted caverns beneath the smooth upper layer of ice and snow.
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winter water-scape
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under the ice
the river registers
its sinew
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carves a crystal path
between layers
of frost
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transparent panes
of polished glass,
lofted by pillars of ice
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ice caverns, edged by froth
a mingling of winter breath
and river tears
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
dear deer
This year, I moved our feeders to our front yard.
They are not so easy to see from the house, although I have a good view from the window of our library.
The deer have liked the new feeding station. We see them almost every day. They empty the feeder too quickly and also visit the compost pile. We don’t deliberately feed the deer, but they visit the feeders anyway.
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deep and delicate, hoof print
evidence, this space is shared
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deer, eat peelings by moonlight
one floor up, we sleep, unaware
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lulled by winter carbs
carrots and potatoes in the supper stew
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
a moment of beautiful – icicles
the space: drip line of a house on a winter day
the beautiful: icicles
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On the day after an increase in temperature, when the snow from the roof is melting, the front of our house, on the south side and in full sun, is always dripping and making icicles.
They glitter and sparkle, sculptural wonders of frozen water.
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ice storm
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for three days
freezing rain and willow
have hung uncertain magic
along the river
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ice in layers
laid on the bones
of the tree tops, branches break
candy-coats crack in the sun
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I refuse the sparkle
resist the awe
worry
the bones will not recover
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© Jane Tims 2009
snowfall and summer
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envy
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in the hammock
the snow rocks
gently, enthralled by
whispers
of fireflies
owl calls
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wind harasses
the pines
mutters them miserable
snow fall ceases
stars punctuate
indigo sky
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snow dwindles
shrinks and sublimates
the hammock cradles
a frail cadaver, swings
in obedience to
winter storm
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
in the circle of the evergreen wreath
Every year, during Advent, I either purchase or make a wreath of evergreens to celebrate the coming of Christmas. Last year, making the wreath, I had a little help. Zoë decided the perfect place to perch herself was within the circle of the wreath.
Our wreath materials were all obtained on our lake property. The species we used for our wreath were:
- White Pine (Pinus Strobus L.)
- White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) also known as Arbor Vitae
- Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)
- Common Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) -the variety we used was too prickly and I won’t use it again.
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At this time of Advent, we wait in the darkest days of the year for Christmas. The wreath is one of the most endearing symbols of this wait. Made of evergreens, it speaks to the concept of everlasting love. To count down the Sundays before Christmas, we light purple and pink candles to symbolize ideas of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The lighted candles also represent bringing light into the world.
The wreath is another of those symbols borrowed from pagan times, when the circle represented the ever-changing seasons and the circle of life. The evergreen stood for the part of life that survives the winter season and candles symbolized light shining through darkness.
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gathering green
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in the space between solstice
and the whisper of stars
in a herded sky
daylight shrinks, always one hour
short of rested
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in the thicket we gather
armloads, garlands of green
fragrances of cedar and pine
red dogwood twigs
stems of red berry, alder cones
curved boughs of fir
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flexible as mattress coils, piled on ground
to rest, await brief
overlap, longest night
and feathering of angel down
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watch, through the trees
the struggle
planet light
and pagan fire
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© Jane Tims 2012
how high the snow?
Last week, we had our first substantial snow. My husband is happy because he plows driveways with his tractor. I am happy too because the snow makes everything clean and white.
Both of us wish we knew how much snow will fall this winter. Even the weather station does not make any attempts to guess the snowfall in the coming months.
However, I enjoy the old ways of prediction … my Dad used to say the snow would be as high as the wasps built their nests. Last week, while walking one of our trails, my husband found a wasp nest at chest height. Last year, in 2011, there was a wasp nest in our arbour, at a point just above our heads. Therefore, we have concluded… this year we will have less snow than last.
By April, I should know if this method works!!!!
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prediction
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had a lengthy meeting
before the Queen OK’d the plan
and started the nest – concise, globular,
paper contract with winter
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she ordered us to work,
to strip wood from
the human house next door,
chew the pulp, publish the bulletin
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takes stacks and layers of paperwork
to predict with certainty
where home will be safe and above
the snows of December
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the secret in fine print,
on paper walls –
light grey from the patio fence
dark grey from the shingles
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Copyright Jane Tims 2012
‘cold’ place names in New Brunswick
Yesterday morning we woke to a dusting of snow on the roof of the garage and deck table. I am not too crazy about the perils of driving in bad weather, but I love the look of new snow.
cold day in December 2011
Thinking about new snow reminded me about the several communities in New Brunswick named for adverse or chilly conditions:
Snowdon, York County – perhaps after the family name.
Coldbrook, Saint John County (now part of Saint John) – originally thought to have been called Moosepath, then Three Mile House … renamed Coldbrook in 1889, reason unknown.
Coldstream, Carleton County – first called Rockland, was renamed Coldstream in 1852.
Blowdown, Carleton County – originally called South Richmond, the community was renamed in 1869, after a significant leveling of forest as a result of the Saxby Gale (October 4-5, 1869).
Frosty Hollow, Westmorland County (now part of Sackville)– originally called Mapleburg, the community was renamed in 1927 because the first frost in the Sackville area is said to settle there.
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For information on other community names in New Brunswick, you can use the search feature at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick http://archives.gnb.ca/exhibits/communities/.
new snow on car roof
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newfall: words escape me
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the white ephemeral
perhaps frost
the fir boughs divided
the sculptured steel
of a flake of snow
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try again
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paper stencil
on chocolate cake
powdered sugar
sifted on the rills
of the new plowed field
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again
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sweet in my mouth
the bitter melted in morning sun
white hot on my cheek
the writing lamp
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a lamp to the left
casts no shadow
(the shadow of a pen
or a hand)
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(unless you are wrong-handed)
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chimney shadow
on a fresh-snowed roof
or trees on the eastern edge of the road
where the sun cannot warm
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the morning
dusting of ice
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try again
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Published as: ‘newfall: words escape me’, The Fiddlehead 196: 147, Summer 1998.
Copyright Jane Tims 2012
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