Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I'm going out to brush the snow away

I shan't be gone long
You come, too.
mm?
xx

Since we are all-things-cow latelywe made a batch ofgingerbread cow cookies:
the Belted Galloway sort(the reddish ones, not the black and white Belties.)
Yum
xx

One of the surprisesand joysof our move to Mainehas been the introduction to cows(Belted Galloways)through our granddaughterand 4-H.
Today, a calf was born:

Newborn examination

Weighing
You probably won't be surprisedto learn that my next bookmay have some cowsin it.
xx

Away in a mangertwo Belties*ate hay . . .

*These are Belted Galloways, otherwise known as Belties, or as Oreo Cows.They live locallyand we love them.
xx

This:to stop you in your tracksand remind you of:


Birchesby Robert Frost
When I see birches bend to left and rightAcross the lines of straighter darker trees,I like to think some boy's been swinging them.But swinging doesn't bend them down to stayAs ice-storms do. Often you must have seen themLoaded with ice a sunny winter morningAfter a rain. . . 
(partial poem. . .)

Here's that red wheelbarrow againnow toting ice
and


two red kayakshunkered down
and

old woodpilesslumbering
and

pondglazed with ice
and

brook a-gurgling
ahhhh
winterlove
xx

Second draft zoooooomsand nowit has to simmershhhhdo not rattle and rolltiptoe away.


Maybe when you returnto the draftit will have developedmultiple reflective layersand lead yougentlyon to the nextone.



xx

Sono in giardinomeansI'm in the garden.
It's a sign I often sawhung on doors in spring and summerin Montagnola, Switzerland.
I'm deep now into a second draftof the newest bookdoing a lot of planting and weedingof words.
Sono in giardinohangs on the office door.
xx

(P. S. If you click on 'giardino' in the column at far right, you'll see a similar post with this sign from 2010, but in that instance, it meant I was taking a break! )

In today's maila stunning arrayof namesand spellings:
Abby, Aidan, Alan, Alina, Amya, Artakous, Ashanti, Aubrie, AverieBobby, Branderius, Branquarus, Brian, Brock, BrookeCaden, Cairi, Cameron, Camron, Chandler, Christian, Colby ConnerDakota, Dalaysia, Dalton, David, Denton, Dhara, Diana, Donovan
Elizabeth, Ella, Emily, Emma, EthanGarret, GavinHailey, Haley, Hanna, Hannah, HarleyIsaacJacob, Jadarius, Jade, Jamiricale, Jarred, Jerius, Jill, Johnny, Joseph, Joshua, Justin
Karen, Kayla, Kelsie, Keresten, Kloie, KylaLandon, LoganMadelyn, Madison, Makayla, Makenna, Markese, Maya, McKenzie, Meg, Megan, MoniqueNatalie, Nathan, NoahPaige, Parker, Peyton
QuienyeltaR.J., Rachel, Ragen, Reid, Rodquavius, RyanSabrina, Samantha, Shakia, Sophie, SydneyTaylor, Trent, Tyler, Ty'quan, TyrahVanessaYasmine, YeseniaandZack, Zane, Zoe
Say them aloud: tongue-twisting poetry!
xx

So one day it was like this(above)all dozy mesmerizing autumnandtwo days later 

giant nor'easterblows into townlashing power linesand blasting trees
and yetamid theno heatno waterno power


these candlesallowed me to writestraight throughto theendingof a first draft
oh yeahthat felt soooo good.
You writers out therewill know the feeling,mm?
xx