Good day and a very warm, Wannaskan Almanac Happy Birthday to my W.A. fellow writer, Chairman Joe, who shares a March 26th birthday along with my son, The Middle Child (yes, the car-loving one.) May you, and all March 26'ers, enjoy a year of good health filled with belly laughs, books that make you think (and maybe even cry) and a curiosity that pulls your eyes to new horizons.
Today is March 24th, but Joe is off and abroad on his own adventures. He gave me his blessing for early birthday wishes and shared these little birthday bits before he left: Also born on March 26 are Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams, and Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was born in Boston and, like Joe, attended Boston College. Nimoy left the planet in 2015 to explore strange new worlds.
Robert Frost is one of a handful of poets I remember learning about in high school English class. I ask you, who doesn't know The Road Not Taken? According to Paris Review, this is The Most Misread Poem in America.
Here it is for your enjoyment.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost
Speaking of woods and choices, this week the weather hit a sweet spot, lending itself to a perfect eleventh-hour winter outing before the snow melts into spring.
Hands down, this was been the worst winter ever. Thirty below zero (F) on a regular basis. -40 F windchill. Lots of snow, but way too cold to enjoy it. Like any other Minnesotan, I enjoy talking about the weather. But this stuff? Well, it was just miserable.
And if the outdoors were terrible, being indoors was just as lousy. Our family is a pretty healthy crew. But, this year. Agh. This year. We spent most of winter indoors sick while our sledding hill remained pristine and snow-covered. Untouched. My husband made only one ski trip and that was last week - in Colorado.
While I am absolutely convinced this has been the worst winter ever, it turns out that Winter 2017-2018, as of March 7th, has been classified merely as "moderate," scoring a measly 79 points on the Winter Misery Index. This index is an attempt to weigh the relative severity of winter when compared with winters of the past. The most severe winter was 1916-1917 with 305 WMI points.
This just goes to prove one of two things. Either Minnesotans are exceptionally hardy, re-calibrating "moderate" with each test of bad weather. Or, it's really true that people "in the olden days" really did have it worse off than we do now.
Normally, I love winter. I love snow. Sledding in it, downhill skiing, plopping into a big pile of it, digging out forts.
I love bundling in warm layers of wool - hat, mittens, and neck cowl I all knit myself - against the crisp cold. Hot breath vaporizing in chilly air. Bright sunshine and brilliant blue skies that come only in winter.
I love gray days, too. Both sky and landscape cloudy, thick one-notes of white. A full moon on a wintry night; glowing moonshine made brighter by gleaming snow.
And if you're not the winter-loving type, there's always this: No bugs and no poison ivy.
But good news! While others have been anxious to call it a wrap on this miserable winter - spring officially commenced on March 20th - I am getting the most out of the last dregs of March.
This past Tuesday, with temps hovering at a comfortable 20 - 25 degrees F, accompanied by a sweet dusting of fat snowflakes floating like fairy dust around our ears, the toddler, the cat, and I set out to traverse the Warroad River by purple plastic sled. Below are some photos of our backwoods adventure.
Can you feel the stillness juxtaposed against the energy of nature stirring? Can you smell the fresh air and feel those few flakes landing on your cheeks?
It's already turning to puddles out there - so grab your rubber boots and make it a great Saturday.
Affectionately yours among the icy snowbanks and patches of grass,
Kim
Today is March 24th, but Joe is off and abroad on his own adventures. He gave me his blessing for early birthday wishes and shared these little birthday bits before he left: Also born on March 26 are Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams, and Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was born in Boston and, like Joe, attended Boston College. Nimoy left the planet in 2015 to explore strange new worlds.
Robert Frost is one of a handful of poets I remember learning about in high school English class. I ask you, who doesn't know The Road Not Taken? According to Paris Review, this is The Most Misread Poem in America.
Here it is for your enjoyment.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost
Speaking of woods and choices, this week the weather hit a sweet spot, lending itself to a perfect eleventh-hour winter outing before the snow melts into spring.
Hands down, this was been the worst winter ever. Thirty below zero (F) on a regular basis. -40 F windchill. Lots of snow, but way too cold to enjoy it. Like any other Minnesotan, I enjoy talking about the weather. But this stuff? Well, it was just miserable.
And if the outdoors were terrible, being indoors was just as lousy. Our family is a pretty healthy crew. But, this year. Agh. This year. We spent most of winter indoors sick while our sledding hill remained pristine and snow-covered. Untouched. My husband made only one ski trip and that was last week - in Colorado.
While I am absolutely convinced this has been the worst winter ever, it turns out that Winter 2017-2018, as of March 7th, has been classified merely as "moderate," scoring a measly 79 points on the Winter Misery Index. This index is an attempt to weigh the relative severity of winter when compared with winters of the past. The most severe winter was 1916-1917 with 305 WMI points.
This just goes to prove one of two things. Either Minnesotans are exceptionally hardy, re-calibrating "moderate" with each test of bad weather. Or, it's really true that people "in the olden days" really did have it worse off than we do now.
Normally, I love winter. I love snow. Sledding in it, downhill skiing, plopping into a big pile of it, digging out forts.
I love bundling in warm layers of wool - hat, mittens, and neck cowl I all knit myself - against the crisp cold. Hot breath vaporizing in chilly air. Bright sunshine and brilliant blue skies that come only in winter.
I love gray days, too. Both sky and landscape cloudy, thick one-notes of white. A full moon on a wintry night; glowing moonshine made brighter by gleaming snow.
And if you're not the winter-loving type, there's always this: No bugs and no poison ivy.
But good news! While others have been anxious to call it a wrap on this miserable winter - spring officially commenced on March 20th - I am getting the most out of the last dregs of March.
This past Tuesday, with temps hovering at a comfortable 20 - 25 degrees F, accompanied by a sweet dusting of fat snowflakes floating like fairy dust around our ears, the toddler, the cat, and I set out to traverse the Warroad River by purple plastic sled. Below are some photos of our backwoods adventure.
Can you feel the stillness juxtaposed against the energy of nature stirring? Can you smell the fresh air and feel those few flakes landing on your cheeks?
It's already turning to puddles out there - so grab your rubber boots and make it a great Saturday.
Affectionately yours among the icy snowbanks and patches of grass,
Kim
 |
| The river on Friday, March 23rd. |
The brightness of your writing shimmers even in your darkest hours.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures didn't upload...
Thanks for the heads up, Woe. Hopefully it's all fixed now. :)
DeleteYah, I dint see a picture either, den. And am I ever glad Voe dint as well. Well, not dat K.H.'s images ain't wort' seein', I'm not meanin' dat, it's yust, well here in Palmville dese newfangled computers are, vell, 'new' and tings donut often alvays verk da vay dey shud, eh. So tank fer dat, Voe. Oh yah, a good viter you are, Kim.
ReplyDeleteThank you, W.W.! Hopefully you can see them now! The birch bark mask I found was a true treasure. The toddler had a blast bouncing on the fallen tree. And the cat. The cat accompanied us during the entire adventure. :)
DeleteFinally made my way to the Blog! Love it! Do you have a subscribe option to get automatic updates? If not, I will check back. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJust saw the "notify" button - perfect!
DeleteWelcome, Sarah, and thanks for the visit to the Wannaskan Almanac, where you'll find some food for thought to go along with your daily coffee or tea!
DeleteI resonated with Frost's poem (again) because my next poem to be published in the Raven is somewhat similar, if not so well known (because it has never been published - yet). The poem's title is "Waiting on a Snowy Road." Hold your breath! On second thought don't. This final issue of the twenty-four-year-running zine has until May to see the light of day.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that your post today has taken a wonderful turn from past posts. Although your other posts were excellent, this one appears to delve deeper into "Kim," in the sense that we get to know YOU better. I like that very much.
Gotta go do that work I always do on Saturdays . . .
The poetry is having a positive impact on me. Looking forward to "Waiting on a Snowy Road." :)
DeleteWow! Thanks for all the writerly love, WA peeps! I take your encouraging words to heart.
ReplyDeleteI am able to see the photos, but I copy and pasted the URL from my Google Photos,so maybe I have some magical access you don't. I will have a look.
Dear Wannaskan Almanac Mom,
ReplyDeleteRestrictive though it may seem, you must use the Google picture menu option to add images. First locate your cursor on the place in your post where you want to insert an image. Then, from the horizontal tool bar just beneath your post title, click on the little picture icon. You will then see the Add images tool box, where you have the option of uploading your image from a number of different devices. It's usually easiest to post from the device on which your images are stored, where you only need click the "Chose files" box located just under the word "Upload". Locate the image that you wish to upload from the files on your device on the next pop up screen, select the image file you wish to add, and wait for the image to upload. Once the image is fully uploaded, click on the blue "Add selected" box in the bottom left-hand corner of the "Add images" tool box. Repeat the same sequence for any additional images. Good luck!
Your tech guy,
Woe
Dear Tech Guy,
ReplyDeleteThat process sounds familiar, so I think that is what I may have done. My photos run through my Red Shoes business, so it's possible I have some kind of company filter. Were you able to view all of my photos from last week's post?
Shopping in Brrrmidji,
W.A.M.
Yes. All of last Saturday's pictures were visible.
ReplyDelete