Winter Beckons

“ Autumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day.” – Elizabeth Bowen

There is a mildness to the day that reminds me of spring, the air feels warmer and my gloves have been left at home. I’m once again sitting among books and neighbours at our local library – I’ve found an empty table by the large windows overlooking the much travelled sidewalk providing plenty of inspiration as my pen scratches away in my notebook.

The busy weeks leading up to the holidays have wound down to the rather ordinary days of winter – days that find me catching up on small projects and checking off wish lists. With each passing season, objects and ephemera that have found their way into our small apartment begin to sound their siren call. And January is the perfect month to heed that call, not only to enjoy stolen moments for winter contemplation but also to usher in a sense of spaciousness for creating order among the holiday cards and sparkle still lying on the table. I find myself drawn to the serene spaces that some of the characters from Game of Thrones inhabit, rooms suffused in golden lamplight and gleaming wood – templates to follow as I gather up my bits and pieces, January and winter encouraging fresh starts!

Light is lingering longer now, the sky dressed in dusk so deep, it catches my breath each time I glance upon its evening display. This past week I found myself in awe as I glimpsed a moment out of time against that very same sky, an undulating migration of geese, waves upon waves of them flying above the winter quiet forest, going where, a mystery still – a sacred rhythm unfolding as I moved from room to room to track their flight.

People from my past are wandering through my daydreams, they appear fully formed with their stories unfolding, leaving me with the questions, “Where are they now and who have they become?”. In the last week or so, two have crossed paths with me and I’ve been able to catch up. Winter beckons, drawing us in with the scent of dark chocolate, aromatic coffee and spiced tea in the air. A single bottle of berry rich wine sitting on the counter also beckons, ready to spill its secrets among our domestic clutter, life is to be lived no matter the season.

A winter seawall walk underneath towering pines where a raven pair are feeding in Stanley Park (Vancouver, B.C.).

A close-up of a raven feeding on a young seagull above the seawall in Stanley Park (Vancouver, B.C.).

A glistening abandoned spider web captured on a tree beside one of our favourite paths in Stanley Park (Vancouver, B.C.).