Every good story has a beginning and end.
Before our semi-blizzard on Monday, it rained and then, a moment passed and it rained some more. Everything was rained upon and unceremoniously turned to ice when artic air hit it. In the middle of this drenching rain, I got a text from my friend out West: Please send some rain this direction...we are absolutely parched! To which I replied: Maddie: We are taking the rain hostage. Send money. That is probably why I got punished with all that snow and ice, and lets not forget the blizzard.The Japnese Maple still hangs on to it leaves.
"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Author Unknown
When was the last time that you were so deliriously happy that you smiled from the inside out? When was the last time you went sledding, ice skating, or played so hard, your cheeks got red? When was the last time you left your computer screen for a little fun outside? Don't you think it is time that you did?
I have one footprint, not mine... going to my door at the house. No shoes, in the snow, apparently with one leg and not the other. Cold much? Probably, but, where did the foot go, and more importantly, where did it come from?
You can see beyond the blur, but, can you imagine beyond the field of vision, where there is certainty in the anticipation of things to come?
You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. ~ Mark Twain
Unsolicited guests: Early darkness, short shadows, and a chill in the air. I'm sure that I won't invite them again anytime soon. That doesn't even end quite properly as it should. I was trying to be short and sweet, but, seems hard for me to write, so tomorrow I will make it shorter and try harder.
All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.
It’s my way. I walk out to the deep end of the page and dive right in.
Incoming snowball! That's the way I like it.
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
#TeamUSA is a growing community of quality-content people from the United States or those living here. Check us out on Discord!
I miss getting out with my camera. I dont mind when we are near 30, but when we are in the single digits, it is no fun as my fingers and toes get so cold so fast!
My last time out with the cam I got a shot like your first one. Mine was of the last leaf or two on my neighbors Japanese maple. Very cool pics!
My maple tree is still hanging on to them! Last year, the leaves came off because the new ones coming in. Crazy, isn't it? It is really pretty looking when it does happen, although we don't get nearly enough of it to take good pictures.
Single digits are a little cold for me or anything that isn't an artic appreciator.
aah family time in the snow! I miss that. Of course we have family time...just snow is a bit lacking haha. It was sub zero here today, but no snow :-( I think I need some tips on how to take the winter rain hostage...yes, that's what I need 😂🙌 Loved your pics by the way; very joyful. You have put your post together quite well... part artistic, part poetic, part literary, part comedian 🤣 Keep swinging that pen @dswigle. It's a great engagement tool. I took some of the advice off the back of my first post and I joined the Inkwell community and popped my first short story up there today. I've just reached out to Mariannewest in freewriters too so I shall look to try some of her daily challenges to improve the free thoughtflow in my writing. Thank you for recommending freewriters to me. I'll pop by sometime soon to pay your blog another visit. Until then... take care.😊
I'm so excited! Marianne is a wonderful friend of mine and we go way back in the social media circle. I love her freewriters which started quite small and now is a major force on here. I know you will love it and even if you are a good writer, which I can tell you already are, it will be enhanced with her prompts.
This post was not my best moment. I got a late start after getting home and never finished till 5 am. So... I will try to do better. Tomorrow is #MarketFriday! That is my challenge and I invite you over to just take a look and see what it is like without all my Christmas! I'm still putting it together, but, when I finish, I want to take a look at your first post there! Thank you for letting me know! @lookingforspace
thank you for your kindness. I will definitely have a go at some of Marianne's prompts although that 5 minute writing tool is scary haha. I will pop back later today to see your Market Friday post. This is a new curiosity lol. Intrigued. 😎
Oh, you will get used to the five minutes. Everyone does - but, in the beginning, it seems impossible. Good luck!
Love those frozen droplets Denise! Although, blizzard is no fun, especially if you jumping on one bare foot. Who? And front of your house? How? What a mystery, lol.
I think it was a joke! :) It would make me wonder forever! I have some funny friends. The frozen drops are pretty, aren't they? The blizzard was okay, my neighbor took care of my snow for me with his snowblower. Two days and a foot of snow is already gone! The ground was warm, it had been close to 70 up until the day before~
Yeah, it must of been joke! Your neighbors are quite creative, but also handy. Shovelling snow is no fun, luckily I don't have to do that neither, lol.
Freezing rain. Yikes. Another year of crazy weather.
That one lone bare footprint is strange. I wonder where it can from. Sounds like a mystery waiting to be solved.
Yes!! I should have done a post on the whowunit! Cue Twilight Zone music... The thing I dreaded in Germany, freezing rain AND black ice.
Thanks for stopping by!
"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.
I love that saying I think being able to see beauty beyond the imperfections is very important to being happy
That one single bare footprint in the snow is intriguing
I chuckled at your taking the rain hostage comment
Have a great Day
Well, darn it! I am going to take that rain hostage. One single footprint. Can you hear the Twilight Zone music? I think I can. :)
I think we may get some snow tonight! It just melted in my yard, so we need some to replace it! How is your forecast looking!
Ohh yeah that is a twilight zone footprint
There saying 3 to 6 inches starting at 1am will be interesting to see what we have in the morning
As long as it doesn’t delay UPS delivering my camera tomorrow it’s all good
It delayed ours, but, I95 was shut down tight, so you are probably in the clear. Fingers crossed and I am pretty excited for you!
Thanks I am looking forward to setting it up and trying it out
I am looking forward to that too!
Just catching up on replies and comments and then I will be going through the settings and getting it ready to go :)
Pearls on the leaves.. Loving it..
I also shared some pictures of pearls on the leaves today :)
I checked it out. They are beautiful also. There is something special about droplets in nature.
Thanks for stopping by!
Yeah thanks :)
The footprint is kind of creepy. Especially if you don't know whee it came from! We finally got a bit of snow yesterday and yet this morning. I think I will have to finally fire up the snow blower when I get home today.
Yay!!!! I am glad you got some and pssst! I think you are going to have more! I agree with you! Isn't that footprint creepy?
It has to be one of my friends, I swear. I can see them conspiring to spook me and one of them taking their shoe and sock off, laughing inside. I will have to think of something.
Happy snowblowing!
Thanks! Yeah it was still coming down when I let Jovi out for the last time tonight. I might have to snow blow again tomorrow after work. That footprint reminds me of a wet Jovi print I found on my flip flop one time. More cute than creepy though!
It is a different front than what we got, but, I think I might be getting some of yours!
in Poland the weather changes too. One day it rains, the next it snows, and today the sun was shining since the morning, then it was snowing and now it was raining with snow.
I lived in Germany but visited Poland a bit as one of the Great Grandmothers came from Lublin and was sent to the US to marry a Polish man. t (arranged marriage by the parents)
I loved it although it was colder/damper than I imagined it to be, but, the country was rich with history. I instantly loved it. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your words.
happiness comes from within, it is a thing of the mind but in this contemporary world sadly happiness has been made so relative .. big ups!! 💪🏿
Thank you for the kind comment!
Thanks, @wesphilbin!
View or trade
BEER.Hey @dswigle, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @pixresteemer for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.Thanks for the beer!
Snow always makes me so happy, too. Of course, growing up in Calgary, winter is part of the lifestyle and I do have fond memories of pond hockey and sledding.
But I did always wear boots.
I even played hockey on the pond! :)) I wore my brother's too small hockey skates and loved it! We played all day long until we were drug home by our parents.
One in a while we would make a small fire and cook hot dogs and have marshmallows. Oh, yes. It was a glorious childhood.
Boots, not skates? No way! Hey, Victor!
Adjusting the rewards a bit as you're often receiving the "blind" votes of rancho.
@ocdb Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it. Have a great day!
Hello Denise It's fun to be outside and I thought I already forgot what happiness meant being outside. I'm glad our vacation pushed thru. Keep warm in the blizzard and that cold weather out there.
The blizzard melted already! It is wonderful to be out again! I was so happy to see that you got there for the holidays~
maple looks beautiful in the photo. it's cold, icy beauty! the bare footprint on the icy snow is puzzling. Is it possible that someone took off their shoes in such cold weather and stood on the snow? !!!! yes, one must learn to rejoice in one's circumstances.
Hi
where I can drop the link?
Hi @mister-omortson ! I am just putting my #MarketFriday post together now. I post it at midnight EST, so in a little more than six hours. I do this so it falls on my Friday. You can post it on it when it comes out. Thank you so much for your support!
Thanks for the repost @pixresteemer !