The Quiet of Snow

The Quiet of Snow

We had a little bit of snow last week, nothing much, just a layer of flakes on the lawns and sidewalks. It was melted by mid-morning but it was enough to remind me that the season is winter in spite of the record high temperatures. More than that, though, it brought a pause to an ordinary day. I find that snow quiets its surroundings and brings an awareness of beauty with its soft, white voice. Therese Halscheid captured this in the photo, “Autumn Snow on the Wickecheoke, 2012.”

Therese Halscheid, a poet and photographer, has been chronicling her poetic journey for the past eighteen years. Housesitting has allowed her to live simply, write and photograph unusual and rustic settings. She is scheduled for a solo exhibit, The Stockton Natural series, in early February. Her photographs document weather and its effects on the Wickecheoke Creek ind its surroundings in Pennsylvania. In this photo the interplay of sun and shadow, snow, and early morning mists capture the place’s mystical elements.

The exhibition runs February 2 to February 29 at Carversville General Store, 6208 Fleecydale Road,Carversville, PA 18913. For a real treat come meet Therese at the Opening Reception, Friday February 3, at 6:30-8:30. Maybe I'll see you there.

www.ThereseHalscheid.com

thalscheid@cs.com

Fog, Shmog

Last week there was fog. Lots of it. Neighborhood after neighborhood peeked out from behind its curtain and traffic lights emitted radiant glows as the fog cast auras around them.

Yes, I know that fog causes a decrease in visibility and can make driving dangerous. I also know that it blurs everything into a colorless mass of gray. The composition of fog is ordinary – dewy water droplets, sometimes icy crystals, hanging in the air. Fog, shmog, you say. What is the big deal about fog? It’s only a cloud, after all, that’s close to the ground.

Ah, but that is exactly the big deal. Fog says, SlowDown! Certainly for safety when driving; I don’t want to minimize the need for caution. It is more than that, though. A cloud is something mysterious. Fog tends to slow down our automatic assessment of what we normally see and perhaps our judgments of those things. It makes us pay attention, to be alert to the unexpected, sometimes for our personal safety. Yet conversely, it feeds our often-repressed inner child’s imagination. What might be hidden in the haze? A castle, perhaps, with a princess in a lofty tower. A parade marching by with the sound of its drums and excitement muffled (are those children on the sidewalk holding red and yellow balloons and cheering?). Where is that unicorn going?

Then there is the sheer beauty of a foggy day. It’s hard not to be captivated by how a fog hints at things, begging us – daring us – to fill in the blanks. Here are some captivating photos: http://www.terragalleria.com/pictures-subjects/fog/fog.9.html and some fog info as well www.crh.noaa.gov/jkl/?n=fog_types

As Carl Sandburg wrote: The fog comes on little cat feet...

Intriguing, isn't it?