21 November

Photo Journal: Pitch Dark Walk-A-Bout: In The Cold, In The Dark. In The Bowels of Eastern Standard Time

by Jon Katz

I admit to struggling psychically with the darkening and shorter days of Eastern Standard Time. As many of you know, I’m a color and light addict, which is a big emotional adjustment for Maria and me.

She likes it more than I do because she can work in her studio more than ever.

The storm windows are up, and the baseboard heaters are on.

I’m walking around in a surgical boot again, but I want to help when possible. I went out into the dark corners of the barn and Maria’s Studio to close upon the Imperious Hens in their roost. It was spooky out there and very, very cold. Surgical shoes are not warm.

 

(Sewing up the back of the new quilt)

I spent a couple of hours brooding about a disappointing morning. Zinnia was moping and brooding alongside me, and I thought it would be good to get outside and explore the sudden darkness.

I brought my Leica Monochrome, which is great for catching light in the dark. Taking photos always lifts me up out of dark moods.

As I got close to the roost, one hen was still out, the old White Hen, looking up at the roost and walking around in circles.  “C’mon, get up there,” I growled, “I’m freezing out here.” The Imperious Hen paid me no mind; she just huffed and puffed and clucked at me, unimpressed and disinterested.

Suddenly a head popped up in Maria’s studio. It was Bud who heard Zinnia and me moving around outside the window. Bud visits Maria throughout the day and loves curling up in her studio crate on cold days and nights on a soft pile of old fabrics.

He was very excited to see us.

(Finally, the White Hen jumped up into the roost, and I rushed over and closed the door)

Then I saw Maria kneeling down, sewing the back of her newest quilt, the “Off Center” shipping out to its new owner tomorrow.

I looked back at the roost, and the white hen was still marching around there like General Washington at Trenton.

I got a photo of her just as she started to jump up into the roost and hit the shutter just in time.

My first walk-a-bout in darkness. I liked it; I hope you do as well.

 

3 Comments

  1. Found this from a friend:

    “ The winter solstice time is no longer celebrated as it once was, with the understanding that this is a period of descent and rest, of going within our homes, within ourselves and taking in all that we have been through, all that has passed in this full year which is coming to a close… like nature and the animal kingdom around us, this time of hibernation is so necessary for our tired limbs, our burdened minds.

    Our modern culture teaches avoidance at a max at this time; alcohol, lights, shopping, overworking, over spending, comfort food and consumerism.
    And yet the natural tug to go inwards as nearly all creatures are doing is strong and the weather so bitter that people are left feeling that winter is hard, because for those of us without burning fires and big festive families, it can be lonely and isolating. Whereas in actual fact winter is kind, she points us in her quiet soft way towards our inner self, towards this annual time of peace and reflection, embracing the darkness and forgiving, accepting and loving embracing goodbye the past year.

    “Winter takes away the distractions, the buzz, and presents us with the perfect time to rest and withdraw into a womb like love, bringing fire & light to our hearth”.

    .. and then, just around the corner the new year will begin again, and like a seed planted deep in the earth, we will all rise with renewed energy once again to dance in the sunlight

    Life is a gift ❤ a Happy winter to you all…
    Written by Bridget Anna McNeil”

  2. The old saying, “I’m amazed people think think cutting off the top of a blanket and sewing it to the bottom makes it longer” ( I can not confirm it is a Native American saying) Eastern Standard Time does not give us less daylight. According to our clocks, there is “more” daylight in the morning now. We are losing from 2-4 minutes a day untill the WInter Solstice. You are old enough, if you recall the experiment in the 70’s of staying on Daylight “Saving” time year round when the kids were going to school in the dark as sunrise was not until about 8am. If I remember correctly we did it for one year as everyone complained about it being dark for so long in the morning. LOL! It is the time of year for the earth to rest; we need to find and appreciate the beauty in all seasons. Nice photos!

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