The Stillness of Winter

Northport Bay in Winter

   We are still in the midst of February, with one of the coldest days/nights in 20 years. There is still a blanket of snow and ice on the ground, and the winds are fierce. But the Sun is shining, bringing much appreciated warmth and brightness despite the bitter chill. And although I have always found that when it snows there is this great stillness, especially at night, it seems that indeed, according to scientific facts, that snow actually absorbs sound. And yet the stillness can be quite magical and peaceful. In the dark night sky you can see the stars more clearly on these winter nights as well.
   Driving to the water today, Long Island Sound and Northport Bay, I was caught by how crisp and clear everything looked. When seeing the trees against the winter blue sky, the trees seemed darker in contrast to the bright white light of winter. Everything was frozen. The birds were all clustered in groups. The doves were on my front steps enjoying the Sun, and not happy when I had to exit the house and disturb their roost, with my apologies. And I was happy to see that the new fawns that the community adopted have survived the winter so far; someone had left them food which they eating while I drove by. (*Please note: it is usually not recommended to feed wildlife as we usually give them foods their systems are not designed for - but in this case it was an emergency as the doe we think died and the buck was probably taken by hunters so these fawns are alone - so it can be difficult for people to decide what to do but it is winter and bitter cold)
   These are the things to take note of in living a natural life, by observing and detecting and taking note of your surroundings. It connects a life to the more natural things, instead of computers and televisions and Iphones or worrying about money. Of course we need to use telephones and cellphones and computers, but we can also make the time for some of what is around us. Even in a city, you can take a walk in the fresh air, still see the sky and stars. I worked in Manhattan for ten years and had many wonderful experiences all over town, for the traffic and the people and activity would flow like a river, even if frenzied, it was still like a live thing, for these were people's lives entwined in the same space. Or get out of the city for a ride into the suburbs or go to a park like Central Park.
 

View of Eaton's Neck/Duck Island, Northport New York

 Even though the temperatures today are below zero (farenheit) I still managed to take some pictures which I will share with you here. The Bay is not frozen, the water is active and there are waves, although in the photographs it looks frozen in time or space, an illusion. In the distance are the woods and houses on Eaton's Neck, with the remains of snow along the shoreline. It was mild before the cold spell, so the Bay has not frozen.
   Surprisingly Long Island Sound, a huge deep body of water that separates Long Island and Connecticut, did not have such high waves with such strong winds. Only the marsh land has ice where the high tide has receeded, and the ducks are huddled together inland.

Crab Meadow Preserve

   I'll carry these images through the night and see what tomorrow brings.

Maery