cold – Jennifer's Journal

January Blue*

Published on January 28, 2021 by J. Kelland Perry44 Comments

It’s a blue winter day on Perry’s Point.

It isn’t a sad and lonely day, but one painted with the hues of a brilliant blue sky and a blanket of sunshine, the kind of day where the sun and snow merge to design graceful shadows in the hollows of the landscape.

Sun on the newly fallen and drifted snow creates a tapestry of shadowy forms,
from the palest baby blue to the deepest of indigo.

The slanting afternoon rays of sunlight hold little heat,
but warm the heart of this nature-lover nonetheless.

The surface of the snow waves and crests,
while most of the bay lies still under a layer of slush and ice.

Dunes of scalloped white surround me…

…and the only hint of sound is the faint exhale of a frigid breeze.

Certain feathered creatures have already been here.

At the end of the Point I reach the icy blue coastline…

…where the water is still full of movement in spite of the sub-zero air.

Cold, but fluid…

…clear and beautiful.

Other shadows dapple a weather-worn barn…

…and sun-bleached fences.

Hidden in shade, a bird house waits for spring, and a new tenant…

…while our neighbour’s fishing boat awaits a new summer.

Ben Perry’s shed is called a “store” around these parts.

Still more shadows hide in furrows of snow and last summer’s grasses. I wade in.

My toes are like ice cubes inside my boots at this point. I hop over the fence to home.

Time to put the kettle on…

…and thaw myself out with a cup of tea.

And my world changes from blue to green.

How is your January going?
What is the colour of your winter?

*ThrowbackThursday – This is a reblog from January 2015.

No Topless, No “Smooking”

Published on February 24, 2019February 23, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

Although February is the shortest month, it feels like it’s never going to end when you’re not a big fan of winter. And now there’s another special weather statement for a storm on Monday. Yippee!

All of this frigid weather we’ve endured lately has me dreaming of summer beaches, sunny climes, and tropical getaways.

I took this photo of swimming pool rules on our resort in the Dominican Republic last spring. My man and I got a kick out of the “No Topless” symbol. Wouldn’t you agree it’s just a tad ~~provocative~~ titillating?

No need to warn me about the rule of “no smooking” either!

This is my contribution to Kammie’s Oddball Challenge.
Odd Ball Photos are those great photos that you take which really don’t seem to fit into a common category. We’ve all taken them and like them, because we just can’t hit delete and get rid of them. If you have any of those type of photos, this challenge is for you. – Kammie

While it is February

Published on February 10, 2019March 20, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry

**Perry’s Point –** **jenniferkellandperry.com**

While it is February, one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch. ~ Patience Strong

Winifred Emma May (1907 – 1990) was a poet from the United Kingdom, best known for her work under the pen name Patience Strong. Her poems were usually short, simple and imbued with sentimentality, the beauty of nature and inner strength. – Wikipedia

When I found the above quote to accompany today’s photo, I couldn’t help but smile at the author’s pen name. “Patience Strong” is what some of us need to get through the cold and icy month of February. 🙂

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Paw Prints

Published on December 2, 2018March 20, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

Cold winter days are fast approaching, and for our feline friends and housemates Maisie and Viv, that means snowy paws and shorter trips outside.

Sometimes they cry to go out, but change their minds and make a quick backtrack when we open the door and the bitter wind hits their furry faces. Then they cry again as if we can magically change the weather for them!

“Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want.” – Joseph Wood Krutch, American writer, critic, and naturalist

Snow & Ice

Published on December 17, 2017March 7, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments

“Our familiar garden by the sea has transformed . . . each bramble and bush laminated in a thick, crystalline coat, every amber blade dressed in its stiff raiment of frost. With a watchful step, I venture out on the crust of snow.” – Jennifer Kelland Perry, Endless Chill

Has winter arrived in your backyard?

Endless Chill

Published on February 26, 2015February 27, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry35 Comments

The urge to go outside is intense.
Everything is aglitter, you say, but you see my nose press against the window and the fog of my breath on the cool glass.
You acquiesce. When I step into the wintry air, I wait for a whisper of a moment, then gingerly, silently, push on.

Since my last outdoor foray, our familiar garden by the sea has transformed into an alien, frozen world, gilded with ice. Each bramble and bush laminated in a thick, crystalline coat, every amber blade dressed in its stiff raiment of frost. With a watchful step, I venture out on the crust of snow.

Nothing wiggles in the undergrowth. That is the weird thing. No voles to hunt. No shrews to track. No grass birds to chase. Somewhere, they hide, somewhere, they abide, sequestered away. A vague memory surfaces of another time when the earth, with all its movement and life, lay frozen. Will they return as before?

The wind gusts, my whiskers twitch. You did warn I wouldn’t like it.
My home is filled with warm comforts, flush with love and water and treats and a full bowl of food.
I wonder why I am here in this bleak and boreal netherworld.
My paws, by this time, are numbed by the pitiless cold.
Each tender little pad glows bright pink, like frozen raspberries.
The bliss and warm embrace of my domestic nest beckons. Despite my feral, tigerish airs, I am not a wild beast.
I have no need to brave the savage bite of winter.
I have had my fill of this endless chill and plod home, eyes on your face, gaze questioning:
Is spring only a rosy dream?

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Rule of Thirds
Writing Form: Prose Poetry

A “Brrr”-ning Question…

Published on February 18, 2015February 18, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Just chillin’ out on the barbecue…

January Blue

Published on January 15, 2015January 28, 2021 by J. Kelland Perry55 Comments

It’s a blue winter day on Perry’s Point.

Sun on the newly fallen and drifted snow creates a tapestry of shadowy forms,
from the palest baby blue to the deepest of indigo.

The slanting afternoon rays of sunlight hold little heat,
but warm the heart of this nature-lover nonetheless.

The surface of the snow waves and crests,
while most of the bay lies still under a layer of slush and ice.

Dunes of scalloped white surround me…

…and the only hint of sound is the faint exhale of a frigid breeze.

Certain feathered creatures have already been here.

At the end of the Point I reach the icy blue coastline…

…where the water is still full of movement in spite of the sub-zero air.

Cold, but fluid…

…clear and beautiful.

Other shadows dapple a weather-worn barn…

…and sun-bleached fences.

Hidden in shade, a bird house waits for spring, and a new tenant…

…while our neighbour’s fishing boat awaits a new summer.

Ben Perry’s shed is called a “store” around these parts.

Still more shadows hide in furrows of snow and last summer’s grasses. I wade in.

My toes are like ice cubes inside my boots at this point. I hop over the fence to home.

Time to put the kettle on…

…and thaw myself out with a cup of tea.

And my world changes from blue to green.

How is your January going? What is the colour of your winter?

Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadowed

unwelcome

Published on February 13, 2014March 24, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry12 Comments

You came back today.

Yesterday you waited at my window
your haunting face pressed to the frozen glass
your knowing eyes pleading for entry
you waved hello
willing my door to spring wide
I stood strong
you came back anyway.

Now,
I watch you slither in
you hold me close
your cold morbid grip weighs me down
fills me with shame
overshadowing all I love
making me wonder why I believed
you were gone for good
fear sits black and frozen in my chest
will you stay will you stay
you will stay
one day forever.