When I consider the blizzards and hurricanes and tornadoes many other parts of America must face regularly, I sometimes think our rain is beautiful. True, it is gray—often cold and gray, with heavy low clouds, and the lack of sunshine is sincerely depressing. But if I look carefully, the gray has its own subtle lovelinesses. Soft shades of cloud. Dark fir-tree shapes waving against the sky. Fine droplets everywhere.
Still... late-winter rains make this the hardest time of year to see the stars, and I wish I weren't mostly missing this.
On the rare nights when I can catch sight of them, Venus and Jupiter are stunning, so close together. Never more so than when the moon drifts among them. Saturn, too, I love to see rising just before bed. Mars I have yet to find, and Mercury... Mercury would require a good stiff walk, just at dusk, on a clear night. That conjunction hasn't happened. But someday.
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After weeks of looking like they meant to bud any time, the ornamental cherry trees finally began to bloom out these past few days—an early sign of spring for which I am always immensely grateful.
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Maia's obsession of the week: clawing at the kitchen cabinet doors and yowling. I have no idea what she thinks she'll find inside, but it's hilarious. Scratching the ugly purple paint isn't the most destructive of her tricks, at least.
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Writers' link of the week: Contract lawyer Passive Guy talks about author/agency agreements, with links to several other of his posts on the subject.
Also, Strange Horizons' extensive list of Stories We've Seen Too Often.
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Music of the week: Last Friday night, Lou and I and his parents went up to WWU for an evening performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni. The libretto had been translated into English, and I must admit that the opera is pretty comical for being a tale about a man who won't stop womanizing, on account of which he gets dragged to hell.
This aria is between the Don and a young bride, Zerlina. Spoiler alert! Don't worry—he doesn't quite manage to complete the seduction.
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Random amusement of the week: Prayers specific to your Myers-Briggs personality type. I am an ISFJ, and yeah, the thought's pretty accurate. :D
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I'm off—I have a book to revise. Well, three. But one to focus on today.
Happy weekend!
About the only thing I really look for in the night sky is Orion the Hunter. And he's almost ready to set for the summer.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, sky gazing is one of those hobbies I wish I would do more, like writing poetry, but just don't get done.