Melting World

Japanese Noh playwright and actor Zeami Motokiyo once penned these lines:

"To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill. To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds. And, subtle shadows of bamboo on bamboo."

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So much snow these past two-three days, like this region has not seen in 21 years.

Youngest daughter made a gigantic snowball yesterday, and enthroned it on the wooden chair that sits by our back door.

She used that chair quite often as a toddler, but now we mostly sit potted plants on it. It was a throwaway find, and I'd refinished it in green paint and drawn gold curlicues on it. The paint is peeling now too.

Today the weather's warmer; the snow is melting to slush, and the snowball will also soon bid adieu.