preparations

not sure if its a lawn ornament

a give away

an artistic statement

or just a place for the weary

but it decorates a front yard down the road from my place.

 being prepared has different manifestations.

because the recent big snow 

didn't swing north.

instead

blanketed the mid-atlantic states with lovely fresh stuff,

we've had little snow

and little ice

but we are prepared.

 it was cold this weekend

 with one sunshiny day

 and the tree with the lights in it.

 old pasture fence

propped up to keep young steers in.

 disappearing silo,

 braided ice along the cliff

 with a dusting of new snow.

 i didn't sample this ice

though i licked one icicle from that woodshed.

days are lengthening some

at home, 

 and there were two rainbow feet

 around behind my old farm,

 the big arc between filled with sunset.

wintertime.

it's hard not to look to the sky.

 but i look down,

 too.