At about 7:30 this morning, I went outside to the woodshed to collect up some kindling. The light was irresistible, so I dumped the bits of splits and branches by the woodstove and went upstairs to get my camera.

After snapping some shots, I built the fire, wrote, meditated, sent off some emails, walked the dogs, got dressed (er, for town-- it's not like I walk the dogs naked, although the idea does intrigue me), threw the dogs into the back of the car and headed down the mountain.

I only got back to my desk about 20 minutes ago (it's quite dark now) and decided to see if there were any photos in the mix from the morning to share with you all today. I admit, I didn't have high hopes, but there you go-- cause I really like the feeling of these. There's something quite Maxfield Parrish about the violet light.

And, it doesn't hurt to have some columns standing about to really seal the effect.

The platform there got started this past summer. When it has fulfilled its manifest destiny, we expect to see a screened porch. The thing is, I really like it just the way it is. I know it will get finished and I know all the practical reasons why it will be better as a screened porch, but I will miss the open feeling it gives me right now. And so I am savoring this view each time I go out and collect up firewood.

You may think it odd that I have left all the chairs out there instead of putting them away for winter because I assure you, although the temps are unseasonably mild, nobody's gonna be sitting out there anytime soon as unseasonably mild in NH is still DAMN cold.

Perhaps you assume I am one lazy ass who can't get around to doing a few homestead tasks like storing away the summer furniture-- alas, although I am a lazy ass to be sure, in this case I have a different motive. It seems I like to think of those chairs as being filled by guests-- you know, like how sometimes people leave an empty chair at the table. Like that-- I like imagining there's a group of angelic spirits who gather there to shoot the breeze and kick acorns across the floor while laughing at human absurdity.

I know-- cuckoo for Coca Puffs, please-- no need to email me, I know.

And then there was this whole other lovely serendipitous exchange that happened this afternoon that I thought I was going to be telling you about in this post, but when I found the photos it took me in a whole different direction and I can't get back to my original topic without a mighty shifting of gears which I am-- wait for it-- too lazy to do in this moment.

But I can tell you this much, I'm writing a love note to December 2009 and it starts off like this, "well hello, Sweetness . . ."

Bisous, E

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