White Woods
This line, "... the woods are lovely dark and deep", is from one of my favorite Robert Frost poems and is so apropos for the snow-filled woods near our house this morning. During Christmas vacation was always a great time to test out my new winter hat and mittens that Santa always seemed to leave for me and either head to skate at the Allen's Corner ice or grab my sled and go to the cemetery for a day of sledding. I had a long, vintage Flexible Flyer, the king of the sleds. It was once my Uncle Leonard. Grampa gave it to me, and I treated it special. Each December, I remember getting out some fine sandpaper and giving it a good sanding. Next, a coat of varnish that gave it a nice dark look, and it was ready for any hill big or small. When it was especially icy out, I'd track down a used piece of canning wax, left over from one of Mom's jelly jars and apply some to the long runners. I was told by Leo that it would make my 'Beauty' even faster. All the guys said it was the fastest sled of the lot, because the runners were so much longer that the others. Me? I didn't care. On those crisp, dark nights, I just glanced over my shoulder, at the others lined at the top of the hill, and screamed. Bye!
This is very beautiful. I love to look at scenes like this. In photos.
ReplyDeleteIn real life, I prefer green and palm trees.
But I'm old. Tired of cold.
I had a big long flyer, too, and used wax to speed up things. Great times...
We had a vintage Army toboggan when I was growing up. It weighed a ton but you could fit three or four adults on it. Although it was a thrill on an icy hill it was a bear to haul back to the top. It was well worth it!
ReplyDeleteThat line in the poem popped into my head the minute your beautiful photograph loaded Bird. I"m over snow. I did some hard time in Iowa and Wisconsin back to back winters and I guess I'm just not cut out for that cold for that long!
ReplyDeleteStay warm my friend,
V
What a beautiful scene you've posted today. I love how quiet it is after a heavy snow like this.
ReplyDeleteCaptivating photo and story..thanks!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen anything like your photo in person. I imagine you're used to such sights, but I think I'd find it difficult to breath if I woke up and found snow so beautiful near where I lived.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we're not set up to deal with snow like that, so after I got over the beauty, I begin to plan my attack of it so that I could get to work on mass transit.
'rosebud' comes to mind. :)
ReplyDeleteI just KNEW you'd have a gorgeous photo of the snow!! Oh, those old fashioned sleds! i love the way you took care of it... More snow on the way, so they say...
ReplyDeleteMy heart is very near this photo I believe, though I've never seen this neighborhood in person, and Portland only once, briefly. 20 years ago I was whisked away to the land of the palm trees in another hemisphere. Now I am ready to bring my husband back to my Motherland and near my family on (Uncle!) Leonard Street. Every morning I check from down here to see what you will share next :)
ReplyDeleteHaven't spent an afternoon sledding in decades. I've still got a toboggan sitting in the garage. Never had a Flexible Flyer, but had friends who did. Ah, those were the days. Why were the hills always in cemeteries?
ReplyDeleteI got a sledge for Christmas. I wish it would snow.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Birdman to you and your family.
John.
Winter is definitely at your place. Could be fun, specially with a great sled.
ReplyDeleteWe just have rain, rain, rain. Soggy here. MB
That's a beautiful shot. I wish we had that much snow.
ReplyDeleteLowell nailed it for me, too.
ReplyDeleteCountry boy, city boy. We had a sled but, you know, just took it out of the closet and pointed it somewhere. No one ever did anything to the runners.
ReplyDeleteI love the way the fresh snow paints the forest... fantastic shot!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! All the best for 2013.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's just perfect. Really. You need a daily newspaper column. xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful scene. Nothing quite like freshly fallen snow in the woods.
ReplyDeleteLove your stories Birdman, our two worlds could not be more different..replace sled with surf board and you'll get what I mean!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo.
ReplyDelete