A Sign of Spring in Store, An Empty City, Doggo in Morning Darkness, Abandoned Trees

And a fab Bliss Carman poem for these cold days

Pearce’s, the fabulous hardware store up the road, seem to have had a mosaic sign made to celebrate Spring. (see above)

How wonderful is that!

Sorry about the photo. The reflections from the window weren’t cooperating with me. Neither was PupperJack, who was yanking on his lead while I was trying to hold my phone steady. He gets over-excited when we’re out on the main road.

I seem to have got my pics out of sync — the two above were taken on New Year’s Day.

We were out early and there was not a soul in sight. For a moment we did wonder — PJ and I — whether the apocalypse had arrived and we were the only beings who didn’t know about it.

This is a fairly main road (above left), and a park (above right), in the middle of a large city, but there was no sound, no movement, nothing.

It was a bit spooky …

Here’s a perplexed doggo wondering if we are the only beings left alive on earth.

Or the only ones with no hangover.

Even the post-box was having a hard time standing upright.

Wall offerings that attracted our attention were this bobble hat, and these shell beads.

We left the hat behind but couldn’t resist the shells.

I looked up the symbolism of sea shells when we got home. And, appropriately enough for this time of year, they are (among other things) widely associated with transformation and renewal. Yep. We’ll have a bit of that!

People have chucked out their Christmas trees now. I feel badly about all these discarded trees. It doesn’t seem quite right somehow.

PupperJack feels the same. After he’s peed on them. It’s a friendly pee, though, he reckons.

I like this poem so I’m putting it in here:

‘Winter Streams’ by Bliss Carman

Now the little rivers go Muffled safely under snow,

And the winding meadow streams Murmur in their wintry dreams,

While a tinkling music wells Faintly from their icy bells,

Telling how their hearts are bold Though the very sun be cold.

Ah, but wait until the rain Comes a-sighing once again,

Sweeping softly from the Sound Over ridge and meadow ground!

Then the little streams will hear April calling far and near, —

Slip their snowy bands and run Sparkling in the welcome sun.

Dennett started the Photo-a-Day Challenge to help combat the pandemic blues. Since then many others kindly share their week with us:

Erika Burkhalter, Anne Bonfert, Tracy Aston, Lisa Bolin, Juan O. Aguilera, David Wade Chambers, June Nguyen, Mia Verita, LensAfield, Barbara Radisavljevic, Diana Lotti, Barb Dalton, Kim Zuch, K. Barrett, Penny Grubb, Ellie Jacobson, Shruthi Sundaram, Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Ann James, Louise Peacock, Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms)

(If your name should, or should not, be on this list, please let me know.)

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