Winter wonderland
Pine tree laden with snow, Paris.
I got my wish for a winter wonderland! It snowed all day, so I pulled on my suede fur-lined (made in Canada) snow boots, bought years ago in San Francisco and worn maybe five times. First, I went onto the balcony to take photos of the snow-covered bamboo tree. Then I went out into the snow, taking my camera and macro lens, with which I'm still experimenting. No doubt many of you Canadian readers will laugh at the small amount of snow in Paris, since you're used to several feet of le neige blanc. But it's been a while since it snowed much here - so we'll take what we can get!
When I walked past a neighbourhood school, the sound of children laughing rang out; happily, the teachers were letting them play outdoors and throw snowballs. Later, I saw a sadder sight: an old man, sans chapeau, carrying an unwrapped bottle of liquor. He seemed mentally unbalanced, mumbling to himself and weaving from one side of the sidewalk to another. It is hoped he was en route to the senior citizens' residence, maintained by the local Red Cross.
Peaceful.
Hope your week is off to a good start. Please spare a thought and prayer for the people of Gaza. I've been reading Pema Chodron's Practicing Peace in Times of War. She writes: "Someone once gave me a poem with a line in it that offers a good definition of peace: 'Softening what is rigid in our hearts.' We can talk about ending war and we can march for ending war, we can do everything in our power, but war is never going to end as long as our hearts are hardened against each other."
Snow blossom.
Droplets of melting snow.
Every lace-like snowflake in this cluster is unique.
Branches bending under the weight of snow.
Little snowbursts.
The street where I live. The city's largest park, the Bois de Boulogne is across the street and the River Seine is at the end of the block.
Snow-covered bamboo tree.
At dusk the snow subsided.
I'm giving away a copy of Practicing Peace in Times of War. To enter, leave a comment on this post. Best of luck!
