Sunday, January 21, 2007

Gryphon's Word of the Day, Jan 20, 2007

The word of the day* for January 20, 2007 is “boreal” — adjective 1 : of, relating to, or located in northern regions <boreal waters>. 2 : of, relating to, or comprising the northern biotic area characterized especially by dominance of coniferous forests.

 

 

Snow again today with an expectation of 3”-6”. We usually get less than this. I’m told that it is the fault of El Nino. I think it is Mother Nature trying to correct for global warming.

see photo: 

 

Footprints left by the mail carrier just before noon are already covered. There is a cushion of snow on the birdbath two inches deep. Poor sparrows that don’t go south for the winter will have to snug up to their fellows in the spruce tree. I’ll have to throw out some crumbs for them tomorrow.  Today I intend to watch Blood of Heroes: the warmest movie I own.

 

The quote† for today is from Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), “A Winter Walk” (1843), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 5, pp. 182-183, Houghton Mifflin (1906):

 

In winter we lead a more inward life. Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts, whose windows and doors are half concealed, but from whose chimneys the smoke cheerfully ascends.... We enjoy now, not an Oriental, but a Boreal leisure, around warm stoves and fireplaces, and watch the shadow of motes in the sunbeams.

 

;^)  Jan


* The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

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