Friday, March 2, 2007

Gryphondear's Word of the Day, March 1, 2007

The word of the day1 for March 1, 2007 is “aeolian” — adjective 1 often capitalized : of or relating to Aeolus, 2 : giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind.

 

I don’t know what is going on with you who live in the north lands. All that wind and snow in March is not a good thing. Although I do remember having to walk to Easter Sunday services in the snow, it was not the usual weather for Iowa. Claudia said they not only got seven inches of snow (or twelve in some areas of Omaha) they also got lightning and thunder. That’s not a usual thing with snow.

 

In 1978 when we had just moved into our house, I was coming home from work at about 2:00 in the morning in the snow. As I drove down the street, I could see the electrical wires swinging in the wind and there was some electrical arcing between the wires. Then ball lightning formed just over the wires and swung down and across the road in front of the car—these pale green, softball sized orbs with no sound just floating over the wires, down to the ground and bouncing in slow motion. I hope never to see the like again.

 

The quote2 for today is from Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 145, Houghton Mifflin (1906):

 

There was never yet such a storm but it was Æolian music to a healthy and innocent ear.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 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.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

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