It was quite cold last evening, and I saw the scuttle window reflecting the lamp from a myriad brilliant points when I went up to bed. It sparkled as if we lived inside of a cave, but this morning it has moderated considerably and is snowing. Already one inch of snow has fallen.
(In a journal it is important in a few words to describe the weather, or character of the day, as it affects our feelings. That which was so important at the time cannot be unimportant to remember.)
Day before yesterday the fine snow, blowing over the meadow in parallel streams between which the darker ice was seen, looked just like the steam curling along the surface of a river. In the midst of this, midleg deep at least, you surged along. It was surprising how, in the midst of all this stationary and drifting snow, the skate found a smooth and level surface over which it glided so securely, with a muffled rumble.
The ice for the last week has reached quite up into the village, so that you could get on to it just in the rear of the bank and set sail on skates for any part of the Concord River valley.
Found Therien cutting down the two largest chestnuts in the wood-lot behind where my house was. On the butt of one about two feet in diameter I count seventy-five rings. T. soon after breaks his axe in cutting through a knot in this tree, which he is cutting up for posts.
He broke out a piece half an inch deep. This he says often happens. Perhaps there is some frost in his axe. Several choppers have broken their axes to-day.
H. D. Thoreau, Journal, February 5, 1855
It was quite cold last evening, and I saw the scuttle window reflecting the lamp from a myriad brilliant points when I went up to bed. It sparkled as if we lived inside of a cave. See January 4, 1856 ("It is snapping cold this night (10 P. M.). I see the frost on the windows sparkle as I go through the passageway with a light")
In a journal it is important in a few words to describe the weather, or character of the day, as it affects our feelings. See January 26, 1852 ("Would you know your own moods, be weather-wise.")
It was surprising how, in the midst of all this stationary and drifting snow, the skate found a smooth and level surface . See February 3, 1855 ("This will deserve to be called the winter of skating.”)
The fine snow, blowing over the meadow looked just like the steam curling along the surface of a river. See February 3, 1855 (" . . . alive with flowing streams of snow, in form like the steam which curls along a river’s surface at sunrise.”); January 19, 1852 ("The snow blowing far off in the sun . . .looks like the mist that rises from rivers in the morning.")
In a journal it is important in a few words to describe the weather, or character of the day, as it affects our feelings. See January 26, 1852 ("Would you know your own moods, be weather-wise.")
It was surprising how, in the midst of all this stationary and drifting snow, the skate found a smooth and level surface . See February 3, 1855 ("This will deserve to be called the winter of skating.”)
The fine snow, blowing over the meadow looked just like the steam curling along the surface of a river. See February 3, 1855 (" . . . alive with flowing streams of snow, in form like the steam which curls along a river’s surface at sunrise.”); January 19, 1852 ("The snow blowing far off in the sun . . .looks like the mist that rises from rivers in the morning.")
No comments:
Post a Comment