A Book of the Seasons: December 30.

December 30

Man in winter is
to a slight extent dormant --
partially awake.

In winter even man 

     is to a slight extent 

             dormant.

The  range of his afternoon walk 

     is somewhat 

              narrower; 

he is more or less 

     confined to the highway 

            and wood-path; 

the weather oftener 

      shuts him up 

             in his burrow; 

he is often satisfied 

       if he only gets out 

             to the post-office 

                   in the course of the day.  

December 30, 1853

Found, in the Wheeler meadow

Found, in the Wheeler meadow southwest of the Island,

a nest in the fork of an alder about eight feet from ground,

partly saddled on, 

made chiefly of fine grass and bark fibres,

quite firm and very thick bottomed,

and well bound with various kind of lint.

This is a little oval,

three by three and a half inches within

and seven eighths deep,

with a very firm, smooth rim 

of fine grass and dark shreds, lined 

with the same and some lint. 

A few alder leaves dangle from the edge,

and, what is remarkable,

the outer edge all around is defiled,

quite covered,

with black and white caterpillar-like

droppings of the young birds.

December 30, 1855

To study birds' nests
look for them in Winter as

well as midsummer.
December 30 1855 

In this clear cold air

that fine evanishing edge

of clouds in the west.

December 30, 1855

Snow began last night 

now not far from a foot deep –

light powdery snow.

December 30, 1855

Snow began last night 

now light powdery snow not 

far from a foot deep.

.

 In this clear cold air 

 small clouds in the west have that 

evanishing edge.

The deepest snow yet.
Those who depend on skylights
find theirs a dim light.
December 30, 1859

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,
out-of-doors, in its own locality.”

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2019