Mary Oliver on Winter Snow

This is what it looks like in the woods in my backyard
right now - a snowy wonderland.

Mary Oliver's poems about winter do more than just describe the season; they explore our deep connection with nature and prompt us to reflect on our place in the world. 

Oliver invites us to appreciate the quiet beauty found in the cold, the stillness, and the brief moments of winter.

Whether you feel peace or sadness during this time, her poetry encourages us to value the meaningful experiences that winter brings and to recognize the fleeting nature of life itself.

First Snow by Mary Oliver

The snow
began here
this morning and all day
continued, its white
rhetoric everywhere
calling us back to why, how,
whence such beauty and what
the meaning; such
an oracular fever! flowing
past windows, an energy it seemed
would never ebb, never settle
less than lovely! and only now,
deep into night,
it has finally ended.

The silence

is immense,

and the heavens still hold

a million candles, nowhere

the familiar things:

stars, the moon,

the darkness we expect

and nightly turn from. 

Trees glitter like castles

of ribbons, the broad fields

smolder with light, a passing

creekbed lies

heaped with shining hills;

and though the questions

that have assailed us all day

remain — not a single

answer has been found –

walking out now

into the silence and the light

under the trees,

and through the fields,

feels like one.

The common comparison of life to a snowflake emphasizes the beauty, fragility, and uniqueness of each person's journey.

Snowflakes are temporary, existing only for a short time before melting away. 

This can serve as a reminder of the impermanence of life and the importance of living in the moment.

Life is too short to fill entirely with work and shopping and little else.

That is why when I leave the house, it is rarely to go into town, and most often is to go into the snowy woods instead.

I want to live as naturally as I can as often as I can, before I melt.

Note - I thought the ''winter snow'' part of my title might be redundant, until I remembered that living in Canada I have experienced spring snow, summer snow, and fall snow, in addition to winter snow.

I prefer winter snow.

Winter Storm

Monster drift up north in Cape Breton.

The past few blustery days have seen the first big snow storm of the winter across Nova Scotia. It is a hassle for some, but I welcome it.

We didn't get as much snow as north of our location where they got a record breaking dump (as seen in the picture above), but it was still the biggest of the season for us. 

Not one to miss a wintery opportunity despite 80 km winds, I got out for my first snowshoe today. And it was great.

Drift at my back door.

One of my favourite things while snowshoeing about in the snowy woods is seeing what other creatures are also out and about.

Today I saw the tracks of: mouse, squirrel, coyote, and deer. 

I also passed through an area that had evidence of several deer laying down to ride out the storm. In those spots there were deer sized divots in the deep snow, with leaves showing at the bottom.

Coyotes often take advantage of the deer's inability to move freely in deep snow. Indeed, the coyote tracks I saw today were in areas where there were also deer tracks.

The woods are incredibly beautiful draped in a snowy mantle.

Last year there were only two days that were good for snowshoeing. That is why I am planning on getting out into the woods every day until the snow either melts or gets rained upon.

According to the forecast, that means I could have another 4 or 5 days of excellent conditions.

Extra fun exercise here we come. And I will see what other wildlife tracks and signs I can find.

Wild And Free In The Winter Woods

Lots of nice, fluffy white stuff.

Last week I got out into the woods for my first and second snowshoe adventures of the winter.

The first day was overcast and beautiful. The second, sunny and beautiful.

It is almost spring equinox, so it was a late start to the season. And it may of ended shortly after it began.

Activity in sugar maple groves will soon begin with perfect temperatures being below zero at night, and above zero during the day.

In our location, so near to the ocean, I have to hit the snow while the going is good because you never know when the warmth and rain may come.

And come it did, just a few days after the heaviest snowfall of the winter. 

Next to the brook at the bottom of the valley behind our home. Nature, nature, nature!

That is why I am grateful for every moment I get out on the snowshoes. Even if it is only twice a year. 

Snowshoeing through the muffled, muted winter wonderland makes me feel like a kid again.

Just like when I am on my bicycle. Which I have riding a lot this winter due to the lack of snow. 

It's pretty good either way.

My tracks on the sugar shack trail.

But being in the woods walking on water (frozen water) is magical. So quiet, tranquil, relaxing and rejuvenating. 

Here there are no human biases, or lies, or societal rules. In the woods I find clarity, and the purpose of my life.

Being in nature provides a rejuvenating good vibe that lasts for days. 

The tracks of some other creature that lives in the woods, 
possibly snowshoe hare, or hares.

It is conceivable that we will get another good dump before spring gets off to a serious start.

If so, I will be ready to go on my refurbished snowshoes (I replaced the straps with a new set from the manufacturer) which performed perfectly.

I am always looking for tracks and signs. This photo reveals evidence of something eating tree bark. Several creatures do in these woods. In this case I suspect porcupine.

I am thankful for the conditions that allow me to float through the forest atop heaps of snow. It is an outdoor experience like no other.

It is times like this that I realize that Thoreauian truth - all good things are wild and free.

Wisdom Of The Woods And The Water

Over the past couple of years I have enjoyed being in nature more than ever. That's probably because I have needed it more than ever.

Author Mary Shelly said, "Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."

Since massive changes suddenly began globally in March 2020 doing everything has become more difficult and more stressful for almost everyone.

On the other hand, going to the woods is as easy as its ever been. I just head out the back door of my home, and walk. I could continue walking for days and never leave the forest.

There are no fences, no charges, no conditions for entry, and no one trying to sell me their product or narrative. 

It's just me, the squirrels, and the wisdom of the woods and the water. 

"Woosh, swish, shwee, shush", say the trees.

"Gurgle, kaboing! (deep boulders rumble downstream), splash", responds the brook.

The squirrels aren't saying anything, but I notice they are watching me closely. We have a staring contest. They win every time, and I hike on.

After returning from a good stint in the forest, my response to Shelly would be that, "nothing is as good a salve for the pained human mind as spending time in nature."

If I were a doctor, that is the prescription that I would be writing.

For immediate relief of existential angst and free-floating anxiety, get in nature - stat.

I will finish with some official woods wisdom - 

"One must get up early if one is to go for a hike on the shortest day of the year."

In My Simple Life

In my simple life

washing the dishes

can be as transcendent

as a walk in the woods.

In my simple life

the inside becomes

more important

than the outside.

In my simple life

the near is 

more important

than the far.

In my simple life

freedom is

more precious

then profit.

In my simple life

I have time 

to do shit

like write this post.

Now,

time to 

wash

the dishes.

Ah-ha!