Monday, October 27, 2008


Wind Advisory

There was a wind advisory for today. Meant as a warning, but taken as glad tidings, for I dearly love the wind. The day ahead was easy to predict when I spied the tops of the tall trees dancing together at dawn. Roundelays and reels, jigs and tarantellas, they wheeled and whirled with abandon while the wind chimes that encircle the house kept a delicate rhythm with the orchestra that played through the branches. It made the old magnolia tree jolly, its stout and leafy limbs bouncing up and down, up and down, in fat green chuckles. It played chase with the birds and loosened the maple leaves who were busy preparing for their colourful November tumble to the garden below. It ruffled Edward’s white fur, thicker than ever now with his own glad anticipation of the colder days to come. Edward responded by running full tilt throughout the sunny garden, leaping and rolling with the wind like a friend. Coats, newly unearthed from hall closets, whipped around the knees of dog walkers who were yanked up the street at at faster than desired pace by dogs who couldn’t believe their good fortune in waking to such a gloriously windy day. On and on it blew, creating shadows that gamboled across the carpet under my feet; shadows that brought the wool patterns to life as bubbling paisleys and animated florals, impossible to catch or to hold. It called to me from outside my window, throughout the long morning, with its promises of a carefree afternoon while I, determined to complete the tasks I had at hand, endeavored not to listen. But soon, unable to withstand temptation any longer, I acquiesced. Laying down my work with a thud, grabbing my coat and my dog, I made for the door.
The wind laughed with a bluster, for he knew I would come out to play all along.
He remembers me of old.

He shouts in the sails of the ships at sea,
He steals the down from the honeybee,
He makes the forest trees rustle and sing,
He twirls my kite till it breaks its string.
Laughing, dancing, sunny wind,
Whistling, howling, rainy wind,
North, South, East and West,
Each is the wind I like the best.

By Amy Lowell, from her poem The Wind

25 comments:

  1. Pamela, again the sheer beauty of your prose unmans me, but only metaphorically. I love the east, south and west winds, let them roar, let them howl.The north wind
    is a treacherous wind,pretending to be kind in winter bringing warmth, but in the other seasons beware! It burns the blood from living leaf, brings trees to their knes, rips shed from their moorings, building to a climax with unstoppable wild fires. No I do not love the treacherous north wind.
    I love your blog though!

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  2. This piece of writing is a delight,just the thing to blow the cobwebs off!

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  3. Poetic and beautiful, this post makes me miss my childhood home: Chicagoland.

    I loved your description of how the weather affected Edward. When I used to ride, I always enjoyed watching the horses who got very frisky on cool mornings, leaping about in the turnout when it was their chance.

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  4. Oh, my, there are not words for the beauty of your words. I, too, am a lover of wind.

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  5. It was so windy here last night that the Manor indeed sounded like a haunted house! I got a terrible case of the willies and jumped into bed!

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  6. Never waste a good wind just for drudgery.

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  7. Pamela, you put my writing to shame, you know? Quite delightful and I, too, love the wind. Jim doesn't, however, but is getting better since living in Ireland.

    Our purple acer was covered in leaves a few days ago, then I looked and its branches were naked!

    I love the picture too, so romantic and that hair! Wow!

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  8. I too love the wind! Except for those times when wrap skirts were the rage! Then the wind was a little tricky!

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  9. Pamela

    I love visiting here and have missed it...you were just one of my first stops, dear lady! Thank you for your words of solace, i appreciate it!
    I amm back to posting and in healing mode. Hope you can hop over
    Tara

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  10. Such a sublime snippet of gorgeous wordiness.

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  11. I adore the wind as well--as long as the rain doesn't join the fun. He is for another day. Or, if they insist, the two of them can romp whilst I sit indoors with a nice cuppa.

    Love the painting!

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  12. love the picture to your lovely post..and I am a person who loves the wind when he softly whispers in the trees.At a midsummernight..

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  13. Yes! Bring on the stormy weather.
    I find it exciting and lovely.
    A super post.

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  14. I just love coming here and reading your words - you paint amazing pictures with words - such a gift!

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  15. A lovely post Pamela. So nice to hear some one who loves that kind of day when most people complain about it! Thank you - I did enjoy reading it.

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  16. This was another brilliant piece of writing and the picture too was a delight.

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  17. What wonderfly descriptive prose! Beautiful! I could feel the wind flapping my soat about and my hair rearranging itself into mermaid hair as it flew upward in the wind. Lovely!

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  18. I do so love your writing. Its a pleasure to enjoy the weather ..whatever it is. We had our first frosts today. I love putting warm clothes on and bundling up. I was in York and it was very festive.

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  19. Oh I love to see my dogs tail, ears and fur ruffle in the wind. You've captured the joyful essence of the wind in your noble prose, once again...

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  20. Mmmmmm.... I love the wind too. We have wind storms every year - generally around November. Lose the power annually during them. A couple of years ago, enough trees were downed by a big storm people around the area lost power for 3 - 9 days! (I was painting in the studio by lantern). That's a bit more windy fun than I want to be having...

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  21. I had a primary school eacher who said she could tell the weather by how we came to school. If we were all noisy and hyper, then she knew it was breezy and she would begin the day with active things so we could get it out of our systems and settle down. She was so wise! :-)

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  22. I love the way you describe Edward cavorting in the wind. I can picture it like I am there running along behind him.

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  23. The wind on a cold autumn/winter day making your face and ears tingle, nothing better to stimulate the mind...

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  24. Oh you make it all sound so wonderful.

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  25. Not only did we have a blustery wind yesterday, but thunder and lightening too! It was truly unseasonable weather and lots of fun because of that!

    I've always loved this Amy Lowell poem too :-)

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!