Welkin

— n.
archaic the sky, heavens, or upper air

~ World English Dictionary

I woke up at six o’clock this morning, approximately two hours before dawn here in the Bogs this time of year, walked to the living room and looked out the window at the pond.  The clouds that had been hanging over us for the past few days had finally moved on, leaving a sky glittering and sparkling with hundreds, thousands of stars scattered across the darkness being reflected back at the sky by the pond.  Stars above and below shimmering and twinkling like champagne bubbles.

Those moments of standing with the stars became my first small stone:

A sprinkling of sparkling stars
Lights scattered across the darkness of infinity
New Year’s Day champagne

This really is a first for me as I don’t usually do this kind of writing.  What kind of writing is it I don’t usually do?  Well, I don’t know.  There are no rules for this challenge.  I came up with something a little like haiku, but it doesn’t follow the rules of haiku.  It’s a capturing of the moment.  Condensed more than I typically condense things.  I tend to be a woman of many words.  That is one of the reasons I thought this challenge might be good for me.  I like the idea of paring down to the heart of the moment.

Sky journey

I took a short walk around the pond today, watching the sky above and its reflection in the pond below.  It’s a blustery day, causing small, silky waves to roll from west to east across the water.

Magic wand

I’m still not feeling particularly well, but it was wonderful to get outside and be aired out, so to speak, by the tempestuous and energizing winds.  It’s as if it carried away some of the illness.  Mother Nature’s Magic Cure.

Welkin

The clouds have moved back in.  They parted briefly, the sun shone down upon us for about ten minutes, and then it rained.  Snow is in the forecast for tonight and the next few days.  It will be nice to see the white stuff for a change.  I don’t think I’ll be cross-country skiing anytime soon, but I will get out for some short walks.

That’s it from the Bogs for today.  Happy New Year!  Wishing you a happy, healthy, safe, and peaceful 2012, along with star-filled sparkling skies and the discovery of a magic wand or two.

*Note:  The first and last photo, which is the same photo, was processed in Photoshop and then in Picnik where I added the star effect.  It was taken with the white balance set to tungsten.  I changed the tone and colors in the first version to go with my champagne thoughts.  Originally it was a photo of the waves on the pond.  Sky Journey and Magic Wand were also processed in Photoshop and Picnik.

Letting Go:  Of thinking I need to do everything myself, and learning to accept and appreciate assistance from my loved ones.

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