Moon behind the trees, icy road, free coffee and four studies of Pioneer Peak in the howling wind
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 12:29PM 
As I walked, the half-moon tried to hide behind the trees. It didn't work. I spotted it, anyway.
I bet you can, too.
The wind was howling - I don't know how strong, but very strong. And the road was icy. It was kind of hard to walk, but I needed to walk, so I walked anyway and I never took a fall. I need to get some crampons to put on my shoes.
I used to have some. I don't know what happened to them.
Margie has some, but they don't fit on my shoes.
Off in the distance, a jet flew overhead. Judging from the direction that it was headed, it must have been on its way to Russia.
I suppose it might have landed before it got to Russia.
Or maybe it made a left turn, or even a right one, and then went and flew over the North Pole.
Despite the fierce wind that blew, Ubiquitous Raven came flying by. He was alone, though. I saw no other ravens on this walk. Usually, I see several.
A moose had walked by here, back when the snow was still good.
Other than my walk and coffee break, I spent the whole day right here, over 12 hours, working in my computer with Jimmy always here to help - and Pistol-Yero, too. I met the kitten seen on the screen in India. Sad story. Sad, sad, sad story.
Why did God design life to be like this?
When I arrived at Metro Cafe, Elizabeth handed me my coffee and cinnamon roll and told me that it was already paid for. As usual, she didn't know by whom. A woman, she said, whereas last time it was a man.
I know for certain that Akponygirl has bought me coffee. If this was again from you, thank you. If it was from someone else, then thank you, whoever you are.
I enjoyed it. And I enjoyed the cinnamon roll. Elisabeth cut it in half for me so that I would not eat the whole thing, but I ate the whole thing, anyway.
It's probably for the best. I was going to give the other half to Margie, but she's diabetic and it had a great deal of sugar on it.
Pioneer Peak in the Howing Wind, Study #1: The reason the sky is this color is because the wind, which is fierce, is hurling glacier dust through the air. The reason there is no snow on the ground is because, prior to the big meltdown, the wind, unrestrained here by trees or much of anything, scoured almost all of it away and then the tiny bit that was left melted.
Pioneer Peak in the Howing Wind, Study #2: You can get an idea how windy it was.
Pioneer Peak in the Howing Wind, Study #3: I actually got out of the car to take this one, but I kept getting struck in the face not only by dust but by small pebbles that were traveling with the wind. I feared one might strike me in the eye, or scratch and chip my lens, so I got back into the car pretty quick.
This guy had this in the back of his truck, but it got blown out. Now he is trying to put it back into his truck.
Pioneer Peak in the Howing Wind, Study #4: When Kalib came home from work, he reported that a number of his co-workers, all of whom use this same parking lot, lost car windows on this day, after the wind hurled pebbles into them with enough force to blow them out.
And this one from India:
Among the ruins of Hampi.
Reader Comments (5)
It's windy again today; I'm watching the trees toss and bend in the back yard from my office window. Supposed to have gusts up to 75MPH here, but the weather service has no data right now.
Usually, just a few miles up the road, we're spared the winds Wasilla gets but not this time. Its howling here also and actually tore my front screen door right off its hinges.
I have been needing to head to that parking lot, to do some shopping at the store there, but I decided not to go yesterday or today because I didnt want to deal with the Wasilla wind. After reading about the car windows I am glad I stayed home!
look at those ornate pillars in hampi. love the pics of he bare naked trees and also the twilite shot of the businesses under the darkning sky. hey, did you read those outrageous remarks by the second most famous wasilla resident? everything she says shows her true colors: a total idiot.
I really like the first photo. There is hope of Spring there, even though I am adding the budding leaves in my mind. It is quite cold here in my town in Illinois. The Mississippi River is hosting ice that creeps a little towards the center every day The River hasn't frozen over solid in quite a few years. The eagles who come to winter here have decisions to make.
You wrote "Why did God design life to be like this?"
Why is there so much pain and death and destruction in this world that He created? I do not know. But He says that someday it will no longer be so. There will no longer be death. Death will be finally defeated. And I hang on to that promise. As Peter said, "Where else can I go?" If I do not follow the Creator God, then there is nowhere else for me to go. And so I submit myself to Him.
You don't have to post this one if you do not wish to. I know that it is not your intent to have a "religious" blog. But this is my thought on your question.