winter came for a breakfast.

winter had its first tease with monkey today. when i got up 645, the air was different. i have a bad habit of keeping the window cracked-open, just a bit.i know it's terrible for energy savings and stuff but since i keep my room at 17ish i dont feel sooo bad... oooh (i mean, the lowest it'll get to is 15)

seeing that the temperature wasnt too bad at all (4'c), i thought may be i should go enjoy it now before it all disappear (and most of it did by the evening boo) so this is farrally in early morning banff. see the magic cottage?

and on the way up, i realized that i may be the first one up. the powder was fresh, not even a deer step on it. it made that squiiiick noise underneath the boots, compacting, melting. the only sound in the early morning snow magic. just barely detectable quartet of monkey steps, breath of cold but cozy wet air, occasional winds rustling through and heartbeats synced from here and afar.

and while we may complain about freezing our asses, these little guys will be happy to stay where they are. simpler they are and stronger they are. -40'c doesnt seem to affect them much at all.. in midst of monochromatic silence, they were the unspoken accents of life. bright. alive and however small, beautiful.

on way up to the top of tunnel mountain, where the rocks start to outnumber the trees. there was no one else until monkey was frozen cold and decided to be sensible and head down. i met couple kindred spirits who came out to have a small conversation with winter. but i had my quality time with winter mountain. in its upcoming glory. muted. quiet. grey. blue. black. light. silence. presence. absence. return of things and coming of early dusk and late dawn.

i will be walking along the path while it slowly darkens bit by bit. till the day of winter solstice. the longest night of the year. where i will finally be in the basket. rest. bliss.