Revolution of Snow

Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,

its white flag waving over everything,

the landscape vanished,

not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,

and beyond these windows...Snow Day, Billy Collins

Update - Saturday, 5 Feb 2011. Twitter re: Egypt. Feeling way under-the-weather. Even quite ill. Oof.

If you don't have access to Al Jazeera English (very rare in the States - though I can access it just fine), watch here.

London Light

Two of 16 photographs by Sally (aka Letty) at Made4Aid. More information is on Giulia Geranium blog. The cards are gorgeous, well priced, & they ship free anywhere in the world. (Here's the full set; you can choose which ones you'd like.) Hope to be back before too long. Cheers.

Felinity in Black & White & Color

Writing in heated exile (no not in Hell, you devils). Complicated feelings & I feel some essays (at least one) coming on; a pile of poems to revise. One new one. I couldn't do without Julie, that's for sure. The fuzzy photograph was an attempt to use the new laptop's web camera before we lost all power (& heat). The four-legged redhead has mostly regained her high spirits; however, she has refused a request to hop off the bed for a re-shoot. I don't blame her.

High winds still, maybe some more snow in a day or so. Not thinking about it now. I hope we can go home on the weekend. Our hosts have been great & I've tried to repay in tulips & two dinners cooked (so far). Also I created a little pop art installation of retro mini Coke bottles with pink baby carnations & green button mums (culled from otherwise dead bouquets). All in a row, on a windowsill. It seems to have gone over fairly well.

[Dr. Zhivago still by Ken Danvers, photographer for David Lean's film via BFI.uk.org/Catherine Deneuve & Coke bottle via LIFE archives/ridiculous webshot of GG et moi via a Toshiba laptop. The Italian book collage is from a scan I did for Giulia Geranium. Maria Caterina di Perugia gave the book to me on one trip back to the States. Now that we are staying at her house, I thought it would look cute over here. Maybe I've posted it before, we'll see what pops up.]

Week's End - Capucine in Black & White

NPR just referred to the snowstorm on its way to Washington as "maybe apocalyptic." OK, a news person said it. That's weird (& I hope, incorrect) on so many levels. So, why Capucine? I was thinking about Cortina d'Ampezzo (the reason is too dumb to go into here) & how pretty it is there. The original Pink Panther (Capucine plays Simone Clouseau) has some winter ski scenes & I think they were filmed in Cortina. So maybe it's just that I wish I looked that chic in snow wear. Not sure. Too rattled to think what with an impending snowpocalypse, & so forth. Eek.

Friday afternoon update: OK, here's why I don't watch TV during the day. It's scaring the bleep out of me (thinking power outages, truly would be a disaster). If no week's end by midnight, someone send out a search party of DC bloggers 'cause Julie the Cat & self will be popsicles.

Friday early evening: Power is flickering already & the major blizzard hasn't begun yet. Very bad news. No post tonight. I wish I had Capucine's skis on & I was in Cortina. Click the link & it takes you to a NYTimes article about skiing to restaurants. It was not like that when I was there, I assure you.

Saturday morning update: No power.

Monday update: Julie & I have been in 40 F (or below?) since Friday. No heat for another week. Trying to go somewhere else. Thanks to Julie at Being Ruby & Penney at Just Penney's for msging me. Piggybacking wireless & using a few moments of battery power. I'll have more to say about how angry & upset I am soon. Meanwhile, check on your neighbors, OK? It's not all snowball fights at Dupont Circle. It's a true disaster for many people.

Tuesday update: For those who have messaged me. We were rescued by an urbane Arlingtonienne. Julie the Cat & I are in a lovely home, with heat. Upon our arrival, the power went off-- no doubt because I am a jinx. However this house is fully equipped with electric lanterns, enough flashlights for a battalion, & cheerful folks & a darling cat, Hermione, of whom I have written previously. The power came back on a bit ago & we're madly making market lists, charging cell phones, laptops, etc. & will be cooking up a storm before the next one arrives. Later today. With ice & high winds. Yippee. Ciao, mes amis.

[photographer names soon; found on two Blogger blogs: Loose Leaf Tigers & Sanity Fair. Both rather nice names.]

Week's End - Winter Lace

The house at Varykino has been transformed into a sublime white and icy landscape. [by Ken Danvers, still photographer for David Lean's Dr. Zhivago. via BFI.uk.org]

Wednesday, 30 Dec. update: I'm way under-the-weather. Off & on & unpredictable. Hence, more uninspired-than-usual images, etc. Trying to keep stuff current on the GG blog through New Year's Day. Also wondering how nervy I have to be to stretch (in my opinion) fair-use policy. Believe me, I see photographs & images that are cool &/or useful but...it seems, dare I say, wrong. Somehow. Does this keep anyone else awake or at least worried? I've asked this before...over & again on both blogs.

Sunday Snow

Some nice shots (like those mischievous eyes in the top shot) by Max Cook via DCist. Click here for more..& here for the continuing brouhaha about an edgy DC detective "brandishing" his gun during a highly-advertised "guerilla" snowball fight. Wow. Calm down. Everyone. Nearly went, to watch the hijinks. Glad I did not...I get nervous when people brandish their weapons (especially without stating why-the-heck..). Hey, but that's just me.

Have a good rest of the weekend (& Monday to the Aussies & Kiwis)...