A light dusting of snow sparkles on the boardwalk leading to the seashore. There are no tracks yet. It’s still early.
But despite clear blue skies, it’s no day to be at the beach. A cold December wind has blown in. Is winter finally here? Christmas is just around the corner. Perhaps the beach walkers are shopping in the malls these days instead of strolling along the shoreline.
Spray is blowing from the crests of waves at sea. These spindrifts are considered by mariners to be indicators of gale force winds. Just looking at them is enough to make you shiver.
Later in the season, spindrifts of sand and snow will blow from the crests of dunes on the beach. We’ll slowly drift into winter one snowflake at a time until our snowshovels runneth over.
If only we could approach the holidays as we approach the seasons: slowly, one sparkle at a time… with no rushing and no deadlines, enjoying each moment and peacefully trusting that everything will come together eventually.
I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays–let them overtake me unexpectedly–waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: ‘Why this is Christmas Day!’
~ Ray Stannard Baker
Flandrum Hill 
Wuff! That is sooooooome wind. Not to mention some great images. It is not at all easy to capture the things water gets up to. You must have frozen your fingers.
Much better use of a fine frosty morning than haring off to the mall. 🙂
Gerry, the winds here have been something else lately. Grass is still green though so can’t complain much.
What a lovely quote – exactly the way I wish I could treat the holidays.
And I love cold days at the beach! They seem to wash the color out of the waves, making them even more mysterious…’spindrifts’ is a wonderful word, I’m only sorry it foretells such ominous things for the mariners.
Aubrey, it IS a lovely quote.
The thing I like best about cold days at the beach is the absence of crowds ;).
Is this heaven? No, it’s Nova Scotia! Thank you for sharing.
Marilyn, no, it’s not heaven unfortunately. Nova Scotia Power is seeing to that with its newest rate hike. Hopefully the winter won’t be too cold.
I never knew what spindrifts were before. Shivering with you in the cold, Kathy
Kathy, it’s not cold at all today. We have been enjoying some very mild weather. Hope things aren’t too nippy in your neck of the woods.
Neither did I, Kathy! I love learning such things through Amy’s blog. 🙂
Then you must be in India, here we have countless festivals. Today I happened to call my aunt and she asked about preparations for festival. I was like, “what festival??!!”.(bcoz not a month ago we had Diwali, another small one just last week). Seems it was a festival when you cook all vegetables we can get, after the women folk have been to some nearby anthill and offered prayers to the snakes.
i think its the spirit of the christmas she is talking here about and not the count of festivals or the holiday!
Sakhi, thank you for keeping swaps in line 🙂 Yes it is the spirit of Christmas. However, I was intrigued with swaps’ description of the anthill prayer ritual.
Amy, about the anthill prayer ritual, it is like this, snakes here tend to take shelter in anthills, on a particular day people offer prayers to snakes…and some go tot these anthills to offer prayers. Unfortunately, there is a wrong belief that snakes like milk, so people offer it, while the fact is, milk is a slow poison to snakes (I am told).
Thanks for adding details of the prayer ritual swaps. Very, very interesting.
Amy-Lynn,
I’ve always loved spindrifts but didn’t know what they were called. Just love the way the wind whips the tops of the waves backwards.
Your pictures and words are perfect.
Thanks Sybil 🙂
Loved the pictures and the sentiments of “Ray Stannard Baker”…
Merry christmas in advace, Amy… have fun! 🙂
Thanks Sakhi. I hope to have fun once I get rid of a nasty cough I’ve had for almost a week now. Unfortunately, Christmas season is the time when many people also get colds or the flu.
Hope you are feeling better now. Wish you and your family a very happy new year 🙂
God Bless!
I’m still coughing but am feeling better 🙂 Happy New Year to you too!
I like the mood of this blog and the quote you shared. Slow and quiet apart from those spindrifts that look menacing although very beautiful. Great pictures.
Thanks Isa. The spindrifts looked menacing today too, but there was shopping to be done and no time to stop and take photos. So glad I was able to get these earlier in the month.
Yes, we do indeed “expect too much of Christmas Day”…
To quote the CBeebies ‘Green Balloon Club’ Christmas song:
“Christmas is a feeling any time and anywhere”
…!
Pepsoid, it is indeed an ‘anywhere, anytime’ feeling. Hope you are enjoying Christmas with your family 🙂
I did indeed enjoy Christmas with my partner’s family, Flan! Although as I’ve just said on Facebook… shame I was too ill to get stonkingly drunk…
U have a good one?
Yes pepsoid, I did have a good Christmas despite being ill. Hopefully the new year will bring good health to both of us:)
Yes… have a wonderful 2011!! 🙂
I did not have a good understanding of the term ‘spindrifts’ untill seeing your images. Thank you for that! …and I so agree with your concept of the holidays and I love the way you phrased it, “…one sparkle at a time”.
Missusk76, Christmas is still sparkling here. I hope it’s the same out your way.
Delightful post, Amy-Lynn, and seemed to sum up my extremely slow process of getting around to reading various blogs posts these days. But it was well worth the wait: the spindrifts offshore like a dream unfolding. Best wishes for the New Year to you!
Julian, everything seems a lot slower at this time of year perhaps due to the lack of sunshine. Best wishes for the New Year to you too!