Still Snow In Them Thar Hills - Bitterroot Mountains, Hamilton, Montana

A delight-full upside of these lingering rainy spring days is the extended viewing season of snow-capped mountains. (But I'm plenty ready for more sunshine, pretty please!)

 

Ship Shape Clouds - Victor, Montana

"...Only for the turning of the earth in her holy

Heart! Slyly, slowly, hearing the wound in her side go 

Round the sun, he comes to my love like the designed snow, 

And truly he 

Flows to the strand of flowers like the dew's ruly sea, 

And surely he sails like the ship shape clouds. 

Oh he 

Comes designed to my love to steal not her tide raking 

Wound, nor her riding high, nor her eyes, nor kindled hair, 

But her faith that each vast night and the saga of prayer 

He comes to take...

Ever and ever by all your vows believe and fear 

My dear this night he comes and night without end my dear                                          

Since you were born: 

And you shall wake, from country sleep, this dawn and each first dawn, 

Your faith as deathless as the outcry of the ruled sun."

- From In country sleep II, by Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), 

published in the volume Collected Poems, 1934-1952

Read the full text of this poem and more from Dylan Thomas here,

 thanks to Project Gutenberg of Australia. (And be sure to read his collection's introductory Note.

Hidden gems abound in Author notes and acknowledgements!)

River Weeds And Wildness Yet - Turah, Montana

"What would the world be, once bereft of wet and wildness? Let them be left, O let them be left, wildness and wet; Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet." - from Inversnaid by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

Cheer With A Vengeance, Missoula, Montana

With no prerequisite for snowfall in the valley, The Dreaded Deluge has begun - rather, is in full swing. Before the turkey was even cold enough to qualify as leftovers, radio stations and shopping malls and department stores commenced with the playing of Christmas music. It's not that I have a problem with Christmas in truth, but seriously, a whole month is too long to be subjected to jingle bells and cheery fa-la-la-la-las.
Da-da-DAH! To the rescue: a new breed of Christmas music that blends smooth sarcasm with tight harmonies. Click here to experience the full audio and visual force of the latest offering from our good friend Chip Whitson and Bob Wire and friends that skillfully play a jug. There's more bah-humbug offered at their site http://offwhitechristmas.com/.
(In case she views this post, a big thanks for today's title to my not-so-red-headed stepchild, whose personal cheer slogan was too apt to not rip off.)