The Drive Back or Snow, Sun, Speed.
I had a good time in NYC this weekend and I made it back to DC before the inauguration crowds AND I found (barely) legal parking place, which was a huge achievement. I saw M and his cute dog, we did a little shopping, we ate and hung out-it was fun, although it was bitterly cold on Saturday and we went down to Battery Park City, where we managed to avoid seeing the drag the plane out of the Hudson and over to Jersey.
But my trip back was amazing. I say this as an Art History major. Not that it's ever done me any good, aside from giving me an appreciation for art and the ability to gives names, dates and styles to various paintings, buildings and styles of furniture. And I've often thought if I had any sort of God-given talent, I'd like to be able to sing.
Today I wished I could paint. My drive back from Jersey started in a small fall of snow which steadily got worse. When it started to get better, it was amazing. The sun started off as a small dull spot in the sky which steadily got brighter. And as the sun burned off the clouds, it continued to snow. And it was beautiful. The snow falling, the sun barely illuminating the haze, which cast a glow over everything, reflecting light up off the wet pavement and the speed of the cars flashing through-it was stunning. As I drove through, all I could think was that it would take the talents of JMW Turner himself to do justice to this scene. It was reminiscent of Rain, Steam, Speed-a very modern equivalent, and yet I think Turner would have appreciated it. I was hoping it would turn into a thunder snow as the last one I saw was a few years ago but it turned into so much more.
I just now thought of a scene in A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (one of the best books about nature I've ever read), where Annie Dillard describes seeing a bird dropping from the sky and spreads its wings right before it lands-it was a miracle of nature and should we not enjoy them and feel blessed to see them whenever we do see them? And that was what I saw today-a miracle of nature. Thank you for letting me see it.
But my trip back was amazing. I say this as an Art History major. Not that it's ever done me any good, aside from giving me an appreciation for art and the ability to gives names, dates and styles to various paintings, buildings and styles of furniture. And I've often thought if I had any sort of God-given talent, I'd like to be able to sing.
Today I wished I could paint. My drive back from Jersey started in a small fall of snow which steadily got worse. When it started to get better, it was amazing. The sun started off as a small dull spot in the sky which steadily got brighter. And as the sun burned off the clouds, it continued to snow. And it was beautiful. The snow falling, the sun barely illuminating the haze, which cast a glow over everything, reflecting light up off the wet pavement and the speed of the cars flashing through-it was stunning. As I drove through, all I could think was that it would take the talents of JMW Turner himself to do justice to this scene. It was reminiscent of Rain, Steam, Speed-a very modern equivalent, and yet I think Turner would have appreciated it. I was hoping it would turn into a thunder snow as the last one I saw was a few years ago but it turned into so much more.
I just now thought of a scene in A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (one of the best books about nature I've ever read), where Annie Dillard describes seeing a bird dropping from the sky and spreads its wings right before it lands-it was a miracle of nature and should we not enjoy them and feel blessed to see them whenever we do see them? And that was what I saw today-a miracle of nature. Thank you for letting me see it.
posted by SHbookworm at 9:11 PM
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