Friday, January 9th, 2009

Finding beauty in winter's dreariness

By Betty Lawrence
I have always felt the months of January and February were bleak, dreary and never-ending.
But due to circumstances beyond my control, I've had the rare opportunity these past few weeks to study what Mother Nature affords us in these early months of the new year, despite winter's wrath.
I have had a revelation, of sorts and now believe that January has a stark beauty all its own.
Last fall I decided not to cut back the dried perennials in my garden beds. The result has been worth it as the beds are filled with plants in many hues of brown, from dark cone flowers and black-eyed Susans to the much lighter tan-colored primroses. Against a blanket of newly fallen white snow, brown never looked so pretty.
Birds also love the plants, offering them safe haven against the cold January winds. And of course let's not forget the chamois-colored ornamental grasses that sway and dance in the wind.
A few days ago, ice encased everything outside, providing yet another brief (thankfully) natural beauty. When the sun began shining, the berries on the crabapple trees began dripping and the evergreens lost their acrylic look, but not before I had time to digest the wondrous scenery.
You know, maybe it's not a revelation after all. Maybe January has been doable for me because I haven't had to don my coat, hat, boots, mittens, etc. and trudge out into the frigid air each morning to go to work. And let's not forget cleaning the snow and ice off the car to get back home to do it again the next day.
In the near future, I will be hitting the office again each morning, which makes me believe that February won't be nearly as beautiful and reflective as January.
That's reality, but until then, happy winter.
Additional online stories on this date
Mercer County commissioners Thursday morning viewed a 15-acre, county-owned parcel on which dredge material from a portion of Beaver Creek will be placed. [More]
ST. MARYS - The Celina girls basketball team had its most prolific three-point shooting performance in recent memory, but it was barely enough to beat St. Marys. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
The Chattanooga volunteer firefighters are seeking a $40,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the Ohio Department of Development to improve the firehouse well.
Health officials have begun a process that could lead to the closure of a Rockford mobile home park because the owner reportedly failed to heed warnings to clean up the property.
A public meeting regarding the planned extension of sewer service to Maria Stein could take place as soon as late February or early March.
Engineer
Authorities believe a 39-year-old Arcanum man suffered a possible heart attack and died while driving a pickup truck near Greenville on Wednesday afternoon.
MARIA STEIN - The St. Henry Redskins turned a miserable start to the fourth quarter into a fantastic finish on Thursday night to come back and defeat the Marion Local Flyers by a score of 56-51 at The Hangar.
ROCKFORD - A 14-0 run to end the first quarter allowed Coldwater to pick up its third win of the season and the team's first Midwest Athletic Conference triumph of the year, 53-35, over Parkway at Panther Gymnasium on Thursday night.
NEW BREMEN - Ever since John Naismith put the peach baskets up on the wall, the object of the game of basketball is to put the ball in the basket and prevent the other team from doing the same.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Fort Recovery outscored Versailles 18-11 in the final period to come back and beat Versailles 43-39 in Midwest Athle