“It doesn’t do to read too much,’ Widmerpool said. ‘

You get to look at life with a false perspective. By 

all means have some familiarity with the standard authors. 

I should never raise any objection to that. But it is no good 

clogging your mind with a lot of trash from modern novels.” 

from A Question of Upbringing

by Anthony Powell

"O Winter! bar thine adamantine doors:

The north is thine; there hast thou built thy dark

Deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy roofs,

Nor bend thy pillars with thine iron car.'

He hears me not, but o'er the yawning deep

Rides heavy; his storms are unchain'd, sheathèd

In ribbèd steel; I dare not lift mine eyes,

For he hath rear'd his sceptre o'er the world."

from To Winter

by William Blake

"Polaroid by its nature makes you frugal. You walk

around with maybe two packs of film in your pocket.

 You have 20 shots, so each shot is a world."

Patti Smith

"On the high prairie

are only horse and rider

                 

 wind in dry grass

clopping in silence under the toy mountains

dropping sometimes and

                  lost in the dry grass

                  golden oranges of dung"

from The Cariboo Horses

by Al Purdy

We knew it was coming.

"With a host of furious fancies

Whereof I am commander,

With a burning spear and a horse of air,

To the wilderness I wander.

By a knight of ghosts and shadows

I summoned am to tourney

Ten leagues beyond the wide world's end::

Methinks it is no journey."

from Tom o' Bedlam

 anonymous

“They got up steam and proceeded calmly to the north - 

where there seemed to be no people, but only mountains, 

lakes, reedy snow-filled steppes, and winter gods who played

with storms and stars.” 

from Winter's Tale

by Mark Helprin

Halloween was wet and cold but we had 35-40 kids, a record. 

Winter then came with the turn of the calendar's page.

From Nov. 1 to Nov. 4, Calgary has already officially recorded 

17 centimetres (6.6 inches)  of snow, surpassing the monthly average.

The Tourist

“It is difficult to speak adequately or justly of London.

It is not a pleasant place; it is not agreeable, or cheerful, 

or easy, or exempt from reproach. It is only magnificent.” 

Henry James