rabbit, rabbit.

...in with the new.
which is pretty much just a bigger blazin' barbarian batch of the old.
i'm just sayin', it ain't broke, if ya get my drift....
i found myself surrounded.
by the people i value,
in a place where i feel at home,
for the ushering in of a whole 'nother 'nother new year.
we stayed silent for a minute,
then recited a rabid 'rabbit, rabbit',
to ensure good fortune for the entirety of the whole next 365.
(even though my fortune cookie had already assured me of that probability)

5 degrees, and windy.
perfect conditions for listening to the river refreeze,
and watching the miniature ice floe traffic jam,
by what little silvery sliver of moonlight there was to see by.
and don't forget bundlin' up for a severe winter weather sendoff for the outgoing 366. 
(leap year an' that, ya'll)
i wore a toothache-style scarf to keep my gossamer goliath lobes from gettin' nipped.
i've seen the photos of the jellyfish donut results.
and i'm not ready to get started on a new year with authentic winter battle damage.

the fire was one of the best yet,
and the warmest, too.
there's something super-fresh about sub-freezing temperatures.
y'ever notice how LOUD the snow underfoot gets?
like crackin' styrofoam floorboards!
awesomeness, one footfall at a time.
hot and cold, loud and soft,
we covered the basic bases of battle-bardic get-busy-ness...


smoke, fire, movement, slow shutter-speed.
add 'em together and what do you get?
a van gogh new year's 'starry night' ripoff.
conjured up out of a cauldron of lightning striking viking exciting,
furious furnace fueled hot, hot, HOT fire.

not that it'll win me any 'world's best dad' coffee mugs,
but my kids and i shared an amazing evening together.
we even had sparkling apple cider at midnight. (martinelli's represents!)
yeah, they stayed up late,
but they slept in even later.
once a year won't hurt 'em, right?
jess and jim were also present to record the unfolding ending to 2008 as well.
the fresh snowfall helped us spot a menagerie of forest fauna's travels through our trails;
moose, fox, squirrel, coyote, bird, and raccoon tracks encircle our entire perimeter.
the nature of nature, ya'll,
hangin' out and watchin' over us,
(and occasionally bumpin' somethin' loud enough to make the dogs go batsh!t)
the woodsly goodness takes care of it's own, ya'll.


just be dope, my ninjas.
you've got a whole new calender of little squares to fill in with bold, worthy, real Folk Life.
today is the day.
the first one,
in a long line of successive percussive 24hr. incremental mayhem markers,
that make up the barbarian battle backbeat of your own savage gypsy saga.
you've only got 52 weeks to complete a concentric growth-ring
smoke ring of thought and memory,
to come and go full circle back to this point,
and compose another 'nother
scalding skaldic stanza of warrior poetry .
i'd recommend ya'll get busy;
HAPPY NEW YEAR;
never quiet, never soft.......