Very still February mornings can make me inexplicably anxious sometimes. They usually come when the forces of nature seem to be undecided on which of the month’s many weather options to choose – sunny and bright; dark and gloomy; rain, snow, or sleet; windy or calm; bitter cold or unusually mild, or a little of this and a little of that?
Above you see one of those still moments in Naskeag Harbor yesterday morning, when familiar sights looked less familiar, seemingly waiting for something. In the moment, the tide rises slowly; the fishing vessel hardly moves on her slack line; three gulls float listlessly, and the summer house on Harbor Island stares emptily from its white pedestal.
By early afternoon, the forces had decided to darken the day, sprinkle a few snowflakes here and there, and keep the temperatures above freezing so that a night full of rain could melt some of the snow.
It’s still raining as I write, but my anxiety is gone. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on February 7, 2025.) Click on the image to enlarge it.