Winter Solace

We have entered the micro-season of “The Bear Retreats To Its Den”. This is the first micro-season of the mini-season Major Snow. All the micro-seasons within Major Snow are: The Sky is Cold, Winter Comes (Dec.07 -Dec. 11). The Bear Retreats to its Den (Dec. 12 -Dec 16). The Salmon Gather to Spawn (Dec. 17 -Dec 21). These seasons were established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibuka Shunkai and are specific to Japan.

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu that references hibernation or winter seclusion. Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can’t wait to read what you write!

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huddled under wool

sheep trod through icy meadows

sunset warmth in barns

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From “Off the Grid News”: “Sheep should always have access to some form of shelter at all times during the year. However, under normal situations, sheep can handle cold weather and the elements much better than goats. In fact, they often seem to prefer being outside even in the worst winter weather as long as they have protection from drafts. I often observed my flock huddled behind a tree line, blocked from all wind with ice covering their wool in a thin film or snow piled up on their backs. The heavy wool coat with oily fleece is excellent water protection, and it keeps them well insulated naturally.”

https://naturalistweekly.com/2022/12/16/micro-season-the-bear-retreats-to-its-den/