First Snow!

[The frozen outhouse is pretty to look at. And yes, the trees are plumb - the building is quite crooked.]

[Sheryl the Scarecrow is looking a little chilly.]

We woke up this morning to find the whole land dusted with snow. It was 32 degrees and windless, making for a very delicate and wet display that we knew would only last a few hours. Sure enough, it was gone by noon.

Having spent a number of winters here, I forget how rare this is. We didn't get any accumulated snow last year. It was especially fun watching the wide eyes of Southern California natives who've never lived in a place where this happens. We all turn into giddy kids in the face of this beauty.

[My new, safer oil lamp.]

This year I'm engaging in a magical practice that makes for a lovely addition to the home environment - keeping the Summer Sun alive behind glass. On Samhain day I used a quartz sphere to light a fire from the dying sun and capture it in a glass oil lamp. It's beautiful and quite safe, but I have been looking for something that's even safer.

Last week I found it: an antique oil lamp designed for British cargo ships. It has a very solid brass enclosure with four thick glass panes protected by brass bars. It is pierced with tiny holes in the bottom and again on the edges of the bottom lip so it can sit on a table and still breathe. The top is a hinged and securely latched brass lid with vent holes too small for moths. The whole thing is sturdy enough to withstand being tipped over, too big and square for that to happen anyhow, impermeable to mice, and spends most of the time hanging on a hook completely out of the way of any other danger.

Inside the enclosure, the lamp itself is held in place by long rods that travel up two opposite corners. This keeps it stable and gives a simple way to lift it out. The hurricane is fastened with a screw so it can't come loose from the lamp, either.

Every morning I pull the lamp out, transfer the flame to another lamp and add oil to this one. I think it could burn for two days on one filling, but I'd rather not risk losing the flame.

Here's a trick I learned a few years ago... When keeping a perpetual flame, you can use it to light your gas stove pilot lights as well. Then, if your lamp goes out, you can relight it from the stove and keep the same flame alive. This saved me last week because my old lamp ran out of oil while I was in town buying more. Careful handling will keep me from having to go down the hill for fire, but at least I have a backup plan if I need it. Thanks for the tip, Eldri!

It will be exciting this year to carry the flame from Samhain to light our Yule fire, our candles for Brigid, and the Beltaine fire. This is the flame I always use to light the wood stove so that even in February my cabin will be warmed by the summer sun. It also makes a delightful night light, especially on these cold, dark nights when the heat of summer seems so far away.