~ The Snowflake Man & The Bone House ~

~ The Snowflake Man ~

William A. Bentley

Tuesday there were thunderstorms lasting into the night.  Our dry winter ground has been thirsty.  I rarely complain about the rain.  Thinking of the dry earth, plants, flowers, trees, and of course more water for our lakes, I welcome the rain.  Rainy days are fine days for reading.

Diane Ackerman is a favorite author of mine.  Dawn Light is my word feast of the moment and I admit reading more than one book at a time.  The chapter on winter is this books last offering, but I read it first, thinking of the north country snowy winters.

“The Snowflake Man”, Wilson A. Bentley, a nineteenth century farmer from Jericho, Vermont was new information for me.  He gave the most wondrous gift of snow photography.  When not tending his fruit trees and dairy, he devoted his time to micro-photography in the “auspicious” degrees of 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.  Returning home from giving a lecture, he pushed on through a severe snowstorm; as a result he contracted pneumonia and died soon after.  His reason for traveling homeward during this storm was to photograph a certain type of snow crystal he wanted.  At the time of his death a book of his snowflake photographs was in production for publishing.  He launched the idea: no two snowflakes are alike.

Wilson Bentley spent much of his winter life photographing single snowflakes captured quickly and placed on the microscope to capture the singular design.  He was passionate to record the beauty and diversity of each snowflake.  I would love to read his book and ponder the snowflakes.

Considering the affects of winter on animals and humans, she discusses the miraculous bone structure of the deer and horse, narrow legs managing a large body mass.  This subject came up because her knees restrain her activities and moving on discusses to some extent, animal and human bone stability.  She says the deer sometimes experience joint problems, something akin to our aging joint problems.  Then there is this  nugget:  the Elizabethans called the body the “bone house”.  This is one of those phrases that burrow in my mind, it will come in handy somewhere, I feel it.

Ackerman’s writing helps me easily digest small doses of scientific material that interests and excites me because of her ability to weave it among stories and poems and life.

Reading is seeing through another pair of eyes and following the imagination and passion of the author.  In turn, I read from my passionate interest, it may be a mystery, biography, poetry, local history, art history, selective science, or the religious culture of other countries relevant to finding my path in this life.

The soothing sound of rain extended well into the night, after a long time of reading, it was time to go to bed.

Wishing everyone a special day.