Suffering in Silence

A slight moderation of temperature (thirty instead of ten degrees) allowed opportunity to survey the ranch and gauge the effect of winter's grasp. I am not a fan of winter, let me be clear; you will not find me schussing with the Schussmeisters down the ski hills of Western New York, nor skating with the die-hards in Fountain Plaza downtown.  I would much rather spend a Saturday evening sipping a bit of Scotch before a roaring fire while reading a good book...or a blog or two.

Nonetheless, the religious statuary scattered across the vast acreage comprising Marciniak Estates do not share the warmth of hearth and home...they silently suffer the winter months as sentinels of strength and witnesses to perseverence.  Join me in a pictorial essay illustrating their endurance.

St. Francis of Assisi

Patron of my shade garden

St. Francis is up to his mid-section...and in his misery

looks strangely like Jack Klugman.  Not sure who the sculpter was, but

I've always imagined Francis to look a bit happier. 

The Blessed Mother

Our Lady of the Back Yard

This statue came in donation to the Mission and found a

home in the flowers along the garage...she arrived sans hands,

but doesn't seem to mind. 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

To whom our family is consecrated...

Dressing in layers helps.

The Blessed Mother

Our Lady of the Front Garden

I feel compelled to dig her out.

From a different perspective:

The cold grip of winter has enveloped us in a blanket of white...and no more evident than among our garden statuary.  They suffer, but in silence.  And I am quite certain they would frown on any mention of a groundhog.