in Thoreau’s Journal:

[I was drawn to this passage by the excerpt immediately following.  It comes near the end of Thoreau’s entry for February 12, 1860.  Then thought to give the full entry (7 printed pages) so readers could see how Thoreau came to the part I’ve excerpted. The 7 pages also contain some of Thoreau’s drawings.]

The winter is coming when I shall walk the sky. The ice is a solid sky on which we walk. It is the inverted year. There is an annual light in the darkness of the winter night. The shadows are blue, as the sky is forever blue. In winter we are purified and translated. The earth does not absorb our thoughts. It becomes a Valhalla.