830. taste testing

a sprits of perfume

a spray of a can’s color

just making for sure  🦊❤️

I’ve spritzed cologne and deodorant to get a wiff. I’ve plucked grapes, cherries and strawberries to grab a taste. I’ve sneaked sips from urns of coffee to choose my wake up brew.  But I’ve never sprayed paint on a Home Depot floor to check the color. It does make a nice abstract painting however. 🦊❤️

 

829. breath of fresh air

feathered seeds perching

 the ocean breeze comes in waves

a flock of seagulls  🦊❤️

“They” say that all life rose from the sea.  I can absolutely believe that as I find a visit to the ocean a rejuvenator of my creative mind. “They” also say that the breath of God breathed life into humanity. The ocean breeze is such a divine thing… 🦊❤️

 

828. roads to rome

one thing’s for sure

the many roads that we walk

they all lead to rome 🦊❤️

•••

many roads we’ll walk

choosing this road … then that one

we’ll all meet in rome  🦊❤️

The saying “all roads lead to Rome” is a thought worth contemplating today. What is “Rome” in your mind?  Are there right and wrong roads on the way there? Are there really dead ends?  How do you regard all the travelers on the roads? Etc… Safe travels.   🦊❤️

827. some nights i can fly

on my lucky nights

my dreams allow me to fly

others… not so much  🦊❤️

Some say that dreams are a way for the “stuff” we’ve stuffed to make its way to the surface so that it can be released. While I don’t have nightmares, many of my dreams are scenarios of chaotic and  confusing situations like still being in college and getting ready to graduate but realizing I’ve never been to class. I won’t even tell you about last nights dream… Every once in a blue moon I dream that I can fly and hover over things and then gently float back to the ground. I love that dream! 🦊❤️

 

826. green energy (plugged in)

sand under my shoes

sun warming me up just right

solar collector… 🦊❤️

The wind was blowing on the beach and my hair was spinning. The sun was gloriously warming to every inside and outside part of me. I could have stayed plugged in all day. 🦊❤️   

 

825. big fish in a little pond

what long legs you have

and such a snakey neck too

big fish… little pond  🦊❤️

Three giraffes gliding as one across a field.  A lion roaring and freaking out at the sound of the loudspeaker announcing closing in 15 minutes.  A snow leopard pacing silently at feeding time. A flamingo marching in a pot of water. A fun day at the zoo. 🦊❤️

 

824. thankfulness

on this thanksgiving

walking to a beach sunrise

clear headed - wide eyed… 🦊❤️

Happy Thanksgiving to all! A great day to reflect on what we have, what we can do and also on the things that we have learned not to do… Cheers! 🦊❤️

 

823. a sticky thanksgiving surprise

sixteen pounds of yum

ocean city’s are the best 

sticky buns galore 🦊❤️

Yesterday I received a Thanksgiving  surprise delivery. It was two, 8 pound boxes of delicious sticky buns from a good friend. They are from a bakery in my favorite shore town, Ocean City, NJ. I now have some delicious Thanksgiving treats to share with family, friends and neighbors over the holiday. Thanksgiving is for sharing the wealth of gratitude, - and the sticky buns!!!! 🦊❤️ 

 

821. perspective (get a grip)

such angst and worry

such scrambling to save the world

such a sunny day  🦊❤️

•••

such a messy world

such divisiveness and strife

such a sunny day  🦊❤️

•••

omg what next?

omg the end is near!

omg… the sun… 🦊❤️

Our home is less than the size of an atom spinning around a star that is 93,000,000 miles away from us and we can still feel its warmth. WOW!!!! We seriously overestimate our importance to and control over the larger scheme of things. More importantly, we seriously overestimate the importance and impact of the “inconveniences” of living life that we face as we spin around in endless space. Perspective is important to living a grateful life.  🦊❤️

 

 

820. life unfolds (when you least expect it)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

such a lonely scene

enter right… two figures

then exit left… gone!  🦊❤️

I had no photograph for today’s post. So as I walked back to my car after enjoying dinner out, I hoped to capture a moment to shoot. I saw this small window at the top of a wall on an empty side street. A lit globe light could be seen in the window. “What a strange, lonely feel.”, I thought. I snapped the shot then… the moment unfolded right before my eyes. Snap, snap, snap, snap! 🦊❤️

 

819. old school

stones rounded by hand

chisel, strong back and sharp eyes

they call it “old school”  🦊❤️

My Grandfather Pete was a stonemason who was born in Italy. I remember him squatting on his haunches, bent over and holding heavy stones in one hand and his stone cutting hammer in the other as he chipped the stones into the required shapes. Despite his craftsman skills, he supported his family by working in a coal mine when safety was not a consideration. He did what he had to do.  He was “old school” in many ways. 🦊❤️

 

818. penny for your thoughts

as i walk away

i look back at you looking

penny for your thoughts… 🦊❤️

When I walk into the trails I sigh a sense of relief when I spot Tommy walking my way. I think, “YES! Tommy’s still here…” When it’s time for me to continue to move on I always look back at Tommy to make sure he is not following me. I often wonder what goes through his mind… 🦊❤️

 

817. the night plays tricks on you

deep in the dark woods

unexpected faces smile

then laugh when i jump!  🦊❤️

I spent most of the overnight in the woods as my son Kevin did a long training run through the night. As the night goes on and the mind drifts, the woods are full of pranks and tricks to get your attention. Boo! 🦊❤️

 

816. fall morning’s silent movements

today’s sun rising

overnight’s frost dripping down

last year’s leaves falling  🦊❤️

Nature is always on the move, even when it stands still. Nature is always calling out even when it is silent.  “Shhhh… stand still… be quiet.” 🦊❤️ 

 

815. left to one’s own devices…

nature’s devices

when left to do as they please

do what is natural  🦊❤️

There is an old decaying house nearby that was recently vacated by its owners.  Its condition illustrates the idiom, “being left to one’s own devices” quite well. The owners were left to their own devices of non-maintenance which allowed nature to be left to its own devices of reclaiming itself. The structure will be torn down and will be replaced by a fruit tree orchard by its new owners. 🦊❤️

 

814. breathe deep…

snaking their way home

another long day at work

crisp air fills my lungs  🦊❤️

For many years I had a long commute from Pennsylvania to where I worked in New Jersey. This was the time of year that the commute was especially stressful as I left home in the dark and returned home in the dark daily. Yesterday as I walked Ruffer the dog,  I filled my lungs with the beautifully crisp Fall air as I watched the light show of evening commuters snake through the darkness to their homes. Gratitude!!! 🦊❤️  

 

813. main street antidote

movie and dinner

stroll the street… be with it all

main street u.s.a.  🦊❤️

For many folks “Main Street” has become a virtual place to walk, talk, and rub shoulders with others. I like my virtual “Main Street”  but I LOVE frequenting my “real” local Main Street” because it reminds me of the fact that “real” people are friendly.  “Real” people of different political views do live cordially, civilly and graciously with each other. “Real” people of different races, cultures, nationalities, religions and non-religions, sexual preference, etc. blend unremarkably with each other as they walk on the sidewalk. “Real” people are nice people for the most part - in the “real” world. When the toxicity and unkindness of the virtual “Main Street” leave a bad taste in your mouth, go out to your “real Main Street” and take a walk on Saturday night. I’m grateful I have my own to visit. 🦊❤️ 

 

812. trees can never have too many little friends

like bob ross would say

this tree needs a friend… right… here

and here… and here… and… 🦊❤️

As I was looking at the little detail of my most recent painting I was hit by the unreality of what I had painted. It was nothing more than the putting of marks of paint on a canvas in a friendly way.  Bob Ross was right… a tree can never have too many friends. 🦊❤️

 

811. ambivalence and/or ambience

such ambivalence

should i order a fake stove?

now… such ambience  🦊❤️

 I had a friend who always misused the words “ambivalence” and “ambience”. Example, “I took my Mom out to Old Country Buffet, the food was good but the ambivalence wasn’t so great.” That was many years ago. I’ve always wanted find a real life situation in which I could use both words appropriately. Well I finally did. $66.95 bought me instant ambience and I feel no ambivalence regarding the purchase. 🦊❤️

810. simply let it go…

when the ripples grow

please don’t try to make them slow

simply watch them go... 🦊❤️

In our most perfect state we are like a mirror smooth lake inside. When “things” like leaves come in and fall on our calm surface, ripples form. We want the ripples to stop rippling so we are reflexively tempted to “touch” the leaf to calm our waters inside. What happens? We usually cause more ripples that need to be calmed.  In most cases of “rippling” just hurry up and do nothing and watch the ripples disappear. Then another leaf falls… and we repeat… and repeat… and… 🦊❤️

809. getting the bugs out

a-rat-a-tat-tat 

woodworker par excellence

woody woodpecker 🦊❤️

We could spend the whole day looking in wonder at the patterns of nature.  Did you know that woodpeckers were studied  extensively to help design  more effective football helmets that would protect against concussions? 🦊❤️

 

808. spinning around in the middle of nowhere

riding this spaceship

now so squarely between them…

the sun… and… the moon 🦊❤️ 

Yesterday morning a total lunar eclipse occurred, which resulted in the moon turning red as it was in the crosshairs of the earth’s shadow. While I loved seeing so many detailed closeup shots of the moon at the height of the event,  my simple picture of a tiny moon image in the endless blackness of space touched me the most. We are spinning around in the middle of nowhere riding the spaceship earth. Humbling… 🦊❤️

 

807. more than an eyeful

right outside my eyes

so many amazing sights

more than can be seen 🦊❤️

There is seeing… and then there is SEEING. 🦊❤️

 

806. lake of trees

with the grace of swans

japanese maples glide by

going nowhere fast…  🦊❤️

The trees become alive in a new way as they shed their “obvious” signs of life.  The essence of their “treeness” is there for those open to seeing and believing. 🦊❤️

 

805. a very pretty find

really caught my eye

lonely, lost, lime green headband

was the cat’s meow  🦊❤️

I’m forever rescuing lost toys and trinkets in the woods. A couple of days ago I found a lost lime green hair band being consoled by a bed of fallen leaves.  My Granddaughter Aria loves cats and loves hats.  Now she is wearing the lost, lime green cat hairband. It’s not lonely any more. 🦊❤️

 

804. the grim reaper wore a purple cap

flowers still blooming

but… you are scheduled to go

going… going… gone… 🦊❤️

Yesterday at the local farmer’s market the beautiful garden of still blooming flowers was being “pulled out” of the ground by a young gardener in a beautiful purple hat.  She worked meticulously at her assigned task. While I was sad to see the flowers going, it was nice to watch how diligently she worked at her job. 🦊❤️

 

803. red is a warm color

on this frosty morn

the redness of two roses

warms the chilly air  🦊❤️

There is something very special about the color red. I spent some time thinking about the color red in my life and why I like that color so much.  I think it started with my Grandfather’s old red Ford pickup truck that we used to ride around in…Such great memories.  🦊❤️

 

802. redecorating

a carpet of red

laid by japanese maples

carpet of white soon 🦊❤️

It is the time of year that everything in nature combines forces to decorate, redecorate and un-decorate itself for its long winter’s rest.  🦊❤️

 

801. wizards of oz all

the yellow brick road

painted on the trail ahead

what should i ask for?  🦊❤️

As each new corner is turned on the Yellow Brick Road of life,  we have the opportunity to decide what newly needed skill  we will ask the Wizard to grant us when we reach Oz.  The fact is that we will have to grant ourselves those wishes along the road long before we reach Oz. We must be our own Wizards!  🦊❤️

 

800. a laughing matter

 when the mind’s adrift

un-tasty things can happen

ketchup on pancakes  🦊❤️

I was preparing breakfast with my hands and living the day ahead in my mind. Good things don’t happen when that is the case. But… it sometime causes a big laugh. 🦊❤️