1073. black velvet painting

 

the wind blew so hard

and the rain poured from buckets

a tree lost a star  🦊❤️

A sudden storm swooped into the evening and put an end to the hot and humid weather. The next morning, the air was clear and the colors were bright, especially the colors of a particular fallen leaf that caught my eye.  Laying on the freshly washed blacktop, I thought about black velvet paintings that were so popular years ago… 🦊❤️

1072. stormy weather

 

a sea of storm clouds

roiling and boiling waves raged

and a seasick shark  🦊❤️

I was at a local coffee shop enjoying avocado toast and a coffee as I stared at the storefront of an art studio across the street. Glad I only drink decaf these days. My mind goes into overdrive when teased by caffeine. 🦊❤️

1071. creepy crawlers

 

caravan of legs

perched atop a stack of stones

soon… only a shell 🦊❤️

I don’t know what this creepy crawler is or any thing about it except what I’ve seen in the past.  Based on previous years, they perch atop things as if to catch the sun… maybe. Then the next time I see them there only remains an outer shell of themselves. As I get older I am very content with just looking and seeing without digging too deeply into knowing the whats and whys of what I’m looking at. I call it the DDD approach… Don’t Dig Deep.  🦊❤️

1070. oreland hardware store

 

nuts and bolts and screws

every nook and cranny full

small town hardware store 🦊❤️

One of the joys in my life is still having access to a small town hardware store as big box stores and Amazon take over fulfilling our every shopping need. I love how every available space is utilized to provide a home for the amazing array of items on hand. All of those items combine to create that special “hardware store smell” that lets me know that I’m going to find what I need there.  I indulge myself multiple times a week at my local store!!! 🦊❤️

1069. tree talk

 

conclave of elders

huddle and pine for days past

sappy memories 🦊❤️

Every time I pass this stand of trees on the trail, I can almost hear a conversation going on among the group.  They’ve passed the years together in such close proximity to each other.  I’m certain they talk to each other. They have seen so many things come and go. I would love to know what they are saying. I would be tickled to death if I could hear them say, “Hey Dan!  How are you today?” I know they do every time I pass by… 🦊❤️

1068. an old lady in prayer

 

in your waning years

you sit and finger worn beads

… mary full of grace  🦊❤️

•••

in the quiet church

your whispered prayers echoing

i sit and listen 🦊❤️

Yesterday we walked into a beautiful Catholic church in Lambertville Pennsylvania. It was mid morning and the church was empty except for a cleaning woman and an old lady who was sitting in the front pew praying the Rosary. I noticed that the church used real candles in their votive candle sanctuary for visitors to light and say a prayer on. Most churches have resorted to using timed electronic candles. I stood silently, pulled out the requested $2.00 donation from my wallet, lit a votive candle and whispered a little prayer. 🦊❤️

1067. sculpted by life

 

in my younger days

i was sharply etched… just so…

now i’m wisely worn  🦊❤️

•••

once bright and brassy

now i’m patinaed with age

softer and smoother 🦊❤️

There is nothing more elegant and inspiring than seeing tools, utensils and pieces of functional art that have survived years of doing what they were intended to do. Their years of service sculpt them into softer and smoother versions of themselves. Some people are lucky to allow themselves to be beautifully sculpted by life’s unfolding drama.   🦊❤️

1066. first steps

 

to cross the chasm

the first step is the hardest

then you’re on your way  🦊❤️

I spotted a tiny green insect walking across the flowerhead of a golden stalk of grass. It spoke volumes to me. 🦊❤️

1065. idiomatic sunrise

 

today’s rising sun

playing  second fiddle to

a flash in the pan  🦊❤️

The sun was brilliant during my morning hike.  But on the trail a stunning orange leaf caught my eye. I thought, “The sun has nothing on this blazing star.”  Then the idiom, “a flash in the pan” came into my mind. 

Having come to my senses I basked in the sun’s wonderful warmth.  “All that glitters is not gold.” 🦊❤️ 

1064. at the day’s end

 

a red tabby cat

and a warm orange light bulb

waiting for nightfall  🦊❤️

Whenever I visit Tommy in the evenings he is usually pretty tired and I can tell he is ready for some shut eye! Last night the orange glow of the porch light really paired nicely with his beautiful orange/red fur. Night was creeping in… 🦊❤️

1063. enchanted path

 

a baby serpentine

wigglin’ through the dampened woods

short… but very deep 🦊❤️

I have walked past this spot on the trails thousands of times over the years. A little serpentine footpath, more likely deer path,  caught my attention and I stopped. It led to an “on and off” creek less than 50 feet away. Seeing it for the first time filled my mind with mystery and wonder… as if some enchanted spot was at its terminus. I will never explore this little path. I want the possibility of the enchantment at its end to remain in my mind. 🦊❤️  

1062. night train mantra

 

clickety clacking

magic mantra of night trains

instant transcendence 🦊❤️ 

As I looked at the abandoned railroad tracks disappearing into the heavy brush, I thought about the long ago sounds of freight trains, laden with coal, traveling through the night. Long before I knew what meditation was, the clickety clack of the laboring trains were like a mantra that took my childhood mind to stillness and a sense of peace. 🦊❤️

1061. unfolded dream(s)

 

our dreams unfolded

sharing life with an artist

her folding paper 🦊❤️

When I walked into Yulan’s studio yesterday and saw her in the midst of her art I knew for sure that my dreams of long ago had come true. 🦊❤️

1060. treasure trove

 

they say, “one man’s trash

is another man’s treasure

i mirror those words 🦊❤️

Yesterday while delivering a piece of art to a wonderful young woman in Ambler, I saw a really nice mirror that was leaning on a trash can. It was reflecting on all it had seen in the past and it was sad it was about to be tossed into the back of the approaching trash truck. I remembered that Yulan was interested in getting a mirror like this. I decided to be a hero and rescue the fretting mirror and at the same time (hopefully) make Yulan even more grateful to have such a thoughtful person as me in her life!!!! Lol 🦊❤️

1059. an unlikely star

 

just moments ago

simply a stone underfoot

now you’re a rock star 🦊❤️

 

I love picking up stones and balancing them on other rocks while on the trails. There is a special moment of magic that I feel when a stone, especially a very oddly shaped one remains frozen still when I release it.  As I write this post I think about how it occurred that I picked up that particular stone, one of many just laying around,  to make it the rockstar of my haiku post today. It just goes to show you, “you never know what is around the corner” that could be magic for you… like the lowly stone’s unpredicted rise to fame.  🦊❤️

1058. a sound so clear

 

i hear your music

slicing through the sultry air

a wisp of a breeze 🦊❤️

 

The sharpness of things seems to dull to a blunt “ughness” when the air is heavy and hot. Then the piercing clarity of a bird’s call fills the air and brings my ears to attention.  🦊❤️

1057. for your eyes only

 

mid the browning leaves

a brilliant yellow fungi

a meal for the eyes 🦊❤️

The hot and humid weather creates a rich array of fungi of many shapes and colors along the trails.  Some are safe to eat… some are not. This one above is not. It is meant to be enjoyed by our eyes alone.  🦊❤️

1056. top gun

 

up from the rapids

stalling at wings first flappings

then rising like mist 🦊❤️

As I watched a duck take off from its launch position in the waterfall, I saw the technology of every plane on the deck of an aircraft carrier in its body. 🦊❤️ 

1055. sounds of silence

 

did it make a sound

if it fell without ears near?

i still ask myself… 🦊❤️

I often ask myself the age old question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, will it make a sound?” I’m not really interested in answering the question, rather I enjoy the mystery of pondering what a tree falling without witness would be like if I was there to witness it. Huh? 🦊❤️ 

 

1054. ready and waiting

 

a possee of pooches

tails wagging and mouths agape

waiting for what’s next 🦊❤️

Our friends have a grand collection of “Potcake Dogs” that are rescues from Turks and Caicos. Potcake is the name given the dogs because the locals feed the caked remains that are burned onto the bottoms of their cooking pots mixed with other foods to the dogs. Gracie, Poppyseed and Griff (left to right) are a blast to watch when they frolick unleashed in their yard. Leashed or unleashed, they are always ready and waiting for what is next.  As life unfolds… they have fun with whatever it is. 🦊❤️

1053. siesta

 

except for twitches

and an occasional sigh

a serene stillness 🦊❤️

Tommy’s life is one of eternal vigilance, always on guard - watching and waiting. But when it’s time to snooze in the noonday sun, no one does it like him. I watch him sleep and am envious of the mirror still body of water that he portrays. I thought about what an important role he plays for me and for so many people by living the life he does in the woods. 🦊❤️

1052. “towering”

 

off in the distance

towering high and blinking

whispering home’s near 🦊❤️

“Towering” is the latest acrylic landscape in my “Wissahickon Wonders” series. I was asked to paint a scene that prominently includes the “farms” of communication towers located near Roxborough that can be seen from not only Wissahickon Park, but most locations many miles away.  There are sentimental reasons why I was asked to paint such a scene that revolve around a feeling of “safety and security” and “being close to getting home”  when they are seen from a distance. I have learned from other folks that the towers also provide them with that same good feeling of “getting close to home” after a long drive. Coincidentally the towers have previously showed up in other painting in this series. When I first decided to start including them I was hesitant because I thought that they might make the scenes seem “goofy”. I guess I was wrong. The painting is a 10” x 20”  acrylic on stretched canvas. I hope you like it! 🦊❤️

1051. griff

on the fern graced trail

griff walking point on our hike

ever vigilant 🦊❤️

While on our recent visit with friends we were able to spend time with four wonderful pets. Willow the cat and three dogs named Poppyseed, Hershey and Griff. Each was special in their own way. I felt a very deep connection with Griff. He has a very measured way about himself. Always seeming to be watching out for things to happen, to the point of appearing to be worried. Fretful is a good word. He would usually lead us on our hikes, walking slowly and deliberately, frequently stopping to look back at us as if to check to make sure we were still “in tow”. He seemed to be “walking point” ( the lead soldier on a military operation who was most in the line of fire). I saw much of myself in Griff and I think he felt the same about me. 🦊❤️

1050. wedding at shohola falls

 

tufts of deep green moss

cling above the tumbling falls

nearby love birds vow 🦊❤️

Yesterday we had a wonderful time exploring Shohola waterfalls while visiting friends. It was very hot and humid  and rain was on the way. A very small group of people started trickling to our observation location.A wedding was in the making. We moved to a spot on the other side of the falls and we could see glimpses of the ceremony through spaces between the leaves. The area had an abundance of deep green moss that created an enchanting atmosphere. It was a perfect place for a wedding, friends to spend time together and certainly for moss to grow. Then the rains came. 🦊❤️

1049. the morning dip

as the sun rises

the trees take a morning dip

a hot day ahead 🦊❤️

Sitting alone and reflecting, me and the trees. 🦊❤️ 

 

1048. where sunflowers rule

 

a sunflower field

carved deeply into the rock

and into their hearts 🦊❤️

We are visiting friends who have a wonderful home beside a lake. The home is filled with art, animals, and lots of hospitality. Sunflowers also abound there. The sunflowers are there in many forms. There are  sunflowers in their hearts as well. 🦊❤️

1047. i love a parade

not even dark skies

can dampen our great freedoms

i love a parade 🦊❤️

Yesterday was the 4th of July parade in Oreland Pa.  Every year I see the parade get bigger.  More firetrucks, more kids on decorated bikes, more candy being tossed to the kids, more bagpipe groups,  more spectators lining the street and of course the veteran’s group marching and receiving the loudest applause.  The feeling of excitement that I feel when I see the lead police car turn onto the route grows yearly. I always have a feeling of pride when I experience this parade and I feel a lump form in my throat. I love this parade. 🦊❤️

 

1046. land of plenty and just enough

air still and heavy

giants roam and small birds chirp

a voice now and then 🦊❤️

The trails are full of everything I need to get lost in.  And just the right amount of people not to get distracted by. 🦊❤️

 

1045. powerful armada

geese, geese and more geese

geese far as my eyes can see

golly! geese galore 🦊❤️

When I looked down into the creek from the bridge I saw a very inspiring sight. A procession of at least 50 beautiful plump geese steaming their way upstream. They moved silently and without effort. I thought about community and family as I watched them. There was such power, both physical and spiritual in their gathering. 🦊❤️ 

 

1044. growing and giving

 

“how is your garden?”

“great! just picked lots of garlic.”

“how would you like some?” 🦊❤️

I like walking past the community garden and watching people work their gardens. It’s fun watching it progress from weeding to reaping. Today a lady was harvesting a huge crop of garlic.  I asked how it was going and she rewarded my interest with a couple of nice bulbs of freshly plucked garlic! 🦊❤️

1043. it ain’t always pretty

a worm feeds a bird

a bird meets a sudden end

life comes… grows… and goes 🦊❤️

While walking yesterday I saw a Robin laying lifeless on the side of the road. I thought about picking it up and putting it into a wooded area. I didn’t. I walked a bit further and I saw another Robin tugging a worm out of the ground and the worm was putting up quite a fight. On my return trip I picked up the deceased Robin and laid it to rest in the woods. After all the worms need fertile soil to be nourished so they can fulfill one of their roles in life… feeding birds.  🦊❤️