1103. smooth idling

 

cars are criss-crossing

a lawyer next to me plots

my decaf is smooth 🦊❤️

I love going out most mornings for a cup of coffee at local  places.  I sit and I sip and I watch.  Being on idle while all around me are revving up for another day is heaven. As I sat I could not help but notice a man sitting beside me at the next table pouring over what appeared to be a huge legal brief and cross referencing a book of laws and other documents as well.  Ahhhh my decaf, keeping me on idle, tasted so good!!!! 🦊❤️

1102. good bye big red oak

 

limb by limb you go

you grew tall and oh so wide

fungi are crying 🦊❤️

At Morris Arboretum the final removal operations of a big and beautiful Red Oak will be executed tomorrow.  The chief arborist told me it cannot survive so it must be removed.  I have enjoyed looking at this beautiful tree daily for years.  I will miss it and so will the countless fungi above and below ground that it supports. 🦊❤️

1101. a simple colorful moment

 

me in my bright shoes

among pretty fallen leaves

on the wet pavement 🦊❤️

Simple moments seem to be where the haiku center of my brain is at these days. Nothing but glimpses that catch my mind.   Keeping it simple.  🦊❤️

1100. head in the clouds

 

as i climbed the hill

i wished i could keep rising

to check out that cloud 🦊❤️

As a little kid, I used to swing on a swing set that was on a hill behind my grandmother’s house.  I would imagine that at the apex of each swing cycle I could launch myself off the seat and reach the moon that was in the sky.  Sometimes dreaming is better than the real thing. 🦊❤️ 

1099. the gift

 

a precious new day

comes into view floating on

a bubble wrapped sky 🦊❤️ 

As time goes on the saying, “every day is a gift” becomes more deeply understood. The gift comes wrapped in different paper every day. 🦊❤️

1098. hide and seek

 

“…mississippi 20

ready or not here i come!”

after dinner fun  🦊❤️

When I saw a frog, purely by mistake, nearly invisible on the ground I flashed back to nightly hide and seek games that assembled after dinnertime in my old neighborhood. I loved that feeling of suspense as I heard the “seeker’s” footsteps approaching as I squeezed my eyes tightly shut as if that would make me invisible. 🦊❤️

1097. finding “it”

when i look real hard

it’s rare that i can find “it”

at ease… “it” finds me  🦊❤️

I have peaks and valleys when it comes to finding inspiration for new art, poems or solutions to problems. Usually, new ideas and increased creative energy arrives for me at those times that I am at ease and not looking for anything. When I try too hard to get inspired, inspiration plays a game of hide and seek with me. It is very good at hiding. 🦊❤️

1096. apple of her eye

 

there once was a time

she had no time for this thing

apple of her eye 🦊❤️

When I met Yulan, she did not own a cellphone and she saw no need to do so. As time moved on, I eventually convinced her to buy one.  Now she is the teacher and I am the student.  I laugh when she says from time to time, “I love my Apple!” 🦊❤️

1095. days = 3 years

 

3 years of 3 lines

never a day did i miss

hoping some touched you 🦊❤️

Today’s post celebrates three years of posting my haiku blog without missing a day. I wanted to stumble upon a big number “3” to use as  the photo for my special post.  I stumbled upon a small number “3” instead.  It was my customer number that was on my receipt from yesterday’s coffee shop visit. I figured that because I was composing my blog as I enjoyed my bagel and decaf, this photo was destined to be today’s photo.  Thanks to everyone who reads my blog. I hope that some of them speak to you! 🦊❤️

1094. birdasaurus rex

 

once a dinosaur

little feathered t-rexes

now hunting for crumbs 🦊❤️

I sat at a local burger joint eating outside on the patio as cars, busses and trucks roared by. I watched a small bird scampering under a table and pecking at crumb morsels. Archeologists say the birds were descended from the same lineage of dinosaurs as the T-Rex. They were still small in stature back then and they had teeth.  I imagined the roar of the passing traffic being the roar of the little bird pecking for crumbs with its toothless beak. My how things change. 🦊❤️ 

1093. gimmi shelter

 

under a big sky

strolling down a long, hot road

a white umbrella  🦊❤️

There are some scenes in everyday life that just scream, “Write a haiku.” I usually do! 🦊❤️ 

1092. pretty poison

 

a delicate web

revealed by the dawning sun

just lying in wait  🦊❤️

The early morning sun peeking through the trees caused a very large spider’s web to glow as if it were crystal.  How can such a beautiful creation be so deadly? Nature… 🦊❤️   

1091. the wind rides into town

 

galloping on in

briefly hitched to flailing flags

then simply rides off 🦊❤️

The breeze was really refreshing yesterday. It came in invisible waves and was only detected by how its presence touched the “things” in its path.  We should all be so lucky to be a refreshing breeze in life… to be “invisible” as we make contact with the “things” in our path. 🦊❤️ 

1090. lucky dragon fly

 

lil’ blue dragonfly

lighting lightly on her arm

a duo in blue 🦊❤️

At our weekly “Dong Stick” practice in the Wissahickon, a small group of us watched a beautiful blue dragonfly land and linger for a very long time on our dear friend Diane’s arm. Chinese tradition believes that when a dragonfly lands on you, the gods will answer your prayers. I love that both Diane and the dragonfly were wearing matching blue. 🦊❤️

1089. sunflowers save the day

 

when its damp and gray

and the warmth has run away

sunflowers shine on 🦊❤️

I love walking past the community garden on cloudy, gray days.  The abundance  of sunflowers in this year’s plots really shine on those days.  A whole solar system of  floral suns save the day.  🦊❤️

1088. lost at sea

 

standing in its midst

the noise - the waves - ahh the breeze

suddenly awestruck 🦊❤️

I was an adult in my twenties when I first saw the ocean. I remember vividly the absolute awe and wonder that swirled in my mind as I looked. There wasn’t a place in my mind for what I was seeing. Today… in my seventies, if I stand still and just look at it, my mind becomes that of a child.  🦊❤️

1087. lovely lazy daze

 

just sitting around

a red cat… his red food bowl

lovely lazy days 🦊❤️

These hot and humid days have slowed Tommy down a bit. After all he is probably 14 or 15 years old and like other “oldsters” it is wise to move a little slower when it is so hot.  Yet I worry about Tommy because he is not getting any younger and he still must live his life outdoors regardless of the weather.  So… every visit with Tommy is a visit in which I enjoy his company… savor the photographic value of what I see… conjure up haiku in my head about him as I pet him. I also closely observe  to see if he is doing “ok”. Today’s photo is classic Tommy.  🦊❤️

1086. happy anniversary jessica and sean

off in the distance

towering high and blinking

feeling safe… home’s near  🦊❤️

I usually do not accept requests to do commissioned art work unless something about the request touches me.  I was asked by a very nice person Jessica to paint my interpretation of the broadcast towers that have shown up in a couple of my landscape paintings of Wissahickon Park. She wanted a surprise gift to her husband Sean for their fifth wedding anniversary. The towers have sentimental value for them, their family and their lives together.  They lovingly call the towers “Giant Robot Protectors” So I joyfully painted “Towering” for them. My haiku post today is dedicated to wishing Jessica and Sean a happy anniversary.   🦊❤️

1085. heckle and jeckle

 

heckle and jeckle

atop an old antennae 

watching their reruns 🦊❤️

How many of you remember the cartoon duo of Heckle and Jeckle of long long ago? I thought of them immediately as I saw two large birds on an old tv antennae way off in the distance. I haven’t thought of them in nearly a million years. Memories are a funny thing… so is the mind. 🦊❤️

1085. a two fox day

 

in the golden field

a big red fox sees me looking

our eyes meet… he’s gone 🦊❤️ 

I am thrilled every time I see a fox. Their colors. How they run. How they walk.  How they wait and watch.  How they scream in the night.  How they always seem to appear out of nowhere.  I rarely can get a good photo of them. Yesterday I saw TWO foxes. My lucky day! At least I got one poor photograph of one of them. 🦊❤️

1084. after all these years

 

sudden hankerin’

bean and potato salad

thought… “i’ll call my grandma” 🦊❤️

Yesterday my neighbors gave me a load of green beans and swiss chard. I immediately thought of green bean and potato salad. As a child my Grandmother made this dish and the thought of it not only made my mouth water but brought back memories of watching her make it. For a moment I thought, “I’ll call Grandma and ask her how to make it.” My next thought… “Wow. After all these years.” 🦊❤️

1083. transformation

 

how sweet it must be

to stop and be still awhile

then… emerge anew 🦊❤️

I often laugh when I think about a conversation I had with my boss a number of years ago. We were neck deep in another “crisis” of the non-profit world in which we had to put on out best “game faces” and convince everyone around us that everything was okey-dokey as we were pulling our hair out trying to figure out what to do to be okey-dokey.  She looked at me and said, “Sometimes I get tired of always working on how to be a better person.” We laughed and we laughed and we still laugh.  I laughed again to myself yesterday as I snapped a photo of this abandoned Cicada shell.   🦊❤️

1082. one last lingering drop

 

a ferocious rain

fell and fell and fell some more

one last drop delights 🦊❤️

Following the storm, it’s a very little  leftover drop of rain clinging to a walnut that reminds us just how beautiful nature is… even in its fury.  It reminds us that it is just nature at work. 🦊❤️

1081. planting a dream

 

an apex moment

planting art in a young man

in an old man too 🦊❤️

I was honored to be asked to meet with a quiet and very talented young man to talk about being an artist. As is the case in so many things… the teacher becomes the student… 🦊❤️

1080. knowing what you need and getting it

 

when the sun is high

he lays low and chills in shade

he knows what he needs 🦊❤️

I admire how Tommy takes care of himself. As I hike in the heat of the day I see Tommy tucked under a bush, resting and just being still. He gives me a quick glance then he closes his eyes and continues his chill. Tommy lives on Tommy’s terms.  We humans abide by his terms.   🦊❤️

1079. lotus blossom leaves

 

lotus blossom leaves

transforming beads of water

into quicksilver 🦊❤️

While lotus blossoms are very beautiful, I found myself being more fascinated by how the light, misty rain collected on their leaves.  The wet sheen would gather into large pool of water that looked like quicksilver… then simply slide off the leaves and into the pond. It was such a haiku observation.  🦊❤️

1078. lucky ladybug

 

lucky ladybug

please! please! won’t you land on me

let me count your spots 🦊❤️

There are many versions regarding the  good luck of Ladybug sightings. One I just learned is that if a Ladybug lands on you, count its spots. That will indicate how many years of good luck are coming your way.  (The papermache Ladybug featured in today’s post mysteriously showed up on the trails recently) I’m hoping it means super duper luck is on the way. 🦊❤️

1077. indian cigars

 

catalpa tree pods

called them indian cigars back then

 like a blink ago 🦊❤️

It is wonderful that some childhood memories are so very vivid. Often it’s not the big events of childhood that keep coming up so clearly,  but the little insignificant ones.  For me one that keeps arising are my recollections of Catalpa tree seed pods.  Go figure… 🦊❤️ 

1076. the old caboose days

 

the clacking caboose

rocks the flagman off to sleep

his coffee grows cold 🦊❤️

In case you haven’t noticed, there are no more cabooses on trains.  They have been replaced by a blinking red light for other trains to see. As a child, I loved watching the coal trains grind through my hometown. When the caboose finally arrived I hoped that the flagman (rear brakeman) who rode in it would be visible. They would be standing there in their greasy, pinstriped overalls and cap.  Often leaning on the railing smoking cigarettes or drinking coffee from their thermos cup.  I often thought about what it must be like to be in the caboose in the dark of night as the train wound its way through the coal and steel towns in western Pennsylvania.  Such good memories.  🦊❤️

1075. red tailed hawk of andorra meadow

in a made up tree

the red tailed hawk painted still

real life… different  🦊❤️

 I was very happy to complete the largest painting of the Wissahickon trails that I have every done. As I look at it I realize that my paintings are just another example of my “flying by the seat of my pants” approach to doing things.  I thank my Grandfather for showing me how to do things successfully with little or no formal technical knowledge. 🦊❤️ 

1074. do you have a quarter mister?

 

i can hear the voice

“deposit twenty five cents”

i’m out of quarters 🦊❤️

It used to be that pay phones were there to allow people to talk to others when they did not have access to their landlines at home.  Now people are able to talk to anyone,  at anytime, and anywhere with their cell phones. And they don’t even need to have a pocket full of quarters to do so. Sometimes that’s a good thing… 🦊❤️