1164. a watched pot never boils

 

standing and watching

not a single leaf does fall

…until i walk away 🦊❤️

I stood and I waited with my camera at the ready, waiting to snap a floating leaf.  The tree was more patient than me as it would not give up a single leaf until I walked away. As the saying goes, “A watched pot never boils.” 🦊❤️

1163. yellow

 

gardens almost spent

splashes of yellow still glow

a shovel joins in 🦊❤️

Yesterday was a drizzly, damp and dreary day. Thank goodness for some bright flowers and a sunny shovel to warm the day. 🦊❤️

1162. dawning on me

 

suddenly i wake

it dawns on me that i am

driving on a ball 🦊❤️

I love it when I experience those rare moments of clarity during which the magic of my existence dawns on me. Just driving around on this invisible speck of dust that is floating around in endless space… that is perfectly arranged. 🦊❤️ 

1161. hot stuff

 

for the longest time

huy fong brand could not be found

“cock-a-doodle-do!!!!” 🦊❤️

Pho (Vietnamese soup) is a favorite for Yulan and I (also for Kevin and Jeff my sons). Because of supply line problems and adverse growing conditions, our favorite pho joint could not get sriracha from Huy Fong Foods. It was so scarce that individual bottles were being sold for 50 - 60 dollars on line. . The substitute brands just did not do the trick. We were very happy to see our rooster labeled bottle in our favorite booth at our last visit!!! Hot damn!!! 🦊❤️

1160. “the host”

 

so long its life gone

yet very alive with life

the consummate host 🦊❤️

While at yoga yesterday morning, I found myself contemplating the beauty of this long gone tree stump.  It was almost totally enshrined in vines and bugs and fungi.  It keeps on living and giving. It will be a painting someday. “The Host”. 🦊❤️

1159. where do you stand?

 

back in the distance

away from the mad’ning crowd

standing with the trees 🦊❤️

When I saw Yulan standing way down there  under some trees and among some cut logs I could not help but reflect on how much that setting suited her. She loves tree and skies. She has her opinions, thoughts and stands but is not compelled to let the world know about them. She simply lives her life in accordance with them.  🦊❤️

1158. time

 

me and my oldest

the mirror begs the question

“where has the time gone?” 🦊❤️

I had a wonderful morning with my oldest son Jeff.  It was great to sit and talk and laugh and rehash all the years gone by through the eyes of two “older men” with age and wisdom under our belts. We are so alike in so many ways. 🦊❤️

1157. waiting for the light to come on

an overhead light

creating a tree’s shadow?

juxtaposition 🦊❤️

Some days I have no idea what to post. No photo… no haiku… no theme… If I just sit and wait, the light in my head comes on. Then the pieces of what is in front of me fall into place. 🦊❤️

 

1156. memento mori.

 

the last one to stand

thru spring, summer - won’t make fall

blown away today 🦊❤️

I have an affinity for things that just keep on going. That includes the Energizer Bunny. But as the Stoics say, “Memento Mori”. (Remember you must die…). So keep that perspective and make today your best day ever. 🦊❤️

1155. chillin’

 

the wind a whippin’

limbs fallin’ and leaves swirlin’

tommy hunkerin’ 🦊❤️

The day was blustery with a nip in the air. Orange, red and yellow leaves blew here and there and black walnuts made thuds as they struck the ground.Tommy let it all just happen as he chilled away in his heated hutch!!! The picture of coziness!! 🦊❤️ 

1154. early bird delight

the sun and the mist

meeting in the morning sky

to bath early birds 🦊❤️

There is no doubt that mornings are the magic time of day. That’s when early birds get the worms. 🦊❤️

 

1153. creatures of habit

 

all the empty chairs

having the place to myself

morning dog walks by 🦊❤️

I absolutely love sitting all by myself for morning coffee in my current “favorite coffee joint”. I see the same little dog walking by at the same time daily with its owner. I sit in my same chair waiting for it to walk by. Aren’t we creatures of habit? 🦊❤️

1152. coming up for air

 

when the tide is out

the snails come up for some air

the wail of a loon 🦊❤️

My friend texted me a photo from Maine of some snails coming up for air at low tide.  He said he was hoping to see some seals and loons. I texted back that the snail shot would make a nice painting. He replied that he wants to make more time to do creative things. I wholeheartedly agreed. 🦊❤️ 

1151. the tail wagging the dog

i walk a big dog

or is it that he walks me?

that's a good question… 🦊❤️

I walk a dog. Many days I wonder who walks who. Regardless… I get lots of miles everyday! 🦊❤️

 

1150. heron hide and seek

right at dead center

a blue heron takes shelter

from my camera 🦊❤️

We cross over the creek on a stone bridge daily. On many day a beautiful Blue Heron is in the creek right below us. It seems that no matter how prepared we are with our cameras at the ready, the heron knows we are approaching and it launches and takes off and evades us. If you look closely at today’s picture you will see a tiny luminous, candy cane shaped figure among the foliage. That is the heron teasing us with it un-photographical position. One of these days we will get a great photograph of the majestic creature in full flight as it strafes the water in an attempt to again evade us. 🦊❤️  

 

1149. living my dream

 

this is my birthday

seventy two years today

i’m living my dream 🦊❤️

Today is my birthday. I woke this morning with a huge amount of gratitude for the abundance that I have in my simple life. I have it all. We had our regular early dinner at our favorite restaurant yesterday afternoon to celebrate. They gave me a cannoli with a candle to wish me the best! As Yulan recently reminded me… “You are living your dream.”  I am. 🦊❤️ 

1148. worker’s shoe

 

an old tarry shoe

standing still on the roadside

it’s the journey’s end 🦊❤️

I walk on a road daily that always has litter strewn on it from thoughtless drivers and passersby.  For some reason I did not consider the old tarry shoe that was resting on the side of the road a piece of litter. Rather, a testament to the hard work done by people with hard jobs. 🦊❤️

1147. the gallivanter

 

zooming here and there

in her little silver ship

always on the go 🦊❤️

Yulan is always on the go. The first question I ask when I call her is where are you? She laughs every time I ask that question.  It is not uncommon that I see her little silver spaceship at the most unexpected places as I wander here and there while on my own daily gallivanting rounds. She is definitely an explorer! 🦊❤️ 

1146. red october (go phillies)

 

it starts turning red

then it ignites into a glow

smell of burning leaves 🦊❤️

Of all of the seasons, the sights and smells of autumn ignite the most vivid memories and feelings in me. Go Phillies!! 🦊❤️

1145. cozy kitty

 

a pretty kitty

basking in the warming sun

autumn morning chill 🦊❤️

There is nothing more settling and centering than a cat enjoying the sun.  🦊❤️ 

1144. dawn cedars

 

these three dawn cedars

were just seeds in ‘53

just look at them now 🦊❤️

Another visit to Morris Arboretum yesterday.  So much to see differently with each passing visit.  We stood in new wonder in the midst of a grove of Dawn Cedars that were planted in 1953 from seeds from China.  All of this from a few seeds.  🦊❤️

1143. merrily merrily

 

like little ducklings

a parade of grade school kids

marching merrily 🦊❤️

As I waited for the traffic light to turn red I watched the children of a local grade school taking a “gym class walk”.  Class after class they marched by.  Some tugged their arms up and down coaxing me to honk my horn as if I was driving a tractor trailer. I honked and they cheered.  I felt a tug of sadness as I watched them… this is not what a gym class should be like. 🦊❤️

1142. plugged in

 

atop high voltage

you recharge before you strike 

electrifying 🦊❤️

We stood and watched a beautiful hawk perched atop an electrical pole. It seemed so perfectly placed in that high and dangerous place. The angry autumn sky added to the perfection of the sighting.  🦊❤️ 

1141. zoomin’ shooms

 

from way down under

two ‘shrooms sprint to the finish

and the winner is… 🦊❤️

I am amazed at the speed with which fungi of all types show up here and there and everywhere. They have their day or two in the fresh air and then disappear, sometimes back into the earth and sometimes in the ingredients of a delicious meal. 🦊❤️

1140. transcendental

 

the color purple

spiritual awakening

transcendental texts 🦊❤️

I love my morning coffee time.  There are so many interesting people to watch and appreciate. I wonder if I’m ever watched? 🦊❤️

1139. porcelain berries

 

stunning little orbs

aqua, purple and maroon

porcelain berries 🦊❤️

There is an invasive species of plant that is driving groundskeepers of all types mad. It is called Porcelain Berry. Why are invasive species always so beautiful? 🦊❤️

1138. broken hearted

 

see that creeping crack

in the old elephant tree?

its heart’s been broken… 🦊❤️

We walked on a new trail yesterday. I was really sad when I saw an Beech tree carved up with initials but also apparently hit repeatedly with a hammer, leaving large indentations in its elephant like bark.  The crack, seeming to creep up the tree spoke to me… 🦊❤️  

1137. things that are no more

 

goldenrod tablets

grade school love notes not sent

brown bag book covers 🦊❤️ 

Who remembers Goldenrod Tablets? Little pencil cases with a built in sharpener? The smell of duplicating fluid on freshly printed tests and worksheets at school? What else do you remember? 🦊❤️

1136. a clean sweep

as we get older

we will have a few of these

colonoscopies 🦊❤️

I am so looking forward to sitting down to a nice meal later this evening. In the meantime it’s Jello, water ice, Gatorade, water and 100 ounces of Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Laxative. Yummy! 🦊❤️ 

 

1135. hanging by a thread

 

we stand and we watch

a leaf twirl on a silk strand

life is just like that 🦊❤️

As we walked, the sun caught the golden yellow of a little leaf dangling from the thread of a spider - and our attention was then caught.  We stood and looked as it twirled and danced. I thought, “Wow. We all just dangle from our magical silken threads and dance and move and twirl. We mostly worry about the invisible tether breaking… rather than enjoying the dancing and twirling…” Yulan brilliantly pointed at the dancer so you could see it today. 🦊❤️

1134. diesel dinosaurs

bucking and lurching

big trucks laden with long steel

diesel dinosaurs 🦊❤️

 The front window of my current favorite morning coffee spot is like a teleporter to memories lately.  When I saw a shiny new tanker truck rolling past my mind drifted back to the days 50 years ago of working in a grimy spring and axle factory in my hometown.  I worked in the unheated “steel shed” operating a huge press brake that cut long steel bars into the leaves of auto and truck springs. On the overnight shift, I loved when the tractor trailers carrying the lengths of steel would  roar as they bucked and lurched their way down the narrow roadway to unload their cargo in the steel yard. My best friend Ray Niccolai worked with me on the machine. We had a shared fantasy that the trucks were actually dinosaurs that only travelled at night. It is a fond memory of a time of hard blue collar work that taught me so much. 🦊❤️