1225. glow of another year

 

remembering well

that first time your glow lit me

mica speckled cat 🦊❤️

Years ago as we left the woods I saw this glowing cat basking in the sun right in the middle of the trail.  Upon closer inspection his fur was littered with the mica chips that are so bountiful in the soil on the trails.  It was a very important day for us.  And here we all are at the end of another year. Looking forward to the next one ahead.    🦊❤️

1224. rebel yell

 

like billy idol

i strap on my spiked collar

then played “rebel yell” 🦊❤️

My grandkids slept over and we had a great time.  While I’m not super thrilled with the current phase of dress styles, that doesn't mean I can’t lighten up and have some fun!! I always liked Billy Idol’s look!! (BTW “Rebel Yell” is Idol’s second album. The title was inspired by a meeting with the Rolling Stones where they drank Rebel Yell Bourbon)  🦊❤️

1223. winds come and go

 

when the winds are still

they maintain a soft embrace

not so when they blow 🦊❤️

It is fascinating to observe the subtle interaction    between seemingly separate things in nature. In this case two trees that touch each other gently until the wind begins to blow.  Then, like people, they rub each other the wrong way!  🦊❤️

1222. overnight

 

dark morning chill

rains been falling hard all night

a trash truck roaring 🦊❤️

As the world sleeps, workers move through the night doing important things. They are generally an unheralded  group of workers. Yet… have them stop doing their night crawling jobs and their importance will be very evident in the light of day.  Thank you… 🦊❤️

1221. quicksilver memories

 

remembering the days

my light body on winged feet

running forever 🦊❤️

I was walking in Morris Arboretum yesterday.  There is a beautiful monument and sculpture of Mercury.  I stood for quite awhile looking at it, especially the winged feet on Mercury’s thin body.  I thought fondly of my days of running sub-three hour marathons and occasional “runner’s high” experiences.  Of all of the “Dans” I have been over my lifetime, being a runner is most deeply embedded in my being. Everything changes… 🦊❤️

1220. christmas morning treasure

 

all these fallen things

lovingly arranged just so

on this christmas day 🦊❤️

It was a foggy Christmas morning as I took an early hike.  I immediately stumbled upon this little shrine on the side of the trail. Amazing how something so mysterious and enchanting can be constructed with little things just laying around.  🦊❤️

1219. twas the night before christmas

 

night before christmas 

we go up into the woods

“merry christmas tom!!!!!!!” 🦊❤️

It was a perfect Christmas Eve for us.  Under a cloudy but moonlit sky, we celebrated Christmas Eve with Tommy the cat!   We brought along our Dollar Store Christmas tree and lights.  It was perfect.  Yulan, Kev and I felt a special glow to Christmas as we hung out with Tommy waiting for Santa!! Merry Christmas all! 🦊❤️

1218. thinking of my mom

 

walking through the woods

a spindly tree root clinging

thinking of my mom 🦊❤️

As a little kid I was very clingy to my Mom.  I was as they say “tied to her apron strings”.  As I was walking through the woods yesterday, absorbing the energy of nature, I was overcome with a longing to hear from my Mom and Grandma from above.  It was a deep and hopeful feeling… but no contact. It was only after reviewing my day’s photos that I saw the significance of the photo featured in today’s post.  It was me and my Mom.  Merry Christmas Mom.  Tell Grandma I love her.  🦊❤️ 

1217. deep in silence

 

there was a deep silence

there were no cars and no planes

there was just me… here 🦊❤️

Silence in the woods is a wonderful thing. But silence that reigns on a once busy street or sidewalk can be an out of this world experience. No cars, people, or planes in the sky leaves me feeling like I’m the only person on the planet. It was extraordinarily still in all ways during a stroll yesterday.  It felt like Christmas was in the air. 🦊❤️

1216. at the water’s edge

 

etched on verdant moss

tender deer paths traveling

to the water’s edge 🦊❤️

Day after day the deer make their way to the water’s edge. I imagine how nice the soft moss must feel on their hoofs as they make their silent journeys. 🦊❤️

1215. a thing or three

 

any given day

something new will show its head

maybe even three 🦊❤️

Everyday, without much effort beyond just keeping your eyes open, new sights will be seen. 🦊❤️

1214. coming and going

 

as quick as it came

it was gone in double quick

then came the cold winds 🦊❤️

I am still in a state of wonder regarding the rapid fire changes in our weather over the last couple of days.  I found the flooding in our back wooded area mysterious and haunting, like a prehistoric setting.  Now it is dry and the cold winds are helping to dry it out.  🦊❤️

1213. the rains came

 

over night the rains

came fast and furiously

shimmering dawn lights 🦊❤️

When I saw the flood waters yesterday morning, and the current of confusion that flowed on the highways around my apartment, it brought me back to my childhood days when the flooding of the Monongahela River would occur.  The smell of “blue mud” and the sound of rushing water… 🦊❤️

1212. timeless humor

 cartoon fav’rite

the rocky n’ bullwinkle show

such high brow humor 🦊❤️

Yesterday was a perfectly rainy day.  It was a good day to settle into the 1960, season one of the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon show.  Even as a kid I recognized that the show’s humor was something new… something special. As an adult, I marvel even more at the multi-layers of humor in each and every segment.  Timeless… like MAD Magazine.  🦊❤️

1211. habitats

 

mikey meets tommy

each in their territory

neither was impressed 🦊❤️

As usual I Facetime Yulan as I feed Tommy in the early AM. I thought it a good time to introduce Tommy and Mikey. Each was in their own wild habitat. Mikey keeping an eye on an enlightened elephant and a bowl of fish and Tommy vigilantly watching for foxes, birds, squirrels and dogs.  Neither gave each other the time of day.  🦊❤️

father and daughter among the trees

holding on so tight

same eyed… we both look ahead

to be held so tight  🦊❤️

There is no better place to be with ourselves than on the trails, among the trees. They tell us all we need to know about this life we live. Look closely. Open up and let the trees in.  🦊❤️

 

1210. spice it up

 

a lackluster meal

transformed to a tasty treat

a sprinkle of spice 🦊❤️

Been thinking a lot about food these days.  Been binge watching  Japanese restaurant cooks doing their jobs.  Too much time on my hands.  🦊❤️

1209. american sycamore

 

there’s a special tree

american sycamore

it lights up the woods 🦊❤️

This American Sycamore, brilliantly white in patches, is immediately behind my apartment. As you can see it appears to be the only one in this area. It demonstrates that all it takes is one glowing tree in the drab winter woods to brighten it up.  Be that American Sycamore… 🦊❤️ 

1208. knitting together a post

 

A lost minion cap

tended by a gnarly tree

despicable tree 🦊❤️

Recently I’ve not had the opportunity to get many inspiring photos. I did take this one last week. It is a yellow ski cap with one eye. I did some googling and discovered it represents a character (minion) from the movie, “Despicable Me”. I didn’t do much more research on the movie and I did the best I could to piece together a post. I’m not sure what it means… but somedays all you can do is do something… anything. 🦊❤️

 

1207. cornucopia

 

cornucopia

of the living and the dead

smell of the rich earth 🦊❤️

“Cornucopia” is another great, 5 syllable haiku word.  I wish I could write more haiku, like this one, where the last line ties it all together. 🦊❤️

1206. states of grace

 

solid, liquid, gas

frosty ponders his three states

god loves all of them 🦊❤️

Sensitizing oneself to the presence of interesting juxtapositions of things in space is a wonderful skill to develop if you write haiku.  Plus…. “juxtaposition” is a 5 syllable word and perfectly suited for the first or third line of a haiku.  🦊❤️

1205. ‘tis the seasons

soon the third day lights

christmas tunes fill the cafe

frank and sammy croon 🦊❤️

It was great to hear old school Christmas songs over the cafe speakers. All of the young workers were singing along, and quite well I must add.  There were plenty of Christmas and Hanukkah decorations. I thought of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. as I took it all in. 🦊❤️ 

 

1204. shhhh…

 

deeply in the fog

a fox is screaming its bark

“shhhh…… can you hear it?” 🦊❤️

I was at Tommy’s early Saturday morning feeding him. I always Facetime Yulan while I’m there so she can get her Tommy fix. This morning the fog was thick and a fox was screaming ( barking is the correct term) somewhere out there in the woods. I held the phone into the air for Yulan to hear. She could only hear the birds chirping. Oh well. 🦊❤️

1203. thanks for the moment

 

your murder* flew off

but you stayed behind to pose

you’re picture perfect 🦊❤️

* thanks to my friend Peggy, I learned the term murder in reference a group of crows. I used it here

My eyes and mind are on auto pilot in haiku mode all day long. This morning I encountered a group of crows in a tree. The “haiku alert” sounded. As I approached they flew off one by one… except for this one. Honestly I think this solitary bird in the tangle of branches is awesome. Thank you for the moment Mr. Crow. 🦊❤️

1202. qigong in the snow

 we moved in silence

our limbs quite like tangled trees

yet graceful like snow 🦊❤️

The morning was cold with an extended period of snow flurries. Our dwindled group still met and practiced qigong in the crisp morning air, being bathed by the softly falling snow. 🦊❤️

1201. the growing storm

 

two geese join the “v”

four more wings to slice the air

plus plenty more honks 🦊❤️

Oh what it must feel like to join the squadron of cruising geese as they slice through the empty, cold sky. What a trip it must be. Honk honk! 🦊❤️

1200. being true to oneself

 

all has faded brown

‘cept for that stubborn bamboo

it knows its own mind 🦊❤️

It was very heartening to see the ever expanding stand of bamboo glowing green in the seasonal brown blur. It made me think of the value of being true to oneself when situations arise that tempt us to be otherwise.   🦊❤️

1199. footsie

 

it’s saturday night

our chinese takeout settles

while we play footsie 🦊❤️

There is nothing like warm socks and flannel pajamas on a cold and rainy Saturday night. 🦊❤️

1198. and then… and then… and….

 

i sit and i stare

bending and leaning and straight

and then… there’s the fog 🦊❤️

I was sitting and petting Tommy in the early morning fog. Tommy was purring softly. A falling walnut clunked on a picnic table.   A woodpecker was pounding and two squirrels were running up and down trees. Trees were going every which way into the sky. I could have sat and saw and heard something amazing forever… and there would always be more… 🦊❤️

1197. be off line now (“be here now”)

wearing a warm hat

and warming his mala beads

what is his mantra? 🦊❤️

Me and everyone else were on our favorite devices as we sipped our coffee. Then a man in a warm hat meditating on his Mala Beads slowly walked by.  He was on his own device. It radiated, “OMMMM”.  🦊❤️

1196. make mine decaf

 

dancing coffee beans

reminding me of the days

of caffeine jitters 🦊❤️

I seem to be one of those people who have to steer clear of things that dull the senses or pep them up.  “Medium decaf please.” 🦊❤️

1195. apricity

 

in the morning sun

even the treacherous thorns

are worth gazing at 🦊❤️

The morning sun is the great transformer.  Whenever I am at races with my kids and they are suffering through a long, cold and lonely night of running in the woods, I always tell them, “The sun will be up soon and things will be easier.” And most of the time it is… 🦊❤️

(My friend Sadhya taught me a new word today. Apricity - warmth of the sun in winter)