1436. slow and slower

 

fifteen miles per hour

be kind and go slower

turtles will thank you 🦊❤️

I love it when a juxtaposition of things occurs to help me write my daily haiku post.  Additionally the word “juxtaposition” is a wonderful 5 syllable word that I have used many times in my haiku! Just sayin’. 🦊❤️

1435. coping

 

hot and humid day

tourists hustle and bustle

some barely rustle 🦊❤️

We love making visits to Lambertville, NJ to look at art, walk around, eat and watch people. It’s a real touristy place. I especially enjoyed watching the man in today’s photograph coping with the hot and humid weather as all of  us visitors milled around the town.  🦊❤️

1434. making things

the joy of making

simple one by twos and threes

my balcony shop 🦊❤️

My friend Lynn is a potter and she is making ceramic ear rings.  She asked me to make display racks to use at sales events that she attends. There is nothing that keeps the mind sharp like figuring out how to make something. Visit Lynn’s  Facebook page at “Hand and Wheel Pottery, LLC” 🦊❤️

1433. snagging a tree

 

tireless fisherman

cast after cast after cast

“hey! you caught a tree!” 🦊❤️

Our favorite stone bridge provided us with a new sight last evening - a fisherman in waders. We had a brief conversation with him and we quickly realized he was projecting an air of  “know it allism”.  So as not to blow his cover, we quietly left after he caught the limb of a tree that was about 20 feet above the water. 🦊❤️

1432. time

 

sitting face to face

they park themselves for a while

before time expires 🦊❤️

Yesterday I wished that I could sit down with my Grandmother and talk about all the things we never talked about… 🦊❤️ 

1431. infinity

 

this small green island

mysterious habitat

so much to ponder 🦊❤️

There are world within worlds within worlds within worlds.  Infinity is in all directions. 🦊❤️

1430. daring delivery

 

piping pizza pies

piled up precariously

free delivery 🦊❤️

The ingenuity, daring and perseverance that our local pizza joint displays to assure that customer’s pizzas are delivered hot and delicious is amazing. 🦊❤️

1429. in the air

 

air thick with life

illuminated at dawn

nature’s smells abound 🦊❤️

There is nothing more cleansing than being out and active at the dawning of a hot and humid day.  The thick air is loaded with the many smells of nature.  Some pleasant, some mysterious, some not so nice.  🦊❤️

1428. sounds heard and not

 

there’s the sound of birds

and there’s the rustling of trees

and her silent steps 🦊❤️

I like listening to the sounds that abound while hiking. Yulan’s silent steps are not one of the sounds.  Her graceful gait defies sound. 🦊❤️

1427. remnants from the past

a strange formation

seems to go against the grain

wonders from the past 🦊❤️

I love seeing hints of the earth’s process of changing and forming over the eons.  What a slow and relentless process that is.  And at times what a quick and tumultuous process as well.  🦊❤️

 

1426. inside tommy’s head…

 

what goes on in there?

is there an empty peace?

a soft thoughtlessness? 🦊❤️

Whenever I sit and watch Tommy doing whatever he is doing I wonder what may be going on in his mind. 🦊❤️

1425. “the kiss”

 

two trees cuddling

immediately moved me

gustav klimts “the kiss” 🦊❤️  

I love passing the trees that inspired my interpretation of Gustav Klimt’s painting “The Kiss”. I have done four versions of that painting and all have found very good forests to call home. 🦊❤️ 

1424. atlas

 

standing like atlas

cucumber magnolia

shouldering the green 🦊❤️

I never tire of seeing the Cucumber Magnolia tree on the trail. Every time is like the first time.  It has presence.  It inspires wonder and creativity. 🦊❤️

1423. gimmi shelter

 

the day was so hot

that the garden disappeared

the plants sought refuge 🦊❤️ 

We visited the Berman Museum at Ursinus College yesterday. It was so hot that the plants went inside to look at the art! Lol.  🦊❤️

1422. from up here

 

dusk is upon us

from up here we look down there

that buoyant snapper 🦊❤️

From our bridge perch we looked down into the creek. We could see the hot and humid sky in the water. In the algae choked sky, an enormous snapping turtle was flying. 🦊❤️

1421. fragments from the past

 

after the rains came

fragments from the past rise up

memories rise too 🦊❤️

After heavy rains broken pieces of glass, porcelain, bottle caps, etc. make their way to the surface of the trails. These are artifacts of the farms once situated there long ago.  They serve as a catalyst to imagining life there long ago.  They also cause memories of my growing up years to surface.  The trails always have something new to offer.  🦊❤️

1420. below the surface

 

below the surface

rotted roots hidden from view

along comes a storm… 🦊❤️

There is nothing like a strong, unexpected storm to reveal the weaknesses (and worse) in people, places and things.  🦊❤️

1419. cicada killer time

 

a hole in the ground

soon another… then some more

cicada killers 🦊❤️

It’s the time of year that the Cicada Killer holes start to appear in the trail. Soon we will walk through swarms of buzzing behemoths. Not to worry… they won’t hurt you. Walking through them builds courage!!! Lol 🦊❤️  

1418. bright spot

i found a still life

in the museum’s restroom

art is what it is 🦊❤️

i stood and i looked

no message or statement there

just a bright moment 🦊❤️

Yesterday we went to a local museum spur of the moment to tack on some added enjoyment to our day of random fun activities.  The visit was sort of like watching an evening news report on all of the troubles, injustice (past and present) and grievances expressed in the art. Yes… I understand and agree that art is a vehicle to express all those things. I sought refuge in the restroom and the gloom was brightened by a simple still life observation there. It was a breath of fresh air. 🦊❤️

1417. “up, up and away”

 

at the crack of dawn

i convene with free spirits

then i float onward 🦊❤️

I have been thinking alot about how I spend my time.  I have come to the conclusion that my life is incredibly rich because of the unique people, places, things, plants and animals that live in “Dan’s world”.  They are the helium that fills me up and allows me to float and explore a more random and free way of being.  I always loved the song “Up, Up and Away” by the 5th Dimension. 🦊❤️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wxbnwGGNcA

1416. fungi fashion

 

such a stylish tam

worn smartly by the mushroom

such a fashion plate 🦊❤️

The hot humid weather is perfect for hosting a gala fungi fashion show. Enjoy the show.   🦊❤️

1415. kindling of daytime

 

it starts with one tree

kindling of the day’s blaze sparks

soon all is engulfed 🦊❤️

Watching the sun breaking through the trees in the woods as darkness turn to dawn is magical.  Little patches of glowing light are sparked here and there and then everywhere.  It’s a time and place to let your imagination ignite like a wildfire.  🦊❤️ 

1414. spotted lanternfly

 

such pretty colors

how could such beauty do harm?

spotted lanternfly 🦊❤️

There is a section of the trail that was very heavily infested with Spotted Lanternflies three or so years ago.  Their toll is finally being seen as damaged trees are starting to rot and fall.   Sad to see… 🦊❤️

1413. changing perspective

we’re close to a star

that’s why it’s so hot today

wow!!! that’s amazing!!!! 🦊❤️

I was standing on my favorite stone bridge looking down into the creek. I saw the blazing sun reflecting in the water creating what appeared to be a universe of stars. Then it dawned on me that our heat wave is because we are so close to a star. The thought, “Oh my God it’s so freaking hot!” was elevated to “Wow! We’re so close to a star that we can feel it!!!”   It’s amazing what a change in perspective can do on a very hot day.  🦊❤️ 

1412. becoming attuned

the black walnut tree

stands still in the blazing sun

not a bird in flight 🦊❤️

There is an amazing stillness that descends on the woods whenever the weather is hot and humid.  If you attune your attention to that sense of stillness it settles your body down to “go slow and enjoy.”  When I got attuned, I became aware that there were no birds flying around as usual. It was then that I could settle in and enjoy slowness. I’m sure the birds know more than me  🦊❤️

 

1411. cool summer colors

 

the fourth of july

the time for red, white and blue

and water ice too 🦊❤️

Here’s another post to inject some chill into the hot summer temps. Stay cool. 🦊❤️

1410. perfect pairing

 

vanilla soft serve

with a coating of choc-lit

love that frozen crunch 🦊❤️

Some things just go together. Vanilla and chocolate. Crunchy and creamy. Soft serve and choc-lit dip. Dairy and queen 🦊❤️

1409. model of stillness

 

for such a long time

you must have laid so very still

just like a rock does 🦊❤️

On the trail’s edge I saw a beautiful green rock held tightly in the embrace of a huge tree’s roots.  I figured that the process of taking possession of the rock by the tree started a long time before the trail was there. I stood and thought about stillness when no one is around. Such a peaceful thought… 🦊❤️

1408. second chance

 

after the big fall

tender greens mask the splinters

will branches appear? 🦊❤️

I like to watch how things in nature bounce back from adversity.  I call the tree in today’s photograph “The Little Tree Who Could”.  It is sprouting leaves after being decapitated by a much larger tree that toppled in a storm.  Hoping to see branches someday! 🦊❤️

1407. getting to the root of the matter

 

persistent waters

etching slowly at the roots

exposing them all 🦊❤️

Water and time are very effective at exposing the roots of things.  🦊❤️

1406. crossing over

 

beneath the big oak

her final heroic leap

hidden by a shroud 🦊❤️

The wrought iron fence around Morris Arboretum has claimed the lives of many deer over the years despite the arboretum’s attempts to mitigate the problem. There’s been improvement but it still happens.  Every time I see one impaled on the top spikes or suffocated from attempting to squeeze through the narrow space I experience a mixture of feelings ranging from sadness to anger.  Not a way for animals to die…🦊❤️