once below the bark
was the hidden world of bugs
now for all to see 🦊❤️
A sense of haiku
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1619. the great sculptor
the work of water
never ending re-sculpting
making the earth new 🦊❤️
As I was walking around yesterday I found myself focusing on the chiseling and gouging that water has accomplished over the years. It removes earth from here and deposits it there. It replaces what is taken from here with earth from somewhere up there. Water… so soft but so powerful. 🦊❤️
1618. benches for remembering
years of joyful walks
all along the trails and paths
now… it’s time to rest 🦊❤️
***
it’s a lonely time
when the snow and cold descend
spring will soon arise 🦊❤️
The park’s paths are lined with benches dedicated to remembering loved ones who no longer walk those beautiful paths and trails. Some of the benches are well cared for, some have fallen into disrepair. It touches me when I see one that has been adorned with seasonal decorations or a simple bouquet of flowers. It angers me when I see ones that have been defaced. When winter cold arrives and they are covered with snow and ice I feel a tug at my heart - there is a lonely feeling. Benches have feelings too. 🦊❤️
1617. flashing fancy fingers
the car wash lady
was as proud as punch to flash
her dazzling digits 🦊❤️
I went to the car wash yesterday to have the crust of road salt chiseled off of my car that had accumulated over the last week. I noticed that one of the worker’s finger nails were really “blinged up”. I struck up a conversation and let her know how awesome her nails were as she skillfully punched my car’s work order into the control panel’s keyboard. She smiled ear to ear so I asked her if I could snap a shot of them. “Sure!!!!!!”, she said. She had a great smile too!!! 🦊❤️
1616. hoping for a sign
the shriveling rose
looks pleadingly at quan-yin
mother of mercy 🦊❤️
Quan-Yin is the Buddhist’s Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, similar to Mary the mother of Jesus in the Christian faith. The shriveling rose in today’s photograph was given to Yulan at an Our Lady of Guadalupe procession a few weeks ago by one of the participants. I thought it was a very cool positioning of the two items on Yulan’s window sill. I’m hoping the shriveling rose will turn bright red again very soon. 🦊❤️
1615. treasure map
creek once filled with fish
now frozen and filled with deer
seasons come and go 🦊❤️
Ground covered with snow is like a treasure map of sorts. It reveals the presence and comings and goings of the otherwise invisible creatures that constantly surround us. (Including people…) 🦊❤️
1614. watching ice form on the creek
from the old stone bridge
i look down into the creek
edged with tender ice 🦊❤️
How does ice form on a moving creek? Based on my best guess it starts on the shore lines with the individual ice crystals forming and holding on to each other. One by one. What appears to be a delicate film begins to appear and it grows outward and deepens until the ice meets in the center of the creek. I wish I had the patience to stand on the old stone bridge and watch it unfold… but it’s way too cold. It really is an amazing feat I think!!! 🦊❤️
1613. in a sea of cars
while i’m beached on red
waves of wires breaking ahead
far as i can see 🦊❤️
I love it whenever things in front of me are magically transformed into poetry. It happens in a split second. I must say that today’s captured magical moment is one of my faves of all time. 🦊❤️
1612. willow’s special spot
willow’s up above
her special spot misses her
now it’s filled with love 🦊❤️
A few months ago I featured my friend’s cat Willow in my daily blog (you can check it out later in the link below). I declared Willow as the newest addition to my cool cats list. Sadly Willow has passed on. My friend’s granddaughter created a very sweet memorial plaque for Willow. If you’ll remember, Willow was sightless and was missing an eye. I thought it was so wonderful that Willow was drawn with two eyes by my friend’s granddaughter. You are missed Willow. 🦊❤️
1611. out in the cold
i stand shiverin’
you lay on a bed of snow
single digit days 🦊❤️
There is nothing more humbling than watching wild animals “just being” in extreme weather conditions. There is no better illustration of acceptance of “what is”. All the while we check our phones for the current temperature and comment to just about everyone we encounter about just how cold it is. “Man it’s a cold one today!” 🦊❤️
1610. that’s a lot of sang’wich
what should i order?
a fried cauliflower sandwich?
how do i eat it? 🦊❤️
We went out to lunch at a cool place called “Terrain” with our friend Gloria after our recent museum visit. Yulan ordered a fried cauliflower sandwich. It brought a big smile to all of our faces. Even more fun was watching Yulan eat it!!! 🦊❤️
1609. a haiku moment
at the train’s blaring
i pause reading the poem book
a haiku moment… 🦊❤️
It was pouring snow outside the window near my warm seat where I was reading a book of haiku. Candles were flickering and the blanket over my legs felt wonderful. A live cam of a train crossroads in Deshler Ohio made no sound except the rustling of a flag in the wind. Snow was falling there too. The faint blaring of a train’s horn caused me to pause and travel there… 🦊❤️
1608. that lost ball
that lost ball’s still there
soon to be covered by snow
“see you when it melts” 🦊❤️
There is a ball that has been laying in the same spot for years in the field behind my apartment. It was deposited there by a flood. Every time I walk past the field I look down and there it is. For some reason I am amazed that it is still there each and every time that I see it. It will get covered up by today’s snow, but I know that it will be there when the snow melts. 🦊❤️
1607. do i hear a train?
it’s a drab gray day
out in deshler ohio
listnen’ for the trains 🦊❤️
It’s a lazy day. The sky is gray. It’s a perfect day to watch the trains roll through the little town of Deshler Ohio via live camera feed on youtube. I go about my business until I hear the faraway blaring of a train. Then I stop and wait for the train to make its appearance on the screen. What will this train carry? Coal and coke? Automobiles? Amazon Prime Containers? It’s a useless pasttime - but it sure is relaxing. Oh the clickety-clacking of the cars…. 🦊❤️
1606. looking is enough
what would it be like?
if “just looking” was enough
pure experience… 🦊❤️
As I watched people in the gallery I thought about how cool it would be to simply “look at things” and not feel compelled to know anything about what I was looking at. Just being fascinated would be enough. 🦊❤️
1605. i see diamonds
diamondy islands
float ever so lazily
down the win’try creek 🦊❤️
Yesterday we visited the Brandywine River Museum to see the work of Wharton Esherick. His wooden furniture, sculptures and wood block prints were amazing. Going to a museum to see art seems to open the senses to being more receptive of the artistic nature of all that surrounds us. As I looked out from the third floor window at the icy Brandywine Creek below, countless carat of diamonds appeared as the sun hit the ice from just the right angle. All is (or can become) art if we take a few moments to just look. 🦊❤️
1604. looney toons please
24 hour news
talk shows and mindless sitcoms
thank god for cartoons 🦊❤️
I gave up cable service a couple of years ago for many reasons. I have been progressively eliminating “nonsense tv” broadcasts that still are available on my “antennae tv options”. Recently a 24 hour cartoon rerun channel has become my “go to refuge”. Based upon the ads for medicare advantage plans, life insurance for older people, and low impact exercise devices that flourish on the channel, I believe it is a refuge for many other oldsters like me. As I watch the classic toons, I am coming to realize that many old cartoons are multi layered in their humor, wisdom and are ahead of their time in predicting the future!!! Currently Tom and Jerry are my faves!!! The Flintstones are a close second. 🦊❤️
1603. the gravity of it all
freshly fallen snow
and a freshly fallen tree
gravity at work 🦊❤️
Gravity… where would we be without it? Today spend a little time pondering gravity and its role in everything on earth. 🦊❤️
1602. normal surreal
what makes for surreal?
only things that are “far out”?
will just normal do? 🦊❤️
As we were leaving the nature center I took a photo of Tommy through the window. The wall mural in the nature center, along with all of the “just normal” objects in the room combined to create a very interesting and “surreal” image of Tommy. Is Tommy inside or outside? Does the inside of the nature center contain an outside too? I was totally fascinated by the accidental nature of the photograph. I think I will paint this scene and make it part of my Wissahickon Wonders Series! We’ll see…🦊❤️
1601. putting our heads together
we sit head to head
me trying to read his mind
his purrs say it all 🦊❤️
We have been able to convince Tommy to stay inside the nature center on the recent cold nights. In the indoor environment it’s as if he becomes a “different Tommy”. He is less vigilant and more relaxed. Yet… when it is time to get back outside… he will let you know. Yulan and I thoroughly enjoy Tommy’s “really, really lovable ways” when he puts his guard down. Yesterday he gave me a piece of his mind as we sat head to head in the nice cozy warmth of the nature center. 🦊❤️
1600. the stillness of black and white
the wind and the snow
combine forces to create
a black and white scene 🦊❤️
Winter is a time that the essence of stillness and quiet can be experienced more powerfully. A layer of snow on a winter landscape turns up quiet’s volume even higher. All becomes like black and white… simple and calming. 🦊❤️
1599. green with envy
all is brown and bare
except the climbing ivy
clinging to its green 🦊❤️
There is no better place than the woods to observe and appreciate the contrasts in nature as the seasons unfold. In the midst of the cold, crunchy and bare trails of winter the climbing ivy clings not only to the trees but to its greenness. 🦊❤️
1598. glowing geese
through the frigid air
a squadron of geese sail by
lit by the sunset 🦊❤️
Another goose post!!!! I love watching geese fly directly overhead around sunset. The glow of the setting sun illuminates the bird’s undersides. Although yesterday’s capture was not as brilliant as others I've seen, it was still beautiful and awe inspiring. 🦊❤️
1597. a fly on the wall
two young men
breakfasting at chick-fil-a
hard not to eavesdrop 🦊❤️
I heard that Chick-fil-a had great coffee so I went there very early to give it a try. The restaurant was empty, there was nice soft music playing and I thought, “Ahhhh this is nice!” It was then that two young men sat in the booth immediately next to me. “All these empty seats and you have to sit there?” I thought. They talked and talked, but at a volume that I could not follow their conversation. I soon became impressed with their level of engagement with each other and the attentive listening that they exhibited. I sipped my excellent cup of coffee and thought how refreshing it was to see two young people actually having a face to face conversation. When they got up to leave, they meticulously picked up all of the wrappers and even small bits of debris from their table. I sat there for a few moments after they left and thought about the movie “Paterson” where the main character, a bus driver in Paterson NJ would become fascinated with the conversations that went on between passengers. If you haven’t seen the movie - look it up. You’ll see what I mean. 🦊❤️
1596. reflecting on slowness
koi swim sleepily
snowflakes touch down on their pond
a dreamy first snow 🦊❤️
Yesterday, because of the snow, I drove Yulan to her the retirement community where she teaches a yoga class. As she showed me around the facility, we passed a window that looked out into a koi pond where the fish were moving very slowly due to the cold temperatures. Big snowflakes were falling and it made for a beautiful scene.
As I watched Yulan teach her class I was moved by her caring teaching style. I thought about the Koi swimming ever so slowly in the cold water as I watched the slow and effort laden movements of the residents as they tried to replicate Yulan’s movements. I thought about who the people were and what their lives were like before moving into the facility. I felt a knot form in my throat as I watched from afar. 🦊❤️
1595. christmas tree blues
christmas time is past
festive lights boxed till next year
once proud tree - put out 🦊❤️
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Christmas trees after the holiday is over. There is a sadness in seeing them “put out” to the curb. Occasionally a forgotten ornament or some strands of tinsel remain on the tree as a reminder of the holiday fun now over. 🦊❤️
1594. kiss me kate
to a play we went
intermission came… we left
did the shrew get tamed? 🦊❤️
Yulan got us tickets to see “Kiss Me Kate” that was at a local playhouse. It was a grand old theater with not a bad seat in the house. I am not well versed in Shakespeare and have only attended maybe a handful of plays in my life and that includes high school plays. I had no idea what was happening on stage. Everyone was laughing and chuckling at what was unfolding on stage. I thought, “What am I missing?” I hung in there to honor Yulan’s excitement about going and also the money she dished out. I was surprised when she looked at me at the start of intermission and said, “I wouldn’t mind at all if we left now!” We left. We discussed our thoughts on the performance as we drove home. My biggest question was, “Did the shrew get tamed?” 🦊❤️
1593. “a phoenix of sorts”
a beech tree’s remains
slowly melt into the earth
new life rises up 🦊❤️
The latest painting in my Wissahickon Wonders Series is titled “A Phoenix of Sorts”. It is an acrylic work that is 36”x24”. It is my interpretation of the remains of a beech tree whose state of decay reminds me of a raging fire. It is as if it is melting into the earth - which it is. Its disintegrating substance penetrates the soil and fuels new life which in turn fuels new life. I struggled with this painting for almost a year and slowly I was able to paint what I wanted to convey. I want to thank my friend Rob who planted the word “phoenix” into my mind when he saw it much earlier in the process. I hope you enjoy the work. 🦊❤️
1592. pi in my eye
they say it’s all math
simply one grand numbers scheme
three point one four one……..🦊❤️
While hiking yesterday I was hit in the face with a pi. No not a cream pie, the 3.141……… pi. It was formed by three fallen trees on the side of the trail. Some folks say “everything is math”. In this case, they may be right. 🦊❤️
1591. winter contrast
bright golden grasses
lackluster winter trees… drab
a stunning contrast 🦊❤️
Yesterday during our hike through the trails we were both struck by the golden grasses that were blowing wildly in the meadow. The sun was hitting them perfectly to highlight their brilliance. What a contrast to the surrounding trees, standing drab and bare as they looked on in envy at the golden grasses. 🦊❤️
1590. happy new year
another year ends
not a mark on the canvas
a new year to paint 🦊❤️
Another new year’s day. A day like every other, but not really. The end of a complete journey around the sun and the start of the next. A painting completed, framed and hung. A fresh canvas waiting for this new year’s marks to be applied. Happy Painting. Happy New Year. 🦊❤️
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