1648. the big bang

 

bird chirps fill the air

the first snow bells are poppin’

spring’s not far away 🦊❤️

I saw a single solitary huddle of Snow Bells during a walk yesterday. The ground everywhere else was still brown - absent of any signs of these beautiful clues of approaching springtime. It was like seeing the first moment - the “Big Bang” of the annual explosion of Snow Bells.   🦊❤️ 

1647. an oasis

a trough of plenty

water for drinking… bathing 

i’ll write a haiku 🦊❤️

As I looked at the hollowed out tree stump that was filled with water, I thought of the birds, foxes and other critters that would use this little oasis as a watering hole. It is an oasis for me because it fed me just what I needed to write a haiku. The daily practice of writing haiku has rewired my brain in ways I could not have imagined - everything is a potential haiku… 🦊❤️

 

1646. stalemate

 

man and nature vie

competing for precious turf

neither gives an inch 🦊❤️

We are surrounded by signs and symptoms of the eternal struggle for “turf” that is intrinsic to life on earth. It’s not just man versus nature.  But man seems to be the most formidable opponent in the land grab game.  I remain hopeful by focusing on nature’s resilience despite the temporary losses it may suffer. When I see an abandoned factory that is overgrown by vines and trees and bushes and filled with birds and critters who find refuge there, it makes me smile. It’s like Rocky beating Apollo Creed.  Today’s photograph really made me smile… 🦊❤️

1645. curbside memories

 

“set out to the curb”

a pedal powered singer

grandma loved polka  🦊❤️

I spotted an old Singer pedal powered sewing machine that someone had “set out to the curb” for the trash truck to pick up.  I stopped my car and pulled over to take a closer look.  My Grandma had one just like it. As I looked at it, I smiled as I remembered her pedaling away on her beloved machine as she listened to “Polka Party” on the radio. 🦊❤️

1644. making little stones out of big rocks

 

at the stone quarry

earth’s rock blasted then beaten

into smithereens 🦊❤️

 

I love it whenever Yulan drives as we galavant here and there. It allows me to see the same old sights that I have seen many times before while driving in a more “experiential” way.  Yesterday's favorite “new view” sighting was an enormous mountain of gravel piled in the storage area of a local stone quarry. Uncountable nuggets of gravel have been being deposited at that location for years. Solid rock is blasted from the earth deep in the quarry, hauled out in massive trucks and crushed into gravel. What a process… 🦊❤️

1643. special moments

 

running through the night

from six p.m. to six a.m.

then it’s tommy time 🦊❤️ 

When my son Kevin’s 12 hour, freezing, overnight training run wrapped up at 6:00 AM he showered up and we made our way up to feed and visit with our Guru Tommy.  Then… it was finally time to rest.   The great thing about life is that we have the freedom to create and experience our own particular brand of “special moments”. I am grateful for my family that provides me with ample opportunities to enrich my treasury of “special moments”. 🦊❤️

1642. salt

 

salt, salt and more salt

an inch or foot prediction

salt, salt and more salt 🦊❤️

Regardless of whether an inch or a foot of snow is being predicted, you can rest assured that the salt and brine trucks will be spreading tons and tons of salt on the roads and parking lots. Many times incorrect predictions end up with no snow falling at all - but plenty of salt falls regardless.   Where does all that salt go when it washes away? I thought about that question as I stared at the creek, once crystal clear, now all cloudy and murky with a strange tint to it….. 🦊❤️

1641. what in the world is a catkin

alder tree catkins

hanging in the frigid air

really caught my eye 🦊❤️

 As I walked with my necked tucked in as tight as possible to stay warm in the freezing wind my eye was captured by little red “tassels” hanging from a scraggly Alder tree. I untucked my neck to look closer.  It wasn’t so much what they looked like individually, it’s how they filled the air in front of my eyes. Bigger close to me and very small far away from me. It is a wonderful experience when the “ordinary” magically becomes “extraordinary” out of thin air. And by the way, the red tassels are called “catkin”. 🦊❤️

1640. rats in a maze

 

like rats in a maze

arrows leading to dead ends

lost in ikea 🦊❤️

I used to love walking through Ikea.  It was like walking through a wonderful village looking at all of the wonderful room settings, neat gadgets, unique art work and smelling unique smells. Now… the store’s floor plan seems to change constantly and arrows cast onto the aisles from projectors on the ceiling attempt to help customers navigate the next new floor layout. Rather than enjoying the store’s wares, I now spend my time figuring out where I am and where do I go next. Maybe it’s just me? 🦊❤️

1639. virtual tree stumps

up on his tree stump

preaching away to his choir

they all nod and cheer 🦊❤️

I asked my son to take my picture as I stood atop a section of tree stump. As I looked at the picture I thought about old time politicians, preachers pontificators and pundits who proclaimed their preferred versions of truth while standing on  tree stumps to elevate themselves above their audiences. Today there is no need for cutting down trees to stand on… there is facebook. That is good for the trees. 🦊❤️

 

1638. litter as a metaphor

 

“hover above it…”

the smiley face seems to say

“let your anger go!” 🦊❤️

Yesterday the “discomfort” I usually feel when I see litter was softened by a smiling face that was hovering above a fresh pile of litter on the roadside. “Hover above it - let your anger go…” I guess we all have our “litter” we need to hover above. I hope that you run into a smiling face along the way to remind you of that.  🦊❤️

1637. weather front

 

volatile colors

rocketing across the sky

incoming weather 🦊❤️

We are in the midst of a “windfest” (I made that word up) until this evening. It began yesterday after a period of heavy rain. It was amazing last evening watching the mood of the incoming weather front being hurled across the sky as the leading edge of wind unfurled. 🦊❤️

1636. snug as a bug

 

in a too small bed

snug as a bug in a rug

outside… icy rain 🦊❤️

As the cold, dreary winter weather grinds on, we continue to sequester Tommy in the Nature Center as much as possible. At 18 plus years of age we feel that it is in his best interest… and also in reducing our worries about him in harsh weather.  Although he has a roomy, plush bed, he prefers to curl up like a honey roll in a tiny blue bed that is actually ripping at the seams.  Soon spring will spring forth Tommy. In the meantime, enjoy the warmth. 🦊❤️

1635. the magic of not knowing

 

the crest of the hill

where cars appear… and vanish

a magical place 🦊❤️

***

earth’s hills and valleys

contoured and paved so we can

scurry here and there 🦊❤️

As I sat at the red light I watched the cars suddenly appearing from behind and disappearing into the crest of the hill on the road ahead.  For a moment I forgot all that I knew about what was actually transpiring at the crest of the hill. For a brief moment I experienced the magic and mystery that must exist in a child’s mind looking at the crest of the hill before having it spoiled by knowledge.  🦊❤️

1634. worthiness

 

a blurry photo

hardly worth a second look

yet… haiku worthy! 🦊❤️

I often struggle having a “worthwhile photo” available to trigger the writing of a “meaningful haiku” for my daily blog.  Yesterday was one of those days.  As I looked at a recent blurry photo, I realized more fully that everything and anything is miraculous and worthy of a haiku.  That deeper realization got me thinking about the idea that a haiku is really an honor that can and should be bestowed on the even the least glamorous moments captured by a camera… even blurry and out of focus moments. 🦊❤️ 

1633. today’s gold medal performance

 

my big win today

first to walk the snowy path

i’ll leave my mark there 🦊❤️

I was thrilled to be the first person to walk on the newly fallen snow that covered the usually busy sidewalk near my apartment. My mind said, “Good work Dan, you still got it!!” The competitive urge never completely leaves… it just adjusts itself to easier things to “be first at”. 🦊❤️ 

1632. revealing detail

 

in the cold window
mannequins of yesteryear
shaking in their shoes 🦊❤️

As we strolled around our favorite “art town” on a cold and windy morning, I could not help but notice two undressed mannequins posing in an out of business storefront. What caught my attention the most were  the shoes and hair styles of the mannequins. They had a 1950ish look about them and it immediately brought me back to walking my small hometown’s main street on a Friday night. On another note, I’ll bet those poor mannequins were cold!! 🦊❤️

1631. reflection

 

now’s the time of day

when the setting sun blazes

time of reflection 🦊❤️

As I looked out of Yulan’s window I saw what looked like a five alarm fire raging in the top floor of the apartment building across the street. In reality it was the reflection of a bazillion alarm fire that was blazing 93,000,000 miles away. There is sooooo much to reflect on here…. Take a few moments here and there today to just reflect on the simple things - you will soon begin to appreciate the miracle of it all. 🦊❤️

1630. the eagles got their goose at the super bowl

 

once a field of geese

but after the super bowl

now they’re all eagles 🦊❤️

Congratulations Philadelphia Eagles!! Super Bowl Champions!!! What a game!!  Even the geese were honking!!! 🦊❤️

1629. “oreo cows”

 

through the tangled limbs

they’re nearly invisible

two “oreo cows” 🦊❤️ 

Over the years I have posted a number of blogs on the Belted Galloway cattle that are perpetually in a field near my home. They are sometimes called “Belties”.   I call them “Oreo Cows” because they look like giant Oreo cookies - dark on either end and a pure white belt on their midsection. It is only in winter when the all of the leaves are gone from the vines and trees that they are truly visible to passersby.  We look intently for them every time we drive by. It’s good to have many small things to look forward to every day rather than one big thing way down the road. Do you see them? 🦊❤️

1628. a bevy of breads

 

bread, bread and more bread

pumpernickel, boule, rye…

“i’ll take ham on white!” 🦊❤️

I was amazed at the variety of breads at a local coffee and bakery. What a line up of doughy delights. As a kid we had sliced white bread (Town Talk Bread) as our staple and once or twice a week our small town bakery, New Eagle Bakery, would sell loaves of crusty Italian Bread in white paper bags. It was a real treat when we had a loaf of New Eagle Italian bread. It made the best toast! 🦊❤️  

1627. winter leaves

 

like leaves of summer

blackbirds dance on bare branches

ice falls from the sky 🦊❤️

As I was scraping ice from my car windows while trying not to slip on the slick ground, I heard birds clamoring from atop a nearby tree. They seemed all too comfortable and confident as they did a jitterbug on the ice covered branches. They reminded me of summer leaves and warm days. 🦊❤️

1626. bundle up kind of day

 

a frigid morning

everybody’s bundled up

a breath seeing day 🦊❤️

The older I get, the more intolerant I am of the cold and consequently the older I feel for being more intolerant of the cold.  It’s a vicious cycle! I must say that when I saw this big, strong and sturdy horse all bundled up in multiple layers it made me feel less old… but not less cold! 🦊❤️

1625. the carousel

 

at the shopping mall

the ticket taker texting

no cowboys, cowgirls 🦊❤️

We visited two shopping malls yesterday looking for something.  We rarely go to malls. We thankfully found what we were looking for. Many stores were closed in both malls and one mall posted a sign on the door that unaccompanied minors could not be at the mall without an adult during certain time periods. It was somewhat depressing. The quiet carousel where the ticket taker sat texting on their phone because of no customers seemed to say it all. Where have all the cowboys and cowgirls gone? 🦊❤️

1624. patience of a tree

 

i’m stuck in traffic

and i’m going nowhere fast

patience of a tree! 🦊❤️

As I sat in traffic I thought about my need for more patience and calm.  Ah…. The patience of a tree is the remedy for me! 🦊❤️

1623. what a day for bird watching

 

just mere feet away

a dazed red tailed hawk did perch

in due time - it flew 🦊❤️

Yesterday during our regular Sunday morning, pre-pancake breakfast walk we saw a red tailed hawk perched on a fence rail. It was right beside the walkway and wasn’t flinching in the least as we approached. We inched ourselves closer and closer until we were within mere feet of it. Its feathers were ruffled up and its eyes appeared to be unfocused. It looked stunned. After speaking with the Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Emergency Office (yes it was open on Sunday morning!) they concurred it was stunned and  they guided us through what to observe in the bird and when to get back to them with updates for a possible rescue dispatch. The amazing creature finally righted itself and flew away 4 hours later. That same morning we saw our Blue Heron friend in the creek nearby as well as a Bald Eagle that was strafing the parking lot in my apartment complex. It was a gold medal wild bird sighting kind of day.  🦊❤️

PA Game Commission 833-742-9453

1622. breathe and proceed

 

when i have no clue

about what i need to do

deep breath… do something 🦊❤️

Most of the canvases that I paint on are large. All that open space often intimidates me… “how can I ever fill it all up”. I generally procrastinate on starting the parts of the painting I anticipate to be the most challenging to express what I have in my head.  Often I have no idea what to do to fill it. I convince myself  that it really doesn't matter what I paint - and I blindly start painting something. (This is a tiny segment of my current in progress Wissahickon Wonders landscape entitled “Captain of  His Ship”.) 🦊❤️

1621. arctic fox

 

on the icy ground

an arctic fox just appeared

soon he’ll melt away 🦊❤️

As we did our weekly qigong practice outside in the freezing air, I became fixated on blades of grass trapped in the icy puddle. I snapped a photo when we finished, already planning to use it for my next haiku post. I wrote the post but did not publish it at the last minute. I quickly composed and wrote another one for the day. I went back to revisit the abandoned post and lo and behold my focus moved from the grass to the image of a white fox (arctic fox) that seemed to appear at the top of the photo. I love it when patience pays off. I love it when unexpected surprises appear.  Sadly yesterday’s warmer weather melted the Arctic Fox. 🦊❤️