930. coming and going

all in step

out for a morning stroll—

mom and the boys

 

Mom is the light brown dog on the right side of the handler.  Her boys are three, five, and six years old. I’ve seen them all before. They’re gorgeous and they always seem so at ease and contented. Seeing them gives me my big dog ‘fix,’ and makes me smile every time! 🐶

929. rap on!

rat-a-tat-tat

rat-a-tat-tat  rat-a-tat-tat

rat-a-tat-tat

*

on and on

this woodland rapper raps on

on and on

*

who needs a bullhorn?

said the bird in the tree—

not i 

Unmistakable. Echoing through the thick cover of tall trees, it was the unmistakable boom-booming sound of a very large bird. It took a while before I finally spotted the woodpecker all the way up at the top of the rotted trunk of a pale, hollowed-out tree. They say that spotting a woodpecker encourages you to remain ever alert, aware, and at-the-ready to embrace all the good things coming your way. I like that—Yes!

 

928. home sweet home

isn’t it beautiful?

sun, sky, clouds….even

in black & white

Gary Snyder said…. Nature is not a place to visit. It is home. Thich Nhat Hanh said….. In the past, I have been a cloud, a river and the air. This is not a question of belief in reincarnation. This is the history of life on earth.

927. here they come….

helmets on wheels—

fifty or more heading our way

look out!

There must’ve been 50 or more of them, young children wheeling their way along the walking path down by the creek. We were on Forbidden Drive, a seven-mile stretch of rolling asphalt and gravel in the Wissahickon Woods. I’m guessing they were several classrooms from a nearby school out for a morning of fresh air, exercise, and a nature. Healthy!

926. stumped!

stumped today

 for what to say—how about

a mikey picture

Come to think of it, Mikey looks a little stumped, doesn’t she?!😆

925. three bags of chips

three times

i tried three times to order….

and failed

I confess that I’m not very high tech. When it comes to getting things done, I’m not so good at reading computer screens and doing what they want me to do. It takes me so much time to figure things out. I’d much rather talk to someone, but these days it seems nearly impossible to find a live person. 

Yesterday I tried three times to order lunch from the touch screen at WAWA, and three times I failed—Dan usually does the ordering. When I finally found someone to ask for help, she smiled but said, “Oh, there’s no tuna today.” Oh well, I thought to myself. So I bought three bags of chips and crossed the street to go to the Chinese takeout. I got sushi. Yum! 😋

924. last night’s dream

streaming 5-7-5

between two bookshelves

a quiet conversation

*

the room was filled

with so many faces—

then I woke up!

William Jeanes Library hosts a program called, “Between Two Bookshelves,” featuring conversations with local enthusiasts pursuing various fields of endeavor. Last night I had an amusing dream about my interview. The room was filled with people. I was sitting there, a little nervous waiting for my introduction….then the program got cancelled! 😆 Let’s hope it was only a dream.

My interview will be live-streamed on Facebook, Tuesday evening, April 25 at 6:30PM at William Jeanes Memorial Library. It will also be archived on their Videos page. I am a little nervous—wish me luck!☺️  BTW you don’t need a Facebook account to stream the event. 

923. life is story

“me and boner…

my bird’s name is rio…

little white cat 

*

riding bikes…

my dream is to be in 

the military

*

smart board…

my dream is to be a 

super hero

*

…so happy”

Twenty-eight 9-year-old stories—telling dreams…hopes…imaginings. Life is story. We all have a story waiting to be lived, even at nine years old—at 9-years old….or 30 or 50 or even 70 or more. It’s never too late to follow our dreams. If one dream can’t be done, then create a new dream!

922. like a rock

at sundown

there was a turtle on a log

like a rock

On the bridge there was the setting sun and cool breeze. I didn’t want to leave empty-handed without a poem.

921. i’ll be seeing you

at peace at last

all the way up to heaven

between the stars

 

“It was a great ride…time now to journey on. Thanks for all the wonderful memories. I’ll see you on the other shore.” Willey 2009-2023

920. Willey

as the sun goes down—

in a world of his own

in a world of his own

At peace with Life, he seems to know all that there is to know. I could sit and watch Willey forever.

919. a sunny day

grandma, grandpa

mom, dad, and all the children

smiling 

Stopping along the roadside and glancing down at these dandelion flowers, I immediately thought to myself, there’s a family. 

They come in all sizes, shapes, colors, forms. Life is all about family.  Rod Stewart said…you go through life wondering what is it all about, but at the end of the day it’s all about family. 

918. listening to myself

taking notes

grabbing a piece of paper

voice from the past

(Shorthand and a few scratches.)

I wanted to save a thought as more thoughts kept coming. I grabbed a piece of paper that was folded in half, then half again but was already covered all over with notations I’d made some time before, so I opened it up to use the other side. There she was again, ready to listen. I jotted the words and made a few scratches. 

Here’s the quote I wanted to save: “For all that has happened—thanks. For all that shall be—yes.”  Dag Hammarskjold

917. wanting & won’ting

i stand there and stare—

i want the bird to peep out

but it won’t…it won’t

*

write five-seven-five:

i’m not a big fan of rules

but i can do it!

There we were, the bird and I, playing our own simple ‘chicken game,’ both of us wanting to be the winner. It wasn’t me!🐦

The other day, I composed the second haiku—it was originally about wanting a pot of water to boil. I’ve been wanting and waiting for just the right opportunity to use it—another example of that old saying, ‘good things come to those who wait!’😘

916. reflections

fisherman

along the water’s edge 

seeing double

At home in the world. Looking into the water and seeing the beauty all around. 

 

915. little things

stopping 

on east baker street for 

the daily shout-out

*

that little bird

singing at the top of his lungs:

TRADER JOE’S!

Is he singing for his supper? I wonder. 😉

Isn’t it amazing….the mighty might of something so small. Just goes to show you how little things can make you smile and make you feel glad.

914. life goes on….

becoming one

with the trees and the ground

mossy moss

*

out of the stump rot

something green is growing….

waiting for daffodils

Life goes on, no matter what, just look at the moss. Mosses have been growing all over the earth nearly 300 million years, maybe more, and they will go on growing here long after we’ve gone, you and I. 

 

913. imposter!

all lit up

like a flocked christmas tree

posing for a picture

Off in the distance that tree, striking a pose, with a trillion twinkling lights, too beautiful to ignore.  Lo and behold, it was a magnolia! Isn’t it amazing how Nature surprises and delights. 

912. just playing.

sunny day

nothing to do but pretend

i’m a sunflower!🌻 

 

Just playing!🌞

911. that magnolia flower

shouts out loud

that magnolia flower—

“Spring! Spring! Spring!”

*

big enough

that magnolia flower

to eat for dinner!

Like a guardian at the gate to the Ambler Arboretum, it stopped me in my tracks. It wouldn’t let me pass by until I stopped for inspection! It was a hybrid magnolia flower, I’m guessing about 8 or 10 inches around, nearly as large as a sunflower!

910. Spring

it must be spring

that tree is coming to life

taking wing

Side by side, bare wood and blossoms come to life, filling us with hope. Spring.

909. Easter morning

frosty morning

no bunny or chick in sight 

only penguins

Wishing you Happy Easter!🐰🐣🐧 

908. three giants

in the morning haze

looming high above the trees

three mighty giants

These are just three of the antenna in Roxborough’s “tower farm,” which transmit power to television and radio stations for Philadelphia and surrounding areas. In all there are 15 giant towers, with the tallest reaching 1,280 feet up into the sky. That’s nearly a quarter of a mile high—which might take the average middle-age walker 5 minutes, more or less, to walk all the way to the top….imagine that!😉

907. purr and be happy!😻

arm hurts, knee still aches

time for a little music….

the cat is purring

Nothing bothers Mikey. She’s always happy. Her motto is: “purr and be happy!”😻

 

906. having a blast

heading due west

as if in a whirlwind—

straight as an arrow

*

what fun:

two ships in the deep blue

chasing the sun

Whenever I might be feeling a little off or unsure of which way to go or what to write about next, I go outside for a walk….and sure enough after a while, heaven will straightaway show me the way.

What fun looking up at the sky. Two contrails streaking in tandem, the little one staying just ahead all the way, pacing the race. I couldn’t help but wonder….are those two pilots looking out through their windows, talking to each other….having a blast!

 

905. 10 years

four eyes

two minds

one heart

*

telling our fortune:

things will change….nothing will change

traveling thru time

*

that’s the way we were—

our looks have changed, it’s true….

our hearts, still one

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s true. This picture is worth a thousand memories. It’s true.

904. gotcha!

taking it all in:

sound, lighting, camera—check!

zooming in….

 

Behind the scenes in the photography studio, getting ready to shoot the movie:  the video crew, the sound technician, the interviewer and the interviewees….cameras everywhere!

903. fun in the morning

two birds

at the edge of the launching pad

lift off, time after time

*

so many ways,

so many different ways—

the sky’s the limit!

Wings aloft: flexing, stretching, tucking, fluttering, bending, soaring high, dipping low, turning around to hurry back and do it over and over. What fun!  All the while we sat there down below, sitting and sitting, sipping coffee, people watching, bird watching, and chattering. That was fun too.

902. sun and the moon

sun coming up….

and the moon plays peekaboo 

and winks at me

 

Lately it seems that wherever I go, whenever I look up….there’s the moon.

901. living the dream

on the balcony

red kerchief in his pocket

gazing at the sky

*

taking it all in

blue jeans and a shortsleeve tee—

at home on the range

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” Colin Powell