1657. the crow and i



before dawn
like a city-dwelling rooster
the crow crows
*
in the silence,
sounds of the morning crow
penetrate the candle





The early crow is calling for the morning sun….does anyone hear his crowing?








1656. no roses



in the woods
oyster mushrooms….better 
than roses!
*
oyster mushrooms
sitting like the Buddha 
meditating 
*
oyster mushrooms
here today, gone tomorrow
enjoy today



 

In the woods no roses to stop and smell, but look at these oyster mushrooms, how they glow! 




1655. eye on Dan


down on his knee
down the long hallway….
hope he can get up!




Yesterday we were at The Mill Artist Studios in Manayunk for their studio open house event, always a good time for taking photos of all the art or all the people. My eye was on Dan. I wonder if he’ll post what his eye was on here.




1654. just cruisin’


in the story…
morning till night, best pals
just cruisin’





Cool, cool…blading in the sun. Under the sun in the S-K-Y. Ahh yess, this is the life!
 




1653. weed or flower?



busy bee
petal by petal
dives in…yum!


 

The dandelion, call it what you like—weed or flower—the bee doesn’t care what you think of it, only that it’s sweet with nectar and pollen and loaded with nutrition. Yum!




1652. the king


waving in the wind
all the way from China—
the king

 


Oh, look—the first peonies this Spring! I had to stop. I pulled over, stepped out of the car and walked across the street to take a picture. I was on my way to see the acupuncturist. The peony is the national flower of China where it is known as the King of Flowers representing nobility, wealth, masculinity, and feminine beauty. Highly prized, the peony flower has appeared in painting and poetry for centuries and also been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its healing properties.




1651. handy dandy greens


in the kitchen
always having greens on hand 
comes in handy



I like always to have some parsley greens on hand to add a bit of color to my meals. I keep the greens handy on the kitchen window sill. On the window sill:  a cat buddah, an old Christmas present from Dan…a red origami heart…a small bunch of handy dandy parsley greens…a pink potted flower…a few dried leaves…and just one pine cone, a souvenir from the woods.



1650. a little red


gloomy day
waiting in line, she puts on 
a little red


 


Stuck in line waiting for the train, she puts on her red lipstick. Funny how a little color can brighten your day.




1649. seven surfers


the ocean rolls
nothing is ever the same
this floating world


 

Everything changes. There’s nothing to hold on to. Some waves are easy, some are hard. “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” The ocean rolls.



1648. camera to camera


mirrored image 
poised for just the right moment 
the ocean rumbles 


 


Here I am focused on Dan out there, poised with his camera for the right moment. I especially like how the wet sand mirrors the strip of white on the bottom of his left shoe. I wonder if Dan will post his views of this moment today. 



1647. to the lighthouse


all bundled up
not much to say or to do….
just chillin’






Overcast and chilly but any weather is good weather to be by the ocean in the sand and great big sky with the seagulls and dolphins, strolling along on the way to the lighthouse way off in the distance. Yesterday we walked 8.4 miles. I walked 22,131 steps…Dan walked 18,779 steps—my legs are shorter!


1646. ferocious! 💨💨💨

 


all i can say is:
windy…windy… windy… winds!!!
ferocious!!!






Clouds up in the sky down on the beach—as above so below.

We’re at the beach in Cape May where steady 30- or 40-mph winds were blowing yesterday and expected again today.




1645. pretty in pink


empty lane
nothing but pink petals
leading the way

 



It’s Spring again, pretty as a picture. This lane changes color, season to season. Blossoming with possibilities, I like it pink.






1644. early bird


early bird
the sea, the sand, and the moon 
feasting on fishes!






“Feasting on Fresh Fish” - 10x8” - Origami Composition 

In the morning glow, the moon rising…and there by the sea along the southern shore, the color of ruddy sand, a lone penguin is shooting the breeze, feasting on fishes.
🐧🐟😋

I created this piece after seeing a charming movie, “The Penguin Lessons.” The story is based on the real-life experiences of a British writer who adopts a penguin and smuggles him into a boys’ boarding school during a turbulent time in the history of Argentina. The movie uses a pair of real penguins, life partners named Baba and Richard, in many of the scenes.  It’s playing in theaters now—go see it!





1643. rain, rain, rain


april rains pour down 
and the worms come up for air
stopping traffic

 


Stopping traffic, a worm! We tried twigs to pick up the worm but it squirmed and wriggled, squirmed and wriggled, so we had to use our fingers to carry it away from the road and on to the grassy area. We kept our eyes out for occasional cars or pickup trucks. Next time it rains, I’ll wear my tee shirt that says, SLOW DOWN…I STOP FOR WORMS!🪱😁





1642. the red pony


splendid!
let’s make a pony, my friend
and go for a ride!


 

No matter how old, no matter how gray, the playing never ends.  Just give her a piece of paper and she’ll show you a good time! 😘 




1641. magnolia


scattering in the wind
turning the green grasses pink
magnolia blossoms 





The wind, the wind, blows in and paints the green grasses pink. Magnolia blossoms, piling one by one by one on top of so many others. I thought about counting the flowers, but didn’t know how to begin.





1640. the thing


hey, look!
teeny tiny teeny weeny
dog biscuit 





Sometimes the thing that catches the eye is so big you have to stand back to take it all in. Sometimes the thing is so small, you nearly step on it!





1639. time


bland or beautiful
last summer’s field of flowers—
blooming still?

 


How many times have I passed by these flowers and looked without much notice, thinking them unworthy of attention, merely ‘dead.’ Everything, every thing in nature contains some measure of beauty if you would only pause to look and really see what’s in front of you. It takes time. 






1638. the big stick


walking tall
carrying a big stick
that’s Cody

 


That’s Cody, pausing to pose for a picture with a big smile ….he could easily win the big stick contest!




1637. what is life?


what is life?
a long walk across time
hand in hand


 

What is life? Here’s what Chief Crowfoot said: “It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”




1636. to talk or not to talk


talk, talk, talk—
meanwhile all the shoes
wait and listen


 


Sometimes I’d rather not talk, just listen.




1635. shout out for green!


next to red
my very favorite is
green
*
here a green
there a green, everywhere 
a green green—ahh!



 

Shout out for green:  dark green, light green, pine green, willow green, forest green, hunter green, emerald green, olive green, apple green, lime green, mint green, pea green, veridian, chartreuse, celadon, jade… I’ll stop here before I run out of room! What’s your favorite green?




1634. if tulips could talk…



me! me! me!
look at me!
ME!

 


No shy wallflower is this one!  I’m not in any hurry but if I die and come back in the spring as a flower, let me be a tulip for just one day.😘

I couldn’t remember how to “lift” and “paste” the centerpiece of my photo—Dan helped me. This one’s for Dan!





1633. on the move



on the move
tumbling down to the street
violets





They grow all on their own, no fuss no muss. All they need is sunshine and rain, and just a little bit of soil to dig down with their roots. Seeing violets always reminds me of that lovely old spring-time song,”Violets for Your Furs,” by Billie Holiday, Johnny Hartman, Frank Sinatra, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck. 





1632. bawk-bawk!


chickens protesting
impending egg tariffs?
laying golf balls!

 



Look what I found yesterday at the BATS, my favorite thrift store: “Golf Balls $2/dozen!” Hmm….With today’s exorbitant egg prices, maybe I’ll buy a few and save them to dye for Easter!😘





1631. sun in the sky


softly, softly
it comes and it goes
without a sound





Some days the sky is blue….some days the sky is gray. 




1630. change


clouds roll in
and the clouds roll out—
changing moods





Scrolling thru change:  “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change….Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start getting excited about what could go right….All great change is proceeded by chaos….Change before you have to….Life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change…. The secret of change is not on fighting the old, but on building the new….Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end….”






1629. all smiles


she claps her hands:
horses cross over the meadow
pose for a photo 


 


Heels clicking, running together across the field, smiles and laughter bright as a sunny Spring sun, three horses. My pockets are empty—next time I’ll bring treats!





1628. Spring returns



beside the biggest tree
 there lives the smallest house
who goes there?

 




An old picket fence, three wooden ladders and one more in back, a long green sliding board, a blue bucket seat on a swing, two yellow pussycats, and pink binoculars. Cool breezes flow through the open windows airing out the house. Spring returns.