1719. chameleon

red maple🍁

turning green to fit in

chameleon 

From red to green to red. Tender leaves of the red maple tree grow, turn green as they mature and then, at the end, turn red again. Makes me think of how children grow to become adults, then near the end go back to childhood ways. In one way or another, we’re all here to grow, it’s just a matter of time.

1718. the little tiger

not much to say

viewing blue morning glories

under the stars

 

“The Little Tiger” — 19x12” — Origami

Here’s my latest origami composition.  This is a tribute to all the orange tabby cats everywhere and a special remembrance of my “Willey Boy,” who lives on in my heart forever. 😻

1717. who?

 

log cabin

tucked away in the woods—

who lives there?

Returning to gaze from time to time, finding a fresh moment of peace.

1716. contemplation

the taste of coffee

especially good this morning 

here comes the sun

The house next-door waking up with the early morning sun.

1715. fireflies

i saw my first firefly

but have no picture to show….

please forgive me

Yesterday, I saw my first firefly. I have no picture to show, but I do have these lilies. Aren’t they pretty?

1714. cooling off

fir trees

covered in snow….

cooling off 

 

When times get too hot🥵….slow down….be still….close your eyes and picture this….🥶

1713. they’re back

good as gold

surprises never end—

they’re back! 

Yesterday‘s walk around the neighborhood:  I looked down into the creek and there they were again: goldfish! Top picture is from last August, my post #1415 which featured goldfish in this very same spot. Thing is…the creek bed here is narrow and most of the time dry, it occasionally gets some runoff after a rain. These can’t be the same goldfish from last year….can they? Where did they come from?  Why are they here?  Oh, I just love nature’s surprises!

1712. army of angels

army of angels

gathering momentum 

without a sound 

We never know when they’ll show up. Be kind to strangers….they might be angels sent down from above. It’s good to have holy places close to home.

(These were strange to me, my first time seeing white jelly mushrooms.)

1711. super!

red poppies

dotting the green meadow

nodding

*

poppies in bloom

lifting faces to the sun

seven feet high

I’m not hallucinating! For real, some really are seven feet tall. But they’re not real, though they sure are red! Super!

😘

 

1710. cool cat

cat 

on top of the ac unit

keeping cool

 

Two days ago a big storm hit at sundown, tripping thru, whipping trees and power lines everywhere—-hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings without power, without lights, air conditioning, fans, fridges or freezers in 90-degree temperatures!🥵  This cat next door knows how to keep cool, no matter what!😽 

1709. peek-a-boo

peek-a-boo

yes, you—i’m talking to you

i see you

 

What’s this? Something’s brewing…. She must be working on her next composition.😘

1708. hello summer!

me! me! me!

like it’s talking to me—

take my picture!

 

First sunflower—it must be summer!

1707. sneaking a peek

taking a picture,

 a picture inside

from outside

 

I was on my way into the library when I was stopped by stuff piled up inside a car. Books, games, books, puzzles, a pair of shoes, books, a yoga mat, and more books! I guess one can never have too many books….TGFL!😘

1706. stillness

that cat

perched on top of the rail

what’s on his mind

Sometimes all it takes is the stillness of a cat to slow you down, calm you down.  

1705. la de da

STOP!

look out! look up!

in the nick of time

Walking along the trails in the woods there she was not paying attention to where she was headed—la de da—looking around down on the ground at the ferns and the leaves, the crystalline rocks and a robin’s blue egg.

1703. top dog

sniffing flowers

one after the other….

arf! arfchoo!

*

you’re the greatest

no doubt about it, dad

you’re the top dog!

“Top Dog” — 6 x 6” — Origami Composition 

Happy Father’s Day to all the top dogs out there everywhere!🐶

1702. namesake👋🏻

a kitty sighting—

stopping to say hello

hello kitty!

 

On the way home, driving by along the main road that leads into my village, there she was in the front window—Hello Kitty. I stopped the car walked back to the house, took my picture and waved, hello and goodbye!👋🏻  BTW in case you don’t know, Hello Kitty came out in 1975 and by 2010 was worth $5 billion a year. According to her backstory, she lives in a suburb in London and is close to our twin sister, Mimmy!😘

1701. formidable

down below

under a belly full of feathers

such handsome feet!

 

Watching a gaggle of Canada Geese and several young broods of goslings feeding on grasses by a nearby pond, my attention followed the easy swagger of one particular big bird. I was especially taken with the sure, sturdy step of its formidable feet. 

1699. oldie but goodie

it’s my birthday 

if i could have just one more wish

let’s all live in peace

one by one

“Ole Ola We Are One!” - 18 x 13” - Origami

This is an oldie but goodie….just like me.😘

 

1698. earth, wind, water, fire

fresh mushrooms

on the lawn, plump and juicy

large as saucers!

*

family of mushrooms 

surrounding a rotted out tree

tenderly

*

rotted out tree

hosting a family of mushrooms 

plump and fresh

Seeing life from different perspectives. Life goes on. Earth, wind, water, and fire contrive together to keep life going. Always. 

1700. this and that

hey! it’s her again

that lady tom, sneaking 

a peep 👀 

This morning, I read of the craze for winning haiku prizes in late 17th century Tokyo. Reminded me of a t-shirt that I won years ago entering a Japanese haiku contest. That t-shirt was cool, too bad I don’t have it anymore. This picture has nothing to do with that—it’s just a fun picture. My winning haiku went something like this:

snap crackle pop, pop

chiropractic adjustment….

ahhh!

1697. the moon disappeared

the moon disappeared 

when the fireworks started

the sky turned black

 

Honestly, I don’t know how my camera took this picture.  The sky just turned to black. And when the fireworks were over, the moon came out again in yesterday‘s blog post.

1696. up in the sky

quiet night

a hop, skip, and a jump

before the fireworks

 

I never thought I’d see it, but there it was—the sun, the moon, and the stars all strung out together across the sky!😘

1695. steps

i step, he moves

i step, then he moves again

i step and he’s gone!

American toad. See his handsome coat—he’s not just a country bumpkin. You know what they say…. “Clothes make the man.”😘

1694. free seeds!

opening the window

bird sings….train whistles by

empty seed pods

They once were red. The cyclamen flowers are all gone now and their seed pods have finally opened. There are plenty to share. Would anyone like some seeds to plant and grow?

1693. turn it up!

cool sunny day

skipping down the street

a carrot-top

 

Cell phone in hand….head bobbing….hair hopping….skirt swinging. Wowee! Zowee! Turn it up!  

1692. a matter of time

yard sale

stuck on pins and needles

ouch!

 

Treasure? Trash? Which is it?  Wait long enough and treasure turns into trash. Or wait long enough again and trash turns into treasure!😉 Things change—it’s all just a matter of time.

1691. miyuki

in the studio

time out for a photo shoot—

miyuki stops to pose

*

such a good dog

she sits and stays—

that’s miyuki

 

Miyuki means ‘deep snow’ in Japanese.

1690. blue or green

late spring

stepping out to the meadow

it’s all green

*

morning meadow

catching my eye….

the blue sky

So I asked him, “Why is the sky blue?”  “It’s not blue,” he said, “it’s all an illusion.” Hmmm. What about the grasses and leaves…what if they aren’t really green?

1689. goodnight snooze 💤

a visitor

appears in the dark

just hangin’

I was getting ready to go to bed and settle in for a good night snooze. Look what I saw…👀 

Though it did look like a daddy-long-legs spider, it’s more likely a cellar spider. Either way they’re peaceful creatures and beneficial for managing household insects, so I didn’t freak. It’s been said that cellar spiders are acrobatic specialists. This one sure seems to be proving the point. Look at how it’s hanging upside down in the air, like holding on to some invisible swing. And look how it appears to be cozying up to its shadow, settling in for a good night snooze. 💤