If you follow my blog, you may remember that I attempted to save my three little Hibiscus over the winter by keeping them in my garage. Now that the frost is no longer a threat, I planted them in my flower bed. They immediately started forming heads and today they began blooming, even before they have developed much green foliage. They are so beautiful. I am glad they survived the winter hibernation!
Beauty blooms in pairs
Surviving hibernation
Lesson for us all
In our travels last weekend, we once again saw many family members we had not seen since before Covid. My nephew has a cute young girl who is full of life and lots of imagination. She told her parents she wanted to go to Japan to see the Cherry Blossoms. But instead of making that trip they came up with a compromise and drove to Washington, DC the next day where they saw these beautiful Cherry Blossoms in full bloom.
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Photo: Cedric Roth
Haibun Monday at d’Verse, with Frank Tassone giving us a Cherry Blossom prompt for spring.
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When I went to pull the shade on my sliding glass door, the long rays of the sun were shining through the grease smudges on the window revealing this sad, but beautiful image. Another dove took a hard hit and left this imprint on the glass. This happens from time to time. So far, they are able to fly away after the hit. They see the reflection of the woods and sky in the window and don’t seem to realize it is an illusion.
Wingspread imprinted
on sliding door’s illusion
Winter sun shows all
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Frank Tassone at d’Verse asked us to write a Haibun of winter. Lots of birds come to my feeder in the winter months. Doves enjoy seeds scattered on the deck. Sometimes they get reckless. I am sharing this one that happened yesterday. Amazing!
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“After last night’s storm the tulip petals are strewn across the patio
where they mortally fluttered.”- Church, Jim Harrison
This week I got word of two different friends who died from Covid-19. Gerry was my neighbor and friend for many years. He was full of life, and as his daughter said, “His zest for life was infectious…” He never knew a stranger and his compassion for people of all races and colors was an example to all of us. My wife and I had a standing weekend dinner date with Gerry and Alice for many years. Now I am reflecting on so many good times together with them.
I learned to know Loraine at our local Habitat for Humanity Restore. She was the assistant manager for several years and always appreciated the volunteer work I did there. She was a feisty redhead who didn’t take any junk from anyone, yet she had a heart of gold. She retired a couple of years ago and had recently gone to live with her daughter in Florida.
It saddens me when my close friends are strewn across Covid-19’s dark deck, fluttering as they breath their last. Brings realization of my own mortality before my eyes.
Petals strewn will fade
Old friends bid farewell and pass
Great memories linger
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Today at d’Verse, Linda asked us to choose one of eight lines from Jim Harrison, writer and poet, and used the line as an epigraph to a poem we will write. It can be any form, so for this one I chose to write a memorial Haibun.
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Fallen Rose Petals – Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
My Hibiscus bloomed today. After sitting in the Summer heat the past couple months with no flowers, it opened up once again with two gorgeous blooms. Now that the temperatures have cooled some, it has been rejuvenated. There are a couple more buds starting to develop as well.
The perfect pair!
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
A few years ago I watched a PBS art show about painting waves. I wanted to try it but did not have a big canvas at that time, so I took, four 11 x 14 canvases and attached them together with a board. I painted the picture and then took the board off the back. The individual canvases can be separated a few inches and hung on the wall. It was a different way of painting that tried a few different time. I like the effect very much. I sold it to my neighbors, down the street, who liked it very much as well.
Rolling waves churning
immense power lies beneath
Parting waves calms storm
Painting of Waves: Dwight L. Roth
I planted a few of these beautiful yellow iris a few years ago. They grew really well. I even got two or three blooms. After that nothing, just green flags waving in the wind. After about three years with no blooms, I dug them up and threw them into the woods. I left a few growing on the hill at the back edge of the yard. Well wouldn’t you know, I found a yellow bloom the other day, and a few more ready to open after the rain finishes. I have no idea why they would not bloom like the blue iris do. Any suggestions?
Yellow iris blooms
Captured sunshine in Spring rain
Cut… put on display
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
A few weeks ago a 22 x 28 print on canvas, of the Oyster Gatherers of Cancale, came in to the Habitat Restore where I volunteer. It was in very bad shape with stains and yellow with cigarette smoke. We could not clean it, so I decided to get it and attempt to do a restoration on it to bring it back to life. I painted over the colors with acrylic paints, trying to keep the feel of the original. This is what I completed today. The original is below.
Impressionistic
Smoke stains covered with fresh paint
Life on French seashore
“John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the “leading portrait painter of his generation” for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He was born in Florence to American parents, and trained in Paris before moving to London, living most of his life in Europe. He enjoyed international acclaim as a portrait painter.
From the beginning, Sargent’s work is characterized by remarkable technical facility, particularly in his ability to draw with a brush, which in later years inspired admiration as well as criticism for a supposed superficiality.
In later life Sargent expressed ambivalence about the restrictions of formal portrait work, and devoted much of his energy to mural painting and working en plein air. Art historians generally ignored “society” artists such as Sargent until the late 20th century.”
Years ago we lived in a house with a driveway that lined up with the constellation of Orion. When we came home after dark, we could look up and see Orion’s belt shining above the end of our drive. Later, we moved to a house that was surrounded with trees. Very few stars could be seen and Orion was nowhere to be found.
Three stars bright stars make up the belt and are easiest to see. They are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. They are giant stars that are so far away it takes over 12,000 lightyears for the light from these stars to reach the earth! This is hard for me to comprehend. Our universe is so vast we here on earth are just dust in the wind.
Orion’s belt glows
Starlight from beyond our time
Bright string of pearls
Today at d’Verse, Kim asked us to write a haibun about the stars in the night sky!
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Picture from: orion-constellation.jpg (600×600) (wordpress.com)
Information from wikapedia.com
Roth Poetry 
