Last Chance

Dogwood park is closing tomorrow with the announcement of the stay at home order for the state of North Carolina. Only essential movement is permitted.  We decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day and meet our Son and family at the park for the first time on over three weeks. We picnicked using two tables and spread out making no physical contact with them. How odd not to greet with hugs!  It was a beautiful day and the dogwoods for which the park was named were in full bloom.

A beautiful day

Park will be closed from now on…

Dogwoods still blooming

Other families were enjoying the park….

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Haiku for a Winter Day

Winter
Darkness closes in
Winter comes softly creeping
Hiding in the shadows

Snowflakes
Big wet snowflakes
Hold hands as they dance toward earth
Melting hearts are warm

Cardinals
Red Cardinals arrive
Filling their gullets with seeds
For a long cold night

Carolina Wren
Hyper little wren
Nervous always moving round
Chipper little friend

Chickadee
Black-capped Chicakadee
Dressed in his gray and white tux
Eat seeds with abandon

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Early Spring

Spring came early this year. Feels like March rather than February. Flowers are blooming in all their glory. More cold weather is predicted. Will they last? Only time will tell.

Fingers of sunshine

Petals of lavender-blue

Spring beauty soon gone

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

The Last of the Berries

My pyracantha bushes were loaded with berries this summer. As winter came on, and food got scarce, the birds gradually began eating them. Today I was delighted to see three bluebirds on the bushes feeding on the last of the berries. I am thinking that they might be migrating north already.  We are expecting warm weather this week in the high 60 F and maybe even 70 F. Spring is on the way!

Bluebirds stop and eat

Last of the summer berries

Food for the journey

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

I am linking this to the Monday Haibun for Frank Tassone’s prompt spring.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

https://www.bing.com/search?q=do+bluebirds+migrate&form=EDGSPH&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&msnews=1&plvar=0&refig=ebece0541fe1475587a805c38217930d&sp=-1&pq=do+bluebirds+migrate&sc=8-20&qs=n&sk=&cvid=ebece0541fe1475587a805c38217930d

Ocean Tunes

November wave’s fingers

send chills down a sandy beach

Ocean lullabies

strummed over and over

Lulling all of us to sleep

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

Spider Poetry

This beautiful writing spider floated in mid-air on the corner of my garage door. Spinning its lines next to the light, it sits waiting for the next poor bug to fly into the web. It is one of the biggest writing spiders that I have seen. Today I saw it wrapping up a bug for future consumption! Looks like his patience payed off!

Spider spins its web

Writing nature’s poetry

Floating on beauty

 

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Posting this for my Monday Haibun  on  d’Verse Poets Pub

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Sturgeon Moon

The Full Moon in August is referred to by the Native Americans as the Sturgeon Moon. It is thought that it was due to the large numbers of sturgeon that were available in the northern lakes and rivers at this time of year. Sturgeon are thought to be prehistoric remnants of the ice age. They are bottom feeders that live much longer than most fish. Their boney scale-less bodies and long pointy noses make them look quite different from most fish. Today, Frank Tassone asked us to write a Haikai poem that refers to the Sturgeon Moon. The painting above, of the moon over the mountains and the flowing river, is one I did a few months back. Yesterday, I went back and added more details and color to the original. It is a recycled painting from the Habitat Restore.

Sturgeon Moon rises

Like a boney reflection

Ancient survivor

This is my little corner of the garage where I do my painting!

Join us at:   https://frankjtassone.com/2019/08/10/haikai-challenge-99-8-10-19-sturgeon-moon-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

 

Remembering Mom

Mom passed away in 2007 at the age of 93. She was one of a kind, caring and compassionate, with a love that went beyond herself to those around her. Her life was spent in service to her family, her husband, and others.  She was strong and enduring, with a will to find meaning and purpose up to the end. She took time to read to us when we were young. Her faith in God went very deep and she shared that with everyone she met. She was a preacher’s wife who worked hard to bring the love of God to others.

Mom // strength of mountains

Caring love brings ebb and flow

Compassion for all

*********

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Snowing Cherry Blossoms

Surprise Spring snowfall

Snowflakes melt in warm sunshine

Cherry Blossoms fall

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Today Frank Tassone asked us to write a Haikai poem that alluded to cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms welcome spring in the United States and in Japan, where festivals are held to celebrate them.  Last week it snowed one day and was in the sixties F. the next day!

Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/04/06/haikai-challenge-80-4-6-19-cherry-blossoms-sakura-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

Blending in…

Grapevines shelter doves

Warming in winter sunshine

Safer to blend in

Hawks circling high above

We too feel safe blending in

******

Photo: Dwight L. Roth