Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Bethesda Cemetery with Jessica

 Today Jessica and I went to Bethesda Cemetery to walk around and take some pictures. Here are six pictures I took and one that Jessica took (it should be obvious which one Jessica took):







Sunday, July 26, 2020

Wishes, just ten cents: A Haiku


Wishes, just ten cents
But to have your wish granted--
That's a whole quarter!

(I don't know if all of these little poems I've been posting here lately really count as haiku--they don't all strongly engage nature, there's not necessarily a seasonal reference, and they sometimes work too hard to achieve a specific line and syllable count, which is not actually what haiku is all about--but I have fun creating them, and that counts for a lot! I'm going to keep calling them haiku, however, for lack of a better term.)

Saturday, July 25, 2020

I know this door leads: A Tanka



I know this door leads
Someplace wonderful, joyful--
Where light does not blind,
Nor do differences divide--
If only we had the key.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

When I notice them: A Haiku



When I notice them
I'm delighted they're up there--
When I notice them.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Walking 'round the lake: A Haiku



Walking 'round the lake
Avoiding other walkers
Walking 'round the lake

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Haiku and tanka: A Tanka



Haiku and tanka
Give us peeks into nature,
And I think this counts:
Since the dang lawn mower quit,
The grass can be wild a while.

Saturday, July 18, 2020

New games at the park: A Haiku



New games at the park:
Hopscotch court; tic-tac-toe board--
But no one to play! 

Friday, July 17, 2020

Ten degrees cooler: A Haiku



Ten degrees cooler
In the shade: the humble tree, 
Just doing its job. 

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Across the park's lake: A Tanka



Across the park's lake
The dinosaur is drinking
Until a twig snaps
Prompting her to turn and flee
Leaving me to stare in awe. 

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Yellow-fringed flowers: A Tanka



Yellow-fringed flowers:
Continue looking skyward,
And pay me no mind.
(I need not have told them that;
It's what they do anyway.)

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Sure sign of Summer: A Tanka




Sure sign of Summer:
Christmas at Hobby Lobby!
Tacky? Sure. But I
Prize this confidence we'll still
Be around come December.

(I hope that months or years from now when I re-read this, COVID-19 will be so far behind us that I have to put in a special effort to remember, "Now, why was it again I wrote that stuff about still being around in December?")

Monday, July 13, 2020

Modest pumpkin patch: A Tanka



Modest pumpkin patch:
It pleases us so to see
Your first summer blooms!
We pray you survive the heat
From now until Halloween.

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Avoiding the sun: A Haiku



Avoiding the sun
After a leisurely walk:
Sweaty summer day.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary

Today we went to the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary, the recently-opened and much-improved (and under-new-ownership) version of what used to be called the Yellow River Game Ranch. The family who bought the property two years ago after the DNR shut it down has done a great job of improving it. Much of it is the same, but the improvements and additions are significant and much-needed; it feels better maintained, and the animals seem well-cared-for.

Here are a few of the pictures I took while we were there:



(It isn't all a petting zoo, as you might assume from these pictures; I just didn't get any good pictures of the parts that aren't.)

Here's Elyse taking a selfie among the bamboo:


One of my favorite parts of any such place is the gift shop, and theirs is pretty good. I didn't buy a T-shirt or coffee cup, but I plan to on a future visit; we did buy a unicorn cookie for Elyse (also some rock candy for Jessica, but I didn't take a picture of that).




Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center Redux



I came back to the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center for a walk while Elyse is at Granny and Pa's and Anna and Jessica are having a Harry Potter movie marathon. When you approach the pond, the fish and turtles all swim over expectantly and look up at you with open mouths and make you feel guilty, even though there is a sign saying not to feed them, which I believe proves (1) fish and turtles can't read, and (2) a lot of people who come here ignore the sign.