Florida Haiku

Off to Orlando in 8 hours ... thought up this reflection of what it will be like ...

am I in oven?
water from body and sky
Florida in June

Can't wait :-)

Old Joke Haiku

I thought about calling this entry "Mourning Haiku" as a play on the title of my last entry ... but this haiku is funny in the sick way and I want to save that title for the day when I can come up with something that can touch the soul ...

screaming passengers;
peaceful ending for old man
asleep at the wheel

Morning Haiku

Hmmm ... maybe I'm getting addicted to the art form, but here is a haiku that popped into my head a moment ago:

bear grunts in distance

loon answers plaintive whistle

morning has broken

My Bleeding Heart -- The Spring Garden

I love watching the garden come to full bloom in spring. My tulips are finished and mowed into the grass once more, but my French Lilac is in full bloom (covered) and the Bleeding Hearts are some of my favorites. They don't last all that long, but they look amazing, especially on a day like today where there is soft rain and perfect light. The Ostrich Ferns have control of much of my garden now, having wiped out all of my Astilbes, but the Hostas, Bleeding Hearts and Lilies of the Valley are fighting the brave fight. A few shots from today ...

The Bleeding Heart plant that has become completely dominated by the Ostrich Ferns has begot a pair of child plants in the main front garden, and they have come into full bloom this year.

Remember to click on each image to see the larger version ...


I have tried for years to truly capture the beauty of the French Lilac. Here's my best yet, aided by the tiny water droplets from today's misty rain.


Here's a shot of the Lilac from a low angle against a neighbour's Red Maple. Very nice, but there was a tiny bit of wind movement, so not as sharp as I would have liked.


Ah, the Lily of the Valley ... a pretty little ground cover that blooms these tiny white bells. It is slowly spreading, and when it reaches the Ferns' area, a battle royal will ensue for dominance of the garden. Stay tuned about 5 years from now :-)


Another angle on the bleeding hearts ... yes, I can never get enough of a good thing.


While I consider the Ostrich Fern an evil weed, there is no denying their inherent beauty on days of soft misty rain ... they add a lush greenery that is pretty hard to come by any other way.


But let us not forget the stunning Honeybell Hosta, a rain catcher extraordinaire ...


See the rest of the series in my gallery.

For any techies out there, these were shot on the Nikon D300 with a Nikon 300mm F4 AFS and a TC17e teleconverter for an effective focal length of about 750mm. Since it was raining and the light was soft and low, I was forced to shoot from tripod, a Feisol 3471 and Markins M20L ball head. It is nice to remember now and again how sharp a pro lense can be when shot from a tripod.

Passion Haiku

Can passion conquer the soul, leaving one helpless before the siren?

Someone I know has passion of such intensity for all things nature. Today is her birthday and I am sending best wishes in the form of haiku that explores such joy to be tapped at will ...

wandering rapture;
sunny skies, soft winds slaking
unquenchable thirst

...

difficult ascent,
spectacular scenery;
great effort requites

And when the well runs dry ...

trail into rapture
joy absorbs quiescent mind;
food for angry bear

...

freshly slashed tree bark;
ominous, but less so than
wrist-watch in droppings

Happy Birthday :-)

The Pool is Ready!

Well, sort of. The water is perfect ... crystal clear and clean, you could drink it. But ... the water is 62 degrees today ...

A few images in case it is hot where you are and you don't have a pool ... my apologies, but the cruelty of this really appeals to me :-)