Eyes That Hear

Bob's Farewell

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 18:10:00 +0000

The Sixteenth of October was a day of rituals;

Bob's Day at the National Cemetery in Sarasota County, Florida.

The American Flag was smartly unfolded and waved over Bob's urn.

A Navy bugler played Taps

and tears began to flow.

Then, just as smartly, the flag was refolded and placed

between the urns of Bob Nutt and his wife Dorothy.

The American flag was presented to Bob's family.

A priest spoke a few words about Bob's life.

And the process of burying Bob and Dorothy was begun.

Long Live Robert Nutt!

Long may Bob's spirit of optimism, good humor, and caring

live throughout his neighborhood

and the world.

--- FIN ---

Missing Bob

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 15:57:00 +0000

Here I am looking across the street at Bob's house. It is late in the afternoon and the Wood Storks have begun arriving for their afternoon snacks of white bread.

These homely sentinels don't seem to understand why Bob is late. They have been coming here for years; this house is on their pathway of natural food resources.

The Storks are waiting for Bob in the same way we waited for him every day; full of faith he would come and the expectation he would deliver something special. However, those deliveries ceased on September 22 after Bob's last fall in his driveway; Bob had almost completed his first walk of the morning.

We were fortunate to be Bob's friends and his first stop of the day. He arrived at the front door punctually at 8 AM, pushing his walker across the street, carrying the day-old newspaper he shared with us.

Often times we would meet to exchange pleasantries and hugs. Bob was a WWII Seabee and proud to be ninty-one years old and able to walk the neighborhood three times a day. But more than that, Bob was a full-hearted optimist who graciously spread his cheerful moods

"Have a great day," I would say as he walked away. "You have a better one," he called in return.

I started emulating Bob's cheerful retort some time ago. Whenever someone wishes me a good day,

I respond ala Bob: "and you have a better one."

These greetings sometimes escalate into "Great, Wonderful" and even "Magnificent days." And all the greetings feel good.

Now when I look across the street at the empty house of Bob

I feel a tug in my chest

and a lightness in my head

because I miss that old man so much.

He was such a GOOD man in a world that needs more Bobs.

Wouldn't you know the Wood Storks are finally moving on,

after their lengthy, fruitless waiting for Bob.

Who is that at the front door?

Yes, now these primitive creatures beckon to me

in the same way they must have beckoned to Bob:

"How about a small snack to see us until our next fish dinner?"

I understand that white bread is fattening, but who can resist such noble creatures?

Not I.

XXX

FIN

Marsh Hawk Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:53:00 +0000

I was enjoying a breakfast of blueberry yogurt

when

a Marsh Hawk quickly descend into the back yard.

I put my spoon down and grabbed my camera.

Carefully, she checked the surroundings with a series of measured glances.

Then there was a flurry of wings and some hopping around in the grass.

Breakfast had arrived in the form of a black snake

who failed to negotiate 15 feet of grass between

the house and the garden.

The hawk remained cautious while holding onto the snake.

Little by little she prepared her breakfast.

When she flew away

the hawk left only one

small,

unrecognizable

chunk of

snake in the grass.

--- FIN ---

Patterns in the Sand

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 19:13:00 +0000

I live in Southwest Florida where I can walk for miles on beaches

that caress the eastern edge of the Gulf of Mexico.

While I am walking I can't help but to notice the patterns

that develop in the ever-changing seashore sands.

I interpret the patterns in the sand

maybe

because I was a geographer

and I remember that

Process

is the key to understanding

the shifting of physical

earth forms.

But also,

I love wind and waves.

And

who doesn't like

detective work???

From the subtlety of tidal debris patterns to the unmistakable canine foot print, detecting is just a small part of being there when one strolls the calming zone between the land and the sea,

While walking I ask myself what happened to leave the many and various patterns in the sand? What is the relative timeline in the scene? Which patterns were made first and by what force(s) of nature?

^^^

Please enjoy puzzling over some of the patterns and the natural forces

at work in the following iPhoto images from some of Florida's sandy beaches.

XXX

FIN

Patterns 1

Walking Around St. Thomas More

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 20:18:00 +0000

Consulting my Weather Bug the other day, I found a break in the everfalling summer rains and decided to take a walk around grounds of the St. Thomas More church nearby.

I needed a relook at the delicate green vines criss-crossing the fallen pine needles in this nature preserve,

so I took my little Fuji XP waterproof camera with me.

I love to eat mushrooms.

These are for viewing only.

Small things from a busy world.

Near the end of my walk through this St. Thomas More preserve

I passed this landscaping rock that impressed me

as rather alligatorish.

FIN

XXX

GAZ

Track & Field

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 20:10:00 +0000

USA Track & Field National
Masters Championships

July 22 - 23, 2015
University of North Florida at Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Is this Amazing or Not ???

87 year old Edward Cox

(Syracuse Chargers Track Club)

won the 100 Yard Dash

with a time of 16.87 seconds.

98 year old Champion Goldy, Sr

(Potomac Valley Track Club)

won the 100 Yard Dash

in 31.83 seconds.

Athletes, from 30 to 99 years old, must qualify for the Masters Track and Field Championships by accumulating points derived from showings in prior sanctioned races held around the country. Qualified athletes compete in four-year age-brackets, starting with ages 30-34, 35-39, etcetera until 78-99 culminates in the last grouping.

Few people attended this National event.

I got the motivation to go to the meet because my friend, Lucas Faron, ran in the

35-39 year old bracket of the 800 meter championship race.

Unfortunately, I failed to get a field pass

and had to view events from the stands.

Early Morning Race Time

Female runners of all ages begin to assemble on the track.

A lot of talking and milling about as runners try to loosen up and shake their pre-race tensions.

The men enter the track more rigidly, as if under control of pre-race emotions.

Officialdom

I assume the officials were Track and Field Athletes at some time during their lives.

The Runners!

Female 30-35 bracket - Rounding the first turn

First lap for older gents.

Nearing the finish line.

Plenty of Time.

Good for Second Place.

A winner.

An aspirant.

A battle

More than winning: Good Sportsmanship and Caring

Endurance testing.

A good run

Going for Gold

------------Some POST RACE VIEWS-----------

Exhaustion

When daddy is a winner.

Who would have believed it?

Second Place
800 Meter
Ribbon winners

Lucas Faron and David Cooke
who

met in high school

meet again at the track.

XXX

I am beginning to wonder how fast

I can run the 100.

Hummm, could I possibly take a medal in the 75-99 year bracket????

XXX

Lucas and Lisa Faron

proud mother and son

Denis Paints Masks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 17:58:00 +0000

My friend Denis lives along the margins of Phillippi Creek, here in Sarasota.

Phillippi Creek drains the wet interior of Southwest Florida, bringing swampy inland waters directly into Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The creek provides a natural migration corridor for wild creatures like snakes, gators, otters, raccoons, fox and wading birds.

I have heard people swear that these natural water corridors also bring malevolent forces from the wilderness, like the "invisible forces" that rampage through urban neighborhoods causing chaos in the form of overturned garbage cans, as well as, missing pet cats, dogs, and hamsters.

Denis has calmed his back yard by lining his fences with a host of painted palm frond masks. The masks, he agrees, may contain voodoo powers, like Polynesian Tiki figures, in that they are able to repel backyard invaders from both the animal and the spirit world.

I love viewing his masks, these backyard artworks. Their “terror provoking” gazes and vibrant colors bring me a joyful, child-like lightness while being around them. I own a few of palm frond masks myself. A painted palm frond graces the Hundred Year Oak tree in my front yard; I call it my Hurricane Hex. Since I nailed it to the tree a few years ago, SW Florida has experienced no major tropical storms or hurricanes. One of Denis' masks also graces my front door entry warning visitors to be nice.

Here are some more of his colorful masks.

Like people themselves, each palm frond mask portrays an individual spirit; some have eyes that glow in the dark and no two spirit masks are exactly the same. This week I am revisiting Denis' artwork looking for another Mask, one that will grace my back yard and pool area.

I know Denis. He is a hard worker and a devoted artist. After he finishes an arduous day's work, cleaning roofs around the Sarasota area, you can find him hunkered down in his backyard studio creating more inspired Palm Frond Masks. I visited him recently to view the products of this all-consuming art form.

Red Bug Slough

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 17:23:00 +0000

There is a little known park in Sarasota where the small exaggerates itself for one and all

thru paths of oak and pine

Loblolly Pine

Loblolly oak

Interesting shapes

Friendly creatures

Red Bug Slough is great for walking dogs and children, but you must not feed the gators.

A lengthy walking way parallels the stream
friendly to dogs and people.
Watch for gators.

It is against the laws of Florida and Reason to feed the Gators.
Do not feed them.

Scenes of old Florida seen here

Watch the waters and branches for turtles, egrets, blue herons, anhinga or snakebirds, fish and gators

Turtles can be seen in the water and sunning themselves on tree limbs and river banks.

Anhingas dive for fish here and sun dry their wings

Little things worth seeing

And someone to look over it all

blue heron

~ ~ ~
There's no place quite like Sarasota!

Reunion in Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Our family recently gathered for a reunion in Kentucky, USA.

Not tropical storm Andrea, Not the insanely busy freeway around Atlanta, and Not the numerous speed traps along the way could deter us from our Reunion.

After 14 hours of driving we arrived in Paradise: Paradise Resort Kentucky.

Paradise Resort is located in the western tip of Kentucky, overlooking the dammed, northward flowing Tennessee River which has been renamed Kentucky Lake. To the east the dammed, northward flowing Cumberland River has been renamed Lake Barkley. Land Between the Lakes is a National Recreation area.

Daughter Cindy and Kristy drove the Cow Car from Columbus, Ohio to join us.

Tropical Storm Andrea shrouded us in the stillness of Kentucky Lake for a couple of days.

The sun mercifully showed its face before

parlor games destroyed us all.

The return of sun light made this dammed river look and feel like paradise.

The water called us to ourselves, providing sweet relief from gravitas.

Everything, it seems, started at the water line.

I'm telling!!!

Who cares!

Some other sights around Paradise...

Thanks for viewing.

GAZ

~ ~ ~

Fall Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Some times we must look elsewhere to find ourselves.

This time I review some of my favorite snapshots from last Fall.

Halloween Party Favorites

Shadow Cat / Shadow Crack

Deck Seams

Chalk Festival / Sand Festival

Going Somewhere / Going Nowhere

Mote Marine Slow / Mote Marine Swift

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Touring Solomon's Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:56:00 +0000

One recent sunny day in Florida,

four friends ventured into the interior

in search of the famous

Solomon’s Castle.

Accompanied by GPS they found it.

Sculptor, painter, author,

builder of castles, maker of dreams,

Howard Solomon is king and resident host

at Solomon’s Castle

The castle entrance.

Waiting for a tour of Solomon’s

art museum and castle.

Although the castle exhibits imaginative sculptures and mixed-media objects,

Solomon’s Castle proved an excellent place to meet friendly creatures.

Jerry, the museum guide, revealed that Howard Solomon covered his castle

with used printing plates obtained from a local newspaper press.

Way to recycle, Howard!

The Art Museum:

Some of Howard’s sculptures ...

a 50 barrel elephant

transportation plates

clothes hanger unicorns

----- Beyond the castle -----

View from the Castle Wall toward the Boat in the Moat Restaurant.

Howard’s drought-striken, land-locked ark

houses a home cooking

restaurant

operated by members of the Solomon family.

Transforming the familiar into the special,

Howard Solomon

built his back door,

somewhere near

the land of Oz.

^^^^____^^^^

Howard and his wife live above the museum.

Overnight bookings in the Castle’s

Blue Moon Room

are available,

but

reserved

for incurable romantics.

someone is always posing

at a castle

somewhere

Solomon's Castle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another Sarasota Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 03:23:00 +0000

You never can tell about a sunset before sunset.

Waiting. Watching.

Watching. Waiting.

Okay.

Still okay.

Well, time to get back to the motel.

~ ~ ~

Some Things About Florida Green

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:06:00 +0000

Most of these illustrations were seized in Florida

by a Latter Day Immigrant.

After the Storm

Not Florida Green

Florida Everglades Green

Florida Everglades Green

Sarasota's Bayou Oaks Green

French Flowers

Not Florida, Not Green

Ponce de Leon Zeck

Florida Green Retired

~ ~ ~

Flowering Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:07:00 +0000

It is 12/12/12 and the maximum twelves have already disappeared from my calendars

without any inconvenience.

In appreciation: summer scenes from my back yard.

"To see is to forget the name of the thing one sees."

~ Paul Valéry

~ ~ ~

My Good Neighbor Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 21:14:00 +0000

It is December in Florida

and signs of the season are hanging brightly on the fence between me and my good neighbors to the north. Arnas, Holly, precious baby Lexi and a tribe of dogs live on the other side of the vine-covered fence that stands between us.

Virginia Creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a gorgeous, climbing vine which is native to much of the eastern United States. It also enhances the neighborliness of the sixty year old wooden fence on the north side of our house.

"Thank goodness for the vine" some people say because it seems to be holding the fence in its present vertical position. "Thank goodness for Virginia," I say as I pull out my iPhone camera, "because she blesses my eyes and soothes my mind."

When Virginia Creepers' small green flowers mature in the fall season, they turn into purplish-black berries which are toxic to humans (oxalic acid) but provide food for wintering birds. A variety of colorful, musical birds appreciate Virginia's bounty also; mocking birds, cardinals and blue jays feast here.

The weather is a bit warmer than normal this year and not all of Virginia's berries have matured yet. Many berries remain green, round and hard as they progress toward an edible food source for birds. The dryness of the summer has also enabled other vegetative species to join in this good neighbor wall.

No matter where I look along the northern fence line I see an incredible, edible display of natural color, shapes and textures. Yes, life is good. And I agree that a beautiful wall makes this good neighbor happy.

~ ~ ~

On The Thingness of Space

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:03:00 +0000

I've been working in my old home-office for the past few days. In spite of the junk issues with this space, it feels good sitting here at this old computer

Cleaning off my old computer desk and side table, I found abandoned notes made several years ago while cleaning out the houses of people who had died without heirs.

One should not be surprised by what they see or smell or hear while working alone in the thingness of a house whose people have passed, never to return.

Today I resuscitate and probate three of these scenes, with voices, below.

HATS

A man falls heir to a collection of hats.

He picks through a dozen of them and

finds two that fit his head

in a style

most becoming.

TROUBLE SLEEPING

The public radio news assails him for getting fat.

His nose hairs are attracting too much attention.

The man has trouble sleeping when

someone sends him a cruciform butt plug.

He has stopped shaving his face in the morning.

He is becoming one of the hairy gray old ones.

CROWS WE ARE

Today he is a black crow

spotting shiny objects

in the wake of someone's being.

Eyes brighten and fingers grasp like claws

at scissors and hats and colored glass things,

small objects that make him feel good.

~ ~ ~

Halloween in Two Parts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:58:00 +0000

PART ONE

The Costume Party: October 27, 2012

On the Saturday evening before Halloween, as Hurricane Sandy was rambling up the east coast of Florida toward New York and New Jersey, Pam and I hosted a Costume Party in Sarasota, Florida.

Front door scare crow

Party night was windy enough (gusts of 40 - 60 mph) to keep the scare crow's hat tipping into his face. But, otherwise, the east coast hurricane offered few minor problems for us wind-wise

southwestern Floridians.

Our handsomely attired guests arrived promptly .

Not all guests tendered simple questions.

But soon enough, as often happens in Florida,

all questions were forgotten and the fun began.

That's when Mr. Everything's Hot Red Pepper

grabbed a couple of beauties.

Our sober young chaperone seemed amused

by the buffooneries of average senior citizens.

Some of us ate like we were in Paradise. Others ate not.

God knows how we enjoyed munching the finest of finger foods

Until certain guests began begging for

a second scoop of kitty litter cake

then

with party graces strained

or bombed

bed time came early...

earlier than usual

here in Florida.

And our guests departed.

And everybody got home safely.

PART TWO

All Hallows Evening: October 31, 2012

We don't see many young Trick and Treaters celebrating Halloween in this neighborhood of southwestern Florida. We received a scant 9 kids at our front door begging for treats, see all 9 below.

Our Halloween Party costumery got me thinking about our personal Halloween differences; about how we have seen ourselves through the years, how we chose how to project ourselves into and through this world, and how we might possibly be seen by a world of others.

I'd guess you can assess Halloween based on numerous childhood experiences. You may recall the insane delight/disappointment of returning home with pillow cases full/empty of candy. Or maybe your memories come from such thrills as soaping windows or lighting stink bombs on front steps? Or perhaps you think first of that special Halloween costume you chose to wear.

Do you still favor that special appearance? Do you still get more than you give?

But, costume wise and otherwise, just look here at some differences in presentation and decorum

a few years of accumulated Halloweens can make here in Florida!

Our precious young neighbors!

~ ~ ~

Big Gifts in Small Packages

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:31:00 +0000

I've been ignoring this blog for too long. But now that Fall has arrived in Florida (a good motivating excuse?) I must reapply myself to the posting of those small, everyday things that give me pleasure and revive a sense of appreciation for being here, alive, on planet Earth.

Some days you have to rely on old friends to motivate you. This is one of those days and Poppi Poppadum is one of those motivators today. She is my big gift in a small package.

When I look at, listen to, talk to, stroke and feed my feline friend, Poppi, I am reminded that she is a Gift. Poppi was literally a gift from neighbors (who we value dearly as kindred spirits despite the fact that they left us here in the States and returned to England ; ^ )

Poppi becomes a very vocal gift when I hear her crying for her doorman to let her into the house in the early morning. She moves my lazy butt out of bed and in her direction because we are dear friends and she is always hungry for something. We always start the day together with a gift of greeting.

Poppi is a gift to all neighbors in our fruit-tree-laden neighborhood; she is a huntress who has controlled the fruit tree rat population here quite well. She prefers to spend her nights, like other nocturnal felines, climbing trees and scouring storm drains for rats. Fewer winter attics around here rustle with the noise of nesting creatures these days.

Of course she has brought home several birds and a baby squirrel, but all of these creatures arrived via soft mouth and were returned alive to our neighborhood. Only lizards and rats fail to escape her attentions. She continually reminds me of the natural order of life and death in this universe we occupy together, a gift least I forget who I am and what I am doing here.

Poppi is a gift in that she beautifies the yard and the interior of this house when she appears. A Bengal breed, supposedly 4 generations removed from a tiger and a domestic cat, she was judged not to be pretty enough for cat shows. HA! My good fortune! My gift of beauty and affection.

Ancient Egyptians reportedly believed that Cats were the guardians of the Soul. If she is not a guardian of my soul, she must be a guardian of my body. This I do believe, particularly since Poppi has been uncharacteristically attentive to my lap lately, settling in while I am drawing. And when she climbs onto the bed and settles between my legs I definitely get the feeling that she is prescient and concerned for me. The recent diagnosis of my prostate cancer only confirms my belief that Poppi is a concerned guardian and a Gift.

~ ~ ~

THINK PINK EXHIBITION

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:01:00 +0000

Pam and Gerry Zeck are pleased to announce:

We will have multiple pieces of fabric art and photos on exhibit

in the THINK PINK and EXPRESSIONS OF HOPE Galleries

at the Manatee Art Center in Bradenton, Florida.

Opening Reception

Thursday, October 4, 2012

5 to 7 pm

We hope you can make it.

If you cannot attend the Opening,

do not despair; the Exhibit will remain up from

October 2 through the 26^th, 2012.

Manatee Art Center

209 9^th Street West

Bradenton, Florida 34205

http://artcentermanatee.org

~ ~ ~

At home with Isaac

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:05:00 +0000

Tropical Storm Isaac passed my Florida home without too much disruption. The storm brought a few inches of rain and gusting winds that cleared some dead branches out of our hundred year oaks.

In our front yard, tree squirrels and a nest of mocking birds were inconvenienced and had to cope with Isaac's gusting into warm rain squalls. Birds flew away to hunker down in thick bougainvillea or in low spots near the inner banks of the creek. The squirrels spent much of the night and day huddling on the lee ward side of the tree.

As usual, during the passing of hurricanes,

rain came in bands of showers attended by gusting winds.

A huge storm, Isaac intensified into a Hurricane picking up a gazillion more tons of water in the Gulf than fell here in Sarasota. So, again we were spared and Isaac's additional rain will help refill our reservoir in the celery fields.

But hurricanes have always been kind to us in Southwestern Florida.

Tropical storms that slip past Cuba tend to travel north- and northwest-ward on their way to the northern Gulf Coast visiting the Panhandle of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and New Orleans. They very, very seldom turn back into SouthWestern Florida.

Isaac, it will be said, did not do too much to promote the local economy. A few batteries were sold, a few popcorn poppers went to the preparation conscious and a rush on at-home movie rentals occurred before the strongest winds appeared.

HOWEVER ---

Peering out the kitchen window during the height of the storm, I spied a wonderful tea in the brewing: numerous natural blessings from Isaac were floating in the pool.

Here were gorgeous bamboo leaves, delicate vinca or periwinkles, dead leaves from the young orange tree, a few drowned bees who rarely fare well in pools, miscellaneous bugs, vegetable fibers and a small raft of dead ants. The pictorial collage presented by Isaac seemed endless.

A few of the visual blessings wrought by Isaac.

Yes, how fortunate I am to be living here.

The Isaac Effect

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 04:46:00 +0000

When I walked out of the house this morning I could feel Florida getting moister in a soft, subtle way.

Even the front bumper of my car could sense the impending arrival of Tropical Storm Isaac.

Isaac is on his way. Tomorrow Isaac will be moving through the Caribbean Islands and heading North to arouse mobile Jimmy Buffett fans as well as much of Key West .

Then, passing through an expanse of alligator wallows and small towns settled by dry Texans with cactuses, Isaac will bring us a number of blessings: I call these blessings "The Isaac Effect".

First blessing. There has been a drought in Florida for seven or eight years. Our sand needs water. Isaac will bring water, possibly lots of it. So we begin to prepare for the arrival of more moisture.

Second blessing. We haven't had a good blow in western Florida for a number of years. Palm trees need cleaning and a strong, persistent wind can do the job. Also, my hundred year oak is filled with small dead branches and my arthritis is too raw to climb and clean these days. Isaac can do it for me.

Third blessing. Our beaches will change their profiles. Some people who should not have built on the Gulf of Mexico coast line will receive messages as to why. Other desiccated residents will rush to the beach, wade through the water, timidly surf the waves, take photographs, scream into the wind, and enjoy the sheer exhilaration of remaining on their feet in the face of such power.

Fourth blessing. Isaac will bring increased business to our depressed economy. Things will fly and things will break. Roofs will leak. Trees will fall. Repairs will be needed. Insurance people will cough up minimal amounts of money before they raise premiums again.

I'm preparing my cameras for the beach now.

~~~

Metamorphosis 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:42:00 +0000

A few years ago

I felt a nudging from change

so I dug a hole in my back yard

filled it with water

and added

a few gold fish

Although

the tiny goldies grew

to a remarkable size

they didn't stick around for long

since neighborhood raccoons

love fish too

So I left the pond to Nature

and

wouldn't you know

almost overnight

a thousand tadpoles

appeared

I love tadpoles like

kids love transformers

like I love

metamorphosis

itself

Tadpoles are like plaster saints to me

reminders

of possibilities

that come along

with being human

like jumping with joy

and

naked vulnerability

A view through the papyrus

Today my frog pond is bursting

with little jumpers

hundreds of baby frogs

venturing forth

into the incredible and

the edible world

Setting aside

the thought that

some thing or some one

in this world

will eventually

eat you

Amphibians lounging in Papyrus.

The miracle of

metamorphisis

glues me here

at the edge of the pond

where the flavors of life

begin anew

We are a far cry

from the Nile Delta

where papyrus

recorded thoughts

yet Change continues

in the decline of paper

So today I salute

another metamorphosis

wherein the electronic age

brings words and pictures

from my pond

to your monitor.

~~~

The Queen Bee

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Click to Enlarge Pix

Beekeeper Bob brought my first bee hive one week ago.

Today marked the first hive inspection to find the Queen Bee.

I pulled my first frame looking for the Queen Bee

under Bob's watchful eyes.

The empty frame position (right)

held the Queen Bee in the short wooden box (left side, vertical).

She has eaten her way out of her transport chamber.

The workers have already started producing honey.

Ah, here's the Queen (the big one, left center).

She directs traffic and has already begun producing new workers.

The new Queen transport cage and the first wax comb.

The hole in the cage (red circle) was filled with wax

that had to be eaten to free the Queen.

Another sculptural work of art for the top of the piano.

~~~

Missing Friends and Loved Ones

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:55:00 +0000

There is nothing that can prepare you for the death of a loved one.

Even when it has been expected for days, months or years.

As a survivor, you are left with an incredible sense of loss.

There is nothing more you can do for them.

Days pass and you hear nothing.

What is left of them are the waves of grief

that bring you to a stop

moisten your face

and choke you

with the deep sobbing

brought home by love.

So, you are left with

memories,

Waves of Grief,

and the things they left behind.

And so it is with our loss of John and Cheryl.

Somebody said "You are your things."

I tend to take that notion seriously.

Looking at some of the things they left behind

you might grasp the idea

that our friends

are worth the pain

of loving

to the end.

~~~

A Dragonfly Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:50:00 +0000

It was drizzling rain yesterday when I went to vacuum our swimming pool. A slight breeze and rain drops created a disaster zone for dragonflies who like to zoom to the water surface, land briefly, drink, and fly away.

I spotted a single dragonfly who had just been submerged, fished him out on the end of a pole, straightened a sopping wet wing, then coaxed him onto my finger. He seemed to like dry finger and he held on.

Since the wings were still wet, I brought the creature into the house to dry off. Blowing gently on the wings, I removed a drowned ant from its attachment to an underwing and fumbled again for the left-handed camera at my waist.

Ninety minutes or so passed and the dragonfly stuck to my finger, making it difficult to continue my pen-and-ink doodlings. We were attached. I didn't have the heart to shake him off my finger.

So, I brought my finger back into the humid air of the front yard. Dragonfly wings fluttered, a good sign, but they went nowhere. Back into the house for further drying.

Finally, after some gentle coaxing, the dragonfly attached itself to a sturdy, blue-foam, pool-noodle. Fifteen minutes later, the dragonfly lifted off the noodle and flew away.

Namaste.

~ ~ ~

Eyes That Hear

Bob's Farewell

Missing Bob

Marsh Hawk Breakfast

Patterns in the Sand

Process

I love wind and waves.

Walking Around St. Thomas More

FIN

Track & Field

Is this Amazing or Not ???

Denis Paints Masks

Red Bug Slough

Reunion in Paradise

Fall Favorites

Touring Solomon's Castle

Another Sarasota Sunset

Some Things About Florida Green

Most of these illustrations were seized in Florida

by a Latter Day Immigrant.

Not Florida Green

Florida Everglades Green

Florida Everglades Green

Sarasota's Bayou Oaks Green

Not Florida, Not Green

Florida Green Retired

Flowering Florida

My Good Neighbor Wall

On The Thingness of Space

Halloween in Two Parts

PART ONE

Big Gifts in Small Packages

THINK PINK EXHIBITION

Thursday, October 4, 2012 5 to 7 pm

October 2 through the 26th, 2012.

At home with Isaac

The Isaac Effect

Metamorphosis 2012

The Queen Bee

Missing Friends and Loved Ones

A Dragonfly Day

Thursday, October 4, 2012

5 to 7 pm

October 2 through the 26^th, 2012.