• quotes,  snow,  winter scenes

    Every moment is a gift…

    Taken about 1:22 pm from my front porch

    Every moment is a gift. … Whatever life gives to you, you can respond with joy. Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It is the grateful response to the opportunity that life offers you at this moment.

    Brother David Steindl-Rast

    A light wet snow began falling about 6:14 am, our first snowfall for the 2023 winter. I was planning on meeting Eric in Windsor for coffee and conversation this morning but as I headed out of town I had second thoughts and returned home. We talked on the phone instead, which was still a good conversation.

    Weather app says 2-7 inches possible by tomorrow noon and some much colder temperatures. Those temperatures will make roads nasty. During a lull, just after noon, I stepped outside and took this image. As you can see the trees still have a few leaves and with the snow being wet I’m afraid branches will be coming down. It’s Nature’s way of pruning.

    My saga with the raccoons continues providing another opportunity for either anger or joy, my choice. I noticed they’d done more damage on Friday afternoon, tearing down another 1/3 of the insulation. So, I sprayed the remaining insulation and the firewall with a mix of water and peppermint oil last night. This afternoon when I started the car and began cleaning it off, a heck of a racket came from my engine compartment as two raccoons scrambled for their lives. Once they hit the ground they ran like crazy for the culvert. At first I felt angry to know they were back and fearful they had caused even more damage. It’s frustrating because I do not want them to cause electrical damage but also laugh at the situation. At some period of my past I may have waged war on them but I’ve come to understand waging war is not a solution. I want them to leave my car alone and they want to survive. It’s Nature’s way of survival. Anyway, I sprayed peppermint again and have decided to park my car in a different location, away from the culvert. And if that doesn’t solve it, I’m getting rid of the damn car because the car’s the problem!!! 😂

    In reference to David Steindl-Rast’s quote I must agree that every moment is a gift. It was a gift when I felt the anger then let it go. It was a gift to laugh as I watched them run like hell. It’s a gift when I can share this comical/serious situation with you. And, it’s a gift for you to hopefully laugh at my situation while being grateful it ain’t you. Think I’m gonna soak in a hot tub of water tonight before bed and look at it as a gift.

  • landscape,  mountains,  quotes

    Keep Your Humor

    Humor has bailed me out of more tight situations than I can think of. If you go with your instincts and keep your humor, creativity follows. With luck, success comes, too.

    Jimmy Buffett

    I know it’s not Key West but for me a mountain lake with sailboats comes close. I’m off to meet Eric for coffee and conversation. Enjoy your Saturday!

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  Humor,  People/Portraits

    One of the regulars

    This is my reflections on Sunday morning from Starry Night. A young man sat against the south wall, phone in hand and a latte sitting on his table. He was not familiar to me. Sitting next to him was a couple who come here often, what we call regulars. A couple men sat in the lounge chairs near the front window deep in conversation, more regulars. Then Lucy came in who is one of the solid regulars. I see her almost every time I come to this coffee shop. She usually is out walking and stopping here is part of her routine. Sometimes she meets up with friends and sometimes she reads the paper. The baristas know her, as do us regulars. I asked if I could take her photo today. So meet Lucy!

  • haiku,  Humor,  journal,  journaling,  musings,  writing/reading

    Morning Musings

    blue pen, blue ink
    words fill pages of journal
    morning musings

    mws

    Welp! Yesterday was Friday the 14th with a touch of Friday the 13th in it. Let me explain. The coffee shop I wanted to go to was not open when I arrived at 7:00 am so I went down the street to one that was open. When I arrived at the second coffee shop I noticed I’d forgotten my Fitbit/watch. No problem. When I got home I noticed I’d left my phone at the coffee shop. No problem. Later in the afternoon I stopped to look at one of the new e-bikes, that’s in my price range. Bending down to look at the belt drive I bumped my head on their rack. Hurt like hell! I cursed profusely! Began bleeding so I went to the ER to have it looked at and because I’m new to this blood thinner stuff. Now we have a problem. I had to have staples put in my noggin and a tetanus shot. Will have the staples removed in 5 days. I then stopped and got a DQ blizzard on the way home for any pain I may have. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I then stayed on my porch the rest of the day and kept all sharp objects at a distance. I took a shower this morning, gently washed my hair and then gently combed my hair. Will need to watch that for the next few days. Put on a crockpot of vegetable soup and will enjoy that later today. Hope you enjoy your day!

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  Humor,  latte art

    Wiser and Handsomer

    Made a visit to the Bean Cycle coffee shop this morning. I am not sure the last time I was there but it has been a long time. I patronize a couple other coffee shops that have a more appealing ambiance and are less expensive. However, I felt at home when I walked in and was greeted by a barista I did not know. Always good to meet a new face. She did a good job with my mocha.

    Today I add another number to my accumulations of birthdays, which means I probably am getting wiser and handsomer. 😂 On a serious note, I awoke after a good night’s sleep, had quiet time then the visit to the coffee shop. I will have Thai lunch with my youngest daughter (maybe both of them) later today. Hope you have a great day!

  • clouds,  Humor,  landscape,  musings,  natural areas,  Photography,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    Sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area

    I’ve read where we should never place the subject in the middle of an image because placing the subjects off-center yields a stronger, more natural-looking composition and allows us to make creative use of negative space. Well I do did will break that composition rule technique. I’ve also read that we should not should on ourselves, so I suppose I should stop that.

    The top image is predawn light over Dixon Reservoir taken at 5:49 am and the second image was taken seven minutes later at 5:56 am about 40 feet from the first one. Again, showing us how nature continuously creates. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

  • Art,  latte art,  poetry,  writing/reading

    The Gift of a Smile

    Made a trip to the coffee shop this morning for
    a much needed dose of medicine in my recovery

    I was greeted with the beautiful smiles
    of Logan and Nate, over two weeks without them

    Nate brings me this cortado with his special touch,
    a cute pigs face made of frothy milk, now I smile

    Soft music lets the din of people’s conversations to dominate
    comforting me with voices and smiles from people I do not know

    I watch as a woman, pregnant with child, sits at a nearby table,
    reading her book with a cup of coffee, its steam rising in the sunlight

    I journal from my favorite chair where the sun warms me,
    these sacred moments somehow bring comfort and serenity

    So this morning I accepted the gift of a smile from my baristas
    holding their smile within me and offering the gift of my own smile

    Yes, the gift of a smile…

    mws

    PS: Sorry for the poor depth of field in the image.

  • clouds,  Humor,  quotes,  sunrises

    Wearing socks tonight…

    Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.
    Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

    The red sky as I left my condo this morning reminds me of the above ancient rhyme often repeated by mariners. Clouds have moved in, temperatures are dropping and snow expected to start about 9:00 pm. May see 3-8 inches and probably wearing socks tonight to bed.

  • Camera Equipment,  fountain pens,  Humor,  journal,  quotes,  writing/reading

    Take off the cap…

    Generally speaking, I’m not one to advocate photographic rules, but I do think it helps to take off the lens cap.

    Catherine Jo Morgan

    The above image says a lot about my life/lifestyle. I use both a camera and a journal to record what I see and what I experience around me. I have carried both for many years on a daily basis. I enjoy the feel of both when they are in my hands. Both are an art form and require some skill in using them. We only get better when we practice them regularly. I thought the above quote was comical and is true for both the camera and the fountain pen. 😂

  • Holidays,  Humor

    Celebrate!

    When I was younger we would always have homemade ice cream on July 4th. So, I decided it would be good to have a DQ Blizzard. Dang, they were closed. I immediately took tail spin into anxiety. In a moment of clarity I drove to Coldstones and bought the Founders Favorite. After a few minutes the anxiety receded, I got my ice cream fix, sanity returned and no one got hurt. Whew!

    Heard someone say they wish we’d change this day from independence day to interdependence day. Seems we need more of that in the world. Menu today calls for jalapeño cheddar sausages and potatoe salad. Have a great day!