What’s the hold up?

October 12, 2025.Reading time less than 1 minute.

There’s a rucus at the feeders and I look out to see several finches lined up and looking towards their favourite lunch spot. The pecking order has been disrupted… Do you think I could scare him off? Not a chance.

Scoundrels in the Garden

July 13, 2025.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Clearly conspiratorial, these two young groundhogs have been menacing our vegetable garden and now are plotting to defy gravity apparently – one as the lookout and the other, well: I did look it up and they are part of the squirrel family. A new one for me.

Getting Hold of Fear

October 30, 2024.Reading time 1 minute.

Now that it’s dark early, putting the dogs out for their last ‘duty’ of the day, means taking extra precautions. We are always on the lookout for skunks, raccoons, possums, foxes, or even coyotes, as our backyard, unfenced, opens up to woods and farmland. The other night, I opened the door, made my usual noises […]

Filling the Frame: Seasons

November 13, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: filling the frame

Contrasts

October 20, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Autumn celebrates contrastsdrawing attention to coloura last gasp at vitalitybefore Winter’s slumber Land revels in contrastsindustry and agricultureco-existing beneatha variant sky. (for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: contrasts)

Nonchalant on the edge

October 6, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

What you can’t see are the falls – the water drops off literally below those birds’ feet. I suppose with the knowledge that wings can save you, there is nothing risqué about standing on the edge. (For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge : On the Edge)

Drama without all the colour

September 8, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: black and white or monochrome.

Heron Teacher

July 5, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Cornered

June 23, 2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

It was the pitch of the two dogs barking in the backyard that alerted me to trouble. That and Pippi, the female, growling. The two had cornered a young groundhog between the deck steps and a tiered planter. After I sternly sent them back inside, I went out to check on the animal’s wellbeing. “He’s […]

Weekend Sky

May 28, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

A favourite drive. A place to breathe. Ric fell in the night again. He has been falling almost weekly since the New Year. Usually just scrapes and bruises but this time he broke two ribs. This doesn’t bode well going forward. I come to the river to catch my breath. For Weekend Sky

Mother

When I had a mothermy hair would cascadein curls of auburn perfectiona red velvet bow to accentuate the wave And I’d wear my bestnewly sewn frockwith lace at the neckand fishnet stockingsand patent Mary Janes And the girls giggling with delightwould skip hand-in-handto the school promand the boys shyly perchedagainst the back wall would wonderhow […]

Lull (tanka)

Self-Sufficient

Isolated and incapacitatedI am prohibited from partakingof the influx of information incessantly presented consequently cut offfrom prescribed expectationsdictating costuming and culture external expressions of acceptanceare sorely missing, suggestingan overall lack of self-worth. Interestingly inverse to such conclusionsis the sudden contentment that arisesfrom escaping the mayhem Internal relief overrides dictated performancesurrendering willingly to intrinsic motivationand renewed […]