a little light for everyone...

 

ethereal

on the night of the Saturn Jupiter conjunction

we took a little stroll

hopeful yet resigned for what we would (not) see

under an overcast sky no bright alignment

grey 

grey

grey

but early this evening the neighbourhood dogs

have picked up the slack

a three way barking chorus

i like to think that their canine senses are tingling

busy paws pawing

jangling Saturian rings

and orbiting Jupiter moons

sunset on the 53rd parallel...

 

limbs and wings

a tiny owl was found nestled in the branches

of the NYC Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

the Saw-whet was discovered by workers

as they prepared to set up the 75 foot Norwegian Spruce

in midtown Manhattan

thirsty and hungry

at first his prognosis was uncertain

but after being taken in by the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center

he will be released in a matter of days

a little visitor to The Big Apple

headed back home

for the holidays

dormez vous?

 

hope on eight legs

a great fox-spider has been sighted in the UK

the first of its kind seen in 21 years

one of the largest members of the wolf-spider family

it is a venomous arachnid but poses no threat to humans

agile

speedy

with wraparound vision

a little ray in the age

of loss and extinction

wonderland...

 

hallows' eve eve

the gazebo feeder was empty

the gazebo feeder has been filled 

waiting for hungry beaks to return

rain

snow

and still

long brown grasses i'm glad we left standing

brushing in the wind

record high numbers

the veils are thin

soon to fall back

and hold tight

take care

everyone

the little friday

some hammering

some yammering

a small golden spider

making her way home

on the rust rug

thin veils

small world

wearying news of the world

is this why i feel

so sleepy? 

bird feeder pagoda

lots of busyness today

the Chickadee brigade out 

full feathered force

B&W full colour widescreen

window kitty TV

first white

gentle flakes

falling on the bishop's weed

the pots

the walk

the street

a slow accumulation 

days and weeks and months to come

tucking in 

this blanket may be here

to stay

sleepy saturday

 

checking in

seeing kittens sleeping in the sunshine

soft october light

birds in the yard

a little buoyancy

bobbing along

hang on

hang on

stitching

only when things are broken

do we have the opportunity to fix them

***

lots of mending

in our collective future

on the path

a small sparrow

forever sleeping

soar in peace

little one

pm

the light is soft

the kittens are tranquil

all is quiet

and for a few moments 

it's easy to forget

the calamity and chaos

and to be reminded 

of how lovely it is

just 

to be

a little imagination...goodnight

'the setting sun

leaves them both undone

makes the shadows run

through the larches

turning golden 

high out on the hill'...

***

the queen and wolverine are sleeping soundly tonight

late September Sunday

a long lie in

coffee ciabatta and poachers

putting the hedge to bed

soft 5pm sun

basement strummings

autumn afternoon electric

quadrophenia

four robins bobbing

in the backyard

red breasted mods all

Gold Bar Wednesday Flaneur Inventory

•  pristine yards
• not such pristine yards
• ascending flock of small birds
• one defiant marigold (poking through fence posts)
• huge barking dog
• snoozing window cat
• dusty pink hydrangeas
• skateboard/bike ramp parked in a park
• a blooming fall patch of cosmos

out in fine form

ladybugs

lady bugs

la dy bugs

on her way

 this afternoon a bit or re/organizing in the garage

moving things here

there

assemblages at the end of a summer of upheaval

after awhile i wondered:

'is someone barbecuing?  having a fire pit?'

looking out into the haze i remembered:

'oh right:  the world is on fire'

***

a little bird flew into our front window

after many minutes of stillness

she scampered away

***

the haze remains

the sun is shining

through it all

here and now

 a lovely september afternoon

soft

calm

and quiet

certain that things remain uncertain

for now time for time out

here in the moment

still

say it isn't so

no one knows why
birds are falling from the sky
but it isn't the news
i wanted to hear
today

by the sounds of it

someone is sawing
someone is driving
someone is boiling water for pasta dinner
someones are likely sleeping
(or at least, not meowing)
someone is typing
someone is chirping
somewhere 

someone
is listening as well

happy hour

dogs are bark
bark
barking

a little time out
a little sup
the little Saturday

maybe not...

walking back from an appointment today
at the clinic across from the hospital
over three blocks i counted
24 disposable face masks
discarded on the ground
(one lovingly ??? placed
hanging between two branches of a hedge)
somehow i think some people
have totally missed the memo

the fives

awake at 5:55
and 55

onward

autumnal

on a walk today
crossing the path of some leaves
fallen to the ground
and you think
no no
not possible
late summer maybe
but still summer
and then you think maybe not such a bad thing
to be winding down
for time to be putting this summer
down for slumber
time to put this summer to bed

turning one

some kittens celebrated their first trip around the sun
there was playtime
there were cuddles
there were lobster treats

today back to business as usual
clambering
rambling
walking on keyboards

a year on
full on
but will always be the Xabi and Alonso duo
kittens

enroute

a visit today from a little bee
landing on my sleeve
as i sat outside in the sun
staying for a few moments
just long enough to recalibrate
a tiny time out between flowers
and then off again
in that buzzy way that bees have
onto the next zoom

and as long as there are bees...

augustus

the wind is blowing
in a late summer way

crossing

a favourite place to meet and have a drink
another that showed the work of many artists
family and friends over the years
some are not making it through all of this
coming out the other side
hold dear
to what you hold dear
somehow make it through all of this

six weeks later

in the hubbub of it all
somethings are forgotten
like a curbside purchase
made over a month ago
still intact, never opened
one vial of synthetic coyote urine
mama and baby skunks have moved along
without added persuasion
$14.99 plus tax
there's always next year

and then there's this...

33 degrees Celsius
in Bathurst Inlet today
bordering the waters
just above the Arctic Circle

summer 2020

spicy

it's too hot
to be working in the yard
it's too hot
to be out for a run
it's too hot
to be shingling a roof
it's too hot
to be high stepping it on the main avenue
it's too hot
to sit at a lemonade stand
it's too hot
to be a kitten in a kitten suit
the end of july
and today
it's too hot

pane

reflections in flight
what seemed a vista
glass reflected
a sad end for a visitor
to the patio this morning
rest in feathers
little winged one

bright bright

a late afternoon sun shower
and a tiny yellow finch
on a branch of the mountain ash
feathers in the weather

and...

as long as there are birds...

notes

and then the day comes to try out the new machine
and it should be a welcoming day
ready to get on with things
move along
put pieces back into place
but you realize that you're anxious
after all the hubbub
what if somehow it doesn't work?
things go sideways
then what?
what?
and one of you is braver than the other
and heroically pushes the boat out
here we go!
and after much hemming and hawing
it seems to work
and a nice surprise is that the new machine
sends out a signal when it has finished
a little electronic serenade
and you wonder whose job it was
to compose that little melody
who are they?
where are they now?
from your house to theirs and back again
wishing well for everyone

and then one day

and then one day you do a load of laundry
and there is a lot of water on the basement floor
so you mop it up
move stuff around
and get on with it
and then one day stuff backs up
from the drain in the basement
icky yucky muck
and you mop it up and get on with it
and then one day more comes up again
again and again
and you have a plumber out to help
to stop the icky yucky muck
from coming back again
and it works for awhile
until one day
when it all comes back up again in the basement
and you have another plumber guy out
and he does his thing
fingers crossed that this time it works
and the icky yucky muck won't be back anytime soon
and then on the same day there is what was forecast as
'torrential rain' comes pouring down
and spots on the roof leak
and then on that day you think
'yeah, i guess today is a day like any other day
in this summer we're having
in this year
of all kinds of things'
and you take a bit of comfort reminding yourself
that tomorrow is another day

chiaroscuro

ebbing and flowing light today
bright and shady
and back again

presto

and then the dragonflies return
and you remember the magic
of small things

in the moment

the possibility of thunderstorms later today
but for now
there are butterflies in sunshine

news of the world

the dogwood doesn't know
the Hawaiian impatiens don't know
the squirrels don't know
the magpies don't know
the red hummingbird feeder doesn't know
the wheelbarrow full of skateboards doesn't know
the crop of clover doesn't know
the yet to bloom eryngium doesn't know
the lilies don't know
we hear it everyday and we know
that one day this strange present will be in the past
for now
all we know

petal power

a pleasant uprising of daisies
has graced our backyard

a surfeit of skunks

one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight kits
+ one momma

a family affair

and then this happens...

so the morning is a morning pretty much like another
because these days are more or less like one another
except you begin by listening to a talk presented online
that is informative and inspiring
so that is nice
and as it wraps up you realize it's still morning and a sunny day
and decide wouldn't it be a good idea to go for a little walk
so you head out into the neighbourhood
not for very long
not for very far
but it is pleasant and rejuvenating
and along the way you think:  yes, please
many more of these
because through all the heaviness
and uncertainty just a little breath of fresh air
makes so much difference
and as you walk the last few metres up to your house
you wonder:  hey, what's that?  what's that sound?
and as you are nearly at your house you wonder
'is there an electric car in our driveway?'
but then you see no, there is no car
and then you look up
and between your house and the neighbours'
there is the source of the sound:
and it is a massive swarm of insects
maybe bees
maybe wasps
maybe hornets
but a massive swarm
right there
more or less on your doorstep
and then reality hits that it is just another day
more or less like another day so far
in the year 2020

wet

the leaves are wet
the branches are wet
the roots are wet
the pots are wet
the pot saucers are wet
the box that groceries were delivered in is wet
the folding director's chairs are wet
the dandelions are wet
the yet-to-bloom daisies are wet
the solar patio lamp is wet
the bird feeders are wet
the wheelbarrow is wet
the sky is overcast
and everything is wet
wet
wet

getting busy

there has been a lot of action in the neighbourhood today:
jack hammering
chainsawing
loud trucks driving
loud trucks idling
loud trucks in reverse
scrapes and pounding
not the sounds you want to listen to
if you have kitten ears

saturday song

grey grey grey day
lush lush green
very still and quiet
except for a little bird
sing song sing song sing
time for time out
tranquility
peace

dopplers

watching two indoor cats
watching two outdoor cats
frolic around in the yard
a snapshot of vicarious living

gusts

a trio of crows
skydiving from tree tops
winds of change
have been blowing
all day

blossoming

there is a healthy pride of dandelions
on our front lawn
go go lions

brewing

'Very strong winds that may cause damage are expected. Very strong west to northwest winds will develop this evening with gusts possibly exceeding 100 km/h....Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.'

in the air
everywhere

the weighty fencer...

some robins are portly

front room (aka kitten playground) inventory

• blue mouse wand toy
• catnip 'cigar' X2
• green mylaresque mouse with ball tail
• cork and purple fuzz whatzitt 
• paper towel roll insert
• sparkle/feather wand (minus any feathers)
• disconnected sparkle/feather wand (top separated from wand)
• red stripey ball
• 'jackson pollock' splatter balls
• fuzzy leopard ball
• two tone pink felt mini 'tennis' ball
• plastic balls with bell inserts
• bright pink disco mouse
• refillable pink peppermint catnip pig
• scrunchy foil fish
• paper bag (intact)
• paper bag (blown out)
• three way box fort
• random boxes
• large green spring
• small green spring
• google eyes fluffy fuzz monsters: pink and green version/orange purple version
• Let's go catnip bubbles

Let's go!

lockdown dreams

many vivid images appearing nightly
with eyes closed
last night a festival
an underground performance
overseen by friends
promises to meet up later for drinks
ascending the stairs
commuting across the city
waiting for buses that never seemed to arrive
finally hopping on a train
crossing over the city and a body of water
vehicles floating and some submerged

lots of traveling in dreamland
joys of journeying
from the pillow perspective

fine feathers

big big joy
delivered by a tiny tiny bird
hopping on the patio
in the waning
early evening sun

leaves

each day more and more and more
they just keep on coming
another
and another
and another and another
no stopping them now
somethings
spring eternal

tuesday

and then there are somedays
during the pandemic
when you remind yourself
that it's okay
to just feel
sad

i'd like to think...

that butterflies may have heard
whispers of all that's happening
here
there
and everywhere
but continue on buttering
continue on flying
continue on butterflying
here
there
and everywhere

skiff

on an otherwise still Sunday
a little shower of snow
May days on the 53rd parallel

the buds are showing up

in growing numbers
on limbs all around
the word is out
get busy!
busy everyone!
time for a riot
a riot of green

May Day no shows

the robins are on strike
today

forecasting

a thunderstorm predicted
here this afternoon
darkened skies
a bit of wind
but nothing that materialized
maybe we have enough
heavy weather already
these days

chittering

the squirrel on the fence
is busy talking up a storm
i wish i spoke
rodentia...
i think i would prefer her news of the world

earth day

some good news
for nesting leatherback turtles
fewer of us on the beaches
more of them
time for a little
recalibration

crinoidea

a bit overwhelming all the stuff
online
especially now
and yet every so often
something comes along
like a vid the other day
of a small ancient sea creature
in the depths of the ocean
a feather star
flying
swimming
ribboning
and
wow
for at least a little while
things are magical
again

a visitor

visiting the visitors...

advice from kittens

some late spring afternoons
are best whiled away
sleeping in the sun

the big blue ball

the world feels both wide and small
right now

all the snow has melted

from the roof of the gazebo bird feeder
that my dad built years ago
and the sun is shining
this afternoon

trill

clear and cold
snow falling in the early afternoon sun

a pair of magpies hopping beneath a tall spruce
and a discarded protective mask on the ground
on the walk up to the mailbox
to send a card to a friend

a sign on the Blue Java Bar door
saying closed for now
and wishing us all to be safe
and take care

the walk home and a museum of waxwings
(Bombycilla)
sweeping across the sky

i think i will look back on this time
and remember the stillness
the quiet
and how oddly peaceful things feel
through all the chaos
(def: complete disorder and confusion)

airwaves

the sound of the garbage truck
dogs barking
a whistle being blown
on an otherwise quiet afternoon
in Gold Bar

here tonight/tonight here

falling
falling
falling

snowfall warning

'Snowfall with total amounts of 10 to 20 cm is expected.

A low pressure system is forecast to develop in southern Alberta this evening and track eastward into Saskatchewan overnight. This system will bring heavy snow to central Alberta starting this evening and will end Tuesday morning.

Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.

Snowfall warnings are issued when significant snowfall is expected.'

...

out like a lion

still

everything is especially quiet
even for a Sunday

neighbourhood squawks

the magpies are wondering
and asking one another
why things are so still
these days

meanwhile...

the top boughs
of the tall sparse pine
are waving waving waving
defiantly
now that spring
is here

'Load basic HTML...

for slow connections'

maybe what we all need right now
some slower connections

'ting'

alonso just rang the bell
that hangs on the soft sculpture of birds
bought years ago on portobello road
ushering in the vernal equinox
at least some things remain
constant

springs eternal

the sun is shining
the snow is melting
the birds are tittering
while news of the world unfolds

passing

snow gently falling
on this grey day

wings on trunks and limbs...

on the old poplar today
a woodpecker and a blue jay
both busy in their own ways
hanging out
friends of a feather

5

visiting today
the fifth robin
(the rules relaxed a bit this year
to include reported sightings)
are you number 5?
or the same one
over
and over
and over
and over
again?
never mind
always happy to see you
seems early
but then everything is shifting
here
everywhere

breaking away

on tuesday night
a group of 15 bison were being transported
near the town of Hythe when some of them
busted a move
the latest reports have 8 being apprehended
with 7 still on the loose
kick up while you can
all you bovine hooves

harrumph

kittens say...
'cones are no fun'...

our feathery friend

snow snow snow
and blowing snow
a near white out at times
had me wondering
how our robin was faring today

early bird

the first robin sighting today
or was it?
a bit hard to tell
and more rust than red
a visitor regardless
in the waning days
of winter

brightening

just after 5pm
light in the sky
and you realize the darkness is ebbing
and bit by bit
minute by minute
the days are getting longer
heading that way

yet 18.3 C in Antarctica
remind me
which way are we heading again?

reading the signs

the sun is shining
the snow is melting
and Levon the Least Weasel
has decided that even though it goes against the rules
this season is winding down
and a new one will be ushered in soon
and all the Groundhogs everywhere agree
huzzah! huzzah! huzzah!

efficiencies/necessities

one hand/one finger typing
with a kitten asleep on your lap
nice work if you can get it

bedtime

you know it's a more or less sleepy sunday

when you're counting down to post
at the magic time of
555pm

in colour

ginger tabby
black tortie
afternoon kitten dreams

lighting up the sky

a museum of waxwings
that takes your breath away

waves

warmer here today
with bright afternoon sun
brisker weather down south
with freezing temps in Florida
and the risk of frozen iguanas dropping from trees

hang on
hold on
little ones

post deep freeze living room inventory

• play centre tea towel
• various Christmas gift kitty toys
• sheets of tissue paper (now various remnants)
• plastic balls embedded with bells
• rattan ball embedded with bell
• empty box
• stuffed box
• slippers
• bottle of Catnip blowing bubbles (the gift that keeps on giving)
• catnip cigars
• catnip hedgehog toy
• blue foil felt fish toy...yet to be loved

The XA XA Gabors...much loved

it's all relative

the temperature here this morning
colder than the South Pole
kindred spirits (minus the penguins)

the polar coaster

-39 C tonight
+3 C by Monday
bundle up peeps

indoor/outdoor

a tiny tiny spider
on the living room rug
a cold cold night
in the middle of winter

in the air

the second day of the new year
new decade
and the winds of change are blowing
where we are