The Red Door

Only now that the flowers are gone,

and the fallen leaves have blown away,

am I able to appreciate the weathered hues of my fine red door.

Beauty is all around us.

Caught Red-Handed!

Walking through the garden making sure all is well, when I feel a small, but definite, thump on my back.

Guess who threw the first snowball of the winter?

The Promise

Plants with plans, that's what my garden is full of.

This rhododendron is such a smartie. By showing me now, the buds for next spring's flowers, it makes sure I will protect it the whole winter long.

I'm Thinking About Garlic

"If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed;

If in terms of ten years, plant trees;

If in terms of 100 years, teach the people."

Confucius

       

If you're thinking about garlic, plant it now.

White Candles For Winter

"White...is not a mere absence of colour;

it is a shining and affirmative thing,

as fierce as red,

as definite as black...

God paints in many colours;

but He never paints so gorgeously,

I had almost said so gaudily,

as when He paints in white."

G. K. Chesterton

What do you see?

"Zen masters say you cannot see your reflection in running water, only in still water."

Elizabeth Gilbert

Maybe you should not be seeking your reflection at all.

I see a cold November day,

Seedlings who've lost their way,

A touch of rust on grey.

The rain that fell last night

Reflects the subdued light

Of a day that's dark and grim.

My thoughts turn within.

On this cold November day.

Child of the Trees

I have always felt the living presence of trees.

The forest that calls to me as deeply as I breathe,

As though the woods were marrow of my bone,

As though I myself were a tree.

From the poem: The Presence of Trees, by Michael S. Glaser

Fire Engine Red

And you, how old are you?
I asked the maple tree:
While opening one hand,
he started blushing.
Georges Bonneau

The View From Here

         
            The view from here
                is fall,
                  it's clear
                    that time has come and gone.
                      I stop while on
                        a garden stroll
                          to hear
                            fall's wondrous song.

November 1st, The Return of Sanity

Halloween gives us the opportunity to become someone else;
to toy with our dark side,

and enjoy the goosebumps
 that creep up our legs.

Now it's time to put the costume away,

reign in the wild imagination,

and apply some sort of discipline toward the towering pile of Halloween treats.

November 1st, the return of sanity.