Month: August 2024

The fern

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The fern grows slowly

Uncurling each delicate frond

Spreading like open hands 

Fingers reaching out with friendship offerings

Shrouded in mist in the crisp early morning

Her leaves soak up the dew

Glistening beads sit on the vibrant green foliage

The sun burns off the mist

The fern allows the beads to evaporate

Tossing the water to the gods of the sky

She yawns as her ferns uncurl more

Producing no flowers or seeds

Animals ignore her most of the time

Apart from the occasional web weaving spider

Who watches her web ripped apart by unfolding fronds

Oh delicate fern of the forest floor

You think you are so beautiful and invincible

Until a herd of deer come along and munch you to ground level

Start again sweet fern

We will watch over you

Maybe its best if we arrange to die early on a Monday

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Monday is our trash day

I wheel out the big brown trash can very early

fill it with all the trash we generated in the last seven days

watch the garbage truck roll up

an energetic young man grabs the can

Wheels it to the back and tips it into the truck

and then its all compressed 

the empty can gets put away

and we go about making filling it with more trash

our entire home is a trash generating machine

we make food waste

we discard packaging from Amazon

we empty containers and drink cans

we throw away junk mail

its a never ending cycle

we bring home new stuff

marvel over it at first

then store it unused in a closet

later move it out to the garage

like elderly relatives in a nursing home

its never coming back home

it will eventually end up in the trash

I suppose thats where we will end up too

maybe its best if we arrange to die very early on a Monday

she was cold as ice

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They had been married for more than twenty five years

Everybody assumed they were perfectly happy

But when her husband Dave showered her with affection

She was cold as ice

Dave never gave up on their marriage

He continued to love her as before

He gave her lavish gifts on birthdays and anniversaries 

She was cold as ice

The colder she got the harder Dave tried

She made more demands for freedom

He allowed her to take vacations alone

She was cold as ice

Dave started to feel the strain

Holding down a full time job and bringing up the kids

He asked her to be more of a partner

She was cold as ice

Dave discovered she was having an affair

He asked her if she was seeing somebody else

She denied everything claiming it was all his imagination

She was cold as ice

Dave was devastated to learn his wife was a cheat and a liar

He calmly amassed more evidence

While pretending to accept her denials

She was cold as ice

He confronted her one last time

Presenting irrefutable facts of her lies and cheating

He gave her a chance to confess

She was cold as ice

Dave told her he would forgive her

If she promised to stay faithful to their marriage

She walked out and never came back

She was cold as ice

on the trail of the lonesome pine

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Steady climb to the lookout point

Peering down into the valley below

On a hot muggy summer day

Haze obscuring the blue ridge mountains

Beware of bears said the first rest stop sign

Cyclists pounding away on the ascent 

Ears popping as we climb higher

We reached 3800 feet

Breathtaking views of the valley below

Hardy hikers gathering at the rest stop

They are tackling the Appellation trail by foot

Water bottles and supplies hanging from their vests

As we drive along a small section

On the trail of the lonesome pine

The voices of Laurel and Hardy ring out

This is Virginia at its finest

I wonder where the hikers will sleep tonight

We saw no bears today

Sunset cruise

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Sunset cruise

Sunset approaching

Gather friends

Pack drinks

Prepare boat

launch boat

Full speed

Heading west

Partial clouds

No wind

Ideal conditions

Music playing

Boat drifting

Sun setting

Water still

Music louder

Sky illuminated

Orange clouds

Water reflects

Drinks flowing

Cameras clicking

Memories recorded

Sun sets

Getting dark

Race home

Getting dark

Navigation lights

Use Garmin

Follow tracks

Routine docking

Flush engine

Secure vessel

Head home

Happy times

Memories stored

Friendship sunset

Oh Monday Monday

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Oh Monday Monday

You came around fast

I remember school Mondays

The start of a long week

Cramming in last minute homework

Meant to be done over the weekend

Mondays seemed to go by real slow

It was the same with work Mondays

But eventually everything changed

Retirement brought glorious Mondays

Free from work commuting

Just free time to spend as you wish

I choose to get up at 6am

Have a healthy high protein breakfast

Prepare my bike for a long ride

Then its rolling down the road

Cycling down quiet country lanes

Taking in the scenery and wildlife

35 miles later I am back home

And its still only mid morning

Plenty of Monday left to enjoy

Oh Monday Monday

Let’s do this!

the air show

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We watched an airshow today

Jets flying in close formation

Splitting into two groups

Racing skyward and turning

Flying directly towards each other

A delicate fly-by manoeuvre

It was breathtaking to watch

The sound of the jet engines

The trails they sprayed out

Creating a big heart in the sky

I started to wonder if they would crash

Morbid thoughts of a head on collision

Visualizing the flames and smoke

I felt guilty about those ponderings

Until I shared them with others

Suddenly realizing I was not alone

Most people were thinking the same

Nobody wanted those plane to crash

But they all came wondering if it might happen

Thankfully there was no disaster

We were entertained and went home happy

Promising to come back next year

As we secretly fantasized about a future plane crash

Cheese and cake

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I love cheese

Especially cheddar cheese pairings

Sharp cheddar cheese and chorizo

Cheddar with cabernet sauvignon

Extra sharp cheddar with almonds

Pepper jack cheese with raspberry jelly

Sharp cheddar with sage

Habanero cheddar with riesling

Extra sharp cheddar with pale ale

Alpine cheddar with balsamic vinegar

White oak cheddar and grapes

Pepper jack cheese and oregano 

Sharp cheddar with roasted red peppers

White oak cheddar with pecans

Garlic herb cheddar with chianti

Extra sharp cheddar with eggplant

Sharp cheddar with plums

Monterey jack cheddar with chocolate

Sharp cheddar with caramel

I love many types of cake

Chocolate cake

Orange mango cake

Almond cake

Gingerbread cake

Coconut cake

Strawberry shortcake

Carrot cake

Tiramisu

Banana cake

Lemon cake

Red velvet cake

Vanilla cake

Apple spice cake

Pineapple cake

But my absolute favorite

Is the pairing of cheese and cake

I love cheesecake!!!!!