Bird Days

One of the best things about living in Central Florida is the wildlife. Some days that is the best thing. 😉

For me, any day I connect with Nature is a perfect one. The most rewarding moments are the  unexpected ones, those times when a projected idea falls short, leading to a moment of pure brilliance! 

We took a drive to get my haircut; and, as always, my journeys must be combined with some kind of fun. We tried to make a detour to the Big Tree park to visit some very old tree friends but road construction made that impossible; so we made our way slowly towards my hair appointment while taking small detours to check out the local nature hangouts. There is a lot of water in Florida and lots of man made lakes. On our last stop, with only 30 minutes to spare, we hit the jackpot! There, swimming, flitting, flying and feeding on the lake were not one, not two, but half a dozen of our favorite birds! They were most happy to pose for me too. I hope you enjoy the photos and that your weekend has been filled with nice surprises. 

Great Blue Heron

Even more lovely in flight.

So contemplative...

Great Egret

The ancient and wise looking Wood Stork.

This little guy is a bonus, not as commonly seen. I love the Tri Colored Heron. 

After my new do, we headed to find food and drink on the recommendation of my stylist. He really knows the local food and didn’t steer us wrong. 

So delicious! 

The craft beer selection was amazing as well, with dozens to choose from. 

Color me happy! Now, I can face a new week. 

My Soul is a Tomb

My Soul Is a Tomb

My soul is a tomb-

moldy bones of contention

litter the dusty floors 

and congregate in the

murky shadows to avoid

the shards of filtered light

that steal through the gilded

windows, their arches softly

contrasting the hard lines of

mortar and cold stone. 

The faint strains of a waltz

hang on the stale air like

a fog drifting across the

stormy sea of destiny.

My soul is a prison

where cave dwellers make fire

to roast the flesh of dragons

slain by knights on ivory steeds

deep within the forest of lands

ruled by fairies with 

pixie slaves that live among

the thorns of the rose garden

where children in crips linen

dresses and brown britches

play hide and seek with 

gray wolf cubs that venture

into the daylight while their

parents sleep off the night's 

successful run with the red

blood of the farmer's dog  

staining their tongues as they

dream of being eagles.

My soul is a highway

paved with yellow brick,

lined with bright poppies in

shades of crimson, lavender, magenta

to soothe the senses of weary travelers

on their journey from rough hewn

cradle to the quiet shadows of

their final rest.  

They amble and trot, skip, jump,

race, fall, dance, trip and crawl

towards the promised land where

hand in hand they stand to face

the final judgment.

My soul is a legend 

of hunters, servants, kings

and jokers, dancers, builders,

bakers, forsakers and breakers

of hearts, of saints and sinners,

losers and winners, creating each

life with new vigor, new hope, new

understanding and a vow to make 

the next journey more complete 

than the last-without error,

leaving terror of the past behind

liked shreds of colored paper

to litter the road of memory 

with bright distraction-such

attraction impossible to deny

and so begin again..

and again...

For the prison can be breached

and the highway paved with gold

while the legend will be told in the 

etching on the walls within the 

tomb.

CKP Words and Images Copyright

2020

Muscovey Mayhem

There was no humor on the little lake last Saturday. Muscovey prowess was at stake and the old guy just won’t give it up to the younger fowl. I fear one day soon we may find one of them floating tail up. 😱

This post brought to you by  Linda Hill And the #JusJoJan prompt. 

Tremors

To hold the breath of Nature on one’s fingertips

and not understand its magnificence..

To view the intricate perfection of perpetual life

and not be awed into reverent appreciation..

To watch the impeccable choreography of

bloom and wing in silent wonder..

To move with exacting purpose through the 

days of doubt and delight toward the finish line..

To accept the connectedness in  all of Existence 

with pure Love and right intent is

Perfection. 

Our world is in crisis. 

She waits

with hope, 

expectation,

anticipation..

weeping,

praying,

lashing out 

in fear and pain.

Tremors. 

CKP words and images 2020

This (late) JusJoJan and #SoCS post is brought to you by the prompt from Linda Hill. Sorry I am so late to the party this weekend. So much has been going on. I promise to do better. Thanks for reading! 

The prompt was to base this post on the title of the last movie I watched which was, in fact, Tremors. 

Love and Light,

Cheryl

Indelible

Once upon a lifetime a seed of love finds a fertile place...

in a lonely heart

and plants itself-

waiting, hoping, longing

for the warmth of recognition.

Time passing unnoticed, unreturned and unappreciated, the bloom fading...

Withers

hope slipping into dark oblivion

drowned in a sea of tears,

buried treasure.

Silence, masquerading as the forgotten, disguising pain transformed into growth...

heart beats in spite of longing

to be free of sorrow,

no tomorrow

with sharp reminders

of rejection.

Time, the great amnesiac-cajoling, consoling the heart into release....

belief

that past is past and 

gone is gone.

Healed,

concealed 

the scar lies

dormant.

Then gravity takes hold, pulling the soul into the cemetery of regret..

the sweet sting

of remembrance

like the scent of a 

Spring bloom

long gone from the garden,

like a sunset that 

remains unequalled,

free floating once more

as a wisp of Summer air-

unexpected, unfair.

Indelible.

CKP Photos and words 2020

Then and Now

Today’s combination prompt from Linda Hill for #SoCS and #JusJoJan gives us an interesting change. I love these because they can be so varied.

 This is what I want you to do: 1. Grab the closest book to you when you sit down to write your post. 2. Open it to a random page. 3. Locate the first complete sentence on that page. 4. Use the first three words of that sentence to start your post, then take it from there–write whatever comes to mind. That’s it! Have fun!

I was so excited to read something new from the ‘King’ . So far, so good. 

This prompt also fits with what was on my heart and allows me to share something our good blogging friend Damyanti Biswas posted on Instagram yesterday. 

This simple graphic says so much about who we have become as a society. We are civilized to the point of regression. The first human to view their reflection in the water must have been astounded and perhaps felt less alone in their world. That simple appreciation of self awareness has now grown to gargantuan proportions so that seeing oneself in a reflection stirs so many more negative emotions than positive. On the flip side of that, so many are obsessed with their image to the point of sharing it publicly on any media possible for the attention that will come. Humans have grown to be codependent as a race, seeking validation at every turn and unable to accept the simple satisfaction to be gained from a job well done no matter its magnitude. 

When I opened my book today three words from a new chapter stared back at me.

When he saw...

What came to mind was the first chapter of the Bible, the Creation Story. 

When He saw what he had made he knew that it was good.

I have to wonder what our Creator knows about what has become of the original Creation made so lovingly. Can anyone who truly understands the Spirit of Love believe that a loving God would be impressed with uber technology, over population, or the destruction of the very gift we received in that first thought of a god so many claim to live for? Would that God condone the murder of Its Creation for the gain of some of Its children over others? Would that God congratulate the stewards which were created to watch over the heavens and Earth and all living things created before themselves on what they have done with these gifts? 

Many people tell me I am too nice and that this is a weakness. I don’t know any other way to be, for this is what my soul knows of love from where I came. What should be remembered by those who prey on nice people is that it is not a sign of weakness at all. It is our greatest strength, for when everything else falls away, when the masks are removed and there is nothing but our essence that remains, we will not be ashamed of what we brought to this gift called Life. 

I do not aim to belong to any groups or follow any crowds. I don’t mind standing alone if it means my heart is joyful, my soul is at peace and my conscience is clear. If one person remembers me for something kind I have done, then I will consider myself well remembered. 

Have a great #free48 everyone.

Love and Light...

Where two or more are gathered in my name, there is love...

The manatee...gentle giants

https://youtu.be/RrTfNTzAvYY

Always a favorite of mine.

Duck Drama

Since I missed yesterday’s prompt, part of today’s post is courtesy of John at The Sound of One Hand Typing and yesterdays prompt was given by Jill.

Both are great prompts. I’d like to continue my tale of life on Lake ‘Hawk’s Cove’. Do you recall after my tale of Cormorant eel fishing yesterday that I mentioned the possibility of a more dastardly event taking place on our peaceful little backyard waterworld?

Nature moves in many ways and the course of events isn’t always pleasant. While there are no dingos taking down antelope in our neighborhood, sometimes the wildlife does like to mix it up now and then when temperatures change or the skies rumble. Maybe they just like to strut their stuff.

Whatever got under their feathers, these fellows got into it right after the eel met its fate in the belly of Captain Cormorant. At first hubby and I thought they were...well..making whoopie. But when I started looking through my lens, the magic crystal ball of revelation, I realized the seriousness of the scene unfolding on little Lake Placid. One of those Muskovey ducks was trying to do the other in. I took many more photos than I am sharing but the progression grew more grim as I stood snapping. At one point Captain C paddled over and pecked at the aggressor before quickly retreating to continue circling the pair.

For a frightening moment we thought the victim had been lost as its head was held under water for what seemed too long. Then suddenly it surfaced near the opposite side of the lake, shaken but alive! 

Disaster averted! Whew. My mind was already spinning to the thought of having to watch a dead body drifting on the water for days before anyone came to fish it out. 😱

I now I understand a little more why the Muskovey is not the favorite duck to have on your lake. So much drama! Wish we had a few Black Australian Swans...now there are some beauties. 

Maybe tomorrow I’ll  share photos from the space launch we watched last night. Right now I have a date with a pillow. Good night! 

For another slant on today’s little word, mix, be sure to stop over to Dan’s place

If you’d like to read more great posts for #JusJoJan, drop over to Linda Hill’s blog! 

Natural Order

I spend a lot of time visiting parks and wildlife reserves in search of the beautiful living things that are found there, and I have hundreds of photos to show that they really are magnificent. We are also very fortunate to have a beautiful neighborhood with a small, man made lake where the ducks and various seabirds visit, hang out and come and go at will. I love them and take photos sometimes. I normally prefer not to disturb the general scene with my presence. The wild birds don’t react much to human presence here near the ocean due to living among the hustle and bustle of city life themselves. The ducks, however, think that anything moving is a potential carrier of food, and come waddling over and disrupting any serenity that exists. It is normally quite mundane and quiet as we sit on the porch sipping coffee on a Saturday morning. 

Yesterday, however, found Nature abuzz with excitement and drama and my hubby-the Spotter-had his eye on the details while I grabbed my camera to try and capture the moments. 

Despite my best effort and good intentions, the dim light and excessive movement of the water did not aid me in getting the best shots. But I think you will be able to get the gist of how the morning events unfolded. 

When any Cormorant or Anhinga begins circling in the water with intent, you can bet they are going fishing. I’ve managed to capture images of both birds fishing and get photos of them with their little silvery prizes; so when hubby alerted me that the Cormorant in question had caught something, I grabbed the camera and started to shoot. But I was soon to realize that this was no ordinary catch. At first I thought it was a snake. Wouldn’t you? 

But as I watched the usual process of my feathered friend trying to position its prey for proper swallowing, I noticed it didn’t look like any ordinary snake. It looked like it had fins! I told my hubby and he began looking this up on the internet while I kept snapping. First we decided it was a snakehead fish. Then we found out there were multiple kinds of fish that looked like snakes. It would only be after I looked more closely at the digital images that we would discover exactly what our friend had removed from the little lake. It was an invasive Asian Eel. 

It would appear our wise fishing friend had succeeded in fulfilling his obligation to the natural order. He was quite proud of himself as well, strutting around the lake for a couple of hours after he had swallowed the treat, bathing in the fountain and drying his wings.

He even tried to break up an attempted Muskovey murder. But....that’s a story for another day. Ducks with ill intentions. 

Have a great week everyone! Keep a sharp eye out for invasive eels in your bathtubs, toilets and dishwashers. 🤣😳

This post sponsored by Linda Hill’s JusJoJan prompt/.

Now

Now is the moment we are in, the only real ‘time’ that truly exists or matters. Yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is a vision. It is all a dream that often seems like a nightmare. This is life, it is inevitable and unavoidable if we are to grow.

As difficult as it is, as much concentration as it seems to take initially, learning to let go of our yesterdays as an emotional imprint will be the key to our successful, inspired tomorrows. Knowledge and learning are necessary for our mental growth and it is often tricky to discern between that which should be kept and that which should be discarded.

It is also difficult to understand if we are truly letting go of painful or unpleasant memories or simply locking them away inside an emotional coffin that never can be buried. At 60, I can truly say I have evolved a lot and that I may have had several of those coffins in my cemetery of dark nights. It has been an arduous task to open them and view those skeletons in the light of day. What has been most necessary for me to really release the emotional attachment to painful memories has been to fully acknowledge them. Sometimes it involves confronting others who were involved which, to them, appears like you are dredging up the past or looking for retribution when, in truth, the burden has been like a ball and chain around your sense of well being since the event happened.

The thing is, you cannot do this with any expectation about resolution, although it often happens due to the passage of time and personal growth. Don’t be surprised if your confession is met with shock or disbelief that there was ever a problem or because the incident was forgotten. This is being done for your own release and healing of the wound that may be holding you back.

Lastly, it isn’t always only painful memories that need to be released. Often a really good memory, such as a former friendship or relationship, even a great meal, can interfere with what is happening in your now. A new friend or partner who hears constantly about the past perfection you shared with another may seem like a monumental wall to climb in reaching that same state with you.

In my current now, I am trying to create emotional/mental memory books. They have categories and titles in my heart. Those events that occur which require me to learn something go into a mental segment called Experience. The ones that are triggers which bring me back to pain without purpose are being put into imaginary balloons, tied with ribbon and allowed to drift away from my soul. Those that inspire or lift me up in difficult moments go into my Heart file.

Do I still have recurring issues? Of course. One cannot live fully without pain and baggage. At least now my perspective is shifted so that I can keep myself together. I feel more in control of me, which, after all, is the only thing any of us can control.

This is the main reason I love photography. It takes a moment and freezes it for me. I can look at one photo on different days and recall the moment I took it and the feelings I had, or I can view it from an entirely new perspective. That is how life and relationships are. As humans living shared lives, we share the same moments and often the same experiences, but our perspectives and perceptions can be vastly different regarding them.

Be true to yourself with respect to the perspectives of others. There is love in all things.

Can anyone imagine how this moment made me feel? How does it make you feel? Any thoughts? I’d love to hear them. 

This post is part of Linda Hill’s #SoCS prompt and #JusJoJan

Happy #free48 everyone! Make every moment memorable. 

Poke Me...

I’m done!
It’s Friday, after Thursday, that was more like a Monday. Pinch me. Is it really the weekend, that long awaited 48 hour blissful fast forward two days of the week? Sigh. Yes. I am thrilled to have some time to myself. Time without work, time without a holiday, time to breathe, or eat, or walk, or watch tv, or go to the park, take photos, take a ride, write a story, draw a picture, picture me going crazy trying to choose what to do! 😱😱

Poke me at about 8 am tomorrow-that’s 3 whole hours after I normally have to get up. Then we’ll see what happens. 😉😏

If only I could be this relaxed....

Pssst...ain’t he sweet? 

Happy #free48! 

This post is part of the JusJoJan prompt brought to you by Linda Hill. Today’s prompt was ‘poke’. 

Call Me Marmalade

And serve me on toast! 😱

Today couldn’t have been an ordinary post holiday Thursday. No, it was the grandmother of all manic Mondays. Holy Moly. See all those doors?

If I walked through those doors a dozen times, I walked through them a hundred! Getting my steps in! 😉 How about these doors, Dan?

But it was nothing a little pizza and beer couldn’t numb. 

😳What? You were expecting photos? Ummmm....nothing left. Not a drop or a crumb,

But oh so very yum! That’s as close to poetic as I’m getting tonight, friends.

Onward into Friday and then the glorious #Free48! 48 hours that are mine! Hopefully the weather folks are right in predicting one sunny day! That may mean a mini excursion, which means photos!  WoohooOooo! 

Hope your first post holiday day was great. 

Love and light,

Cheryl

This post is a part of Linda Hill’s JusJoJan prompt. Check out her blog for other great prompts. 

And now I bid you adieu, farewell, buenos noches, sweet dreams...

Goodnight...💤😴