Category: Nature

simply a moment | 6.15. 25 …

Published on by Honoré4 Comments

2:10 PM…I’ve enjoyed a very leisurely morning, punctuated by listening at least 5+ hours to my favorite Sunday Morning WSHU Baroque Music program, all the while, sitting at the table, staring out the windows at greenery that surrounds; trees; grasses; bushes; some roof tops on this grey almost first day of Summer ~ 20 June 2025 ~ just 5 days away.

I can’t stop asking, wondering : Where/When did the Spring season go? Will summer pass by as quickly? And what is the long-range forecast? This Spring, the bushes in front of my house have been selected to house the nest of three mockingbird bird eggs. I’m sure you wonder: “How do you know?”

Well, dear reader, t’is simple, sort of : about three weeks ago, I noticed that there were always several birds that managed to be perching on the bannisters on either side of the steps to the front door … whenever I opened the door to step out, “feel the temp”, pick up a package or check the mailbox. Almost simultaneously, birds, 4-5 – all the same species, would appear and land on the bannisters on either side of the steps leading up to the front door, land on the electric wires that ran to/from the house or perch on tree limbs in the front. Those birds were menacing, noisy, swooping and swarming, doing everything towards keeping me inside or from going outside. Yesterday – Saturday- as I was talking to my lawn service provider – I’m still inside the house and talking through the screen; he’s standing on the same level as the bushes in front; and there are two + birds, perched on tree limbs and electric wires ~ watching. He listens and pulls back the foliage of the bush closest to the steps.

Lo and Behold : There is a nest with THREE sizeable eggs! AHA! The mystery is solved. He lets the bushes go back to their normal state and I shake my head in awe and appreciation: A raison d’être ~ a reason for being.

The birds are still present, ever watchful and waiting whenever someone leaves or comes to the house or a package or mail delivered. My Internet searching suggests that it’s time for the mockingbirds ~ or so they appear ~ to hatch and get on with their timetable. That’s still to be determined.

In the meantime, for the most part I leave and enter the house via the back door! T’is easier for all parties involved!

On the Agenda ~ 2 April 2025

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2:40 PM ~ ESDST: At the moment, I’m in a “quiet co-working” zoom session ~ we, currently 5, including me, are “memory keepers” or scrapbookers. Occasionally, one of us interrupts the silence to ask a question or share a project. At 1 PM-ish, two hours ago, I started the session planning to write this post. Two hours later, I finally sat down to do so. In a few minutes, we’ll all leave and move on to the other items on our individual agendas. For me, that means “time to take a walk and commune with Mother Nature.

Despite the dismal, cloudy and grey backdrop of the sky, Mother Nature’s bounty accompanies me on my walk, providing more opportunites to capture, with my iPhone camera, newly budding or blooming flowers, interesting cloud formations, and trees, that yesterday were colorful and flowering and today, are breaking forth with leaves in various shades of green.

I am trying to focus my energies on nature journaling, especially appealing this time of year. Mother Nature’s bounty and glory are at their peak . My daily walks to and through the neighborhood – and park, three blocks away, – put me smack dab in the middle of Spring.

AHHH!

simply a moment | 9.15.24

Published on by Honoré7 Comments

On my walk, Sunday, September 15, 2:42 PM:

Leaves on the sidewalk crunch under my feet. I hadn’t realized how impactful the few days of cool weather has been on the trees just two days ago. Hardly any leaves had turned – yet today, not only have many leaves on many different kinds of trees turned, they are also falling, falling, falling. A dog being walked by its owner is just panting. Kind of snuck up on me – thankfully it’s on a leash! He looks like he’s a bulldog mix. It might be a she for all I know.


I stopped to take some pictures of leaves on trees and the ground and see that two other dogs are at a standoff . The owners apparently know one another. And the dogs? One decided s/he wasn’t going to be friendly. The other responded in kind; they may know each other and they may just do that every time they meet.


As I arrive home, my first thought: Where is my car? … and then I remember: my sister has it. A reminder: I need to have the garage auto door looked at – does the remote opener actually function. I just need to make sure the opener works or will it need to be replaced? And if I need to upgrade, how much will it cost? I make a mental note to talk to my neighbors and see what they suggest.

The azalea bush has bloomed again. This is probably not its last time this year…

I check my watch for my walk stats: 43:14 min; 1.10 mi; 2:12 -2:55 pm; 80 degrees; 47% humidity . Exercise goal achieved! Go Me!

Simply a Moment | 4.15.24 …

Published on by Honoré7 Comments

Monday! Monday! Mondays! are generally fairly well filled with household chores: laundry; trash out for Tuesday’s collection; planning the week’s agenda…

Today’s list also included going to the post office to mail state income tax return and walking Hazel – or rather I should say, being walked by Hazel – to/thru the park. The weather was delightful: sunshine , warm but not too hot; and the park was filled with children, caregivers – all enjoying this delightful Spring Day – not only a Monday and TAX filing day.

One neighbor delivered a bag of apples and cheeses; another – who likes to bake – a little box filled with very tasty mini-cakes. I made a long overdue list of this week’s “to do”agenda; one item included making an appointment on Friday for a mani/pedi. It’s been way too long for this treat.

We’ve had a delightful Spring day – not too hot and I’m feeling that I “done good.”

Plus, I had 4 Zoom sessions. One’s coming up in a few minutes so I guess I’ll review this post one last time and hit PUBLISH!

Cheers~

Best Laid Plans | 2.20.24…

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“Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist but in the ability to start over.”  This quote, from one of today’s emails, totally resonated with me…fortunately, on the one hand ‘cause I “can” start over – still- not to get too macabre/maudlin but the quote: “Ask not for whom the bell tolls …” does come to mind or my favorite biblical passage from Ecclesiastes : “There is a season…”.

A Twos- Day …

Best laid plans …

Just 9 days are left in this February month of the Leap Year…looking at my calendar, plotted out at the end of January, my intentions and adrenaline and expectations, erroneously high …”this month I WILL:

  • A, B, C… X, Y, Z…
  • 1…2…3…
  • Yes, No, Maybe …”

I debated, revisited, tried this, that, rescheduled … This month I will ( I didn’t) and other plans (dreams?) popped up on my agenda, lists and calendar … some done, most transferred to the next day, week, to “someday maybe”lists unless that particular day was the absolute last day ever to DO THAT THING! And April 15 is still nearly two months away and even that date is flexible, even if “at ruinous costs”…

I tried different calendars and ways to make lists… and I’m reminded of the old saying: “best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley…”

Fortunately I use pencil…and I have any number of calendars, list- making tools, both analog and digital formats. Perhaps therein lies the problem. Less is More? Hmmm…

Since January 15, we’ve had not one but two “significant” (easily described when winterS come and go with nary a flake seen) snow events. The first, January 15 and several days that week included seeing a fox in the back yard! Yep! A fox!

The second, not quite a month later, another measurable “snow fall”. There are still remnants on the deck and other areas where the sun doesn’t shine … but no further sightings of “the fox”.

Instead, this past week my view has been enhanced by the bloomin’ of this :

My Christmas Cactus Blooms!

Happy Holidays! And here’s to “Best Laid Plans”, Snow, Foxes, Christmas Cactus, and more February happiness surprises.

Cheers~

Welcome October | 10.1.23…

Published on by Honoré10 Comments

7:15 p.m. As I type this, the sun is setting. This has been a lovely Fall day, just warm enough to be without a jacket. I took a long, unplanned walk, to Franciscan Monastery and “wrote”, i.e., spoke via Apple Notes about the trip to and back. What follows is a very edited version of those spoken notes.

Sunday, October 1, 2023.

At the Monastery. I’m sitting on the bench overlooking the forest; to my right, the Ronald McDonald house. The sun shines. The trees are not quite as leafy as they were a month ago. I hadn’t planned to come to the Monastery today – I left home without ID or bus fare or a credit card or cash. I was just going for my normal daily walk but I found myself heading north and Here I Am .

It’s a lovely day: Quiet; there’s a cloud or two or three or four, but they’re not menacing – just adding to the overall glory of this day. I enjoyed a quiet morning in bed, dipping into the three new books on memoir writing I bought yesterday; listening to WSHU’s Sunday Baroque; and jotting down thoughts in my journal. Just relaxing. Enjoying doing nothing.

According to the clock it’s 1:33 PM and this is Sunday, October 1. A month ago I was here and I challenged myself to learn something new every day. Well, I suppose I did but what I didn’t do was document what I learned. C’est la vie.

So again, here I sit, partially in the sun and partially not if I turn a little bit. I’m just resting, enjoying the breeze and the scenery, and looking up at the sky following the trees to their very tippy tops. Such a beautiful, peaceful setting. I see a young boy running uphill and wonder where he’s going.

The koi pond is overflowing with plants; I barely saw any fish; wonder why they let the plants grow that way? I’m sure there’s a reason. I tell myself I’ll take a couple pictures of the Koi pond on my way out.

And thus the day comes to an end. Welcome October 2023.

an august moon and clouds …

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After what felt like years of unprecedented heat last week, August arrived with cooler air, lower humidity and therefore temperature and the arrival of a “super moon” gracing our nightly skies. Sadly, for moi and most of us who live in the US, folk on the west coast, especially in Eugene OR have the best opportunity of viewing the delightful event.

I did a quick google search and found a link to space.com with this appealing headline: “Watch the supermoon of August 2023 rise today with free telescope livestream (video)”. Hey, hey I thought, how cool is that and, I clicked! Only to be greeted with “Update 3:30 p.m. ET: “The virtual Telescope Project’s livestream of the Full Sturgeon Moon was cancelled due to clouds.”

I share with you some pics of the clouds I took on my walk yesterday. They are a study and make for a good study, too!

I took a quick look out the window and yep! There are clouds moving in. I take a lot of photos of clouds and have recommitted to practicing watercolor painting them. And since I am also mesmerized by clouds, I guess I won’t be too crestfallen … but still!

Fortunately, we have one more opportunity to see a super-moon, the Full Blue Moon, which rises August 30th. Keeping my fingers crossed!

It’s also “Crepe Myrtle Season!” The flowering trees just burst open last week . My neighbors have quite a tree in their yard and as I fix my tea every morning, I glance out the window and am momentarily mesmerized by its beauty. If the weather’s nice, I’ll step out on the deck to get a better view… as with the photo, below. Today, I happened on a link with instructions on how to remove wires from photos. I haven’t tried -yet- but intend to do so, soon! There’s hope…

Wishing all a great month. Who knows what Mother Nature has in store !!!

Cheers~

Color Makes Me Happy

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Spring in Washington DC has arrived! Several years ago, my word was “color.” In all its glory, my daily walks -even on those days when it was a tad, ( a lot ) chilly – have been a sheer visual delight. Spring and Autumn in the nation’s capital are generally beautifully colorful. Come, join me on a quick tour .

Yesterday, Friday, was rainy and cool… t’was still the best for the work Mother Nature does to provide daily colorful journeys and happy Spring memories.

Happy Spring!

Happier – January 2023 …

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What makes me happier?

8:30 AM. Friday, January 27, on my to-do list : “write blog post.” I’ve not started it yet -tho’ I am in Writers’ Hour… *8:50 AM. My watch tells me: “Time to stand and replenish my tea. “ Ah, the wonders of technology!

I spent Thursday afternoon, after Daily Pages (certainly the hi-light of my day and the subject for another post) organizing monthly paper work and getting ready for “tax season.” I am not at all like my father who a) was meticulous in keeping financial records and b) could make sense out of bits-n-pieces of paper, receipts, all gathered in a brown paper bag or a shoebox brought to him by small entrepreneurs. Asking myself: Could that be my answer – a brown paper bag and/or a shoebox? – to a task I don’t especially like? T’would that make me happier? Doubtful…

For sure, one thing I KNOW: my mostly morning – daily walk, at least 23 -30 min per outing – makes me happier. I clock using my Apple Watch. My daily walk is just restorative and exciting to see what I discover as the seasons change. A fave sight is that of preschoolers, tethered by a walking chain, out on their morning walk, too … Several often wave at me; we’ve seen each other before. Tho’today was indeed brisk – frigid – their waves warmed my heart and made me happier.

One of the “things” I often write during morning journaling is the phrase: “birds flocking…” Generally, in the Fall and Winter months, I see any number- 5 to who knows how many – birds flocking and I write myself a note: Answer question: “Why do birds flock?” Yesterday I finally answered the question watching stunning visuals via YouTube and a new word – Murmurations – that somehow escaped my lexicon. Check out this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/DLuEwFblaN4 for more info. I think this is what I like best about the Internet – answers and information about the obscure, mysterious, everyday, wonderment question. Reminds me of the pleasure I got just reading a print dictionary or encyclopedia article that caught my eye as I was looking up something else. In today’s world, I can highlight a word, e.g., wonderment, and in DayONE -the program I use for digital journaling – look up the word’s meaning…

Tiago Forte’s book/concept of a “second brain” appeals to me, to an extent. My preference is to use my own brain – for its better or worse storage/retrieval capabilities. I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t want to learn how someone else thinks – I’m having enough challenge figuring out how (if ?) I think… Guess that’s why I’m not much of an app advocate. A pencil/pen and piece of paper or sticky note (Yes! I know there are apps for them, too!) make me happier… On the other hand, my 8.5 years’ old great grand nephew is a whiz with “second brain” tools and toys. I remember once complaining to my mother about all the graffiti gracing the buildings and street signs and sidewalks and billboards and, and, and… Her response to me: “Remember the cave man!” Perspective! Thinking about that conversation makes me smile, happier…

The questions I’m allegedly answering in 2023 with my One Little Word: “ What indeed makes me happpier? Will doing X, Y or Z make me Happier?” I do know it isn’t ‘French Fries … And of course, the answer is: I won’t know until I do!

What is making you happer these days? TBC… to be continued!

Cheers~