The ocean water's not all blue. The prairie's not all green. What's in between is what I've seen And what I trust is true.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “collages”.
Also liked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. The phlox and tiger lilies were at their peak in Vince’s yard so we celebrated the day by watching the butterflies, bees and whatever came by to enjoy his yard which brought smiles.
Cloudy contrast floating past Even what’s so wild won’t last.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “surrealism”. The white funnel-shaped cloud was from a jet that passed by some time ago. The dark cloud held the coming rain. Together their contrast seemed to me surreal.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. Finding out that the mystery bug was a hawk moth or a hummingbird moth put a smile on my face. Also I was amazed at the quantity of wildflowers in the forest preserve yesterday when walking one of the trails.
Fancy bugs who flutter there Are not out flying blind. While abstract colors fill the field There’s nectar that live flowers yield So those who seek may find.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “abstract”. The top photo reminds me of the random splattering of color like on some works of abstract art and whatever that is in the bottom photo it fits my abstract idea of “bug”.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. A friend of mine, Vince, has a backyard with flowers. We noticed there an unidentified flying object whose wings fluttered rapidly like a hummingbird but who looked like a bug sipping nectar along with the bumblebees. We tried to find it in a field guide to insects but the most we could conclude was that we were glad we didn’t run into some of the other stuff that was illustrated in that guide. Finally, giving up, we decided to call this unknown bug “Vince’s Bug”, or Bugus Vincentus to use my best pig Latin, and we welcomed it home.
Rough around the edges, Smoother where it shows - Plants know well how rough we get. Make room. Watch out. They'll grow.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “the rough with the smooth”.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. The weeks go by and I have the same things to smile about – pleasant social relationships (although modified by social distancing) and we are able to take walks. I have been to the forest preserve multiple times.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “our feathered friends”. The birds above are evident, and noisy. You might miss the ones below. They are nearly in the center, wading, who knows why, across the lagoon.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. It has been a beautiful week in Northbrook, Illinois. I was able to walk about Somme Woods and Skokie Lagoons Forest Preserves, enough to put a smile on my face.
Today, I’m glad and feeling fine. My thoughts are cloud-free clear. Tomorrow rain may soak my roots Nourishing those fresh young shoots While I am standing here.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “a wet weekend”. My weekend was more like the photo below than the one above, but they both have water in them.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. I have been taking this past week morning walks starting around 5:15 AM to watch the sun rise in Techny Park (Northbrook, Illinois). Watching it rise through the trees and then being reflected on the pond has made me smile.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “forces of nature”. The top photo is a storm coming in on the Atlantic Ocean and the bottom is Tennessee in the fall.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The weekly Smile. We took a road trip from Florida to Illinois over the past three days going from very hot and humid to still hot weather. On the way there we stopped at a beautiful rest area in Tennessee around the Cumberland Gap on Route 24. It brought back memories which made me smile. The photo below was taken in the fall a few years ago of that rest area heading south. Last Saturday we were on the other side heading north.
Umbrellas aiming to the sky Are open on the beach. Some are yellow, some are blue, Some are multicolored too, Smiling within reach.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme “midsummer”.
Linked also to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. I was wondering what made me smile this past week of midsummer and then our daughters texted me, “Happy Father’s Day!!”. There it was. That made me smile.
The shadowed edge Where dark blocks light Shows warmth of day On fading night
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “shadows and silhouettes”.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. The beaches opened on Friday. I waded in very warm water on Saturday, a beautiful day, and smiled.
The ocean’s gray without its blue And gray without the people, too. But I’m not feeling all that gray. I got through May. I'll go for June.
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “shades of gray”.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. What’s there to smile about? Well, we’re still here. I got my life reorganized a bit, true, but perhaps that was all for the better. I need to do some housecleaning every once in a while. And this past week it did rain a lot. That made me think of hurricanes and Noah’s Ark until I saw the double rainbow in the east.
