Much like me, the dove returns to the same spot over and again — a comfy, solitary seat in the branches. It appears content, like its only wish was granted.
Dove
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Falcon
Falcon on the spire-like tip of a cypress. Same spot I saw it in a few months ago. Only now, enveloped by the wafting incense of California trees, like a morning fog.
Zoning anomaly
A freight train blows its hard horn (bright horn?) this morning.
I live in the suburbs and I can hear it — me and my cat.
There are tracks running through this town, and from time to time, rail crossings you might encounter unexpectedly, where you have to sit at the red light and wait for the endless line of rail cars.
The standard motor vehicles make just as much noise, anyway. I hear them like static on the receiving end of a phone. Not to mention their smoke.
Then there’s my retired neighbor with his generator that he uses for his pressure washer to clean his yard, where he also has a hot tub, along with a fluorescent blue bug zapper and a flatscreen, as well as a wife who does Zumba.
Beyond the ordinary
(Setting: near a large horizontal window at a gala)
Both stood and watched the window like a screen.
Birds flew by to Chopin’s salon-friendly Nocturnes.
The woman, holding champagne, smiled and beamed.
Her burgeoning beau was charmed and stood close.
They were having a Hollywood moment!
The birds, like fish in a bowl, circled in groups,
rose like ocean waves then dipped back down
and raced fiercely across the manicured landscape.
The man and woman looked into each other’s eyes,
smiled warmly and returned their gaze to the window.
A jealous suitor sat in the background, transfixed.
For him, Chopin’s piano music had stopped,
for he was attuned to the alarm of the birds.
He was witnessing something beyond ordinary.
Trees as innocent bystanders
I heard the choppy sound of a low-flying helicopter lingering nearby this morning at 7:30 for many minutes. Finally, I looked out my window, and all I could see was a sky that was admiral blue and a faded moon, full and hovering over the dome-shaped crown of a towering green tree. I peered through the leaves and branches, eagerly searching for a clue, for on the other side was a reality that differed from the one I was experiencing. This was apparent when a dove shot into the sky from behind the tree, gained altitude and vanished.
Past middle age
I did not know: The Bird Man is a motorcyclist!
Each day in his yard, pouring out fresh water for his feathered visitors, he hobbles to complete this daily task. And now, here he is, in usual T-shirt and sagging, beat-up denim, perched on the seat of a Harley — its engine choking and rumbling on a cool September morning.
It all makes sense, too — his hobble and the Harley and everything else. It all dovetails seamlessly.
Fly, Bird Man, fly,! For the migration season is upon us!
Make this restaurant great again
In the triple-digit heat, three unmasked older couples sat out on the patio under the misters, sharing a table and talking with gusto in a release of all the gossip and opinion that had been bottled up inside them for months
I awaited my take-out order near the register, wearing my bandana over my mouth and nose and my surgical mask layered over it.
The waitress wore a Betty Boop mask. She had thick, long eyelashes and blue eye shadow. I watched her as she, wearing a pair of blue surgical gloves, poured red wine into three large goblets and placed them on a tray.
Continue readingThoughts on stewardship
Nature can perhaps be thought of as a living thing that is part of our household and family, such as a cat or a dog, meaning that it trusts that we will care for it. And when we do not, this can be seen as betrayal and negligence. I could not fathom forgetting to feed my cat or to give her water and also to otherwise make sure she stays well. Same goes for the people around us. To a degree, they perhaps hope and expect we may act in their best interest, or at least not knowingly cause them harm. At best, we can help all life forms around us thrive, including ourselves.
On my birthday
