Sunshine fingers reaching out
Uniting all in touch
Evening comes, starlight bright
Vibrant colours of cosmic order
Inviting you to stand and say
Nice to have known you, Starbright
Carrying the torch of love
Engaging all who read your words
Never condescending, always light, your
Touch sunshine bright…
© Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie 2021
Brian VFJapanese Black Pines, Uncategorized February 13, 2021 1 Minute
Wired in 2019, repotted in March 2020, candle-pruned in July 2020. Here is how it looked in December 2020:
You can continue reading this interesting bonsai post at NEBARI BONSAI
What do you see # 69 -February 15 2021
( For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a view of the Eiffel Tower at night when it is illuminated in golden light. In the foreground you can see the Seine river reflecting the lights)
We had been looking forward to our visit to Paris, the City of Light, and our expectations were high. Especially the Eiffel Tower, always so magical in photographs!
In the daylight hours, however, it didn’t seem very magical. Interesting enough, I suppose, the way the size of it dominates the city. Painted a nondescript brown, reducing the magnificent structure to nothing more than a pile of boring metal work during the day.
We loved the Louvre and the beautiful gardens of the Bois de Boulogne. Notre Dame Cathedral was impressive, which almost made up for the earlier disappointment.
That first evening though, we discovered a completely transformed City of Light, so magical, and glamourous enough for anyone. Ruled over by a transformed and gleaming Tower, now gloriously impressive.
I had to know what made such a difference, and this is what I discovered…
“Constructed using puddle iron, the Tower is protected from oxidation by several coats of paint to ensure that it lives forever.
The Tower has been re-painted 18 times since its initial construction, an average of once every seven years. It has changed colour several times, passing from red-brown to yellow-ochre, then to chestnut brown and finally to the bronze of today, slightly shaded off towards the top to ensure that the colour is perceived as the same all the way up as it stands against the Paris sky.
The beams of light, directed from the bottom towards the top, illuminate the Eiffel Tower from the inside of its structure. Since 1958, by replacing the 1,290 working projectors that illuminated the Tower from the outside, they highlighted the fine metallic construction of the monument and illuminated the areas used by late-night visitors until the closing of the Tower to the public. In addition to the aesthetic aspect, it is equally necessary for the security of the late-night operation of the Tower.”
© Jaye Marie 2021
WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 213 #EKPHRASTIC #PHOTOPROMPT
The
Raging
Water runs
Bending colour
Rainbow flowing bright
Magic paid the piper
For first colour, dancing light
Black and white would give us a fright
I thank the Gods for colour magic
A world without would be nowt but shadow…
© Anita Dawes 2021
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Super summer holidays
Up with the lark, ready to run,
Play all day, pay our dues to childhood.
Eat sleep, energy to spare.
Rain, let it pour, we will play anyway.
Carousels with ringing bells
Arcade attractions light our eyes.
Lemon drops, candyfloss, hold them tight.
In our pyjamas we see
Firecrackers late at night
Run outside for one last look.
Ask mum for an early lunch.
Getting closer to counting down the days
In childhood memory, we are left to play.
Little longer, we ask. Not easy to do when asked twice.
In swimsuits beneath our clothes
Sun sea and sand, we stay out late.
Tired from too much sun and fun
In soft, clean sheets, we dream.
Careful now, to hold on tight.
Extra tickets to go around twice.
Xanadu in mind, we pay for one more ride.
Parents waiting, supper made, smiling faces, we say happy days.
In the sea, we found a starfish
Andy almost threw it away.
Lollipops that melt away
In the sunshine, we play with sticky hands
Down to the sea, we wash away.
Over rocks and boulders, we scramble
Careful not to slip. Mum packed us off with plasters,
In case we scraped a knee
Open shops along the way, call us by name we say.
Using all the pennies, we put away,
So holiday fun we could say we helped mum and dad along the way…
© Anita Dawes 2021
By Marilyn Armstrong on • ( 4 )
For those of us who take pictures of birds, it’s no problem getting pictures of creatures in motion. The bigger problem is getting these constantly moving feathered friends to sit still. I’m always thrilled when I get them still long enough to get a clear shot. But the motion shots can be a lot more interesting.
This Robin is ready to fly!
See more amazing photographs by Marilyn Armstrong HERE…
Thursday photo prompt: Appointed #writephoto
This week’s prompt ~ Appointed
For visually challenged writers, the image shows the black silhouette of a crow perched atop a blackened and dead-looking tree. In the background the sky is blue and the trees are decked in the full green leaf of summer…
It was my habit to take a short cut through the woods on my way back from the shops, as it always seemed quicker that way.
It was also a much better walk, with the sunlight filtering through the branches and the dark green shadows beneath the trees.
I thought it a magical place, and once saw my first green woodpecker there. I often wished there were a bench as I would have liked to stay awhile and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
That day though, it turned out to be the wrong place to be.
I had barely reached the first tree when the strong flapping of wings somewhere above my head, stopped me from walking any further.
The sound of flapping wings became louder as several large black birds swooped down and attacked me. Disorientated, confused and more than a little scared, I waited for them to leave. I had no idea then what they were, but now I’m sure they were ravens.
When the first set of claws raked through my hair, instinct made me start running. Not easy to do, as they were all around me, clearly upset by my presence. I was in the middle of a nightmare, with no idea of what I had done to make these birds so angry.
Once clear of the woods, the ravens stopped attacking me and returned to the clearing beneath the trees. I stood still to catch my breath and watched them, wondering why they had behaved like that.
Most of the birds returned to the trees, still shouting the odds, but two of them seemed to be looking for something on the ground.
That when I saw what they were looking for.
A baby raven was hopping about in the undergrowth, struggling to fly, and failing miserably. I knew the parents of this baby would stay with him until he managed to take off, feeding and encouraging him, the rest of the flock on guard duty.
This was the reason I had been attacked, and suddenly, I wasn’t scared any more…
© Jaye Marie 2021
I have read a number of blogs where people complain of stasis, not getting anything done, couch potato syndrome, Covid Fatigue. I hear ya. Me too. But I decided to get off my ass, dust off my tools and shine my DIY Merit Badge for January ’21 if for no other reason than to prove 2020 was over. I can’t change career politicians, the price of gas, the stock market or bad behavior, but I can change what I complain about the most…
Scene 1 – On one wall of my kitchen I had a dark broom closet / pantry that was beyond useless. The door opened into a wall, no light, no way to build slide outs because of the door frame. A fridge in the middle and another tall useless random cabinet. When I was finished I had twice the storage that matched my other cabinets and 61 inches of granite countertop.
You have to read the rest of this post, HERE I was really impressed by Phil’s work ethic…
