Carpe Diem #682

RAINDROPS

We like to take a color tour in the upper part of Michigan's lower peninsula in the fall.  This time it rained almost constantly, and the color we saw the most of was grey.

Petoskey Lighthouse in the Rain,  October 3, 2014

on lake michigan

raindrops are irrelevant

in the wind and surf

Carpe Diem Goes Back to Its Roots #4

The goal is to write a classical 5/7/5 haiku with interchangeable first and third lines, a seasonal word, and a kireji, or cutting word, describing a discrete moment in time.  More detail at the link below.  The keriji is difficult to express or even to define in English.  When used at the end of the first or second line, it implies a pause, or caesura.  I'm taking that to be the basis of phrase and fragment construction.   I like to leave my haiku unpunctuated, but for this example indicate the kireji with a colon.

I experienced this haiku moment every time I looked out the window today.

twelve inches of snow:
as the temperature falls
no sound but the wind

~:~

in the brittle cold
my house makes cracking noises:
as if it's in pain

Carpe Diem Goes Back to Its Roots #4

 

 

Tornado

We were visiting relatives in Florida last week, and drove home over the week end.  Sunday was a bad weather day, and we stayed ahead of the worst of it for most of our trip. In the afternoon, we stopped in Toledo to see my mom.  That's when the bad weather hit, and we decided to wait it out, rather then drive through it.

Then this happened, as we found out yesterday.

Picture Source

The picture, from yesterday's [Tuesday, 11/19/13] Toledo Blade, shows the path of a tornado that swept across the area on Sunday. I've added a red bull's eye, showing the approximate location of my mother's MOBILE HOME, where mom, my sister, my lovely wife and I were when the tornado came through.

The tornado literally leap-frogged two adjacent mobile home parks at approx. 5:45 p.m. and passed right over our heads. We didn't even know it had happened.

We had already driven about 450 miles that day, only to come to rest in the path of a destructive twister.

On a more positive note, Sis made us a nice chicken paprikas.

Carpe Diem #136, Haru Ichiban (First Spring Gust)

~ 1 ~

last storm of Winter
might be the first gust of Spring
warm sun follows

~ 2 ~

instead of snow
we get snow plus wind and rain
slippery roads

~ 3 ~

Michigan Springtime
if you are from Florida
is worse than Winter

~ 4 ~

routine fly ball
becomes a four base hit
on wings of wind


~ 5 ~

moose and goose
struggling against wind and rain
sometimes it takes two

~ 6 ~

haru turbulence
web a bouncing trampoline
spider hangs on tight

~ : ~

Carpe Diem #136

Carpe Diem Special #19 -- Shiki's Evening Sun

On my street, looking east at sunset, Oct 28, 2012

Clouds float over us
The setting sun sneaks beneath
Lighting their bottoms

On my street, looking west at sunset, Oct 28, 2012

 The Last light lingers
Clouds blush at the setting sun
Soon we will see stars

My lovely wife took the most awesome sunset picture EVER
Straights of Mackinaw, July 28, 2012


 Ship flees quickly east
Before the setting sun can
Set the sea on fire

~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

 As the sun sets west
Even the tiny sand mice
Cast long dark shadows

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Carpe Diem Special #19

Sensational Haiku Wednesday + 3WW CCCXIII

Only one day late.

The SHW theme is a traditional nature themed haiku.

Though the sun shines bright
The cold is biting today
Winter has arrived

It's unusal to see a haiku in upside down pyramid geometry.  Somehow, that shape pleases me.

And for 3WW

Icy and polite

Old lovers meet in Winter

And brag in silence

~  ~

In January

It is not polite to brag

Of icy feelings

3WW CCCXIII

Carpe Diem Special # 17 Cold Winter Blast

An Alberta Clipper is a winter storm that originates in the region of Alberta, Canada and travels like a fast moving 19th century clipper ship into the great lakes region.

COLD WINTER BLAST

Alberta clipper
Sailing in a fleet of clouds
Temperature falls

~  ~  ~  ~  ~
 
Temperature falls
My breath makes a stormy cloud
On a long walk home

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

On a long walk home
Cold winds redden my ear lobes
A warm fire awaits

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

 
A warm fire awaits
I rush through the biting wind
Alberta clipper

~  ~  ~  ~  ~
:
~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Snowy innocence
Whiter than the winter's clouds
Scoured clean by the wind

Carpe Diem Special #17

Carpe Diem #75 Early Plum Blossoms

I wrote one of my haiku, then went in search of information on plums.  Backwards, I know, but don't be surprised when I do things that way.  Michigan is the number 4 state in U.S. plum production, and mostly grows European rather than earlier ripening Japanese plum varieties.  What I already knew was that the Winter of 2011-12 was especially mild, and led to an early Spring, followed by a disastrous late frost.  Plums in the state blossomed in March.  Apples, peaches, pears and cherries also blossomed early and these crops were all severely damaged by one night of late Spring frost.

For my haikus, I have interpreted the word "blossoms" first as a verb, then as a noun.

I searched in vain for a picture of a Michigan plum blossom, and finally settled for this one, from Japan.  The lonely blossom seems fitting.   Also some plum haiku at the source.

Source

Early Plum Blossoms

I

Early plum blossoms
Too soon, then is ravaged by
Harsh Michigan frost

~  ~  ~

II

Early bird gets the

Worm; Early plum blossoms are

Nipped by late Spring frost

Carpe Diem # 75

Shadow Shot Sunday - Mellow Yellow Monday

Thanksgiving Day Morning

On the last warm day

One little boy plays outside

With his soccer ball

On Friday it turned 

Cold, then Saturday night snowed:

Winter is coming.

Shadow Shot Sunday II

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

FRESH

I

Ah - the kiss was sweet;

A welcome surprise, he thought.

Until she slapped him.

II

Ah - the kiss was sweet:

And flavored with her mint gum,

Now lodged in his mouth.

III

Ah - the kiss was sweet;

Snow flakes fell on her pert nose:

First sign of Winter.

IV

Ah - the kiss was sweet:

What's more fresh than new-found love?

Then they kissed again.

Six Word Saturday

Finally Got Some Grass Cut Today

When we got back from vacation, my lawn mower wouldn't work.  It's still in the shop, with parts on back-order.

Then some family issues got in the way.

Then we had three days of rain.

Borrowed a mower and got most of the back cut today.

Some of it hadn't been cut in almost a month.

What a strange summer this is!

Sensational Haiku Wednesday - Natural

NATURAL

How natural can
This weather be? Endless
Days of searing heat.

OK - We had storms

Yesterday- merely a brief

Wet punctuation.

Shadow Shot Sunday -- Frost

March this year was extremely warm.  April was a bit cooler.  On the morning of April 12, I took this picture, showing the frost on my lawn.  This was probably the frost that damaged the Michigan fruit crop, which will be in very shot supply this year.

Shadow Shot Sunday / Mellow Yellow Monday

Lawnicure

I cut my grass today (Sunday.)  I don't believe I have ever cut the grass in March, until now.  And seldom has my lawn ever been in such dire need of cutting.

In case the little knob on my mower is insufficient yellow, here are our daffodils.

Early Spring brings warmth

And yard chores ahead of time

In brilliant sunlight

Shadow Shot Sunday - Mellow Yellow Monday

An Autumn Afternoon on Rt 22 in Michigan's Leelanau County

A great arc between

Lake and Bay, Route Twenty-two

Spans light and shadow

Shadow Shot Sunday

This shot was taken on October 6th, the day of our Michigan color excursion. 

Other pics from that day can be found here and here.

Blue Michigan sky

And the bright orange glow of

The fruits of Autumn

Shadow Shot Sunday has moved to a new location.

Many thanks to Tracey for starting and maintaining
this terrific meme for so long.

Many thanks to our new hosts, Mystic, Rose and Gemma
for continuing the tradition.

I'm delighted to add that one of my shots (third photo here) made the collage
on the last posting at the original site.

Shadow Shot Sunday

LIGHTS

In shadow of night,
Lighted trees are like beacons,
Showing us the way.

The way in

The way out

Since these are just lousy cell phone shots, here's another look at the mysterious figure who cast this enigmatic shadow at the entrance to the Novi Civic Center.

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

ABSENCE

I

When you are gone, what

I desire more than presents

Is just your presence.

II

Tatted like white lace

Voids in the wet snow adorn

patio pavers.

Photo taken this morning