Sunday Drive 1/30/22

My son Aaron had the day off from work, so we decided to take a little road trip to a wildlife reserve on the Minnesota/North Dakota border in hopes of getting photos of elk or caribou.

We set out before daybreak. The morning clouds looked like rippling dunes of golden sand.

We hadn’t gone far, when I spotted a young Snowy Owl in a farmer’s snowy field.

A bit further up the road, we discovered a group of turkey buzzards doing what turkey buzzards do.

We finally arrived at the reserve. Unfortunately, this would be the only elk we would see. After driving all around the area, we decided to see what North Dakota had to offer.

When the sun began to set, we headed home. I guess it’s true that it’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.

–Photos by me

Blast from the past

This is me and 300,000 other wasted fans in 1977 at Cal Jam II. Of what I can remember, Heart, Ted Nugent, Foreigner, and Aerosmith (to name a few) played. Train kept a-rollin’ all night long!!

–Photo by my brother Bruce

Squealer, the Red Squirrel

O blabbermouth squirrel

I come to your world

For wildlife photos,

But you won’t have that;

Your chatter, in essence,

Announces my presence–

They say you’re a rodent,

And I smell a rat.

–Photo by me

Shot of the Day 1/27/22

–Photo by me

white-out wednesday

lonesome blackbird

there’s gold in the heart

that he wears on his sleeve,

and silver on his tongue,

serenading endlessly:

conk-la-ree! conk-la-ree!

(is there no one for me?)

–photo by me

Just a Porcupine (haibun)

Out here in the deep forest, the all-afternoon snow has finally stopped, but now it’s starting to get dark, and we still have a way to go to get back to the car. I can see some kind of dark figure coming into view in the trees just ahead. I pray it’s not a bear cub at this late hour.

Yes, I can see now that it definitely IS a bear cub rolling around on a tree limb! I can feel my old fear knocking at the door; a bear cub means a–wait a minute! It’s January! The bear are all taking their extended naps this time of year.

I look again, and now I can see it’s just an ol’ porcupine, quietly minding his own business and feasting on tree bark. I am relieved!

* * *

in the dark of night

our fears readily offer

to fill in the blanks

–Photo by me