Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

As I stepped out to catch the beauty of the sunset, fading behind the pines ..



.. the silence was broken by the honking of a skein of Canada geese ..



.. soon the sky was filled with thousands of them ..





.. gliding gracefully into the cut-down cornfield, where they will rest up for a while before continuing south.

Transient beauty

On a dreary and stormy Halloween morning,

the rising sun broke through the clouds,

and graced us with a rare rainbow against the barren western horizon.

Well, that's rather bold

Something caught my eye as I glanced out the window at the top of our stairs just now.

And by "just now", I mean middle-of-the-afternoon, broad daylight ...




Hello there, Canis Latrans. I often hear you and yours howling in the night, or yipping in harmony with the sirens of the local volunteer fire department. It's a little unusual, to say the least, to see you boldly strutting through the field adjacent to my property. I appreciate your beauty, but please stay over there!

Optimus Prime at Zoo Boo

I don't think I'll ever be able to get him out of this costume!

He Otter Be In Pictures!!!

That's my kid! My picture of William and the otter is on the cover of the latest issue of Zoo Scoop, which is the quarterly newsletter of the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park!

What a difference a few minutes can make

The dawn's first light ..

.. yielded to the mist ..

.. which succumbed to the brilliance of the September sun.

Seriously?

Yes, that's a pair of size 2 jeans with a tummy control panel, on the rack at our local Target.

Seriously, Target? Are you actually trying to convince women who can fit into a size TWO that their physiques are still not adequate, and must resort to a 21st century built-in girdle to suck it in? Seriously?

Misty September Sunrise

the honking of geese

floats over the morning mist

farewell before flight

Another touch of gold at the end of the summer

a glass of chablis

catching the last beams of light

summer meets autumn

The last golden days of summer

The hummingbirds have been a constant presence this summer,

dashing about, then resting in the spruce tree outside my window,

always taking my breath away, with their delicate beauty and ferocious strength.

But the Full Corn Moon announces that summer, and the hummingbirds, will leave us soon,

And fill our lives with a different kind of brightness.

Parenting tip of the day

When your temper-throwing toddler is using his grandfather's cane to whack the merchandise at Sam's Club, forcing my elderly parents to jump out of the way lest they end up needing a cane themselves, it isn't cute. You most certainly do not have the situation under control. And yes, I am absolutely justified in throwing you my iciest, most judgmental stare.

Deal with it.

Someday, you'll thank me.

I Dream of Butterflies

I am blessed to have a 12 year old son who, among other things, loves butterflies as much as I do. We spent a glorious morning at the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory today. My son could easily identify all of these flying jewels. At the moment, after a long day of driving, I am hard pressed to do so.

Irony Alert!!!

Well, let's see what came in today's mail!

Oh, goodie! Coupons!

Let's check them out!

We've got a coupon for 10% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages at the local Applebee's. Hmmm. The diligent folks behind "Eat This, Not That" give Applebee's a big, fat "F" for nutrition. Let's file that coupon in the circular file, shall we?

What's next? Ooh, it's a coupon for Texas Roadhouse! Specifically, it's for a free "Baby Blossom" with the purchase of two entrees. Hmmm, take a perfectly innocent onion, bread it and deep fry it into oblivion? No thanks. Little coupon, you may join your friend in the circular file.

And finally, a discount coupon for Ninety Nine restaurant. Never heard of it, but it looks like yet another chain specializing in breaded, deep fried, additive-laden crap. Let's make it three for three in the toss pile.

The irony in all of this is that these coupons were sent by our .. wait for it .. our HMO!!

I think they're trying to kill us with kindness. Either that, or they're in cahoots with big pharma. Maybe both.

The best sights pop up when you're not looking for them

It was my sweet and gentle son, so often off in his own little world, who drew my attention to the family of sparrows who live just outside the cougar pavillion at the zoo. I would have completely missed these beautiful moments - and so many others over the past twelve years - if not for my quirky and beautiful little guy.

It's Open Letter Time Again!

Dear D-Bag who just roared down my road on a noisy crotch rocket, thus shattering the early evening tranquility and harshing on my mellow:

I'm terribly sorry about your tiny willy. My spam folder tells me that there's a pill for that now.

Oh, and please sign your organ donor card.

Love and cupcakes,

Miniature Rose

April showers ..

.. and May and June and July showers ..

.. still manage to bring August flowers!

Otters!!

The new otter exhibit at The NY State Zoo at Thompson Park has opened, and Louis is a delight!

Up close and personal!

Downward facing otter.

Upward facing otter.

Otter getting some oxygen.

And down he goes again!
T