Some time ago, I learned of the poetic form called Haiku.  It’s a wonderful vehicle for expressing appreciation of our world in words. While my observations are mostly in English, I’ve also written some of them in Spanish.  As this has been an outlet for my creative energy, I’m not at all concerned what critics our purists may say regarding these lines. I only hope that you enjoy them.

It was September 1, 2008 as I sat at breakfast that the rising sun caught my eye. I rushed to my camera and returned to capture the glorious splendor you see above. The words came quickly in English and soon followed in Spanish:

Levantó el sol,
Luz feroz y con calor,
Un nuevo día.

Just a short way south of our house on Bliss Road is the old Bliss house. It stands abandoned, and during the years we have lived here, we have watched as it has slowly deteriorated.

The house is empty,
I hear only the echoes,
Of what used to be.

Casa Vacía,
Suena solo el eco,
De lo que era.

Our house on the hill provides a great location for viewing the natural world and its cycles.

     Seasons
Spring bringer of life,
Summer to grow and mature,
Fall brings harvest in.

     Winter
First day of winter,
Weak sun does not overcome,
The cold icy wind.

     Maple Tree in Winter
Naked she stands guard,
Watching over the bleak land,
With spring comes glory.

     Earliest Spring
Lead-gray sky above,
Thick clouds sent from the great lake,
Earth is cold and damp.

     Spring Begins
Winter bows to spring,
Grass changes from brown to green,
Earth begins to warm.

     Spring Develops
Slowly days lengthen,
Warm gentle rain falls down,
Earth awakes to life.

     Red-Winged Black Bird
He breaks forth in song,
Shining black wing with red band,
On his claim stands guard.

     Orphan Kittens
Warm summer sunshine,
Kittens jump and romp and play,
Do they miss their mom?

     Tree Frog
Tree frog there you sat,
You moved and I saw you there,
Hiding in plain sight.

     Autumn
Maple leaf of fall,
Burnished bronze against blue sky,
Gently glides to earth.

There is so much to see and record as the deer, rabbit, woodchuck, raccoon, opossum, skunk and a wide variety of birds visit us as they make their rounds.

We feed feral cats in our barn and they provide us with their usual services as mousers. They also provide us with a lot of entertainment as we watch them and their youngsters.

We can also watch the neighbors’, cattle, sheep, chickens and even a llama named Grace.

It is a wonderful place to live. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Just the place for a peaceful retirement -- especially if you enjoy the natural world that God has given us.

Chuck