Daily Walk

Photo Essay

My Daily Walk

Going north on De Smet Ave

Meadowlark Elementary School

Bugs almost ready to hatch - I have been watching them

In this weather?

I cut across the school parking lot

......and across the playground

.......down an alley built especially for the schoolchildren

I am happy about the fence

There are large dogs living on either side 

and they bark and growl at me.

Now along Richards Drive - going west. 

The airport is about a mile away and I hear planes

warming up most days.

.....up a little rise 

.....and around the corner onto Birch Street

......the house on the left is owned by drag racers 

......intersection of Birch and Absaraka Sts

..............Abasaraka looking east

.........couldn't resist this lovely full dandelion

......or the bindweed

....and the Wild Asters

.....past the Inter-Mountain Labs building

They do water testing.....

.......the south side of the Condos - my bedroom is the tall part

.....the garages for each unit

.......we have a small picnic area available

......now going south along De Smet

....to Navajo Street

....east on Navajo...

.....to Martin Avenue

......north along Martin Ave....

.....interesting mailbox shaped like a shotgun shell....

......the house on the corner has avid gardeners.....

......they are growing a host of hot peppers......

.......corner of Martin and Absaraka.......

......almost home in time for breakfast.........

........De Smet looking west..........

..........Indian Hills Condominiums.........

1 1/2 miles........now for some breakfast!

Deep Summer at Indian Hills

Deep Summer at Indian Hills

It is nearly 9 months since I wrote on my blog and I have missed it. I hope my followers are still out there somewhere? ! 

I moved from Birney finally in the middle of May.  The packing and moving process was long and exhausting. But I am am enjoying life here in Sheridan WY.  There is plenty to do and my longtime friends for company.  For this blog I will use photos as a focal point for my essay.

Much of my time so far has been adapting the apartment

to meet my needs.

 Urban deer visit regularly. This poor lass has chronic wasting disease.

 My new office is beginning to take shape and I have written some poems there.

 The HOA flies the US flag each day; the cluster boxes 

where we receive mail are in the background

 

 Our two apple trees are loaded with fruit this year

 

My front door and chair.  My neighbor Doris and I

sit outside at times during the day to enjoy the birds

and the cool morning and evening air.

 

Each apartment has a deck in the rear for sitting outside

 

On cooler days I have lunch out on my deck. I will paint 

and develop it next summer.

 

 My friend Abbie Taylor (who is an author/poet and visually impaired)

and I performed a poem with songs included at our Wyoming

Writers Conference in Riverton WY, and this week in the 

Vaudeville show at the local theater.  

Daily poems ----from the last 2 months

 grackles fight and squawk

people walk their dog and chat

the smell of grilled food

two deer cross the courtyard

I enjoy evening in town

 ========

flags at half mast

we remember orlando

with a heavy heart

========

 I watch tv

but the best show is outside

mom feeds baby bird

========

on my daily walk

robins hop out of the hedge

they know me now

========

 light sometimes reveals

beauty beyond our belief

death must be like that

========

 morning birdsong of

house finches and chickadees

bring peace to the heart

==================================================

Between Lives

 Seeds - Japanese Maple

 Unknown berries

 Japanese Maple leaves

 Fall colors in Birney

10-18-15 

tanka

my ash tree
afire with gold one day
leaves fallen the next
our hopes and dreams are like that
like the ash we start over

It's a beautiful fall day today and having caught up with housework I felt like writing again. The photos above were taken this month; some on a trip to Helena MT, and a few today. We've had a marvelous autumn season.  After an early frost in august, we had no more until last week. The weather in general has been warm and pleasant after the hot summer months.

 

It's hard to believe that I last posted in May!  Five months have passed swiftly and full of activity. In July I bought a condominium apartment in Sheridan, WY. It was too good an opportunity to pass. My house here is still on the market.  I had a contract with a buyer in June, but unfortunately it fell through and we had to start over. I do have a few interested buyers at present, so maybe something will happen soon.

Here are a few pictures of my new abode: 

I have yet to move furniture so I am making do with elementary stuff for now.  The previous owner was kind enough to leave me a bed and table/chairs. Interestingly enough the complex is called Indian Hills Condominiums,  so when I do move, my blog will become "A View from Indian Hills". 

As usual I am fighting with the bugs of fall; box elders, wasps and flies, but last night was different.I heard a huge crash while I was eating supper and the house even shook a little. I suspected that a bird had flown into the window on the north side of the house.  I was correct, but I could never have guessed what it was. A huge owl was lying on the deck - probably a Great-Horned Owl. It was breathing.  My instinct was to go out and help it, but then I thought better. Sometimes animals are best left to themselves. I checked a couple of times and after about 15 minutes it was sitting upright in an obvious daze. Eventually when I checked later he'd gone away; hopefully after a few days he will be healed.  Here are 2 photos that I took through the window:

As I was writing this, there was a rumpus outside the porch and I looked out to see a red squirrel climbing along under the eaves and he went into the bluebirds' nest!  Red squirrels are rare around here and I should count myself lucky, however I really don't want him living in my ceiling for the winter!   Life here is never dull; I will miss the animal activity here, but my new neighbor Doris assures me that it gets exciting in town too.  Deer wander into the central quadrangle and eat the grass and berries, and there are various birds that come to her feeder, so I will have company, and I am definitely looking forward to it.