January Haiku

Last rays of light

Brighten the winter sky

Nightfall closes in

It Just Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

It was one of those awesome winter days that I just live for;

Sunshine, blue skies, mild temps, my camera and lots and lots of

snowshoeing.  I was out for about 3 hours today, snowshoeing

with my sister-in-law and my dog.    It was the kind of

day that makes me feel so alive and so thankful for all the

good things in my life.   It was the kind of day that serves to

remind me that though I may not have everything I want,

I most certainly have everything I need.

Me & my buddy, Axl.

I like these tiny little trails in the snow.

Happy Trails!

I wonder how long this old bucket has been

hanging around on this fencepost.

No, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Snowshoes and Silence

As I was out snowshoeing in the woods this afternoon

with my dog, I couldn’t help but wonder how I could ever

live without these walks that I treasure so much.

It was so peaceful and still, with no breeze, mild temps

and pure silence. I would walk along for awhile, then every

so often I would stop and stand perfectly still, just absorbing

the peacefulness, then I would continue walking again,

randomly, in whichever direction I chose, only to stop again

and stand still, listening to the silence and the soft call of the

chickadees, talking to each other from the treetops.

It is at times like these that I am reminded, once again,

that I may not have everything I want, but I have everything

I need.

Autumn Road

Actually, this road is not forgotten at all, it is in the

woods behind our house and I walk there quite

often.   For some reason I feel very drawn to this

little road and I’ve photographed it in every season

and in every kind of light.   In fact, every time I

walk this way I stop to take a picture.

Morning Dew Haiku

Snowshoes and Sandy Beaches

Well, the cold has let up a bit today. It clouded up this

morning and it’s been snowing lightly all afternoon. we’re

expected to get 2-3 inches. Yesterday, however, was another

story. The morning dawned on -16 F and the temperature

struggled to get to 2 F. It was a great day to go snowshoeing.

Sunny snowshoe trail.          My German Shepherd, Axl

Enough about the cold. Let’s go back to Hawaii once more.

This is Waikiki Beach. The hotel on the farthest right

is the Resortquest, where we stayed. That’s Diamondhead

Crater in the background.

The view from our hotel room.

Sailboat at Sunset

Dancers at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Cold Snap, Continued

We woke up this morning to -16 F.  The high temperature

for the day was zero.   I took a walk in the woods with my

dog at ten in the morning and it was -10 F.   I never got

cold at all.   By 6:00 p.m. it was already back down to -9 F.

OK, enough of that.  Back to Hawaii.

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay

Sunset in Kapolei

Hibiscus

The trail to Manoa Falls

Manoa Falls

Cold Snap

On my way to work this morning, I was thinking about

what I would post over the next few days, and it occurred

to me that since it is going to get very cold here in Wisconsin

this weekend, I would post pictures from my trip to Hawaii.

A couple years ago my daughter was chosen to go play

tournament volleyball in Honolulu, Hawaii, and I went along

with her.  We had a wonderful time there and it was truly

the trip of a lifetime.

The first picture is Waikiki Beach and Honolulu as seen from

the top of Diamondhead Crater.

Diamondhead Crater

Dancers at an outdoor show on Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach

The Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

The Dole Plantation

Evening Peace

I walk along the darkening trail,

The sun descends from view.

The birds, in their nests,

Will slumber and wait

To begin the day anew.

The moon, in silence,  rises high,

All colors fade away.

In the stillness

Of the evening peace,

Thus ends another day.

Summer Haiku