Stormy weather…

I was thinking about what a week of pretty foul weather we’ve had here in the West Country this past week… Admittedly, we haven’t had snow per se, although there was a light snow shower on Tuesday night in Milton Damerel, just enough to coat the cars’ windscreens, but it has been epically windy – even for here – and a constant battering on the psyche wears you down eventually.

We have two old-ish dogs – a Yorkie and a German Shepherd – both of which have appeared on my blog in photos and layouts, and on Wednesday night at around 11pm, there was the most horrendous thunderclap, which literally shook the house. It felt like an explosion had happened nearby. I have no objection to a Yorkie landing in my lap, quivering with terror, but fighting off a 40- kg. (85lbs. approx.) male dog, in a similar condition, is no joke! (It’s a funny visual though…)

Luckily, there were only 4 more thunderclaps and then just the persistent howling of the wind down the chimney, plus rain and the occasional hail shower, for the rest of that night…

Ergo, my haiku this week is dedicated to the tenacity of weather fronts in general!

The mighty wind roars –

thunderclaps, Nature’s applause – 

power clearly shown…

I got the lovely image HERE.

For more haiku, go to Recuerda mi corazon, hosted by the lovely Rebecca.

 

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Healing spirit of pets…

I have always believed that we choose to live our lives with “pets” – in our case, dogs especially, because of the unconditional, non-judgemental love they give us. Our big old German Shepherd Dog, Thor, is a spirit healer. He has always known when a friend or visitor to our home is “hurting” or in need of some calm and kindness. We used to say he could sense the “damaged souls”…

I wish our friend Joe could meet Thor – I’m certain they’d have bonded. So here for Joe, (who needs to heal), is a visual message from Thor:

Deep, dark, soulful eyes;

Your compassionate nature

heals those who touch you…

Faithful, loving dog –

proud bearer of the Norse God’s

name – you are our Thor.

~~~ We named him Thor because he had such huge paws as a puppy! You could hear him thundering across the laminate wood flooring. Even then he was heavy and at 10 years of age, he weighs almost 40kgs! (about 88lbs.)

Thanks to: My DD, Amber, for the fabulous photo of Thor – xoxo; Kim Klassen for the textures.

See more haiku and photos at Recuerda mi Corazon, where Rebecca hosts our weekly “Haiku my Heart Fridays.

Fun with fungi…

Magickal mushrooms;

fascinatingly freaky,

elegant brown caps…

Community of fungi,

nestled in the grass –

hidden in plain sight!

Photo taken with my Samsung Monte mobile phone… and then altered in Photoshop CS2, using blending modes and textures from Nancy Donaldson. Many thanks!

Join in the fun and read some great haikus, in fine company at Haiku my Heart Friday, hosted by the wonderful Rebecca of Recuerda mi Corazon.

The bat box…

That sounds like some kind of sporting cupboard, doesn’t it? Well, it isn’t. It’s a genuine bat-box, like a bird’s nesting-box, in the woods behind where we used to live, in Sutcombe, Devon. I found this photo when I was looking for something else – as you do – and thought it’d make a great subject for Haiku my Heart on Friday.

“Sunlight filters through

dense green leaves and dark branches,

brightening the copse…

 

Home to bats and birds –

see their nesting-boxes hung

on the friendly trees.

 

Hear the screech owls cry,

hauntingly on summer eves –

dramatising dusk.”

This brought back some lovely memories of a not-so-pleasant place. Nice to have a positive to remember, I think.

Thanks to Johanna for sharing a link to Nancy Donaldson’s yummy blog and textures, (which I can’t seem to get enough of lately), giving me the crackled effect. Yummy!

This haiku is dedicated to Mr. Spadoman – a fellow haiku-er – who came close to death recently. Thinking of you and wishing you better soon. ♥

 

Seeking…

“Seeking… Looking far

into the distance; to see

where Life may take me

Today… for Haiku my Heart {Fridays} over at Recuerda mi Corazon with Rebecca, where haiku fans from across the globe join every week to share photos and words. See more HERE.

So this is an image transfer in my Khadi-paper journal, of a boy standing on a rock, looking across a wind-blown lake. I used fineliner pens and Inktense pencils then lots of blended layers over the top. Textures courtesy of Jerry Jones @ Shadowhouse Creations. ♥

It felt like me, looking out, wondering what the next step is and how long I have to wait before I get to take it! Life is like that I find… We never move on until it’s “Time”. When all that we need to “do” is finally done where we are, then we move on. We go with the flow and often it takes us in a different direction to where we thought we were headed. But that’s okay too, because Life is a journey, not the destination, right?

I feel more restless lately, as if the time is drawing near, but I know that I must have patience, keep the Faith and trust in the Universe, because nothing ever happens until the Time is Right…

Truth.

Dipping my toes…

“Oh to dip my toes

In such an inviting stream

would feel like heaven…

… descends an angel

surrounded by rays of light

bathing me in peace.”

This is for Haiku my heArt Friday, hosted by the amazing Rebecca at Recuerda mi corazon. See more haikus and photos over there

Image and fabulous tutorial courtesy of Photoshop star… which I followed as best I could to create the mystical scene in the second image. I am hugely enjoying the learning process in Photoshop, indeed “dipping my toes” figuratively into the infinite possibilities offered by the world of digital art. It’s just amazing… and there are so many talented and generous artists who share of their knowledge and expertise freely.

Textures from Shadowhouse Creations and Kim Klassen – thank you. 🙂

Haiku my heArt

 

Oh winter cherry,

plump orange fruits ripening

in time for Christmas.

I like these so much although I don’t manage to keep them for long! It is, of course, an outdoor plant, but I have a bindweed epidemic in my garden and refuse to plant out any more because it just chokes the life out of everything… So, my little winter cherry tree sits on the kitchen windowsill, basking in cool climes and occasional sunshine, and we “talk” every day!

Do you talk to your plants too?

For more participants at Haiku my heArt Friday, head over to Recuerda mi corazon, where Rebecca plays hostess for us every week as we write our haikus. Everybody’s welcome to join in, especially new peeps or haiku fans! 🙂

Image – googled; textures from Kim Klassen.

 

Gratitude haiku

This is one of the lessons from Kim Klassen’s Skinny Mini e-course – texturising an image she supplied, which I really like…

Daisies in a jar –

three is a magick number;

Faces seek the light…

For Rebecca at Haiku my Heart Friday, where like-minded souls join together every week, to create with words and photos, and haiku! 🙂 ♥

dAISY…

For Haiku my Heart Friday with Rebecca & Co.

Pretty white daisy

petals spread to catch the sun

Quality in strength

The original photo of the daisy is courtesy of Kim Klassen – Skinny mini E-course. The words are mine. I am late, but still present! 😉

Grey

Dull grey, boring day

Taints the daytime with its tone

Maybe it will rain?

 

Some brighter patches

Fleeting glimpses of sunshine

Then more cloudy grey…

***************

For Haiku my heart with Rebecca at Recuerda mi corazon. This photo, courtesy of  Edinburgh/Leith Daily Photo Blog, found on Google images.

Just about echoes my mood for now! 😦