Smooth riding to Trader Joe.
Thirty minutes.
Traffic light, feeling right
Tina’s brother with the gold record …
Never met him, never saw him.
Why don’t more people stop their car on the freeway to get a sandwich out of the backseat? Meri asked.
I like the history of what happened when we were young or before. A generation prior.
Per usual, not a soul out.
Reminds me of the TV weather folk,
Always they say “0ut and about”.
I have to complain about it.
Perhaps I should build another pond,
Something of which I’m very fond.
Yeah they’re fun but a lot of work.
I’m not in condition to move many rocks.
There, we’re staying in again.
The water falls will live in my memory.
Fresh cool trickling wet
With swimming fish, you bet.
scooping leaves from the pond
where the sugar maple deposits them
there is a plunk in the water
it's forty degrees this afternoon
who did i disturb but a frog
how can they live like that
sleeping in a plastic flower pot
submerged in the bottom of the pond
making a home for the winter
be solid as the ice through the snow
then come back chirping in the spring
well, rent is free, that i know
He Wrote a prelude I played; on and on.
Clair de Lune I could do
the way he waould have approved.
Then it slipped from my grasp.
I thought it would always be with me.
How vegetably foolish of me.
His name was sacred at our house.
His music was too.
The long water line to Meri’s garden is unfurled.
Laying out set to go.
This day will remain cold and windy they say.
Won’t be fit for outside working
The grass and flowers are being blown
Wiggling and wobbling, I see ‘em.
seems work inside is practically what the day’s good for.
It is easier to ride the horse in the direction that it’s going.
Glass screen, the television and how it Rolled into other forms of video. Let’s get going.
Clean your material, dust everything thoroughly.
Start at the beginning with a blank page.
Silver screen lit for me.
Kept to better seeing.
Daws Butler gave me The Elements of Style.
What a friend he is to me. Permanent.
We met, we read and i wrote.
Of course Daws wrote all the time.
i know we both enjoyed our sessions together.
He was a master putting words down
And putting them out. We talked.
My favorite friend, well, one of them.
explosion of blossoms.
brilliant Yellow. White. Pink.
each tree has its color.
blooming once in spring for a short time.
drive down any street and the first thing you’ll see
is the attention grabber in complete bloom.
full brilliance aboard, nothing left out.
i must have had to ask thirty-five times before i remembered magnolia.
for physical therapy to keep me upright.
if she is not having her new girl
Jen will be there. Her mother called
her Jenifer hen tension hung in the air.
We’ll see if she shows. It is due day.
I wish her quick an smooth. She’s clever
so I’m betting on her
and her new little girl.
Been doing my usual reading and writing phrases.
Nothing new, it’s what the craze is.
Then saw five rabbits running in circles.
that doesn’t happen around here everyday.
Going to squeeze out warm weather
by the time we get to later in the day.
Not making this up,
That’s what official Weatherheads say.
It is quiet as Rome this morning.
No person or creature is seen.
Clocks are ticking, everything else
Is on hiatus and inbetween.
on the edge of the sparse woods
quick going, hopping at full speed
having bunny fun, quick as they can.
they’re a comedy team running in circles.
i’m happy to see them around.
just happened to be the time for looking.
they cover a lot of ground.
a bright start for everyones day
All should go well.
Checking the map seemed sensible
Up the road then straight out of town,
left where it forks.
Took this road once years ago.
Used to go this way when dad drove.
Seems I recognize a barn or house, a few.
Not well is the road memorable; only vaguely familiar.
We drove out here years ago.
Seems a few buildings I recall.
Now I want to see downtown.
Its been years since I’ve been there.
rose to frosty cold in streaming dawn sun .
Robin and others are rushing gathering nest material.
Hard creature work is evident.
This day is Easter. Spring has opened.
my 1952 Chevy pickup lived another time, so fine.
As did our perfect 1950 Dodge Cornet.
By the touch of cousin Don, producer of old vehicle magic.
Years pass, alas they always do. Oh, memories.
How it warms my heart to have the feeling of those golden days.
Good streams of people and our varied ways.
On the boats, over and under the Golden Gate.
Under the best of sunny skies.
Grover, mike Davis, mike at the Arquez Ship Yard.
Charlotte and seagulls, Crab Louie, so many others
All the boats and the years.
The Coast Guard bringing me in when my engine failed.
Figuring what clothes I don’t wear.
The occasion for some doesn’t happen.
My heavy cowboy hat for instance.
I’ve hardly pulled it out to try it on in thirty years.
It hangs on a wall in an out of sight corner.
Times have changed and I haven’t worn it for a while.
I’ve pictures wearing that hat that I never see.
Times change with little notice.
Going along rather normally and okay
Rather completely like every other day then …
Was making noise unexpectedly and brutal.
Then stopped. Without reason.
Unfortunately we’re going in with expectations
Car folk will magically decide why.
This is the strange route we have set upon again.
Sitting in the car place can be long and lonely.
I’ll have one donut.
Halls fill with hope because weather said heat today.
Seems outlandish I know. Can you believe it?
I have nothing to confirm good temperatures upon us.
I should sip my coffee slowly to see the weather design.
Maybe it is written in the wind.
Now I’ll put on a vest because it’s cool.
No one walking by; must be waiting.
Misread. heat not expected, wind is.
So the weather is a wreck.
All those tornados in other parts, is it our turn?
We have no basement in which to find safety.
Here is where we have to be just plain lucky again.
The days have changed.
We‘ll wear lighter clothing.
The days are longer; there is more sun-time.
just like snap, it changed.
Now to set ourselves new ways to function.
I’m looking forward to being outside.
Hello to you. How about this fresh season?
Best wishes.
Kept eyes out for winter’s departure.
Wouldn’t go, would not go.
Finally it happened.. You know how long we waited?
Everyone stood around looking for spring to open its doors.
At last the vegetation grew more visible green than yellow.
And I’m a most happy fellow.
I’m telling you we rode a slow lame horse to get here.
All will be better now. I promise we’ll work outside.
The land, the flowers. Vegetation will be happy.
With no hesitation we’ll be snappy
Under blu sky and sunshine. You’ll hear us say:
Summers on the way.
When Ned Washington set the words
to that melody by DimitriTiomkin he put
down something that would last.
I met Ned in Los Angeles at the American
Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers.
meeting. The time will stay with me.
Starting with nothing then
pulling those words out and putting
them together for the movie High Noon
was like magic: Do not
Forsake me oh my darling.
