If I do this every day, I might get better...

photo is too dark
haiku is not much better
some disappointment

[attempted study of reds and greens]

kitty haiku # 609

black and white kitteh
scares all with snarly face and
claws like ninja knives

Sandhill cranes and chick

three cranes move fishing
my hand sketches thin regrets
upon a white page

Kohlrabi, Kohlrabri...

I once had a friend named Kohlrabi
And he was friendly as friendly could be
I often had him for dinner
I sometimes had him for tea
But winter she was soon ended
And Mr. Kohlrabi went home
Hot sunny days and hot humid nights
Are not where Mr. Kohlrabi prefers to roam!
But fall will come as it always does
And seeds I will put in the ground
The weeks will pass and the rain will fall
And Mr. Kohlrabi soon will come round!

***
A lovely plant.

Can be eaten raw and crispy in salads [cut off the thick skin]. I also use it like a root vegetable and grill, roast or bake it. It tastes like a potato with some attitude-not spicy mind you--just kind of the different flavor in town.

Myakka State Park

Beautiful Myakka State Park on an idyllic Sunday.

Then you notice something lurking in the water.

Gatorzzzzzz! Actually, this was just a teensy.
We've seen some monsters out there.

brown tinted water
moving slowly thru rushes
home to dinosaurs

and perhaps lizards too....

cat sits in window
bathes in morning sunbeams
daydreams about squirrels

Don't Give Up On Broccoli

Planted in November. Don't give up on broccoli after getting the first head. It's mid-April and I'm still getting enough fresh shoots with tiny heads [eat the tender leaves too] for dinner once or twice a week, from 4 plants. I'll definitely plant more next fall.

don't give up on broccoli
it's a most advantageous fruit
once you cut the head off
it still sends up more fresh shoots

so don't give up on broccoli
thru April, May or June
once a week you steam them up
and happily consume!

Not What I Expected

The soybeans are coming up
A surprise that—
I thought them
Too long on the shelf
For a comeback
But no, there they are
Bright green as they push
Bulbous heads up through the soil
And the broccoli, bless them!
Still throwing out tender shoots
Topped with tiny flowerets
Still a serving for two
About once a week
I circle the yard
Bees thrum on onions and mustard
Gone to blossom, making
Wry-tasting honey, I imagine
It’s finally rained enough
For the jasmines to put out leaves
Fresh fodder for army worms
I make a mental note
To get out the Conserve
My hip aches
As I trip over the hose
My stomach slightly upset
From the evenings too much
Cheap whiskey and Coke
Last night I was thinking
About how cruel youth was
To spend itself
So unwisely
This morning
As I make neat coils of the hose
I think about
Keeping on.

Surinam Cherry

too tart for the birds
the bounty of cherries
I keep for myself

Arcadia Rodeo

Panasonic DMC FZ28 on high-speed burst mode. The camera is way smarter than I am :)

Figuring the new camera out...

Squirrel eating a loquat. The birds love them too. They're tasty, if you don't mind the fact that most of them have a bite out of them :)

after the loquats
scores of squirrels storm my garden
like TV for cats

Caturday

Haley, she ponders
shall I catch a lizard now?
or go after squirrels?