Soul Swell, Frolicking Fée, Marvellous Moon

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Dale | 112 Comments

I have so many plans. Too bad I’m a lazy bum! Was gonna write my WWP Saturday, then yesterday… but then the whole Blood Flower Moon Eclipse thing… But first, let’s go back…

Thursday evening was girls’ night. A way long overdue girls’ night. Okay, even if we had had one a couple months ago, I’d still feel it was overdue! Our usual trio of Julie, Giselle and me was upped by one with Linda. A very happy case of perfect timing. As the weather was particularly clement (a good 27℃ (81℉)) at suppertime, we sat outside of La Louisiane, a Montreal Cajun-Creole eatery that we have frequented a number of times and which I suggested for our evening. Ah man. It wouldn’t matter where we eat because it’s all about the company but good food just adds to it, right? Plus, Linda had never been so we got to introduce her to the joint. Linda and I arrived first and ordered drinks while we waited for the other two… which didn’t take long.

While we decided what to eat, we decided on a few appetizers: hushpuppies, sweet potato fries and grilled corn bread. Yeah.. um… Good stuff to absorb alcohol, right?

We then went for another round, this time with Cajun chicken wings, Gumbo – so more cornbread, beet and arugula salad, coconut beer battered shrimp. Delicious. All of it.

Giselle was ready for sweets so she indulged in a chocolate pecan torte (which we all took a bit of). However, we (Linda) felt we were still not done with the savoury and we ended up ordering some fried clams and crab cakes.

Lots of love, laughter and feel-good vibes were felt and must be repeated soon… Right, ladies?

First to arrive

Cornbread, hushpuppies, sweet potato fries

The Girls

Coconut beer shrimp, gumbo, arugula beet salad

Fried clams, Crab cakes

Chocolate pecan torte

Check this out!

Saturday morning I was supposed to run but the pool was in the shade and I thought that would be the best time to vacuum all the crap without me being cooked in the sun in the process. And, after I had done half, my sister Tracy called saying she was going to the barn for just an hour or so to see Fée (pronounced Fay) and would I like to join. She couldn’t ride her as she’d (Fée) had her vaccine so that’s why the visit would be shorter than usual. Um. Yeah! Plus, I promised Gigi from Rethinking Life that I would finally show her pictures of Fée.

Lemme tell you, I was rather glad it was to be a short visit. It was hotter than Hades out there – 32℃ (90℉) to be standing around in the blazing sun.

Tracy went to get Fée to bring her into the little ring. “She’s going to roll around in it.” “Really?” “Yep.” And she did. She ran around, going back and forth and then lay down and rolled. Up again and then rolled again. It was quite the sight to see!

Woo hoo!

Is this a good spot?

Oh yeah…

And then some

Wait. Where’s Mom?

I’m so excited!

As mentioned in the intro, this post was late because I was going to attempt to capture the Full Blood Flower Moon and Eclipse. And failed miserably. I even went up onto my roof but my tripod is tired and my butt got wet and then the clouds came just when I capture a sliver of it… and not all that well, either.

I did have fun with my phone before, begging the clouds to please be nice and disperse, which they did, before completely taking over.

And the best of the worst with my camera.

Oh well, maybe next time! If you really want to see some beautiful shots, check out Tim’s blog at Off Center & Not Even. Outstanding, I say!

CCC172 – Catch the Moon

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Dale | 94 Comments

Oy. I love when I challenge myself to try something waaay outside of my comfort zone. I saw Crispina’s photo and knew I had some sort of matchy-matchy response (very much IN my comfort zone). Then dVerse came along on the same day I was going to respond to the CCC, and challenged us to try a Sparrowlet. So, of course, I thought, I can do this and merge two challenges since the CCC is open to pretty much anything, as long as we don’t exaggerate and go over 150 words – why I would never! Okay, maybe once or twice… That said, my skills as a poetesse need much fine-tuning. I like to think my attempts will gain in sophistication as I keep stretching…

The winter moon, above shines bright

And I so wish, with all my might

That I could hold it still till noon

And offer it for your delight

And gone would be all sense of gloom

Above shines bright, the winter moon

Within my arms, I’ll hold you close

Breast to my breast, nose to my nose

I know you won’t resist my charms

For it is you, I love the most

To never let you come to harm

I’ll hold you close, within my arms

Brown Paper Moon

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Dale | 110 Comments

It was Prosery Valentine Monday yesterday on dVerse, hosted by the lovely Björn Rudberg. I chose to wait until today because I wanted to try to capture the Snow Moon as close to full as possible – which is technically tomorrow… and ended up not liking what I took today so took my phone version from yesterday. Sigh. Okay, okay! I am posting today possibly because my words would not unjumble in a manner acceptable by moi though I kept trying until past 10:30 p.m., an hour past the time I was planning on hitting the hay. This writing thing can be rather fiddly, if you ask me. The phrase we must use comes from a poem by Carol Ann Duffy, entitled Valentine, which I chose to not read ahead of time – further to Björn’s suggestion. Good thing, too, now that I have! The phrase we must use in a 144-word prose, not poetry, is: It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. Isn’t that a lovely phrase? Thought it would be easy-peasy to insert. Ahem.

What is true love? Do we not all have our own definition of what is right for us?

There are those who seek the the big bang and bright lights of fireworks, believing them as true signs of love and romance. They are always in love with someone new and it’s out there for all to see. They know it is ephemeral and that is what they want, believing it is what makes them feel alive.

Not for us. How to describe our love? It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It shines brightly beneath its discreet packaging. None but the most perspicacious know of its contents and this is by our choice. It’s not that we have anything to hide in shame. It is an attempt to keep it ours. Our sacred union with it’s share of excitement and quiet and real.

Weekend Writing Prompt #242 – Goodnight

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Dale | 85 Comments

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments. Thank you, always, Sammi, for hosting this challenge. And Happy New Year to you!

“Goodnight, my love

sleep well

and as you sleep well,

dream sweetly”

Words given with love

a cherished nighttime ritual

to close off the day

in the gentlest of ways

Before you go,

look up at the moon

know that I

am doing so too

A Partial Eclipse of the Sun

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Dale | 117 Comments

I had it all planned out. After exchanging with Marina and learning there was an eclipse of the sun happening in a few days and that she, living in Athens, Greece, would not be able to see but I could (a portion of it), it was determined I would attempt to take some pictures.

I knew it was an iffy proposition at best because there is no good place to capture the sunrise anywhere near me and my house is too low for me to see anything properly though I might have a small chance if I climbed up on my roof (a relatively easy thing to do). Of course, I had to promise to share with Marina 😉

It just so happens I had to be at work at 7:30 this morning to greet the roofers (yay, me) so it would be all the easier to wake up (I’m still working on convincing myself it was) at 5:30. Sunrise was officially at 5:04 and the experts said we would be able to see it some time after that.

The alarm went off, I hopped out of bed made my way to the kitchen to step outside and, just as I had suspected, way too low. Shoot. I looked at my roof, looked at the bit of sunrise I had and realised it wouldn’t matter so no need to risk breaking my neck (I’m not a monkey like my 23-year-old is. Well, not anymore, anyway!)

5:45, my running clothes on, Tabata timer set to 32 minutes I decided not to waste this early morning. This running/walking thing I’ve been doing for the past three months is surprising me still. I had to keep it short this morning because I had enough time to make a coffee, shower, etc. and be at work for 7-stupid-thirty.

For the first time in over a week it was actually chilly out there! I rounded my corner, kept on going until I got to the first little park and right in front of me. BOOM! Damnation! No camera. This was my first attempt with the camera phone. No visible eclipse. Sigh. But man was it bright.

I took a few more steps and then took this. But only realised the something special just now. I thought it was a bright star

I thought okay… not quite what I was hoping for but… how cool is this effect?

I was chuffed to see this phenomenon. I couldn’t capture the eclipse but a flare sort of did! I promise, last one like this 🙂

So, enough with the picture taking, I had a run/walk to finish.

I got home and decided to do my stretching in the backyard. I was pretty much blinded by the light, so to speak!

I got out my trust Canon with my 75-300 lens and tried to look by not looking at the sun. Yeah. Ummm… Not an easy thing to do.

Most of the eclipse was over by then but I still caught a smidgeon of it. I know, I know, we can barely discern it on this one. Bottom left, maybe if you squint 😉

I particularly liked the following one where the last bit is a bit more visible…

But then I played with it a tad and gave it a bit more drama.

I’m frankly more than a little in awe that any of these turned out at all. If you want to see a truly beautiful photo of the partial eclipse, please check out David Kanigan’s right here. It’s absolutely stunning!

The Moon, Playing Coquette

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Dale | 99 Comments

For those of you participating in dVerse, I would not want to take up more of your time. Do not be shy and jump down to the title, saving you the extra 300 words of my preamble! Speaking of challenges, Merril is hosting Prosery Monday today and I cannot resist, especially since I was already working on this post when the challenge popped into my inbox. Of course, that meant limiting myself to 144 words but hey, why not? Today, we must use the line: “In their dreams they sleep with the moon.” – From Mary Oliver, “Death at Wind River”.

Eeesh… hard to believe it was two weeks ago, I promised Marina the moon. What can I say? Either time, stuff, fatigue, listlessness, other stuff, etc. got in the way. Or a combo of all. Or some. Neither here nor there, right? I’m here now. And how do you like that? The time it took me to do this, the moon is in the same phase-ish. Wait. Is it?

No, it isn’t. I had to look up just where in the moon’s phase I was when I took the photos. Though my camera says September 1st, I know it was August 31st (must find out how to change the settings on my camera). On August 31st, the moon was at 97% Illumination, in Waxing Gibbous, leading up to September 2nd’s Full Moon. I was going to post this tomorrow, September 15th, when she is at 5% Illumination, in Waning Crescent, leading up to September 17th’s New Moon. So. My timing (with a minor cheat) is bang on – mirror-style. Have I bored you? Or, like me, did you learn something new?

Enough blah blah, Rogerson, move on to your little story created using your pictures of the moon,taken on August 31st. A little music to get you in the mood…

The Moon, Playing Coquette

Like voyeurs, they watch, moonstruck, unwilling to leave, because on this night, the Moon plays temptress. Unabashedly, she prances around fully nude, but tonight, though her light is bright, she keeps a sliver of herself hidden.

She is playing the seductress with a reverse striptease. She flirts with the leaves on the trees, coyly covering and uncovering parts of herself.

First one side,

then the other, concealing more of herself each time she shifts.

It is sensuous dance that surprises the watchers. How can they be aroused by the addition rather than the removal of vestments? And yet they are. Enchanted, even.

At last, she finishes her dance, her new garment reminding her audience of a woman’s shoulder, decorated with lace.