A flag, roses, ham and beans and memories on the path least traveled..

Dear Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Thought I would pop in briefly before bringing the day to a close and share a few thoughts and words… kind of a gloomy day today, perhaps some storms later this evening…it is Memorial Day weekend and a holiday..difficult to do much celebrating with the weather and the state of the world…. 🙂
A pleasant day yesterday, putting world affairs off to the side, and ventured around the yard after doing mowing, etc… got the flag up yesterday for the weekend, though had to take it down for threat of storms yesterday and possibly today….

Will put the flag back up once the weather clears and the threat is gone….life is going on and the path least traveled is starting to come to life after the winter doldrums… have some clematis and roses here (doing better since they removed the tree)…

Roses at the corner growing full steam thanks to the weather…it were my late wife’s, Kathy, favorite and she planted it, wanted to hide the downspout… 🙂

Ventured over to the weather instruments and the roses there were going strong also…

Then I swung by the fish pond and the goldfish were active so I gave them some food…

Decided to bring the outdoors to a close for the day, ventured indoors and decided on doing some special nails for the holiday, so gave them a coat and did other tasks while they dried….

And speaking of other tasks, in history’s past would go camping on Memorial Day weekend being a three day weekend (holiday)..one of the traditions for camping were I would slow cook some ham and beans in a cast iron pot over a wood fire, would take a better part of the day.. Well, no wood fire but do have the cast iron pot (the only way to cook ham and beans) and I cooked some last year..found some left over in the deep freeze so having the traditional ham and beans, hot dogs (covered with sauce and parmesan cheese) and fries, have them in the fridge and ready to go for Monday, Memorial Day… 🙂

In keeping with the meaning of Memorial Day, will finish with a poem I wrote for the occasion and a song, Il Silenzio (after Peter, Paul and Mary) to read the poem by..

In Remembrance……

We were volunteers, one and all
So Noble.. Proud.. and Brave,
Did not know the reasons for war
Just a people from tyranny to save!

Glasses held high, we made an toast
Surely that Victory would rule the day!
While back at home, the voices of unrest
Not a kind word for us did they say.

Some could not vote, children were we
Some could not drink, but still our battle cry,
Even with all that we could not do
For us children, it was to do or die!

Vietnam was a hostile, violent land
The dangers, the horrors of war abound,
Whether the paddies of Vietnam or the fields of home,
Seemed for us, not a friend could be found.

But we proudly gave it our all, lads
Faced our destiny, with a hint of fear of tomorrow
Some to return to a mother’s joy
Some to return to a mother’s sorrow.

So should you be looking on today, lads
One more toast, hold your glasses high,
To PEACE, HOPE and LOVE, may they long endure
CHEERS, LADDIES!!!.. And SEMPER FI

(penned on May 30, 2009 by; Sgt, Larry “Dutch” Woller
12th Marine Regiment
Vietnam, 1965–1966…)

So, for a time it is remembering those that have passed on while venturing on down the path least traveled and it is back to living and exploring life, chasing rainbows while occasionally stopping to enjoy the flowers along the way..but I shall return one day, Diary, and share more thoughts, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

And on this, as every Memorial Day, I share the same question as Peter, Paul and Mary…

Il Silenio

Feast or famine, life (and the heart) still goes on on the path least traveled

Dear Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Blue skies, white clouds and some sun, a lovely day after a active, feast or famine week with Mother Nature last week…. If you remember Diary, I posted pictures in the previous blog of the neighboring farmers flooded fields..well, had some drying thanks to warm sun and strong winds..how strong were the winds?, for beginners it is not fall, wind taking leaves off trees..

So strong were the winds that with the topsoil drying , had a dust storm of sorts…

It were bad enough in some areas that they had to shut roads down due to visibility..

The farmer used the dry period to replant some seeds that were destroyed with the flooding… unfortunately the dry period didn’t last very long, the rains returned and the farmer’s new seed is flooded once more with more rain forecasted for the future…

There are a lot of places in the area that have a great deal of water..how much one would ask?..believe that Johnny Cash has the answer… 🙂

Thankfully on high ground here so garden is doing quite well so far… beans and cucumbers coming up (along with some weeds, some gardening to be done next week!!… 🙂 )

Zucchini was looking ok also, can see them in the pots (covered with wire to keep the squirrels out!.. 🙂 )

The feeder looks empty but for a couple of doves…most migratory birds have since moved on, those that had stayed are starting their trip back to the south…may have another influx of birds when the migration starts back south… do not see the birds ( and butterflies) like one did in history’s past…climate change and mankind having a impact, creating change in the habit and number of birds…. So sad 😦 did catch a adult grackle trying to teach a pair of young ones to fend for themselves but they were having none of it… 🙂

So, as in all things, there is change and one has to prepare and adapt or go the way of the dinosaur…..we are doing quite well with dealing with change here on the path least traveled, just pack up the memories and venture on down the path, making new memories and exploring and living life… will leave some thoughts before I go…

“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” David Attenborough

“I used to have all these plans and think ‘Ah, I have my whole life figured out’, but then I realized no matter how much I plan: life happens! So I find myself living day to day trying to do my best, embracing every moment as a learning opportunity and chance to get to know myself a little more.” Q’orianka Kilcher

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” Pope John XXIII

Well, better go now.. leisurely day planned while preparing for next week…. enjoying the day and the sunshine in that daily search for the rainbow.. but will return again one day with more thoughts and memories to share, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

And what does one do sometimes when it rains?…listen to Secret Garden, of course.. 🙂

Tomatoes, beans and poetry on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Stopping in briefly to share a part of my universe along with a few thoughts today.. Has been a busy week but a pleasant one for the most part…nature, both creatures and plants, getting ready for summer full swing and I am also… 🙂 … while there are a number of buds on several plants, saw the first rose of summer yesterday..

Also one of the clematis blooming..

Made the decision to plant the vegetables with warm weather in the forecast…so out went the tomato plants…

And starting from seed, green beans, cucumber and zucchini…

And also keeping in tradition, ventured to the store the other day and they had plants on sale, purchased three hanging plants and set them out front…

And finally took the plants back out on the deck that I have been taking care of over the winter…

So, but with a little more tweaking later, have the outdoors ready for summer….with all the rains and temperatures starting to warm up, the new grass is growing also!!… 🙂 had entertained the idea of penning a few thoughts about the other world but with the sad state of affairs it is in, it would cast a dark cloud on a otherwise warm sunny day, so will refrain from doing so and will wait for a damp rainy day.. 🙂

I am having a wonderful adventure while venturing down the path least traveled, living and exploring life being me, a free spirit in a mortal body, having all those wonderful memories of history’s past to help me along the way…. so I am not really alone, this ole mortal body is rather crowded with spirits actually… 🙂 I shall add a poem I wrote years back to go along with my thoughts..

I Love YOU So, my dear one
Forever and ever and ever,
A love that’s true and always will be
Beyond the 12th of Never!

A marriage of spirit, mind and body
That is born inside the heart,
WE are ONE on this and every day
Never shall WE part!

WE are ONE in thought and word
ONE… when OUR music does play,
OUR passion ever present
Lingering both night and day!

US, in OUR little world , dear one
That only WE will know,
A precious world that is right
And only love will flow!!!

YOU love me and I Love YOU
A bond of YOU and ME,
A love so strong and true
To last through all eternity!
(Penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller, 4-20-09)

And that being said, will leave a couple of quotes for the day..

“Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.” Walter Anderson

“I think a spiritual journey is not so much a journey of discovery. It’s a journey of recovery. It’s a journey of uncovering your own inner nature. It’s already there.” Billy Corgan

And now, with the sun shining and birds singing, shall take my leave, Diary, and venture on down the path least traveled, more to see and more to discover..but I shall return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Will let Secret Garden at their thoughts on spring…:)

Rain, possums, rabbits and chasing dreams on the path least traveled…

Dear Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Just popping in to leave a few thoughts as I take a brief break from venturing down the path least traveled…been a busy past few days, mainly indoors, sun shining this morning (with a taste of frost) but have had lots of rain, preventing time outdoors… as an example, in spite of what the picture implies, I do not live on a lake front lot… 🙂

It is a local farmer’s field, not sure if this field is planted yet… here is another picture…

Someone south of here will be getting a lot of water in the near future… 🙂 with all this rain I saw something else not normal..Attilia out and about in the daylight, soaking wet…

Here is Attilia with a friend, believe they may have gotten washed out of their den for the moment as both were wet and muddy…

But this morning the sun is shining for the moment, Brer Rabbit taking advantage and checking out the ground feeder for any morsels…

Planted a Knockout rose and some ground cover where the ash tree use to be, afraid with the wind and rain might lose them but all is well so far..

Also have the tomato plants started, will set out soon as the weather stabilizes…

Soooooooooo, that is about all for today, Diary… getting ready to mosey on down the path least traveled and enjoy a leisurely day living my life…as you noticed I said “my life” as it is mine, no one else can live it for me, I will only get one try at it, so best do it my way by my feelings inside, the heart and spirit… Frank and I agree on something (though hopefully the end is still some distance away 🙂 )…

That being said, will leave some thoughts by others…

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.” B. R. Ambedkar

“Social media websites are no longer performing an envisaged function of creating a positive communication link among friends, family and professionals. It is a veritable battleground, where insults fly from the human quiver, damaging lives, destroying self-esteem and a person’s sense of self-worth.” Anthony Carmona

“Why do people talk of the horrors of old age? It’s great. I feel like a fine old car with the parts gradually wearing out, but I’m not complaining,… Those who find growing old terrible are people who haven’t done what they wanted with their lives.” Martha Gellhorn

So now, Diary, we shall part, the path is calling and there are rainbows on the horizon…but I shall return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

And speaking of feelings from within… here is Ms. Ronstadt’s thoughts