Sparrows, veggies and the last rose of summer on the path least traveled….

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

A pleasant, sunny Saturday to behold today…just popping in to share a few brief thoughts before shutting down technology and venturing down the path least traveled…. my grandson and his lovely bride are getting married today…would have liked to have been there but, alas, circumstances were not favorable…will be there in spirit….hope each and every day of their lives is filled with peace, love and happiness!!…

Glanced a wee bit at the “dark side”, the news…see Trump is being the typical arrogant bully, doesn’t know how to work with people.. threatening this one and that one…like a good number of people, can stay in the safety of home and “talk the talk” but don’t have the back bone to “walk the walk”… mostly an illusion created by fancy, false words… myself;
“I have a greater peace of mind by being straightforward and truthful about myself and letting the chips fall where they may, rather than to wake up tomorrow morning and have to deal with a falsehood I told yesterday.” (Larry Woller 7-30-2017.)

Managed to accomplish a great deal last week with the weather being pleasant… managed another batch of zucchini and green beans, two pounds of each…

Will taste pretty good this winter.. 😉 also did a bit indoors, moving little tablet and setting up a “classroom” of sorts..better to work on my Spanish and other things….

While outdoors doing tasks and dealing with the vegetables I ventured into the water gardens and saw the lilies in full bloom.. There are four small ponds altogether, fish being in the larger one but have lilies in two of the ponds… one pond has a red one…

The other pond has a white lily..

While in and out of the house I noticed it were feeding time for the little sparrows…with the large birds mostly gone, the sparrows are out in force…in the following picture there are near 40 of them…

I have a small brush pile next to the ground feeder, loosely stacked, and at the first sign of danger, every one of those little birds will disappear in the brush pile in a flash… 🙂 use to have an occasional hawk put in an occasional appearance but not so much any more… 🙂

It is near middle of August and soon will start leaving summer and going into fall…there are already signs of that while I was venturing out… saw the shells of Cicada (sometimes erroneously referred to as “katy-dids” because of the noise they make)..

When they are in unison, one can hear them all over town…. the veggies are starting to fade also, probably will not get many more…also the rose bush is nearing the end of its lovely blooming…

Alas all creatures will have to deal with the same destiny, our adventure in life to come to an end, our “blooms” to fade away..but;

“Dying is merely the process of transferring from mortality to immortality, from one state of being to another state of being, from one dimension to another dimension, etc. depending on one’s personal beliefs… however, one should not dwell on the hereafter much or one will miss all the wonderful moments of the present… “ (Larry Woller 8-7-2017).

Well, better sign off and prepare to enjoy the day and weekend before the start of a new week and new adventures…a new adventure around every bend on the path least traveled…but I shall return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Yes, one day in the future, I too shall become the Last Rose of Summer…

Clouds, beans and clotheslines on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Not a Sunday but Saturday morning here…some rain forecasted for Sunday and maybe some thunderstorms (nothing severe at this time) so thought I would post today, Diary, as I will not get online if there are storms…more like a fall day on the prairies with cool temperatures, a cool breeze and some low SC clouds…

And speaking of storms, I am at the ready should I need to move to shelter quickly.. have carryall (on the left with a weeks worth of medication) nearby with the tablet carrying case (purse), phone and tablet..

Can use it for emergencies or if I need to pack it to go somewhere, don’t have items scattered all over the house… 🙂 managed to pick more green beans so sit down and snapped beans..

And then cleaned and blanched the beans, then put the beans on a cookie sheet for the freezer…

Once frozen, I can put them in a Ziploc bag and back in the freezer..can use however many I wish without having to thaw out all of them… afterwards did the laundry and hung up to dry… have clotheslines indoors (1 of 3)…

Can even dry bedsheets… saves on electric bill, reduces emissions and dependence on fossil fuels and the clothes smell good, how cool is that!… 🙂 … can do it year around and if need be have a ceiling fan I can turn on…wash the clothes one day and take down and fold the next morning… I would go outdoors but with the trees, birds and other creatures, would have to stand guard with a shotgun… 🙂

Will briefly chat about what I refer to these days as the “dark side”, and that is the “news”, of course.. I know there is good news but have to deal with the not so good news also and today it is religion.. I see all the conflicts, pain and suffering, hate and anger that is present in today’s world ( and may have some impact on me in some form) and the source responsible is religion.. one can only imagine, dream about how peaceful this world would be without religion…would like to share a quote by one of this country’s (USA) founding fathers, Thomas Paine;

“I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.
All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.
I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.” Thomas Paine

Well, enough of that, too pleasant a day to dwell on such matters for any length of time…will close for now and venture on down the path least traveled, chasing the elusive rainbow, smelling the flowers and enjoying life… but I shall return one day to share more thoughts and memories, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

I believe the New Seekers said it best..

Daydreaming on a Sunday morning on the path least traveled

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Good Sunday morning, Diary….another quiet Sunday morning on the path as most migratory birds have ventured back south, leaving mainly the little sparrows and squirrels, and they are not out and about yet…mortal man is not out and about either and a pleasant gentle breeze…a sunrise view outside my “office” window (the third bedroom changed into a office 🙂 )….

A better view outside the office without the clutter…

A peaceful Sunday morning and while gazing out, sipping on some tea, words came to mind while daydreaming abut the future and wrote a poem…

Contemplate and Wonder…

A peaceful Sunday Morning, watching the sun arise
Thoughts abound, while sipping on a spot of tea,
While taking in Nature’s summer portrait
Contemplating, on what Fate may have instore for me.

Change is slowly coming, it whispers in the winds
The door is slowly closing on past history,
With a new awakening with the mind and spirit
But the future is still shrouded in mystery.

With the freedom of being different, in many ways
No social shackles do this mortal wear,
Do welcome change with open mind and spirit
No fear, no worry or dread do I bear.

Does change stop at mortal death, one wonders
Or does it go on forever and ever,
Will I ask the same at another time and place
Somewhere past the 12th of Never?

Alas, but must deal with the present, this Sunday
So now will store thoughts and musings yet to be told,
For it’s down the path least traveled I do venture
To search and find….what life, and Fate, may behold.

(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller 7-30-2017)

Had a busy week last week, taking care of business and preparing for the future.. decided I would make some changes to the tub/shower unit..had thought about it for some time now knowing that someday I may not be able to get into and out of the tub easily….I had made such modification for others in the past while working for a contractor..so, gathered up tools, etc and modified the tub as it has never been used at a bathtub…

Have the fiberglass kit and paint ordered and when the weather is pleasant and I can open the windows for good ventilation, I will finish up..no more stepping over the side of the tub…another future project I will do is ramp the walkway from the deck over the pond…

It will be easily done and can use materials at hand… I am one of those that looks to the future and prepares for the storm before it arrives, not wait till it gets here… 🙂 if and when the day comes I get old and feeble, can continue on.. 🙂 well, that’s about all for today, Diary…a peaceful relaxing Sunday today while contemplating the tomorrows and preparing for chores next week… will leave some thoughts by others before I go…

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” Jim Rohn

“My dreams are my dress rehearsals for my future.” David Copperfield

“For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. “ Mark Twain.

And with that shall say bye for now, Diary, and venture on down the path least traveled..follow my dreams, but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…at least, as Yanni says, until the last moment…

Those were the days on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

A rainy Saturday, a brief break from the oppressive heat and humidity from last week…hopefully it will be awhile before that type of weather returns but the long range forecast is for more of it the next two or threes months… climate warming and we have helped… majority of the plants, and creatures, around here are not tropical and having a stressful time of it, especially with the soil being dry… did get some more beans and cucumbers…

Not the quality of the first batch but edible, tomatoes struggling.. the hibiscus likes the warm humid weather…

And the hummingbirds like the hibiscus, seen one yesterday buzzing around, first one I have seen…climate has changed the lives of a lot of creatures large and small…. 🙂 the migratory birds that stayed in this area have ventured back south…I call them “snow birds” after their human counterparts… 🙂 the little sparrows that stay and tough it out are glad to see them gone, no more competition and bullying, and at the bird baths they can have a pool party… 🙂

Built an arch over one birdbath… it use to be in the shade until the village had to cut the tree down…vines will form a canopy over the birdbath in time…

Glanced at the news this morning and it seems there is a element of today’s American society that is more interested in their bank account rather than the welfare of their fellow human beings.. they also claim to be Christians (glad I am not one)… Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm…appears to be hypocrites to me… 🙂 as for me, though being on a limited income, I try help those in need as best I can, one manner is I am a sustaining (monthly) contributor to the E.I. Foodbank….

A couple of quotes that carry my sentiment….

“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.” Friedrich Buechner

“Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.” Henri Nouwen

That being said, in departing will leave a couple of poems…

What? Me Stop Worrying?…

Me stop worrying, dear???
About Thee I Love!!
Ask the rains to stop falling, darling
From the skies up above!

Command the sun not to shine, my love
Order the rivers to all run dry,
Tell the winds to stop blowing, my love
Command the birds to never again fly!!

The sun will shine, the rivers run,
The winds will blow…. the birds will fly forever,
And I will worry about YOU and love you so
Beyond….. the 12th of Never!!!
(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller 10-7-2008)

“Portrait of a Friend”

I can’t give solutions to all of life’s problems, doubts,
or fears. But I can listen to you, and together we will
search for answers.

I can’t change your past with all it’s heartache and pain,
nor the future with its untold stories.
But I can be there now when you need me to care.

I can’t keep your feet from stumbling.
I can only offer my hand that you may grasp it and not fall.

Your joys, triumphs, successes, and happiness are not mine;
Yet I can share in your laughter.

Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge;
I can only support you, encourage you,
and help you when you ask.

I can’t prevent you from falling away from friendship,
from your values, from me.
I can only think of you, talk to you and wait for you.

I can’t give you boundaries which I have determined for you,
But I can give you the room to change, room to grow,
room to be yourself.

I can’t keep your heart from breaking and hurting,
But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces
and put them back in place.

I can’t tell you who you are or who you will be
I can only love you and be your friend

Adam Clarke

That being said, have some good reading downloaded on the Kindle, some quality programs lined up and ready to watch, so it is down the path least traveled, seeking rainbows, adventures and destiny…but I shall return again one day, Fate be willing and the creeks don’t rise… 🙂

A leisurely rest of the weekend instore, perhaps a bit of reminiscing ..ahhhhhhhhhhh those were the days, right Mary Hopkins… 🙂

A heat wave, climate change and a poem on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Stopping in briefly to share a few thoughts before finishing last week and preparing for next week..a quiet pleasant Sunday today, unlike first of last week when had a few storms venture through..stayed relatively unscathed here but neighbors trees took a blow, took down some large limbs…

Busy last week getting tasks accomplished and making preparations for the heat wave for most of next week…suppose to be more like the Amazon or the Congo than the prairies of Illinois… you can see what my cucumbers think of the tropical heat…

With the climate change, that will be something to expect and the long range forecast through September is above normal temperatures… I moved things around the house into “cool” areas so I can avoid creating heat inside…also got all my supper meals together for next week, wrapped up and back in freezer, no cooking but for the microwave, once done, I did get the cucumbers sliced and in a container…

Then I started on the zucchini… first thought I would make bread but decided to slice them instead and put in toaster oven…

I seasoned the zucchini with Parmesan cheese, ground garlic, pepper and a good coating of butter and then put them on a cookie sheet to freeze individually..

Put them in zip-loc bags and I can get out however many I wish to eat at a given time…better and not as messy or time consuming as making bread… 🙂 and so in leaving, will not spoil the day by dwelling on the news, but will leave some poems, the first one I did not write but dedicate it to all those hold work and fortune above all else..

“”Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Spend time with a friend, bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear, songs to sing and books to read,
Friends to cherish and a life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world’s out there,
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
As this day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go — and go you must,
You, yourself will make more dust! “”

Smile..and remember..

A tongue can accuse and carry bad news
The seeds of distrust, it can sow,
So unless you know the truth, that it is not gossip
Be careful of stones that you throw.
(Larry “Dutch” Woller 6-10-2008)

And finally…

Thoughts Of You, My Friend

The garden roses are red
The backyard violets are blue,
Brightness, delicacy, and warmth to behold
That starts me to think of you!

Your beauty, inside and out
That brightens the darkest skies,
Can feel the glowing warmth
Of your lovely, soft, eyes!

Your lovely soft hands
Used with passionate gentleness
Delicate nimble fingers
With a touch of tenderness

And there are your thoughts
That I cherish and treasure,
That I value so highly
They are beyond measure!

One who ventures ever forward
Facing life without dread or fear,
Yet not letting go of the precious past
Holding on to all that is dear,

A few thoughts of you, my friend
Coming from the heart
Thoughts that will never end
Even though in life, we may part.

(penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller, 1-1-2009)

That being said, will take my leave (is that cheering I hear?… 🙂 ) and venture on down the path least traveled..maybe some rain later but with rain comes the rainbow..so bye (never say goodbye, sounds too much like forever) for now and will return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise….

And while venturing down the path, will keep advice from the Seekers in mind…

Zucchini, Cucumbers and tree rats on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Having a leisurely Sunday making plans for the coming week…warm and humid today, the beginning of a hot and humid week next week..( a lot like Florida without the gators and big snakes… 🙂 ).. Therefore planning indoor tasks for next week… will be getting a new washer tomorrow so that will take care of Monday…while out and about, seen some zucchini ready…

Hopefully will make some zucchini bread next week, can put some in the freezer.. Also saw some cucumber ready (below my hand)…

Sliced cucumber and onions in a brine of water and dash of sea salt…yummmmy..will have to deal with them before for the squirrels decide to dine on them… has been very dry here but my occasional watering has kept things going… thought perhaps may get some rain this morning with some rain clouds nearby…

But no luck, too much dry air and with full sun, they dissipated.. As well as the veggies, I keep the watering holes filled with water (next to the brush pile)..

Have six of them altogether scattered around the house and gardens….also keep the ground feeders stocked as the plants, trees, etc are stressed… after all that work of keeping feed and water for them, one would think the squirrels (sometimes referred to as “tree rats” in these parts by some irate gardeners 🙂 ) would be a little more appreciative..if you remember in my last weeks thoughts, I had mentioned squirrels digging in the pots and bins… I ventured out onto the deck this morning and found this….

Apparently there were not enough room for my plants and the squirrels food, so the plant had to go… 🙂 fortunately the plants were old artificial ones that I had just stuck in the plant for decoration…. Put it back in the pot with a couple of moth balls to keep the squirrels out (would not do that with a live plant)…

Have been keeping an eye on the news (mistake!..depressing 🙂 ) and seeing the world in chaos and disagreement, everyone looking out for themselves, in this country, the USA, also… sadly watching the USA becoming what the founding fathers came to North America to get away from!!…they founded America so everyone could be free from prejudice, ridicule and hate, to follow their dreams, to live their lives as they wished to, not dictated to…if America wishes to know why it is not great, all the people have to do is look in the mirror… 🙂

That being said, spent the morning contemplating the future and words to a poem came into my thoughts, so in leaving, shall leave the poem and some thoughts by Barbra Streisand and I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

A Quiet Sunday Morning…

A quiet Sunday morning to wake up to
Sitting, gazing out, with a spot of tea,
Contemplating my tomorrows
Wondering, what will the future be.

A quiet Sunday morning, sun shining
Thinking about the path, its mysteries many fold,
Each to explore and treasure
Soon a treasured memory to behold.

A quiet Sunday morning, birds chirping
Another day to learn and explore about me.
It is my life.. only get one chance
Will have to do it my way.. don’t you see.

A quiet Sunday morning, being different
Reminding me of words from a song,
Where do I fit in, one asks
One wonders, where do I belong.

A quiet Sunday morning, on the path
At the end of it, on the horizon, a lovely rainbow,
It is there my answers lie… the truth is known
Until then, only Fate will know.

A quiet Sunday morning, spirit and mind at the ready
To seek the rainbow… perhaps around the next bend,
Once found, I’ll have my answers, you see
And that will be the beginning, not the end.
 
                           (Penned by Larry “Dutch” Woller 7/9/2017)

A little of this and a little of that on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

Finished the nails, thought I had better pop in and share a few thoughts… my nails are doing good…when I has my last checkup in March, the doc checked my nails (along with the rest of me) and said I were doing great, especially for my age..said whatever I was doing, stay with it… the answer of course is simple, it is my life and I am doing it my way… 🙂
Back to the nails…

Due to the cost of nails, I “roll my own”… 🙂

Stay with the pastels, though in the future may get fancy… 🙂 having a brief respite after the oppressive humidity of last week, though will be short lived as it is suppose to return starting later today and rest of next week…so relaxing today and enjoying life…

With the summer TV evening schedule ( I do not turn the TV on during the say, not till around 4 or 5 pm) being what it is, have been working on how to replace it with my little projects and hobbies the last week with not able to venture out and do all that much… exercise and work in the morning and relax and putter around in late afternoon and evening… not only do I have my chores and things needed doing, but also work with other organization;

COOP/SWOP Observer (since 2001 to present), NWS, ILX, NOAA, Dept of Commerce, USA.
Met Weather Office, United Kingdom.
Ebird (Cornell Lab of Orinthology/Audubon society).
BOINC Project (University of Berkeley, Calif.); Princess Margaret Cancer Center/World Community Grid, Setihome (astrophysics/astrobiology University of Berkeley, Calif.),  POEM@Home (Biology and Medicine, University of Karlsruhe, Germany/protein research).
Invasive Mosquito Project (USDA)

So I am active and that also helps with the mental health as well as the physical health… back to the weather, it has been very dry here and the plants, etc are showing some signs of distress… not only is the grass getting a bit of a brown tint, the ole apple tree is dropping apples because it is unable to sustain them…

They are about the size of a ping pong ball…also the ground has become very hard and with my plants and veggies in bins and pots with soft compost and potting soil, the squirrels have taken up to doing their digging in the bins and pots… I have had to put wire around the pots and bins to protect the plants…

With the dry conditions, they have also taken up chewing on my veggies, you can see where they have chewed on the zucchini…

So I am at present “dusting” some of the veggies not only for disease and bugs but also to keep the squirrels away… use Sevin dust… but it is about that time of year where one gets a little less rain and more heat, sometime hot.. 🙂 it is also that time of year when those migratory birds that decided to stay around have done their work and returning back south.. What use to be day filled with chirping and singing are now quiet for the most part (except for the A/C.. 🙂 ).. The feeders and bird baths are a bit more bare…

However, the little sparrows, who mainly stay the winter, love it because they have the feeders and bird baths to themselves without the bigger, bullying birds around..

Well, Dairy, that is enough for today, before I go, I will share some thoughts by others;

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief” Gerry Spence

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”  Mahatma Gandhi

“I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.” Maya Angelou

“Any piece of knowledge I acquire today has a value at this moment exactly proportioned to my skill to deal with it. Tomorrow, when I know more, I will recall that piece of knowledge and use it better.” Mark van Doten

And I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise… the world is still in a mess but take some advice from Bobby McFerrin…