As predicted, all of our trees leafed this past weekend, releasing clouds of pollen. Our driveway is mustard colored, our cars are coated, and yesterday driving along the interstate, the air was yellow and you could see billows of the yellow stuff when trucks drove through it.

Rather than taking such ugly pictures, I chose to take photos of some of our blooms. Tulips do not grow well in our soil, but I found one, sad lone tulip that braved the conditions to sprout in my garden.

The azaleas are out and we have one kind that has large pale lilac-colored blossoms with the most amazing delicate spots!

And then there is our Japanese cherry tree. Each year it sports delicate clusters of pink flowers, along with a slightly sour smell. This year is no exception.

The temperatures here have gotten to the 70s, the pool hit 65 on Sunday…

Moon a full circle,
night predator’s watchful eye
eagerly awaits.
Unsuspecting prey missteps.
Nothing cute about its fate!

By Sarah ©2018

Prompt: Olivante Poetry, #NaPoWriMo 2018 – Image 18; and also, Ramblings Of A Writer, Weekly Tanka Prompt Poetry Challenge, Week 93 – circle and cute

Shimmering sunshine
glides across the peaceful blue,
masking those who lurk;
sagaciously awaiting
in the darkness of the deep.

By Sarah ©2018

Prompt: Olivante Poetry, #NaPoWriMo 2018 – Image 11; and also, Ramblings Of A Writer, Weekly Tanka Prompt Poetry Challenge, Week 92 – darkness and peace

Highlighting her strength,
Mother Nature likes to be
a fearsome lady.
Awesome fury cautions us
that we are easily squashed.

By Sarah ©2018

Prompt: Ramblings of a Writer, Weekly Tanka Prompt Poetry Challenge, Week 91 – lady and highlights; and also, Olivante Poetry, #NaPoWriMo 2018 – Image 6

Illuminated
by starlight, diamonds glitter
upon fallen leaves.
This attempt to romance the
moon, thwarted by dawn’s first blush.

By Sarah ©2018

Prompt: Ramblings Of A Writer, Weekly Tanka Prompt Poetry Challenge, #94 – Moon and Romance; and also, Olivante Poetry, #NaPoWriMo – Image 26

Image credit Pobble365

In the ocean deep,
Shadowed spikes surround the cave.
Its yawning mouth warns
‘though filtered sun breaks through, it’s
still cold enough to break stones.

By Sarah ©2019

#NaPoWriMo – Day 10, 2019

This is my entry for Hélène Vaillant’s what do you see challenge.

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Mother Nature’s Painting.

Those were the days Mother Nature thought, she stepped back and looked closely at the painting. Then she shook her head and said, to no one in particular.” Who am I kidding it was never like that”

“What do you mean ” asked a gentle voice beside her. She jumped then smiling she replied. “You know exactly what I mean, ever since you set those humans loose they have done nothing but , rape, destroy,waste and abuse all my gifts.”

There was a silence then God spoke again “I admit after I gave them free will it did all go down hill”. Shifting , uncomfortablely on his feet God admitted “They were so cute at first weren’t they?” “Huh! I am not sure they were ever cute, they certainly are not now.” Mother…

Leading the Way

     The culmination of a week long festival known as Tartan Week occurred with a proud display of Scottish culture and colorful tartans. This young parade of just 21 years is growing more and more in popularity with more people visiting from Scotland for the event. It also helped that the warm early April weather invited tens of thousands to line up the parade route on 6th Avenue from 44th to 56th streets. Flags were draped over the railing and revelers waved flags in anticipation of a fun day with plenty of pipe and drum bands marching up the parade route. As usual, the mounted police signaled the start of the parade and the fanfare started right away with this years Grand Marshall, Sir Billy Connolly, waving to his fans.

Sir Billy Connolly and wife Pamela Stephenson

Mt. Kisco Scottish Pipes and Drum Rock the…

My fellow blogger, Charles Yallowitz, has come up with another of his great (and occasionally funny) lists, this time about vampires – to which he is clearly addicted! – to promo his new book. Read on, my friends:

A big thanks to Noelle for helping to promote my newest book, War of Nytefall: Rivalry. This is my third book that revolves around the Vampire Civil War of Windemere, which is the same magical world that was home to Legends of Windemere. Yeah, I guess that’s kind of obvious considering the title.  Now, I’ve been asked a few times, usually on days ending in ‘Y’, about why I decided to go for vampires.  They’ve been done a lot over the decades.  Well, my first response is because they were the next project in my mental queue and I’ve been dying to write stories with the Dawn Fangs as the…