Oaks in Winter

Oaks in Winter White © 2007

Oak trees hold tight to their leaves
refuse to acknowledge
the passing of autumn
and stand stalwart in the snow,
awaiting spring.

Owen Conservation Park
Madison WI

Thanksgiving Harvest ~ Be Thankful

Thanksgiving Harvest

Thanksgiving Harvest © 2007

Be thankful…

That you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~
Thanksgiving Day, 2007

Exploding Seeds

Macro Milkweed Exploding Seeds

Milkweed Exploding Seeds © 2007

Exploding seed pods
Glimmering silk parachutes
They shoot forth white strands
attached to brown propellers.
Milky seeds shimmer in flight.

The milkweed plant offers a lovely show when it disperses its seeds. The above poem is a tanka; its form is 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.

Photographed at Governor Nelson State Park near Westport, Wisconsin in October, 2007.

To see an earlier set of photos of the life cycle of the milkweed plant – spring, summer and fall – go to http://gardengrow.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/milkweed-life-cycle/

Monkey King Gate

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Intricate Ironworks © 2007

Metal monkey kings
Arms curved, crowns atop their heads
Downtown protectors.

This gate was seen in downtown Indianapolis, found across the street from Monument Circle and Indiana’s State Capitol Building. Yes, I know that the intricate metalwork has a traditional pineapple pattern, but I prefer to imagine it as the monkey king gate. Can you make out the monkeys’ faces, each one with his arms curved over his head, crowns atop each head in the center of each panel?

What happy monkeys!

Photographed in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Acorn to Oak Tree

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Oak Leaves, A Portrait © 2007

At the forest’s edge
An acorn has taken fruit
Four leaves, an oak tree.

This fledgling oak tree was photographed in Owens Conservation Park in Madison, Wisconsin in late October.