Beaver Full Moon - haiku

I knew it was due

moonshine lighting the garden

the Beaver Full Moon

It still hurts...

 

It still hurts

to see the remains of the old sugar maple

laying in piles where she once grew.

August past she was cut down

without mercy or respect

and has lain where she grew

for near 150 years.

Where she grew giving life

to creatures nesting in her limbs,

providing life to my shade garden,

sweet sap to maple sugar gathering.

It still hurts

to see her rotting and ignored

by the town whose land she grew on.

frost bitten - haiku

frost bitten water

lotus and lettuce submerge

into ponds cold depths

Jacks Christmas Tree

 

Amongst gifted Christmas trees

there is one that stands out

because of its memories.

A cohort at our mutual employer

whose creativity knew no bounds

created this for me.

He cut layers of scrap metal,

laying them in a fitting style

finishing it with a bell and a red bow.

It sat on my desk for years,

and I always smiled recollecting

our friendship after he left.

It now has a place of honour with

other hand crafted trees

from friends that I cherish.

Thank you master Jack :)

Snowberry

 

Sadly tis the season when shrubs loose their growth and fade into the undergrowth. During the replanting of the woodland garden I discovered a native shrub. This is Snowberry, a native in my country and now cloaked in snow from this weeks snowfall. Tis a pretty shrub though I wonder how this particular plant will do as I believe it is an older plant with berries already in bloom. As long as it continues to bloom in the snow I will be a happy.gardener.  

Squirrels !

It has been an interesting week watching the resident squirrels deal with the snowfall. There are three greys, four blacks, one red and one chipmunk currently enjoying the seed at the BIRD feeder. The blue jays, junco’s, cardinals, and doves do appear but they tend to be pushed away by the furry creatures wondering why the ground is white.

Now that the time has changed the furry ones appear around at 7 instead of 6 am. Whew. That’s quite fine by me as I’m sleeping in as well. The blacks scramble through the trees as if they are Cirque Du Soliel acrobats wanting to be first. Those that don’t make the feeder are busy at the crab apple in the front garden.

The chipmunk also scurries about at first light scrambling for seed. Its cheeks are filled and off it runs to its burrows near the shed. All the while the blacks and greys are feasting with such poofy tails. The greys enjoy chasing the blacks around and around the tree’s until someone tires and scurries off to the neighbours.

The red appears at noonish while the others are at neighbours. It’s a cute one and not so pleased when the others finally appear. Let the squabbling begin! Fur and bodies fly out of the feeder. I haven’t seen any fatalities...yet for they are a strong creature. And they have fed well over the months so are plump.

Late afternoon the mix appears. Its body is black while the back, paws are grey. An interesting mix and is now known as Skeletor. It’s a strong one and puts all others away from the feeder. Its name scares the rest of them.

Come nightfall the greys return to the feeder and a few blacks pick up the leavings from the patio. It is such a cycle of who feeds and when. They have the timeline down pat.