A warm afternoon in Las Vegas

a warm afternoon
a nice day in Las Vegas
contrails in  the sky

It is a nice day in Las Vegas. It is not too hot or too cold and there is no wind. After a morning in the doctor's office I am tired and looking for a subject to write about. I think the problem is that I am  tired, I always get tired waiting to see a doctor because it usually takes so long. Perhaps it just seems like a long time because I am waiting.

A Tree for Mama

a tree grows for Mom
in a national forest
in her memory

Today, I receive a certificate that a seedling was planted in a national forest in memory of my mother. This is part of a reforestation project that the Forest Service oversees. The Forest Service chooses the location and the species of the tree based on the greatest need.

I did not know about this program until I received the certificate. The funeral home that buried Mom requested it through the company that made Mom's casket. Mom would be happy because she always liked trees.

Are you looking for an adventure after dark

Are you looking for an adventure after dark? Click on the following video showing the parks around Insbruck and Insbruck by night. Relax and enjoy this timelapse movie.

A warm winter in Las Vegas

after last night's rain
the sparrows and black birds sing
greet the morning sun

It rained last night, when I went out  to pick up the morning paper there was a puddle of water in my driveway. The air seemed chilly and damp to me, but the birds do not seem to mind. The birds are singing as it it were spring.

This winter was warmer then normal. As I look out my window into my front yard, I see green grass growing. I do not remember grass this early in the year before. The oak trees in the neighborhood did loose their leaves, but latter in the winter then normal.

wind in the pine tree
the limbs cast dancing shadows
a beautiful day

The wind is blowing, so there is a wind chill factor. I have not listened to the weather either on television or online; therefore, I have no idea what the wind chill factor is. It cannot too bad because the birds are singing and they normally do not sing if it feels very cold.

The Last Saturday in January 2013

It is the last Saturday in January. It is raining in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am listening to the echoes of the trash collection trucks as they drive through my neighborhood. The  trucks are red and on this rainy day they look clean. The red of the trucks stand out against the dismal gray of the day.

It is the last Saturday in January. The birds are perched in oak, olive, and pine trees singing. The rain makes the birds happy, but I know that the sun would make them just as happy. The birds do not seem to notice the song of the garbage trucks as they pick up and empty trashcans. The birds sing their own songs that do not interfere with the songs of the garbage trucks.

It is the last Saturday in January 2013 and their are five days left in the month. It seems that only yesterday we were celebrating a New Year. January is almost gone and February around the corner. As I look out my window, I try to remember my accomplishments this month. I can remember writing poems, I can remember writing flash fiction, and I can remember making blog entries. What other goals did I accomplish during January 2013? I think I will leave that question hanging for a while, post this entry, and get me another cup of coffee.

Late Night Rain in Las Vegas

gray clouds hide the sky
black asphalt slippery and wet
it rained late last night

I don't remember the meteorologist predicting rain, but when I woke up this morning the street was wet and my driveway contained a puddle of water. I didn't hear thunder or lighting before I went to bed.

Apricot Daw

a bird is chirping
in the apricot dawn clouds
partly hide the sun

When I watched the news last night, I don't remember the meteorologist saying anything about clouds. This morning there are clouds covering part of the sky. It isn't completely cloudy because I can see patches of blue sky when I look out my window. They don't look like rain clouds, so I don't have to worry about that when I go to the bank, the DMV, and the gas station.

My first Open Mic poetry reading in 2013

Tonight, January 22, 2013, I went to the WordUp poetry reading at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is  the first open mic reading I have attended in about six years. Tonight's feature was the band Oh No, Trippy Machete with Woz, A.J., and Shane (the drummer). This is a wonderful band, I enjoyed listening to their music and songs.

Writing Hope

Thought for the Day: "We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope." ~ Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

a bird is singing
a breeze blows through olive trees
limb shadows moving

It is a beautiful morning in Las Vegas. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and the birds are singing. I checked the weather forecast online, it said partly cloudy, but I do not see any clouds when I look out my living room window.

It is a hopeful morning in Las Vegas. I have a chicken thigh in the refrigerator ready to cook. I have a load of clothes in the washing machine. I have hot coffee in the coffee maker's glass carafe. I can look out my window and meditate on the clear blue sky. If clouds blow in then I can meditate on the clouds.

It is a beautiful and hopeful morning in Las Vegas. I have writing and housework to do. I have business I need to take care of, but since most  places are closed today I am remaining home. Instead of writing about my disappointments today, I will write hope. I will write hope because it is the one thing I can hold onto in this changing world.

A new phase of my life in Las Vegas

On November 29, 2012, my mother died and I began a new phase of my life. I have not completely recovered from losing Mom, in fact, I do not think I will every recover from the lose. I am, however, getting on with my life. I am moving forward in my new life phase, which is what Mom would want me to do.

Today, I filled out an online application for a call center. I do not know if I will get the job, I hope I am hired. However, I am leaving that in God's hands. I have several things to do around the house and if I worry about the job, then I will not get anything done.

A Cold Morning in Las Vegas

dawn turns the sky blue
wind blows through an olive tree
at nine miles per hour

I checked the weather channel this morning and checked for the weather in Las Vegas. According to that website it is 29 degrees this morning, but it feels like 20 degrees. It as if the temperatures were in the low twenties when I took the trash and recyclables to the curb. It was so cold that my finger hurt, I think I need to get a pair of gloves.

my arthritic joins
make cold mornings painful
put gloves on my list

Thankful Thursday: Hot water and clouds

Today I am thankful for

1. hot water for washing dishes because it feels so good to put my hands into a sink full of hot water and soap on a chilly winter morning
2.  the clouds that covered the morning sky
3. the afternoon sunshine casting clouds shadows on the ground
4. hot water for a hot shower on a chilly January morning
5. the peaceful silence after all the laundry is done
6. the wind blowing through the trees
7. the warm blanket that I put over me on cold nights
8. the electric blanket I received as a birthday gift last month
9. poetry
10. writing.com

Waiting for the coffee to brew in Las Vegas

quarter moon smiles down
chilly wind blows through the trees
no clouds in the sky

I am waiting for the coffee to brew so that I can have a cup with my morning paper. When I picked up the paper I notice the moon smiling down on Las Vegas. I know the moon is not really smiling, it is just the moon's phase. I enjoyed looking up at the cloudless sky and see moon. It is going to be a beautiful day.

The first Friday in 2013

chilly morning air
no breeze moving tree limbs
no birds are singing

I am wearing two sweater this morning. I have not turned on the television. I have not checked the weather or the temperature online. It may not be as cold as I think, but I am still looking forward to spring. I am tired of the cold weather. I am tired of writing winter haiku. I want warm spring and warm weather.

Welcome to 2013

Happy New Year 2013! The year that the world was supposed to end is past, we can all breath a sigh of relief or fall on the floor laughing because of all the hype about the end of the world. The planet Earth still turns on its axis and circle the sun, while the planet's inhabitants still make love and war. It is time to make New Year's Resolutions with concrete and measurable goal statements.

Two things are necessary for a person to achieve his or her New Year's Resolutions. First, the resolutions or goals must be written down in specific terms. Second, those goals must be measurable. If your New Year's Resolution is to lose weight, you cannot write "I want to lose weight in 2013." You have to be specific about the number of pounds you want to lose, so  that you can measure your progress though out the year. In order to lose weight a person has to set up a weight lose program, measure his or her progress, and give oneself a reward when the goal is accomplished.