Bits of Inspiration - Spirit Nature

Good morning from the Imaginary garden with real toads, and humans on yet another lovely August day!  Hot, humid and steamy, just the way I like it!
Before I get to today's challenge, take a moment to revel in nature, with a few photos below.

BITS OF INSPIRATION - SPIRIT NATURE  

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
- Confucius -

From a bug and other creature's point of view.
"I like seeing people, when they can't see me."

Ah yes, to clip my nails or not?  That is a fine question.
Carefully, very carefully.How to trim your bearded dragon nails video here.

The animal kingdom knows a lot about getting along.

You might guess these alligators are mother and child but they aren't.  The younger alligator is not related and is about two years old here.

"Almost nothing need be said when you have eyes." - Tarjei Vesaas.  From -The boat in the evening.

Our Challenge today is, write a new poem from one of the quotes listed.
My quote from, Susie Clevenger's list is "The frog not does drink up the pond of which he lives." - Sioux

UNDERNEATH THE MORNING STAR

Forever birthing

in song of

metamorphoses

using their eyes to swallow

food, making silent chewing spectacles

once they flee.

Unstuck from floating weeds

fleeing water's home.

Tiny feet ring hollow 

from lily pad 

to lily pad

playing follow 

the leader with each other.

Across idle cobblestones

in tune to cricket clicks

tricking spiders 

stuck from swaying webs.

Fireflies overhead

tiny feet retreating steps

wending his way up.

Frogs forever 

croaking spectacles

in some sacred wet place evermore-

into the pale moonlight

for birthing.

Thematic Photographic - #306 - Shooting Strangers From Afar

What ever could he be thinking?  

SHOOTING STRANGERS FROM AFAR
is twice the fun.  Later when you go back and see what all you captured!

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

Shooting Strangers

from afar-

Shooting strangers up close, distant or zoomed in was easy peasy on Saturday! 

Always strange and zany captures at the Renaissance Festival!

Sometimes you stop and sometimes you run!  

From late this afternoon-

Strangers on an afternoon stroll around the lake.

Same lake-

More distant yet-

And lastly but not least-

Be sure to check out other "shooting strangers from afar" at

Carmi's Written Inc. Blog

Open Link Monday With Magaly - 18 August 2014

Good morning from the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, starring-

Open Link Monday, with Magaly.

Love is a many splendorous thing, even when written on the heart sleeves of Edgar Allan Poe, in his poem
Annabel Lee.

Open Link Monday is for sharing a poetic work of our choosing, and today I'm sharing a love poem by this unexpected poet, Edgar.

Annabel Lee

by

Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of ANNABEL LEE; ---

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

She was a child and I was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love--

I and my Annabel Lee--

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

His entire Annabel Lee poem here.

My thoughts on his devotion for Annabel Lee --

To Tell The Tale

of His Heart

by 

Me. KMS

In a brief

Spring of compassion
they joined by the sea

The sweet illusion of  his love,

his limits of virtue

Loving her was his bondage

his depth of affection 

in a brief

throbbing ravage

unashamed affection

which enraptured and devoured his love,

now fled wildly from his heart
ending in a tomb by the sea.

The Mag - 233 - 17 August 2014

In ocean lore they say-
The sight of a phantom ship is a portent of doom.

THE MAG

Yell Sound, Shetland 2014 - by R.A.D. Stainforth

Sailed Off To See

'da Wilds o'Yell'

We float above an eerie sense

adrift these rising waves, 

like an endless expanse 

of withered, sunlit cotton fields.

Over yesterday's ancient beach

first birthed by

sands and mud, now turned to rock.

Onward ye ablest captain.

Storm clouds in our reach

weaving shreds of cobwebs

through this balmy island air.

Enticing rumors

of lurking horrors 

and Ghost Ships

upon this never-ending sea.

Sepia Saturday - 241 16 August 2014

Letters home.  Ah yes.

"I like the storytelling and reading the letters, the long distance dedications.  Anytime in radio that you can reach somebody on an emotional level, you're really connecting." - Casey Kasem

It's all about communication.

SEPIA SATURDAY

Post Office in Fort Davis, Alabama

Our theme this week is "Remember to Write that Letter Home!"

Photo credit and story here.

So many sorts of situations lurking about the world in regards to sending letters home.


Here are just a few.


Soldiers writing home.  Australian Army Y.M.C.A. in Julis Camp soldiers writing home from their "Y" hunt between 1940 and 1946.

Another view of those soldiers.

Photo by the Archive.

Some letters written for home are incredibly funny!

Soldiers in Texas writing home.  April 24, 1914.

Mail orderlies at Hampton Roads between 1890 and 1901.

British and French prisoners assorting mail.

Between 1914 and 1915.

Between 1940 and 1942.  Writing letters for home.  A day with the tanks in the Western Desert, writing home before their day's work on patrol wearing mosquito nets to keep the flies away.

Six Word Saturday - 16 August 2014

COME ONE COME ALL LET'S GO!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

I'M HEADED TO THE MINNESOTA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Today is the first day of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival!

See you all there!

Good Fences # 21 - 14 August 2014

Once upon a time, very long ago, the Brandtjen family farm came to be.

How happy they all were, throughout  their years there and today I'm sharing a few pieces of how their old family farm appears today.  Their traditions live on through so many other families.

GOOD FENCES

The Spirit of a timeless dream.  The spirit lives on today.

Now the Community Center.

Here to greet you are the black rod iron fences or pure white wooden fences all around the old family farm.

From their beginning this all began with a dream to build a farm, a family and a way of life close to nature, and yet have plenty of room to roam and grow.

They even feature nature's shrubbery fence that surrounds this wooden shelter which holds firewood and two picnic tables in the shelter and a fire pit.

This video shows the way the Brandtjen family lived in the beginning.  You'll recognize this barn right away in the video.

There's a community garden located right here.

How about a relaxing swim?

Where memories and traditions are still happening at the Spirit of Brandtjen Farm.

So if you're looking for a new place to live, this might be just right for you.

To view more Good Fences just go here.

Alphabe-Thursday - Mystery, Murder? The Whodunit Twist

Calling all Bone Detectives, or rather, Anthropologists to Hastings, Minnesota.


ALPHABE-THURSDAY 
and the letter M.

MYSTERY

MAYBE MURDER?

Whatever the case, it's right up my alley on interesting subjects.  After all, it happened nearly in my own backyard, so to speak.  But for Boston, Massachusetts to run our (mysterious little skeleton) story really peaks my interest.

In all probability the land where the body was buried looked much like this.  Maybe.  Until they determine a closer date of burial we won't know for sure.

The photo below indicates a typical Minnesota structure around the late 1800's.  However, it's more likely it occurred in the early part of 1800.

Photo credit Landmarks History Group Hastings

Last Wednesday's edition of Whodunit quickly becomes, who buried it and Who is it?

After a call from the local authorities, the Bone Detectives arrived quickly.  Solving crimes and uncovering the mysteries of the dead is their business.

The photo below only appears like a construction job in disarray, while in reality it's an active crime scene.  Although, authorities have already determined the body was buried with care, and that this isn't a criminal case.  As of yet.

Skeletal Remains found at construction site for CVS Pharmacy story here.

This is the updated version announced in the media.

Photo credit KDWA Local news 1460 am
view story here.
Click here for 21 second audio.


What an interesting field to be involved in right?

What we know.  The skeletal remains date back to the early 1800's.  Early indications determined it's a middle aged woman, most likely of European descent and not Native American.

The number of tacks and nails found in the area around the remains lead them to believe she was buried sometime in the early 1800's, in a coffin.  They believe the coffin's wood would disintegrate over the last two hundred years, leaving behind only the tacks, nails and bones.

Unless of course, some clever chap buried the remains of a victim and tossed about the tacks and nails from earlier days to throw authorities off, if the remains were ever discovered.

Without a doubt the anthropologists will be able to uncover more impertinent information, which they promise to deliver by next week.

To see what others are posting for their letter M go here.

Thematic Photographic - 305 - Look Straight Down

Look Straight Down.

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC


To explain my madness for TP posting, I first scan my cell phone and post. Later, I search for the perfect "whatever theme" and post again.  Otherwise, I may get caught up in life missing my chance to post and what if I don't get another shot worthy of posting?  See my dilemma?  Plus, it's so fun bending photos from my current collection to his theme.


You also know by now, I'm a hobbyist at shooting photography, shaping photos from my own perspective.  My rules.  Sometimes, I get lucky.

I shot this from the second floor, to capture the little playhouse.  But my main intention was to shoot the gorgeous two trees and the lake to appear like I was standing at their level?

Weird?  Yes.  But do think I made it happen?

I lucked out catching Mother duck and her babies as well.  Did you notice them?

Move Up Shoot Down

Of course this was taken last winter.  My main goal was to capture as many shadows as possible.  Moving up and shooting down was the best option.

Okay, I'm heading out of town for the day, and you can bank on my keeping this theme in mind everywhere I go.  Hopefully, I'll capture some fresh, Look straight down shots and see you again right here.

To view other Thematic Photographic posts go here.

Open Link Monday - 11 August 2014

Good morning, why not wander about the Imaginary Garden of Real Toads with me this morning?

OPEN LINK MONDAY

Those things that are around us are, simply things.

"You must not simply believe

what other people tell you.

You must choose for yourself

the path that leads to 

understanding and peace."

But when does love enter?

I've heard from several people claiming to have experienced a near-death experience, that they miraculously visited the afterlife.  Not only was it life changing for them, but they were all asked this one important question.

Did you love enough?

 "You must simply believe even without seeing.

You must pay attention to everything around you.

Respect all living

things.

Use with care all that's

entrusted to you.

Waste nothing.

Want for nothing.

Everything is in you.

Miracles always exist

in all that you pursue

by listening

loving

and giving

more."

-KMS-

"When all your 

desires are

distilled;

You will cast just

two votes:

To love more,

and be happy." 

Rumi

The Mag - 10 August 2014

Every child is an artist.

"Everything you can imagine is real." - Pablo Picasso

Keith Haring

My Magpie in
Tanka Poetry
A Japanese poem of 31 syllables
in five lines, with 5 syllables 
in the first and third
and seven in the others.

THE MAG

FROM A CHILD'S EYE

Marriage on canvas.

By the hands of little ones.

One meets another

and their wings begin to grow

together, by golden ring.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday - 10 August 2014

Let the hunt begin with, Bathroom selfie, hop,skip or jump, creative angle, box or package and unfocused.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 

While somewhere it was a dark and stormy morning, in our make-believe world is was time for silliness.

BATHROOM SELFIE

Sharing selfie time with some well known characters.

Oops darn camera gets in the way!

That's better!

HOP, SKIP OR JUMP

CREATIVE ANGLE

It's not what's in the- BOX OR PACKAGE

It's what came out of the box or package.


UNFOCUSED

Thanks for playing along with my hunt for today!

For other posts go here.