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#WeekendCoffeeShare Road Tripping
April 9, 2017
— 7 Comments
Casa Grande Ruins
Casa Grande Ruins
Casa Grande Ruins
adobe
Casa Grande Ruins
If we were having coffee I would invite you to relax with a cup of tea or coffee of your choice. It is getting warm (hot for most of you), so I have a couple of iced teas on hand to quench your thirst and take the edge off the heat. We just returned from a road trip to take in the blooming trees and cacti. We always intended to visit the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, but have somehow managed to postpone the visit for years. The place is out of the way, so we created an itinerary around it. Initially we had planed to go to the Greek Monastery in Florence, then the ruins. When we passed the road to the monastery it was too early to visit, so we decided to drive a few more miles to a place we know and love, Queen Creek.
We stopped to shop and picnic at the Queen Creek Olive Mill which as expanded since we last saw the place. It was swarming with customers, but the ample outdoor picnic space is ample. We purchased a few choice groceries and a mimosa for me, then headed out to the porch to enjoy our fare. After lunch we went across the street to the Schempf Farms for a little more gourmet grocery procurement before we hit the ruins, about 15 miles down the road. My senior pass gets us in to all the National parks and monuments forever for free. It is my favorite senior benefit.
The ruins must have been a complete wonder when first built. The Casa Grande has such thick walls that even in the heat of summer the people could find great relief inside. At one time when the rivers flowed these people had a great civilization, which vanished. Like the Anasazi people the Hohokam had advanced agriculture that sustained a large population for a while. Nobody knows exactly how and why they vanished. The Parks Service does not restore, but does preserve the structures as much as possible. It is impressive that it is still standing. It gives one a very large sense of history.
If we were having coffee I would tell you I am still true to #NaPoWriMo, although I do not plan to combine the two this week. I will write another one with a poem in it today. I am really impressed with many of the contributors this year. I have been reading some very inspirational poetry of all kinds. I never knew there were so many formal formats in use. Some poets are incredibly flexible with all these various forms. I just crank one out in some form every day, and am satisfied just to do that. How are your writing projects going? I know many are going to novel writing camp this month. That seems like a very big challenge to me, but the poems I can handle. How are you handling your latest challenges?
Me in ruins
Thanks for stopping by today for a beverage and a visit. I look forward to spending time on the weekends catching up with this talented group. To read, comment, or submit your own coffee share post, please visit Nerd in the Brain. Meet interesting writers from all over the world.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Power Struggles
April 8, 2017
She won’t have an easy time of it, but the Virgo Moon will do her best to keep us grounded in reality today. She is strongly supported by a Grand Trine in earth created by a trine to Pluto in Capricorn and Mars in Taurus. This influence is strongest late morning through mid afternoon. Today […]
via Virgo Moon keeps us grounded today 4-7-2017 — Libra Seeking Balance
Arizona Highways #NaPoWriMo
April 7, 2017
— 1 Comment
palo verde
wildflowers
prickly pear
fairy duster
Riding in the red Mustang down Arizona Highways in the spring
Psychedelic colors flash like cartoons across the landscape
Brightly blooming trees and cacti light up the desert and sing
Mysterious, haunting, and otherworldly, it is here we can escape
Taking in the wonders of nature, we heal our weary souls
Retreating into the beauty of the season we are made whole
We run with the roadrunners and hum with the hummingbirds
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- #GloPoWriMo
Please ride the poetry train this April at #NaPoWriMo. You are invited to contribute, read, comment, or participate in some of the many contests happening this month. You can follow both #GloPoWriMo and #NaPoWriMo on social media to discover more poets.
#WritePhoto Stone History #NaPoWriMo
April 6, 2017
— 6 Comments
stone arch
When we find the arch of stones standing alone
In the ruins of a once grand castle of a once grand duke
We can feel the hours spent preening to make an entrance
Through the elegant opening that framed the costume
The servants scurried to please His Lordship and his guests
With musical serenades, crumpets, and a silver tea service
No expense nor effort was spared to create the illusion
Of grandeur and pomp, great excess and special privilege
Nothing remains of the era they thought would never end
This pile of stones can’t tell us now if history is foe or friend
#writephoto
Please join a talented group of writers who are inspired each week by Sue Vincent’s photo prompts. Visit Sue’s Daily Echo to read, write, or comment on the posts. It is fun to read all the variation on the same photo inspiration.
#NaPoWriMo2017
April is National Poetry Writing Month. Please bust a rhyme yourself, or enjoy reading some poetry at the #NaPoWriMo site here. There are poets contributing for all over the globe, so this year this had been acknowledged by using the #GloPoWriMo hashtag. Both can be followed on twitter or Facebook for more poetic material.
#GloPoWriMo
The Most Interesting Man In The World, #NaPoWriMo
April 5, 2017
— 1 Comment
prickly pear
I stopped at the grocery store on my way home to pick up some essentials.
I noticed a man walking into the store in front of me because of his gait and his attire.
He was a real cowboy with a big hat, and an oversized rag in his back pocket.
Our paths crossed in the store and I asked him if he was a real cowboy or just a look.
He was a poet-electrician shopping for molasses, rescued by his wife, a smart shopper
After check out I asked if I could read his poetry. He said his website was down right now
He gave me a beautiful haiku about cactus pads with lovers names carved in them, then left
I still don’t know his name, and had to wonder if that was all an apparition for my inspiration
Either way, I am sure that was the most romantic episode to ever take place at that Fry’s
#NaPoWriMo2017
April is National Poetry Writing Month. Please join poets from around the world to read, write, and appreciate poetry all month here. Ride the poetry train!! It has the most interesting passengers.
#GloPoWriMo
Savoring Sundays #NaPoWriMo
April 4, 2017
— 2 Comments
Sunday Brunch
Sunday Brunch
Sunday Brunch
Plates of colorful food served with cheer transform the morning into a celebration
Of seasons and reasons we like to spend time at a local cafe in no rush to finish our meal
We retreat to a table for two to enjoy each other’s company and toast with a fancy libation
A tiny world all to ourselves, we rent the space on the patio, the chef, the waiter, and the baker
They create for us all the elegance and sensual delight we need to carry us through the week
This slice of time is is fuel to feed the soul and spark appreciation of our good fortune
#NaPoWriMo2017
Please join poets around the world for poetry month in April. You can read, or submit poems here. There are many contests and prompts going on to help those who are not sure they can write a poem…You can!!! Just do it.
#GloPoWriMo
Entitled Ignorance #NaPoWriMo
April 3, 2017
— 1 Comment
the fuzz
the enforcer
the fuzz
Power to the heavily armed, confusion for the rest
Our resources have been confiscated to feed the hungry pest
Who dominates our life and times with injustice and pain
It is hard to say how many will survive this corrupt reign
Sitting it out is impossible because it runs right up to your door
Knocking down all that is holy in the name of an eternal war
#NaPoWriMo2017
Please ride the poetry train all month in April to find new poets, or find the poet in you. All are welcome all month.
#GloPoWriMo
Without Water #NaPoWriMo
April 2, 2017
— 1 Comment
cactus
cactus
We fished and swam in the rivers, let our storms run down the street
It did not occur to us that one day our water supply would retreat
The plants and landscape told us our methods were made to defeat
The natural song of the rain and the snow, converting to concrete
When our hillsides and forests burned down and washed out to sea
It left us with few choices, no resources, just a distant memory
Of springs and brooks and underground streams that filled our land
We can no longer feed our people, our lives slip by like sand
In the hourglass of history no single ruler takes the burden of blame
For the killing of the living waters. All we can say is it is a shame
#GloPoWriMo
All month in April you can enjoy reading poetry submitted from around the world at #NaPoWriMo. Discover new poets or write some yourself. It is all in good fun. You may find a poem in you that needs to be written.
#NaPoWriMo2017
#WeekendCoffeeShare #NaPoWriMo Edition
April 1, 2017
— 4 Comments
#NaPoWriMo2017
Dear Gentle Readers,
In April I write 30 poems in 30 days to honor my famous ancestor who was an exceptional poet and a special kind of historian. Today I join folks from around the world to participate in this year’s #NaPoWriMo. Since it is a global initiative it is also known as #GloPoWriMo to make it clear that everyone is invited. You can follow both these hashtags on twitter or Facebook for more information. I invite you to partake as a fan or a poet. You my be surprised at the poet you find inside of yourself. There are many wonderful styles of writing to discover in this treasure trove of artistic expression. Don’t be shy. Write a poem.
#GloPoWriMo
Please sit down, relax, take a load off your feet
While I tell you the story of Ann Dudley Bradstreet
She published her poetry in the Puritan times
Her English is old school, her well crafted rhymes
Were concerned with religion and current events
She made poignant requests to her progeny to stay
On the right side of God’s will, never sit on the fence
She begged us to be ethical, honest, virtuous and bold
Her legacy is eloquent, the details of our family were told
In real time as America took unexpected turns toward liberty
Finding her voice as a woman was a rare privilege, an anomaly
As her descendant I call on her esteemed presence in April every year
I ask for her assistance to drop a few decent beats, to be pertinent and clear
And so, dear ancestor, now scattered into stardust and moonbeams
Visit me with your discipline, your wisdom, and all of your ancient dreams
To follow in your footsteps I am going to require a great deal of your love
Look down on your daughter here on earth, send inspiration from above
in bloom
looking up
If we were having coffee this month I would ask my coffee friends around the table to ride the poetry train if you are able. I know it is corny and may turn perverse. I assure you than in May I will return to verse. The coffee share and the poetry train go well as a duo, in my opinion. Help yourself to coffee, tea, and poetry. For more digital beverages and prose, please visit Nerd in the Brain. The weekly party is always interesting and stimulating.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Planet Post Up – Jupiter Square Pluto, Mercury in Taurus, Saturn Retrograde, Venus Retrograde
March 31, 2017
— 1 Comment
Change in the heavens
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