Past, Present, and Pondering
The winds of change are blowing
Leaves tumble and twirl in delight
Autumn arrives with a wet kiss on summer’s cheek
Refreshing the earth, the air, my soul
Days darken sooner with a refreshing coolness
Night lingers longer with a crispness in the morning breeze
Welcome back Autumn!
©Belindabotzong2018
I sit and watch the river meander
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Twisting and turning down the path of least resistance
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Swirling past boulders to create a churning mosaic reflecting the sky
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Maples with floppy yellow leaves release helicopter seeds swirling and spinning in the gentle mountain breezes
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Dew drops sparkle, clutching the edges of the long, sharp needles of the dark drooping limbs of ponderosa pine
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Pine cones dropping with a plunk to the dry grassland beneath
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Startling mother Quail with her youngsters hiding in the bush and blue jays squawking opinions from above
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Buttermilk clouds filter the stream of morning sunlight
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Last sunrise of vacation
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©Belindabotzong2018
Bending but not breaking
Adapting despite adversity
Possibilities through pressure
Opportunities instead obstacles
Strength from storms
Resilience
©Belindabotzong2018
I saw myself today
30 years ago a newlywed
In that cabin across the river
Where I sat for hours watching the currents sweep over the boulders
Time spent with my lover in solitude and adventure with dreams of the future and contented pleasure.
I saw myself today
20 years ago a mom of two hilarious children
Camped out on the floor in that cabin across the river
A family on vacation, swimming hole, and fishing poles
A walk to the gingerbread factory, the hat shop and the toy store ending with a German pretzel and dinner at the Baren Haus.
I saw myself today
In the present
Reflected in a store window
Shopping and thinking and exploring
Years of child-raising replaced by caring for my elderly mom
Picking wildflowers and pine cones and creating new things in my head
A time of respite and renewal, observing the changes that have taken place and those things that never change.
I saw myself today
20 years from now
Walking hand in hand with the same man I always loved
Coming to a light pole in the sidewalk with hands temporarily parting
Quickly rejoined to explore that same town we always have, getting bratwurst, walking to Blackbird Island, and talking about the years gone by
I saw myself today
30 years in the future
My white hair askew as a caregiver pushes me, donned in a royal purple bathrobe in a wheelchair down the Main Street
Past the horse and buggy, past the shops and restaurants
A pile of flowers and ornamental grasses on my lap gleaned from the passing displays and gardens
A smile on my face in memory of days gone by.
©Belindabotzong2018
Construction noise overrides the ripples of the river
Traffic sounds pulse over the chirping birds
I long for silent serenity
Not deafness to the world around me
Not solitude that separates me from loving Or creates insensitivity to the needs of others
But solace in the sitting and pondering and praying
Waiting for a peaceful surrender to serenity
As if I were the river with deep undercurrents of creative, passionate, and inspired ideas
As if I were the boulders in that river –strong, sturdy, solid — taking all the pressures and letting them roll right over me as I redirect their path
As if I were the pine tree planted beside that river with my feet steady, towering over the troubles that flow down that river, standing strong against the ever changing winds and enduring the storms that strengthen but don’t harden me
I find peace and serenity in the ever flowing, ever strong, and ever steady, continuous river, as it pours over boulders, surrounded by trees and mountains and I am compelled to praise their creator.
©Belindabotzong2018
Bright face of sunshine rises above
Hues of pine, spruce, and fir against
Cerulean sky backdrop
Lazy, shallow, dark currents of river caress boulders and ripple over pebbles
Meandering toward the sea in no hurry to leave this place of rich beauty
Flocks of birds call out musical notes
Trills like flutes and squawks in deep baritone
Hawks swoop and soar like a maestro
Orchestrating another beautiful day in Leavenworth
©Belindabotzong2018
Respite from the blistering heat of another summer day where everything moves slowly, even the sun as it lingers on the horizon before it melts into the edge of the sea.
High tide laps lazily against the boulders and Slate blue waves ripple in the sunset shimmer
The schooner Zodiac plies slowly along in the last moments of daylight
Framed by Lummi Island she is majestically poised for a perfect sunset
The breeze rewards her crew with perfectly filled sails as seagulls loop and dip along the shore [wpvideo TEhIfl5X ]
Speedboats are the only quick moving thing as they race for the harbor as a fishing boat moans and rumbles along the shore
Hazy thin layers of far away forest fire smoke hang over Orcas Island creating a mysterious mood over Mt. Constitution’s towers
And filters the sunset into an artistic filtered hue
Another beautiful, lazy summer evening on Bellingham Bay.
©Belindabotzong2018
The kayak club cleared the beach with gusto heading out to dinner with friends, home, or even a vacation in Montana was announced with glee. He has a cabin in the sawtooth mountains where he plans to hike and relax for the last weeks of summer break.
The dinner cruise droned by after a tour of the nearby islands and disembarked its satisfied passengers at the nearby ferry terminal, heading home with that feeling one gets after inhaling an enormous amount of fresh sea air. Hair blown askew, stiffened by salty breezes, they make their way hand in hand to their Subaru, satisfied with their choice for such a grand outdoor experience.
A lone woman sits on a boulder at the quiet end of the beach. Her bike handlebars askew as she left it parked on the goose-poop covered lawn. Her forehead draws together in a frown at the intrusion of another woman taking a seat on a nearby bench. Solitude is clearly desired as she works through and ponders her troubles. The bench seated woman feels the discomfort of invading another’s space and moves on to a quiet spot to watch seagulls and sailboats and write about her view, snapping a few photos.
Jets fly overhead for their final approach to the nearby airport with those returning from trips around the country or around the world. They will disembark with that left over stale feeling one gets from flying too far for too long and they will breathe deeply the cool August day air and say “home sweet home”.
A helicopter flies quickly south, meaning another crisis in some family as a loved one is rushed to Seattle for advanced care and the patient will disembark on a journey through healing and recovery. Or not.
A train rumbles past filled with passengers all looking forward to either a return home or an exciting adventure beyond the routine of home. The incessant warning of the engineer announces their passing.
Multiple sailboats glide in the evening breeze like the seagulls that swoop and soar as the sun sets slowly beyond them. Some are racing while others take their time to embrace the freedom of being on the rippled sea, inhaling that same fresh air that will later lead to a deep restorative sleep.
The woman on the bench is now alone and there is a deep peaceful lull in the activity. Waves lap lazily onto the shore bringing her treasures to find. Sticks and stones, shells and glass. The beauty and artistry of nature in the perfection of an evening at the bay surrounded by the San Juan islands, the Salish Sea, the harbor, the beach and the sky.
[wpvideo Z4n1Hwas ]
©Belindabotzong2018
Papermaking 101
Papermaking 101
— Read on refindcreations.com/2018/07/16/papermaking-101/
Love as deep as the ocean
Unfathomable
Love as vast as the sky
Immeasurable
Love as abundant as air
Incalculable
Love as infinite as the sands of the earth
Unbelievable
Love as wide as the world
Incomprehensible
Perfect, plentiful, unconditional
Jesus loves me this I know
For all creation tells me so
©Belindabotzong2018