Tag / #WDIIA

by Trzrs

Might & Slight – a haibun

spring’s long return to
empty promises heralds
annoyed humdingers

A neighborhood announcement:
‘Put out your feeders – the hummingbirds are back!’

Sure enough, one of our annual visitors practically dive-bombed my husband to remind him that our portion of the buffet was not yet displayed.

After retrieving the feeder from the basement, we served up the concoction of hummingbird feed.

Recipe:
1:4 ratio white sugar/boiling water
– Allow mixture to cool before serving it up.

Last year was our first time to do this. Based on those visits, only a quarter of the bottle was used in a period of 4 days, then I would change out the mix for a fresh batch. Seems to get murky by the 4th day. This year we’re only filling the bottle 1/4 full then refilling it according to the usage.

It seems we only have one to two visitors. Is it because they are territorial, or because we have agressive magpies frequenting our yard? Maybe I wait too long between batches?

What Day Is It Anyway? Monday, May 18, 2020

I started this post as a response to RonovanWrites Might&Slight challenge not realizing it was already a week too late, and then it morphed into this haibun-type post thereby making my response extra late. Ah well – here it is anyway.

Calliope Hummingbird photo courtesy of Todd Goodrich, University of Montana (no copyright infringement intended)

by Trzrs

Late Bloom – haibun

valley growth
promises mountain
piqued beauty

Today is Wednesday, May 13, 2020. We were in town on Saturday running errands picking up our curbside order when I noticed there are blossoms on the trees.

I longed for the spring birds to return as we live in a little bit of a higher elevation, and they are not so keen on the two degrees temperature difference. When I moved here from the big city, I wasn’t used to the cacophany of the early dawn song. It drove me nuts! Having been here long enough now I miss it in the stillness of winter.

They are returning! We actually have neighborhood postings — The humming birds have returned. Put out your feeders! — and — Put your garbage cans in the garage, the bears are back!

Now tuning in for James and Anne “Almost Home” YouTube channel for their half hour of ukulele and cello music! Inspiring!

Gotta love it!

by Trzrs

#WDIIA 20200420 “Quarantine has turned us into dogs…”

In honor of our frontline folks
image courtesy clipartmax.com

Having not located my creative writing bone recently, I AM at least reading. This was written by a neighbor, and is worth a share. Enjoy!

“Quarantine has turned us into dogs. We roam the house all day looking for food. We are told ‘no’ if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides.

Day 12 at home and the dog is looking at me like, ‘See? This is why I chew the furniture!’

2019: Stay away from negative people.
2020: Stay away from positive people.

Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands???

I never thought the comment “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a 6 foot pole” would become a national policy, but here we are!

Me: Hey, Google: what’s the weather this weekend?
Google: It doesn’t matter – you’re not going anywhere.

I was told all I needed to go to the grocery store was a mask and gloves.
They LIED to me; they LIED!
When I got there everyone else was wearing clothes.”

Ba-dump-ump!

by Trzrs

#WDIIA – Tuesday 2020.03.31

8:30 AM: 36°F and cloudy – Rushing to Costco

Our first time using the one-hour slot given to those of us who are 60+ years (8-9 am). I keep remembering one thing or another back in the house before we’re finally on the road – poor husband.

Cut-off by a compact-sized race car, we notice 3” of snow on its roof and on the back windshield wiper. Is it evident the driver abandoned the warmth of a cozy bed at O-dark hours for the shopping spree? Hope what they need is in stock. No offense is taken because we live a whole 3.5 miles away where barely a spot of snow remains.

The Greeter, a black clad security guard, briefs us on some logistics. Gesturing with his arm, he tells us the line wraps WAY around the building. So we walk to the back, and notice they spray-painted lines 6’ apart like standing stalls. Now we can keep the prescribed distance from each other.

Will those inside remember those of us who are still out here?

Some shoppers leaning on their carts are balancing themselves for the duration. There are neutral faces with pleasant composures, and some not so. Also, it is apparent some of us are not sure if this was worth the early reveille.

The staff is cheery which helps with the wait.

And of course, the sky is spitting wet snow on us. Thankfully, it’s not for long.

Checking my email on the phone. I found an attachment apropros to the situation:

11:00 AM: arrive home for an early lunch – all errands done

2:00 PM: video chat with our friends in Haiti.

Thankful they are well, and that our other friends in Haiti are still healthy for now. It was good to see their faces, even sharing a song.

Haiti is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. 445 Haitian people have been confirmed infected with COVID-19 including 14 who died.

“…It’s one thing to say, ‘stay home’, but it’s another thing when you cannot find anything to eat. This is what we are addressing: How to stay home, earn a living and include every single workshop in the country who can help people protect themselves and do something to put food on the table.”

excerpted from Miami Herald about helping Haitians earn wages to buy groceries.
Here is a New Yorker who posts about staying healthy when coronavirus hit her home: https://youtu.be/udprEtDVmIY

On a lighter note: Here is 5-year old’s advice on staying calm during this time. Wait ‘til you hear what she calls healthy food. https://youtu.be/wvrCqi1w_DY

Thank you Ms Linda for giving us this platform.

by Trzrs

What Day is it Anyway? Friday, March 27, 2020

#WDIIA

My husband shared this with me, and I just wanted to share the chuckle.

We are finally feeling normal after the seasonal colds. Actually had energy to scrub the farberware grill and the stove; sometimes taking the simplest things for granted.

Hubby will do the shopping with lots of disinfecting wipes and hand-washing while I stay in and catch up on mending.

I am making cloth covers for our son who is a nurse in the cardiac department of the hospital where he works and my god-daughter who is a respiratory therapist in the hospital where she works. They only give N-95 masks to those who are in contact with those most susceptible. These have limited reuse where they must be taken off (doffed) after each appointment so it can dry out, and then it can be reused. They are made to be disposable so have a limit to their viability.

Making lightweight cloth covers gives the masks extra life and the cloth covering can be laundered. After perusing tutorials, I found this one to be most reliable as they have data behind their methods.

https://youtu.be/ZnVk12sFRkY

Here is the pattern link: https://bit.ly/UPHMask and a little about their prototype lab.

Now to figure what to make for supper. — Cheers!

by Trzrs

What Day is it Anyway? Thursday, March 26th, 2020

SNWS

Grateful to everyone for their kindnesses.

We shop mostly for necessities these days. Driving along, I see people smile. Parking lots are fuller than normal for this time of day at this time of year.

Some shelves are sparse with goods while some ignored are still burgeoning with product. It is the tightening of our belts.

People are respecting elders and preferring or assisting others.

Check-out lines are still long. Beyond the protective masks, we see each other’s smiling eyes and the full-on smiles of folks who don’t need them. We know we are all in this together.

Thank you for that!

Thank you to Linda G Hill for starting this.

picture courtesy of good news network