Microfiction Monday #67, under the bridge

"Remember when there was a city down there, Johnny?"

"No. I remember you saying so, but it's always been

 fumes down there as far as I know."

Posted for Microfiction Monday,

with a picture brought to us every week by Susan at Stony River, who invites us to write a story or poem about the prompt, using only 140 characters including spaces and punctuation.

To see what others around the world have made from Susan's picture, please click

HERE!

Deep-snow dog defies danger daily

"Okay, I got myself in here, don't worry, I'll get myself out."

"Hmm. Now, which foot first, the left or the right?"

Posted by Kay and Lindy for Pet Pride/Pets Forever,

hosted every week by Bozo and his family in Mumbai.

"You don't have this snow problem, do you, Bozo?" Lindy asks.

Photos by Richard Schear, who accompanies Lindy on her walks, and sometimes helps her out.

To see other pampered pets around the world, please click

HERE!

Some Seattle Shadow Shots during the heat wave

                       Photos by Richard Schear and Kay Davies

We were in Seattle during the Great Heat Wave of 2009 when shadows were greatly appreciated, particularly from that little old sun-avoider, me. (Hard to believe, when I just brought the dog in from the snow now, and had to brush her, then get ice-balls off her feet.)

However, there I am, adjusting my hat beside the totem pole in the third photo. I loved the deep shade there, with little dapples of sunlight in the foreground. When I found deep shade, I just wanted to stay, and never venture into the sun again, but we were on our way to Safeco Field to see the Toronto Blue Jays play the Seattle Mariners, so Dick hustled me along. Never try to stand between a man and his baseball game!

Temperatures in Seattle reached a record 103F (39 Celsius) while we were there.

Posted for  Shadow Shot Sunday,

the nice, cool, shade-loving photo meme hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet.

To see more shadows from around the world, please click

HERE

Costa Rica camera critters are not all cute and cuddly

This cute little bird seems to be perched here to give directions to lost tourists.

Coatimundi

Above and below: two very different iguanas.

Pecary

Slow-moving millipedes are herbivores, while centipedes move faster to prey on other insects.

Photos by Richard Schear

Posted for Misty Dawn's Camera Critters meme. To see critters from all corners of the earth

CLICK HERE

Reflections, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

My husband took up photography quite by accident when we first got into adventure travel. Instead of merely taking snapshots, he discovered he had a good eye for composition and color, and suddenly found himself with a hobby.
One of his favorite subjects turned out to be pelicans. In the first photo, he was aiming at the two pelicans sleeping on a branch, but inadvertently included reflections of some ducks in the background, including a white one flapping its wings.
This wasn't taken on one of our adventure tours, however, but on a side trip to Busch Gardens in Florida when we were visiting our friends Sheila and Walter in the Tampa area.
The second photo is, without a doubt, a reflection, taken for no apparent reason. I call it "Seasick Reflection" because we were aboard NCL's Pride of America, for a cruise of the Hawaiian islands, and looking at the picture for more than two seconds will make you seasick!

Posted for the Weekend Reflections meme, hosted every weekend by James. Thanks, James!

To see if other people's reflections make more sense than Dick's self-portrait, please click

HERE!

Sky of many colors in beautiful Hawaii

Last month, Dick and I enjoyed our first visit to Hawaii so much, we're already thinking of returning. One of the things we noticed about Hawaii is the varying color of the sky, from minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, and island to island.

Photos by Richard Schear and Kay Davies

Posted for the Skywatch Friday meme.

To see other skies in other parts of the world, please click

HERE!

Bokeh: more good luck than good management here

I discovered a new word on Misty's Musings. "Bokeh" means an out-of-focus background, achieved by a photographer (intentionally) to highlight the object or objects in the foreground.

On a dog-walking, sunset- and deer-watching trip during this week's snowy weather, Dick accidentally achieved a bokeh effect, and we both rather liked it, with the foreground in focus and the background, in each case containing a single deer, out of focus.

Photos by Richard Schear

Thursday Theme Song, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3npseJPu5g

This is the ornamental crabapple tree in front of our little hobbit house
in southeastern Alberta. The tree is beautiful when it blooms in the spring,
and we won't trim the bottom branches because, when the snow is deep,
as it is this month, a small herd of deer come to eat the fruit. Some of the deer
can stand on their hind legs to reach the higher branches. Fun to watch!

HIM:

Don't sit under the apple tree

with anyone else but me

Anyone else but me, anyone else

but me, no, no, no

Don't sit under the apple tree

with anyone else but me

'Til I come marchin' home

HER:

Don't give out with those lips

of yours to anyone else but me

Anyone else but me, anyone else

but me, no, no, no

Watch those girls on foreign shores,

You'll have to report to me

When you come marchin' home

BOTH:

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me

I know the apple tree is reserved for you and me

And I'll be true 'til you come marchin' home!

I remember my father playing a 78rpm record of this song when I was very young. He told me all about Glenn Miller, whose band made the song famous during World War II, but who died during that war when the plane, in which he was traveling, disappeared over the English Channel. When Dad bought me my first record player, it came with a box of 45rpm records, all by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. No matter what my opinion is on the subject of war, there are young Canadians risking their lives in Afghanistan right now. I hope they believe in what they are doing, and I'd like to dedicate Major Glenn Miller's song to them.

Here, once again, is the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3npseJPu5g

Posted for Hootin' Anni's musical meme, Thursday Theme Song.

To find out what songs other bloggers have chosen for their theme song this Thursday, please click

HERE!

Magpie Tales 49 - before digital cameras were invented

                                                          Photo provided by Magpie Tales meme

A Magpie Tale of Three Sisters

Smiley wanted to go ice skating. Her evil sister, Sneaky, agreed to go with her because she planned to push Smiley onto thin ice, where she would surely crash through into the deep lake and drown. Meanwhile, their little sister, Tiny, tried to figure out what she could possibly do to stop the much larger Sneaky from killing her beloved Smiley. Digital cameras would not be invented for a hundred years, so their father, who was taking their picture, wouldn’t know about the evil plan until the photo was developed and it was too late. Much too late because, by then, Sneaky had left town, leaving no forwarding address, and Tiny hadn’t stopped weeping long enough to tell him what she had suspected. There would be no justice; there would be no revenge.

Posted for Magpie Tales, a meme "dedicated to the enjoyment of poets and writers, for the purpose of honing their craft, sharing it with like-minded bloggers, and keeping their muses alive and well."

Hoping to keep my muse alive and well, as well. To see how other bloggers are musing,

please click

HERE!

A for Aloha, which we found every day in Hawaii last month

What Does Aloha Mean? These answers were from: http://www.to-hawaii.com/aloha.php

Kay and Art

Aloha is the most Hawaiian word. In the Hawaiian language, it can mean hello or goodbye. It also means love and affection. The word aloha is used in a combination with other words, such as aloha kakahiaka, which means good morning; aloha auinala used as a greeting that means good afternoon; and aloha ahiahi is how you can wish good evening in Hawaiian. Because of aloha’s unique meaning and popularity, Hawaii is called the Aloha State.

Aloha is a Hawaiian symbol. Its meaning goes beyond any definition you can find about it in the dictionaries. In Hawaii, you hear aloha all the time and you are treated with aloha everywhere.

The Spirit of Aloha


The literal meaning of aloha is “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.” It comes from “Alo,” meaning presence, front and face, and “ha,” meaning breath. Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect. Its deep meaning starts by teaching ourselves to love our own beings first and afterwards to spread the love to others.

According to the old kahunas (priests), being able to live the Spirit of Aloha was a way of reaching self-perfection and realization for our own body and soul. Aloha is sending and receiving a positive energy. Aloha is living in harmony. When you live the Spirit of Aloha, you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone. They exist in space, multiply and spread over to others.

Inspired by the philosophy and the wisdom of the Spirit of Aloha, nowadays many institutions and businesses in Hawaii carry its name. Many Hawaiian singers write and perform songs about aloha as well. (The most famous historical Hawaiian song, 'Aloha O'e' was written by the last queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani: from Wikipedia)

Flag of Hawaii

The Spirit of Aloha as Law

Aloha Spirit is considered a state “law.” Although the word law sounds too strong and strict, Aloha Spirit is not such a type of law that will get you in trouble if you break it. Its main purpose is to serve as a reminder to government officials while they perform their duties to treat people with deep care and respect, just like their ancestors did. Aloha Spirit is more a lesson than a law. By learning and applying this lesson to real life, government officials can contribute to a better world, a world filled with aloha.

Definition of Aloha Spirit State Law

(a) "Aloha Spirit" is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force, "Aloha," the following unuhi laula loa may be used:

The unofficial state bird tries to meet all buses
and direct tourists to all the facilities.
The official state bird is the Hawaiian Goose or Nene
which has more important official duties to perform.
Besides, we never saw one, just lots of chickens.

"Akahai," meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness;

"Lokahi," meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;

"Oluolu," meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;

"Haahaa," meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;

"Ahonui," meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of Native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii.

Hawaiian Kay and Canadian Kay

"Aloha" is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation.

"Aloha" means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return.

"Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence.

"Aloha" means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.

(b) In exercising their power on behalf of the people and in fulfillment of their responsibilities, obligations and service to the people, the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, executive officers of each department, the chief justice, associate justices, and judges of the appellate, circuit, and district courts may contemplate and reside with the life force and give consideration to the "Aloha Spirit." 

When we visited Hawaii in December, we were met by my blogging friend Kay, and her husband Art, who wished us Aloha, gave us leis and took us on a wonderful all-morning tour of Honolulu. After visiting the Iolani Palace, we drove past a Santa giving the "hang-ten" hand signal, which is probably another form of Aloha. 

Posted for the first week of Round 8 in ABC Wednesday,

a meme that really makes us think.

Thanks to Mrs. Denise Nesbitt for bringing us ABC Wednesday!

To see how others around the world have used the first letter of the alphabet, please click

HERE!

My World through Dick's office window, screened here

                                                          Photos by Richard Schear

Usually, deer come after dark to eat our ornamental crabapples, but this young buck showed up a little early one day and Dick took these photos through the window of his home office. The window screen is just barely visible on the smaller photos, but you can definitely see it on the larger one. However, I enlarged this one so you could see the snow on the deer's eyelashes! Isn't he a beauty?
These were taken with my camera on my birthday, December 1. What a treat in my world!

Posted for My World Tuesday.

To see other worlds on other parts of the planet, please click

HERE!

Mellow Yellow sunsets, in Hawaii, and here at home

This modest yellow sun sinks behind a Hawaiian hill.

At sea, the sunset is spectacular. Dick zoomed in for this ball of yellow.

Even without the zoom lens, it is a little bit of okay, don't you think?

At home in southeastern Alberta, while walking the dog, Dick found this blazing yellow, purple and orange sunset at Christmas time.

As they walked along, the blaze became a small yellow streak on the horizon.

Photos by Richard Schear

Posted for the Mellow Yellow Monday meme,
hosted every week by Drowsey Monkey.
To see mellow yellows from all over the world, please click
HERE!

Microfiction Monday: domestic violence or only a dream?

"I have your sword!" she cried, "And I'll kill you!"

"Oh no, you won't," he screamed, "I have a Power Parasol. Nothing can cut through it!"

*

and here's my friend Suzanne's submission for this prompt:

"I had the weirdest dream last night.  Samurai, umbrella, flowers...!! 

I gotta quite eating sushi just before bed."

Published for the Microfiction Monday meme, in which submissions must be 140 characters or less (the maximum in a Tweet) including spaces and punctuation.

To see how others around the world interpreted the picture provided by

Susan at Stony River, please click

HERE!