January 8, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 49 Comments

A Cold Midnight Visit

Moans and groans that chill the bones,

Through the window stream,

Scents of icy northern zones,

Invade the sleeper’s dreams.

Cold unwelcome guest descends

On the huddled shape,

Shivering, the ice-ghost bends,

Whispers in her nape.

Who has paid the icy fare,

On these crystal flows,

Hitching rides on Arctic air,

Following their nose?

Walruses and polar bear,

Wolves and caribou,

Send their scent along the air,

Via Manitou.

Think of us, they sadly moan,

Swirling round the room,

Dream of us, for now you’ve known

Our cold nights and our gloom.

December 30, 2023
by wordsfromanneli 35 Comments

Out With the Old

After days and days of rain, the water that has washed down the hills and into all the drainage systems is emptying itself into the sea.

The river is brown with the silt that has no chance to settle because of the quick flow of the extra volume.

Here, the river is near the estuary, and the tide is coming in while the river is flowing out. The tide wins though, and backs up the river. It’s quite the battle, with the volume from the extra rainfall pushing against the tide.

On the left side of this photo you can see the top of the retaining wall that is usually visible and dry to a height of about eight feet from the top (I’m guessing), now breached and letting water through.

Here is a closer look. The road is beyond the river, to the left. Comox is on the left side of the river; Courtenay on the right.

On the right side of the river, the trees and shrubs that line the walkway along the riverside are flooded at the moment. Once the water recedes, they should be all right, but the high water level is very close to flooding this parking lot.

I just know that this summer, when we have our heat waves and drought, I’ll wish for some of this excess water to give my petunias a drink.

I hope the darker events of the past year will wash away just as this flooded muddy river will empty itself in the sea, and like the river, our lives will be rejuvenated by fresh spring rains and plenty of happy sunshine.

So as the old year is done, and the new one comes in, I say, “Out with the old, and in with the new.”

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends.

December 12, 2023
by wordsfromanneli 42 Comments

Crispin ‘s Weather Forecast

Waking up, he checks the yard,

Feels like snow that freezes,

Not quite yet, but blowing hard,

Come the northern breezes.

News is written on the wood,

Writing looks Chinese,

Anyway it’s not so good,

Says it’s going to freeze.

No, oh no, oh no-no-no-o-o-o-o!

This is not good news,

Says right here that it will snow,

Time to start my chews.

Here’s some rope to line my bed.

Captain won’t be pleased.

Likes his ropes kept in good stead,

He’ll be really cheesed.

But the Cap’s retired now,

He won’t miss this rope,

If he used it anyhow,

He’d be quite a dope.

Watch me shred this fuzzy line,

Stuff it in my cheeks,

It will make that bed of mine,

Warm and soft for weeks.

Ropey fibre dries my throat,

Swallowing is pain,

But let’s see what’s in this tote,

Tub has filled with rain.

Watch this clip and see my feet,

See my special toes?

Talent like this can’t be beat,

Every squirrel knows.

Ahhhh! That’s better. Now to go

Off to make my nest,

Deep inside a woodshed row

Safe and warm, it’s best.

December 1, 2023
by wordsfromanneli 57 Comments

First of December, First Snow

Evening darkens, snow clouds loom,

Heavy grayness hovers,

Every creature, filled with gloom,

Looks for extra covers.

Snowflakes drifting in the breeze,

Flutter to the ground,

Blanketing the dens with ease,

Whiteness all around.

Morning sunlight filters through,

Birds emerge from shrubs,

Now they wonder what to do,

Where are all the grubs?

“Where’s my breakfast?” they all cry,

“How will I stay warm?”

Shivering with cold, they sigh,

This is not the norm.

Robins tweet their invitations,

Gathering for flight,

Needing lower elevations,

Snow-free woods in sight.

Holly berries, mountain ash,

Worms and bugs to eat,

Having fled the winter’s lash,

Birds escape defeat.

Though it’s pretty, snow reminds,

How cold it will be,

Warm vacation, I must find,

Lovely sun and sea.

Meanwhile Emma snuggles in,

Fuzzy blanket warm,

Softly curled up to her chin,

“Now bring on the storm.”

September 26, 2023
by wordsfromanneli 54 Comments

An Omen of Change

It helicoptered from the tree,

This golden flaky leaf,

It’s happening, and I can see,

The maple is in grief.

The summer days are sadly gone,

Those romping times were fun,

But autumn’s here, we must move on

From lazing in the sun.

Without the maple’s leafy dress,

Her long arms will be bare,

No hiding places for the squirrels

Who used to scamper there.

It’s sad to see the warm days go,

And we’ll be soused with rain,

The leaves will swirl, the wind will blow,

As autumn comes again.

But as the summer weather sours,

Rambunctious days retire,

I’ll find a way to pass the hours,

Chew slippers by the fire.

February 11, 2023
by wordsfromanneli 45 Comments

A New Bird

About 100 ft. from my house stands a maple that has seen better days. The woodpeckers peck holes into the trunk, and it’s a wonder that the tree hasn’t lost more limbs in the recent windstorms.

Still, I love to see the woodpeckers, and I always have my camera handy for bird sightings. When I spotted this one on the maple this morning, I grabbed the camera and rushed out onto the deck to snap a photo. I closed the sliding door quietly.

“Please don’t fly away until I get a picture,” I whispered.

He didn’t fly away, so I snapped some more. Still he didn’t fly.

“This is great,” I thought. The squirrels were chattering noisily just then, and I assumed that the woodpecker hadn’t heard me tiptoeing out onto the deck.

But then I thought, “That’s strange. He should have flown by now. Or at least pecked at the bark. But he’s just sitting there. Maybe he’s sick.”

I brought the camera in and uploaded the photos onto the laptop. Then I could see the bird more clearly. I wasn’t sure what kind it was. Maybe not a pileated woodpecker, after all. He seemed to have morphed into something else.

A broken off branch surrounded by the maple’s tears?

November 29, 2022
by wordsfromanneli 68 Comments

The Killing Wind

Winter,

Sudden and merciless,

Descends with a force,

Uninvited.

Clinging,

In the lee of the wind,

Near his source of food,

Hummingbird waits.

Snowstorm,

Filling every cranny,

Chilling and killing,

Bitter cold wind.

Howling,

Snowy blasts roaring by,

Threatening small lives,

Take shelter quick.

October 27, 2022
by wordsfromanneli 42 Comments

The Calm

… before the storm.

The ducks all facing outward

Are waiting for their snack,

They find it in the shallows,

It makes their lips go smack.

The heron facing inward,

Has patience yet to spare,

He hopes to spear a morsel,

With no intent to share.

All take advantage of the last,

Relaxing stretch of peace,

They feel the system moving fast,

Soon comes the ugly beast.

Photo by Pat G.

The licorice scent of fennel wafts,

Along the last warm breeze,

A thousand seeds fly in the drafts,

To inundate with ease.

Ms. Barbara Beacham’s hollyhock,

Has found a home with me,

Although Ms. Beacham’s sent a shock,

And could no longer be.

Her lovely flowers bloom each year,

She sends her love that way,

I cherish her with thoughts so dear,

Much more than I can say.

A last sweet effort quickly made,

The berry patch is done,

No strawberries are left to raid,

Except for just this one.

And here it comes, the mighty beast,

So dark, this sunshine thief,

It brings much-needed rain at least,

To every plant’s relief.

It slaps the trees ferociously,

It whips the leaves around,

But they hang on tenaciously,

On hearing such a sound.

The wind is shivery at best,

Each leaf is hanging on,

They’re hoping to survive the test,

Until this breeze is gone.

March 29, 2022
by wordsfromanneli 44 Comments

The Weather Wins

Evidence of winter damage can last for years in America’s prairie landscapes. Farmers did their best to put up strong buildings to withstand the elements in the days before modern building materials were available. Even so, the fierce storms often proved too much for the buildings. These roofs most likely had a huge dump of snow on them at one time. The weight crushed the roofs as it crushed the farmer’s will to rebuild. In the dry climate, with little rainfall and lots of heat, crops could easily fail, discouraging even those who would have wished to rebuild.

Many buildings were left to their fate in the lonely landscape.

Even in more modern times, nature was more powerful than man. I hope the family who lived here wasn’t in the trailer when it blew over. If they were, they would have been rocking and rolling.