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Oh yes, the Petrified Forest National Park has been on my must-visit list for years, and my recent scenic drive tour has only conjured up plans for a re-visit to backpack the backcountry overnight and hike some of the incredible trails. The park was initially dedicated in 1906 and became a National Park in 1962. The 28-mile scenic drive gives each visitor the visual excitement … Continue reading “Petrified Forest National Park.”
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We do not celebrate wisdom, because it comes with age. Many fear age while never garnering its wisdom. Youth spends money wisdom filled people would not consider. Youth is the fertile ground for what can be obtained on credit, i.e., time. Time builds wisdom by living or suffering through life. Age is celebrated while reminiscing about younger days. Age and wisdom is hope for waking … Continue reading “Age and Wisdom.”
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There are many places in the world, but none compare to traveling to witness vistas, landscapes, and wildlife. My current place on this planet is the above photos inside Bluewater Lake State Park in Prewitt, NM campgrounds. At over 7000ft above sea level, my current vistas are spectacular, from sunup to sundown. The night sky fills with millions if not billions of stars across … Continue reading “Places in the World.”
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Usually, on the weekends mostly during the morning hours, a hiking trail fills with groups of people flaunting their newly purchased hiking and backpacking gear. These groups move along in packs of ten or more resembling a social bubble with verbal noise drowning out the beauty of songbirds chirping from the trees above. Many within the group will fail to absorb the essence and serenity … Continue reading “Appreciating natural surroundings.”
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My travel aura was projecting as I sat reading about my next destination inside my vehicle at an eastbound I-10 rest-stop in East Texas. Actually, it was my Florida tags Jess Duran observed who greeted me with a hearty “good morning and our conversation continued for the next hour or more about our travels past and future. Jess is a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan and … Continue reading “Travel destinations and tours.”
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I have witnessed unbelievable angry tantrums by toddlers, children, teenagers, and adults. But, during an incredibly beautiful wedding, I watched as a 5’4″, 180-pound, grey-haired woman, with red lipstick, crimson rouge applied to her cheeks appearing to be in her late eighties was slowly escorted into the church on the arm of who I later learned was her grandson. She used a cane painted blue … Continue reading “Astonished tantrum.”
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Ms, Charlotte Wetzler, was seated on the main stage, looking out upon well over 500-hundred guests who are her former students and the recipients of her 42- years of teaching eight and ninth grade American and World history. Accompanying the stage with Ms. Wetzler are members of her school’s administration, School board members, politicians and the master of ceremonies along with the keynote guest speaker … Continue reading “Vaguely bestowed history.”
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With each swing of the mallet, I pound the spike deeper into the ground. Anger, jealousy, envy, and hate fuels my swings but, I cannot stop pounding the spike more profoundly into the ground until my arm and shoulder begin to ache as tears and sweat streaming along my cheeks. I hear the faint echo of voices rising above my delirious fog of emotions. With … Continue reading “Mallet.”
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Capturing sunrise photos while stopped at the “Sols Cliff scenic overlook with views of Bar Harbor Maine from inside Acadia National Park. The crisps winds of an early September cold weather front, caused my eyes to tear and blur my exquisite views leaving only the distant ocean waves sounds lapping against the shore for my senses to consume. Wiping my eyes, I feel at peace … Continue reading “Authentic Migrations.”
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On a cold rainy spring day, I toured several critical locations in the city of Mongomery Alabama which is ground zero of the Civil Rights Era in America. In 1877 the Dexter St. Baptist Church was founded when congregants moved from the First Colored Baptist Church in Montgomery Al. In 1954, at 26-years of age, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was chosen and assigned as … Continue reading “Montgomery Alabama.”
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Our family, our children, forty years we made. The mind-numbing daily routine we made. Our separate sleeping bedrooms we agreed. Because of commitments, our love has become veiled from one another, allowing our hearts to become etched hallowed caves. Our separate cars to attend church we agreed. Our time for one another is thwarted with hobbies and volunteer positions and we reflect our emotions without … Continue reading “Our timeless love.”
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The daily WordPress word prompt inspires thoughtful, creative writing ideas based on the WordPress user’s past experiences with the word which can hold various meanings and definitions. The word churn, cause me to think of the word grind. Let me explain, the word “churn” based on my history holds significant connotations, when my high school football coach used the word “churn,” as a reference to players moving their … Continue reading “Churn or grind.”
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April is National Poetry Month, and I’m creating inspired poetry daily to celebrate events online, at libraries, and communities everywhere. A mindset for poetry can be inspired and created by the surroundings of your room, home, community, and humanity. But nature can be the stimuli exposing your five senses to create poetry from your soul. So allow your creative and inspired poetry to flow. WordPress daily … Continue reading “April is poetry month.”
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From the time, I saw her from across the dance floor, I was tranced into seeing them closer. Standing in front of her, I was awakened by her voice with my mouth opened breathing heavy, I was mesmerized by a uniquely beautiful pair of eyes. When I spoke, I was happy with her politeness in the presence of what caught my eye. Her name … Continue reading “Radiant eyes.”
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Attending a funeral, a retirement gathering, a college or high school graduation, of a family member or friend allows for personal self-reflection. Your thoughts peel away layers of life’s reality igniting and stirring emotions, to bring tears to your eyes similar to peeling layers of an onion. Life is similar to the layers of an onion when reaching the center lies the heart, filled with hope for a … Continue reading “Layers upon layers of hope.”
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Since Feb I have enjoyed and settled into the Florida warmth, and because of cold temperatures, I used my backpacking pants’ less than a week. As March winds to an end, my mind repeatedly drifts to traveling the roads in the vast western US and hiking/backing treelined canopy trails. Although my focus has been to complete a short story novel for self-publication my various editors … Continue reading Betrayed and frantic, I think not!”
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The weekly photo challenge asks the question where would you rather be. The following photos reveal where I would rather be as photography allows for the repeated return to moments when the original photo was taken, over and over and over forever. Within the past two years, I have traveled to many different locations around the US as seen in these photos and each … Continue reading “I’d Rather Be.”
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Every day since forever, I have seen you, and we are identical twins. I look into your eyes, and I see the mirror image of me. I have seen pictures of you, and you look like me. Your cheekbones, lips, eyebrows, and chin are all like mine. We are identical twins? As far back as I can remember, I dreamed of a brother or sister. … Continue reading “Identical.”
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See my elegance? My jet black hair was cooked and processed with waves galore, against platinum silver and neon green, circumferencing from temple to temple rising to the cowlick above the top of my head. My head held high, arms across my chest, I stood erect and poised like the dandy I am, dressed in my best neon blue 3-button suit coat, with green, and orange … Continue reading “Invisible.”
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Casandra entered the room, and I could not make eye contact, She walks past my table, and I look down at my paper, I sensed a connection, but I’m too shy to speak. Brian will not notice me when I walk into the classroom. He will not acknowledge me with eye contact. I walk past him, and I sense a connection. Twenty-seven years later inside … Continue reading “Blushed.”
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I can remember as far back as a kindergartener, hearing my mother, father, siblings, friends, and teachers, telling me, or writing in the margins of a report card, “Slow Down.” On many occasions throughout my life, I was told I need to develop and hopefully discover some patience. “Slow down,” is the repetitive word I knew more than anything throughout my life. After I retired, … Continue reading “The wisdom of patience.”
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As the days of March wind down and I continue editing, re-editing and repeating the process of my short stories. The recent cold weather in Southwest Florida provoked a wrinkle in my ability to sit outside and write. So, I traded in my shorts, tank top, and flip-flops for my long pants and long sleeve shirt. The feel of the cloth around my arms and … Continue reading “Time to return to the trails.”
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During my lifetime of travel along the back roads, my reason to stop is best described as “distracted.” by what my eyes witness and I want to learn and discover the details of my initial distraction. I developed this type of travel during my twenty-five plus years of riding my touring motorcycle across the US wandering from one small town to another. (PS: Motorcycle Memoirs … Continue reading “Meander.”
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Suddenly there is no sound of the trail, but I feel and hear my heart pounding after my climb to summit the small peak of 2500 feet. My breathing slows matching the calmness surrounding me, and I pause to absorb the silence. I have replaced my forty hour work week noises of voices, car horns honking, rolling tire along the asphalt streets with the un-nerving … Continue reading “Suddenly there is no sound.”
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Our parents, families, and friends say we are too young to know love. We both wish and desire a love we neither know of or have ever experienced, yet, we have said “I love you” to one another unknown of loves potential and power. I believe we share a love for one another that feels like the wind blowing over out bodies from atop … Continue reading “Defining our love.”
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My plan for the day was to set up somewhere along the beach to write and read all day on a picnic bench under a shelter looking out onto the Gulf of Mexico. My location today is called the “Little Hickory Island Beach Park” located in Bonita Springs FL 34134. The park is a sliver of land with less than thirty parking spaces, two public bathrooms … Continue reading “A Grey Nomads Gap Years.”
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I want to start the first day of March 2018 with a cheerful hello to all of the followers of this site. For the next 30-days or so I’m developing a short story novel which I’m continually re-writing to my satisfaction and a submitting to a professional editor for critique. For the past year or more I have been the beneficiary of unique serendipity, that … Continue reading “Self-publishing courage.”
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At the beach, or in the park, the morning blend of sites and sounds coupled with the warm sunrise temperatures to sooth the skin adds to the beauty of the day ahead,. Sparrows, warblers, and finches chirp with enthusiasm along with the morning doves cooing to one another adding to the softness of the morning as I watch them fly around upon soft, warm breezes. The morning walkers, … Continue reading Astral Congregation
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As a caterer with twenty-two years in the business, I love the quote “Eating is a necessity, cooking is an art.” I once prepared dinner for 50-people, who attended an exceptionally elaborate wedding reception where everyone dressed in expensive named brand clothing like Chanel, Burberry, Hermes, Prada, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren. One of the guests, pulled me aside to tell me. “I love the flavor … Continue reading “Encrusted.”
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For over forty years I have traveled around the US for which my family and friends were astonished by the journey and marveled at the destinations completed on a motorcycle. My mother, forbid me to tell her when, or where I was going but demanded I call her immediately upon my returned home. Adventure travelers use various modes of transportation for their journey. But, one … Continue reading “Travel guts: A special mode of travel.”
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Well, it has come around again the commercially celebrated Valentines Day of love. It is the erotic, exotic, enticing, inspirational day for the expression and confession of love for one or more particular persons or ourselves. I write this blog post watching the sunrise from Smathers Beach in Key West Florida on this yearly holiday of love for which many will reveal their emotions in … Continue reading “Valentines Day of love”
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Within the imaginations of everyone who’s creative ideas and thoughts are inspired or influenced by anything seen on television, read in a book or magazine, can become a reality. MJL I was influenced by television shows like Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, hosted by Marlin Perkins, National Geographic magazines and the used encyclopedias my mother bought. I remember the days of quickly skimming through the encyclopedias … Continue reading Travel Fears? “Carpe-Diem”
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When I began traveling in the late 80’s upon a 1987 Kawasaki touring motorcycle around the US, I never created or was bewildered with a title for what I was doing. However, over the years my family and friends have described me as crazy, unhinged, or weird to travel by motorcycle without no particular destination. Little do they know, of the people I have been impressed … Continue reading “Travel, what title?”
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The twins and Johnathan are in the rear seat of the car with their father at the wheel, as they travel along their driveway from their home to the main road. Johnathan is pitifully staring out the window wondering where they are going when his mother turns around in her front passenger seat to tell Johnathan about this particular task. You will babysit the twins … Continue reading “Wedding anniversaries and a birthday: part #3” (Final)
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At 4:45 pm, their father, Jefferson Wheeler, was a third-generation farmer, who stood six-foot, seven-inches tall, with muscular arms, and a matching barrel chest. He was a hardworking, strict disciplinarian, and his deep baritone bass voice commanded the attention of everyone when he spoke. When he drove his tractor into the barn, he saw the twins digging a hole in the ground behind Johnathan’s tractor. … Continue reading “Wedding anniversaries and a birthday: part #2”
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It was 4:30 pm on a western Nebraska farm, in the summer of 1969 with the humid July winds blowing as usual while the Wheeler twins Jason and Jacob who were age six and digging a hole in the backyard of their parent’s farm. Their 15-year old brother Johnathan was driving one of the families tractors into the barn next to their home. As usual, … Continue reading “Wedding anniversaries and a birthday: part #1.”
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I was scared almost out of my seat when Sister Abigale screamed at the top of her lungs forcing all of the fifth-grade students to stared forward, but it was apparent the class prankster, Abraham Jefferson had been up to no good as he snickered and laughed aloud. Her anger was expected, as her voice trilled in horror, with the inscrutable words emitting from her mouth, … Continue reading “Inscrutable trill silhouetted in front of me.”
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I was born and raised in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York, and the first time I saw photos of a beach, I dreamed of living on an island. As a teenager and college student, I was a formidable long distance runner with the agility of a Gazel, but my burning desire to live on an Island continued to consume my dreams and fire my … Continue reading “I’m candid, fairly agile living on island time.”
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I am a part of what some people call the greatest generation. When I consider how my parents who lived with nothing close to the conveniences I enjoyed as a child, progressing through my teenage years into becoming an adult, I’m proud to have survived based on today’s standards. I survive childhood without car seats, seat belts, helmets for baseball, football or an athletic cup … Continue reading “The next dominant generation.”
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Fortunately, during my lifetime I have recorded hundreds of hours of video with accompanied thousands of photos of my now adult children. My recorded library reveals decades of family and friends, moments in time to include births, birthdays, milestone accomplishments, critical life-changing events, marriages, family reunions and yes even death. Viewing my recorded library of family and friends evokes warm, happy emotions within my heart, … Continue reading “Blink.”
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Be candid with me, I can take it. Honesty is the best policy when the truth is the foundation for any relationship. However, many lies are spoken in considerations of the feeling for family, friends and significant others. Candidly speaking one’s mind can become detrimental to any relationship or will it? The following candid question can become the basis for an argument: “Do these pants … Continue reading “Candid.”
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As the college semester comes to an end, the mood of the students on the entire campus becomes stressfully solemn. Every nook and cranny is occupied as students seek silent locations for studying to assure themselves a grade worthy of not repeating the class. The University recommends study groups, flowcharts, diagrams, practicing old exams, recording themselves explaining their answers to playback and hear their thoughtful responses. … Continue reading “Study.”
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The desert is a great place to experience the beauty of nature when the approaching rains transform the landscape scenery. A weather system pushed through the Quartzsite AZ desert providing a beautiful rainbow, and marvelous skies. The mostly volcanic rock, sand, and quartz rock and many other various gems that are prospected in the surrounding area is part of the Bureau of Land Management property … Continue reading “Natures Transformations.”
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For twenty years’ or more, the theater’s dancers have taken a ten-minute break every hour during any rehearsal no matter how long they rehearsed. Three months into the theater season a pre-law student dancer read the complete contract and discovered a nutritious meal is supposed to be served during any rehearsals over four hours. When the discrepancy was acknowledged by the companies president and director, … Continue reading “Loophole.”
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My thoughts often drift to the Arizona desert horizon at sunrise during our two week Christmas break. My face brightens with a smile, and yet my heart aches for endless sights of our horizons. I dislike goodbyes as my eyes followed your silhouette beyond the sunset on the horizon. WordPress daily word prompt Continue reading “Horizon.”
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When a child is born, they are an unwritten computer program learning from parents teachers and society.
M. J. Leake Continue reading “Winsome Characters.”
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Mel and Susan Hubbard a married couple were sitting on a park bench after walking three miles along the beach which they do every other day when Susan tells Mel, Happy anniversary. Mel reaches into his jacket pocket and hands Susan a wedding anniversary card. As Susan reads the card, Mel says aloud. One hundred years ago living past 50 was considered an ancient age, … Continue reading “Viable at any age.”
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If you are lucky, your life will treat you to various forms and types of reservations. I have had room and dinner reservations and I have toured nature reserves and visited several 1st Nations Lands for what some people call Reservations also known as the “The Rez.” But my daily reservation is the moment of silence keeping me stable and happy. I initially had serious … Continue reading “Treated reservations.”
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The first daily word prompt “conversation” is appropriate to begin 2018 since a blog post initiates a conversation between bloggers around the world. Four years ago when I began blogging my surprise was the conversations with other bloggers about every aspect of my blog postings. As my blog has expanded to different categories of short stories, poetry, photography and now my hiking adventures have been … Continue reading “A blogger conversation.”
”By simply looking into the sky, which is vast and totally empty, serenity arises.The blue sky beyond the clouds is not an object; it is infinite and pure emptiness.” I’ve heard the sound of silence loud and clear. It arises in the sounds of my house early in the morning before anyone awakens. I hear the hum of the central air conditioner or heating unit,… Continue reading ”What Happens When You Immerse Yourself in the Sound of Silence”
Originally posted on Giggles & Tales:
I applaud the utterly fantastic writing initiative by WordPress. The Daily Prompt as it is called is a vigorous exercise that improves one’s writing skills. It is no doubt an immense tool, especially for the newbie blogger who seek inspiration. It’s such a great way to learn and get better with the craft of writing and the art of… Continue reading The Daily Prompt – Partake!
Originally posted on Mum C writes:
Daring was her nature Beautiful was her stature Much talent was hosted in her bubbly frame The head of youth popping out of her character at every juncture Defying norms an soothing ears Representing her in the past tense makes me tense Yet a greater hand has beckoned Who is this mouth to ask why? II Her clock stopped… Continue reading EBONY GOES HOME
Originally posted on Gary Lee Thompson III Words of Unity and ONE Community:
AFTERTHOUGHT What is the real truth to why we are here Have the generations behind us made it clear They all were in search of something dear Time is against us with so much created fear ? Is it all just created and portrayed to us all Keeping us in a box,… Continue reading *** THE TIME TO SHIFT ***
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