Author Archives: John

SATIN BELLS

Posted on August 23, 2014 | 4 comments

Within petals frayed,
the seeds—small devices
enduring despite us.

Purple Fairy Lantern, Purple Globelily, Calochortus amoenus

Posted in Photographs, Poems 2014

Tagged Calochortus amoenus, Dry Creek, haiku, photographs, poetry, Purple Fairy Lantern, Purple Globelily, satin bells, weekly-photo-challenge, wildflowers

FEVER

Posted on August 22, 2014 | 3 comments

The pace in California has been urgent
since the Gold Rush dream of short-cuts
to the unending, ubiquitous rolls of buzzing

snare drums announcing another parade
down Easy Street that everyone in and out
of state still believes is far better than

pastoral quietude, the calm river spread
with its ripple-less glass reflection of
mountain peaks that hang upside-down

in timeless skies, we rush instead to wait
in lines going nowhere fast—our contagious
fever we cannot cure with more of the same.

3 Comments

Posted in Poems 2014

Tagged poetry

Not satisfied with the poem that I was working on, I went to work this morning sans post. But while changing my irrigation water on the Kubota, I came upon this fellow more intent on breakfast than nervous about me, about thirty feet away.

5 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Ranch Journal

Tagged birds, Dry Creek, Great Egret, photographs, water, wildlife

GARDEN SURPRISE

Posted on August 20, 2014 | 16 comments

Cucumber
hiding beneath the tendrils
until too big to pickle.

16 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Poems 2014

Tagged garden, haiku, photographs, poetry

AFTER TALKING WITH GAIL

Posted on August 19, 2014 | 2 comments

                    what was done in blindness,
                    loving what I cannot save.
                         – Wendell Berry (“To My Children, Fearing For Them”)

No bluecoats, no cavalry trumpeting,
no loping long line of sabers flashing
to rescue what was commonplace before

we put ourselves first, drank the water,
pumped the earth dry, our children
abandoned to a new order in time

of scrutiny and enforcement. We believed
in magic, but their emptiness is mine—
a greater void than I can fill with poetry.

WPC(4) — “Silhouette”

2 Comments

Posted in Poems 2014

Tagged photographs, poetry, water, weekly-photo-challenge, Wendell Berry

First Calf 2014

Posted on August 18, 2014 | 9 comments

Welcome silhouettes in these two photographs, albeit ten days earlier than expected, of our first calf of the season delivered by 0075 on the Paregien Ranch. In past years, we have documented our first calf on this blog to jog our memories and as part of the “Age and Source” verification process when we advertise our calves for sale. Robbin and I went up the hill Sunday morning to check stockwater and to feed the girls, delighted to see this strong, healthy calf. Our year has begun once more.

WPC(2 & 3) — “Silhouette”

9 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Ranch Journal

Tagged Age & Source, cows, first calf, Paregien Ranch, photographs, weekly-photo-challenge

FOR A MOMENT

Posted on August 17, 2014 | 5 comments

We are connected
in red shattered skies—
fractured dawns from blackest nights.

WPC(1) — “Silhouette”

5 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Poems 2014

Tagged Dry Creek, haiku, photographs, poetry, red sky, weekly-photo-challenge

EVENING

Posted on August 16, 2014 | 2 comments

First-calf heifers, tired from the drive
over hill and dale across the creek
to the corrals, sorted and fly sprayed

before their new home plied with alfalfa,
maternity wards bare as human baby’s derrière
in the flats, but with hair yet on the hillsides—

and a few old girls to show them how-in-hell
to get there. Out from under sycamores,
they work the shadow of the ridge in bunches,

stop and look, a few paces at a time,
inspecting distances, not knowing yet
how far they’ll have to go to stay here.

2 Comments

Posted in Poems 2014

Tagged cows, Drought, Dry Creek, poetry, weather

Ides of August

Posted on August 15, 2014 | 2 comments

These girls are two weeks away from calving as we begin a new season with little feed and less water, but we’re optimistic nonetheless, looking forward to a little rain and green grass.