Easter 2013
I made a joke of it:
attending funerals
as the price of survival—
saying goodbye, adios
as their souls ascended
to meet eternity, look
down occasionally
on our plight
of being human
and whisper in our ears.
With no wants,
they must envy
the depth of our passion
and its sensitive
entanglements, our pride
erected and dedicated
for their inspection.
We are never alone.
Posted in Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal
Tagged death, Dry Creek, funerals, photographs, poetry, rain, rainbow, saying goodbye, water, weather, weekly-photo-challenge
Whitetip Clover (Trifolium variegatum) – March 24, 2013
In the dark I hear the heartbeat
of another world on this planet
the newscasts miss, we overlook
amid conflicting calculations
with new angles on the numbers
to chart a course to reverse them—
eyes spinning within a slot machine.
Light applause on the roof
answers with one more encore
wrenched from early morning’s
black sky, each green blade,
thick as dog hair in these hills
puddled with brightly colored petals
already reaching for first light.
In the dark I hear the heartbeat
of wet ground growing stronger,
inhale its sweet breath
all-around me releasing life.
Posted in Photographs, Poems 2015
Tagged Drought, Dry Creek, grass, photographs, poetry, rain, water, weather, weekly-photo-challenge, Whitetip Clover, wildflowers
Posted in Haiku 2015, Photographs, Poems 2015
Tagged California, Drought, haiku, Hay, photographs, poetry, rain, weather, weekly-photo-challenge
Thin veil of snow on the Kaweahs—
granite shows on peaks undressing.
The creek slows and disappears
as the thirsty earth drinks miles
from the river, puddled behind a dam
that will not fill the Valley’s furrows.
Tan medallions, last spring’s leaves
quiver from brittle fingers of oak trees
sprinkling green hills, giving centuries
of rainfall back as decomposing homes
for smaller survivors. It is not over
despite a forecast chance of rain—
dry seasons last, leave evidence only
years of floods can erase. Almost March,
the buzzards have returned early
circling an easy harmony of generations
gone—each clear voice rising,
we hear assurance and good advice.
Posted in Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal
Tagged birds, Blue Oak, buzzards, Drought, Dry Creek, Great Western Divide, Kaweah, Kaweah River, photographs, poetry, rain, water, weather, wildlife, Yokuts
February 15, 2015
the green growth the mind takes
from the pastures in March;
– Wendell Berry (“Goods”)
Like cattle filling bellies
becoming whole to bloom,
resting early in the shade of limbs
awaiting leaves, the pastures pulse
with goodness for as far as I can see.
How spring seemed so much longer
when I was a boy, the world wider
as the hills came alive, breathing
easily as apparitions danced
upon the green between rains.
And it becomes us to overwhelm
all else—renewed proof and hope
for mankind—pattern and possibility
yet on this earth that we absorb
like grass. And we feed upon it.
Posted in Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal
Tagged "Goods", Calves, cows, Paregien Ranch, photographs, poetry, rain, Wendell Berry
Robbin and I went to the Paregien Ranch Sunday to check the cattle, feed, and rain gauge since the storm on the 7th, 8th and 9th. An 1.43″, which was more than anywhere else on the ranch. We’re still trending warm and dry with wildflowers blooming a month earlier than normal, the poppies above and below in Ridenhour Canyon.
Despite the lush look of spring, there is no rain in the forecast for the rest of the month with temperatures in the mid-70s. We’ll be needing another rain soon or it will be a short grass season. Nevertheless, the cattle are doing well, both cows and calves, taking advantage of early and strong feed.
Looking ahead, we shut the cattle out our new gathering field to give the grass a chance to grow before we wean, which is normally in May — but it may be March or April if it doesn’t rain.
Checking on the Windmill Spring, we were greeted enthusiastically by our independent ‘Little Buddy’ who can be seen helping us cut firewood Here and helping me plumb a trough Here before he was branded and tagged in December.
Though it appears that we’re both having a drink, I was blowing on the overflow pipe to unplug it. Of course, our ‘Little Buddy’ was well aware of the hay in the back of the Kubota.
Posted in Photographs, Ranch Journal
Tagged Calves, cattle, cows, Paregien Ranch, photographs, rain, rain gauge, Ridenhour Canyon, water, weather, wildflowers
Posted in Haiku 2015, Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal
Tagged Dry Creek, haiku, photographs, poetry, rain, weather, weekly-photo-challenge
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