Today is mostly sunny and warm.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a squirrel up a tree with a walnut in its mouth.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 9/1/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and some of the savanna seedlings.

A few sunchokes are blooming.










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Today is partly cloudy and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I heard a cardinal singing but didn't see it.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/31/25 -- I watered the irises.

EDIT 8/31/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/31/25 -- I took out the hose and watered the new picnic table and septic gardens.

A male ruby-throated hummingbird dive-bombed me while I was out with the hose. Hopefully he'll go back and drink from the droplets on the plants. :D I heard a woodpecker drumming but didn't see it.

EDIT 8/31/25 -- I watered the patio plants, old picnic table, barrel garden, goddess garden, and other house yard plants.

A sphinx moth tried to lick me, and then visited the impatiens and other flowers on the old picnic table. :D

Cicadas and crickets are singing.

We got the hose reeled up and put away.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Celebrate International Bat Night August 30-31.

( Read more... )

Our theme this month was "Books and Learning." I wrote from 1 PM to 4 AM, so about 13 hours, accounting for breaks. I wrote 2 poems on Tuesday and another 5 later in the week.

Participation was about the same, with 7 comments on LiveJournal and another 23 on Dreamwidth. A total of 9 people sent prompts.


Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the August 5, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"He Who Whispers"
"An Inkling of Things to Come"
"To Allow in More Light"


Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from August 5. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.

This month's donors include: janetmiles and fuzzyred. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 0 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.


The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.

The following poems from the August 5, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. Poems may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my Dreamwidth profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods. There are still verses left in the linkback poems "Delight in Another," "A Sense of Weather Changes," "Ouroboros Insects," "The Loving Embrace of Night," "Generations of Cooks Past," "Homefree and Clear, " "One Bite at a Time," "Stars and Diamonds," "Mishpocha," "Changing Your Nature," and "Besa."


"The Most Prestigious Heritage"
Story Date: Sunday, July 12, 2015
Summary: Syrian families create a language nest in Rutledge.
447 lines, Buy It Now = $224

Sabra Mamoud loved working
at 'Aswat Saghira, or in English,
the Little Voices Language Nest.


These poems form a triptych, to be posted in order:

"Where You Find Light"
Story Date: Early June, 2016
Summary: Josué and Aidan set up a house for earthquake refugees, complete with books.
422 lines, Buy It Now = $211

As soon as Aidan recovered
from the Big One flattening him
with the weight of so many deaths
and disruptions all at once, he
began looking for ways to help.


"When You Learn to Read"
Story Date: Monday, June 13, 2016
Summary: Josué reads aloud to refugee children.
286 lines, Buy It Now = $143

Josué parked his bike and
then bounded up the steps
of the big, bright pink house,
already looking forward to
the afternoon's activities.


"No Faster or Firmer Friendships"
Story Date: Monday, June 13, 2016
Summary: Josué and Maria-Vera read together.
515 lines, Buy It Now = $258

Once they finished putting away
all the groceries, the children
and a few adults drifted back
into the living room area.

"Helium Miner's Song" by catamariner  is up for a Pegasus Award.

swan_tower has a bit up about worldbuilding on-ramps.

( Read more... )

Today is mostly sunny and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/29/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/29/25 -- I cut brush under the maple tree.

EDIT 8/29/25 -- I planted 2 Red Masterpiece irises under the maple tree and 2 Twist of Sheree purple-and-white irises in the purple-and-white garden.

EDIT 8/29/25 -- I watered the irises.

EDIT 8/29/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I watered the old picnic table, patio plants, and house yard plants.

I picked 6 groundcherries and 1 yellow pear tomato.

EDIT 8/29/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I watered the new picnic table, septic garden, telephone pole garden, and a few savanna seedlings.

Cicadas and crickets are singing.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.