tight, binding, seamless
stretches, swells, cracks wide open
crawl out with new skin
new skin by Angie Quantrell
*Meet Taylor’s pet cat-faced spider. All legs on deck to help with pest control.
Tag Archives: poetry
Haiku Moment: creeper
if I could but creep
on fence and stalk, spinning webs
you’d watch out for me
creeper by Angie Quantrell
Welcome, cat-faced spider. Eat all you want. But please, keep your webs from my face.
Scenes from a Writing Residency: Holly House & Hypatia-in-the-Woods
Holly House
Last January I was elated to learn I had been granted a special writing residency and retreat at Holly House and Hypatia-in-the-Woods. What a great way to begin a new year!
Beautiful tree-lined drive into Holly House. Loved this walk!
Located outside of Shelton, Washington, not far from Olympia, Holly House would be overlooking Hammersly Inlet if it weren’t totally surrounded by a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. Cool, green, shaded, quiet, peaceful. Did I say peaceful? And all mine for the week.
Welcoming front patio. Spiders especially loved this area.
After shopping for enough food to last 3 months, as if grocery stores did not exist 5-7 miles away, I arrived before lunch on my appointed Sunday. Outside appearances did not prepare me for the spacious and beautiful inside environment. Incidentally, Holly House is very close to the small house size my honey and I want to build for ourselves.
Cozy living room. This chair is perfect for reading!
I’ll let the pictures do the talking. I had everything I needed for a creative, imaginative, stress-free week. Loft bedroom, large bathroom, living room, dining area, kitchen, and even a deck with the most perfect table and chairs.
Perfect tiny kitchen. Ignore my mess. It was everywhere!
The side deck let in so much natural, green light. Ahhh. I enjoyed reading and working outside in the soft green sunlight.
The loft bedroom had plenty of storage and space. Wide open windows brought in light and fresh air.
Me and more of my mess. This was my main working area (can you tell????). The view in front of me was a HUGE and very pleasant distraction. I didn’t mind in the least.
TV window. No electricity required.
I was so blessed to visit and stay at Holly House. The neighbors (a couple and their huge dog) were fantastically helpful and reassuring. After all, I was in the middle of the woods in the middle of nowhere. And I heard there had been evidence of a bear. My imagination supplied the rest of the excitement.
The Hypatia-in-the-Woods board was wonderful. I enjoyed a potluck one evening, getting to meet most of the members. I was met by Carolyn at Holly House. She brought me some snacks and gave me a working tour of the cabin. Every single thing I could have wanted or desired was provided. Or all I had to do was ask. Thank you to all who gave me the opportunity and welcomed me to Holly House.
I’m so thankful for my writing residency. Thank you, Holly House, Hypatia-in-the-Woods, neighbors, and the Hypatia board. Thank you!
If you ever have an opportunity to go on a writing retreat or residency, do it! Worth every second.
Haiku Moment: frog hotel
mystery black holes
bright eyes peek out . . . who goes there?
old wood frog hotel
frog hotel by Angie Quantrell
#scenesfromthepasture
Haiku Moment: green boas
green feathers, boas,
cushion path, moor silver threads
hide eight-eyed hunters
green boas by Angie Quantrell
I’m going to to miss these lovelies, but not the walking into and through spider webs. But it was worth every minute spent trying to remove clinging strands to see such verdant green life.
@Hypatia-in-the-Woods
Haiku Moment: self-portrait
favorite weapon
shadow self, shooting pictures
me? it’s what I do
self-portrait by Angie Quantrell
Photo taken at Potlatch State Park, Hood Canal, Washington State.
Thanks to Hypatia-in-the-Woods for the opportunity to be me.
Haiku Moment: stilted legs
land meets sea, blue green
burgeoning life; stilted legs
walks both, scurries on
stilted legs by Angie Quantrell
Photo taken at Potlatch State Park, near Shelton and Potlatch, Washington
Opportunity provided by Hypatia-in-the-Woods, Holly House
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Bird Sighting: 2 Pileated Woodpeckers & Haiku Moment
red crest, heavy head
hop, skittle, scrape, taste, chitter;
wary woodpeckers
pileated woodpeckers by Angie Quantrell
I feel like I struck gold! Or black and red, the colors on my 2 feathered guests.
I almost didn’t see them, as they were very quiet. I went out the Holly House front door to my car and spotted huge black birds, one on a dead stump, clawing to grasp and dig in, the other on the ground scooping bits of snack with a sideways tilt of the head.
As soon as red-crested heads popped into view, I knew exactly what they were. And they were huge! Due to my constant perusal of A Guide to Field Identification, BIRDS of North America book, in particular the page on woodpeckers and flickers, I recognized them. But only when I saw them in person did I realize the immense size compared to the flickers and scrub jays I usually identify. The guide says their length is 15-inches. Fascinating.
According to the guide book, pileated woodpeckers are “uncommon and local; a wary bird of extensive deciduous or mixed forests” (p. 180). I feel like I won the lottery. Here there were two uncommon and wary woodpeckers gently hopping along the driveway, chittering quietly to each other, sort of like chickens chat as they go about their day.
I watched them until they hopped beyond the bend of the driveway. They didn’t take off while I observed, and didn’t seem too bothered by me. They seemed a bit gangly in movement, young, perhaps teens? Not sure if they were mated or siblings, but I was thrilled to listen and watch.
I love that Holly House has a copy of my favorite bird book. Their book is in much better shape. The pages are stuck in the proper place. What a special opportunity! Smack dab in the middle of a mixed forest, plenty of deciduous and coniferous trees and stumps for all to enjoy. Says the resident who learned the black bear is back and loves to scrub at trunks for bugs and wander behind my cabin on his dusk forays. Yikes! I would like to see him (or her) but only from my car or cottage window.
Haiku Moment: age
in fall life season
we rust, flake, slow, grip tightly
our love hangs on, lasts
My honey, we face the fall like these rusted chains. Aging, losing a few pieces, showing our age-but we are strong. Hands held tight, the iron love clasp of eros, pragma, and agape flows between our entangled fingers and hearts. Hold tight. I’m here beside you.
Haiku Moment: fuzzy chap
hello fuzzy chap,
head-heavy, deliberate
feasting on beauty
fuzzy chap by Angie Quantrell
Be still my heart. Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC are gorgeous! Though there were nearly as many human visitors as bumbles and honey bees, the gardens were enchanting. I was captivated by the colors and busy bobblings of these miracle workers following the career of pollination. The true imagination and wonder of God’s creativity put on an amazing display. Such a vast array of design, purpose, enticement, fragrance, color, and beauty. Make the trip!
Tip: $5 Canadian will give you an all-day pass for the city bus. Take #75 to Butchart Gardens and avoid long lines waiting for parking spots. An added bonus is seeing beyond the touristy (though peachy) downtown area.
Love, Laughter, and Life 