umber does not mean
somber, though pandemic frowns
steal sunflower smiles
umber by Angie Quantrell
photo by Angie Quantrell
Tag Archives: writing
Haiku Moment: fledgling
pasture grown fledgling
flightless, injured; parents guard;
frightened, precious. help!
fledgling by Angie Quantrell
This pretty red-tailed hawk is now rehabbing at Blue Mountain Wildlife in Pendleton, Oregon. Visit link to learn more about this wonderful organization. http://bluemountainwildlife.org/
HELP! Questions About WordPress (If You Are a WordPress User, This is For You)
***Now I have a flower photo here! So pretty! Upgrade complete. Well, much still has to be done, but I have the space to do it now. 🙂
(pretend there is a very beautiful photo here of flowers, taken in Victoria, BC)
Hello, friends!
I have apparently reached the end of (photo/image) storage on the free WordPress platform. I must upgrade before I can add any more posts featuring images. I LOVE including photos, so just putting words…it’s not gonna happen. Maybe just this once, while I ask for feedback.
I would SO love your input before I choose. You can tell I’ve been dragging my feet, as I haven’t posted since April 21. Oops. Time flies when one is avoiding a decision.
Which WordPress program to you use?
Is it easy to upgrade?
How difficult is it to set up a website?
What happens if you decide to quit paying for the upgrade (I’m thinking when I die, I don’t want my stories to disappear…)?
Any words of wisdom?
Thank you for your help!
Haiku Moment: colors
hues, tones, leap and glow;
party, dazzle, eye candy
thanks to God-colors!
colors by Angie Quantrell
To make these jewel tones, I used gel paste food colors, apple cider vinegar, and warm water.
1. Add several T. of apple cider vinegar to clear cups.
2. Use the handle end of a spoon to dip gel paste and put it in the vinegar. I didn’t mix my spoons or dyes, but used a separate spoon for each color. I was also very generous with the amount of dye I used. I think this led to some beautiful fingers.
3. Add enough warm water to fill cups 2/3 full. Stir each color until the paste is dissolved.
4. Dye eggs!
Haiku Moment: pizza party
Homemade whole wheat pizza dough!
ten hands, knead and pound;
recipe for tasty treat,
Grand pizza party
pizza party by Angie Quantrell
The mandatory “silly face” photo
Autumn, who loves pepperoni but not bread
Gage has just taken a big bite
Donavyn knows how to smile, take a bite, AND pose at the same time
Khloe also loves to ham it up for the camera (she is also super patient, as she had to wait for the second baking of pizza with Nana)
Hayden who loves projects like this and wanted to make it again for dinner (and that boy can eat!)
Haiku Moment: gnarled
grizzled and gnarled,
you lichened, weathered, old man;
desert strong sagebrush
gnarled by Angie Quantrell
Cowiche Canyon, Yakima Valley, Washington State
The 5th Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest!!!
CURIOSITY THRILLED THE CAT (214 words)
The most mysterious gift Pink received for Valentine’s Day was a shiny, heart-covered box.
But saving the best for last, Pink first snooped through the house, using her feline nose, super whiskers, and strong kitty body to locate other special day treats.
What’s in the bag? thought Pink.
Lick,
sniff,
snort.
“Meooowww, I smell kitty snacks.”
What’s under the bed? thought Pink.
Creep,
grab,
drag.
“Yow-wlll! I want that catnip mouse.”
What’s on the table? thought Pink.
Leap,
twist,
bump.
“Grrrrrr, I don’t like dog bones.”
What’s hanging over the chair? thought Pink.
Stretch,
jump,
hook!
“Roooaaarrr! Give me that yarn!”
What’s through the cat door? thought Pink.
Race,
run,
skid.
“Pffttt. Go ahead, fly away flutter-by.”
Pink sat in the lovely sunshine, pausing to groom her soft fur. Stretching, she dug her claws into the door frame, a forbidden treat. But only if she got caught.
“Pink!” growled Mama Mauve. “Stop sharpening your claws.”
Putting on her best innocent face, Pink strolled back through the cat door.
There sat the most mysterious, shiny, heart-covered box Pink had ever seen.
And it was all hers.
What’s in my beautiful box? thought Pink.
Dig,
claw,
rip.
“Mmmmm. A furry, fluffy, fantastic pink blanket for me!”
Time for a catnap thought Pink.
Scrunch,
scrabble,
curl.
Purrr-fect!
Haiku Moment: morning frost
spikes of glass reflect
shimmer, glow in morning beams
frost swaps dull for bright
morning frost by Angie Quantrell
Haiku Moment: thunder thighs
it’s not what you think
thunder thighs meanings vary
dog running in field
thunder thighs by Angie Quantrell
thunder thighs compliments of Ginger, chocolate lab
Pasture Pets
The pets we have. Let’s call them pasture pets.
Foo-Foo. Not technically our rabbit. Though I have recently informed my honey that this is my rabbit. Not rabbit soup. (No guarantees for others in the bunny market, as it were…coyotes, hawks, eagles, and other larger predators who roam freely. Like the playground cougar sighting at the school where 3 of my grands attend.)
Poor bunny Foo-Foo. Someone released him. Or he escaped. He is quite the digger, as evidenced by the ditch beneath our Mabel Gate. Or she. I feel like it is a he though.
Charcoal. Again, not our pet. I can’t even claim him, because he really belongs to the neighbors on the east side of the pasture. They would know if we adopted this funny guy. Also thought he was a she and hoped for a random egg now and then. But she began crowing all hours of the day. This daily visitor will either help our garden grow (by eating pests and fertilizing) or keep it from growing (by nibbling greens and digging up tender shoots). Either way, not our chicken.
Speaking of…just as I was finishing this post, who trots in from the pasture with a fresh snack?
Monet. This one is really our pet. She adores pasture life and voraciously hunts other pasture pets of the rodent and avian varieties. By our pet, I mean she sleeps in at night (to avoid cat/dog/coyote fights in the wee hours), we feed her on a regular basis, and pay her worming and vet bills. We used to have her twin sister, Mabel, until a pack of dogs decided she was snack worthy. Those dogs were definitely NOT our pets. And they are the reason we now have a Mabel Gate.
Ginger. Not our pet. Though we are doggy grandparents. She loves visiting us in the pasture. More for chasing the ball and occasional cat (Monet) or jumping in the ditch filled with mud and water. But still. If we would let her, she would visit inside the RV. What fun that would be! So. Though she is not our pet, technically, we have adopted her as a family member. Neighbor. Just over the fence.
Other “not our pets” include (but not restricted to) hawks, eagles, coyotes, skunks, goats, ducks, quail, geese, voles, mice, rats, woodpeckers, blue jays, magpies, doves, cats, dogs, frogs, snakes, water rats (I really don’t know what they are…but they are big and swim in the irrigation ditch), crows, worms, slugs, song birds, and lots and lots of insects.
Need a trip to the pasture zoo? Come spring, we will be open for business. I mean, the hibernators will be out and about, the frozen will thaw, eggs and litters will hatch, and who knows what else will spring to life. Bring a lawn chair and a camera. We’ll treat you to the habitats and adventures of Pasture Pets.
Our human pasture guests. (not pets)
Love, Laughter, and Life 