July 31, 2014

dragging it behind
to avoid saying goodbye
our boy and his stick


July 30, 2014

we make a path
only to have geese decide
it was meant for them


July 29, 2014

“It’s freezing!”
my four year-old pool friend,
giggling as I dive


July 28, 2014

our grieving boy
still stumbling over
new levels of “gone”


July 27, 2014

July 26, 2014

I took her name
out of my phone today
sun burning the grass


July 25, 2014

back from camping
I see even the ants
that are not there


July 24, 2014

two grey hills
waiting to greet the rain
with every color


July 23, 2014

listening in wonder
a tiny steel drum band?
oh! (rain hitting the flue)


July 22, 2014

finding a firefly
at the bottom of the bag,
its glow gone out


July 21, 2014

woodpecker
taking a break from drilling
to look fierce




Lessons from Camp 2014

And... we're back! And here is a photo-log of some of this year's lessons from camp:

Get help with the heavy lifting.

Honor the tradition of rescue.


Watch out for sharks.


What the heck, play with your food a little.


Invite a friend over for a game of bocce.


Everything tastes better when it's been cooked outside.


Do without digital... unless it's the World Cup!


Lean into the wind.


Wave at the whales... they might wave back!


(Thanks so much the K. family for the outstanding "loaner" boy!
Thanks, too, to faithful day-maker Wendy Cook, Tami K,
Auntie Nish and Junie of the long hand-written letter (!), the Issacs-Mellmans, who sent us mail from their vacation all the way out in BC, and Tante Dorit 
(who gets a gold star for sending us mail TWICE),
as well as to Hawai'i Johnny, the Channas, 
the Pattons, the Rawleys, the Garcias,
Emily, Lorraine, Mike, Ray, Deborah,
and everyone else who conspired to make
our time at camp completely fabulous this year.
If you want to jump into the wayback machine
you can do so by checking out the posts 
from 201320122011201020092008, 2007, and 2006.)

July 20, 2014

fledgling robin
hopping after its mother
my boy at thirteen


July 19, 2014

cake batter and icing
swirling memories
of the birthday girl


July 18, 2014

front yard maple
we try to remember
when it was small


July 17, 2014

crushed roadside turtle
in a prayer for unseeing,
I look to the sky


July 16, 2014

a tart blueberry
and the small hesitation
that follows


July 15, 2014

first light
birds begin threading
their songs through the rain


July 14, 2014

under the counter
but we know to ask for it
beach plum jelly




July 13, 2014

midsummer moon
a family of skunks
line up for a stroll


July 12, 2014

teach me again
that trick of knowing
when the tide has turned


July 11, 2014

seeing us,
and then looking through us
fox kit in the dunes

(Image by Kevin Cole, via Flickr)

July 10, 2014

after the storm
a steady parade of cars
stuffed full of wet tents


July 09, 2014

the moonlight shows me
the path I’m following
ends in the stars


July 08, 2014

even in a dream
endlessly patient and kind
the Dalai Lama


July 07, 2014

inevitable
the loss of castles
built at low tide


July 06, 2014

summer tradition
waiting for the wind to bring me
the sound of waves




July 05, 2014

inspired by seals
new tricks in the pool
after the aquarium


July 04, 2014

small grey spider
folded back in on itself
in death


Make Our Day

For the next two weeks, we will never be further than five miles from the ocean.


In this regard, we are completely predictable... we are heading north just as the heat in the Delaware River Valley starts to really crank up. This is our traditional unplugged vacation, which means that you can REALLY make our day by sending us a note at camp. (This is also the best way to make sure you rocket to the top of my list of folks to send a card of my own to.)

Any time between now and July 17th, you can 
send a little note to:

Riendeau-Krause campers, site 35-C
c/o North of Highland Campground
52 Head of the Meadow Road
P.O. Box 297
North Truro, MA 02652-0297

If you'd prefer, you can call the camp office and ask the very nice folks there to leave us a note on the camp message board, which is also a big thrill. (Don't be shy; people do this all the time, as cellphone reception this far from civilization isn't reliable.) That number is 508/ 487-1191, and office hours are pretty much all day with the exception of meal breaks from noon-1pm and again from 6-7pm.


Even if you don't have a chance to send a message our way, we know we can count on you to send warm and sunny thoughts... right? And a special thanks to our friend Jorge who is working some magic on our little home while we're gone.


(Meanwhile, I'll still be writing at least one haiku each day,
but I won't be able to post them while we're gone.
Watch this space for "haiku-palooza" 
once we return!)

July 03, 2014

short trip
I make my way back home
through my own dust



July 02, 2014

a long soaking rain —
you would have felt gratitude,
so I try to, too

(Once again, in memory of my friend A.Y.)

July 01, 2014

the front yard bunny
looks back at me and stops
this heat!