
The Daily Post daily prompt: Shine

The Daily Post daily prompt: Shine
#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Diana at ParttimeMonsterBlog.com.

If we were having egg nog, I’d wish you a hopeful, healthy and safe New Year!
I have issues with wishing for happiness, but perhaps we can postulate that if one has hope, health and a sense of safety, there’s a good chance they can find happiness as well.
Oh, the egg nog ran out last night. No problem, I’ve got coffee brewing as we speak.
If we were having freshly brewed coffee, I’d tell you I’ve vowed to put 2016 behind me come this year. No ruminating on fears, disappointments, anger, sadness and doomsday prophesizing. I’ll try to build on the many, many positive moments of last year.
So here is a partial list of what I am wishing for and anticipating in 2017:
♦ The continued blessing of sharing my life with a loving family, companionable pets, and myriad hand tools and DIY project supplies.

♦ Opportunities to contribute to preserving and expanding the beauty and health of this planet.

♦ Tenacity to hold to an ethical, honorable and selfless ethos, such that our society can rise above the mires of that prior year I said I wouldn’t ruminate upon (hint: 2016).

Oh, alright…
♦ ♦ ♦ I also wish for happiness for all! ♦ ♦ ♦
The Daily Post daily prompt: Year
year end reflection
long sigh of resignation
hope comes at midnight

The Daily Post daily prompt: Hopeful

This rather large creature showed up on my deck the other day. I’m not a big fan of creepy-looking bugs, so I was none too pleased to see it lounging there in the sun as if waiting for me to fetch an iced tea and a straw.
“Would you like your tea with a squish of lemon?”
“Uh… did you say ‘squish’?” The creature eyed me nervously. Or at least I think it did. With those shimmering eyes it’s hard to tell where it may have been looking.
“Did I? That must have been a swat. A slap. Er, I mean a slip. What I meant to say was a ‘slice’ of lemon.”
The creature shifted from one foot to the other. To the other… to the other…
“Everyone thinks my kind are terrible, and they just want us dead. Okay, so we suck blood. And spread diseases. And harm livestock.”
“And your point is?” I paused, boot in mid-air just inches above the creature’s head.
“Just try to see the world through my eyes.”
“Through your eyes?” I bent down to study the gleaming, striped, colorful shields that I assumed were the creature’s eyes.
“Yes. Look deeeeep into my eyes.” The creature began to sway back and forth. “You’re getting sleeeeepy….”
I could barely keep my head up. I just wanted to lay down and rest.
“When I count to ten, you’ll see things as I do.”
“You can count to ten? But you’re just a bug!”
“One… two… ”
I tried to blink, to turn away, but I couldn’t. The creature’s voice droned on.
“Eight… nine… ten! Now look at me and tell me what you see.”
I flicked my wings and shuffled my six feet.
“Wow! Words cannot describe!” I marveled. “But you know what? I suddenly have a thirst for blood.”
“Great! Let’s go find another unsuspecting human!”
And with that, we buzzed away into the sunny, blue sky.


Knock knock!
Who’s there?
I don’t know.
I don’t know who?
I don’t know who’s there until you open the door so I can see!




Clatsop Plains Pioneer Cemetery (est. 1846) in Clatsop County, Oregon USA
I grew up playing (respectfully) in this cemetery. It doesn’t look too scary now, but as a child, I had all sorts of imaginings about what might be lurking in the trees, or about stumbling across — or into — a sunken grave, or hearing otherworldly rustlings and voices just behind me.
And while it looks innocent enough by day, you still won’t find me going there after dark.


Lights shine from within though no one’s lived there for years. The unliving, though...
JNW’s Halloween Challenge: Scary
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Houses and Barns

If you be brave, pass through this gate
but be forewarned there death awaits.
On this dark night, old headstones glow.
Bones shift and stir in graves below.
Outstretched limbs point to the sky.
Leaves rustle as fanged bats pass by.
When midnight tolls on Halloween,
ghosts rise to haunt this eerie scene.
The gate will close as morning nears.
Those trapped inside will disappear.
Next Halloween when the gate swings wide
they’ll at last return from the other side.

If only Leroy had distracted the guards a bit longer, they would have made it over the fence to freedom.

Leroy had warned them to wait for nightfall before storming the fence, but they didn’t listen.

Leroy said the grass was greener on the other side, but some had been behind bars so long it had begun to grow on them.

Leroy gave up on helping the captive trees and went back to the greener grass.