Wordless Wednesday-3

 

Unwrapped

Warm tokens of heart, 

bound by trust, wrapped in sheer love;

priceless joy unveiled.

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In her eyes, world gleams

heart flutters, grateful tears stream

blessed gift of sight.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is GIFT

Dew

Sky blushes at dawn,

world wakens to new promise,

bejeweled grass gleams.

Bejeweled grass gleams,

lush green carpet beckons soles,

soul stirring sojourn.

This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is DEW

Elixir of life

The rustling leaves & the bumbling bees,

the chiming bells & the gurgling streams;

even the silent shadows seemed to whisper to me. 

Colours of joy I saw all around,

Aromas of delight left me spellbound.

Even the mundane chores seemed heavenly; 

The real world juxtaposed by dreams 

brewed a heady concoction of excitement & ease. 

Smiles abound at heart, I waltzed through my way,

Weaving around rosy dreams even during the day. 

The bright days evoked the free spirit in me,

The cool evenings kindled in my heart – poetry.

I knew not if this was freedom or love or success, 

(but) I had tasted the elixir of life I guess.

Picture is  from Google images

Rivulet.

Her playful murmurs, 

as she brushes past pebbles;

soothe my aching heart.

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Rivulets of pearls

glisten over rosy cheeks;

bruised knee, broken heart.

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Rivulets of thoughts 

trickle on fragrant paper;

letter of love inked.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is RIVULET

It's snow-time!!

Since late October, frost has been dropping by once in a while, icing our car as if it were a cake. So the first task before taking off for the day was scraping frost off the windshield. November saw this become almost a daily ritual, we were happy when it rained, for continuous drizzle meant frost did not get to settle down. The mercury has been dipping below 32°F or the proverbial 0°C as we know it in India consistently for nearly a week now. Little surprise then that today morning we had our first brush with snow here in Portland. The morning began like any other, it was still dark outside when we woke up and went about our morning chores. And when there was enough light for us to see clearly out of our windows, we saw that it had been snowing lightly for a while. It looked like someone took a giant sieve and sifted rice flour from up above. The wind seemed to pick up some gust and we could soon see snow flurry all around. Snow flurry is equivalent to drizzle and is not the actual snowfall but snow in any form is snow :) While I had seen and played with snow before this, all of that was at tourist destinations. This was my first snow experience right at the doorstep. Below are a few clicks from my phone.

It was quite a sight to see rooftops, cars and streets sprinkled with snow. What you see in these images is the street view from our balcony and the parking outside our apartment.

   While at it, I tried capturing the flakes in the image and the gif images where you can see the snow flurry as it sprinkles down. 

A very special Thanksgiving dinner.

According to Wikipedia,  " Thanksgiving Day  is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada." And the day after thanksgiving has now gained cult status as "Black Friday" in shopping crazy USA for retail deals on offer that kick-start Christmas shopping, so much so that most companies and schools have declared it a holiday thereby making the last week of November a long weekend. Naturally most non US families utilize this opportunity for vacation. We were no different and had been thinking of making a small trip to the Olympic National Forest in the neighboring state of Washington. This post is not about the trip, will shortly put up one about it complete with pictures of the snow capped peaks and the lush rain forests.This is about a very special thanksgiving surprise that came our way.

It was the first time we were driving to a place where carrying snow chains was mandated by law. It was also the first time I was at the wheel for such a long distance(nearly 300 miles), my previous longest being a little over 50 miles. Oh yes, my husband is a brave guy :P The drive only got more scenic as we drove on and was very enjoyable. After a visit to mountain peaks during which I happily handed over the wheel to S, we took a small break in the city of Port Angeles. Having soaked ourselves  in the festive spirit of the holiday weekend, it was time to head to the lodge for the night. Actually it was only around 5PM in the evening but with early nightfall these days, the earlier we reached the cozy lodge the better we thought. It was time to drive through narrow, curvy roads. With the fog deciding to accompany us all the way, it was a very tense drive to the lodge. My prayer quota must have reached record levels during that 20 odd mile drive as I gripped the steering wheel tightly and trudged along, allowing many cars to pass by me as I chose to go slow and steady. As always S was boosting my confidence, guiding me cautiously. A visibly relieved S and me stepped out after we parked our car near the main lodge to check-in. It was all decked up for the season with lights and their Christmas tree was up and twinkling as well. A fire crackled in the reception area dotted with cushy armchairs and on the walls as a reminder of the old hunting era we saw mounted elk heads.

Now this century-old lodge is nestled on the shores of Lake Crescent surrounded by the Olympic mountain chain and is quite well-known for dishing out delicious seafood. We made reservation for a table for two as we were hungry yet hesitant about the vegetarian options. The long waiting time meant we unpacked and freshened up in our room before returning to the dining area. The fog had taken over the air and so the lake was not visible to our naked eyes. With limited veggie options available, we placed our orders and began discussing about things to do and places to cover the next day. Soon our order arrived and we dug into it relishing the warm fresh food. A couple of morsels into our dinner, our waitress drops by and tells us that she had some surprise news for us. An unknown gentleman had paid for our dinner, she added that he had also taken care of her tip and we could pick a dessert of our choice as well when we were ready. While we mumbled thanks and asked her if  we could thank our mystery host, she said she had only seen him that evening was unsure if he would ever return. As was his wish, she informed us only after he left the restaurant. She was as surprised as we were and had inquired him about this kind gesture. Every year, during the Thanksgiving week he went around sponsoring someone's meal and that day we were the chosen ones. And so it was that we were treated to a free dinner followed by delicious dessert all thanks to a mysterious gentleman. Since we'll never know who it was, we can only wish him and his dear ones the very best in life. Thank you stranger for gifting us a memorable Thanksgiving!!

Colored smiles

Golden rays of sun

play with crystal water beads;

colored smiles dot sky.

This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is RAINBOW

Counting blessings

My life I owe you,

my friend and guide forever,

Mother- my blessing.

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No debt is repaid

in full, until it carries

a heart-felt thank you.

Tapping our mind's ink

your creative platform, prompts;
haiku heights - thank you
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Heavens shower grace,
brown earth radiates green joy;
grateful hearts sing praise.
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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is THANKS

Waterfall during rainfall!!

Portland is known to be rainy and for people coming from the dry San Diego this city feels more like wet-land. So it was not surprising that rain greeted us when we landed here two months ago. A fortnight after we moved to Portland, we had unpacked most of our home and set it up. We were all excited to explore the city that was our new home but the only dampener was the rain. Mind you we were the newbies in town then, yet to soak in the Portland spirit. It is a different tale now that we have gotten used to the "now there- now gone" kind of sprinkling rain that is typical of Portland weather, but this story is of the time before that. So on a wet sunday afternoon after lunch at a friend's home, we hit the road for a drive through the scenic route our hosts suggested for a dekko. While San Diego boasted of beach getaways at a stone's throw distance from almost all parts of the city, Portland has its share of nature's treasures. The city is flanked by Columbia river on one side while its major tributary the Willamette flows right through the heart of the city. So the downtown has its share of bridges that take you across the Willamette earning Portland the sobriquet "City of bridges".

The river Columbia, the second largest in North America comes to Portland all the way from the Canada on her way to the Pacific ocean. The Columbia river scenic area boasts of a large number of waterfalls, thanks to the Cascade mountain range that has volcanic rocks through which the underground springs from the mountains, rainwater and the melt-offs from winter-snow all flow through/fall from to create breathtaking waterfalls. The most popular among them is Multnomah falls, a two tiered natural beauty where you can see water plunging down from a height of nearly 620 feet to the ground in two major steps. Driving in the downpour was quite an experience, and soon we were on our way to the Columbia river gorge. Thankfully as we neared Multnomah falls, the rain thinned to a drizzle. The fact that the parking lot was packed with cars meant we were not the only ones marking our presence at the waterfall during rain. The waterfall looked spectacular even from the parking lot. The stone stairway leading to the view point added an old world charm to the place. We wanted to get a closer look at the cascade and by followed a paved trail that took us to a quaint looking footbridge. This bridge is just above the lower cascade. The trail continues all the way up to the top of the Multnomah falls and beyond that there are multiple paths that lead to various other waterfalls that dot the Gorge. As we stood on the footbridge, the wind blew cold water-drops from the waterfall on our face. After spending a few minutes soaking ourselves in the sprinkles from both the fall and the rain-gods, we decided to return during drier times for a trek all the way to the top. The impromptu nature of the trip meant we just had our phone camera to capture the images of the Mountain water descending down like a veiled beauty.  

Now if only we could have had garma garam chai accompanied with samosas or pakodas it would have been a perfect Sunday... Little surprise then that our next stop was a food joint in downtown Portland where we savored samosas and Vada pav. The place was aptly named Bollywood dreams and the ambience had a filmy flavor in the form of movie posters of Bollywood blockbusters like Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay and the like. All our cravings satisfied, it was a perfect Sunday.

Ties of blood.

Gore behind glitter,

wars waged, lives lost, dreams shattered -

blood diamond tale.

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Blue-blooded or not,

her child rules her world always;

mother's heart - child's throne

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is BLOOD

Seventh heaven.

Striking the right chord,

seven notes blend seamlessly-

rhythm resonates.

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A vow for a step,

bond to last seven lifetimes-

forged by holy fire.

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Streaks of vivid hues,

bridge of dreams across skies

seven shades of hope

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is SEVEN

Grassy

Waves of gold rustle,

tiger lurks behind dry grass;

whiff of fresh food wafts.

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Only few more steps,

greener grass lies just yonder -

never ending greed. 

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is GRASS

Rummage

Thirsty mind wanders,

seeking love, life, truth, unknown-

needle in haystack.

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Wistful eyes, warm heart,

rummaging through life's pages-

time seems to stand still.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is RUMMAGE

Fall colors.

 For a couple of weeks now the weather has been near perfect here in Portland. In the morning, sunlight trickles through layers of fog that soon melts away to unveil clear blue skies. For most part Clear blue skies and tall green trees interspersed with colorful trees make this place look like a postcard. The pavements have begun to resemble patterned carpets for they are dotted with colored leaves. Oh yes, it is autumn (पतझड़) or fall as it is popularly known here. It is that time of the year when the nature begins her preparation for the cold winter that follows.There is even an old weather proverb that states, "If autumn leaves are slow to fall, prepare for a cold winter". While spring has fresh and tender blossoms to add to its beauty, in autumn, the usually green leaves decide to dabble in color. You have leaves in hues of yellow and gold, foliage in a whole wide palette of pink and red vying for your attention. The beauty of trees resembling bouquets is something that words cannot describe fully.
  
It is only the deciduous trees that are color crazy, the conifers stay green as you can notice in the second image. Apparently oak leaves turn orange while big leaf maples, birch, ash, aspen and alder turn yellow. For those who like vibrant red, you can choose between dogwoods that turn burgundy and vine maples and huckleberries that sport the color red. Even the shrubs and bushes sport the colored look. Fall colors are a major tourist attraction too, with some regions pulling in more visitors during this season, after all rich color always presents nice photo-opportunities. Alas nothing lasts for ever and soon all trees will shed their colorful foliage that will decorate the pathways for a few more days. Whenever we take a walk these days, we find a carpet of colored leaves laid down in our path. The air has a leafy scent and as we walk we hear the unmistakeable sound of leaves crumbling. Although late September is when the season of fall begins officially, mid October up-to early November is supposed to offer the best view of fall colors. In a couple of weeks, most trees will wear a barren look making us wait for spring eagerly. Until then it is nature's color-fest all the way.

 

Click on the photos to see enlarged images.

Grey matters.

Pots of coffee, tea
rouse grey cells from deep slumber;
midnight oil burns bright.
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Darkness dispels gloom,
messengers of rain gather,
earth eager to bloom.
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Grey thoughts thunder, pour;
spirits renewed, smiles restored,

life glows, spouts rainbow.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is GREY

Clouds

Sun plays hide and seek,

cotton ball with golden glow-

mystical skylight.

Mystical skylight

casting dreamy silver spells-

moon nestled in clouds.

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 This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is CLOUDS

Windows to the soul

A thousand words they speak

a million answers they seek.

Gleaming with thoughts impish

or glazing with dreamy glimmer,

screaming out loud in anger 

or sobbing silently in anguish,

radiant while basking in love,

barren when forsaken by hope.

At times they allege with a glare,

they even silence you with a stare.

comforting you with their warmth,

enlivening you with their smile;

In vain, hurt they try to conceal

behind veils of glistening crystals.

Barrage of emotions they show-

disdain to delight, confusion to content.

Wordless displays of thoughts in fragments,

windows to the soul, world fails to see.

Picture is  from Google images

Portland- City of roses

Portland is known as the "City of roses" or "Rose city" apparently since as long as 1888. According to wikipedia, the origin of this epithet is the introduction of a french rose variety. In years to come, thousands of rose bushes were planted along the streets of the city and soon Portland started hosting annual rose festival. During the first world war, rose hobbyists rallied to start a Rose test Garden to protect hybrid roses grown in Europe and before long rose enthusiasts began sending roses to Portland for conservation. The initiative has grown stronger over the years and now it is a center that experiments on roses and keeps growing a varieties of roses.

A week after we arrived in Portland, we decided to head to the International Rose Test Garden that is nestled in the Washington Park right in the heart of downtown Portland. The word "park" can be misleading as we soon found out. The tall trees that adorn the hilly climb of Washington park made us feel we were entering a forest and not a park. It also houses other attractions namely an Arboretum, a forestry museum, a children's museum, Oregon zoo and a Japanese garden apart from a war memorial but since this city is now our home we decided we would get plenty of opportunities to explore it in a detailed manner. So we drove to the park hoping to spend a fabulous afternoon with nature. But Portland is synonymous with rains and the usual drizzle turned into a shower and so we had to cut our trip short. We sought respite from the rain in the Forestry museum(a post for another day) and then decided to take a quick look at the rose garden before returning home. Needless to say, the garden is a visual treat  and we got to see roses of almost all colors and sizes. There are a host of hybrid tea roses, some of the varieties are named after the region of origin and some are named after their creators, and if they are still under test, the variety just has a number in place of a name. It was a lovely walk in the rose garden in the drizzle with the fragrance of roses wafting around. It was a dream stroll although the steady drizzle meant we couldn't really browse through the garden as much as we wanted and the photographs were all quick clicks.

The annual rose festival and floral parade take place around Memorial Day which means during the late May and early June. This event is something I'm looking forward to savor the next year. For now, these are glimpses of the floral feast that we relished during our visit to Portland's rose garden, you can click on the image to view full sized version.

                           

                                                     

                                                     

We walked back to the car hoping that our next visit would be under blue skies and not the gray overcast kind captured below.

PS: For more details, you can check the link : http://www.rosegardenstore.org/international-rose-test-garden.cfm

Click on the photos to see enlarged images.

Babbling from our new home.

It is good to be back to blogosphere after a hiatus of nearly a month. It has been an eventful month so far. With S accepting an offer from a chip-maker in Portland just days after our first wedding anniversary and a year of happy home-making, it was time to bid adieu to sunny San Diego and head to the very green Portland. And so during the week of our birthdays, incidentally they fall just a day apart, hubby and me were busy with boxes. Instead of unwrapping gift boxes, we were busy packing our year old home into cartons that would carry some wonderful memories into our new home. The excitement of looking up apartments on the internet, calling in and enquiring about the rent and amenities, the curiosity of trying to know all we could about the new neighborhood meant my visits to fellow blogger's posts became sporadic and my own posts went to pause mode. What's more I even missed my first blog-o-versary, sorry dear blog, I'm sure you understand. I have been babbling all along, but just not on the blog. I hope to catch up with the posts of the blogs I regularly visit within a few days, do bear with me.

After a string of farewell dinners and good-bye sessions with friends including one to the car that I learnt to drive here in the US of A, we flew into Portland on a saturday morning that was exceptionally bright and sunny almost making us feel that we were still in San Diego. The tall green trees that seemed to kiss the blue skies told us we were in the region also known as the "Silicon forest". We drove straight from the airport to our new apartment we had leased out over phone calls and emails. The apartment complex itself was quite different from the one we had left behind in San Diego. The absence of elevators meant we had to haul our suitcases up three flights of stairs. But the excitement of new home in a new place meant we hardly felt any strain. Portland welcomed us with gentle showers the next morning that decided to turn into rain by the evening thus giving us a taste of the uniquely wet and green Portland. In the days to come, I'll share more about this "City of roses" or "City of bridges" that is known as Portland on the globe.

Braveheart!!

 

She had indeed come a long way from the scared and scarred little teenager who had literally seen her world melt down before her eyes to be the fearless woman who looked the brutal world in the eye. While it was still difficult for her to handle intrusive remarks people made, even hurtful at times, it was not hard to anticipate them. Steely resolve now reflected in the once dream-lit eyes on a surprisingly serene face, a face one could never forget, for it still bore marks of the acid attack by a monster who respected neither humanity nor womanhood.


This post is shared with 3WW and the words for this week are Anticipate,  Fearless & Serene

Nature -fresh!!

Tender blossom smiles,

soft curls kissed by golden sun;

start of a new day.

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Precious pearls drop down,

soft wet grass caresses feet;

earth soaked in fresh rain.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is FRESH

Bonds of lifetime.

The images of rakhis being shared on Facebook presents a very different picture of the traditional festival of Raksha bandhan. The memories of those days when I would excitedly sift through rows and rows of colorful rakhis to find the perfect one for my little brother have been dropping by since the last few visits to the Indian stores here in the US now that the store has been showcasing its stock of Rakhis for over a month now. Although Raksha Bandhan is not celebrated in southern India with the fervor that it is observed in the northern parts of India, it has been a part of our family celebrations for as long as I can remember. Of course, off late thanks to Bollywood and the serials on satellite television, festivities are being borrowed across all borders and regions.

As a kid I remember even I used to get to sport a Rakhi :-) My mom would tie one on my wrist after I tied one to my brother just so that we both could show it off :-P While as a kid, Rakhi was just another festival when we got to wear colored clothes and enjoy sweets and sport colorful threads, as I grew older I realized it celebrates a very special bond, a unique friendship and camaraderie that exists between siblings. Now while Rakhi is traditionally about brother protecting the sister and sister praying for his well-being, I feel it goes far beyond that. It is about the invisible force that binds you to your family and the strong connection that siblings share irrespective of the gender. It is a promise of a lifetime that is made unconditionally.

 For someone who was not quite happy at the entry of a new kid to my home that seemed to grab everyone's attention away from me to someone who is now sad that her little kid brother is now across the oceans and timezones, my brother and me have come a long way. Yes, I admit I was not happy when I first saw a scrawny little baby in my mother's arms with pink ears and tiny, slender hands and feet. But soon he became my partner in fun and mischief, my trusted aide in everything I did. We still have our share of wild secrets, secrets that are so hush hush that even we have forgotten their true versions and only remember bits of  what was fun to us at that age and in those times. All the wild, crazy games that we played during the vacations, some of them our own silly inventions, the now seemingly stupid-sounding names we used to call one another, the fights we have had, some of them quite serious, so much so that we didn't speak to each other for hours before patching up after mother's intervention or in some cases our own attempts at mollification using toffees and toys and funny faces and sounds are all treasured memories that are simply priceless. Each time I eat a chocolate, I remember how if one of us got a chocolate at school or from some friend we would not gobble it but instead bring it back home and share it no matter how small it was or how out of shape it got after melting. We learnt so much from each other, he taught me how to ride a bicycle,  many technical fixes while I taught him the neat way of doing a whole bunch of things. While the elder-sister in me gave advices liberally, I have been stumped at times by the wisdom he has dished out to me. The times that we were apart when we were in hostels at different times made me realize how hard it was for me to be without my closest friend and confidant.

Although we are now both responsible grown-ups, to me he'll always remain just my little kid brother whom I can boss over as the elder sister, whom I care for beyond words can ever express and who I know cares for me just as much. We will remain for ever partners in fun and mischief, in tears and in laughter. And today when my connection to my dear brother is through the invisible waves and webs courtesy the communication systems of the world, I know the priceless links of heart that we share will only grow stronger over time adding to the fond memories that we cherish.

Late again!!

Gaunt gaze haunts the sky,

unploughed earth eyes unsown seeds;

delayed monsoon scathes.

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 Early bird enjoys,

yet delay is good at times;

early worm laments.

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Fading green cover,
 rising ocean, graying air
 too late to save earth.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is LATE.

 

Ocean

Beneath glimmering waves,

lie treasures, secrets of yore;

safe in her bosom.

Gold blends in silver,

sun sinks into ocean's arms;

another day ends.

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This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is OCEAN.

 

Picture is from Google images

Just not her day.

Drabble is an extremely short work of fiction of exactly one hundred words in length, not necessarily including the title

From waking up late barely in time to rush through morning chores only to land at work huffing up ten floors of stairs thanks to lifts under repair, this after bumping into the traffic cops who were looking at reaching their monthly target of fines while having forgotten even the duplicate set of vehicle documents and insurance back home following a quibble with the maid about her disappearing act, it had been one of those days straight out of a nightmare. 

The empty cubicles that reminded her of the team outing that day were enough to make her go berserk.

This post is shared with 3WW and the words for this week are Berserk, Duplicate & Quibble

Picture is from Google images

Urban dreams

Life in a fast lane,

no time to pause for smile, sob;

clockwork urban rush.

City lights burn bright,

radiant future lures hearts;

urban dreams twinkle.

This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is URBAN

Picture is from Google images

Beach

Sprawling golden sand,

sparkling cool water beckon.

Soak mind in leisure.

 

This post is shared with Haikuheights and the prompt is BEACH

Picture is from Google images

Every dog has his/her day!!

Starting yesterday a new television channel is hitting the air waves here in the US. Now what is special about it is its target audience. It is an exclusive channel for man's best friend, yes that's right a TV channel for the dogs and it is called "Dog TV"!! The pilot channel run was on for a couple pf years here in San Diego and from today this will telecast nation wide on Direct TV with paid subscription. As per the findings of the trial screenings, dogs have enjoyed their channel with noticeable quiet esp in dog shelters. Did you know that dogs are color blind? Apparently they can only see blue and yellow,  they cannot see red and green like humans, so if you happen to watch any telecast of Dog TV, the color might seem bit out of place to human eye but then it is specially designed for the doggy viewer.

Ever since I have come to US I could not help but notice the preferential treatment dished out to the pets here. Dog-walking is a fairly common job on the side for students and anybody looking to earn a few extra bucks.They have fancy restaurants with special menus to tickle their taste buds, care centers where you can leave your pets when you take a vacation or want to head out for an evening sans worries about your four-legged friend. You have pet-friendly restaurants where while you enjoy your dinner, your dog also gets his own water-bowl and meal. And guess what, there are places where you get special discounts if your pet accompanies you. There are supermarket chains that cater exclusively to pet needs. There are pet-parlors where they offer grooming services including hair coloring and hair care, nail filing and the like. What's more you ask, well there are boutiques that offer a wide range of apparel choice for your pampered pooches. It is fairly common to see pets sauntering beside their owners dressed in their best outfits looking smarter than their owners at times.

In every community park, there are special areas designated as dog parks, two separate ones for the large and small dogs. Here they can run around and play with their other four-legged friends. Another thing I have noticed is that the dogs here are very well trained, they do not bark at strangers while walking in the park, some of the smaller ones do try to sniff you if you are close enough but generally they are very unlike the dogs back in India. Sometimes I wonder if these dogs have been trained to the point of forgetting their natural  instincts. With the changing times and lifestyles, most people are finding greater comfort in the company of canines and other pets and are over-indulgent in their care.

Every dog has his/her day!!