Tiffany Painter

And so it Begins
The week of Thanksgiving always signals the start of the holiday season for me. It starts at the beginning of the week because a lot of prepping goes into making the actual day happen for everyone. This year I started with some joy by going to see the lights at the Botanical Garden with a friend. We timed it perfectly. We got there early to enjoy a light dinner as we watched it get dark and the magic begin. It wasn’t crowded while we were there, but we noticed more and more people started showing up as we ended our walk through the garden. The weather was perfect for us, but the cold front expected for the next day made its appearance as we walked back to the car. The best part: the holiday lights were beautiful! It was my first, but hopefully not last, time to see the lights there. Another first this year is pushing back the big family dinner to Sunday. When multiple family members are in healthcare now and work on Thanksgiving, you have to be flexible. We are enjoying the family dinner on Sunday. That meant I got to lounge on the couch with a cup of tea and watch the parade. That was something to be thankful for. When all the football games started, I was relaxing with a magazine. (I tend to watch the replays after my husband and son get excited about something.) We feasted on turkey nachos. Finally, the first real snow of the season signals its time to get the tree set up and let the fun begin.
11/19

branches bare of leaves
waiting for cover of snow
under cloudless sky
11/20

new buds for the trees
rainbow of colors delight
brighten evening walk
11/21

in the cold darkness
follow the shimmering light
to hot chocolate
11/22
when night comes early
fireworks can’t climb up high
must shine from below
11/23

give thanks for all things
from what meets your daily needs
to what fills your heart
11/24

clouds deliver change
racing to cover the sun
weather about face
11/25

all alone today
too cold on this snowy day
perfect for my thoughts
November 25, 2023

garden, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, thankful, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Waiting
It’s that time of year where we spend a lot of time just waiting. We wait for the leaves to fall. We wait for the snow to come. We wait for the holidays. We wait for the fresh new year to start. For me, I spent the week doing some extra waiting. I waited for loved ones to feel better. I waited for my pets to come home from the vet. I waited with a shelter dog while he waits for a new home. All this waiting is a perfect time to reflect. It feels like it was just summer and now we are already getting ready for the end of the year. It was a hard year for the world, but personally, I have some good memories. I will continue to always look for the wonder around me that can bring a moment of happiness to me and others. I hope you can reflect on what brought you a smile while you waited for something.
11/12

cool mountain morning
snow covered terrain below
azure sky above
11/13

changing water flow
no problem for the beavers
happy to assist
11/14

moment of silence
only the sound of his tags
clinking as we walk
11/16

clinging to the end
showing perseverance
challenging karma
11/18

muggy air blows in
rolls across the lake and cools
morning fog greets me
November 18, 2023

fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, scbwi, waiting, Walks with Zephyr, Winter Park, wondering
Spreading Joy
I started this blog to share some joy in a world that seems to be lacking good news. Most of the things I write about are things I see when walking my dog in the morning. That is a time when I am most at peace. My dog is living a pretty good life, especially now that I am home more to spoil him. Seeing how happy he is when we are walking or playing made me think of all the dogs who are not living their best lives right now. Dogs in shelters don’t get the attention they need, so I decided to volunteer at a shelter near me. So far I have fed the dogs dinner twice and next week I get trained to walk them. (Everyone laughs that I need training for walking a dog.) Don’t be surprised when some of my new friends show up in my writing to bring joy to you.
11/5

mountain in the sky
lovely autumn day outside
walking in foothills
11/6

redecorated
new flooring for the front yard
white carpet up next
11/7

lazy days of fall
resting in a bed of leaves
keeping ball from Mom
11/8

sunrise and sunset
always enjoy seeing proof
world still spinning
11/9

toes dipped in white paint
saying hi as I walk by
looking for a new home
11/10

dark clouds racing by
pushing away the sunshine
just a quick fly by
11/11

leafless tree stands tall
no shade provided today
only long shadows
November 11, 2023

animal shelters, fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Falling Temperatures
Did anyone notice the temperature this past week? I don’t know if it was just from coming back from beach weather, but last weekend was cold. We had our first snow of the season, right in time for Halloween. Fortunately for all the little people out late looking for candy, it was a short-lived cold front. By the end of the week I was pulling off all those extra layers for walking the dog. I didn’t trust my weather app and would walk around the back yard to make sure it really was warm enough to leave the hat at home. But I know enough to keep it ready for the next drop in temperature, because it is coming.
10/29

two seasons collide
fall leaves clinging to branches
covered with first snow
10/30

table snow waffles
perfectly light and fluffy
waiting for syrup
10/31

so many costumes
Colorado Halloween
includes snow angels
11/1

hiding from the sun
protected by the shadow
lingering snowfield
11/2

cold bath or ice plunge
bit more like ice skating rink
no birds visiting
11/3

frosty metal seats
thankful for summer baseball
and heated seating
11/4

sunrise greets the day
leaving mark across the sky
pulling us along
November 4, 2023

fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Change of Scenery
Change is definitely in the air as fall makes way for winter. This past week I was able to have one last summer fling with the sun and warmth by taking a trip to Florida to visit my dad and stepmom. Anybody who knows me will know I am a warm weather friend and not fond of the bitter cold. The change of scenery was a nice way to say goodby to summer and, literally, fly into winter. I’m not saying I will enjoy the coldness of the next few months, but hopefully my memories of walking on the beach in October will help keep me warm.
10/22

good morning world
unwrapping self to welcome
promise of the day
10/23

today’s currency
buried treasure in the sand
pockets full of shells
10/24

never a straight line
lunar pull changes the walk
rush of cold brought in
10/25

patchwork quilt covers
warms the tree on cool evenings
would protect from pests
10/26

rose periwinkle
name brimming with vivid hues
petals prefer white
10/27

interesting list
Britney and Elon surround
classic no brained
10/28

sand, ocean, and sky
a few favorite colors
to lighten my mood
October 28, 2023

beach, haiga, haiku, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr
Searching for Joy
It has been a tough week keeping up with the news. In a world full of hate, I appreciate finding joy when I am out for my morning walks. The nice thing is joy doesn’t need to be big and over the top. Little things can help reset my mood and remind me there are still some good things to look forward to each day. The crisp morning air and fall colored trees are a good place to begin searching for joy. It’s even better when you have a canine friend to join you. I found joy celebrating four years with my buddy this past week.
10/15

imagination
to see the wise owl watching
hidden in the bark
10/16

threw a tennis ball
he brought back something bigger
feeling proud of find
10/17

who knew my soulmate
would be a furry red dog
don’t tell my husband
10/19

thinning some on top
time to decide if better
to shave it all off
10/19

Easter egg hiding
left over from earlier
or waiting for spring
10/20

walk interrupted
noisy crunch beneath my feet
pavement instrument
10/21

autumnal highlights
great coloring from salon
golden hues enhance
October 20, 2023

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, Walks with Zephyr, wondering

Notice What is Right There

It is so easy to go about the day on autopilot and not notice the little things all around. So much of our lives are spent juggling many things and racing from one task to the next. To start the day, I try to leave all of that behind and notice the world as it awakens. As we leave summer behind and prepare for the cold months ahead, its a perfect time to stop and notice.

10/8

otter out of place
river creature in a park
location all wrong

10/9

waiting for wishes
take flight with one rush of air
who will take a chance

10/10

green yielding to red
despite the transformation
hanging on for now

10/11

amber leaves bookend
end of season foliage
leaves pressed between pages

10/12

last one standing wins
making a claim for this stump
ere whirling away

10/13

tell Chicken Little
part of the sky has fallen
cloud litters my walk

10/14

a look to the right
first snow frosting on the peak
hiding in the clouds

October 13, 2023

fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, Walks with Zephyr, wondering

Accepting Change
I think everyone can agree there is a change in the air, especially on those morning walks. Being able to enjoy the fall weather is new for me. I was a teacher for many years and only recently left the classroom. Fall was a busy time of year. I had not planned on leaving a profession I had loved with my whole heart, but a lot of things had changed. The profession itself had become more negative and I was spending a lot of time not actually teaching my students. My family had changed as well with aging parents, a husband who needed to go back to the office, kids who needed help now and again navigating their transition into adulthood, and a dog who needed a lot of attention. Accepting all of these changes was hard and took a lot of soul searching. Most days I am happy with my choice to leave teaching so I can be available for my family, but I won’t lie, when I hear of an opening at a school, I still consider it. But one look at my beloved dog, and I know I am where I am supposed to be. I have been given this gift of time. Time to be there for others, time to experience peace, and time to appreciate the world around me. It is with that mindset I am learning to accept this change.
10/1

through the field goal posts
full moon scores early today
fall signs all around
10/2

new colors emerge
fall leaves playing peek-a-boo
welcoming the change
10/3

gift from above caught
perfectly fallen feather
cradled on the branch
10/4

fallen leaves blowing
tumbling across the sidewalk
running after me
10/5

cover blown away
green leaves for hiding absent
height all that remains
10/6

life and art collide
mountains jumping off canvas
vision to behold
10/7

lookup from walking
take a moment to breath in
nature’s offering
October 7, 2023

change, fall, haiga, haiku, poetry, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Garden Bliss
I spent last Sunday at the Denver Botanical Garden with a friend. It was the second time I visited and a vastly different experience. My first time at the garden was around 2005. It was a cold, rainy day, and I was chaperoning a group of second grade boys for a field trip. Nothing about that day was relaxing. My friend enjoys it so much that she got a membership and invited me to join her. I went, but almost begrudgingly. I kept thinking about herding a group of boys around mud and puddles all those years before. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise. Walking amongst flowers on a sunny fall morning with a friend is probably as close as one can get to actually walking in Heaven. All the nervousness I was feeling about going back evaporated before we even got through the first section. We even have our next visit on the calendar. What a great reminder to allow myself to be open to new experiences at old places. That, and some places do not make great field trips for second graders.
9/24

behind the dark clouds
glorious light secluded
waiting to dazzle
9/25

flower holding on
warm day invites butterfly
soon to flitter off
9/26

flamingos lined up
never dull at the garden
hanging lobster claw
9/27

splashes of water
the morning dew refreshes
summer’s final bloom
9/28

beaks open for food
blue ginger flower waiting
hatchling on the vine
9/29

supply store for dreams
lumber for building new home
tiny house awaits
9/30

sapphire bookends
serenity in between
peaceful oasis
September 30, 2023

garden, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Bird Camping
During this last week of summer, I noticed all the different bird houses/feeders in my neighborhood. Some were unique and others were more on the ordinary side. The one thing they all had in common was they were empty of birds. I never saw a bird visiting one of these lovely places designed just for them. I saw and heard birds everywhere on my morning walks, but never in the man-made structures. They preferred the trees. This made me think of a meme I recently saw about camping. It asked what was the one thing you always take when you go camping. The answer was a hotel. These birds feel differently as they seem to prefer roughing it and avoid all the hotels. After some thought I had to admit I am not like the birds. I enjoy being outdoors and exploring nature, but I’ll take that hotel at the end of the day.
9/17

ice crystal layer
night time visit from Jack Frost
sun beams rush to warm
9/19

another work day
just hanging with the birds
view from loft office
9/20

little cottage house
home for Tinker Bell and friends
or neighborhood birds
9/21

favorite color
the blue of an autumn day
behind tall green trees
9/22

cool mountain river
brings solace as summer ends
soaking it all up
9/23

lonely little house
nobody comes to visit
no amenities
September 23, 2023

birds, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, Winter Park, wondering