Transporting to Another World
From being
fed a bountiful supply
To
cooking three meals a day.
From having
someone clean for me,
To doing
housework every day.
From handwriting
in my journal
To working
on my computer.
From a
gentle rocking ship
to a sleepy
small town.
From
fun with Sis
To
life with Hubby.
From
new spaces, faces, and activities
To
same places, people and tasks.
From
adventure
To
routine.
From
no pressure to do anything,
To a
long to-do list.
Thankful
for both worlds.
Last Excursion
After
being on sea all day,
Victoria
was our next stop.
We
rode on a horse-drawn trolley
And we
didn’t take time to shop.
The
horses obeyed voice commands.
In
dark of night, we rode through town.
The
driver told us lots of tales
Of how
their history went down.
We
packed, for this was our last day.
And we
were saddened by the thought.
We
would be going home to stay,
Except
our Egypt tour’s been bought.
Ketchikan Excursion
I’ve
been to Ketchikan before,
Just a
few years ago.
A bit
colder this time around,
I’m
glad there was no snow.
I wore
a jacket, hat, and gloves.
We rode
a raft-like boat.
The
motor made it go so fast
To
island quite remote.
We
cast aside life jackets then
And hiked
into the woods.
It was
a little warmer there.
We
also took off hoods.
The
guide told us of Hemlock trees
That
were so very old.
He
showed us slimy off-green slugs,
“Banana
slugs” we’re told.
He
told us how natives in past
Would use
mushrooms and roots.
We saw
two hungry ravens.
They
acted in cahoots.
After
our hike concluded then
We had
delicious snacks.
The
ravens both took chances when
We had
all turned our backs.
The
scenery was beautiful
Blue
sky, thick clouds and trees.
And
then I shopped for souvenirs.
I
spend a lot with ease.
Back on
the ship we ate our fill
Played
Splendor, took a nap.
Next
day would be a sailing day,
A time
for us to pack.
Entering Ketchikan
A
secluded cove.
A
pine-covered hill.
A
large white cross.
Still
waters.
Lights
in the distance.
Small
fishing boat out to sea.
Adventure
awaits.
Observing in the Observation Lounge
Sun
shone through the large window.
A
Japanese lady did Tai Chi.
Others
were reading, eating, chatting or
watching
the gentle movement of the sea.
I enjoyed
hot tea and cookies.
I
stared out the window.
The
sun sparkled on the gray ripples
which
stretched out to a gray horizon.
Waiters
stood ready to clean up
the
messes guests left behind.
We
learned if you want to keep your plate,
hang
on to it or it would be swooped up.
Somewhere
further forward, soft tunes played.
These
moments made me feel truly blessed.
Hope in the Grand Design
The
rainbow shone like a spotlight
on the
gray ripples of the sea.
The
mountains loomed
like
sleeping monsters.
The
gray clouds hovered above me.
The hope
of the rainbow overpowered
the seriousness
of the mountains
and the
gloominess of the clouds and sea,
and I
desired to shine and cheer
through
the grayness like the rainbow.
But
mountains, clouds, and sea
are
part of the grand design.
So,
when I’m not shining and cheerful,
but serious,
or even gloomy,
I know
I still have a purpose.
Glacier Bay
The
mist obscured the views today.
What
could we see in Glacier Bay?
At
least the rain no longer poured.
The
views today, the mist obscured.
Then,
in a while, a hill appeared.
We got
dressed up in winter gear.
Out on
the balcony in cozy style
A hill
appeared, then, in a while.
The
fog did clear, we were in awe.
It’s
hard to describe what we saw.
The
sun shone on the mountain near.
We
were in awe, the fog did clear.
Glacial
ice, gray, white and blue
We so
enjoyed the icy hue
The
rocky scene was worth the price.
Gray,
white and blue, glacial ice.
