Category Archives: Wow!

The Bathroom Window Does Not Disappoint

Posted on December 10, 2025 by daeja's view

They’re back! An annual perk of Winter – stumbling into the bathroom at dawn to be greeted by ice art on the window. It has only just begun and so far the daily frost landscapes painted by nature have not … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Winter, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Purple

Posted on May 31, 2025 by daeja's view

Right on schedule, it’s Purple Time on and around the Urban Porch again. It’s been raining, raining, raining, adorning the petals in watery gems. Stopping by a friend’s house over the long holiday weekend past, I was met with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ants

Posted on May 28, 2025 by daeja's view

Over the years I’ve been increasingly tolerant of some insects in my environment – or sharing our environment, to be exact. An attempt will always be made to relocate a spider, a beetle or a bee from the house. Outdoors, … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Stories, Are you kidding me?, Birds, Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Wildlife, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My Regression

Posted on May 14, 2025 by daeja's view

The backstory is that the only place to park my car behind the house is underneath a rather large Japanese Maple tree. Over the last number of weeks it has been dropping clumps of red seeds, pollen and other combinations … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Are you kidding me?, Humor, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Celebration of Fertility

Posted on May 1, 2025 by daeja's view

There was a dead ant floating inside the teapot yesterday morning, the arrival of such yet another sure-fire harbinger of Spring. This particular teapot has a very narrow spout, which makes it rather nice if you make pour-over coffee. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Animal Stories, Birds, Daeja's Garden, Dogs, Gardening, Holidays, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wildlife, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sploot

Posted on April 23, 2025 by daeja's view

There appeared to be a dead squirrel on the back deck yesterday afternoon. It was sprawled flat out, looking rather like a small, worn out old rug; on closer observation it resembled a flying superhero, sans cape. Upon approaching further … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Stories, Daeja's Garden, disability accommodations, Earworm of the day, Gardening, Hearing Impaired, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wildlife, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another Year of Two Springs

Posted on April 18, 2025 by daeja's view

I’ve been away from this page, having had the good fortune once again to dwell amidst spring blooms in the west first, which will be followed a few weeks later with newly emerging blossoms of the east. This post will … Continue reading →

Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, Travel, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Incoming

Posted on August 2, 2024 by daeja's view

Perhaps I’m taking a risk by speaking too soon, but it is of note that this summer (so far) there has been a marked absence of mosquitos here. Of course there have been a few around The Urban Porch, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Stories, Are you kidding me?, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, summer, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weird, Wildlife, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Something Blue

Posted on July 3, 2024 by daeja's view

Every once in a while I will glance down from my upstairs bedroom window in order to catch the flashes of crimson fish in my neighbor’s backyard koi pond. Seeing them lends a tiny slice of serenity. I’m always glad … Continue reading →

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, summer, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Purples of May

Posted on May 31, 2024 by daeja's view

I can’t keep up with it, how is it possible these days of spring are blowing by? A glorious May it has been, filled with heady fragrance, breezy blue skies, gentle rains. On this last day of the month, here … Continue reading →

Posted in Daeja's Garden, Earworm of the day, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Windshield Galactica

Posted on May 28, 2024 by daeja's view

I don’t know why it is exactly, but going through the car wash has repeatedly provided brief moments of simple delight. Perhaps if getting the car cleaned was something that occurred more frequently, I might have eventually become a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, nature, Perspective, Photography, senior musings, Spring, Travel, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pink

Posted on May 11, 2024 by daeja's view

As always, the big old cherry tree across the street from The Urban Porch made a spectacular annual showing. Walking beneath this fairy-like bower over the last few weeks has provided moments of daily enchantment. The burst of warm temps … Continue reading →

Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Springs

Posted on May 2, 2024 by daeja's view

Today I think I am mostly going to fill the page with visuals. Spring has truly sprung. My family are East Coast-West Coast people. At times all of us have been living in the East. Other times all have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, Travel, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wildlife, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Waiting for the Sun

Posted on April 10, 2024 by daeja's view

So many of us get excited by celestial phenomena, and I’m mostly on that train, having repeatedly found myself shivering in my nightgown while standing on a back deck covered in snow – at 2:30 am in sub-freezing temps – … Continue reading →

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Earworm of the day, Flashback, nature, Perspective, senior musings, Spring, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weird, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unbridled Joy

Posted on April 2, 2024 by daeja's view

Last week a friend and I made plans to go out for a short walk. I waffled about taking my dog Rudi with me, as I had errands to run afterwards and having him with me would inhibit completing them … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Stories, Dogs, Flashback, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, Spring, treasures, treasures, Uncategorized, Weird, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Gifts From a Bathroom Window

Posted on January 22, 2024 by daeja's view

Every winter my bathroom window provides some wonderful ice art. Although other windows in this house face the same direction, this is the only one that puts on a show. Some mornings – even very cold ones – there is … Continue reading →

Posted in Earworm of the day, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, treasures, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Winter, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here Comes the Sun (doo-doo-doo-doo)

Posted on August 12, 2023 by daeja's view

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo Here comes the sun, and I say It’s alright Sun, sun, sun, here it comes Sun, sun, sun, here it comes Sun, sun, sun, here it comes Sun, sun, sun, here it comes….! Here comes … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, summer, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Looking for Bessie

Posted on August 5, 2023 by daeja's view

“Her name was Bessie”. That’s the only thing my father told me about his paternal grandmother, and that was only after I asked him about my great-grandparents. He mentioned there were a couple of uncles, both of which disappeared “I … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Bucket List, Daeja's Garden, Mushrooms, nature, Perspective, Photography, senior musings, summer, Travel, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Boom!

Posted on April 14, 2023 by daeja's view

Boom! It’s only mid-April and already the grass on this little patch of front yard suddenly got so dense that I realized I better mow it now, before it gets too difficult to push through. Has Spring come on with … Continue reading →

Posted in Daeja's Garden, Gardening, Photography, Spring, The Urban Porch, treasures, Uncategorized, Weather, Wow! | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Clouds

Posted on February 5, 2023 by daeja's view

At the beginning of this past weekend, the temperatures plummeted into the “I’m not going anywhere unless I really have to” zone, with wind chills of minus forty degrees fahrenheit (-40F). While this time could have been spent baking or … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, Perspective, Photography, treasures, Uncategorized, Weather, Winter, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Socks of the Day

Posted on January 18, 2023 by daeja's view

“Socks of the Day” was inadvertently born during the early days of the pandemic – that time of fear and uncertainty, when the roads and neighborhoods were suddenly empty of traffic and life, people scurrying to opposite sides of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Fashion, Humor, Photography, Uncategorized, Weird, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Peaking

Posted on October 26, 2022 by daeja's view

The color is peaking in style this year here in the northeast. Despite skepticism that it wouldn’t happen due to the drought, Autumn is delivering with a pupil-dilating, heart-opening array of almost trippy leaf psychedelia. We are pulsing with color … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, nature, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

In Print

Posted on June 15, 2022 by daeja's view

It wasn’t a milestone birthday and my expectations had been pretty much non-existent. Aside from wishing some things could finally be repaired or upgraded around the house (I keep wishing for that every year), this day marking another trip around … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Holidays, Spring, treasures, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Mantis

Posted on April 22, 2022 by daeja's view

Last fall my three-year-old granddaughter became fascinated with a dead praying mantis she found in my driveway. That was the second one I had seen around the yard that week, after not seeing any. A few days later I discovered … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Stories, Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wow! | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Sugar Shack

Posted on December 19, 2018 by daeja's view

I’m into wild mushrooms. From spring until the end of autumn you might find me foraging around in the forest, hopefully emerging triumphant with a small basket of woodland goodies, yet other times thrilled to have found just one or … Continue reading →

Posted in Are you kidding me?, baking, Cooking, Mushrooms, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Religion

Posted on November 4, 2018 by daeja's view

It felt like everyone was waiting “forever” for autumn colors to happen, since it was definitely later than usual. The leaves stayed green, but a dull green, and some trees had already turned brown without any show of color at all. … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Perspective, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Miracles and Magic In Your Hands

Posted on May 6, 2016 by daeja's view

Have you stopped to notice all the little miracles that pass through our hands daily? While skimming through a number of recent and stored photographs, I could not help but realize how many beautiful things these worn out old hands … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspective, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Buzzed

Posted on March 10, 2016 by daeja's view

Our local nursery was having their annual Spring flower display, an early teaser, and it was raining, so I stopped there to get high.  On flowers.  I get pretty buzzed on flowers – it’s true.  Obviously  I am not the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Photography, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Bowl of Good Fortune

Posted on August 18, 2015 by daeja's view

Returning from the weekly excursion to our uptown farmer’s market, I added sweet white donut peaches and local apples to the avocados, tiny Seckel pears and other staples already filling this bowl of good fortune.   This vision required the need … Continue reading →

Posted in Diet, Food, Perspective, summer, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Looking Up

Posted on August 4, 2015 by daeja's view

I just happened to have another one of those oddly moving parking lot experiences. It is a hot, bright August day with a slight tinge of humidity in the air.  Despite the delicious temptation of slabbing out in front of … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspective, Photography, summer, Uncategorized, Weather, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

West Wind

Posted on May 13, 2015 by daeja's view

Last night the west wind blew down all the cherry blossoms from the tree across the street. They landed on our side of the road, gathering in a lovely line of candy-pink bubblegum bliss along the curb. I was filled … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspective, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

I’m Not That Old

Posted on January 13, 2014 by daeja's view

Today was the first time I have been in a movie theater to see a feature film  in longer than I can remember.  With the exception of attending foreign films with subtitles, I have pretty much given up on going … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Coping, Deafness, Hearing Impaired, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Two Boy Wedding

Posted on September 3, 2013 by daeja's view

It is a few days past the wedding, and I am still awash in an almost dream-state; every once in a while welling up with emotion which brings me onto the edge of tears. It is an honor to be … Continue reading →

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Elusive, Delicate Rainbows

Posted on August 24, 2013 by daeja's view

A small thing for the Bucket List, but one never-the-less.  I have always wanted to visit a butterfly sanctuary, and it finally happened. Walking into that sheltered world of warm breezes, tropical flowers and rainbow-hued butterflies elicited pure joy.  They … Continue reading →

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Slowly I Turned……

Posted on August 20, 2013 by daeja's view

“Slowly I turned, step by step, inch by inch….” I realize I am dating myself here, because about half the people I have said this to know what I am talking about and the other half don’t. The line is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bucket List, Friends, Hearing Impaired, Humor, Travel, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Octopie

Posted on August 19, 2013 by daeja's view

I just could not resist the creativity of it.  OK, I know I have been running on about berries the last few posts. This is the very last thing I am going to post about pies, or blueberries, or probably … Continue reading →

Posted in kids, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

New Love

Posted on July 18, 2012 by daeja's view

There is a static rush of energy when a new being comes into the world.  The air is charged, the room glows, molecules seem to rearrange themselves to make a place for the arrival. Everyone laughs. Everyone cries. Everyone’s heart … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Triangle of Lights in the Sky

Posted on June 5, 2012 by daeja's view

The same way I am beginning to forget a lot of things these days, this one totally exited my memory…… until last night, and now I can’t shake it. During the 1980’s and early 90’s we lived in an area … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Synchronicity

Posted on April 29, 2012 by daeja's view

This morning when I walked into the kitchen, I found an orange peel lying on the counter.  It had been deftly peeled off in one entire piece and was lying there in the shape of the letter “S”.  Clearly it … Continue reading →

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Humor, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

The Aliens Are Landing

Posted on April 20, 2012 by daeja's view

The idea was to get a few perennials to fill in a few spaces in my garden.  Gardeners know what a tremendous high it is to spend part of a beautiful afternoon at a garden center.  It is almost impossible … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, House plants, Photography, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Sail Away

Posted on March 4, 2012 by daeja's view

I came across this magical photo and decided to share it in my Sunday post.  It is called “Narcissism” by Cynthia Decker.  The crow is gazing at his own reflection. The dreamlike composition evokes all sorts of desires.   It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel, Uncategorized, Wow! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Morning Smoothie

Posted on May 15, 2011 by daeja's view

I have a Sears Countercraft blender, probably circa late 1970’s, color Harvest Gold.  I hadn’t seen it for a while though, as it got lost in the bottom cabinet that contains the large rotating lazy susan that is overstuffed with items, wobbles and doesn’t go around … Continue reading →

Posted in Diet, Uncategorized, Wow! | 3 Comments

What’s Up With the Strawberries?

Posted on May 11, 2011 by daeja's view

What’s up with the strawberries lately?  Has anyone else noticed these mega-giant, shiny uber-red  strawberries that have been appearing for sale in the supermarket?  The last few containers I bought seem to be filled with behemoths.  I have been marveling over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Spring, Uncategorized, Wow! | 2 Comments