Sunday Haiku

May 5, 2015May 5, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

McPherson Cellars, Llano Winery, Caprock Vineyards

red, white, sweet, dry

Lubbock, Texas, wine country beckons.

Last Wednesday Kornpanod (Mink) Stiensape, my grandson, and I went on a field trip to Lubbock to visit three wineries. Mink, my second daughter (in my heart), lived with me as an exchange student six years ago and came back this past month to visit. First, we stopped at McPherson. The tasting room, located in downtown Lubbock, not only has various wines to taste but also sells unique and fun items from candles to napkins to T-shirts. McPherson specializes in dry white wines although they do produce a nice sangiovese as well. Next we drove south of town to Llano. The current tasting room is small. The staff is friendly; tasting and tours are totally free unlike McPherson which charges a small fee for tasting.

The tours did not seem to be on an exactly strict schedule so we had to relax and wait a bit.

This photo shows the tasting room at Llano Winery. I think Mink and I tasted at least half of the red wines, ending with the port which included chocolate to go along with the port. My grandson took photos of the giant stainless steel vats. Personally, I enjoyed the oak barrels much more.

The tour guide explained the difference between the effects of newer barrels and the older ones, e.g. 35 years old, urged us to touch the surface of the barrels, and explained the varied effects. The newer the barrel the rougher the surface of the wood. Newer barrels “breathe” differently than older ones which, of course, alters the effects as well.

Next we drove a short distance farther south to Caprock Vineyards. The lady at McPherson told us Caprock was getting out of the wine business and planned only to host events. Absolutely not true according to the young woman at Caprock. The new owners plan to extend not curtail the wine aspect of their business. This includes surrounding the beautiful central building with vineyards from which they eventually plan to make wine. This is already in progress. Caprock is beautiful, full of elegant ambience which probably explains what others perceive to be an emphasis on events which they do intend to continue. Caprock charges five dollars for five tastings. The labels of at least one of their wines is very misleading. I like dry, red wine. The young lady convinced me to try the Sweet Tempranillo. It is not sweet; it mystifies me why they call it sweet. I do not like sweet red wine, but I liked this tempranillo. It is light enough for summer but dry enough for those who like dry wine. For those unfamiliar with Texas wines, tempranillo has become the go to grape for at least this part of Texas.

The front of the main building walking from the parking lot to the right.

On the path that leads into the malbec vineyard. There is a pathway that winds through the vineyard and an empty area in the middle where an event could be held.

These photos are also in the malbec vineyard looking toward the main building.

Note: I know this is Monday, not Sunday. However, a big electric storm came through just as I started to write this on the computer. Given that lightning strikes have injured or ruined my TV twice, I got off the computer and shut down the TV.

Thursday’s Thoughts on Moths and Teaching Teenagers

April 30, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

It started around 4. I was awakened by the sound of soft, rather indescribable thuds against my bedrooms windows. Half asleep, at first I thought it was rain, opened my eyes, saw stars staring at me. Floating in and out of sleep, my mind puzzled as the thuds increased making it impossible to return to comfortable sleep. Finally, awake, I swung my feet around from under the covers, pushed sandals on, walked to the French doors, and turned on the outside light. Horrified, I watched thousands of dark brown, one inch moths flying around, hitting the windows, dropping to the patio floor, rising again, over and over. I shut off the light, went back to bed, drifted into a troubled slumber, and experienced one of those ludicrous dreams only half remembered–people I know and do not know all mixed together in impossible situations. At 5:19, I gave up on any hopes of sleep, climbed out of bed again, and began the early morning ritual of preparing to go to work.

When I arrived at work, a note lay on my desk from yesterday’s substitute teacher. It indicated that all classes but one, the last one, behaved ok and completed the assigned work. However, it specifically stated that a number of the males in the last class took papers from previous classes and copied them, never even opening the book to attempt pretending to read the assigned story. Did they think he would not notice? Did they think at all? Were they like the moths, flying mindlessly, not caring about the outcome?

When that class arrived, I read them the note. Some denied it, some said nothing. The females, absent on a field trip, were blamed for “ratting us out”. It seemed they did not realize this was a sort of confession. How any of them think I will not know about their transgressions mystifies me. Repeatedly this year, I caught them plagiarizing, lying, and various other forms of cheating, not everyone of course but sometimes half. I find it increasingly disturbing how many students find this sort of behavior acceptable. What do their parents teach them? Where do they get that “wrong” behavior is fine as long as you do not get caught? Do they even think it is wrong? Most admit it is thankfully, but why keep engaging in wrong behavior? Somehow I keep hoping they will learn from these experiences, but other times I really wonder. What can I do to help them realize just how wrong cheating is, how it is a form of stealing? In the end, perhaps, I can only hope that the life lesson mentioned in the words of one student solves the problem: “Karma’s a bitch.”

Sunday Haiku

April 26, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

On the edge of an abyss

hair wind ruffled

look to Orion and dream.

The Highest Bar in Africa

April 22, 2015April 22, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

We sat around the fire

ALL of us

on The Roof of Africa,

the sign stating

“The Highest Bar in Africa”

at 3,260 meters.

We sat around the fire

All of us,

the British owner gone,

forbids natives to sit

with tourists.

We sat around the fire

ALL of us.

Shades of brown, black, cream,

peach, humanity.

I, for one, grateful for

the owner’s absence.

Whose country is it anyway?

Sunday Haiku–Not (Rosie)

April 20, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

I know I promised a haiku every Sunday. However, while I was outside with my horse, Rosie, this kept running through my mind:

Leading Rosie by her mane

no halter, no lead rope, nothing

clicking my tongue, encouraging

Rosie’s such a good girl!

Storms

April 19, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / 2 Comments

Shades of grey, white, charcoal

tumble, swirl, curl,

orange lightning zig zags from

sky to ground

thunder growls, deep voiced

threatening.

Suddenly, the sound of silence

suspended, waiting.

Choose

April 17, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

See beginning note. I turn off the computer when a lightning storm arrives.

writingontherim

Last night I planned to reblog this, my very first blog post from over three years ago. However, a big lightning and hail storm arrived; I turned off my computer. I did not want a lightning strike to ruin it. Lightning struck my house twice in the six and one-half years I have lived here; once it destroyed my TV.

Abraham Lincoln said we choose–or do not choose–happiness. When I was twenty something, I chose happiness, not the sappy, syrupy, cheery, but the deeper joy of cherishing the small, the unique, the everyday, smiling with sunsets, the song of the mockingbird in the spring, my horses running free, the nearly invisible bobcat climbing the canyon wall, the taste of fine coffee at the first wakeful moments in the morning, cooking for friends, taking a “property walk” with my grandson, laughing with the teenagers I teach. I am driven to do…

View original post 41 more words

Writing a Poem Per Day

April 16, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Was it a mistake to commit to 30/30?

Stacks of ungraded papers loom before me.

Commas misplaced; contractions; misspelled

words; tenses switched; “had went”; there,

their, they’re all confused.

Plagiarism checks, time consumed.

Stacks of ungraded papers loom before me.

Surprises

April 14, 2015 / Juliana Lightle / 6 Comments

Life sometimes graces you with lovely surprises, the unexpected sunrise, flowers in unusual places, the rarely seen bobcat climbing the canyon wall. Today, tired, bag full of papers to grade, I entered my house, smelling a puzzling sweetness. The stage manger of Les Miserable lived with me two weeks. She left a bottle of red wine, a heartfelt note, and a bouquet, snowy lilies, golden roses, blue bells. Lillie scent pervades the room. I walk in beauty.