My clouds hug the sky
cockatoos caw out their joy
and the rain giggles.
Just a little haiku to celebrate our autumn. Every evening when I leave the nursing home, I drive past a spot on the edge of town where hundreds of white cockatoos fill the trees like giant snowflakes, and create a raucous cacophony. They are so loud, it can be alarming if you don’t know what the noise is but I love it! I am not quite sure why there are so many in that particular spot as there are none on the farm; there are plenty of other parrots here but not the white ones. Interesting. Well it is finally raining and the brown paddocks will soon be green again! The faltering wormwood will come back to life, the five acres of lawn will need mowing around the house and everything that looked dead will be reborn (okay, except for most of the roses!) 
The wormwood hedge stretches from where the house is right back to where Ming’s shed is. I remember the days when Anthony trimmed it, then the days when Arthur trimmed it, then the days when Ming said he would trim it, and the days when I thought about trimming it, but, alas, all of those days are gone. Autumn seems a good time to take another blog break so that I can concentrate on some other projects including applying for a job as a behaviour consultant with a local Alzheimer’s Disease organisation. It might happen and it might not but it would be a wonderful opportunity to share some of the lessons I have learned about dementia and communication over the years, including what is happening right now with Anthony and me. It is very hard to see someone who used to be the life of the party reclined crookedly in an armchair in a nursing home. It is also very hard for me to find the words to adequately express how much I love this man, my husband, Anthony, without resorting to cliches. Hence the concluding haiku:
My sky hugs your clouds.
The birds are oblivious.
You hold my small hand.
jmgoyder 
I sincerely appreciate you sharing your inner most thoughts.
Thanks – you are coming up as ‘anonymous’ – is that okay?
Enjoy the break – fingers crossed for the job.
You never know! Thanks!
I see no reason why the company should not pick you. Good luck. Great photos. I love when you talk about the culture of your country
Just realised I don’t fit the bill re criteria.
I am sorry
So lovely.
Thanks Amy.
We are eagerly awaiting spring after a long, cold winter. It is slow to arrive. Enjoy. Love the haiku.
Happy Spring!
Enjoy your break. Enjoy Autumn. Enjoy your husband. See you when you get back Julie. ❤
Diana xo
Thanks Diana for your ongoing support and empathy and encouragement!
Your art is words
Your words are paintings
Your heart
Oh your heart
A pearl of great price.
Thank you for this, Mama – you always seem to know when I am struggling. xxx
Beautiful haikus and beautiful photographs dear Julie. have a nice break and autumn days 🙂 and Good luck for job dear, Thanks, Love, nia
Thanks for always brightening the day, Nia!
It’s funny that your autumn will bring greener pastures just like my spring will here in Balndford MA. I know that you will be an asset to the company who is lucky enough to get you. Hugs Jules 🙂
I don’t think the job is gonna happen now – oh well.
Like you said oh well, I’m sure that you are fine with or without them. Who knows something better may even come along soon, you never know. 😀
I think your words say all they need to say… Hope you get a chance for that job though.. .Diane
Not sure!
I suspect we may be feeling similar emotions about the passage of time and the way things change, never to be the same again. Sometimes I can embrace it and flow with it and other times (like now) I can’t even put into words how much sorrow I feel over every thing that has gone away or changed into something completely different.
Oh Trisha, I hope you know how much I empathise and care for you. Love Julie
I feel the same about you, Julie!
Wonderful haiku both before and after your prose.
I am going to try to catch up with your blog and others’
I love both haikus…and everything in between. I wish you a beautiful autumn with hedges that trim themselves and jobs that fall on your lap. May your clouds turn out to be happy ones.
What a beautiful person you are to say this!
If you’re peering out from a dark hole – I swear I saw you peering into mine. Sending you a huge hug. Perhaps you are feeling the seasonal change. That effects me. Here is is spring and where you live it is autumn. Autumn always felt sad for me. It’s so easy to miss the way things used to me. Of course, we have no way of knowing what’s ahead either. I pray there are surprises in store for you, Julie.
Not sad, not happy, just a bit nothing atm!
Good luck Julie. I hope that the cooling breezes of Autumn sooth your soul.
You are very kind.
you are the perfect person for this job and i hope they see that when they meet you. what a lovely haiku )
Not going for the job now – tooooooooo hard!
I will look forward to your return. I hope your break is restive and restorative. Good luck with that position, but like I said….it is THEIR good fortune to get you. All my best to your beautiful men. (And thanks for the chuckles about the hedge care changes….)
I was a bit silly re that job – I have sent an email asking if I could job-share but no reply yet. I can’t possibly do full-time while Ants is alive – what was I thinking?
I’m sure, knowing you, that what you were thinking was you could help so many with what you know and have experienced. And you could. The excitement of the prospect of helping got to you I’m sure. You will always be needed Julie. Never more than Anthony needs and wants you, so they will just have to wait for you. 🙂
Yes, plenty of time in the future I guess.
I admire, Julie, your very strong sense of self, and Anthony, and Ming.
Wonderful piece of writing, you know every evening we have a flock of cockatoos fly over our house and they are loud you could set your clock by them
Interesting! I wonder if anyone here knows the habits of these cockatoos.
Have a nice break, my friend. xx
Thanks AA
Enjoy your break. Your haikus were touching and beautiful. So was this post. I hope your world is soon renewed, along with your wormwood, and good luck with the new job.
I’m back!
That was fast:)
Embarrassingly so!
A good thing for me. I enjoy your blogs!
Our geese, your cockatoos. Rebirth of the green season. Yes,take a break, but please come back.
Already back and feeling silly!
Saw in the comments you may not have the job. Sure hope you’ll find something good soon. 🙂
Thank you!!!
Your haikus are beautiful Jules. I agree completely with Chatter Master, that what captured your heart about that job was an opportunity to help more people who suffer this horrid disease. One thing about you…your heart is always in the right place. You are not silly to have given this a thought…not in the least. Love you…xoxo
Well I absolutely adore you, bright spot!
Lovely . . . I hope we will be loved and cared for like this when we are the ones to sit in the chairs.
I love Autumn as well. Seems the seasons messed up this time. Normally I get sinus when it’s Spring. Now I get it when it’s Autumn. Must be old age. hahahaha!
Beautiful photos Jules and lovely Haiku. Enjoy! 😀 ♥