Joe Pallen

#537 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 29, 2026January 28, 2026autumn, haiku, january, winter 3 Comments

An autumn leaf in a frozen mud puddle partially cover in ice, the ice shows round ripples from layered freezing.

in a winter freeze/an autumn flame/burns

#536 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 25, 2026January 25, 2026haiku, january, winter 2 Comments

Color photograph of two mushrooms at the edge of a gravel road on a hill covered in small pieces of icy frozen fog.

#535 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 22, 2026January 25, 2026haiku, january, winter 4 Comments

Color close-up photograph of green sage in the winter, its leaves covered and bits of icy, frozen fog. In the middle a peek into the outer leaves revealed smaller leaves and a stem.

the gray fog frozen/so clear the cold burns/a taste of garden sage

#534 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 18, 2026January 25, 2026haiku, january, winter 2 Comments

A purple bloom on a greater periwinkle in the middle of winter next to stone, shot with lo depth of field.

a guest slips in/the northern shadow/on an empty path

#533 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 15, 2026January 14, 2026haiku, january, winter 1 Comment

Color photograph of green Moss filling in the middle if it looks like a manhole cover on the side of the road near our water treatment plant, there are bits and pieces of their dry grasses and green grass

soaking up/the fragrance of water and waste/moonlight

#531 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 8, 2026January 8, 2026haibun, haiku, january, New Years, winter 5 Comments

This is the second time Melissa and I have traveled to the Oregon Coast in midwinter. The first time was in 2020. What struck me then and again on this trip was how early it grew dark. Maybe this is because before 2020 we would visit the coast during seasons with more daylight. The feeling I get of being on the coast in midwinter is one of tranquility. There are still large crowds like in summer, yet the seas are rougher. In all of this activity, there is a thread of peacefulness weaving through the interactions of people and nature. I wonder if it is the long night with its expanse of darkness over the sea that brings this on.

1. Sunday (arrival)

Color photograph of sand ripples in water and a sand dollar in backlit by the low winter sun.

after sunset/floating in the water —high clouds/and the moon

2. Monday

Color photograph of barnacles and sea algae clinging together to a rock at low tide in the afternoon sun.

on the cliff face/houses is side-by-side – from this hut/a wonderful view

3. Tuesday

Color photograph at the edge of a tide pool with a row of sand depressions along the pool’s edge going from small to large back to small again backlit in the low winter sun with dark rocks background.

intertidal/at the edge of the pool/phases of noon

3. Wednesday (New Year’s Eve)

Color photograph of a sunset over the ocean with waves coming over a a sandbar splashing into a rock.

Sunset wave/across the sandbar/my feet soaked

#530 – January 2026

jpallen Nature Life January 4, 2026January 4, 2026haiku, january, winter 1 Comment

Melissa and I traveled to the coast last week. We took our time along way and on the return trip home, staying overnight in various towns. Today’s post includes a photograph and haiku from each stop, taken and experienced while out walking.

1. Walla Walla, WA