Image: Louie a boston terrier the latest addition to our family enjoying an early morning nap (snooze). While he was sleeping it was raining outside and the following poem came to mind. The second poem was some lines I had been working with and decided to put them together to see what came out

14/11/14 - 1) Sat listening to the morning rain

Beating on my window pane

Louie’s on my lap...

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Image: My last view of Austin, my spiritual poetry home

28.04.14: 142) Been quite a tour and more

Done things I’ve never done before

Capturing in rhyme places seen for the first time

It’s been a blast, seems to have gone real fast

Over 3800 miles done,

Between the rising and setting of the sun

Visited three new states, between poetry dates

New things to do found, broke...

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Image: Bob Mudd, Ron and Susan Beall Summers ouside Kick Butt, Austin, my final performance for 2014.

27.04.14: 138) Alarm sounding I rose from my bed

Looked at the pool but decided on breakfast instead

Showered an’ dressed, tee shirt neatly pressed

Car ready, long way to go so take it steady

Left the hotel, wind like a blast from an oven

Hotter than a witches coven

No ti...

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Image:17th St, outside The Historic Cine El Rey Theatre, McAllen, after the final pachanga.

24.04.14: 114) Yesterday afternoon we made our way

To a place called El Sal Del Rey

Breeding season for rattlesnake

Keep to the middle of the path to the lake

Then it’s over the salt we go

Sounds like we’re treadin’ on fresh fallen snow

Hoof prints in the mud tell us what has been

No...

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Image: Salt coated timber at El Sal Del Rey, inspiration for haiku in next section McAllen poem 115.

23.04.14: 111) The day broke, the sun shone, my tour carried on

McAllen my next place to dwell

Chamber of Commerce providing the hotel

So with great memories of last night’s event

Drivin’ down the road, once more I went

Thinkin’ of the St Georges flags that flew proud

When I sp...

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Image: The podium at Barnes and Noble home to the prestigeous Sun Poets Society wher I had the honour of being the feature poet on April 22 2014.

22.04.14: 108) After 11 nights in Austin,

At the motel that’s nicely positioned

I drove away thinkin’ "it’s still the only Motel 6 in Austin

Where I haven’t been propositioned".

109) To San Antonio I’m goin’ Traffic slowin’

Nothin’...

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Image: Hayley & Kelsey, staff at Austin Wildlife Rescue where I spent 10 days as a volunteer, 10 very rewarding days, poems about it are in this section.

12.04.14: 62) Grackle shrieks, my early morning call

I look out the window, he’s on the wall

Fly’s off looks at me as if to say

Time to tell others to start their day

63) One of my tours features is helpin’ the smaller of God'...

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Image: The Arkansas State Line sign with my Yorkshire Thermal Cup (inset) perched on top of it.

11.04.14: 57) Clear sky an’ sun tell,

Me today is gonna be hot as hell

Country music on the radio renditioning,

An’ I’ve got air conditioning

But the sun maybe blindin’ cos when I look I find

I’ve left my sunglasses behind

58) Yesterday I tried but in vain, I used the gps again

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Image: Blossom (Spring Snow) on the trees in the main street of Sesser, Illinois small town nearto Rend Lake a man made lake to help with local; water problems and is now a haven for wildlife and outdoor pursuits.

53) I’d arrived in Terre Haute to find,

The clocks in Little Rock were an hour behind

Goin’ back’ll take eight hours, but it’ll seem like seven

An’ I enjoy a little piece of...

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Image: The statue of Max Ehrmann writer of the timeless classic Desiderata, where he often sat and wrote,  near the corner of 7th and Wabash, the "Crossroads of America," where he drew inspiration from the sights, sounds and people of Terre Haute. He once wrote of his hometown, "What place is lovelier than Terre Haute? ... Here is the world in miniature." How true.

09.04.14: 48) Terre Haute, br...

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Image: A brief history of part of Terre Haute and what its name means.

08.04.14: 45) I rose feeling jaded and worn

After kept being woken by loco horn

As if sleep was in vain, horns sounding again and again

Unlike grandfather clock chimes

Why do drivers have to sound them so many times?

46) Black coffee and a honey bun,

That’s it my breakfasts done

Car stowed, onc...

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Image: A view of a shopping mall from the stage of Little Rocks open air theatre.

07.04.14: 44) I’d 500 plus miles to drive today

Hopefully get there alive and say

What a good drive it’s been

And no problems getting gasoline

So I left at the break of day,

Let the gps tell me the way

Radio playing on I-35,

Music so good it was almost live

Country, Gospel, whatever I choos...

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Image: A rainy day in Austin a rare but much needed event.

04.04.14: 24) Last night before I went to bed,

I wrote down the thoughts in my head

Inspiration flowing let it, write it down lest I forget it

After a journey that seemed to take ages

It was all in rhyme in my journal pages

Then to sleep tired an’ worn,

Awake to a cool Austin dawn

Iron borrowed tee shirts pressed, s...

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Image: The departure gate at Mamchester, may fly from there again.

03.04.14: 15) Last night I thought it would be fine

To go to bed at nine

Cos' this morning at half past four

The taxi woul dbe at my door

Straight to sleep and then

Woke up to find it was only quarter past ten

I hadn’t slept long but I’d slept deep

But the time made it plain, I could go back to sleep ag...

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Image: A fog bound Leeds/Bradford Airport, early morning

02.04.14: 7) Departure day soon comes round

Shower, coffee and to the airport I'm bound

Checked in on line last night, seems I'd done it right

It had done the trick, got throough check in pretty quick

Then breakfast to be had full English for this local lad

With a black coffee the first of many

Which like the break...

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Image: Mementoes of previous trips

04.02.14: 1) I should be composing poetry

About this years trip

Words flowing like water, like firing a pistol from the hip

Ready to take stock, seems like I've a mental block

So much has been going on

One year by this time I'd written many,

So far this year I haven't written any

Hopefully in April when I get on the plane

My inspir...

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