Highlights from Haiku Workshop at the Escondido Library

Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications taught her 2 hour “Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku” workshop at the Escondido Library on February 27, 2025. Many thanks to Principal Librarian, Adult Services Azar Katouzian for hosting/coordinating the workshop and for her photos.

Thanks as always to all of the participants for attending, interacting and sharing their work!

Left to right:
Debbie, Jessica, Susan, Debi, Pamela, Rudy and Oliver
Photos by Azar Katouzian; Collage by SJF Communications

We began with an interactive fun ice breaker – getting to know each other.

After introductions and a review of her published work, Susan taught her Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared her nature photography as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. We all practiced writing Haiku and had the opportunity to share our work. As always, it was a great discussion and we equally had so much to say about the creative process and the parallels with Haiku poetry and visual arts.

Enjoy these Haiku from Susan’s nature photography prompts….

“Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku” Workshop

Escondido Library 2/27/2025

Sunset Cliffs – Photo by Susan J. Farese

Little waves be small

but will always strike truly

As us humans be

by Oliver (age 9)!

Mist above white waves

Rumbling sea below the rocks

People, perched above!

by Susan

Little hummingbird

Will fly faster peacefully

When the flowers bloom.

by Oliver

Master of the flight

Protective of its life space

Drinker of nectar

by Debi

Rocks at Torrey Pines State Beach- Photo by Susan J. Farese

Small pebbles might fall

still they keep their own balance

And strong in sunlight.

by Oliver

The blood-red night sky

Conjured from the depths of hell

Message from Hades

by Debi

Moon Rise and Yellow Traffic Light – Photo by Susan J. Farese

Captured by the Moon

Saw the signal to slow down

Thank you, universe

by Pamela

Carlsbad Flower Field – Photo by Susan J. Farese

I can find comfort

In a crowd of wild flowers

But not with people

by Pamela

Beautiful flowers

Delicate, colored petals

Waving in the breeze

by Debbie

Julian Leaves – Photo by Susan J. Farese

Crispy, rustling leaves

A potpourri of colors

Waiting for a rake

by Debbie

Great White Egret at Santee Lakes- Photo by Susan J. Farese

Susan (great white egret)

Ivory plunge

Contemplating the nest step

Great white egret soars!

Jacaranda Tree- Photo by Susan J. Farese

Jacaranda trees

Bloom but once annually

Purple hues unite!

by Susan

More Haiku Inspired by the workshop

My hesitant breath

Fear, my mountain Everest

Eyes open I jump.

by Rudy

Ruffles, the dog

Morning you are there

Hungry you seek attention

Soft coat ruffles hand.

by Rudy

Colors red and blue

Visit me and leave fast

Dreams of flying now.

by Rudy

Heavy

Blanket of darkness

Feels like a heavy blanket

Covering my soul

by Debi

Broken

Pieces of my heart

Shattering to the cruel Earth

I lie here, broken.

by Debi

Soaring, easy flight

Masters of the ancient sky

Behold, my dragon

by Debi

Writing in silence

Hum of imagination

Words vibrate inside

by Pamela

It’s 80 degrees

Doesn’t feel like wintertime

in Escondido

by Debbie

Pickle Ball has rules

Don’t volley in the kitchen

Or you’ll lose the point

by Debbie

Montessori School

Wonderful community

Of special people

by Debbie

Waikoloa

Warm sun, gently breaking waves

Me, fully relaxed

by Jessica

Sea turtle swimming

In the warm afternoon sun

So oblivious

by Jessica

With snorkel and mask

Sea turtles and rainbow fish

Such a sparkling world

by Jessica

For more information or to book a workshop (Individual or Group) with Susan:
Information LINK: https://sjfcommunications.com/haiku-workshops/
Or, Email info@sjfcommunications.com or sjfcommunications@gmail.com.

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Creativity Blossomed at Haiku Workshop at the Potrero Library

Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications taught her 2 hour “Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku” workshop at the Escondido Library on November 2, 2024.

Many thanks to Branch Manager Berlyne Arteaga for hosting/coordinating the November 2, 2024 workshop and for her photos of the group.

Thanks as always to all of the participants for attending, interacting and sharing their work!

Left to right:
Phyllis, Susan, Lollie, Jan and June

Photos by Berlyne Arteaga and Susan J. Farese;
Collage by SJF Communications

We began with an interactive fun ice breaker – getting to know each other.

Enjoy these Haiku from our Workshop….

“Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku” Workshop

Potrero Library 11/2/2024~

Jet roars past my nose

Wings blurring beyond man’s sight

Hummingbird visit

by Jan

Carlsbad Flower Fields – Photo by Susan J. Farese

Rainbow colors bloom

Mother Earth’s message to all

Spring is here again

by Jan

Coyote Chorus

Many voices sing off-key

Winters chill soft breath

Morning light fades dark

Cocooned warmth – feel hot breath

Open eyes – dog nose!

Innocence tumbles

Heart bleeds love lost in one blow

Domestic Abuse

by Jan

Winter

The coldest season

Animals hibernating

Snow on mountain tops

by June

People

People are funny

People run, walk, laugh, cry, talk

Also fat, skinny

by Phyllis

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Creative Collection from Recent SJF Communications Haiku Workshops!

The following are Haiku poems from my recent workshops in Lakeside and Casa de Oro, CA. It’s always so rewarding for me to see how creativity develops with attendees! Sometimes, my nature photography prompts (or attendee’s photos) will encourage and spark writing about the actual photos seen, sometimes, a creative spark ignites and words appear that bring the past to light!

Enjoy these Haiku….

A yellow moonrise

Will it being mischief or peace?

We shall wait and see

-Anonymous attendee at library

RESCUE ME

How miraculous

A sister! A family!

Light in the darkness

-Attendee who discovered she had a half-sister a few years ago….

after losing both of her parents.

Thirty-four years gone

It is still hard to believe

I live, love, for you.

-Attendee about the loss of her parent

Incessant drumming

Wet Earth, muddy paws, messy

Where are you sunshine?

Attendee who wrote this reflecting on the noisy (and seemingly endless) rain…

GRATEFUL

Phenomenal me

I have crawled through broken

To a life I love

34 years gone

It is still hard to believe

I live, love, for you.

Attendee wrote about resilience and loss…

FLOWERS

Birds of paradise

Colorful, feathery plumes

Gently swaying tall

-Attendee writing about a favorite flower, at library workshop

Once an awesome Miss

Succumbs to the elements

And passes away…

Time’s a miracle

That so loses its intrigue

The longer it goes.

Was it what you thought?

Are the gates really pearly?

Or was it a myth?

Did you get to hear

the celestial choir hymns?

Was it what you dreamed?

Are you joining in?

Do you feel at home there yet?

Do you know you are gone?

Did you meet Danny?

Is he who you thought he’d be?

Was he grown or not?

Was he as happy

To finally meet Mommy?

He waited so long.

Did you see Jesus?

Was he what you thought he’d be?

Did he know your name?

-Attendee writing about recent loss of her Mother

CEDAR WAXWINGS

This fluttering flock

All swooping down together

Perching on branches

Softly twittering

With jaunty crested heads and

Pale yellow bellies

Searching for berries

AS bright as their red-tipped wings

So hungry in Spring.

Their grumpy faces

Wearing black masquerade masks

Always make me smile

Attendee that enjoys birdwatching and is especially is intrigued by Cedar Waxwings!

HARPER

An all-breed puppy

Soft white fur, muscle and bone

Perpetual smile

She’s ready to play

Joyful and exuberant

Yet happy to work

Busy all the time

She zooms through the garden to

Hunt, chase, dig and bark

I call her to me

She quivers with excitement

To practice our tricks

Looping around me

Weaving with agility

Through my walking legs

When we are both tired

We will snuggle together

Relaxed on the couch.

Attendee who write about her dog Harper!

CAREGIVING

I care, I love, who?

Never in my wildest dreams

My care for elders!

Truly I did so

Wholeheartedly giving all

Nothing left for myself

Now injured, who cares?

Overwhelming pain, depressed

Love, care for ME first!

Tender loving care

Memories of Mom and Dad

Worthiness of life!

Attendee reflecting on the toll and satisfaction that caregiving had for her…

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“THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS” – NOW AVAILABLE!

I am so honored and thrilled to announce a new poetry book that I am a part of (Editing, Formatting, Publishing w/ SJF Communications) ~ It has truly been a pleasure as I gained insight into my late “cousin” Janine’s gift of writing poetry and illustrating.

It is called “THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS”.

Book cover of "The Cry of the Seagull: Janine's Sea of Emotions" by Janine Hamel Lettera

Janine Hamel Lettera was a NJ Kindergarten teacher who sadly passed away in 1999 at the age of 40. Janine was a talented poet and created visual art. Her first book “My First Day of School” was published posthumously in 2012.

Throughout the years, Janine’s Mom Carol discovered Janine’s emotional and poignant poetry and art and recently forwarded it to her Goddaughter Susan J. Farese. Susan edited, formatted and published THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS in 2023 to celebrate and honor Janine and her body of work.

Themes include Love; Breaking Up; Nature; Loss, Death & Grief; Hope; People; and Mom. There is also a beautiful tribute poem at the end from Janine’s best friend Barbara.

A great gift idea for anyone!

It is available as an ebook on Amazon now and soon will be as a paperback. Stay tuned for more information. Please spread the word about Janine’s talent and her poignant words and visual pieces.

LINKS:

Here’s the paperback link for THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS https://amzn.to/3X0hjnT

Here is the ebook link for THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS
https://amzn.to/3XmL0zP

✍️📝👩‍💻🎄🎅🏻🤶🏻❤️🎄🕎

#poetrybook #poetrycommunity #poetsofinstagram #newbook #amazonfinds #amazonbooks #lateauthors #posthumouswritings #lovepoems #breakuppoems #griefpoems #naturepoems #familypoems #hopepoems #author #authorssupportingauthors #writingcommunity #janinehamel #janinehamellettera #thecryoftheseagulljaninesseaofemotions

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Rose Week Haiku Workshop at the Del Mar Library!

Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications taught her 2 hour SJF Communications “Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku” workshop during Rose Week on May 10th at the Del Mar Branch of the San Diego County Library System. Many thanks to Polly, Branch Manager and Friends of the Library for hosting the workshop.

We began with an interactive fun ice breaker – getting to know each other.

After introductions and a review of her published work (with Haiku and other forms of poetry), Susan taught her Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared nature photography, including several photos of roses and flowers, plus other nature photos as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. We all practiced writing Haiku and had the opportunity to share our work. One woman had to leave early so she didn’t contribute a poem. It was a great discussion and we equally had so much to say about the creative process and the parallels with Haiku poetry and visual arts.

Here is a glimpse of us, along with the photo prompts and written Haiku for the afternoon.

Anna’s Hummingbird Feeding (Photo by Susan J. Farese)

Aroma beckons

Vibrating and fluttering

Delightful humming!

-Marilyn

Bold Flower and Butterfly (Photo by Susan J. Farese)

Vivid fuschia bed

Black and orange butterfly

Rests! Summer respite!

-Susan

Moon Rise and Yellow Traffic Light (Photo by Susan J. Farese)

All of a sudden

Yellow traffic light appears

Inviting moon shine!

-Susan

Julian Leaves – (Photo by Susan J Farese)

Crunchy country sounds

A potpourri of color

Autumn leaves do fall!

-Susan

Elizabeth chose one of her photos on her phone of a beautiful rose, Here is her Haiku:

Spring spiral petals

Fragrant blooms fill twilight mist

Paint to sunset rose!

-Elizabeth

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An Afternoon Birdwatching at Santee Lakes (Video)

It’s always fun to birdwatch (and get some steps walking along) at Santee Lakes! You never know what species you’ll see.

Today we saw Mallards, Snowy Egrets, a Green Heron, a Western Bluebird, Black Phoebes, Wood Ducks and a Lesser Scaup to name several!

Check out the video above!

We were pleased to see the new General Store and Snack area.

Here is the website for visiting with lots of info: https://www.santeelakes.com/

Photos and Video by SJF Communications.

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A Glorious Day at Lake Hodges (Video)

What a spectacular day hiking at Lake Hodges in Escondido, CA! Beautiful scenery, wildflowers blooming, birds enjoying the plentiful rain that we’ve had lately, magnificent rainbows (did we mention the larger than life rattlesnake)? Take a look at ‘art in nature’ and ‘nature as art’!

Music: If We Knew All the Laws of Nature’ by Robert Farmer.

Photos/Video by SJF Communications ‘Creative Ideas | Dynamic Results’ sjfcommunications.com

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A Visit to the Batiquitos Lagoon

My friend and I recently decided to ‘get our steps’ and visit the coastal wetland at the

Batiquitos Lagoon Trail, located in Carlsbad.

We walked 1.5 miles of the north side of the trail and back again.

It was a beautiful, enjoyable day in nature!

We saw the glistening blue water of the lagoon, a variety of shorebirds and other varieties of birds, beautiful aromatic eucalyptus trees, wildflowers complete with bees, a woodpile of artistic tree rings, several inviting thatched roof benches for resting and viewing the lagoon, a lizard on a rock, and much more. We were inspired with so much beauty surrounding us!

We chatted, laughed and decided to plan on excursions such as this in the future.

After our walk we stopped in the Nature Center, which is open:

Monday through Friday from 9 am – 12:30 pm

and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am – 3 pm

Feel free to enjoy these photos! Click on each one to see a larger version!

Here is the link again:

http://www.batiquitosfoundation.org/

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San Dieguito River Park – Del Mar

Fun time strolling at the San Dieguito River Park in Del Mar today despite the heat and humidity in the San Diego area! Shorebirds are thriving there and the water was crystal blue. Two Great White Egrets were in a tizzy, I saw a flock of Kildeer hurrying above yapping away (who knows why), a European Starling (I think) and a few gulls too! Panoramic view of the lagoon, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Viewpoint Brewery , the #5, then West towards the ocean.

Here’s a short video. Enjoy !

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A Quick Visit: San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center Loop Trail

I had some free time and took advantage of a wonderful mini-escape to nature!

Here’s a short video to recap my time strolling throughout the mile long, double loop, ADA accessible San Elijo Nature Center Loop Trail (Located off of Interstate #5 a bit West on Manchester Blvd. in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California). There are several benches along the route to sit back, reflect and ‘take it all in’.

There’s a bit of restoration and dredging (thus, disruption of the bird habitats) happening these days, complete with large cranes, so I didn’t spot as many species as usual.

Feel free to read more about the San Elijo Nature Center plus, some info about the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy

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Cloudy & Chilly Day Bird Watching (& Haiku)- San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy

A chilly cloudy day with some cool sightings at the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center, San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy with a #Haiku.

Photos and Haiku by Susan Farese, SJF Communications

Ode to Bird Watching!

Bird Watching is FUN!

Challenging and exciting

(But pay attention)!

All of a sudden

One might grace with their presence

And poof…they fly past!

Camera in hand

Mastering all the settings

Stay still – just don’t move!

Nothing like photos

Displaying what you’ve captured

I LOVE BIRD WATCHING!

Here are some photos – feel free to click on each one!

Buffleheads – Photo by SJF Communications

American Wigeon Pair – (Male on the right) Photo by SJF Communications

Willet – Photo by SJF Communications

Black Phoebe – Photo by SJF Communications

Willet – Photo by SJF Communications

Adeplha Californica Butterfly Photo by SJF Communications

Sora – Photo by SJF Communications

Mallards – Photo by SJF Communications

Snowy Egret – Photo by SJF Communications

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Nature Trail Photos at the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy

A Relaxing Past Time

I spent a delightful afternoon wandering about by bird watching and enjoying nature’s foliage, views and more at the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy – a Southern California nonprofit land trust which is part of the nearly 1000-acre San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, bordered by the northern San Diego areas of Solana Beach, Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe.

I began my solo stroll at the ‘green’ San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center (2710 Manchester Avenue
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA 92007). The volunteers and rangers were very helpful with information. I gave a donation and visited the interactive exhibits. The Nature Center sells limited items such as maps, books, snacks/drinks etc.

I embarked on my journey by following the beautiful trail. Here are some photos from the day!

Nature Center and Trail

Feel free to hover over/click on each photo to see the name and enlarge it.

I visited during low tide and was able to see a variety of shore birds at the mud flats. The trail is quite easy to navigate (it also includes ADA accessible boardwalk). There are natural-looking overlooks and benches for those who’d like a rest, or just sit and observe!

Bird Watching!

Feel free to hover over/click on each photo to see the name and enlarge it.

Bufflehead

American Wigeon

White-Crowned Sparrow

Mallards

Snowy Egret

Yellow Common Throat

The Mallards!

More Bird Watching!

Enjoying the Surroundings!

Feel free to hover over/click on each photo to see the name and enlarge it.

I also enjoyed admiring the foliage and surroundings. Here’s a peek at what I saw that day…Spring has sprung indeed!

Arroyo Willow

Climbing Milkweed

Sea Dahlia

Pine Cone

Torrey PInes

Such a wonderful day!

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Video: A Bird Watching Visit to Santee Lakes (San Diego, California)

My husband and I recently thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon at Santee Lakes. We walked around several of the lakes for fitness and I did some incredible bird watching!

Here’s a short video:

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Torrey Pines State Beach: Dolphins & Sandpipers & Pelicans…Oh My!

I am spoiled! Living so close to the beach is one thing, but even better is the fact that we’re near Torrey Pines State Beach!

Torrey Pines State Beach is located between La Jolla and Del Mar, California and approximately 1.5 miles West of Interstate 5 at Carmel Valley Road in San Diego. Here is a cool visitors guide for Torrey Pines State Beach including parking rate information from the San Diego Tourism Authority as well as information about the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Daily rates: $10-15 Monday-Thursday; $12-20 Friday-Sunday and Holidays. Click for info on Annual Passes.

As I have stated before, #TorreyPinesStateBeach is my ‘go to’ place to walk for fitness, stroll, socialize, observe the #artinnature and #natureasart. I like to visually capture interesting images.

Here are a few images from my most recent March, 2018 visit…I also saw a whale spouting, but it was so fast I couldn’t capture it quickly enough with a photo!