Her Nordic blue eyes smiling,

Doreen welcomed us to her home in Rockaway,

to share some time together, a relaxed and happy day.

Everywhere we looked, there were wonders for the eye,
An orchid at the window, a plant that snapped a fly!

In her sunny upstairs haven, the sky spilled right in
Splashing light upon her canvas and art that made us grin

Of golden dogs watching as God and man play ball
And cows in party hats staring from a pasture on the wall!

Doreen’s paintings thrill the eye and warm the heart
Revealing that fun and beauty are seldom far apart.

We picnicked in her back yard, amid flowers of every hue
A warm sun on our shoulders, beneath a sky of blue.

With a cocky puppy smile, Piper invited us to play
Nuzzling and nibbling, he soon got his way.

Happily we could have stayed in Doreen’s backyard all day
But we had planned for a hike, and time was slipping fast away.

So while Bob chopped wood, the rest of us walked along the beach,
Doreen said that a distant river would not be too far to reach.

We strolled along, a carefree happy band.
A strong south wind behind us, as waves swept across the sand.

Pelicans from Mexico kept watch upon the tide
As seagulls circled overhead, seeking winds to glide.