Author: whippetwisdom

The stories, poems and photographs on this blog are the original creative work of Xenia Tran. Inspired by life in the Scottish Highlands and in awe of nature she gives voice to the wisdom of her two adopted whippets Eivor and Pearl.

Haibun: Natural Light

a blue and white whippet in a maroon and grey jacket sniffing the stones on the beach

The temperature has dipped and yesterday’s snow lingers on the higher ground. The light bounces through scattered clouds as we walk along the soft sand. The tide is rolling in. Even with restrictions in place there’s freedom in each movement.


quick water
a flock of geese
is heading north

© Xenia Tran

silhouette of a whippet in a jacket walking across tidal sands

Wishing you all a happy Monday and happy International Women’s Day,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

My maternal grandmother was a very kind and spirited woman who pursued her dream to become a GP and cared for others during her entire life.

If you missed the poem we shared on Twitter earlier today, you can read it here:

Grandma Alice poem by Xenia Tran with old black and white photograph of her grandmother
(From Chiaroscuro – Darkness and Light, Voices from Poets – dVerse Anthology, 2017)

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/4 – 1/1000 s – ISO 100, f/2.8 – 1/2000 s – ISO 100 and f/8 – 1/1600 s – ISO 100.

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #138: Natural Light

Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Pursuit

Word of the Day Challenge: Free

Tanka: The Gift

two whippets in winter jackets on the beach, one of them chasing a ball

sunshine breeze
a present
in the gull’s eyes
that looks older than today
even when it’s younger

© Xenia Tran

view from the beach of a tidal lagoon and sand bar

Wishing you all a wonderful Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/2.8 – 1/2000 s – ISO 100 and f/4 – 1/1000 s – ISO 100.

Tanka Thursday: Present

Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word (Variegated)

Wordless Wednesday: A Soft Bed in the Sun

a blue and white whippet looking up from a dog bed
close up of a black whippet resting on a dog bed

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/4.5 – 1/250 s – ISO 200, f/5 – 1/200 s – ISO 200 and f/5 – 1/250 s – ISO 200.

Wordless Wednesday

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #137: Soft

Tanka: Deep Water

action shot of a whippet in a winter jacket running on the beach

letting go
a swan pair shows
their cygnet
how deep water glitters
in sapphire blue

© Xenia Tran

action shot of a whippet in a winter jacket running on the beach

Wishing you all a happy Monday and a blessed start to the new month,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/2.8 – 1/1600 s – ISO 100.

PI Poetry Prompt #300: Deep Water

Water Water Everywhere #67

Let’s Get Inspired by –Xenia Tran – Part 2 of 2

I am deeply honoured and delighted to share Part 2 of Bella’s lovely interview for her beautiful Let’s Get Inspired Series:

ThoughtsnLifeBlog

To be inspired by another life and their routines helps us in our writing, blogging, and life. I always look for inspiration, and with the help of a few blogger friends, I have created this “let’s get inspired series”,click hereto read the introductory post.

Today we share with you the second part of our interview with Xenia Tran. We will discuss her love of Poetry and the books she has written. If you missed part one,click hereto read. In part one, we spoke about Xenia’s blogging and photography journey.

What inspires you? Featuring Xenia Tran – Part 2

Xenia and I started blogging at the same time – that is- March 2016. We have become friends over that time. What drew me to Xenia’s blog –Whippets Wisdom, was her Whippets’ photos and her poetry.

I have no pets.However, the photo’s that Xenia takes of…

View original post 1,460 more words

Haibun: Serendipity

a blue and white whippet in a winter jacket walking on the beach

Now the snow has melted snowdrops and crocus begin to bloom. Swans are renewing their bond, young gulls are scouting for nest sites. Seasons continue to loop as if there’s no pandemic. There’s a chill from the eastern wind, even though the temperature is rising.

mirror, mirror
the sky’s blue in
every wave

© Xenia Tran

close up of the waves and surf near the tidal line

Wishing you all a happy Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/4.5 – 1/640 s – ISO 125, f/5.6 – 1/400 s – ISO 100 and f/5.6 – 1/320 s – ISO 100.

Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Renewal

Rag Tag Daily Prompt: Repeating Shapes

Word of the Day Challenge: Serendipity

Wordless Wednesday: Someone Watching Over Us

two whippets in winter jackets on a tidal beach with rocks
a mature herring gull standing on a seaweed-covered rock

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Setings: f/4.5 – 1/400 s – ISO 100, f/4.5 – 500 s – ISO 100 and f/6.3 – 1/800 s – ISO 200.

Wordless Wednesday

Word of the Day Challenge: Theme

Tanka: Carvings

two whippets in winter jackets by outcrops and rock pools

snow melts
in half the time
it takes to fall
we skip across the outcrops
carved by tide and wind

© Xenia Tran

a black whippet in a winter jacket sniffing the rocks

Wishing you all a happy Monday and a wonderful new week,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/4 – 1/1000 s – ISO 100, f/4.5 – 1/640 s – ISO 100 and f/5.6 – 1/800 s – ISO 400.

PI Poetry Prompt: Carve

Water Water Everywhere #65

Let’s Get Inspired by –Xenia Tran – Part 1 of 2

I am deeply honoured and delighted to be interviewed by the lovely Bella from ThoughtsnLifeBlog for her Let’s Get Inspired Series today:

ThoughtsnLifeBlog

Welcome to the Let’s be Inspired series, where we get to know our fellow bloggers on WordPress.com. Where we learning their blogging journey, book writing journey, their passion for photography, and more. The purpose is to be ‘inspired’ by their journey and learn from them. To be encouraged by their dedication, motivations, routines and how they make it happen. So that the fire within us to write, blog, or to  take better photos etc., is ignited.

Today, we speak to Xenia Tran, the forth blogger, of this series. I hope you enjoy this two-part interview with Xenia.

Where does the inspiration to write come from? Featuring Xenia Tran – Part 1

Xenia and I started blogging at the same time – that is- March 2016. We have become friends over that time. What drew me to Xenia’s blog –Whippets Wisdom, was the photos of her Whippets and her…

View original post 1,524 more words

Tanka: Choices

a young crow on top of a fence in the snow

at peace
the crow and I
side by side
we have more directions
in which to wander

© Xenia Tran

a snow-covered promenade beside the seashore

Wishing you all a wonderful Thursday and a peaceful rest of the week,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5.6 – 1/1000 s – ISO 200, f/5.6 – 1/250 s – ISO 160 and f/4 – 1/500 s – ISO 100.

Tanka Thursday: Bird(s) or Name of a Bird

Twiglet #214: We Have More

Thurday’s Special: Pick a Word – Cohabitation