Decoration---ing & Fence Dancing!

This is one half of my house, literally. This is the view from our added on bedroom doorway---of the living room. It looks out towards the porch on the south side of our house. I was considering putting up a Christmas Chair again this year. 

Hubby watches TV from the folding chair. There is our drying rack next to the cabin heater. Charlie sits in sunlight. To the left is the loveseat. That is it. We can't social distance in our house. If I got sick, I'd have to quarantine outside somehow. That means using the horse trailer with a plug in for heat [let's say it would be colder than a witch's you-know-what and using the outhouse while prepping meals and doing chores?]....Yes our house is that little that we would breath the same air no matter what.

Anyway, that aside...

This is the other half of the house. Photo taken from the fridge. The oven and sink are to the left out of sight.

There is a half story upstairs but that is only used for storage or when we have company. And we haven't had company since February 2020. I keep my ever growing supply of toys, baskets, tea cups, and other items used for Still Life Photography in one of the rooms. Sometimes the items are neatly stored away and other times it appears as if a tornado has hit the room.

I don't know if I will do the Chair/Tree this year or not. Last year it was boxes that I decorated. You know, wooden dynamite boxes, sulfuric acid box, a nuts and bolts box, and an ancient nesting box that my MIL had. I am not conventional at all. Things just sort of start coming together. I put things in place and then tear it apart and start again.

I gather sticks and weeds to make winter bouquets. I even found some dead birch branches to do 'something' with. I'm not sure yet. But I am looking for some pine boughs to make something with too. 

I explained this nonsensical method to my 30 something nephew. I get an idea in my head and then I just go into some sort of zone. I grab things together and don't think too much of what I am doing. I rearrange, mess around, rearrange some more and then there it is. Sometimes it is a disaster and sometimes it works. My mind gets into some kind of otherworld Zone and it keeps moving along. I can't stop it until I make a creation of some sort.

So I picked up sticks in the yard. There are always branches falling from the trees. Sometimes I just chuck them into the burn pile. Today I gathered the more interesting ones and stuck them in my now much faded and dead looking flower garden. I thought, hmmmmmmmm....they could hold a string of lights!

Honest, it will look much nicer with a fresh snowfall on it. But I am very pleased with my outdoor lighting effort. There is only one other household that could possibly even see it.
The neighbors at the top of the ridge.

Below is a reindeer metal thingy that a lady gave me years ago. It is creepy in a way and it is supposed to be a Christmas Card Holder. I've repurposed it to be a yard 'decorate'. No problem. I am odd I will admit it.

The head nods up and down and back and forth, it had a tendency to tip over startle my husband and old Jack Russell Terrier....so for years it was remanded to the shed in purgatory. I brought it back out to add to my flower garden, I had a friend drill holes in the base so I can use spikes to hold the 'Moose/Deer' in place.

He/she is still a bit on the creepy side, but people often ask me what the hell is that supposed to be?

Hey, why not? Even the UPS guy was like...what the heck? Yeah. If it gets a reaction like that, it is worth keeping around!

Do you...

Recall the Fence Feud? I went out and rearranged all the ghosts and the Stick People. I made sure that my movements were not within camera range from the other side of the fence.

So to my surprise, the dude on the other side moved the camera to point onto my property. I suppose to see what I was doing. I wandered there just after sunrise on Friday morning.

So I thought for a moment and then decided to give them a show. Really I thought about pulling off my old patched coveralls and peeing right there so he could see my butt. However I decided to have a bit more fun.

I slowly put my camera down and then began to sway back and forth with my arms raised. Then I turned and slowly waved my arms up and down. I kneeled on the ground [facing away from the camera] and raised my head and arms as if in prayer to some unseen god of the forest. Then fell flat on the forest floor and writhed as if possessed.

When I got up I Cursed their side of The Woods. Angry Face, throwing invisible and voiceless curses in the direction of the camera. I really don't know how to make a curse, but I had to make it look good!

I am giggling here. His camera was pointing into the morning sun so the photos this person will get will be silhouettes. 

Hunting season ends tomorrow at sundown. 

This Spring, I am fixing the fence and attaching No Hunting signs to it. 

I don't think this person knows how much entertainment he has provided this old lady with during the Pandemic.

 

Don't keep me IN!

There is not going to be a big ol' Thanksgiving deal going on here today. No turkey since I am cooking and dis--like Turkey. Mashed tators, gravy, chicken breasts with crispy ranch coating, veggies, and red velvet cake.

So I have no big prep to do. Thanksgivings here have generally been a chili meal while the Great Big Hunters go out and sit in the woods to return and tell of the big one that got away. [Reminds me of fishing stories] 

Other years I made lasagna. Super easy. One dish no fuss.

The past couple of days were crappy ...rain with fog. Absolutely perfect for going out to the woods.

I mean, I had to get out of the house. I felt closed in.

Besides, wanted to see how the M1 Mark III did in the rain. I know, ...take a digital camera out in poor weather? Well, it is made for that. For skiing and rock climbing, I will use the Tough TG6 pocket camera.

Olympus makes more than one camera that is weather sealed and they also make weather sealed lenses. Those lenses are generally a bit heavier than the light weight kit lenses that I use the most. 

Nah, you aren't interested in that!

So how did this camera work? 

A dull rainy November crappy day.

And the messy but wonderful creek.

This camera has internal ND filters that you can use. This photo is shot at 2 seconds. The water smooths out with that exposure.

Fog, rain, and snow. 

It gives the creek such a different look doesn't it?

Without the 2 second exposure, the creek wouldn't have been as noticeable.

I had to walk to the ridge to pick up mail and drop off some cards to be sent out.

Charlie felt it was a good day to be out and find deer poop to nibble on.

We took a trail that led us down through the woods next to the driveway.

Multiflora and Berry Brier tangles...

Barberry in the wild and very invasive...but pretty.

Duck this thorny stem!

And the Meadow in all of its Gnarly Foggy Rainy Glory.

Ewww, just not pretty at all right now.

Today? I'll be putting up a hay feeder for the elder mules. Taking Charlie for a walk, and probably talking to family.

One of my Fractal friends told me to download another free fractal program called Mandelbulber. I'm going to watch a couple of tutorials later and see what fun things I can discover.

A couple of photos from this same day, 14 years ago.

Grand daughter and Grandpa together.

Have a wonderful day however you are spending this day.

 

Now hear this...

 

Yesterday was a really really long long day. So Charlie and I headed out to the Rock Fort to sit a spell and listen to the woods. I was dressed in Blaze Orange but most of the weekend hunters had left the area to go back to where ever they came from. The bottom photo is of my crochet project. I am making a new rag rug and crocheting it. I don't have a loom but I do have balls and balls of material my Grandmother painstakingly put together from old shirts and sheets. Thus...a new rag rug!

~~~~

The morning hours were spent in a long 'intake' interview. 'Intake' is what the VA calls it. Rich and I were interviewed by a gal named Jennifer via secure video connection. It was not painful or difficult, she asked questions of Rich and then asked questions of me without Rich. He was happy to go watch TV in the other room. The program is called VA Family Caregiver Assistance. 

The VA feels it may be cheaper to pay a family caregiver to care for a veteran who needs assistance in all aspects of his daily life....or Activities of Daily Living.... than find a place in a nursing home for him/her. 

I just need to say this. I care for him because I do care. I quit a very well paying job so I could be with him and take care of him. Leaving him home alone every day for hours on end was not an option. There are about 5 more steps with an exam with a nurse, and exam with an Occupational Therapist, more social workers, and even a virtual home visit I think. It takes time and I am not terribly worried. 

One of the benefits that a caregiver can get is access to ChampVA insurance along with respite care and in home assistance. Mental Health access to deal with stress is also available. 

I told Jennifer that it would be amazing to be able to talk to someone from MH just to blow off steam. Okay, I know I have friends, but truly, who wants me to ring them up and complain about how frustrating it is when the person I care for is doing things that drive me crazy? I know he can't help it because of 'brain injury' but yet... somedays having an adult toddler is insane. 

Add a Pandemic to the mix and what have you got? Rhetorical question there. 

Anyway, it was really NICE to talk with another human, even it was a social worker doing an 'intake' interview.

The latest townie news is this. Our 25 bed hospital is nearly full, there is NO more room. The ER is full most of the time. They are treating some patients that need higher quality of care but have no place to transfer them to. That is unless beds open up with deaths or discharge to a lesser unit.

The Doctors made a plea via our local paper and radio stations to PLEASE please wear masks, wash hands, and socially distance...and please do not bring people outside of your household in for Thanksgiving. 
Many of our folk really are trying hard. Others think it is still a hoax or they just don't need to follow the guidelines.

And I know in my heart that if my husband suffers a Medical Emergency, it could be the very last time I see him. 

This really got to me yesterday and that is why Charlie and I went to The Rock Fort and sat while I crocheted. Fresh air, sunlight, birds, and a kind dog helps a lot.

So this morning I decided NOT to read the news. 

I went into distraction mode and created art with Mandebulb 3D, Incendia, and Corel PaintShopPro [a program cheaper but similar to Photoshop which I cannot afford!].

Viking Terminator!

Sleeping Dragon

Have a good day. Stay safe. I'm going out to enjoy the  new snowfall.

A Story

This is a pretty simple one.
Just follow along.

Charlie & Gun Season....

 

Charlie is bummed. He misses his friend Basil and the new pup Stella that live up the hill.
They haven't been socializing at all and he misses seeing people.

Here he is the other day all dressed up just for fun in his Hawaiian shirt. He used to wear it when we went to the nursing home. Of course he hasn't seen many people this year at all. Once he got to visit with Tom, the UPS guy and once with Danny the farrier when he delivered my custom made Shepard's hook [more about that later!].

Yesterday I took him for a walk with me to the creek and 'round about to the Rock Fort. I had brought a couple of stuffed toys and thought of doing a little 'toy story' sort of like a storyboard thing. I had some ideas bouncing around in my head after my call from Lin. 

While we were back by the Fort, off in the distance, someone was sighting in their rifle for the start of Gun Deer Season.

Charlie literally became a shaking quivering puddle of Pekinhound. I was photographing the toys in the late afternoon sunlight [perfect!!!] when he became instant mush and literally tried to climb my legs. 

To deal with it and still finish what I wanted to do, I placed my toys then sat down in the leaves and dirt so Charlie could climb into my lap and quiver. I offered him a dog treat and he ignored it.

Damn. Time to rescue the poor guy and head to the house. I picked him up and juggled my things. The shooting abated for a bit so I was able to stop and photograph the Twin Fawns.

Someone closer by started shooting again. Charlie ran to me, then turned and made a beeline to the house. I found him at the porch door quivering and shaking.

I opened up the door and he tried to climb up Rich's leg. 

It may be a long nine days for Charlie.
However, if I can have Rich keep the volume up on the TV while he is watching, perhaps it won't be so bad for him.

If he can hear the shots [which there will be an abundance of] he will become the Shaking Velcro Dog.

Sigh.

True Friends are Forever

Grade School:

6th grade was the time I changed course.

I got picked on a lot as a kid and I was small.  My mom said I was a tough little shit. She told me to fight back and don't let the others win. Of course, I surmised that it was also wise to become one of the bullies. Better to dish it out than take it. 

I even for a while hung out with a gal named Nancy who was Big and Tall. She could whup any boy on the playground with her hands tied behind her back. She and I got into a lot of trouble in 4th and 5th grade. Enough so, that we were separated to different classrooms. I was labeled as a trouble maker and a Little Bully. I just was one of those little kids that fought back and fought dirty.

Then some new kids came to school. They were nonidentical twins came from somewhere else. 

They became instant targets by the other kids. I can't say why things suddenly changed, but I liked the twins. They sure didn't look like twins or even act like twins. But they were smart.

On the playground they were harassed and even Big Nancy started to physically bully them.
I saw that they were defenseless and perhaps I saw a little of me in them. I became infuriated, well as much as an 11 year old can become infuriated.  Somehow I sort of became their friend...and play ground protector.
It wasn't pity, I was angry that other kids could be so mean. It would have been easier to stay in the bully crowd.
Pushing back was a much tougher decision. I am not sure why or how I did it... 

But push back I did. Enough so no one touched them. I ended up having a stand down/up with the main bully girl. I looked up at her and told her in no uncertain terms that I'd fight tooth and nail if she didn't stop 'being mean' [I don't think harassing was in my vocabulary, nor was bullying a label yet].

Let's fast forward about 55 years. Thanks to Facebook, I got a message from one of the twins. She and her family were coming to LaCrosse, could we meet up and have supper together? Of course.

Her boys were just going to college. I started early raising kids, she started later.

She'd grown up to be one smart and graceful woman. Her job title and job were quite impressive. But she never tossed that in my face. She was a successful business woman and I ...well, I'd quit the business world to be a backwoods farm woman. It was as though time had never passed and we were still 6th grade buddies.

Sunday evening I posted some Art on FB, I think there was a comment about feeling in the dumps so I'd decided to do some abstract art as a distraction.

Yesterday my FB messenger came alive with messages from my grade school friend.

"Are you ok?"

Yes I am ok. Just felt dumpy the other day.

"Are you sure?"

...well, I wasn't able to answer because I had just let the dog out and walked out to do the chores.

My phone kept pinging and dinging while I was outside.

I walked in to hear it ping again and as I reached for it, I saw it was my grade school friend calling.

"Hey!" she said, "Are you okay? I didn't think I could just keep messaging you and decided to call you instead."

I let her know that I really was okay. The Isolation, the pressure from everything 'out there' going on, caring for Rich, and trying to be Normal was getting to me. Plus there was the crap weather and The Horrid Brown Season of Dreary-ness. I explained to her that I was fine. Just Stuff.

You know, that ordinary Stuff that goes on while taking care of a loved one who has memory/brain issues along with other things. 

She then informed me that she was going to make a Care Package and drive out with her husband and drop it off. 
I convinced her not to make the 3 hour drive. She had said they'd mask up and stay distanced. I suggested a visit in the warm weather instead of cold.

She conceded. The Care Package of goodies will come by mail. And she has decided that we need conversation more often. She lives just outside of Milwaukee and understands the atmosphere of Covid.

The point is.
Well you should get the point.

We had become best of friends so young.
And we still were.

This is to my hero Lin, who always seems to know when she has to have my back.

Gone Fractaling...

 Fractals, ...

I haven't done Fractal Art for a while now. It used to keep me occupied on those dark winter nights when I'd explore 3 dimensional art and fractal flames along with constructing scenes with wicked sounding formulas.

I have pretty much forgotten some of what I learned while using Mandebulb 3D, JWildfire, and Incendia. JWildfire's creator now has a new program out for creating incredibly beautiful abstracts. I am still using one of the very old programs that was free.

The fractals here today are variations on ones generated by Matthew Hagett. I stopped by Deviant Art and picked up his fractal and modified it.

Deviant Art Links:

Object Permanence by MatthewHagett

In Archeus by MatthewHagett

These are all variaties of his 'In Archeus' formula. In the fractal art world, it is an unwritten rule that a person always credits the original artwork and that they do not just copy it, but change formulas along with colors.

I wish I'd kept up my learning on this program. I used to love trying new things like actually putting objects into the formula and making them appear.

One of my favorites created long ago:

A JWildfire flame fractal:

And let's not forget, an Incendia Fractal!

I've actually sold more Abstract work than any individual photos. 

I think I'll boot up the programs and get back to letting the programs render more art while I am cleaning house or doing chores. Large items for print require a long render time on even powerful computers.

A last ... very frustrating programs that require a huge learning curve. Hint...for those who cannot sleep at night and need to be challenged.

Daz 3D Studio and Bryce. One of my favorites.

Despair:

I never did get the 'how' to work in these two programs, but it sure was fun creating when I did.

I think I'll go Fractal a bit while waiting for the VA CareGiver person to call for a phone interview with Rich and I.

Have a day. 

Beautiful mornings....

 Just some beauty to ponder.

The shots are of the same general area on different days...

Let's just say that I enjoy morning walks most mornings.

Now that the weather is chillin' out, Charlie and I still often go for our walk to the ridge to see the sun come up.

But at least now, the corn has been harvested and we can walk out on the cropland.
The view to the southwest.

The view to the east..slightly out of focus!

The other morning... I just had to go out and enjoy the colors. This was about 45 minutes before sunrise as the stars are still visible.

Here you go.

Something pretty in this messy world.

Enjoy.

Bear Poop, Tide Detergent, Moth Balls

Well there it was... Friday the 13th!

We had 19 degrees in the morning and it felt a bit cold. I took a walk to the creek just after sunrise to see if there was any ice formations or tiny ice crystals on the rocks and grass.

I found one spot where the splashing water caught on a plant and formed a beautiful little ice formation!

The morning light in the creek was really quite beautiful and I took my time exploring. I'm glad I did. 

I found this:

Do Bears Poop in the woods?

Of course they do!

And they do it in the middle of a creek too!

I'm pretty sure this could be the same bear I saw while picking berries this summer. Generally the bears move on from our area to look for a mate. 

Black Bears are seen around here once in a while but generally it is a rare sighting, unless the population up north forces more bears south.

Anyway. The bear has stopped here more than once. There were a few piles on these rocks...well unless another bear decided to use this spot a toilet too? The under layer which is older is corn, the top layer is apples. There was another pile, but I didn't think you needed to see that.

Interesting! I thought it was a pretty cool find. 

I woke up early with a start in the middle of the night and for some odd reason I thought of Moth Balls. 

I'd used Moth Balls to deter the Ground Hogs from infesting my shed last year. They were making nests under a pile of old lumber. I had tossed Moth Balls under the lumber and dumped ammonia on top of the lumber and around their holes. They abandoned my shed within a few days. 

It smelled awful too, so I opened the doors and turned the exhaust fan on to keep it from being overwhelming.

So what about Moth Balls? 

It is a perfect critter deterrent. I use a few moth balls around the engine of the riding lawnmower's engine to keep the mice from chewing on the wires. 

How would Moth Balls work on deer? 

Rich said scented detergent would repel deer too. 

So being sly, and not wanting to deal with the guy who wants to shoot deer as they come up the trail out of my woods and towards where he parked his stand..........

I took some Tide Soap powder and spread it on the logs in the 'shoot' zone. Since we had a skiff of snow, it looks exactly like snow!

I added Moth Balls to the area, placing them here and there. I didn't need many and the smell was nasty. 

I had some old Tide detergent I'd purchased by mistake. Someone told me to use the powder in my machine. One, it doesn't work well, and two, I bought scented Tide. We don't use any scented soaps or softners at all. 

I can smell someone who uses scented laundry soap 20 to 30 feet away now. 

Being the Good Neighbor, I will call my 3 neighbors and let them know that the Bear is still hanging around.

I doubt he/she is a big concern. But I can't wait for some snow to hit the ground so I can do some tracking. I think I enjoy working out the stories that tracks of animals leave in the snow.

I would love to 'hunt' with my camera and get this fella in a nice shot I could frame.

What about Thanksgiving?

I follow a few blogs and one thing that just came up for discussion by The Midnight Carver was Thanksgiving.

His post titled:  2020, The Year's Saddest Thanksgiving? Is a pretty good read. It makes one think. 

I can recall the year my boys and I had hotdogs for Thanksgiving. Their father was on duty and the boys and I thought it would be fun to have hotdogs and create our own picnic. Of course my ex gave me a dressing down for that. The kids and dogs didn't mind that we didn't have turkey and all the other crap that went along with it.

Thanksgiving.

I can recall as a child travelling 12 hours by car in the 60's...mind you, that was before the interstate was built...going to my Grandparents cottage to spend Thanksgiving with the Up North Family. My sister and I slept on the couch, I have no recollection of where my brother slept, or where my parents slept. 
We ended up at my Aunt's house where gobs of the family showed up. My Aunt also had indoor plumbing which was really nice.

We cousins were put in the entryway to the house at a couple of card tables and left with dishes that our mom's made up for us to eat. I can recall that we decided to take the squash [which was not up to our tastes] and stack it in a pile in the center of the table. We added things to our squash sculpture, like green beans, chunks of bread, toothpicks, and anything else we could think of.

We were having a grand time until The Moms came to check on us. Then all Hell Broke Loose. We kid cousins abandoned the table and went out to play in the snow on the hillside. Never mind the deer hunters. We escaped to the hill and used boxes as sleds. 

The Parents stayed inside the house and did whatever parents and family did on Thanksgiving. We kids had a blast. Playing dangerous games with our cousins was just about as fun as making Squash Sculptures. 

I don't recall many Big Family Thanksgivings after that year. The Sisters had a falling out and soon after we stopped the long trek to the North Land. 

I tried as a parent to participate in a family Thanksgiving with my Mom and Her Boyfriend and my Dad...sister...and her husband. It was awkward. My ex wasn't well liked so they berated me about him. Mom and Her Boyfriend got drunk a lot and my kids didn't like squash any more than I did at their age. My sister's husband was an Ass, but the cousin kids did get to play together and have fun. My poor Dad was there because he was included, but my Mom and Her Boyfriend couldn't help but take opportunities to pick on him also.

I stayed with my Dad at this house and truthfully, I think we could have had hotdogs and chips and been very happy.

This year?
It will be us. Charlie, Rich, and I. 

Thanksgiving doesn't bring about fond and warm fuzzy memories. 

To bring my mother's side of the family back together would require all relatives to leave weapons and attitudes at the door.

There won't be hotdogs, but we will have a nice quiet little meal. And it won't be a sad Thanksgiving as we are happy and thankful to be here for each other.

That is good enough for me.

Good Neighbors Good Fences.

Mostly I have really good neighbors. The ones that are not 'good' neighbors are those that don't live on their land.

Our 25 acre tract is narrow but long. I love our little place. The land is unique and there is always something to explore. The creek runs through it.

There is the Buckthorn Forest where the deer and so many other animals like to travel through.

Coyote, deer, raccoon, and of course the skunks and possums.

I can roam during every season and find something wonderful. Even in the brown season.
The doe below is in a thicket of prickly ash. Is that a real tree? I think so. Charlie and I watched her today just before the sun broke out.

Then I walked up to the back corner of ourland...Oh that purplie/pink thing is still there...and to think that the land owner is a 'well respected business owner' in town! 
Whatever. 

I posted about it in The Fence War...
I went out today and moved things around while staying out of the other person's camera range. So when dude comes back things will be moved around on my side of the fence.

I did it more because I was still in a Halloween Mood and wanted to try a photo with some cool effects.

Ghosts at night
[shot in the daylight]

The Blair Witch Project
[Twanas Stickmen]

I wanted to create from scratch something creepy and beautiful at the same time with a hint of movie fantasy to it. I have not seen The Blair Witch Project but found it fun to make a 'stick' person out of sticks, twine, and damp grass which I tied around the sticks.

It looks kind of cool and a bit creepy... slowly twisting back and forth in the breeze. 

I'd made two and set them down to rearrange my little ghosts.

Can you believe I spent about 20 minutes trying to find them again? They blended so well into the forest floor I had to really search for them.
I was sure I lost my mind. And if anyone had been listening to me, they would have heard me asking Charlie to find them. Charlie was searching out deer pellets and really had no interest in what I was doing.

I had a lot of fun after I found the stick people. 
Imagine morning light and some fog in this photo. Now wouldn't that be cool?
I just have to wait for a snowfall for these to be seen easier.

I built the little hanging ghosts out of balled up plastic grocery bags and duct tape, then took pieces of old white rags and some Sheer Voile Fabric scraps I'd picked up in a scrap bin. They make these little 'ghosts' seem to float in light breezes.

To me they are more like silent wind chimes. 

When I got home I looked at all the photos captured on the Trail Cam. Yes indeed the fella was facing our land with his bow. Now I do not mind harvesting or hunting. But I do mind hunting our land when ... well, this fella has 200 acres of his own land and 100 that he leases...so why bugger up my little back corner? 

Hubby said to take the camera down, he would rather I take more photos of the fine large buck that keeps meandering through the pasture up the hill from our house.

I think he is afraid that the guy in back would be dangerous. 

Though Rich had a funny thought. He said if he was still able to hike, he'd go back there and pick up the offensive object and mail it in a gift box to the landowner's wife with a note asking if she wanted her husband's toy back. I admit, that was pretty funny.

The camera goes back up next week before the gun season starts. I won't go back there for a few days, but I do want to see what goes on during opening weekend, if anything.

In the meantime, I'll have some more fun sorting through junk piles in the sheds and creating more figurines. I mean after all, I'm staying at home now and don't have places to go.

May as well have some creative fun. I'm going to hang out my zombie dolls I made for the neighbor kids when we were doing Treasure Hunts this summer.

Last thought. I sure can't wait to see what the raccoons do with that Purple/Pink thing. They sure love to chew on plastic!

Parting shot. More Gnome Photos.

I'm hoping for a bit of snow so I can do a new photo for Christmas cards this year.

Spring? Guess what! I am going to put the poor busted up barbed wire fence back up. Nice and tight. That is one thing I am good at, rebuilding fences.

Toodles.