Little Distractions

We are still going through the process of end of life for my husband. 

However, I have so many quiet moments to do nothing in this stage. 

I'm not the sort of person who can simply sit and read all day. If it is sunny or nice out. I sit on the porch next to the window where Rich's bed is and well ~~ I let my mind wander and get creative to give my brain a rest from the stress.

Farmer Bob starts rounding up pumpkins for the fall harvest:

I was able to take my first walk in a week on Tuesday when Tammy came for Respite time. She has a special insight to being a Caregiver as she has worked in this field for 30 years. 8 months ago, she provided end of life care for her husband. 

She insisted that I take Charlie and GET out of the house. She insisted that I take my 'camera stuff' and go out away from the house. 

It felt a bit weird to walk out the door. Tammy promised to call or even honk her car's horn if there was a sudden change in anything. 

I stopped by the Highbush Cranberry Bush to see how the berries were proceeding.

I was mesmerized by studying the light and the berries themselves. I wanted to create/shoot something that would be stunning and memorable to me.

With a bit of camera trickery, using simple changes in position and exposures I managed to get two very different photos of this bunch of Highbush Cranberries. I used the centerfield split diopter filter for the above shot and a slight overexposure.

I took the filter off and changed my position and exposure to get this next shot of the same clump. I like this version best, it speaks of light/darkness/and glowing sunlight.

Accidently I did a shot while moving the camera. 

Then I decided to try an ICM shot. ICM stands for intentional camera movement. That means instead of being still while taking the shot, you move the camera. I had the funky filter on when I did it and loved the results.

The first one was very abstract, something I liked. But it didn't really show what I wanted.

Once more with adjusted settings. Now I can detect the trees and the colors.

Then I took a still photo and combined it with the ICM photo and this resulted.

For whatever reason, I enjoyed doing that. I did this freehand with no tripod as I rarely carry them.

I found some leaves turning red on a damaged wild plum tree from where the loggers had been knocking it about with their skidder or truck while loading logs. I used that funky centerfield split diopter lens once more. It produces a glow of color around the main subject which I'm enjoying at the moment.

I'm a curious photographer and will try many different things to produce an image. The plums from this tree were delicious, I gathered some each time I walked up the road last month and popped them out of their bitter skins into my mouth. The plums were the size of half dollar coins. 

After meeting with the Social Worker, Tammy sent me out again. I walked to a place where I'd take the neighbor kids to play. I found these rubbery somewhat posable robots I'd given them years ago wrapped in some low branches of trees. It was evident that squirrels or other critters had chewed on them.

I decided to bring them home to see if I could get creative with them.

As she left she handed me the toys we'd rinsed off. "I bet you can do something fun with them," she said.

Back out on the porch I went. I used a bit of toothpick magic to make them stand.

My Dancing Robots...

I wanted to be just like them and dance carelessly

in the succulent garden.

They showed me that there is happiness to be found 

and that I could smile at them.

They danced to their inner music with

so much joy.

And off they went hopping and twisting

dancing the day away.

Creating these little scenes while checking on hubby reminded me that there is still some joy in the world. [I haven't watched the news this week at all]

I'll keep these two around for moments of dancing, joy, and bliss.

These days we need something to smile about.

The Porch Guard:

And yes, he is feeling the stress and anxiety too. He is restless and cries often. He waits by the back door most mornings for Steve to show up now.

Or he lays on the couch so he can watch Rich.

Over the past 10 days there have been so many comings and goings. He also enjoys quiet time on the porch where he can just watch his domain from 'his' bench.

Photography and anything I can think up for a bit of creativity is what keeps me somewhat sane right now. The porch is an amazing sanctuary.

Sunday

The early bird gets the sunrise as the days grow longer. The colors are so amazing in the sky as they change so quickly.

In truth, this past week has felt more like mid March or the beginning of April than the last week of February. A year ago we were recovering from a major ice/snowstorm. This year? It is warm and pleasant.
In the morning I need coveralls to do chores. By midday, I can work outside in a sweatshirt.

I started this job:

Believe me, it will be a long long job to do. But since I can't plant a garden yet, raking, picking up sticks and stones will be a good job for me. It is good mindless work that can be done while listening to the birds and the forest noises.

I took a couple of breaks to go out and search for color in the woods. It is hard this time of the year as everything seems to be dull and lifeless.
Except when you look for Lichen and mosses. Then things get colorful.

During our morning walk Charlie and I found snow and ice on the mosses!

...and by a little after lunch time....

The Lichen was quite beautiful. But one has to pick up sticks or crouch down on a look to find the colors.

On a stick:

Lichen and moss on a log. It was so colorful!

Late Sunday afternoon, I took time to just sit on the porch with Charlie and enjoy the warm sunshine.

Charlie enjoyed it immensely.

It seems as though the ducks are starting to try and behave themselves.

Hmmm. There is one in every crowd.

Stay home ?

There I am in my outdoor hiking 'stuff'. I set my little red camera down on a mossy rock in the middle of the creek and was trying to fiddle with my smartphone to make it take a photo remotely.

Huh.
I guess it worked once more!

I like to sit here and just listen to the creek.

Then it was time to try one with Charlie.
It didn't turn out very well and you can barely see Charlie!
He really wasn't in the mood for selfies or photographs of any kind.

He was really into trying to chase squirrels and pesky chipmunks.

I went about the woods looking for trees that may or may not provide us with a fantastic Morel Mushroom treat!

Last year I found enough for us to eat and then plenty to dehydrate also.

I came home and started putting up the fence where I'd taken it down last fall when the folks that were going to cut down trees were going to come by.
I decided to put in a gate in a different spot and ran wire.

I created a new lane they could walk down to get into the shaded and breezy north side pasture on hot days.

I thought I'd done a pretty fair job of it and Rich had to walk up to check it out.
This in itself was huge.
Rich had not walked any further than going to the car in a year. He had to rest part of the way up the hill but he came up and looked at my job.

He pronounced the job just okay and then asked how I wired it. I had taken his lessons on electric fencing very seriously so I showed him. He nodded and said I needed to wait longer to let the mules in on grass and brush, but I don't agree.

Better to change them over slowly to pasture from hay than to put them out on tall grasses. I'll get my way.

He walked back to the house and sat on the bench.
Charlie joined him!

I considered the day a grand success and decided to call it an evening. The last of the fencing could wait for a few days.

Charlie has taken to sitting on the bench and watching the world as long as I toss his rag rug up there.
He will sit and watch the world for hours in between doggy naps.

I am meeting up with Bill again tomorrow for a Socially Distancing hike at Tainter Hollow. The Bluebells ought to be blossoming. I told Bill we could look for Morels too.
I noticed last time we were out that he still was not quite the upbeat and crazy Bill I'd known in CrossFit. I think his 'cold' was tough on him and he told me it was his routine of fitness had been so disrupted that he just didn't feel as good.

It is Bill's first year of being retired and the first time in 10 yrs that he didn't go daily to the gym.

My last note.
I've become a bit fascinated with taking some self portraits of myself during this time. I've found out that I am not as adverse to these shots as I can plan them out.

I may look sad and isolated looking out the kitchen window.
But I wasn't. The sun setting sun was reflecting off the large metal shed and I was pondering my flower garden and yard work.

Nothing serious. But I thought it would provide interesting light.

The baseball cap is a constant of mine for my always messy hair.

My hands are rough, my face is aged and time worn. But I am coming to terms with that too.
After all, we do age. Yet inside I still feel a bit like a kid.

Who else puts Dragons in their flower garden???

~~~~~

COVID-19 Day 36 since the Governor ordered Stay at Home.

But actually around 45 days since we've decided to stay home and out of the general public.


Stay well, stay safe.
We are doing well.
...and very lucky we are able to stay at home.