Yuck

Well there it is. I've officially gotten the first cold in years. At least 12 years to be exact. It pretty much took me down and out of commission for a few days.

Interestingly enough, I never had a fever, just a throat that felt like I'd swallowed glass. I felt like someone ran over me with a dump truck. 

I was able to do chores, so I must have been doing pretty okay.

I spent time sleeping in the spare room and reading books. 

I think I got enough sleep over the last few days that I won't need to sleep for at least a month now.

I felt better today, the sore throat was gone the head wasn't quite as stuffy, but the body still felt a bit slow and worn out. Which meant more reading. 

Tomorrow the heater dude is supposed to come and replace the intake fan motor. I've surveyed the driveway and figure he can turn his van around in one spot and thankfully, the ice melted off the driveway this afternoon.

I hope it all goes well. Thursday night there is a snow storm predicted of 6 to 10 inches. No problem as long as I can get to town and grab a few items.

I still feel yuck-y. But my voice has returned and evening chores were not a big deal, I just hauled hay and water slowly.

I know I'm not up to par as I haven't even picked up my camera since Saturday! [I did though this afternoon...]

I've been having a blast with the light box.

Below, 

Manny the Mannequin adopts a bunch of wooden animals....

Manny now realizes that he will 
have to feed his menagerie!

 A ring holder?

A St. Clair Pear glass paper weight.

During my resty-sleepy-nappy-time, I watched some tutorials on Toy Photography I really enjoyed the videos by a person that goes by SirDork. He explained how to to 'action' shots with still toys and I decided to try it. 

I also watched videos of other Toy Photographers who made huge elaborate sets for their toys.

Some were toy collectors and their ages surprised me.

What better thing to do with toys when you collect them, than to make sets and enjoy playing again?

This was my first try at a very simple set up. A snowball fight between cast off toys that a neighbor kid gave me long ago... I did it this evening after chores.

Now back to chillin' and resting.

Can't wait to get to full steam ahead!

Bear and I

What do you want to do?

It is dreary outside. I don't want to do anything.

Oh I think we should. 

Want to go sledding?

Okay. What is it?

I'll show you.

...

This is nice. 

This is scary!

...

and fast!

How about we just set here for a while and watch some birds, Bear.

Yes, I like this very much.

We can do this any time.

Any day spent with spent with you

is my favorite day.

So, today is my new

favorite day.

~Quote

from 

Winnie the Pooh

Bear and I

The Pandemic and Isolation have made it hard to connect with friends especially now when it is cold outdoors.

I mean, sometimes I just feel lonely.

Sure there are phones, zoom, live chats, and all that. But nothing really takes place of a real hug, or sitting down with a pal and having coffee at a tiny coffee shop.

Bear decided we'd do Friend things together. 

Bear thought reading together was nice.

But I prefer Winnie the Pooh not fancy poetry.

Bear it isn't fancy poetry, it is Mary Oliver poetry.

Bear shrugged. 

I still like Winnie the Pooh. They had adventures.

Okay Bear, let's have adventures.

Making snow angels is fun. Thank you.

You are welcome.

I really like the mittens! They keep my paws warm!

I agree Bear. Mittens are pretty popular right now. 

~~~~~~~~

This is much better.

I knew when I met you

adventure was going

to happen...

Winnie the Pooh

Tomatoes or Toomah...toes?

 

First off, I needed to have some fun with the tomatoes. The toys were already in basket on the porch and I just decided to spend some time after picking the 'maters  to have some fun.

I know, childish, but there you go. It also let me practice using the auto stack and auto focus selection on the camera. There is an option for in camera focus stacking on the red pocket camera and the Oly OMD M5iii. Basically it takes a photo shot in macro and takes several shots to pull more items into focus when using a short focal length of 1.8 to 2. I know, gibberish to some, but practicing makes it easier to use when I get out to the woods and want to have some Fungi shots.

The 25mm lens is incredibly clear and will quickly become my favorite to use in the woods along with the macro lens which will actually do IN camera focus stacking. Love the computer chips inside these newer updated cameras.

Ok. I got off track again.

Tomatoes, yippee for canning! Here is yesterday's loot along with the sauce we had for supper which I froze all the extra with mushrooms and sausage for quick meals later this year.

Marigolds...a bowl of them!

Zinnias...I love Zinnias.

Each week I pick a plastic bottle or a can and fill it with Zinnias and drop it at my neighbor's bench. She claims to have a brown thumb and flowers are still a mystery to her. Though she is doing very well with her little green house.

Tomatoes on the porch....

They are the next ones to get ripe and canned. 

However I am setting aside Thursday or Friday to get out with my pal Bill and go hiking. 

I do put my foot down on getting OUT to go somewhere with another human and spend time hiking or biking. This is part of my self care. Bill is willing to hike in all seasons which means we can continue through the winter months. It is something I look forward to a LOT each week.

I started the Veteran's Administration CareGiving class yesterday. More on that later.

My sunflowers are just about done and I toss the stems to the mules. The flower heads I leave out for the birds.

And last but not least. August 31st had an amazing sunrise.

I leave you with that today.

Until tomorrow.

Be well, stay safe and healthy.

Time Out

 

After hours of freezing, drying, and cooking, I thought a day 'off' would be in order.

Charlie and I headed to KVR to check out how long it would take me to get to the ponds if I parked at Star Valley or Willow Camp.

Star Valley used to be a road that joined Old 131. It is a maintenance road now and allows the KVR people to access different areas with equipment needed to mow and clear trails.

I had an idea that this next month or so that I am going to hike down to the ponds to take some photographs of a sunrise over the water.

I took the following shots with my little Infrared pocket camera.

The walk through the trees was wonderful for the light and shadows.

However, once we got on the main trail. IT was hot! 

I stopped more than once in some scarce shade to give Charlie a break from the sun and some water too.

We made it to the ponds after I had a brain fart and turned left instead of right. Well, it pays to do these things in the daylight if you plan to do the hike at predawn I suppose.

We made the ponds and I took shots with my little pocket camera in Infrared of course.

These were taken with a pocket camera. A Canon ELPH 180 that I ordered from Kolari Vision. I did have my Olympus OMD EM 5 [old and abused camera converted after I had fun with this pocket camera]...but the Oly is having major issues now. I can still get a decent photo out of it, but the LCD is green and dullish.

I take the Canon pocket camera on hikes when I don't feel like dragging along extra weight. I also use the little red pocket camera on hikes. Less equipment = less weight.

I am doing this for fun and creative distractions.

Call it art if you wish.

But it sure takes my mind off from all the world troubles.

So here I am...another photo...a self shot of me having fun with CrossFit later that day. I was following my coach's suggestion of using Charlie as an awkward item to lift.

Note the messy hair!

Here is the funny video I made for my CrossFit coach and friends....

Naughty Charlie was digging in the yard.

He has discovered voles!

Enjoy if you want and laugh aLOT. The mules did!

Last note.

I started getting the photos for the Nonnicorn and Buddysaurus Book of Adventures ready. I even did an outline for the little fun book. 

I needed a project to do while this world is raging with so much angst and upheaval.

Be well, be safe.

Enjoy life as you can.

Dinosaurs and Unicorns.

There is a certain risk that is taken when Charlie comes along for when I do a 'toy' shoot for the grandkids or just for fun.

My youngest grand daughter, Elena...well she goes by Nonny, I guess... loves, and adores Unicorns and My Little Ponies.

Of course she does!

Buddy likes his dinosaurs.

So I decided to take some photos to create a story to mix them all up in some sort of quest.

Not sure how it will all go yet. Not even sure of the story line.

But it comes to me in bits and pieces.

Here is two more fun shots:

I'm getting an idea that is muddling about in my head.

I just need to get some more photos and then start to put things together.

I think I needed this distraction.

The Life of Toys

Percy to Chance.
*Who do you suppose tossed Guardy down the hill during that last rain storm?*

*Easy, Percy...look to my left. The dolls, it is always the dolls that cause trouble. You know, if a crime is committed, look to the dolls.*

*Hmmm, I thought we got rid of that really creepy one during the last flood. It was tricky and hard to make her let go of me when I got hung up on those saplings. She was just plain mean!*

*I know Percy, when we were in the Thrift Store she kept pushing me to the bottom of the pile so no one would buy me.*

*Despicable.*

*Indeed.*

The Doll stays silent but closes one eye in a wink.

*Hey guys?* Guardy sits up slowly. *Some help here?*

Percy and Chance:
*Shhhh! We hear footsteps! It is her and that dog! She'll pick you up!*

.......


*She did indeed! That's much better! I can watch over the creek again. But keep that Doll away from me!*

*We're going to hang out in the creek for a bit and wash off some mud. You keep an eye on her.*

The Doll remains silent but keeps one eye on the Bears.

Working at it.

The weather today is supposed to be a wintery mix of weather. I really don't mind it at all.
Yesterday was cold and breezy. The sky was overcast.
Perfect for hiking into the valley.

I got out my camera backpack and shoved a Crazy, Happy, and Terrible into it. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do, but at least I had a purpose for hiking in the blah brown season.

I headed of course to the creek with the toys. Ideas began to roll around in my head.

The idea of doing a last book with Morris and his toys seems like a good idea to me. I don't find it morbid or sad, but something I can get involved in with my whole heart.
I'd been waiting for an idea to pop up in my head since the last adventure story called The Long Journey. A story about unwanted toys and how they came to live with Morris.

For this final book, Happy the Hedgehog will make a comeback. Morris's long search for his puppy-hood buddy will be resolved.
Of course Terrible Tiger and Crazy Squirrel play an integral part.

This idea helps me deal with the eventual loss of my best friend. I think that by doing this story now, I will have a lasting 'memorial' to my pal. What better way than to have a story right?

By the way, Morris is doing well still. He sleeps a LOT. However after doing his business this morning at 3 AM, he thought it should be zoomy time around the living room, complete with barking, growling, and tail wagging.

I had to hush him and then bribe him with a dog treat to be quiet.

Now I have to take him out and bribe him with treats so he can do some posing for me.
That will be a challenge!

Friends Forever

So today I was cleaning out Morris's toy box. No worries, he seems to be doing just fine. I picked up Hoppy the Hedgehog, Terrible Tiger, and Crazy Tiger. I tossed the old pull toys but sat on the floor staring at Morris's characters that had been the subject of so many fun stories.

Morris pretty much ignores his toys now. Sleep is a big thing. Sleep and walking to the bus stop are his priorities. Well. Food.
He doesn't play even if I toss the toys for him.
I couldn't bring myself to toss the characters out. However they do need a good wash and a few repairs.

And then I began to think. One more storybook? One more adventure?
What would it be about?

How could I work Morris's aging into it? How would the story evolve?

Friends Forever.
I held the smelly toys and stared at Morris who gazed sleepily back at me.
I felt a welling up of emotions from deep within.

I may have hit upon my next project.

A bit of Fun with Toys

The world news and political news is so glum along with the flooding in our area, I've decided to go ahead and have some fun.

#TheDoeStory has been something of an evolving story that includes other kids who assist in making parts up.

The story doesn't really make much sense but is a small bit of fun with toys here and there. The stories are snippets of whims while hiking with a handful of small toys and a camera.

The last piece of this adventure was created with some kids who assisted in both the story and with the Dinosaurs, thank you Carson, Allie, and Logan. Doing the stories wouldn't be have the fun without you!

A week ago we found Dino who is one of Doe's Suitors, deciding to build a rock house in the Gully.

Fawn and Doe decide to go looking after him after a horrible heavy rain pours waters down the gullies in the form of flash floods!

They don't search long because the waters are running over all of the rocks in the Gully.

Fawn gets quite worried about Dino and decides later to go looking for him after the flood waters have receded.

He finds Dino who is just fine.

He explains that his rock house indeed was washed away and it was a "worrisome time when the waters swished his house away". However, he had some new friends that would help him build a new rock house.

Fawn meets Dino's new friends.

Dino explains that they were stuck in an ice cave all of these years and the last flood released them from ice! And now he had dinosaur friends also!

Dino assures Fawn that they won't eat him.

Fawn goes home to report to Doe.

Doe is not easily convinced so she decides to travel to the Gully to check on Dino.

Dino meets her at the Little Falls of Water. He says building in a Gully is very nice because he can just step into the falls to take a nice cold shower.

Fawn and Doe are taken to Dino's new house.

T Rex shows how strong the house is by standing on it. Dino is so proud that his once frozen pals have helped him build a house.

Fawn steps back and wonders if building in the Gully again was such a good idea.
What if it freezes into ice and traps Dino and friends?
What if it rains hard again and washes them away?

This sounds like something that Val-Barbie should come and see.

Val-Barbie looks things over and then sits on Dino's house and pets a yellow snake while she thinks things over.

It appears that she now has a bunch of Dinosaurs to look after too.
She sighs.

If she'd just stayed a regular Barbie she wouldn't have to worry like this.
She could have sat on a shelf and just worn pretty dresses.

However she smiles and pets the yellow snake. Things are nice in the Gully.