Tent life [part one]

We decided to have a night out. You know, a wild Saturday night!

First came the tent building. For me, it is the most difficult thing to do.

I am a novice. I still struggle.

I'd found an old beat up metal camp cot in the shed. I cleaned it and repaired it for my supervisors. 

I added some blankets and 

they were content to watch while I worked.

Well. 

That was until it seemed like I needed help. Then Hannah came to assist.

I asked her for some advice. She promptly laid down on the tent and wagged furiously.

I thought I set up the trail cam with a photo every 3 minutes, but flubbed it.

I got things sorted out, and my buddies spent the evening watching the meadow while I doodled and wrote in my Pretty Painful Grief Book. 

A note. It is a book with some helpful pages. It also has many pages where the author asks you to write answers to questions about what you are going through.

Sometimes, I just draw circles or write whatever comes to mind 

We spotted a buck following a doe and her fawn. Hannah and Charlie sprang to chase. I used the vibrate mode on their collars and they stayed in camp.

Good dogs.

Maybe TV is more interesting, but I don't think so. I observed how the setting sun filtered light through the Hickory leaves highlighting the leaf edges.

Some of the Hickory trees are starting to turn colors. The box elders are yellowing quite quickly also.
Fall is lurking just around the corner.

The wind sighed through the branches above, an owl asked 'Who cooks for you?'

On the ridge to the south (about a half mile away), I could hear Olive's dogs barking. Further out Linda's cattle were calling out.

In the dusk, I listened to Robins chirping telling me all about the long journey they had started. A doe whistled not far away just outside of camp. We heard her (?) moving away through the brush.

No. The forest is not boring, something is always going on.

Here Charlie and I have a deep conversation about....... 

Well, about ear rubs and all the important things in a dog's life.

Getting dark. 

The daylengths in August shorten 70 minutes from the length of the days in July. 

Maybe that is why I feel such an urgency to spend more and more time outside in August...so I don't miss a thing.

As darkness fell, it became 'deer' time. The deer often cross this meadow right around sunset and right around sunrise or immediately thereafter.

I didn't have my 'long' lens ready but took this with my 200mm zoom lens. This is one of the reasons I picked this spot, it has a great view of our meadow and ....

Soon, the moon appeared...

[Waxing Gibbous Phase

August 22nd]

And we turned in. 

At first Hannah decided to take my cot.

She ended up snuggling in the blankets next to the cot.

Charlie snuggled right up against me on the cot. He is a great foot warmer. He sleeps under the blanket in his cave.
 

My intent was to get up at 1am and photograph some stars.  We did get up. I was not prepared for how chilly it felt so I tip toed back to the tent and climbed into the warm blankets. Hannah came up on the narrow cot too and lay against my side.

I was warm, but could barely move. The next few hours were restless.

But the morning was pretty darned glorious too.

Stay tuned...

 

Hello Winter

with darkness...and cold.

You have a certain appeal for me.

No flying skeeters and No-seeums. Fresh cool air. Cold crisp nights and days. 
Warm blankets and a cuddly dog at night.
Candle light.
Soups.
Stews.

Frigid winds. Leafless trees.

Bitter.

Bright clear sunshine on cold days. Low slanted sunny days.

Ice.

Snow.

Colors of delight in 

the forest

of invasive Barberry plants.

Glistening paths through the woods with a happy dog who also loves cold weather.

The pleasure of seeing the moon in the morning through the naked trees.

...and now in the logged area of the forest...

magical morning light as the sun comes over the hillside.
 

Welcome winter. 

You are a good friend.

Just another ordinary week.

When one day feels like a whole week....

Sometimes I can get out for a walk and to beat the heat, the last few walks I've done have been at sunset. I set hubby up with a TV show and go for long walk on the ridge. The woods are thick with brush and skeeters at this time of night.

Usually there is a breeze on the ridge and if I am lucky, the skies are beautiful also.

The shot below is looking back at our house as I head up the driveway.

This one is taken at our mailbox on the ridge looking east.

I turn around here and head back home, I know how long I can be out and about and time the walk with the end of the show.

After putting him to bed, I headed back out on to the porch to see the moon come over the trees. It was nice to look at.

I couldn't resist trying to take another shot[s] of the fireflies. I guess they have been my obsession this year since I've been watching them since late May.

They were quite active. I imagine the heat and humidity keeps them going. [The moon was not that large, I put it there to hide the smear of light from the long exposure.]

I spent the morning working on the wreck of one of my favorite little pastures.

I am lucky that my mules obey one single hot wire and don't bother it. There is a fence in that mess, it is a 4 strand barbed wire fence that had a single hot wire running on the inside of it. The mules have lived with this boundary for 20 years and have no desire to push through it. They have plenty of feed on this side of the fence.

I put a single hot wire over the trees and inside the pasture away from the mess.

I went back to check on the forest and saw this.

I need a chainsaw gang to cut through this mess or just let the animals find a way around it. I'm going to shorten the availability of the forest and lessen my fencing work.

There are 3 more trees down across the fence above the creek. I'm going to pull the hot wire and this fall pull the posts. The gals don't need to go all the way down there any more.

I've made an executive decision to have the southern pasture [field] mowed. I'll hire the guy that did my trees last year. I have some work for him to do so this place doesn't look like a disaster area.

I did take a break and worked on my Echo weed eater.

I thought I had it fixed and ... I didn't. I may need a 'new' head for it. However, I did get the trimming done with only one line attached. When I ran into the tough stuff, the machete worked out well.

It seems that I get the yard mowed, we have inches of rain, humidity, ... I catch up a bit on the garden and the trimming ... and 

back to mowing. I have an inner sense of time. I do some work, run to the house and check on hubby, go back out, work...come inside, meds...lunch... and then chill out time for a bit in the heat of the day.

I DO find some time to chill out.

In fact I decided to take a hint from Aurora ... I decided to make a raft for my Legos. It was a way that my husband could be amused and I could spend some quiet time indoors.

Hot glue, strands of twine, moss to cover the mess.... and...

It looks like a pretty neat little raft...

It won't float for real..., but this guy can use it in his escape from dinosaurs...

at least when I get around to setting that up....

Here is this little piece of serenity. Bachelor Bucks in Velvet having their night out.

Today is Tuesday and I have a major car repair that can't wait. Wednesday sounds like a fishing day with Steve. Yesterday we saw the Social Worker and his nurse. I'll be firing our Respite Gal after today. I cannot cannot trust someone who is not responsible enough to get to her job on time with my husband's care. 

He doesn't trust her any more either so it is no longer a good fit.

The pressure is on and I am working details out on how to continue care here at home and do the things I need to do.

Last night I went to the hill north of the house to watch the sky and the field. The moon rose behind me and I enjoyed the show. 

I LOVE fireflies, this summer they have given me hope and courage with their bright lights and flickers.

PS-- Hubby needed my help while I was up there and he opened up the bedroom window and rang the cowbell.

😉😊😁😀...and that my dear friends worked so well!

Can't Sleep? Solve the world's problems!

 Yeah, I do that too.

But I am not very good at it at all. Last night I kept waking up for 'no' good reason. So for a long while I just mulled over everything. That means politics, house keeping, elder care, yard care, tree trimming, fences, mules, farrier scheduling, hay ordering, and then there was my list of things I'd LIKE to do.

Bike riding, hiking, hiking, hiking, bike riding, trying out camping, traveling, and of course photography.

None of that really helped me go back to sleep.

I decided to just turn the light on and read a boring book. That didn't help. I put the book down and got a pad of paper. I made out my list of to-do's for the next day and checked the weather report. I laid out my plans for the week and wrote down a plan of action.

I turned off the light and rearranged pillows and Charlie. Yep, he sleeps with me. Honestly he rarely takes up any room and never bothers me at night. I moved him over and put my chin on the window sill and started listening to the night sounds.

Something struck me and nearly took away my breath. The crickets were singing, off in the distance an owl called her/his song. 'Who Cooks For You?' Another answered. There were no other sounds. I wrapped myself in those thoughts. Peaceful, quiet. Just outside my window for me alone to enjoy.

I decided to not waste any more time and I got dressed to take a walk. Why? Why not? 

Because the view was this. A sliver of a moon and stars coming through the light layers of clouds and mist. [Cell phone shot with my Google Pixel phone---night site really came through!]

On the walk up the driveway and out to the ridge I counted 8 fireflies. I was so surprised. I never thought I'd see them in late August.

I popped up some deer who blew and snorted at me before they crashed off through the forest. Forest sounds.

Somewhere close was another creature walking through the forest. There was a faint crackle and the slight noise of leaves being crunched. After about a half hour or so, I headed back home. I felt more relaxed and my mind wasn't on all of those things that were running about in my brain.

I made some coffee [I drink decafe] and took Charlie out on the porch with me to sit some and listen while the skies started to brighten.

I tried to get a shot of the moon sliver. Here it is, but it isn't very good. [Not cell phone!]

Soon enough I heard realized which birds had already left. There were no Robins or Wrens making their morning racket at all. They'd been missing for a while, but I hadn't gone out in the predawn just to sit and listen for them.

The catbirds were still around, but less of them. Just as the sky was starting to brighten, I heard a pair of Sandhill Cranes. 

And one even perched on the old oak tree east of us.

Just as quickly as the sky started to brighten, the fog moved in and obscured the sky.

Maybe not being able to sleep wasn't a bad thing after all. I got a walk in, I enjoyed seeing things I normally wouldn't see. 
Charlie was content to sit on the porch bench with me and enjoy the night scents and sounds with me.

I did not solve the world's problems and I was disconnected from the outside world which left me free to let my mind chill out. Plans are made to be broken. Life doesn't always go the way we want.

And sometimes, you just have to adjust and deal with it.

I think of that Disney Movie song:

Let it Go.

What I know...

 ...from Mary Oliver's Poem

What Is There Beyond Knowing

What I know
I could put into a pack

as if it were bread and cheese, and carry it
on one shoulder,

important and honorable, but so small!
While everything else continues, unexplained

and unexplainable. How wonderful it is 
to follow a thought quietly

to its logical end.
I have done this a few times.

But mostly I just stand in the dark field,
in the middle of the world, breathing

in and out. Life so far doesn't have any other name

but breath and light, wind and rain.

If there's a temple, I haven't found it yet.

I simply go on drifting, in the heaven of grass

     and weeds.

There is light...

I thought the Fireflies were done, until I walked out the other night at dusk to put the pony back in his pen for the night.

I thought I'd check out the meadow this time with a view to the northeast.

The old apple tree across the fence is in deep grass and brush. The photo is dark, but you can see that the Lightening Bugs were sure busy!

I then took the camera and faced it towards the evening sky. There was barely any light at all, but the neat thing about modern day cameras is that they pick up light better than the human eye.

The meadow's grass is pretty short here from grazing so I didn't see a lot of bugs lighting up. However the color of the clouds and the sky were beautiful.

I also could see the Big Dipper!

I set up for longer exposures hoping to get more Fireflies and more star movement all in one shot.

I used a 8 minute LiveComp exposure setting on the camera and hit the jackpot.

In the distance there was some lightening from a storm cell, I got the start of a star trail with the Big Dipper at the center, and the Fireflies showed up in great numbers. They also streaked across the sky in front of the camera.

Lucky me, I only got one airplane flying through the exposure.

I set up to do just one more exposure, but the Mosquitoes simply were not cooperative. I could have set the camera up and walked away for 10 minutes but I get nervous leaving the camera on a tripod when we have wildlife that move through the area.

Normally the bugs are not this bad. In fact, I think we are quite spoiled as we don't have lakes and ponds in our area, only rivers and streams. It does cut down on the bothersome skeeters.

Even sunrises are not so much fun right now. 

This was my Friday night attempt at a shots.

The crescent moon is on the left and my neighbor's yard light on their farm 1/2 mile away is on the right.
The fireflies are in the are down below. It was very warm and just after sunset. They were exceptionally active! I was quite surprised. The shot is taken over the mule pasture which is full of weeds and grass.

I turned north and spotted the Big Dipper just coming out in the dusk. It looks as though it is dumping right onto the spot where our house is!

As it got a bit darker, I decided to shoot a star trail over our house with the Big Dipper as the center.

Nah. I didn't quite get the Dipper in the middle and then I quit because no matter how many times I tried...airplanes had decided to use the north-south corridor in their flight pattern.

I tried several times only to continuously get airplane tracks.

One of the planes was rather low!

That is the bright white streak.

In my imagination ... later on. This could have been an alien ship trying to beam us up! Right?

Alas, it was just a small airplane flying low overhead. I imagine it was going to our tiny local airport which was having a pancake breakfast and fly in on Saturday morning.

I guess I'll keep trying.

Last night some storms came through to the south of us. I set up on the porch for a little bit to see if I could catch any lightening action.

Nope.

I did catch the night sky light up with lightening far off and some lightening bugs were busy in the yard.

It would have been cool to catch a lightening bolt.

I gave up and went in as the skeeters decided I was great food.

The night sky is a reminder
that even in the darkest
times.

There will always

be

light.

Socks and the Eclipse

I woke up early this morning and didn't even think about the Lunar Eclipse. In fact I had a raging old headache and I was positively feeling kind of grumpy.

I'd given up even looking for the moon or driving to the ridge to watch it or photograph it. Grumpy Me.

However, I got a little text from my neighbor wayyyyy up on the ridge. The view of the Eclipse was stunning from her deck. I am jealous of her views except when the winds blow. I grabbed my long lens and walked outside in stocking feet.

I could see it!

What a goof. Instead of putting on shoes or boots, I jogged down to the mule pasture and ducked through the hot wires. I trotted up to where I could see the moon. My shots were noisy and messy because I just flipped the camera to Auto ISO. It was 28 degrees and I was in PJ's.

The pictures are not very great, but hey, I got to see it!

My neighbor to the west of us...they are half a mile away.

and then...

it was gone...as the sun rose and the moon set.

Funny thing.

My headache went away. 

So there you go.

Maybe the cold air was a good thing.

What an experience

I've always wanted to do a night hike/walk on a full moon at KVR. This week, the full moon is on Saturday and Olive said she'd go with me.

Whoops! 
The forecast for the rest of the week calls for clouds, thunderstorms, and rain. 

Darn

Darn

Darnnit!

Instead of scrapping all of my enthusiasm, I decided to text Olive to let her know I was going on Wednesday night around sunset. She couldn't go but I was all set.

I debated going to the Black Hawk Rock, but I'd told Rich that I'd be at the south end of KVR near the incomplete dam. So I stuck to my plans.

First thing I noticed while driving in the dark was that my eyes were bothering me. I am supposed to get my new lenses/glasses in a few days so I was wearing the backups. 

Now I see the moon at night with a halo and rainbow around it. I'd started noticing that probably a year or so ago and I know that is a sign of cataracts. 

The photo below is grabbed from an internet web page that talks about vision. This is the closest I can find as to how I see the moon these days. It ISN'T quite as bad as this photo, but you get the idea.

[at first I thought it was dirty glasses until the truth smacked me up side the head]

My eye doctor confirmed it and just last week he'd stated they were continuing to increase but they still could correct my vision. No need for surgery yet.

However, the moon looked like this when I took a photo:

Gibbous Moon

I parked and got out of the car. Mist and ground fog swirled around me in the moonlight. Suddenly I was really pleased at my decision to go to the south end.

I set up the tripod and tried a few different shots and spent about an hour perhaps just moving around and trying different angles.

Shot of the view just up on top of the dam looking towards LaFarge:

I don't think I had it properly focused here, but I really just like how it feels like a painting.

I really wanted a phot of me standing in the mist. It took several tries and a lot of trotting back and forth. 

I used an interval timer on the camera. I could of used my smartphone as a remote, but I didn't want to fool around with it.

After several tries, I ended up with this:

This is Campsite AA near the Dam Trail in Kickapoo Valley Reserve. It is one of the more open campsites. The ground fog continuously changed and moved while I was there.

For those that might want to know how I did it, here are the tech specs.

Olympus E M1 Mark III
12-40mm lens at 12mm
f 2.8
10 sec exposure

ISO 500

I left the camera on those settings for my walk.

I got to Bridge 18 spending some time trying to do light painting, which really was an epic failure on my part.

Looks like I need more practice and perhaps some tutorials.

I got to the pond area and enjoyed listening to the night sounds. Out in the water there was plops and splashes which I assumed were fish [I thought perhaps it was Jaws, but I didn't hear the theme music, so I was okay]. In the dark with the bright moon shading the pond, it was hard to see anything [or is it my eyes? or was is the heavy humidity?].

The next shot is me... fiddling with my smarty - pants - phone trying to make it take a remote shot. Obviously, it worked so I have lots to learn with this since it wouldn't accept a 10 second delay.

Huh.

Technology!

The pond. This was my goal all along but I didn't spend much time here. My whole goal was to get a nice reflection of the stars in the water. However the water was full of yucky weed. But I did get a tiny reflection!

I checked my time and decided to head back. It was so easy to enjoy the night and quiet time by myself. So much so that I hadn't really thought about time. I told Rich I'd be home between 10 and 11. It was already 10!

My last shot of the evening. I really was lucky that everything fell into place when I walked back. Bridge 18 gave me a chance to redeem my earlier mistakes and the lighting was better. 

Driving home in the dense fog with other vehicles coming at me on the twisted road? Well, that was a bit tense at times. 

The experience was like no other. I was totally comfortable and in my element.

I'll do this again. Maybe I'll go to the rock next time? 
I sure could get lost under the night skies....

"She's lost under the moon again
and doesn't want to be found."

--Daniel Mercury