Chance meeting.

Yesterday was busy. I had to run to the store and as it happened, I ran into my old boss that I hadn't seen for quite a while

For about 10 years or so I worked for a local Chiropractor in town. It was just the two of us in the little office. I did all the dictations for medical notes and did all the billing and coding for him before I ended up at the local medical clinic when I needed a change.

The change in him was pretty dramatic. His hair was now pure white as was his fancy little mustache, but it all stood out with his nice tan.

We stopped to talk and catch up. I asked how his long time partner was. Last I'd heard a couple of years ago, she was struggling with lung issues. Damn. He told me she died last year. Now he spend his winters  near his kids in Florida. 

They were great friends of mine and we lost touch after I quit his office, moved to the clinic and then moved on to become a security officer in another town. However, they took care of my aged Jack Russell when I had to drive Rich to his radiation treatments for 6 weeks in 2015. 

We talked about my hubby briefly then I wanted to say something positive and commented that he looked quite well.

He shook his head and said he wasn't really. He had a pacemaker as his heart was getting stiff as a old wooden board and he had prostate cancer. He said it is the slow growing type. He said he might take radiation treatment but no chemo. 

To his credit, he is a retired doctor and I did see him work miracles with so many people. He wasn't your typical Chiropractor. He often referred patients to their regular primary for more help. He was one of the good guys who didn't just ask people to come back over and over. He'd often tell the patient ...if you feel better, don't come back but call if you need me!

We've always remained friends but were out of touch. He and his partner had different social circles so we rarely ran into each other except once in a while at the Farmer's Market in town.

He seemed pretty sad about losing his gal friend of 30+ years and I knew how he felt. A bit lost. He was trying to decide what to do with his house in town and we discussed that also. We fell into an easy conversation just as we used to when working together.

Before we parted ways with our grocery carts, I put my cell phone in his contacts so if he needed to call or contact me for any reason he could.

When I got home I told Rich all about it and his reaction was like mine. "Oh Damn. She was one of the good ones. John is a good guy too, I sure hope he decides to spend his time with his kids and grands."

We sat quietly thinking about the times we had John and his gal out for mule rides and picnics, the celebrations we had together and the way we ended up getting out of touch.

I hope he thinks about giving us a call so we can invite him out to pet some mules since he was always fascinated with them. He is one of the good guys with a kind and generous heart.

Considerations

I just went through my short list on FB and unfollowed 90% of the noise on there. I also snoozed most places that had posts that I generally just browse when I am totally bored. That is stupid on my part.

I will keep FB for those few neighbors that text me through Messenger or actually have something to say that interests me. So now when I go to FB, I spent less than 60 seconds looking at it. In fact I am going to see how long I can ignore FB! 

IG may be next. I made sure I was not on 'threads' which seems to have taken off but is still run by Zuckerberg's company. They both may be the next thing to go also. I didn't use IG except to post some of my funny stuff and some toy stuff for the Lego folks. Both my sons use IG so I may have to keep it.

I perused BlueSky this morning. Not even sure I want to get into having 'social' media anymore. At least I never joined Twitter and I am super glad I am not on X. 

I will stay here. Blogs are not the rage anymore and who cares about most bloggers anyway? I do. It seems like one of the last places where you can pick and choose what you want to read.

I do enjoy reading about others and what they do daily. 

I visit news sites and read or watch news on my cell phone. Sometimes I get so disgusted that I turn my phone OFF. Then of course I get worried that I'll miss a tracking message for hubby's meds so...dang it. I turn it back on.

At night, the phone goes on top of the spice rack in the kitchen and that is where it stays from 8pm until I get up to start the day. 

Slowly I am making changes to some of the poor habits I picked up. Less internet. More outer world.

My only real bad good habit is Flickr. I've heard that some people are flocking back to Flickr which is a photographer site but also a site that is a social media. People can share ideas, photos, and daily updates basically through photography. I've made friends on Flickr that I've kept for 15 years. Some of them I've met in real life and some only through messages and maybe a real phone call.

I have gone back to writing what I really think of the world in my paper journal. At least that does clear my mind of all sorts of thoughts before I go to bed.

I used to keep a journal for years and years. I still have a box of my journals all the way back to High School, through college, and my first years of marriage which included my thoughts when I gave birth to my first son.

I'll stay here for now. 

Photography is still my release from stress. So I will continue to do it.

Here is Bear, my cold weather hiking companion taking, a rest the other day. He is a very smart Bear. He knows how to just sit and BE. Something I could learn from him.

I wonder if he is meditating?

The weather is milder today so I am going to go out and enjoy the woods.

This view is from a few years ago on an open field when we had snow.

I need some fresh air.

I want to check out a new 'thing' I got for photography. I don't think it will help out much now...however it could be a game changer later this year when the creeks are flowing. A magnetic ND filter and lens cap.

Instead of screwing and unscrewing the filter, you simply attach the magnetic ring to your lens then carry the filter until you want to use it.

The on & off of the filter takes only a second. No fumbling fingers!

Hopefully I can find a place to try it out today. It is up to 22 F this morning! Whoo!

Interesting Times

Interesting times

I'm just leaving that up there because yesterday afternoon I was actually glued to watching History being made.

My thought is this. I couldn't get a job with a driving infraction, or any kind of arrest or charge at my last job. Yet a criminal can run for the President?

Enough.

Meanwhile in my little succulent garden...

It looks like an invasion of Lego Aliens!

I really should get a copy of this next week:

A man of convictions....

Doomscrolling

or if you prefer,

Doomsurfing.

You can't sleep, so you open a device and scroll through the news. You read the latest updates about Covid-19. You look at the cases, the deaths, the stories, and then you try to go back to sleep.

That's insane right? Absolutely!

Guess what?

I was doing exactly that until I read a story about the term.

I like the term *Doomsurfing* best.

The pandemic won't get better with me checking statistics and stories. It won't get better as I read stories about tragedies and posts saying it is a hoax. 

Social injustice will still be there in the morning when I have my first cup of coffee.

So I set a new rule for myself.

Dear Self:

You may NOT look at your phone or any other device after 9pm. Turn all notifications off. 

Turn your other devices off, all of the way off.

If you cannot sleep read a paperback, not a Kindle.

I've set times to when I can read the news or watch the news.

I have to find somewhere I can pick up some paperbacks now to read. 

Since I set up limits ... I've done better at a good night's sleep.

Have a good day 

and

don't Doomsurf.

An Un-day

I woke up to a second day of incredible fog. I thought it would be fun to see what the infrared camera captured in the thick fog.
I was surprised at the amount of light I did get!

The bark of the trees actually reflected an unforeseen light back to the camera.

The green pine needles turned white in the black and white version of Fred in the morning paddock waiting for his breakfast...the yard reflected white also.

When the sun broke through just before the rain started...

the whole winter pasture and sky looked amazing!
I took a similar shot with my regular camera and it did not pick up the sky detail like this did.

The rest of the day was dreary and grey with about 1/2 an inch of rain.

Neither Rich or I slept well the night before so we took naps. I don't often do that, but Charlie convinced me that taking a day nap while reading a book with him cuddled on my legs would be perfect.

When I woke, I really wasn't in the mood to do anything at all and the day was still quite dreary. I decided to let my list of to - do's wait another day while I took a day off.

I think my mistake the night before was reading an article about a doctor in Chicago and his account of putting people on ventilators. Of trying to calm them, to suit up and do so many procedures each night. And then watch them on monitors as they respond or don't.
The story was sobering and gut punching. Just the sort of thing I like to read.

But I shouldn't...not ever...ever read something like that before going to bed.
I didn't sleep and when I did it was fitful with dreams of breathing machines and doctors with face masks...
of never being able to touch or hug someone again if they got sick.

Of how this virus has de-humanized us in so many ways. I did finally sleep towards morning. But the night was a nightmare.
I finally found a good book and dove into it until my eyes were too heavy.

Tomorrow is another day.