My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
Morning light, Soft light, It’s colored light But isn’t bright., I wait and watch, Then slowly I let my film soak up this light.
Steve Coleman
I prefer to be early, get setup and watch and wait for the morning sunrise rather than being in a hurry. Relaxed, I sat on a small boulder and nibbled on some grapes. Soon the sky began to lighten, the horizon began to appear, the sky and clouds took on a different hue, the birds sang a morning song, a rooster crowed on the farm just below me and dragonflies zipped past me. I think it’s worth getting up early. I’m standing near one of the three dams on the Horsetooth Reservoir and looking out over the sleeping city of Fort Collins. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Yes, I’m back in Fort Collins and home from the hospital. Okay, here’s the story. I’m back in my condo in Fort Collins but what a tiring and exhausting experience it has been. I was able to move most of my Kitchen and bathroom stuff last Tuesday afternoon and slept on my couch with full intentions of moving the bigger stuff the next day with Eric’s help. Just before going to bed I stepped on a wasp, which ticked him off. He therefore bore the stinger into my 4th digit on my right foot. Within 2 minutes my foot and ankle had swollen and turned a pretty shade of pink. Oh, and it hurt like hell.
So the next day with less swelling but only able to get my sandals on comfortably, I picked up the the U-haul truck then Eric. The move actually went pretty smoothly. I had no discomfort with the foot and Eric was a God-send. When we returned to Fort Collins, Dillon arrived and helped unload. It was now time for pizza and coke then take the truck back. About 5:30 I started to feel sick at my stomach and assumed it was the pizza a coke, which I very seldom indulge in. By 6:30 I was under the covers in bed and spent the next 36 hours in the bathroom battling vomiting and diarrhea, and losing it, all of it. Finally, on Friday morning I drove to the ER where they gave me fluids and oxygen. Said my oxygen level was at 85%. Blood tests were okay so the prognosis is I most likely have viral gastroenteritis or stomach flu. Even as I write this on Saturday evening my stomach still rumbles and I need to keep a bathroom within site. Not fun!
I still had to go back down to Denver and clean my apartment. I needed to bring back some food in the refrigerator plus a few cleaning supplies and turn my keys in. I moved in to the apartment last year on the 20th of May and it rained. I moved out the of apartment on the 19th May and it rained. 🙂 I heard the lightening, thunder and rain start about 4:30 in the morning. The rain was much needed as it helped put out the 7000 acre Hewlett Gulch forest fire we had burning west of town. And, the cool air and rain made it easier for me to move, keeping my body temperature cooled.
Today I celebrate my grandsons high school graduation. Wow! He’s looking forward to college in the fall and has some goals to go after. Dang proud grandpa! And, he’s just as handsome!
So, I’m back in my little condo, all 760 feet of it. A bachelors abode, easy to clean and keeps me from accumulating too many toys. I have much to be thankful for, health family, friends and a roof over my head ! Have a great day!
Oh, and they had to close Trail Ridge Road yesterday due to snow. It’s Colorado in May.
Every once in a while we will read a post about someone struggling with posting or shooting, in a slump or busy with other things.And, I suspect we all can relate. For me this period has been longer than any from the past. I don’t carry my DSLR as much but prefer the smaller and lighter G12 in my small backpack with my journal and Kindle 2. Even my mood is in a funk. I found myself getting upset easier and sometimes at inanimate objects. Can you relate?
All I can do in my writing is to stimulate a certain amount of thought, clarify some technical facts and date my work. But when I preach sharpness, brilliancy, scale, etc., I am just mouthing words, because no words can really describe those terms and qualities it takes the actual print to say, “here it is.”
Ansel Adams
I wanted to create a self portrait for my Friday post so I setup a scene and worked at it for a good hour. Nothing. I’d had a long day and was tired. Just as I was ready to give up I envisioned an image that would work and was different. I quickly set it up but for some reason the camera would not fire. Now this is the used camera I just purchased so I was a little concerned. But, after taking a deep breath, pausing when agitated, I realized I’d not put my memory card back in the camera. I told you I was tired. Anyway, here it is.
Adopt the pace of Nature; her secret is patience. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is not the image I had envisioned when I left the apartment. I had to change plans when I got there. The last time I shot this barn at sunrise I did not have an oil drilling rig off to my left. Damn! How quickly man changes things. Saddens me. 🙁 Anyway, I went ahead and waited for the sun to rise. Waiting can be tough in our “microwave” society, we want things now. If I do not take in all the beauty around me at these times then what I thought was patience was only an endurance of time to get an image. On this cold December morning with a slight wind blowing in from the north, in this case my backside, it was a bit of both, a test of patience and endurance. I’m gaining more patience as I add each birthday. Waiting.
We all need it! And when it’s cold outside and the wind is blowing I decided to play around with Topaz Adjust and my off camera flash. I learned a few things about my flash and gained a bit more confidence. I also had fun! Can you tell? Look at that smile! 🙂
Last week I went out and purchased a new Nikon 50mm f1.4 AF-S lens. My intentions were to buy the new 50mm f1.8 AF-S but they did not have any in stock. The salesman suggested I look at the f1.4. After holding that piece of glass in my hand, I succumbed to it’s allure. Before I knew it my wallet was much lighter than when I walked into the store. However, I must say with the limited time I’ve had shooting it, I think I can already see an improvement in my composition and my vision. It looks like this investment is going to make me a better photographer. Makes me wonder how good I’d be with an M9 in my hands. 🙂
And, of course as Murphy would have it, two days ago I received a call from the young man renting my condo informing me the washing machine croaked over the weekend. The inside spindle came off, even tore up a couple of his shirts. And, of course it is no longer under warranty. Sigh!
Over a week ago I sat in the shade at our hotel to get out of the 103 degree heat. It actually was too cold for me in the hotel so I needed to be outside. While today in Colorado our temperatures during the night were in the high 40’s and we had mixed snow and rain in the high country. The dark clouds along the mountains reminds me, winter is approaching. Have a super day!
