Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Muse

This week’s photo challenge is to show something you photograph regularly, something that inspires you to take more photos.  To show us muse.

Pretty clouds...and a sheltie.

Pretty clouds…and a sheltie.

For me it’s often the sky.  Prior to retirement I had a window at work on the top floor and regularly posted ‘window weather’ photos taken on my phone of the clouds, rain, and sun streaming by.

Now that I’m not working I have to go a bit further to find that wide open sky.  But it’s still one of my favorite things to photograph; it changes frequently, it can be beautiful or dramatic; sometimes both.  I’m always watching the sky, early morning, midday, and late into the evening.  You never know what you’ll see.

Oh.  Yes there’s also the sheltie-girl Katie in this shot, another muse.  I have a few thousand photos of her in her many different moods.  Today, as you can see, she’s a very happy girl.  Because she loves to run, and because she knows I have treats.

You can see other interpretations of ‘muse’ at the original post.  Or if you like, check out a few of my favorites, here, here and here.

And don’t miss this one.

 

What’s your photographic muse?  You have time to show us, just post a photo on your blog and link to the original post.  I can’t wait to see!

Katie-girl.

Katie-girl.

 

 


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Epic, windy, wet adventure

Our beautiful campsite!

Our beautiful campsite!

Katie here.  Mama says I’m monopolizing her blog but what’s she got to talk about anyway now that she’s retired?  Right?  Of course I’m right.  I’m a princess.

So anyway, last January mama reserved a campsite for this weekend right on the shore of Lake Michigan! It’s about five hours from home and I have to say I was an excellent traveler.  I didn’t bark at her once the whole way up there!

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

First there was the planning and the packing and the loading of the car.  I was afraid she might forget to take me so I stuck really close to her.

Don't forget me mama!

Don’t forget me mama!

She didn’t forget me but she did forget my bed!  GEEZE mama!  She must be getting old.  That’s OK…I figured I’d just sleep on hers.

This is for me - - right?

This is for me – – right?

Our campsite was really beautiful, right on the shore.  Friday afternoon mama took me for a walk along the sand by the waves.  I did not like it.  Not one bit.

Not getting any closer than this mama!

Not getting any closer than this mama!

The only water I want anything to do with is the water in my bowl and it doesn’t make scarey noises like those waves did!

Since all mama’s romantic notions of walking me on the beach were dashed we went into town.  This was more like it!  I went up and down the steps of the marina no problem.  (Mama is beginning to realize I’m scamming her about not doing steps at home.)

Buy me one of these mama!

Buy me one of these mama!

I even went out on the floating docks at the marina, and the boats were rocking and squeaking and the docks were moving and I was OK with it.  Mostly.

I guess I’m more of a city kid than a beach bum.  But I did like my tent!  Every night my mama made a campfire and settled in to read her book next to it and every night I went over and pawed at the tent door.  Cause I wanted to go to bed already.  Mama just sighed and we went to bed.

Mama made me a bed out of her pillows.

Mama made me a bed out of her pillows.

Because a princess always gets what she wants.  Don’t you know.  And every morning I got my mama up around 5:00, because even though we were on vacation I didn’t shirk my responsibilities.

Time to get up mama!

Time to get up mama!

Do you know that people in campgrounds don’t get up that early?  That was cool, we had the whole place to ourselves.  We tiptoed down the road and I did my jobs and then we tiptoed back and went back to bed.  It worked out great

We had two evenings of beautiful sunsets.  Mama made me go back out on the beach to see those.  It was OK, I was sort of getting used to the waves.

Friday night

Friday night

And in the end whatever makes mama happy makes me happy.

We were supposed to be there three nights, but there were thunderstorms coming.  The clouds were low and heavy on Sunday morning.  Mama began to worry.

Mama used the 'dramatic' button on the camera to show you the clouds.

Mama used the ‘dramatic’ button on the camera to show you the clouds better.

She talked to dad on the phone and decided we’d leave early.  Of course we had to go into town to use the phone and by the time we got back it was raining.  Mama packed up the car as fast as she could.

Hurry up mama!

Hurry up mama!

Everything was soggy.  Even me!

Can't we stay mama?

Can’t we stay mama?

We were sad to leave a day early, but we are very happy that we got to go at all!

On the way home we stopped at a little park and I got to walk on a bridge over the Au Sable River.

Still raining.

Still raining.

Mama says she used to canoe on this river when she was a little girl.  It made her smile.  And I found her a beautiful flower along the river too!  Cause I love my mama.

Along the river.

Along the river.

We had a wonderful time, but I’m glad to be home.  I missed my dad a lot.  Plus it was cold, and I don’t like cold so much.  And then there were those waves.  And the sand.  And the mud.  I got wet.  I wasn’t that thrilled about the campfire either.  Hmmmm…..maybe camping in the back yard isn’t all that bad!

Anyway…I guess that’s all for now from your friend Katie – camper extraordinaire.

Kind of.

Don't like sand in my fur mama!

Don’t like sand in my fur mama!

 

 

 


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Just a thought.

Driving back from an appointment today, listening to news radio, I heard a piece on the dangers of TV binge watching.    You know, the latest kick happening in the past couple of years of watching a whole series in one day or weekend.  Sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time.  The research, done by the University of Michigan, points out that binge watching is often associated with depression and can lead to obesity and heart disease similar to other bad habits including overeating.

I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and consciously watched a whole season of anything.  But I do know this past snowy, cold, windy, nasty Saturday I lay on the sofa and watched several segments of “What Not to Wear” on TLC, back to back to back to…well…you know.  I loved that show.

Anyway.

Right after the piece about the risks of binge TV watching was a very long advertisement read by one of the news anchors for Exfinity,  a division of Comcast Cable.  It was selling the app that would allow you to download all your favorite shows and movies so that you could watch anytime from anywhere even if you were offline.   If you were traveling you could watch.  If you were waiting somewhere you could watch.  If you were bored with your dinner partner I guess you could watch.

Ironic.  I wonder if program directors ever pay attention to what ads go where.

Apparently not.

 

 


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When did it all get so scary?

Watching the snow fly.

Watching the snow fly.

It wasn’t so long ago that 14 inches (355.6 mm) of snow wouldn’t bother me.  I lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where that much snow was a regular thing.  And I’ve done my share of commuting through blizzards over the years; I remember a few 4 hour drives to get home.  I used to do that just because it was expected that you went to work.  So you did.

Now?  Not so much.

More and more people are able to work from home, hook into their work computers and be almost as, if not more, productive.  So struggling with the car and the snowdrifts isn’t so normal any more.  Still.  Late yesterday afternoon and into the night I watched the snow pile up and worried about how I was going to get to work in the morning.   I pictured the winding hilly roads I travel and imaged driving them with over a foot of snow on the ground.  I strained to hear the sound of snow plows anywhere near my home, but failed to hear anything but the wind.

Driveway...early in the morning.

Driveway…early in the morning.

And this morning it was obvious that I wasn’t going anywhere, at least until I cleared the driveway of over a foot of snow.  Even Katie didn’t want to go out there unless I made her a path first.  Trust me I tried to get her to go without one.  Complete failure.

Never mind, didn't really need to go out anyway.

Never mind, didn’t really need to go out anyway.

So I spent a couple of hours clearing the driveway and the road in front of my house.  My two neighbors, both older men, cleared their sections of the road and helped me with mine.  I began to feel guilty about not making an attempt to get to the office.  But not one vehicle had been by and the people on the news said you needed 4 while drive.  So I didn’t try.

Hunkered down like the juncos.

Hunkered down like the juncos.

Later in the morning the sun came out, the sky was blue, the snow brilliant white.  Beautiful.  I felt brave and almost got in the car to head in to work.   I wonder why I feel so much more brave in the bright light of sun than I do in the middle of the night’s darkness.  And I wonder when I got scared to drive in the snow at all.

That's better mama!

That’s better mama!

The news is still showing back roads covered in snow and saying you need 4 wheel drive to get out of subdivisions.  A few more neighbors have plowed their portions of our road.  Maybe I can get out of the subdivision tomorrow.  Maybe people along the bigger side roads have plowed their own bits too.  Maybe the county has done the paved roads.

Maybe it won’t be so bad.  Maybe I can learn to relax and enjoy an unexpected day off instead of feeling guilty that I didn’t make it in.

Maybe the sun will come up tomorrow and I’ll be brave again.

Maybe this is the last snowfall of the season.

Right.

IMG_0969

 


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WordPress Photo challenge – depth

It’s February 1st, a snow storm is upon us and everyone is huddled inside to wait it out.

Right?

 

Weekend fun

Weekend fun

In the depth of winter fishermen remain passionate about their sport.

 

Go see other interpretations of dept at the original WordPress post.

 

Or go see a few, here, here, and here.  And of course one more here.

Stay warm out there!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr....

Brrrrrrrrrrrr….