The Third Act

Sunday

Last night was weird.  I had a bit of a dark night of the soul.  It happens.  The mind/heart jumps around from one thing to another, at which point I find myself at a place I hoped was more healed.  But I let it out, let it run its course and the light comes back.  

A partial list of things I'm grateful for:  A house where I can garden and make art.  A neighborhood that's walking distance to the river.  Neighbors who have become good friends.  A real, live group of friends.  A dog that is goofy and keeps me company.  The way the light streams in with the November angle.  The crisp autumn air this afternoon.  A pot of soup simmering on the stove.  A fire in the wood stove.  Meds that actually help.  Hope in my heart.

 

 

 

 

the sun returns

The sun is out and the humidity has dropped.  It'll still be warm today.  Tomorrow, however, temperatures drop by 20 degrees.  I do believe the wood stove will be put to use this coming week.

Leaves once again coat the ground.  I knew that would happen.  It kinda, sorta has its own charm.  I love how vibrant everything looks after the rain too.  The colors (what's left of them) are popping today.

 

 

 

 

and the rain did come

It's wonderful to see the dust washed off of everything, and the plants soaking in the moisture.  Granted, it's a bit warm for November, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating the precipitation.  Next week it's actually going to be cold again.  I'm here for that!  In the meantime, there's a bit of the tropics in the air...

 

 

 

Thursday

It was another day spent outdoors.  The backyard got lots of lovin today.  Leaves (and acorns...and sticks) have been moved off the green areas.  The leaf bins are both full now.  It didn't take as long as the front yard and it was a good day to work outside.  Now, I'm crossing my fingers we get some decent rain to come through tomorrow.

There are still lots of leaves to come down.  The couple days I've spent in the past week, initially in the front and now in the back, have been the first major push for this task.  But more of the same is in my future.  It's easy to practice being present while I do this...I'm not sure why that is.  Perhaps there's a rhythm and satisfaction that comes with the process.  So yeah...I don't hate it, which is great.

 

 

 

 

third time's the charm?

I received the Lomo'Instant replacement from Lomography today.  This is the third one of these cameras I've had.  It's been a while since the last replacement, though.  I could have gotten this much sooner, but I decided to live with a defect for far too long.  Anyway, here's hoping this one works well for the foreseeable future.  I'm still contemplating purchase of the Mint RF70, but at least there's no urgency now.  "Urgency"?  One might wonder what could be so urgent about an instant camera.  I suppose it's like a specific kind of tool any artist might need?  I dunno...it's funny to think about.

The weather is very seasonal today.  It was in the low 40s/upper 30s this morning.  I'm loving it.  Avery and I had a long walk by the river.  It's looking quite like November.  There's just a little vibrant color left, with browns and blues (sky and river) and grays coming forward.  It won't be long before Christmas lights are up.

Here are a couple test shots from the new camera...nothing special...

 

 

 

autumn returns

After about four days of unseasonably warm weather, autumn has returned.  The air feels wonderful this morning.  It was a great day for a walk to my polling place to vote.

Yesterday, while it was still very, very warm, I spent many hours in my front yard addressing the leaf issue.  After four miles (according to my health app) trudging back and forth, the front yard is (well, was...sorta) tidy.  After getting the leaves on the garden area onto the lawns, I managed to shred enough of them to fill an entire bin out back.  The leaves on the driveway, I blew onto tarps and took half a dozen loads out to place in the wooded area of the rear yard.  It was a process...a long, slow process!  But I'm pleased with the results.

Today is a bit windy so I may wait until tomorrow to forge ahead with the same process out back.  It'll be a little less time consuming than the front yard.  I keep in mind how beneficial this treatment of the leaves is and to feel into my connection with the whole ecosystem.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday

Funny how time keeps moving on.  Time...funny in and of itself.  

From back in June by the Pacific ocean in San Francisco.

I'm grateful to have the river in walking distance...I miss that big water.  I mean, I was by the bay not the ocean, but still.  One of these days I'll get myself out to the Atlantic again.  Seems that winter time would be good for that...fewer crowds.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday

It looks like November outside today...but it feels like September!

I am looking forward for the change to cold again.  At least I'm saving on fire wood.

Ektar in the Holga about a month ago...

 

 

 

 

 

here we go again...

So, after the Lomo'Instant wide stopped working properly, I decided my mini version of the same camera would get more use.  I thought it could be my go to instant camera while figuring out funding for the Mint RF70.  Wouldn't you know...the mini stopped working!  I managed to get these few films today.  The lighter ones are from clicking the shutter multiple times before the camera would spit the film out.  Good grief!

I decided to write back to Lomo again, and happened to get a reply from the first customer service person I worked with years ago.  We simplified what I'd need to do for a replacement and I sent him what was requested.  Hopefully I'll be receiving yet another Lomo'Instant wide.  Maybe it's been long enough that the manufacture is better...or something?  I'm not holding my breath.  But if this one will work for a while until I figure out the upgrade, I'll be happy.

The garden continues to wind down.  Figs are still ripening in drips and drabs though. I pull them off the tree and just snack when out there.  The greens bed is also providing some edibles. The grand takeaway I have from all the infrastructure work last winter is that it's been a major plus.  This winter will see a few more containers going in...well, maybe two.  In the mean time, the leaves will require another wrangle this weekend.

 

 

 

 

quiet day

I think I'll have a quiet day today.  Yesterday was my annual physical (pretty good but "room for improvement" according to the doctor!) and I got the next Covid booster plus a flu shot.  I'm not feeling terrible this morning, but more achy and headachy than usual.  Maybe I'll just take it easy.  It's supposed to be a beautiful day, however, so who knows how the spirit will move me.

My biggest takeaway from the physical is the need I have to more actively address my mental health.  That's still a challenge for me.  I believe it's stress levels that interfere with many of my body functions...it's puts a lot of strain in the mix.  Honestly, I've made a lot of improvement over the years, but this past summer was a bitch for me.  And this fall has brought up a lot more melancholy and attachment to the past (which isn't useful).

I would venture a guess that in this day and age, stress levels and mental health management are critical for us all.  We don't live in a culture that supports our humanity or our uniqueness.  The things we see around us are distressing and disturbing.  We lack the ability to be intimate with each other.  And there's a long list that follows, even more so for marginalized communities.

Anyway, my wish for us all would be to have a lived experience the truly supports our well-being from all angles.  A woman can hope anyway.