Lots to be thankful for. One thing is that I finally got to Wyoming to visit my brother in September. I think this is the last roll of black and white film I have from that trip.
Cowboy Cemetery...
11/23/2023
11/22/2023
after the rain
The rain finally came. I think the news said we hadn't had a soaking rain since September. It's so great to see the colors of the autumn leaves with all the dust washed away. Granted, a lot of those leaves feel in the downpours yesterday. But that's how it should be.
11/21/2023
Tuesday
It's raining...finally! The forecast is for the rain to last all day, getting heavier overnight. We sure do need it.
I had an appointment this morning, but will be spending most of the rest of the day indoors. A nap may be in order since I went to sleep after midnight and was up at 5:30 on account of Avery's barking. Sure, I could have gone back to bed after letting her out and back in. The thing is, I really want to improve my sleep hygiene and desire an earlier rising time (maybe not 5:30, but 6 or 6:30). Anyway, after running around I'm back home, fire in the wood stove, finishing up some leftover soup for lunch. I may take a short nap and then process some film.
The images below are from an Instax mini that was modified to become a pinhole by a friend of mine. The subject came up and said friend (thanks Kevin!) offered the use of this if I wanted. Well, duh, of course! It took me a go or two to wrap my head around how to shoot it. Now I just need a better sense for the exposures (I tried a few this morning and even at 10 minutes it was still too dark outside to produce anything acceptable). Photo experiments will always be fun for me (unless they get frustrating, haha!).
truly goofed this one up, but I rather like it!
ghost of leaves blowing around closer to the camera here.
best result so far.
11/19/2023
Sunday
Looking out at the Japanese maple, resplendent in its autumn finery...
11/17/2023
a preference for solitude
I don't know when this happened. It's probably been within the past year. I'm finding myself with a sense of heartfelt appreciation for my solitary life. Probably part of what has allowed this change (since my divorce I'd been in a more or less constant state of not wanting to be alone) has been the development of some closer friendships, some new, some old but which have grown in intimacy. It feels actually very good to be living in a way that supports my nervous system and brain wiring. To be specific, to not deal with noise or sounds or intrusive energy from anyone else. I mean, I love being with people, having people over and having people stay. In the end, however, I seem to need quiet and space to recenter myself. Things change and someday this little hermitage of mine might be too much for me to upkeep. But for now, it's my oasis.
For a long time, I yearned for another partner as well. That has finally passed from my consciousness. Does that mean I'll avoid another romantic relationship? No, not really. But I'm far beyond the point of seeking one out. More and more I'm identifying with the solitary old crone, doing her thing, being creative, living her life, working for a better world in her own quiet, individual way.
And speaking of working for a better world...while it might not seem like much, I'm using this app every day 5calls org. Sometimes the world is overwhelming and it's hard to feel like doing anything is worth it. But I feel I gotta keep trying.
11/16/2023
it's that time again...
Happy Flickrversary to me! Nineteen years. Nineteen years?? The little montage below is from my first account on the platform. Those were the initial images uploaded. At that time, however, I didn't understand that Flickr was actually a photo sharing social network kind of site. The only reason I uploaded photos was to be able to put them on my old blog (which became unusable, as in I couldn't access control of it, even though it's clearly still hanging out there!!). When I started getting views on Flickr I was amazed and thought, "oh, how cool is this?". And the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, almost two decades later I'm still there, still posting away. This blog too has seen its progression to the current state. A lot has transpired in nineteen years. But I'm still here, kickin' (although those kicks can carry more aches and pains than they used to!!). I'm grateful for my life, my family and friends. I'm grateful for the record and art of my photography. Still learning, experimenting, and some days just putting one foot in front of the other.
And here I am today...fatter and grayer than I was all those years ago (and I'm okay with that....)
11/14/2023
leaves (and other stuff)
Every year I have a goal to not throw out any leaves with the trash. Every year I seem to have a different tactic to do this. And every year I come mighty close to my goal! This year I'm blowing anything that falls out back or onto the driveway, out under the trees in back. What falls on the "lawns" I've been shredding up while mowing whatever green has happened to grow...this goes into the leaf bins. Today was my second go at this...several more still in store before it's all said and done. I probably spent three hours this afternoon working on this.
In the morning, I added some new listings to Etsy. I'm happy to be getting more artwork up, as well as continuing to list vintage items.
It's been a well balanced day.
11/13/2023
Monday
It was a gorgeous autumn day. I'm so glad for cool weather...finally.
Miscellaneous Instax Mini pics below...
11/12/2023
a beautiful November day...
Nothing to tell here...just enjoying the cool air, sunshine and changing leaves on this Sunday afternoon.
11/11/2023
Saturday
There was an open invite from a friend who is staying at the river house of friends of hers. So, although we weren't spending the night, Avery and I took a day trip out to the Rappahannock river. It was cool to see some different countryside in Virginia again. I want to do more of that kind of exploring. Avery had a great time smelling all kinds of new smells...but she's still not a super fan of the car.