Month: September 2020

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Gardening, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking

Some Positivity

1972italy

This morning (sorry… I just had to stop and help Stella cover herself with a blanket) is darker and wetter than yesterday. Plants are in or covered up. The tomatoes are ripening at a steady pace now. I also need to pull some of the beans soon.

Yesterday morning I rescued a Monarch butterfly. She was hanging out on some of the plants in the sun in the memorial garden trying to dry her wings and warm up. But with the Fall weather then sun wasn’t doing much for either condition for her. I was able to coax her on to my hand and I put her on the basil plant (it is in the long box with the tomato plant and pepper plant) since it was in full sun. She stretched out there for a bit and was able to get warm and dry before taking off.

Last night was almost a full moon. I missed the awesome moon rise (a coworker came in to get some groceries and showed me some pics she had taken) but I was able to get some pretty impressive shots after I got home.

This morning all three dogs have been excessively needy. I’m not sure why. For a good portion of this Stella has laid in my lap or beside me. Moose and Essie have been sitting next to me for love and scratches. I’m not sure what is up. I finally got everyone to lay down. I can hear the gentle snores now. Lol. On a positive note I was able to get Moose to eat almost all of his breakfast. Most of it was fed to him but he ate a good amount on his own from the bowl. I am very proud of him.

I will add a few photos then try to get some classwork done. I hope everyone is have a good day. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, family, Friends, Gardening, Learning, Life, Motorcycles, Nature, Photography, Riding, Thinking, Writing

What to Do Next

1972italy

The sun is out but it is deceptively cold out. I think I might, at the very least, bring in the orange plant. I can leave it by the door to get the sun. I may have to harvest what beans we have and cove the whole thing up by the looks of the weather. The temperatures here are dropping steadily. So do I leave everything out til I get home tonight (I close so after dark)? Or do I pull them in before I go and cover the memorial garden? I think I will leave everyone out and uncovered since the sun is out. It has been a few days since we have seen any sun and I think the direct sunshine will help more than bringing them in. I will bring everyone in tonight after I feed the kids.

I have gotten a lot of color photos between the two cameras. No Monarch butterfly yesterday so I am hoping that it is on it’s way to warmer climes. I need to check my blog capacity for photos. It may have been increased when I upgraded but I have been posting a lot of photos since then. I don’t know if deleting older photos would gain me more space or not. I hate to do it but….

This morning I am writing back in the living room. All three kids are happily snoozing instead of wandering back and forth every few minutes to see me. Although I am still expected to stop every little while and love on everyone. Sigh… snots. Lol.

I have a friend that is trying to get me to go on a color ride next weekend. Truly I want to go but I don’t want to go. I want to take photos of all the colors but I also want to ride my bike. I cannot do both. I suppose I could ride on back and click away as a passenger but…. and I have no idea if I will have the time off. And I also have classwork that I need to keep up with. I usually do that on my days off. Oooooo…. and another problem. He wants to leave at like 9am. Which means I would be going on my own since Chris works nights. And I do my classwork in the morning while the house is quiet. I guess I am gonna have to say no then. Maybe we just do our own color tour sometime soon.

I need to wrap this up so I can try to get some classwork done before work. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Aging, Dogs, Emotions, family, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

Quick Check In

1972italy

I think Moose wants me to start moving the laptop into the living room again. He doesn’t want to sleep on the floor in here for very long. It is raining pretty good here this morning. The rain has made everyone very sleepy. Even me. I only woke up once last night.

I took Stella and Moose for a little ride yesterday. I didn’t take the camera but I did pull over a few times and use the one on my phone so I do have some fall color photos to share. I also managed to get a lot done yesterday. The garage has been swept out and the house picked up etc (I do need to vacuum when I get home today). I am also caught up on classwork.

I got up extra early so I thought I had more time. I did get Moose to eat some of his breakfast by feeding it to him. He actually showed interest but wasn’t sure so I gave him some on the fork. He ate it so I kept going. He ate most of it for me.

Where did all my extra time go? Sheesh. Ok. I guess I will put my photos on here and get ready for work. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Gardening, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

A Little Bit of Everything

1972italy

This morning Moose is very restless. He follows me around and can’t seem to find a comfortable spot around me (or anywhere) to lay. We’ve been up since 7am when Moose got me up to go outside. It is still overcast from the rain. We got hit hard yesterday morning with the storms making the sky dark enough to be night. It was really wild.

I seem to be only to sleep for patches of 5 hours at a time. I had to take a sleep aid at three different times over the course of the night to get any sleep. So while I waited for the medicine to kick in I worked on my novels. I didn’t make much head way but I got some things worked on before I fell back asleep. So I may pull those out at various times today and jot some notes.

I got some of my classwork done before work yesterday since we were up so early. I might have one or two more videos and then the written part to do today. I plan to finish that up after I post this.

The colors here are changing so fast… I try to take a photo everyday of this one tree across the street every day (it was one of the first to start changing) to demonstrate this. I’ve also been taking photos of the hills behind us for the same reason. Eventually I will sit down and put them together in chronological order and share them.

I just glanced at the clock and it is later than I thought. I need to get going so I can get my classwork done before Chris gets up. I have a few more photos to share with you as well. The peach colored flower is my new favorite. I think I might make it a tattoo at one point. So off I go! Thanks for reading and as always stay safe!

  • Another Monarch appeared while I was talking to Mom yesterday. ❤️
Animals, Dogs, Emotions, family, Life, Photography, Thinking

Whaaa???

1972italy

I had planned to ride in today but not now. I woke up every hour exactly an hour apart (:47 after the hour). No idea why. Then 5am wide awake. So here I am. Moose’s diagnosis was what I had feared. He’s lost 11lbs in two months and all his bad levels for kidney disease have essentially doubled. So. Moose had a horrible time at the vet’s office as well. Nothing they did or did not do. Moose was just that scared despite his anxiety meds. And all he did after I left for work was sleep. All he has done since the vet’s is sleep. I got them out playing for a few before I had to leave for work yesterday but…. and he won’t eat again this morning. It’s new food (courtesy of the vet) and I even put some egg in it. He barely ate any dinner last night. I know he was beyond stressed yesterday but I am very concerned that it is going to have long lasting effects on his disease.

I closed last night and I have to be back at 8am today. I am going to request an early out of they can manage it. I am working both the deli and the second cash register all day. I am so tired (but can’t sleep) and emotionally drained.

I talked to Mom the other day on the phone. I thought about trying to Facetime with Dad today after work but I just can’t. I am in dire need of some me time. And that, sadly, is all I have this morning. I have some more photos I will share. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

The quarter is new for us. It is a fruit bat and her baby. Just in time for Halloween!
Animals, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Learning, Life, Love, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

Season Changes

1972italy

I am trying to look past the lack of sleep and anxiety. I am trying to keep a level head about things. But the combination of all of it is kicking my butt. The closer we get to Moose’s appointment the more irritable I get. I also have a stress headache.

Be that as it may I got some good photos yesterday of the color changes around here. If I can manage it I will leave early for work and take my camera. The road to work it just a riot of color. Our little valley here seems to always stay greener longer (for which I am grateful). I can see the trees change daily. The colors seem to be changing fast now that they have started. That usually means a very cold winter. Regardless I will share some of the photos I took. I really do need to sit down more with the book I got to go with the camera. I tried to go through it from first page to last but I found myself impatient because I had discovered a lot on my own. I want the nitty gritty as it were. But I don’t know the proper terms to be able to ask the right questions so I am going to try again.

I did start watching some videos for class the other day. I have to say that all the classes so far have been very good. I am looking forward to seeing what the capstone class will be about. It has a very vague explanation of a class that you work one one piece of writing.

I am trying to write this and upload some photos. The camera battery is low so I’m not sure how many I will be able to get. I only chose five (yes just the five…. sorry movie quote reference lol) to try to share some of what I took but the battery light keeps flashing ominously at me. But I might just make it.

I might have time to start another video for class (yay! I got all five before the battery died!) before we head out for the vet appointment. So I will post this and see what I can learn. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Creativity, dreams, Emotions, Gardening, Learning, Life, Thinking, Writing

Questions

1972italy

As I sit here in the way too early morning I look at my blog and think that it isn’t what it was supposed to be. But what was it supposed to be? A place to show my writing for sure but what kind? Was it for my non fiction? My fiction? Photography is a new love so it wasn’t that. I don’t know.

But I do… it was supposed to be a place where people could come and learn new things, learn about topics they didn’t know about or were curious about. I think I’ve done that over the years. But what, then, has it become? It feels more like an online journal. And while that might be nice for a while it is not what it was meant to be.

So should it change? I don’t know. I wanted it to grow organically and it has. Just because it has gone in a different direction does not mean it is wrong. Just different. I guess I am looking at things because it feels as though it has become a whine fest and that is NOT ok. I try to keep my bad days short on here because there is enough of that in the world without me adding my two cents. Yet when I go through tough times what should I do? Part of me wants to share to show that everyone has bad things happen and we can all make it through. Yet… yet where do I draw the line? I don’t want my readers to think that all I do is whine (I might not but it feels like I do).

I have made many friends through my writing. I have learned things I would not have otherwise through my writing and reading that of others. My writing has always been very much a part of me, even when it went dormant for a few years. I am trying to find new ways to water, feed and nurture my writing garden. That is why I continue to do this blog.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe. ❤️

Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

A Little Piece of Me

1972italy

Despite getting good solid sleep I am exhausted. On the positive side I have gotten two articles written and sent out. I plan to watch atleast one class video before work this morning. The sun is up and out so it should be a beautiful day. Even though I wish I could stay home it will be a good day to be out and about.

I got three tees from Maui Brewing Company yesterday and I love them all! You gotta love random choices!

I got some more photos over the course of the day yesterday. Some I think turned out pretty well while others will be used as a learning tool.

I am getting more and more antsy about Moose’s Friday appointment. I want to know now what is going on. I wonder if it had been one of the regular vet techs if we would have gotten in sooner. Moose does a little then sleeps a lot. He is down to pretty much one meal a day. He is drinking a lot of water as well. All bad signs with kidney disease. So we will see soon I guess. Just not soon enough for my liking.

My mind is kind of all over the place. I am trying to make sure that I get everything done I need to before work. I was supposed to add some thing to the grocery list for today but I have forgotten them. Grrrr… I will get another cup of coffee and then start watching my class videos. Sorry this is so short but I hope you enjoy the photos! Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Dogs, Emotions, family, Friends, Holiday, Life, Movies

Friendship

1972italy

Nature looks as sleepy as we feel this morning. It is cloudy enough to make you wonder if it night rain later but the sun is poking through here and there. I think it will be a lazy day as much as I can make it today.

I had a fun surprise yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. Two actually. The first was a long time friend stopped by to spend some time with us and the second was that Chris elected to stay home from work so we could spend time with our friend. When I got home I was beat and a bit too exhausted to play hostess. But that didn’t last for long. Soon the three of us were catching up and making plans for October. Jim is a big horror fan like myself. With COVID happening the yearly Halloween Horror Movie Marathon at our local theatre probably wasn’t going to happen (we had such a blast staying up literally all night watching Halloween (the movie franchise) movies and playing various games between viewings!). So we are making plans to do our own. We are defiantly including Trick-R-Treat and Nightmare Before Christmas but the rest of the viewing is up for grabs. Also under consideration in the menu. He has started the Keto diet so I want to make sure we stick to stuff he can have. Needless to say it was a good visit. Oh and as an added bonus he brought me my Halloween/October gift of a Chucky tee shirt (Child’s Play movies).

I took on a meeting last night for the paper and got the article written this morning. Which is why this is so late. Before the meeting Chris and I had a really nice dinner on the grill together and we started watching the series Ratched on Netflix. It was nice and relaxing to spend the bonus time together.

I am debating about whether or not to watch my class videos today. I may put that off. The kids really want me to get out with them and really I do too. I need a break from things. That being said I am gonna wrap this up and send it out to the world. Thanks for reading and as always stay safe!

Animals, Dogs, Emotions, family, Gardening, Life, Nature, Thinking

Trying to Breathe

1972italy

Last night I closed and this morning I open. I’ve been awake since Chris came to bed around 3am. Poor Stella got us up around 4:30am to be sick and while she was doing that Moose came quickly through the door because his tummy was not happy. So it will be an interesting day. I do get out at 2pm so once I get groceries I can come home and chill out. I have tomorrow off so once I get stuff done around the house I can relax til the meeting tomorrow night.

I hope I can pull my camera out for a bit. I’ve not been able to take photos in a few days. I may be able to pull all the plants out either today or tomorrow. Yesterday was beautiful but the night was chilly. So we’ll see. At one point I do need to get more dirt to try to transplant some of the smaller plants to give the big ones more room. Then maybe the smaller ones will be able to grow more.

There has been a steady wind for the past few days. It can be rather soothing if you can just focus on it. Since I will be manning the courtesy /gas counter today I will be able to atleast feel it through the window. Sometimes it will blow up dust devils through the back part of the parking lot. It was nice to sit out in it yesterday before work in the sun.

Speaking of work I need to get going. I have found a few photos that I haven’t shared yet so I will post those. Thanks for reading and be safe!