I was up at the regular time, and instead of people scurrying off to work, the roads are quiet. The clouds are not, however, scudding along with drama changing every second. If the foreground were better I might be out there with my camera, but no. They didn't light up all that much, and I stayed cuddling my cat, drinking coffee, and thinking about other photos.
If you've been keeping up with the story, you know I retired for the 4th time back in June. I've turned down two job pitches since then, and accepted several requests to help out on other people's photo projects. I've had my own projects, one big trip to Yukon, a multi-day photoshoot that was a ton of fun, a family photoshoot that everybody seemed to enjoy, plus several photo rambles along the way, some alone, some with buddies. Various other get togethers with buddies. So it's been a busy 4 months of retirement. It's been fun.
I'm fully aware of how fortunate I am to have made it through a career (loosely speaking), in one piece (mostly), and am now in a position to do what I want to do (mostly). No, I can't book a round the world cruise, or buy a mansion on the French Riviera (or even a modest house), or do any of the other things that the rich are supposed to want to do. But we can live comfortably, unless there is a financial apocalypse that has everyone wishing they could live in a cardboard box under a bridge, as they huddle in a ditch wondering where their next meal will come from.
But I don't think that will happen. Look at Andex charts, there are dips along the way, but the general trend is up. The trick is to stay diversified, and not sell during one of the temporary dips. For much of your life this doesn't matter. You invest and let your money do it's thing. If you've done it right, there's no need to be up at night worrying about it. Life gets a bit trickier at retirement, when you'd don't have time to make up for one of the big dips, or it's getting to be time to pull out your money and wonder if now is the moment, or later this year, or next year. Decisions, decisions.
I was chatting with a buddy this morning. One of the topics was social media and the presentation or appearance of the perfect life other people are having. We see photos of them on vacation, but we don't see them paying interest on the charge card. We see photos of them and their kids having fun, but we don't see the daily struggle to get out the door to school or work. We hear about the promotion, or surviving a re-org, or the other good things, and we don't hear about the not so nice stuff happening, which happens in every life. It's easy to look at the negatives in your own life, and compare them to the appearance of the positives in the other social media lives you follow.
Better to look at the good things in your own life, appreciate them for what they are. Work to make them better, and remove or minimize the not-so-good things. Take care of yourself and your loved ones, and let social media take care of itself.
Especially now. I've been trying to dial back on Facebook because the politically related ads are over the top, and that's not counting the commentary. Much of that is well into crazy-land. Better for my blood pressure if I don't read that. Good thing I'm part of some sane groups, and I go there.
I went looking for a harvest scene for this blog. I think this one from almost 2 years ago is the best.
A less evocative one from the recent road trip with Neil. I don't know what the crop is.
Sorry if I've triggered anyone's dust allergies. This one is part of the view from beside Sun Dog Retreat in Yukon. I think they usually grow potatoes in that field, but it seems to be straw this year.
Then these two unrelated ones from Yukon just because.
Lynx of the Day
Deadwood of the Day
Love that first one, Keith. It's perfect for Thanksgiving.
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