Thoughtful

Yes, I'm still alive.

I still don't have cancer.

My eyesight hasn't changed enough to make me buy new glasses.

My hearing hasn't changed so they didn't need to change the hearing aid programming. Though they are out of warranty and are likely to stop working in a few years. I've no idea what the failure mode is. Like many things, I'll deal with it when I get there.

The vertigo is no worse than it has been.

The recent bloodwork is normal.

All these are reassuring things at my age. Especially when you consider the alternative.

I spent much of my life doing what others told me to do, or doing the things that supported a larger goal that was probably imposed on me. I spent some years doing shift work that was very bad for me. I don't recommend it at all. There were lots of years getting up early, on the clock to get us and the cats fed, showered, dressed, and out of the house to be on time for work. 

Much of my later work years the schedule was a bit more relaxed in that nobody particularly cared what time I got in, how long I took for lunch, or when I left, as long as I didn't bill more hours than I worked. To some extent I was still tied to Linda's schedule, since we were too cheap to buy two cars. Even when I was working at home during COVID there were still scheduled team meetings I had to be dressed and awake for. 

But now, retired for about 5 years, hard as that is to believe, (parts of me think it's still 1984) and I can get up and go to bed at whatever hour I like. Mostly it's still off to bed about 9pm, since that routine got established during Ironman training, and I never really got out of it. That was part of the routine, fitting in the time to work out, getting to the pool early, trying to fit in bike rides or long runs in between freezing cold and baking hot. 

This is Michelle from October 2017 as she was training for Ironman. On that same clock, hustling to get it all done, in the face of other issues holding her back. In case you missed the story, she got it done in almost exactly the same time I did a bunch of years previously.

Being active and physically fit is a great thing. One could easily argue that Ironman training level of fitness is above and beyond. The evidence is the number of people that can't keep doing it for all that long, though there are some exceptions. I sold Estella the wonder bike during COVID because I knew I wasn't going to be out on the road, and it was too much bike for the paths. I was out for a short run about the same time, and just stopped. I didn't want to do it anymore. The swimming lasted a lot longer mainly because I love doing it and the pool hours were really good. Then I got a really cranky left shoulder and the hours went nuts. Even the dive tank times for self led workouts are earlier than I want to get up for. 

But a lot of Ironman training is mental, building the toughness to keep going when it gets hard. I found towards the end of my working career (such as it was) I found it tougher and tougher to switch tasks. One of the last jobs was annoying because the immediate boss couldn't organize his own work, and constantly made me go back and explain the work I'd just finished because he didn't understand the results he had asked me to produce.

I could go out for a run, doing a particular route over and over because I was focussed on the time, and knowing where I was without looking at a watch helped me pace myself. I ran in -35 C, and plus 35C, in whatever weather happened to be happening. Ain't made of sugar! 

Now, I'm a weenie about the weather. It bores to do the same walk over and over again, which is one of the reasons I like to take one of the cameras for a walk to new places, or at least places I haven't been in a while. Like this one from a few weeks ago. I call this the dragon spine tree.

Here's why I call it that from early 2017. I dreamed of posing a model on that, in between all the spines. Michelle was willing, but our schedules didn't align. Finally when they did, the tree was in the middle of the river, there weren't many spines left, and I wasn't going to ask her to wade out probably hip deep to get there. Nor was I going to try the uncertain footing to get to where I'd need to be for the photo, while carrying expensive camera gear.

Mental attitude is really important for a happy life, and just now I'm struggling a bit. The film project I started with such eagerness is kind of stalled, and I'm considering how to revise it. The community association stuff is kind of quiet over the summer, even with the hall renovations in progress. One of our employees is on it like the white on rice so I don't have to be.

Today is a lovely day out after several days of rain, and lots of smokey days, and some really hot days. I really should take one of the cameras for a walk. See you later...

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

Film

Linda

Newfoundland

New Brunswick

Why ever didn't I publish this, and maybe I did

90 days, or so ago

Flower

Landscape

Serendipity

The world's most corrugated camera obscura

The book arrived at last! I'd put it on hold at the library, but then it never showed. When I asked the staff about it, he couldn't even find it in their database. The assumption is that it's been lost or stolen, and they only noticed when I asked. I ended up ordering it from U of L, and it arrived in a few days.

Art, Research, Play; The Midnight Sun Camera Obscura Project by multiple contributers.

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4. This isn't quite what you'd see with your eyes, but it gives the idea. We are standing around a large  somewhat dished table, with the projection coming from above. I got lucky in that the image was right side up. I'm thinking seriously of another visit, maybe with photo buddies, and see if we can get them to clean the lens and mirror.

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The book is a delight. I was thinking if it was kind of blah, I'd donate it to the library to replace the missing one, but no, this is a keeper. I've gone through it once fairly quickly, but I want to dive back in and read more thoroughly.

The book talks about the art and research being tied to one another, and to human creativity and play. There's some back and forth, showing a bit of the path people took to get there, and reflections on the experience. I think the people involved with the project had a lot of fun. Plus lots of photos of the various installations in and near Dawson.

It was fun for me to be reading about two places that I've been, Dawson City and the Coutts Western Heritage Centre. (here, if you missed my previous posts.) For many of the Dawson photos, I'd been to that exact spot.

I was reminded a bit about Beakerhead here in Calgary. It seems to be on pause just now, and it seems I missed the Maker Faire in May. That would have been fun. I'm not particularly creative myself, but I love looking at what other people produce.

In other news I'm (once again) taking a sabbatical from Facebook and Instagram, for the same reasons as before. Not a good use of time at best, and at worst they aren't good for my blood pressure. One of my friends deleted her FB account and good for her, but I can't quite go there yet. 

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

Film

Linda

Newfoundland

You can't tell looking at this photo but the water looked disgusting, with a vile orange tint from the iron ore in the ground. 

New Brunswick

Why ever didn't I publish this, and maybe I did

90 days, or so ago

Flower

Landscape

Serendipity

I've done other versions of this photo, but it popped up when I was looking for something else.

July Image of the Month

I only realized this morning that July IotM hadn't been done yet. There's a few photos with 4 stars, but overall it's been a bit of a ho hum month for me. All of these specific images will be new to you, but the overall subjects won't be a surprise.

2nd Runner Up

1st Runner Up

There was another ant and white peony one that I dithered about, you'll see it anon.

Image of the Month

Flowery Friday 7, Lilies

So once upon a time we had a ton of lilies in the garden. They're great photo subjects and are so beautiful. However we had an infestation of lily beetles a few years ago. We were out morning, noon, and night looking for the bright red carapace or the disgusting larvae stage. We hunted and crushed and crushed and hunted. Some people gave up on lilies because they couldn't keep ahead of the beetles. We lost a few lilies.

Then we had a vole infestation and we're still fighting that. We've caught lots, I think we're up to 18. I bought more glue traps after my lab appointment. (Yes mom, I'm out of the lab, only some blood work, and I'm fine.)

Waiting for the lab appointment was an interesting study in humanity. One lady, you'd think she'd never done this before. She was indignant that she had to pee in a cup, doubted her ability to do so, and was under the impression she could come back in an hour for the results. It started loud enough for everyone in the waiting room to hear, and she only got louder as the staff tried to deal with her. As an aside, I've had entire appointments from spelling my name to walking out, take less time than she was taking. The lady behind her was grumbling about the wait and maybe missing her appointment (the appointment times are a bit of a guideline, not a moon launch time window) and then we she got up to the desk, it was another performance. I don't know how that turned out. Us geezers, you know. So needy. 

Still, we do still have some lilies, and you get them here. These photos were taken July 30.

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Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

Film

Linda

Newfoundland

New Brunswick

Why ever didn't I publish this, and maybe I did

90 days, or so ago

Flower

Landscape

Serendipity