Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Pink Sunset Light
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Canyons in the Yard
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Peeking Green...
Today was a bit less stressful at work, but it is obvious that summer is starting. The amount of people has suddenly jumped up, and it will continue to do so every day. I'm ready for summer, but not the tourists! (Are we ever ready? Lol)
It rained today. I thiiiiink it rained in April, but I'm not sure. But it was definitely one of the first time it rained in months. Our winter was rather nice in one way simply because instead of raining, it snowed. The snow was obnoxious, but I'd rather have more snow than rain in the winter. Rain just makes everything slippery and a mess.
So today, it poured for several hours straight. And I was drawn out shooting in the yard, looking for new green growth covered in water drops! I have missed taking droplet photos :) Bring on the summer flowers!
It hasn't been sunny in a few days and I'm missing the sunshine, but today's rain was lovely. I'm looking forward to seeing the green start to pop a bit more now that we've finally had some new moisture (lots of melting snow though).
It rained today. I thiiiiink it rained in April, but I'm not sure. But it was definitely one of the first time it rained in months. Our winter was rather nice in one way simply because instead of raining, it snowed. The snow was obnoxious, but I'd rather have more snow than rain in the winter. Rain just makes everything slippery and a mess.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Stress Part 587!
This past week has proved that May is not any different than April for me :P *sigh* Lots of work drama that I can't really get into at this time, but I will say that responsibility at work seems to be a lost art :(
I bought a netbook for a college computer a year and a half ago and while I have rarely used it, I have been so happy to have it when I have needed it. I bought it for trips - first to finish up college with and secondly as a "photo dump" for when I am on trips and want empty memory cards. I have been very happy with it so far, but I am going on a trip in a few weeks and I will be tweeting and posting photos to Facebook (more on that later) and I have been agonizing for months about a photo editing program to edit my RAW files. I started to research my options months ago, but then got too busy to ponder it. Now that my trip is suddenly quickly approaching, I knew I needed to figure out what I was going to do. My problem was that the netbook's screen resolution is such that Photoshop and Lightroom technically would not work because they need 1024 x 768 to run correctly. Upon researching further, I discovered that many people have run Photoshop on their netbooks with no problem and that the issues are easily worked around. So I set about installing PS and lo and behold, it works tolerably! So, I took a step further and installed Lightroom as well and I am happy to report that I have success! I'm quite pleased :)
Not much else to say at the moment. Work is consuming my life right now and most of my thoughts have been centered in that direction. Not healthy, but not much I can do at this point. I'm in a much better frame of mind this evening than I have been the past 2 nights for sure, but still.
The snow is almost completely gone from my yard. Green shoots are coming out. The pushki, horsetails and buds are pushing up! Hooray! A cow moose has been meandering through my yard the past couple of days and she looks pregnant :) Looking forward to babies!
I was out taking some photos Thursday night to work on a project and when I came back inside, I realized how much less stressed out I was. Such a nice feeling :)
I had an online friend write to me the other day (she's 14 or so) and she is doing a school project on photography. After describing it, here's what she said: "And I have to do a page on my arts hero/heroine. So I wanted to pick Michelle because her photos are my inspiration :)" AW! I was floored, but also humbled. So fun! So I gave her a little interview to use :)
I'll end with a funny joke I saw recently (no idea its origin):
I was out taking some photos Thursday night to work on a project and when I came back inside, I realized how much less stressed out I was. Such a nice feeling :)
I had an online friend write to me the other day (she's 14 or so) and she is doing a school project on photography. After describing it, here's what she said: "And I have to do a page on my arts hero/heroine. So I wanted to pick Michelle because her photos are my inspiration :)" AW! I was floored, but also humbled. So fun! So I gave her a little interview to use :)
I'll end with a funny joke I saw recently (no idea its origin):
A new pastor was visiting the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, Genesis 3:10."
Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.
Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid, for I was naked."
Monday, April 30, 2012
Stress...
So I figured out that I needed a day planner of some form. I managed to forget a ton of things I wouldn't usually ever forget - the house payment, the monthly budget, etc. I was a bit depressed by the fact that, it is nearly May and all day planners for 2012 are probably nonexistent........texted my boss and asked if she happened to have one lying around and I was in luck! I got my hands on it today and it is quite attractive and small enough that I could carry it around often. Tonight I realized that I scheduled two things to overlap next week. I normally would not have done something that dumb, but it's obvious I'm not thinking clearly right now. *sigh* So I immediately grabbed the planner and started writing in it. So hopefully I can make use of it and form a good habit to keep track of things!
I went aurora hunting the other night and before I came home, I was desperately in need of a bathroom break. I was parked along the side of the road, in the dark, in a grassy area. I contemplated several times going the Alaskan way and going outside (not the first time...can't grow up here and not have that experience!), but I resisted :P I was telling C about it later...
Me: "I almost peed outside. So I was almost an Alaskan."
C: "So if you aren't Alaskan, then what are you?"
Me: "...Canadian."
C: 'Oh, they don't pee in Canada?"
I hope that wasn't too awkward or idiotic, but I laughed pretty hard.
Yesterday, I said goodbye to my coworker who is moving. It was super short and not very sweet - literally a hug and "Bye!" and she was on her way. It was a bit sad for its brevity, but I realized how nice it was to not be tearing up and feeling sorry for myself! Later that day, we said goodbye to one of C's brothers. It evolved into a nice family evening and we ended up staying until 11:30pm. We had both ridden our bikes to work that day and so rode to the in laws' after work and just stayed. I ended up playing board games and chatting with my mother in law while C had a great conversation with a brother. Needless to say, when it became 11:30, we needed to get home so we could go to bed. We tossed around several ideas, but in the end, we decided to ride home in the dark. There was still a little bit of daylight above the trees, but not much. We did fine, riding under street lights until we got to our street. That was a bit spooky and I was concerned about moose, but it was uneventful. I don't plan on doing that again, but it was an adventure for sure!
I went aurora hunting the other night and before I came home, I was desperately in need of a bathroom break. I was parked along the side of the road, in the dark, in a grassy area. I contemplated several times going the Alaskan way and going outside (not the first time...can't grow up here and not have that experience!), but I resisted :P I was telling C about it later...
Me: "I almost peed outside. So I was almost an Alaskan."
C: "So if you aren't Alaskan, then what are you?"
Me: "...Canadian."
C: 'Oh, they don't pee in Canada?"
I hope that wasn't too awkward or idiotic, but I laughed pretty hard.
Yesterday, I said goodbye to my coworker who is moving. It was super short and not very sweet - literally a hug and "Bye!" and she was on her way. It was a bit sad for its brevity, but I realized how nice it was to not be tearing up and feeling sorry for myself! Later that day, we said goodbye to one of C's brothers. It evolved into a nice family evening and we ended up staying until 11:30pm. We had both ridden our bikes to work that day and so rode to the in laws' after work and just stayed. I ended up playing board games and chatting with my mother in law while C had a great conversation with a brother. Needless to say, when it became 11:30, we needed to get home so we could go to bed. We tossed around several ideas, but in the end, we decided to ride home in the dark. There was still a little bit of daylight above the trees, but not much. We did fine, riding under street lights until we got to our street. That was a bit spooky and I was concerned about moose, but it was uneventful. I don't plan on doing that again, but it was an adventure for sure!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Can't it Slow Down for a Minute?!
It's amazing how life suddenly starts going without any chance of slowing down in sight. For the past month, I have been in a daze of work and life, struggling to stay afloat, really. I was sick for 2 weeks, and it hung on for another week for the most part. I was healthy for a week, and then a week ago Friday, I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomach bug of some kind (I'm thinking food poisoning) effectively forcing me to slow down. I had plans for that day to be going from 9am to 11pm with no breaks in between, and I missed out on everything I had lined up for the day.
I recovered by late afternoon and felt much better by bedtime. I worked Saturday and felt even better as the day went on. Can't really miss more than a day of work when sick pay is nonexistent :)
My silly pinwheel that turns when the heater is blowing. Puts a smile on my face :P
Last week, we had a family dinner at my in laws' house. My husband's brother was in town for a month and the sibling out of town flew into town for less than 24 hours and we had a nice family dinner with all seven children under one roof for the first time in years.
When I was sick last week, before I realized that something was wrong with myself, I had two panic attacks, one worse than the other. Looking up the symptoms for a true panic attack, I don't think I was having a diagnosable one, but I was sure stressed out. I thought maybe I had stressed myself into being sick from work responsibilities, but some of my symptoms of the bug were a bit hard to fake :) So anyway, I basically wound myself up pretty good and stayed high strung for several days.
One Lord Sunday - March 18, 2012, Homer High School Gym
Tuesday, I was pretty unbearable to live with, I think. As a child, I would stress over something, and then cry it out and it would all be fine. I was a sensitive one and cried pretty frequently. Growing older, I still cried easily, but not as often. It was when we got married, that C started to pick up on a pattern to it all. If I became more needy for attention, whiny, and downright obnoxious, I probably needed a good cry. Probably hormonal, but it was usually not at a set time every month. But generally every month at some point, something will set me off and I will cry for a while, and then everything will be right again. That was Tuesday. I was being obnoxious, starting to drive C crazy, I think, and we both acknowledged that I probably needed some release. Finally, before bedtime, I finally had a cathartic weeping session that went on for an hour, and got all of my stress released from work, life, housework, etc. I felt much better, and C and I both noticed an impressive change in my mood and attitude the next day. Pretty crazy, really. Since then, I have been much less stressed and generally happier (though I am usually a happy person).
Monday evening, I was waiting for the northern lights to appear, blazing in the sky. They never materialized for me. I went out before 11pm, despite there being some daylight still! It was a rather dark evening and the parking lot I chose to camp out in was a bit too crowded and creepy for my tastes, and also included a motorhome!! NO! I ended up going for a drive to search for a less lighted location to watch for the lights, but they never materialized for me (and did not for anyone else in the state either, but the Lower 48 got an excellent show!) and I headed home around 12:30. *sigh*
Wednesday, we drove out to my hometown to change our snow tires with my dad. We bought milkshakes at my favorite restaurant there and enjoyed them in the beautiful sunshine (54 degrees at one point!). C's car ended up causing us a bit of grief. Last fall, one of the studs connecting the tire to the car broke off. Dad bought a new one to replace it with. But all the remaining studs on that section of the car were ornery as well, and 3 more of 5 ended up breaking off! After doing some calling around, I ended up going back to town on a parts buying mission, and then turned around to go back. But it was a beautiful day for a drive. I even ended up turning the A/C on, and I loved sipping on my shake as I journeyed.
The car was put back together without another problem, and C went home. I stayed for a memorial service for a woman I knew growing up. Had a nice potluck dinner and then conversation and observing of locals from my hometown. It was a nice service and it made me want to hug my loved ones.
I felt a bit silly, while working on the tires. I watched a guy fly down the road on a 4wheeler and thought about how normal that is for my hometown, but in my new town, 4wheeler's aren't supposed to be driven down the streets in town. A silly difference, but it reminded me of the good times I had exploring the area and living the good life in a tiny Alaskan town - playing in puddles, bike riding through town, etc.
Last night, after work, 2 of my coworkers and I went up to my boss's house for dinner. She's still laid up with her broken leg, so we went to her. My coworker of 6 years is moving this weekend, and I worked with her one last time today and then we had a farewell little party for her. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and I will really miss her. Sad to see friends move on, but she is going on a grand adventure and I am excited for her.
So, all this to say, I haven't had much time to think about blogging. I finally got my house clean after 4 weeks on Tuesday! I keep thinking of things I want to talk about, but I never have a chance to sit down and write it out...so hopefully I can again soon!
Last week, we had a family dinner at my in laws' house. My husband's brother was in town for a month and the sibling out of town flew into town for less than 24 hours and we had a nice family dinner with all seven children under one roof for the first time in years.
When I was sick last week, before I realized that something was wrong with myself, I had two panic attacks, one worse than the other. Looking up the symptoms for a true panic attack, I don't think I was having a diagnosable one, but I was sure stressed out. I thought maybe I had stressed myself into being sick from work responsibilities, but some of my symptoms of the bug were a bit hard to fake :) So anyway, I basically wound myself up pretty good and stayed high strung for several days.
Tuesday, I was pretty unbearable to live with, I think. As a child, I would stress over something, and then cry it out and it would all be fine. I was a sensitive one and cried pretty frequently. Growing older, I still cried easily, but not as often. It was when we got married, that C started to pick up on a pattern to it all. If I became more needy for attention, whiny, and downright obnoxious, I probably needed a good cry. Probably hormonal, but it was usually not at a set time every month. But generally every month at some point, something will set me off and I will cry for a while, and then everything will be right again. That was Tuesday. I was being obnoxious, starting to drive C crazy, I think, and we both acknowledged that I probably needed some release. Finally, before bedtime, I finally had a cathartic weeping session that went on for an hour, and got all of my stress released from work, life, housework, etc. I felt much better, and C and I both noticed an impressive change in my mood and attitude the next day. Pretty crazy, really. Since then, I have been much less stressed and generally happier (though I am usually a happy person).
Monday evening, I was waiting for the northern lights to appear, blazing in the sky. They never materialized for me. I went out before 11pm, despite there being some daylight still! It was a rather dark evening and the parking lot I chose to camp out in was a bit too crowded and creepy for my tastes, and also included a motorhome!! NO! I ended up going for a drive to search for a less lighted location to watch for the lights, but they never materialized for me (and did not for anyone else in the state either, but the Lower 48 got an excellent show!) and I headed home around 12:30. *sigh*
Wednesday, we drove out to my hometown to change our snow tires with my dad. We bought milkshakes at my favorite restaurant there and enjoyed them in the beautiful sunshine (54 degrees at one point!). C's car ended up causing us a bit of grief. Last fall, one of the studs connecting the tire to the car broke off. Dad bought a new one to replace it with. But all the remaining studs on that section of the car were ornery as well, and 3 more of 5 ended up breaking off! After doing some calling around, I ended up going back to town on a parts buying mission, and then turned around to go back. But it was a beautiful day for a drive. I even ended up turning the A/C on, and I loved sipping on my shake as I journeyed.
The car was put back together without another problem, and C went home. I stayed for a memorial service for a woman I knew growing up. Had a nice potluck dinner and then conversation and observing of locals from my hometown. It was a nice service and it made me want to hug my loved ones.
I felt a bit silly, while working on the tires. I watched a guy fly down the road on a 4wheeler and thought about how normal that is for my hometown, but in my new town, 4wheeler's aren't supposed to be driven down the streets in town. A silly difference, but it reminded me of the good times I had exploring the area and living the good life in a tiny Alaskan town - playing in puddles, bike riding through town, etc.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Today's Happenings
Whew! I'm glad today is over :) I had a doozy of a day at work, and I'm glad it's over. Retail is simple concept in theory, but it is always more complicated in reality. I hate to leave the new employees alone, because inevitably, they will be asked some random question that's never been asked before, or just something outrageous will happen. But anyway, I'm glad I am done with today, since it was one of those days that just made me want to quit :)
In other news, we officially started riding our bikes to work this week. C has ridden the 4 days out of 5 so far, and I started Saturday morning. It felt good to be biking again, but boy can it be a work out sometimes! This morning's ride for me was twice as long because I was fighting a really strong wind the entire way! I'm looking forward to saving money on gas this summer :) Last summer, I was pleased to note that C didn't buy gas from June sometime until September sometime, because he rode to work nearly every day. I skipped gas one month, but I was also running to the beach and other places for photo ops, so that explains that. But it all helps :)
I'm finally over my cold, I think. It took me well over a week this time to kick the worst of it, but some of it hung on for the last 2 weeks. I think it's FINALLY gone. Happy to send it on its way!
We had beautiful sunshine most of this week, and it really helped get rid of a ton of snow. Feeling more and more like spring here everyday!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Changes and the Weather
It's amazing how quickly life can change. My boss broke her leg Sunday evening, and I feel so bad for her. But, it has been fine, and it's not quite as panic worthy as it could have been. My coworker and I are able to step up and take over her duties. I am now working full time for the foreseeable future to cover her spot. It has messed up some other opportunities for me, but my current job takes priority and I am happy to meet the need. It has really been amazing to see how things are working out though - I could have gotten another job before this, but did not, etc. Unfortunately, life won't slow down for a while!
Spring miiiiight be on its way now. We have had several days in a row of above freezing temperatures, and the snow is thawing. It doesn't really seem too noticeable until you notice a bit of mud in your driveway (!!) or the snow berm blocking the view of the street is suddenly not as much of a hazard. Last night, I went to the store and it was raining. It was an odd feeling to me, as it has not rained in several months, and I found myself chilled by it, despite it being around 37F. The only really annoying thing about the clouds has been the lack of aurora viewing potential :(
This afternoon, it feels wonderful outside! It is cloudy and rainy, but 47F!!!! What a difference 15 degrees makes! The amount of daylight we have coming back makes me so happy as well!
Our gas price continues to climb. Last night, I noticed the local station is now up to $4.65 a gallon. *sigh* It wouldn't be so painful if our fuel oil didn't climb as well!
I love looking forward to spring. Summer is quickly approaching!
Spring miiiiight be on its way now. We have had several days in a row of above freezing temperatures, and the snow is thawing. It doesn't really seem too noticeable until you notice a bit of mud in your driveway (!!) or the snow berm blocking the view of the street is suddenly not as much of a hazard. Last night, I went to the store and it was raining. It was an odd feeling to me, as it has not rained in several months, and I found myself chilled by it, despite it being around 37F. The only really annoying thing about the clouds has been the lack of aurora viewing potential :(
Window frost at sunrise
This afternoon, it feels wonderful outside! It is cloudy and rainy, but 47F!!!! What a difference 15 degrees makes! The amount of daylight we have coming back makes me so happy as well!
Pheasant waddling on the high snow
Our gas price continues to climb. Last night, I noticed the local station is now up to $4.65 a gallon. *sigh* It wouldn't be so painful if our fuel oil didn't climb as well!
One of the neighborhood cats that loves to say hello
I love looking forward to spring. Summer is quickly approaching!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Silhouettes
Is spring well on its way, or long finished in your location?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Spring Again
On Friday, C and I both rode our bikes to work. I knew it would be bad, but not how bad. I have not ridden my bike in....a long time. It didn't take long to get there, and it took a good amount of time to get home, but boy, did I feel it afterward, and the next day. Have not attempted it again because we both need to do some maintenance. I'd like to ride most days this summer, to save on gas and what not, as well as for enjoyment, and exercise.
Any tips?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Spring is here!!
The temperature has been continually rising in the past couple of weeks...and today I noticed these goodies:
Just had to share!
Buds on the tree
More buds
And new GRASS!!
Just had to share!
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