This time last year, I was laughing at the antics of my twelve little foster piggies and one abandoned alpaca. I was living on acreage on the mainland in a tiny old house, and looking forward to the very last semester of my teaching career. And I was coping with about three feet of snow and frozen pipes in the barn.
And now I am retired, living with my four dogs and cat in a small village on the island. I have traded pastures for beaches, animal fostering and piggy antics for volunteering at the SPCA and at the theatre, and university classrooms for a writers' group. And although it was raining much of the day, you won't hear me complaining about the weather so far this year!
I had intended to go through my photos from the past year and do a photographic "year in review", but instead I spent an hour on the phone with family, an hour fighting with the &*$%*&$ DVD player (I disconnected it when the living room was painted and can't figure out how to get the audio back!), two hours getting lost reading old posts and looking at old photos, and so ended up with nothing organized enough to post.
And so I will just post a few shots from today and if you long for more, please do browse around through the older posts on this site.
The day was stormy - dark clouds and torrential rains interspersed with splashes of sunlight and blue sky:
The blue moon (second full moon in the month) last night must have created an exceptionally high tide - the wharf was cut off from the land, and the first set of steps to the beach was submerged.
I tried my hand at "continuous mode" shooting to get some action shots of ducks in the bay, but mostly ended up with this:
Oops - abstract art! From the thirty or so shots of the ducks, this was the closest I came to a good one (though it is still a bit out of focus) - and none were in flight at this point!
Ah well....the good news is that the photography course I've registered for IS going ahead this time. It's just a one-day thing, but hopefully I shall learn a few tricks with the new camera so I can look forward to improved images in 2010.
A friend sent me an email the other day with one of those timeless stories that gets circulated from friend to friend. I want to share an excerpt from it with you on this first day of the new year. The author is Bob Perks:
"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good- bye...."
And so, my friends, I wish you enough.
Happy New Year.
3 comments:
Happy New Year Jean to you and yours from our home too.
Ellen and Kinley
Happy New Year to you and the girls and of couse Sir Oliver.
Else, Hugo,Archie, Tess and the cats. Hillary and Ernie.
Jean, you made me smile, as you so often do. So easy to get sidetracked in planning a blog. Mine for yesterday was supposed to have id's for all the bird photographs. I found a blogger who made an attempt, but she resorted to terms like "green parrot" and "shiny starling" and something told me they weren't quite accurate:) After googling Bloedel, and getting lost for hours, I finally conceded defeat and posted the pics as they were. I wonder why they have a guide to the plants, but none for the birds?
Abstract art is good:)
You are already getting some fine pictures after only a short time with the camera. Have fun with it and do pass along any hints you learn in your course.
What a huge change in your life! You managed a humungous move, arranged and put in place a perfect future for your foster critters, and kept us informed with fine writing and wonderful pictures, all the while. Happy New Year and much joy to you as you grow into your new community.
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