35.365

 

35.365

All three dogs were playing with the same toy at the same time. (With one of our cluttered storage piles in the background - on our to do list, man.) 

365 in 2021, days 43-49

02/12/2021

Texas froze over, most of eastern Portland metro was having horrible ice storms, and we got some snow and sleet. We still had ice but no where as bad as elsewhere. And the dogs could still play in it.  

Leia is getting quite gray now. She's 10. She still runs and plays hard, but she feels that later and will start limping and having trouble getting up.

2/13/2021

Leia used to jump up and down this retaining wall A LOT.  We call her monkey for a reason. She can jump high and really liked to even if we tried to slow her down or stop her.  

Chewie won't jump as often, but he was having a blast running through the snow playing chase and tackle with Leia and dove off the retaining wall a few times to escape her because he knows she'll only jump once. 

2/14/2021*

For Valentine's day I made chicken parmesan from scratch cause it's one of our favorite meals. We were all snowed in and we're still in a pandemic, and we don't really like going to restaurants on the busy days anyways even if they were open so it was better to chill at home.  

This is my hue shift afghan that I've been working on/not working on for like 5 years now.  I don't remember when I started it. There are four sections of the afghan, and this is the end of section one. I'm having a horrible time with this last block and have had to rip it out and start completely over 5 times. I keep dropping a stitch or forgetting a decrease or doubling the decrease or I dunno what's wrong but it's wrong. I got a little bit further than this photo and put it up for the night, and haven't had a chance to pick it up again.  I'll eventually finish it and it will be lovely. 

2/15/2021*

Us over on the west side were finally thawed enough to get the horses out. They won't get turned out when it's sleet or ice since it's miserable for them and/or they could slip and get hurt.  

If you look close you can see the rainbow right above Chester.  We had a pons at the end of the rainbow! 

2/16/2021

Cheddar ponies!

2/17/2021*

I got stuck on the couch under a Chewers. I sat down to watch a show, he curled up next to me and fell asleep and I didn't want to wake him.  

 2/18/2021*

There was another really awful stormy day, and because it just makes Chester look miserable I had them keep him in for the day.  

Since he stayed in and didn't get a lot of movement, Carus had him run around the arena a little when we went out for chores.  

He kept trying to go over and stand in the mud. Cause he's a weirdo. 

365 in 2021, days 26-37

Two bonus shots from 1/26/2021

We got a lovely snow storm and ended up with about 4-5 inches of snow. 

View out our front window about halfway through the day (about half the snow we got) and a shot of Leia running in the backyard with Chewie.

Fat fluffy flakes for several hours and it was really nice.  I got off work and drove down to Carus's work to see if she'd need help getting home. The main roads were fine so I just followed her home. Her little Kia made it fine until the top of our hill.  She slid a bit and got nervous so I took over and with the help of a neighbor pushing I slid her car up and over to the curb where she parks (our driveway is too small to fit a fourth car). 

Leia (and Chewie) love the snow. This little playtime showed Leia's age though - she was moving slowly the rest of the evening. I felt so bad for her. She didn't even do any of the jumping she loves to do. 

1/26/2021 

For the official day 26 photo - Chewie diving off the retaining wall (it's about 2-1/2 feet tall).

When it started snowing, Leia and Chewie ran from window to window anxious to get outside. 

They were so happy to go out on my afternoon break. SO HAPPY.

1/27/2021

We still had snow so the doggies got to go play again.  Leia did not really play this time. 

1/28/2021*

Heading out to the barn - Carus was driving - and enjoying the sunset colors.  Not a great shot, but I knew it wouldn't last until we got to the barn.  

1/29/2021

My yellow shrimp - Lemon

1/30/2021*

We replaced the front windows last fall and the frames still need replacing. Window frames and trim in the house have been a long term project for Robert.  All of the bedroom windows are done, now for the other half of the house.  And the trim. We have some BIG plans for this year in remodeling. Probably bigger than we have time or energy for, but plans all the same.

I was helping this Saturday, which was mostly just dusting and vacuuming the living room because I can't do the measurements he needs to do or the cuts to get them to fit just right.  This window is not squared - it's narrower at the top, for some weird reason. 

Two little windows done - now just the big window to do.

1/31/2021*

Trust Data, Not Lore 

I got my second Covid vaccine. I've got the Moderna version.  This second one burned going in. Still not as bad as Tetanus or MMR though! 

I got dizzy about 15 minutes after the injection and stayed that way the rest of the day. I'm not convinced it was part of the vaccination and feel it's more likely associated with other heath issues I'm dealing with. 

Otherwise, the injection site was sore for about 3 days and on day 1 and 2 (24-48 hours post injection) was warm to the touch and a little red. I never developed a fever, but halfway through the next day (day 1) the fatigue hit like a bus. I was so tired I had trouble keeping my eyes open. I used my sit to stand desk to stand up so I could finish work and then I just went to bed.  I also felt sore all over and like I was starting to have a cold. Not really horrible, but definitely not feeling well.  I also felt like I was on the verge of having a headache the whole time too.  I never got the headache though.  My injection was Sunday morning, felt like crap Monday, then woke up completely fine Tuesday. 

I'm about a week out and everything is back to "normal".   I've done my part to help herd immunity. I'm protected and I'm protecting others.  Those side effects aren't any worse than any other vaccinations.  Remember vaccines for babies? You have a cranky baby for a day or two cause they don't feel good and their injection site hurts. Same for adults.  I recently had to get the MMR again and also Tetanus. Both burn like a bitch going in and after MMR I couldn't move my arm for like 3 days. Vaccines suck, but they keep people alive. 

2/1/2021

Cherry, the cherry shrimp.

I remembered I had a macro attachment for my lens! It's focus is more particular and the subjects need to be on the closer side (and hold still) but it was fun to play with. The shrimp are cool to watch. We'd get to watch them more if we didn't have big predators (Angel fish) swimming around making them nervous. I started the tank so we could get Angel fish (they're so pretty) so c'est la vie. 

2/2/2021

Skarimps!

2/3/2021*

We were out doing barn chores and stepped out the back of the barn to head to the manure pile and saw sunset rays breaking through the clouds. 

2/4/2021

Macro lens! 

The fish are a bit harder to catch the focus right as they move more, but I got a few including this eyeball shot. 

2/5/2021*

Full tank shot with hornwort that needs trimmed. The dang stuff grows fast! But I like it, the ghost catfish like hiding in it, and the shrimp (including some new babies) hide in it too, so it stays.

2/6/2021

After the trim.

(I'm typing this up on 2/9, three days later, and the hornwort has reached the surface again.)

52 Week Photography Challenge: Week 2 - Landscape

Landscape:  Traditional Landscape

Shoot a beautiful landscape and share it with the world.  Find a nice foreground and don't forget the sky.

Phone photo of the view from the front window.

There were so many landscapes that I wanted to go out and get while we had our snowpocalypse but was mostly stuck at home.  The roads were not safe to drive and while we could have done okay with my all wheel drive car and Robert's truck, we didn't have to risk it, so we didn't.

Instagram photo of Chewie looking and the view.

It snowed, then the clouds left and it got really cold. With the sun out during the day though, the snow on the streets melted enough for people to start getting around and we went out to the barn to do chores and haul water buckets all over since we'd only hook up one hose to fill waters.  The morning crew would take the evening's buckets and put in the tack room to thaw out for the evening crew to switch with the day's buckets.  And pushing wheelbarrows full of manure through snow to dump is a pain in the butt. Almost literally. Carus slipped a few times pushing up hill (I clean stalls, she dumps) but we managed and were rewarded with some lovely sunsets.  

Cold weather and clear skies gives some pretty sunrises and sunsets.

Phone photo of the sunset colors at the barn.

Adam shoveled our driveway and some of the sidewalk and then made me a snowman.  If you look just so, you can see he has two eyes and a smile. 

I did get my big camera out on my lunch and breaks and walked the backyard with the dogs. (Downfall from working from home - no snow days.)

View from our back porch

7 inches of snow

Adam making snowballs for the dogs. 

And then he bit on it and was confused when it disappeared into the rest of the snow.

Playing with the frozen soccer ball.

My frozen clothes line.

One of the evenings we were out at the barn doing chores, Carus and I decided to go for a little ride. 

We probably spent more time tacking the horses up than riding. It was COLD!  

More information about the Dogwood Photography 52 Week Photography Challenge can be found here.

#dogwood52, #dogwood2017, and #dogwoodweek2

52 Week Photography Challenge: Week 1 - Rule of Thirds

We've completed the first week of 2017, though it already feels like it's been longer than a week. I started hearing commercials for tax prep and it feels weird.  Like, we can't already be back at the part of the year where we pay taxes, right?!

The challenges are separated into three categories; Story-Telling, Technical, and Artistic Impression.

Story: Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is the first compositional rule most photographers learn; but most don't know why they learn it.  The rule of thirds is amazing for telling a story.  Tell a story using rule of thirds.

I didn't have a plan for what images I was going to take for the challenge this week. I tried to just keep it in mind whenever I picked up my camera or felt inspired.  While I want to make sure that I use my actual camera/DSLR more often, sometimes the best camera is the one you have with you. While I'm at the barn, I have my phone 100% of the time so it becomes my go to.  Plus, I like being able to share my photos on Instagram and Facebook. I like the instant feedback (read: attention HA!).

Leia and Chewie love playing in the snow and we've been getting snow so I took them outside and kept the rule of thirds challenge in my mind.  Yoda isn't a fan of the snow, but he likes following me.

Dusty and Scout seemed completely uninterested in the snow, they just wanted the hay, some attention from Carus, and maybe a cookie.

Scout rarely doesn't head straight for Carus the second he sees her.  The only times he's decided the grass he's eating is more important only lasts until she crinkles a peppermint wrapper or she comes into the pasture.

The photos of the dogs are DSLR and the horses are phone with Instagram filters.

More information about the Dogwood Photography 52 Week Photography Challenge can be found here.

#dogwood52, #dogwood2017, and #dogwoodweek1

Happy Birthday Leia

Happy birthday Leia Monkey Puppy, my #chickendog

She turned 5 today.  

All about the weekend

My weekend has been great.

I started out with a riding lesson on Tucker. I left feeling really happy with myself. I wanted to work on my balancing and having better control of my seat, and my steering. Tucker is a smart horse. He figures out what the pattern/routine is and then anticipates the next move and tries to cut corners so he makes me work to keep to what I say we're doing and not what he thinks we are doing. One of the exercises my trainer had me doing was riding without stirrups. Definitely used a few more muscles doing that - especially when I started doing it at a trot. I'm happy with the sore muscles I have today; let's me know my work paid off.

After my lesson, I picked up Robert and we ran errands, did some grocery shopping, got some lunch, and hung out together.

Then, Saturday evening Robert and I went and picked up our new puppy. He's really little still, but mom weaned them a little over a week ago so they were ready to go to their new homes earlier than planned (they were thinking at least another week). (This is earlier than puppies usually come home, but I didn't want him to be all alone with his siblings going home this weekend.) We surprised the kids with him; they knew we were getting a puppy, they just didn't know we were getting him so soon.

Leia and Yoda have been slightly afraid/weary of him (omg, what is that thing?), but at my 5 am wake-up Leia started to play with him. He tires out pretty quickly still so just when she was really getting into it, he sat down and promptly fell asleep. Robert had the next shift at 7:30 am and the household was up not too long after that. 

The kids have been in charge of him most of today (Sunday), with Robert and I as supervision. Carus is already pretty good at noticing potty sniffing cues. She has insisted on being on night-watch with him and has put his crate in her room already. She says he's her puppy. 

He doesn't have a name yet. We can't all agree on one. Robert likes Rex, I like Tater (as in Tater Tot) and I keep calling him Buddy, Carus likes Tater but also would like something else, and Adam has been wanting to continue the Star Wars theme we have and go with Luke or Kenobe but no one else is really feeling those names. We'll figure it out and for now it's okay because I don't think he'd come when called. Have any name suggestions? 

Project 52 - Week 3 - Macro

I ended up getting a bunch of eye photos for my macro week.  I didn't branch out much. Because I still want to mess with macro photos and because I don't want to do self portraits this week - I'm doing another week of macro photos.  This time with an emphasis on anything BUT eyes.

My eye. 

Adam's eye.

Carus's eye. Do you see those little crater looking things in her eye.  I don't have them, nor does Adam, but Robert does.  And yeah, I got a photo of Robert's eye but it was a smidge blurry and he didn't want to keep holding still for me. 

One of my succulents.  Very glad to see it's making it through the weekend okay. 

Moss on the paver wall in the backyard. 

Dead leaf lying on the ground.

Leia's eye. (Yoda's wasn't that great. See, told you I went eye crazy with this.)

Timmy's eye.  And again - Simba and Wilbur wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get a photo.  

This next week's theme is Macros part 2.

Project 52 - Week 2 - Mirror

Well, the project is still moving slowly.  

I see many mirrors throughout the week.  A mirror to help me get ready for the day.  Mirrors used when driving to make sure it's safe for me to back up or change lanes. The sunset I catch glimpses of in the rear view mirror while driving to the barn.  More mirrors while driving, placed on corners with poor visibility so I can make sure it's safe to turn.  Those same mirrors hanging from the ceiling in the hospital, placed  so those transporting patient's can avoid collisions with others and others can avoid collisions with patients. 

But the only one I managed to photograph was this little mirror in the office at work; brought by a coworker to use to check their hair and makeup. It was placed just so that day that I caught a glimpse of my fingers tap tap tapping away. 

I didn't pick up the camera much this week. This was grabbed with my cell phone. But each week is a new chance and I'll try again.  

I did get a shot of an adorable puppy.

The theme for week 3 is macro.