Project 52 - Week 1 - Shadows

The week project started out slowly.  

I wasn't able to get any inspiration for a few days and I worried I would never find inspiration and I would fail my new little project in the first week.  I daydreamed of amazing shadows of summer when it isn't cloudy and dreary outside.  

I had a TTFP shoot last Sunday and quiet hospital corridors always stop me in my tracks. I find them so peaceful - especially a maternity ward.  The shadows in the peaceful hallways broke through my uninspiring fog and I started seeing the shadows everywhere.

I see these shadows from the tree on the back fence from the window by my desk and they lured me outside where it was cold, but sunny.  

Not just any old shadows, shadows that evoke something in me.  Feelings of peace, excitement, and amusement.  

My garden fence casting shadows.  I walked the garden.  I was so frustrated with it at the end of season last year because of the insane, cannot get under control, weeds.  I was worried I wouldn't want to touch it this year, but now that all the weeds are dead I want to go spruce it up and have already started planning my plant layout. I should get out there and clean it up and maybe try to add some yard fabric in the aisle-ways so the grass and weeds don't take over again.

Of course the dogs followed me outside.  

If someone is outside then there is someone to throw a ball for Leia! 

Another sunny day and it was cold outside so I didn't last long before taking my break in front of our large living room window.  The cats always join me here for sun bathing.

Timmy was trying to see what Carus was tapping on the table with, and when reviewing the photos on my camera's LCD I just knew I had to make a peek-a-boo gif.

Peek-a-boo

Next week's theme is Mirror.

Rainy day(s)

Because it's Oregon, and it's spring, we have been getting a lot of rain lately.


(168/365) 

I was stopped at a stoplight and was in awe of the sky and clouds, which were more beautiful than my phone could capture, when the light turned green.  I put the phone away before I started driving again and uploaded it after I got home, much later.

It's "real" rain, with the rain smell (what causes that smell).  Oregon doesn't get that fresh rain smell often because of how often it rains here, so it's nice when we do.  This week we even had thunder and lightning, also not usual for northwest Oregon.  We also have had a few tornado watches (we're currently in one now), with a couple touching down; though nowhere near as bad as those in tornado alley get them.

I don't mind these late spring rains.  They have an end to them and are followed by sunshine and some GORGEOUS clouds and skies.

We've had nearly 4 inches of rain (per my probably rather inaccurate rain gauge) in as many days, and many more days of rain storms to follow until we reach the "drought" of summer.  I wish I could share the rain with other parts of the country and world.  It would be nice if it worked that way everywhere - sharing the sun and rain as needed.


(169/365)
During the thunder and lightning storms there were many downpours.  It rained, hard; and passed quickly.

I had such fun taking pictures of the rain splashing that I got enough photos for a little gif. (Remember my tree cutting down gif?)

Groundhog day

32/365

The sun was making an appearance late Friday so I sat on the porch with Simba for a bit.


Carus was doing better.  I did not feel good though. Robert stayed home to help take care of her so I worked.  Since she didn't have a fever all day and she was bouncing around I let her talk me into going to dance class, but by the end of it she was crashing, and so was I.

















33/365
I slept in super late this morning and woke up to find that it was absolutely gorgeous outside.  It was like 60 degrees and SUNNY!  I don't know if we're going to be getting spring early or if there are six more weeks of winter, but I will take the sun while I can get it. Since it was nice, we headed out to do a bit of yard work.  I trimmed a few bushes and cleaned up a couple flower beds.

Robert decided it was time to cut down the little rowan tree before it bloomed. We both liked the tree, it was a very nice tree.  Unfortunately the berries make a mess and the tree is killing the grass and making it quite soggy.

We don't have a chain saw so it was cut down the old fashioned way.  Even Adam got to do some cutting.

They cut it high so Robert can pull the stump up easily. They cut it most of the way through and then gave it a little pull and kept pulling to help control where it fell.



And then I created a little animated gif of the tree coming down.

(If you're reading this post in an email you might have to go to the post on the site to be able to see the animated image below. I'm not sure if it will show up in the email. There should be a link at the end of this email that will take you to it.)