An Interesting Few Months
It has been an interesting time since last November. The two biggest changes in my life happened between then and now. First, in November, I got a new camera. It’s a Nikon Coolpix P950 and there is a TON to learn about this camera. Right now I’m still at the point and shoot stage, but that’s okay because it’s where you start to learn about a new camera. It won’t be long before I am messing around with all it has to offer.
One of the neat things is that I can take hand held photos of the moon. Now, granted, the photos would look better if I used a tripod and a timer or remote, but just being able to capture something that far away hand held is pretty exciting.
I was pretty excited when I saw that. I think most everyone that enjoys taking photos wishes they could take photos of the moon. I could many years ago using a tripod, but that was with my Canon, and back then I had pretty good conditions for taking moon shots. And, FWIW, that is a zoom shot, but at only half the distance the camera is capable of taking. Anything beyond that would definitely need a tripod.
And it’s pretty good, too, for other kinds of photos that I enjoy taking, such as head shots of ducks.
It’s going to be an interesting Summer learning the ins and outs of this camera, and I am looking forward to it.
The other change in my life has been my new Schnorkie puppy. What a delight he has been! I got him right before the big Texas storm, but wasn’t able to pick him up until the weekend after when all of the snow was gone. It was a good 3 hour round trip and he had never been in a car until that day so I ended up holding him for about 45 minutes of the drive back. That made for a great bonding time and now he sticks close to me as much as possible. He loves sleeping next to me, and sometimes in my arms, too. It didn’t take long for him to learn to give good kisses, but sometimes those kisses come with razorblade “toofies”. Although he knows his name I think he thinks his name is NO. The neat thing about this puppy is that not only is he full of life, he is also enjoying life. He loves meeting people – and barking at them – and just plain playing, whether it be inside or outside. He has brought a lot of happiness back into my life, and has also gotten me up out of the chair and moving again. [Hopefully that will help me lose the weight I have gained since losing Bentley and with the COVID-19 lockdown.] I still miss Bentley tremendously, and will for quite a while, but this little guy fills a void right now. As for Lily, well, she’s not all that happy about having a rambunctious 3 month old puppy crawling all over her and pulling her hair, especially since she’s blind now. I think she’d like to pack her bags and move in with her mommy in Florida!
And then there was the storm that took out Texas. We knew it was a powerful storm and all of Texas took precautions for such, but no one had an inkling that we were going to be dealing with prolonged power outages, with lows around 0° and tons of snow. It was cold, there was no doubt about it! And while we were dealing with the power being out and trying to find food, the old water pipes slowly froze; and when they started to thaw back out, lots of burst pipes and spewing water. I was one of the lucky ones because my little quad of apartments had no burst pipes, hence no water damage, but others in my complex weren’t so lucky and faced flooding and damaged belongings and living spaces. Many have had to move out temporarily while repairs are being made and others moved because the damage was very extensive. Cold water came back on shortly after the power came back, but it was nearly two weeks before hot water was restored here. Lily and I stayed toasty warm under piles of blankets and I read quite a bit thanks to a torch flashlight. This is definitely not an event I would like to experience again. Once was enough.
And now it is Spring, the flowers are blooming, the redbuds and dogwoods are flowering, and the birds, bees, squirrels and insects are all dashing about doing their thing. You would never know that storm was just a few weeks ago, if you relied on the weather to tell you.
“Spring is Nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!'” —– Robin Williams
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Gratitude – Thanksgiving 2020
I think we can all agree that since March 2020 this year has not been the best. Okay, it’s been awful, and that’s putting it mildly. It started out with a bang and full of hopes and goals, and then the bottom fell out with the coronavirus – COVID19. I’m not so sure that anyone thought this was going to be as devastating as it has been, or the number of people that have died around the world because of it. COVID19 became a pandemic quickly with no way to avoid it. As of this writing there is no active vaccine; in other words, you can’t just run out and be vaccinated against it as you can the ‘flu’. Vaccines are being worked on with three being very promising, but we won’t see them until next year, and between now and then hundreds of thousands more will have succumbed to it. Wearing a mask is about the only defense we have against this coronavirus, but so many people refuse to wear one for whatever reason. Despite this ravage, we have, or should I say I have a great deal to be thankful for.
Although I live alone here in Dallas, and my family is in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida, I am so very grateful for them. My older sister, that I have only seen once in the last 25 years, and whom doesn’t talk with me now [for whatever reason]…I love her very much and miss her terribly. She has taught me a lot over the years, and we have shared a lot; our combined genealogy research found many ancestors and solved several unknowns; thanks to the internet we were able to share many places that we knew we’d never be able to go; and we shared photos that we had taken. We laughed, and cried, and commiserated with each other. I’m very grateful she’s my sister.
My three nieces, Carolyn, Wren, and Lindsay, their husbands and children, all very much a part of my life, although they, too, live far apart from me.
My friends, many of whom I consider family, not only those I have known face-to-face, but those virtual friends from around the globe. Each make a part of who I am, whom I have become, and all are important in my life.
I am grateful for all of the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and medical technicians that have helped “fix” my body and keep me going, and those that have helped me transition to the man I have always believed myself to be.
I am also grateful for those in veterinary medicine that over the years have taken great care of my dogs; they have done so with caring and compassion.
I am grateful for those people that deliver our goods across the nation; the long haul drivers, the pilots of the skies, the train conductors, and those that deliver the mail across the country and to our mailboxes; and to those river pilots and captains of the seas that bring goods to us from overseas. Without them, our commerce would collapse and we would have none of the conveniences we enjoy today.
I am grateful for those that deliver our energy resources across the country and to those that work in the oil fields and ocean oil rigs risking their lives to bring this resource to us.
I am very grateful to a woman that over the years has not only saved my life on several occasions, but also has taught me a lot about caring, compassion, acceptance and love. Her job has definitely not been an easy one with me [at times], but she has hung in there at the worst of times and during the best of times. Without her the last 10 years I’m not sure where I would be, or if I would be at all.
I am grateful for having a roof over my head. It’s not a palace, but it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and is filled with love. And I have enough to eat and enough food for my dog. I have not wanted.
There is far more that I am grateful for, but I would end up writing a chapter for a book that few would want to read. And, while I believe in God, and consider myself a Christian, I am very grateful for all that God has given me and the blessings I enjoy.
I look around and see that I am rich beyond belief.
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends, even if virtually. Blessings to you all!
Jason
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New Lens
Okay! This evening I was finally able to test out the lens I got for my birthday from a friend. It’s a Nikkor 40mm AF-S Micro 1:2.8G. I love taking Micro/Macro photos, but haven’t done so in years. I have to admit that I got spoiled with my Canon PowerShot Pro1 when it came to macro shooting. It was so easy; just put it on the Macro setting and shoot. Well, there was a little more to it than that, but it felt that easy. Not a huge learning curve to that one, but it took such great macro shots! So, now I have this lens and it has a bit of a learning curve, but isn’t that part of the fun of it?
I couldn’t think of anything that would be interesting enough to shoot and then I remembered I have some crystals that might be cool, so I hauled those out. I took quite a few photos, some good, some not so good, and some just plain awful. The “some good” came after trial and error with the “some awful”, but that’s why it’s called learning. So, now I’m excited to keep with this learning to see what I can do with this lens beyond crystals.
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COVID-19
Raise your hand if you’re frustrated over “shelter-in-place” and social distancing. Me, too, but unfortunately it’s a necessary deal if we want to get this under control and stop the countless deaths. I fall into that at risk category, so I tend to take this seriously, dutifully wearing my mask and washing my hands with soap and water and hand sanitizer. But, I’m also a stay at home kind of guy. Mostly. Like everyone else I get bored seeing the same four walls day after day, so…..grab that camera, guy, and head out to the lake!
The nice thing about photography is that it is something that can be done individually, and maintaining social distancing if others are involved. Any way you have it, photography can be fun and inspiring, especially right now. Kids can always find things to do whether inside or outside, and when a camera is involved those show-offs come out of the woodwork and laughter abounds! But, I would bet most of you never even thought about picking up your camera, not just your phone, and recording a little bit of COVID history. Myself, I don’t have anyone to do that with, but wish I did.
However, when the weather has permitted I have gone out and taken some photos around a city park and the nearby lake. I don’t do well being outside for long periods of time in the Texas Summer heat, so I have to temper my photography outings, but when I can, I certainly do. I hate being stuck inside in good weather with my camera sitting idle. Mind you I don’t take award winning photos of anything, but I just love taking photos for my own pleasure. Once in a blue moon I might get a fantastic photo, though, but I still get some really good photos.
I have a new lens that can be used for macro shooting, but for me that would be closeups of flowers. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to use it yet because there are no flowers near me to take photos of and even if there were it’s been unusually breezy for this time of year. So, I can’t wait until the Fall flowers bloom and the weather gets cooler. And I am hoping sometime in the future to get yet another lens [70mm-300mm] so that I can get closer shots of birds, squirrels, and smaller little critters without disturbing them. Slowly saving up for that one.
So, hang in there. We can beat this pandemic and still have great photos to take and share during it.
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Just a Funny Photo
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In Memory of Those Who Fought and Died
Unselfishly, you left your fathers and your mothers,
Leaving your beloved children and wives,
On foreign soil, you found yourself planted
Without your sacrifice, their cause would be lost
Many horrors you had endured and seen.
You cheered as your enemies littered the ground;
When it was over, you all came back home,
Some found themselves in the company of friends
Those who survived were forever scarred
Those who did not now sleep eternally
With a hand upon my heart, I feel The pride and respect; my reverence is revealed
In the tears that now stream down my upturned face
Freedom was the gift that you unselfishly gave
Every day, I give my utmost admiration
~ Author Unknown ~
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People Pictures
Over the years people have asked me about taking photos of them or friends, etc.. Well, I don’t do people pictures. I am horrible at it, actually. I have never been a portrait photographer and never studied it in my photography classes. Truth be told, I was never interested in that kind of photography. Even candid photos that I have taken in the past have been, well, not the best quality. I am just plain not good at it. Not with my Nikon D300, my Nikon Coolpix, or my phone. Just not. Now, that’s not to say I haven’t managed to somehow take a few “people” photos that have turned out pretty good. Those are purely accidental. As far as living beings, however….candid photos of dogs are what I love taking photos of best.
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Spring
Spring sprang, and in Texas that means we have a new season: Sprummer. Spring in Texas is fickle when it comes to temperature. It can be sweltering in the 90’s one day and jacket weather in the 50’s the next. Some days the weather is absolutely beautiful – somewhere in the low to mid-70’s with a light breeze, birds singing, butterflies flitting around, flowers waking from their winter slumber. Other days pollen flies out everywhere coating cars, buildings, and lungs as it races around on heavy winds, with bees chasing to keep up and hang on to the flowers. And then there are rainy days, which wash the air clear again, giving life to the grasses and flowers and grains, and trees. Ah, Spring has sprung once again!
And along comes Covid-19.
Shelter in place.
We can go for walks, and walk the dogs. We can go to parks – as long as we stay 6 feet away from each other, but basically no large groups. Like a lot of people have heeded that directive. Just when people want to get out and enjoy the Earth awakening after a long slumber during Winter. Break out the shorts and tank tops and running shoes and sandals, suntan lotion and beach towels and volleyball nets, grills and picnic tables. All for the backyard. Shelter in place. Break out the lemonade and iced tea dear, and join me as we reacquaint ourselves to each other and our yard and life before the rat race became the Indianapolis 9000. De-stress. Work from home. It’s really quiet unless you have kids that need schooling. Stress. Cabin fever. And it’s SPRING. Life just so happens.
It’s Spring.
With a twist.
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Goodbye to my Buddy
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2006 my wife and I took a ride into South Oklahoma to see Autumn leaf colors and maybe get some photos. It was a bright sunny day, and we did get a few photos, and stopped at a nice place to eat a late lunch. On our way home we passed through McKinney, Tx and decided to stop at their Third Monday Trade Days. Maybe not as popular as Canton’s First Monday Trade Days, but popular nonetheless; it was a good hide around the place.
Before we left I asked if we could stop by and see the puppies, an area we passed by previously, so we walked back over there. There weren’t a lot of dogs, and I don’t remember what breeds there were because my eye was “snatched” by three little Schnauzer mix puppies – two salt and pepper boys and one sable colored boy. I picked up all three but my heart zoomed in on the little sable colored one. Strong-willed, cute, and he had gorgeous coloring. I just couldn’t pass this little fellow up. I know, I know, not a place anyone should buy a dog, especially a puppy, but this little guy…I just couldn’t help it. So, for the whopping price of $150, we brought home an eight week old Schnorkie puppy that we named Bentley. This little puppy ended up with a BIG name: Bentley Astin Martin Robertson-Scott. [Yeah, I know, but it was a cute name to go with the cute dog.] Unfortunately, the little fellow caught a major cold that took months to cure. And, after that, he was a pretty healthy dog.
How our world changed with him. He wasn’t a destructive puppy, but he did have his moments like all puppies do. He certainly kept us laughing. Whenever my wife would scold him he would sit down in front of her and “talk back” to her. Of course, keeping a straight face was incredibly hard and we weren’t always successful. He loved making us laugh, and it usually involved some toy; he was definitely a “play boy”. My ex-wife liked calling him “Goofy Boy”, and I suppose he was.
When we divorced, it was hard on all of us. We had five dogs at the time. Bentley, my dear boy, did his best to comfort me, staying close by and “kissing” my face often. Most times he would sleep around my feet or under the bed, but when we separated he started sleeping close to my left leg. Occasionally I would wake up to find his head on my chest or shoulder.
Hard times followed over the next several years, but he was always close by making sure I was okay. His mommy, my ex, came to visit him [and one of our other dogs that I have] at least once a year and each time he saw her, he was ecstatic. He really loved his mommy.
He was a charmer. Oh, how he loved women! And somehow they always really liked – or loved – him. He loved kissing them! And durn him, he had a lot of girlfriends. Guys were okay, but he just loved women, probably because they reminded him of his mommy. When we were out walking and he’d see his girlfriends he would just get so excited and wiggly and would pull me along until he got to them. And they were always so happy to see him. I was just so much “fodder”.
And then, one week after his 13th birthday in September he started running a high fever, so off to the vet we went. And he had to stay for a few days. Some antibiotics, fluids, and an X-ray later he had some suspicious spots on his spleen. A CAT scan confirmed cancer of the spleen. My heart sank. So, off to the oncologist for him for chemotherapy. Sadly, this type of cancer is almost always terminal, so I knew this was going to end badly at some point.
Amazingly, he did quite well in the beginning and was always happy to head into his chemo treatments and see all the ladies there. Mr. upbeat and happy spun his charms just like always and captured the hearts of more women, including his oncologist. And you would never know he had cancer and was undergoing chemo. In November he went into partial remission. He felt good and was sassy and playful and always loving. And he loved to tell me and anyone else that would listen all about it. A new protocol was introduced and he was holding his own over the holidays. I was always watchful, though. Just in case.
The new year brought little changes in his attitude and condition. It was hard to believe that he had cancer. January and February passed with only a few concerns – his blood levels were still low, which was persistent throughout this. And then it was March, and I was looking forward to taking him out to a park where we could just hang out and maybe play a bit. It wasn’t to be, however.
March 3rd started out much as any other day and we went through our day with no problems. In the afternoon while getting the mail we came across a woman walking her dog and Bentley started charming her, barking and wiggling. That was the last time I heard him bark. That night, though, while getting ready for bed, he collapsed. He just went down on to his stomach, and when I asked him what was wrong he gave me a confused look and I helped him up to his feet and made sure he wouldn’t collapse again. He started to walk off and I noticed his hind right leg was not cooperating and he stopped and held it up. I went over and picked him up and carried him too the couch and talked with him for a few minutes and then took him to the bed room and laid him on the bed. He took his bedtime medicine with no problems, and went to sleep. Sometime during the night, though, he got up and got off the bed, probably to get a drink. I woke up to find him on the floor next to my side of the bed; I suppose he wasn’t able to get back up on the bed, even though there was a way for him to do so without having to jump. I put him back up on the bed and we went back to sleep, with him sleeping next to my shoulder – a favorite place for both of us.
Wednesday was a quiet day. We went for several walks and he did his business with no problems, but he wasn’t himself. No barking at people or other dogs. It was a chemo day and he did well, but they also noticed that he didn’t bark. However, he did give his oncologist kisses on her hand; apparently those were the last ones he gave to anyone, including myself. That night he didn’t eat, but he did take his medicine, although not exactly happy about it.
On Thursday I took our other dog to the vet to board for a few days because I wanted to spend some alone time with him. Bentley and I didn’t do much that day, but I spent a lot of time sitting in my chair with him watching tv. He got up a couple of times and jumped up on the couch to lay on his pillow. When we went out for our walks, he was again not quite himself, but did his business as usually and then wanted to come back in right away. He just had no energy, which was becoming very obvious and very concerning. And that night he refused to take his medicine and I didn’t force it. He slept all night without getting up.
Friday morning, he seemed worse, but jumped up on the couch on his pillow. When the oncologist called to check on him [they usually called two days after his chemo] I told them about his “episode” and that he refused to take his medicine. After a discussion they told me he needed to take one of his pills and to call them back afterward. When I tried to give it to him, he tried to bite me, something he had never done before, and it was startled. However, I noticed his gums were white, so when I called the oncologist back they asked me to take a picture of his gums and text it to them. Alarming, to say the least. The called and told me to bring him in in an hour for a blood transfusion – or two. He would have to stay for several days to stabilize. In we went and after the usual preliminaries, the took him off to the ER to start his transfusion. Once they got him set up I went back to let him see me, and I left and told him I would see him soon, probably later that afternoon. I left and drove to the vet in order to give them directions for Lily’s haircut [the vet is just down the street so on my way home.] While there I got a phone call from the oncologist. They did a blood test before the transfusion and Bentley had no neutrophils. He was basically bleeding internally and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Bentley’s journey was over.
The vet sent a tech out to get him from the oncologist; she realized there was no way I would be able to drive there safely to get him. While I waited in one room they set him up in another room and then I went over to be with him. Although he was probably bleeding into his brain, he was still very aware of what was happening. They left us alone for a few minutes, and we said our goodbyes. I told him no more needles, no more photos, and he was going to be feeling really good in just a little bit. The vet, her tech, and I laid our hands on him while he passed, letting him know he wasn’t alone. We all cried. The dynamic charmer with the loving personality gently left this world and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on March 6th, 2020 around 1:30 PM.
What a blessing to my life he had been!
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