Thursday, January 17, 2013

Renewed and Improved

This winter has seemed like Ground Hog Day...all winter long.  The days are dark and unusually short.  I swear this year they seem much shorter than ever, maybe 4 hours long.  We get a few days of sunshine, but most are just gray.  Sometimes it rains all day long.  But even with these slight differences each day seems almost the same as each day before with no new edges or harsh angles.  I do tend to get a mild version of Seasonal Affective Disorder this time of year.  I understand why Scandinavian literature is so plodding and sad.

My usual reaction is to curl up on the couch in "seasonal-change-wait" mode and read or watch TV.  I have edited all of my recent photos and there is nothing new to play with as you can take only so many photos of birds and gray trees.  This is the season of boredom and depression.  No wonder the entire nation is arguing about guns instead of poverty and jobs or chocolate cake and wine.  (We own 2 guns, have no fear of anyone taking them, and are pro-gun control, of course.)

I got so bored a few days ago that I cleaned the two bathrooms downstairs toothbrush clean---actually using an old toothbrush at times.  Everything that wasn't bolted down was taken out and every corner was scrubbed.  Every rug was washed, every wall artwork dusted, every light fixture polished.  I threw away toothbrushes and extra lotions I hadn't used in years.  I even organized the drawers.  I turned on all the lights teasing the sun to come out.  Boy am I bored!

Then just when I was ready to start taking drugs, I woke early one morning to an unusual golden light peaking at my eyelids and saw this!  I could not contain myself, grabbed my camera and ran in slipper-socks to the dock.  My socks became heavy squishy sponges as I cross wet grass and wet wood, but the temperature was not brutally cold, just bearable.  I stood on the dock in my new white Christmas bathrobe and wet feet looking like a giant poodle with black paws and snapped away in wonder.  I even had time to look at the sky and enjoy the moment.  There were two and one was complete.




Today they are predicting snow!!  I am really excited for another change!  It seems that I will survive.  My hearing will improve.  (Oh, the prior post was about Justin Timberlake's new song "Suit and Tie.")


18 comments:

  1. My daughter saw that beautiful set of rainbows, texted and emailed me, but I didn't get the messages and missed it. Another reason to just "call."

    On my usual walk with the dog to the corner and back, I actually enjoyed walking in the rain. Sometimes, I wonder if we should just hit what depresses us head on; i.e. get warmly dressed and just walk.

    But, cleaning the bathroom is good, too. :)

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  2. So beautiful...gorgeous shot.
    I have S.A.D. too and I keep on all the lights. Ha!! Blue skies and sun greeted me today!! Woot!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  3. Beautiful shot and I totally relate to how you feel.

    Hearing the wackiness from the gun right nuts isn't helping my mood. Like you, we are gun owners and are all for Obama's proposals other than I'd add a buyback and make all assault/semi-assault rifles illegal in a year. Won't get them all but it'd get some-- I could hope. When I hear the righties talk about fear of right of privacy if there are background checks, I can only think how amazing-- suddenly they care about a right of privacy when it would prevent someone threatening or dangerously mentally ill from owning an assault rifle and going to a mall to start shooting? Really now right of privacy is in the Constitution and important to you because you want more shootings at political rallies or in schools? Sometimes you know you could never make up in fiction what life provides!

    I do have a light that is supposed to help with the SAD as I get it also and even though we had a month in Arizona, back up here, it's dark seemingly forever, foggy and gray every day. We head over to Bend on Friday (assuming neither of us get sick first-- another worry these days) and might get a lot of sun over there-- I hope.

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  4. Seeing the rainbows so clear like that is gorgeous but that first picture is the one that really grabs me. It is perfection!

    We have many guns in our house (locked up and unloaded, of course) and I support stricter gun control laws, but I am worried that guns will be banned all together someday. I do think there should be a ban on automatic weapons. WHY on earth a civilian needs a machine gun I don't know. I can't think of ONE good reason. I also am not a fan of concealed carry though my husband is. I can see his side, I just don't like it. I also understand that the people using weapons to go on rampages are not the ones that are taking the lawful steps to own these weapons in the first place. There are very strict regulations on who can own a gun already, but apparently not strict enough. The apps do ask if a person is on medication for depression or has ever been treated for depression, but it is too easy to lie about that. I am wondering if doctors should have to enter a patient on some kind of list if they have certain illnesses that would make owning a gun very dangerous (schizophrenia?) so that it would show up on the mandatory background checks that are done when purchasing a gun. I know many people view that as a violation of privacy and all, but still. I don't know. Something has got to be done.
    ANYWAY!
    I get a slight SAD in winter too. So far I'm okay this winter. It usually hits me around January or February.
    Let's hope this cold and dreary weather leaves sooner than later!

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  5. Beautiful shots. Usually the moment has passed by the time I get my hands on my camera but nature was cooperating with you on this day.

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  6. Beautiful...
    I can remember moving in my country home 3 years ago (has it been that long) and taking an image of a rainbow.
    I felt it meant good luck to me in my new home...

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  7. It was absolutely worth running out and getting gooey socks for those shots. Yes, life is pretty poor if you are reduced to watching TV. You can not only take sho many shots of grey, you can only write just so many poems about grey or thhe cold light of winter. Here they say we may get in t he 60's today. I'll believe it when I feel it.

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  8. Thanks for the rainbow shots!

    We've had so much rain there is flooding in places, and not a rainbow in sight, so i'm glad to see these.

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  9. Wow! That had to have perked you right up. And now that your bathrooms are clean, You will never have to do that job again.

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  10. Wow! Beautiful rainbow shot!!
    I also clean up my house when I get extremely board.

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  11. I am glad you cleared that Soup and Thai up because I had no idea what you were referencing.

    I take it you live in a state or two below me. We are having the same kind of weather. The snow that is there today for you (I think) will not come this far north. Our worst month for snow is February into early March.

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  12. What shocking beauty to end your winter doldrums!

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  13. RYN: Spacers. You don't want too have an embroidered piece pushed up against the glass, so to separate the two there are spacers. They are hidden bits of matt board or wood that fit between the edge of the frame and the board. You don't see them, but they move the art back from the glass and give it some breathing room. Does that answer the question. I love questions and hope I can find answers.

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  14. So glad you paid the price of soggy feet to share this with us. Thank you.

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  15. Beautiful! It's amazing what a glimpse of the sun (and two rainbows) can do for our winter-weary psyches. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Wow, what a sight! I would have had no hesitation to do exactly as you did to get that shot! Just beautiful!

    And on the other note .... I could use your scrubbing skills at my house!

    ;D

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  17. Anonymous11:16 AM

    Wow - breathtaking shots! Thank goodness the sun saved your from drugs and boredom! ;-)

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  18. Hey you are welcome to come to my house and clean and organize! One of my guests did that apologizing all the while for possibly hurting my feelings!The effects have worn off, so I'm about ready for another neatnik house guest!

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.