Still....

Nothing special...just a picture I took in Hood River a few months ago that I like...it's nice to be able to revisit the shots so easily on the PC...it's difficult to remember what life was like before computers...maybe we lived more.

O is asleep and I felt like writing a bit. It's quiet. NPR is off. The pups lay resting...and I sit here in the dining room listening to the soft rain fall upon the house. It is a nice rain today...it comes and goes in terms of it's strength...now it is just a mist-like spray. I can see by looking at the plum tree that it has rained all night. It's branches arc over with the weight of the water on it's leaves. He looks like an old man...still and waiting...not too happy. It must be stressful to be bent over in that position...and I'm afraid I don't have good news for him as it's suppose to rain all weekend...

The garden is coming alive...and with it's awakening, it too has awakened my spirit...I embrace this new feeling within me...It's exhausting to feel blue inside...to try and muster joy daily...even though your well is empty...for that's how I've felt this past winter...I sometimes find tears in my eyes when I look out at my garden...planting it has been one of the greatest accomplishments of my 40 year old life...I look forward with much anticipation to see it grow and shelter me.

Joe pointed out to me the other day that I go through these obsessive stages...and now I am 100% obsessed with photography...I can't deny his conclusion...I hope this is not a fleeting interest...and I do not believe it so as I am constantly thinking about photography...I even with dream with f-stops and shutter speeds...I look forward to a photographic outting...just me and my Olympus.

Yesterday I took my first GREAT black and white photo all with manual settings. Granted, the expression on my subjects face is not wonderful at all, and therefor makes the photo unshowable...but alas, the settings were right on...the sharpness of the face...the lighting...just beautiful...Of course, taking pictures of someone eating is not the brightest idea...

I've been VERY SLOWLY reading my buddism book...and it has really made an impact. I am more aware of how I'm feeling at a given moment throughout the day. I tend to acknowledge my feelings more...and by acknowledging them more, they seem to diminish in their control over me. I became aware at how much anxiety I am feeling...(I say am, because I still feel it...although not as much)...Yey! for that.

Progress.