🤫 All is quiet right now, and I’m loving it. It won’t stay this way, but for now I am making the most of it. The quiet rests my body and mind.
I’m happy to have completed Run 3 and my first week of the Watch to 5K app and challenge.
An Early Morning Sound
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
This is my first post and try out of Vincent Ritter’s new blogging platform, Scribbles. I’m not sure that I need another blog, but I love Vincent’s other offerings - Gluon, Tinylytics, and Shoutouts, and so couldn’t miss out on trying Scribbles. I was outside at dawn this morning and all of a sudden heard this deep swoosh sound somewhere above me. I looked around and could see nothing. And then to my right a flock of birds, maybe pigeons, flew low and fast on their way to an unknown destination.
The Story Behind the Photo: A Bus Full of People
Monday, January 22, 2024
The original of this image was a slide. I projected it onto a wall and took this photo. I initially posted this photo on September 3, 2023, but offered no context for it. Following the reception to my story about a photograph that I took of Mt.Everest at sunset and encouragement of Miraz and Maique, I have decided to revisit other photos that I have posted of my travels, as well as ones yet posted, and share their story.
Good morning ☕️. What will this week bring?
Photographs from a walk along the cliffs near to Ho’okipa Beach, Maui last Friday evening.
The island in the distance is Moloka’i.
The sun is setting behind the West Maui Mountains.
We went to see Poor Things last night. A good and bold performance by Emma Stone, who really carried the movie. However, I can’t fault any of the cast who included Mark Ruffalo and Willem DaFoe. 🍿
That was not easy, but a good challenge. A 500 piece jigsaw puzzle of rocks, a Christmas present that I have slowly worked on, a few pieces each day. 🧩
🏃♂️ Heading out for the second run of my personal Watch to 5K challenge.
Accountability and Running
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Towards the end of last year the iOS/Apple Watch app, Watch to 5K, was offered at a discount and it got me thinking. I wanted some easy accountability to get me exercising. This app essentially puts a Couch to 5K program onto an Apple Watch, with a companion iPhone app holding all the data from each run. What I found compelling about the app was that all I needed was my Apple Watch when I was out running.
🐳 I saw my first whale of the season this evening. Way out to sea, a few water spouts and the cresting back of the whale.
The Story Behind the Mt Everest Photograph
Friday, January 19, 2024
Yesterday I posted a photograph showing the last rays of sunlight catching the summit of Mt Everest at the end of a day. After putting it up online, I was reflecting on the story behind the image, and thought that I would share it. The year was 1989, the month September. I found myself in Nepal at what turned out to be a little under halfway through a journey that would take me through Pakistan, China, Nepal and India.
The summit of Mt Everest, peeking out from behind surrounding mountains, coloured orange as it catches the last rays of sunlight at the end of the day. This image was captured during a month long trek to the Solo/Khumbu region of Nepal around September 1989. Photo of slide projected onto a wall.
This winter feels like a struggle.
If not that, a season that is bringing its fair share of obstacles.
One blessing is that the weather is not one of them. At least, yet.
Those times when I talk to a delivery person, just making conversation, and they are unsure what to say. I feel that I have done something that they are just not use to, and so are stuck for words?
😩 A frustrating day. I fix one thing (or update it), and something else breaks. I’m calling tech support tomorrow morning.
Despite the sound of it, this was not computer related, rather the front gate.
Sitting in silence.
This morning’s rainbow 🌈
Cold weather
Friday, January 12, 2024
Yesterday felt cold here, this evening there is a real icy blast…for a home only about 640 ft above sea level, in the Hawaiian islands. Of course it is not the sub-freezing temperatures that parts of the North American continent are facing, but the wind has a cold punch to it. Coming from England, I finding the colder weather strangely comforting, taking me back to dark winter nights, warm and comfortable at home or wrapped up against the cold as I go out for the evening.
Wednesday was exhausting for me. Being preceded by the busyness of the Christmas and New Year holidays probably didn’t help. I’m an introvert and at times just need time to myself to wind down. Too much external activity and noise and I’m working on reserve tank, my body becoming stressed, my mind tired and at worse struggling to think straight. I find myself almost becoming robotic, just doing what needs to be done, while loosing the perspective, fun or joy.
I spent Wednesday with my grandson.The school holidays meant that he and his brother had spent more time together than they usually do. They love each other and at times brotherly tensions can overspill. They needed some time apart. I was asked if I could entertain him for part of the day.
There was nothing overly exhausting about our day together. Perhaps we visited some places which I prefer not to visit. However, when I am already tired I find that even the smallest effort, the smallest call for my attention or focus, can feel like a struggle.
I was there for my grandson through the day, and feel as though I gave him a good time, but I was happy to jump in the truck after a late lunch and start on the road back home…telling the final “scary story” of the day.
Once he was dropped off, I headed home. I cleaned out the truck, put things away, grabbed a cold glass of water and went to lie down. No one else was at home, I had the evening to myself. I allowed the silence to envelop me, it was what I needed. That was my evening. Quiet, a small bite to eat, sitting in silence and reading.