Frozen Bubbles

I've been waiting all month for the weather to get colder.  Don't get me wrong, I love the milder temperatures that we have been having.  I actually hope that the milder weather continues for the month of February as it makes the weeks go by quicker. I'm not saying I want time to pass by, but I do look forward to enjoying the back deck again.  

The temperatures finally reached -14c.  This was the magic number that I needed to get the bubbles to start to freeze. It still took a while and we had to battle the breeze but eventually I was able to successfully capture some pictures that I was happy with. The big challenge was focusing. Since a  bubble is clear, I was required to manually focus. Looking through the viewfinder, I found myself mistakenly focusing on the back of the bubble rather than the front.  It was a challenge to figure this piece out. Added to that, was that I couldn't wear mitts or gloves when doing this and it was pretty cold. My fingers were quick to stiffen in this weather.

As I was working on taking the pictures, my bubble solution actually started to freeze and became very gummy which meant I couldn't blow any bubbles. Hah hah, a good time to go inside and warm up with a coffee.

The mixture was hand made using a solution of 1 cup water, 4 tablespoons of dish soap, 1 tablespoon of glycerin and 1 tablespoon of sugar. It worked well.

I continue to be amazed at the weather this winter. It has made staying home more tolerable. I'm able to get out walking 3 times a day and feel very refreshed. I sleep like a baby at night and I think that is the result of all the fresh air I'm getting. I'm turning into a putterer...A little bit of this and little bit of that.  Things get done, but much more slowly these days. I'm not as fussed about a messy table or dirty dishes on the counter.  Oh well... I guess that is what they are referring to when they talk about COVID fatigue.

The other day, Ellen Lott (from our church) posted a picture of an owl that she seen while her and Kevin were out taking a walk.  Oh how lucky she was!!  Sunday after church, it looked like it was going to be a nice time for a walk so Ralph and I thought we might try to see if we could find it as well.  I called and spoke to Kevin who relayed the path that they had taken. I could feel the adrenaline flowing. Wouldn't it be awesome if we saw it!! Truthfully I didn't expect that we would be that lucky, but sure enough,  near the beginning of the walk I spied this fellow sitting and watching as we were approaching.  Ralph was ahead of me and I didn't want to yell out to him and startle the bird.  Eventually he noticed that I had stopped and was taking some shots and came back to have a look. Oh wow. I was soooo excited. It made my day. I got a few shots that I am really happy with. I said a prayer of thanks as this was and is the highlight of my first month of the year.

Earlier this week, I thought it might finally become cold enough for me to photograph some frozen bubbles.  I'm all ready with my solution sitting by the door, but it's just too mild.  We did have snow one morning so I went out and practiced photographing snowflakes. I have added some "macro" extension tubes and a new "ring flash" to my camera gear.  Both are invaluable for capturing the beauty of a snowflake or a closeup of a flower or insect. The extension tubes allow me to get in closer (requiring less cropping) and the ring flash (which is circular) goes around the end of the lense and produces light all around the area being shot. I still have a lot to learn with both but it was fun trying.  This is a single shot of a snowflake (not stacked - ie. multiple shots stacked together to remove noise and improve clarity). Overall I am pretty happy with it. It's funny, here we are blessed with such an amazing winter and I am wishing for snow and cold...although I am not complaining.

Today we received the good news that my Mom received her Covid shot.  We are so thankful that this  has taken place.  With the virus so bad in the LTC building next to her, this is an added safety measure for ther building  We trust that God will take care of her.  

Another year has come and gone

Well that's the end of 2020 and what a year it has been.  We started off the year with a lovely couple of months in Myrtle Beach which allowed us to golf, walk the beach and even visit with our friends (Chuck and Claudia) in Florida. During the 2nd month, Lawrence, Teresa, John, Grace, Harry and Marian all came to Myrtle Beach, to escape the winter cold and enjoy some relaxing time away. We were sheltered from all the news about a "new virus" called Corona Virus (sounded a little like the beer) which eventually came to be known as COVID-19. We actually didn't find out how serious it was until we came home which was at the end of the first week of March.  

Imagine our surprise finding that the store shelves contained no toilet paper, hand sanitizers and essential food items were hard to find. Within two weeks we were told to stay near our home and eventually even our church was shut down.

The year has seen lots of changes as a result of COVID-19 and we've been forced to slow down and rethink what is important. I've spent the year focusing on improving my photography skills by watching Youtube videos and reading lots of material. I focused on cleaning up old files and and also found time to work on multiple photobooks. Our Pastor has been writing daily Reflections which I find are very comforting and I decided to put them into books and give them to the Pastor as a way to say thank you and also keep a record of the COVID-19 Reflections shared with our church family. I have just finished Book 3 and am ready to start on the 4th book.

Reflections Book 1

Reflections Book 2

Reflections Book 3

I also completed a few other projects throughout the year.  I enjoy making the books and using them to look back on as a memory of what we have experienced.

Birds of a feather 2020

Rejoice and be glad

With the in-ability to get out and go shopping  I decided to make my own gifts this year. Again I chose to make some photobooks which I gave to close and dear friends.

God's promises through the storm

This last month of the year was spent connecting with family and sharing "social distance" get togethers as we celebrated Christmas. With Laura and Jay and the kids we enjoyed a backyard visit and fire.  It was really nice and while the hugs and kisses were missed, we still could feel the love from our family.

Family Christmas

We also enjoyed some fun with my family with a gingerbread sharing on Christmas day.  Comments and pictures were posted on our family WhatsApp.  It was such a nice way to stay connected during a somewhat quiet day.

Family Gingerbread Christmas

While the year wasn't what we were expecting it to be, I still feel blessed beyond my imagination.  God has been so good to us this year. He has kept us all healthy, watched over my Mom and given our church the ability to continue with services even though we have to stay home.  We’ll be back together soon and once again be able to socialize together  He is in control.  To God be the Glory.