Mr. Procrastination

Posted on by Dwayne

My procrastination is running amok. And to top it off I’m not sure if the camping is helping or not.

One of the reasons we came out here, here being the local campground Syringa Creek Provincial Park, was for some R&R. After all, isn’t that why everyone goes camping?

I have some small jobs that I thought I might tackle while here, things like cleaning up and painting the trailer steps, replacing stack vents, maybe polishing the trailer wheels. Nothing too strenuous, and tasks that in themselves should take no longer than perhaps an hour each. Easy peasy. Just some time passers that help shorten my “to-do” list.

We also brought a wide selection of books, some magazines, a number of Suduko puzzles, and a couple laptops for writing and/or catching up on the cataloging and tagging of my photos. This is all for fun. As you can see, no shortage of entertainment or things to do.

Now this is where my procrastination sticks it’s nose in where it’s not wanted. I have so many things I can do, so many I want to do, and I’m perpetually stuck in the “maybe later” mindset. Whine, whine, whine. Quit your bellyaching. .

My failing (perhaps) is in having the mindset that I’m here, both camping and on this earth, to enjoy my life. You never know when it may end. I’m referring to our lives of course, not the camping. The camping will end when you get tired of it or when you run out of money and they kick you out for not paying. Wouldn’t that be an experience.

So I will let procrastination have it’s way with the to do list. I will walk, ride my bike, do some Suduko and perhaps read. I’ll do a little of each and try to find the balance. I don’t want to burn out after all, Ha Ha.

Occasionally I’ll also stroll the beach. It’s a beautiful campground and it’s situated on a large lake wedged between the mountains like a hotdog place between two buns. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I’m happy to be here, both on this earth and camping. We have a charmed life when you get right down to it.

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So ‘Mr. Procrastination’, give it your best shot. You may wear me down but right now I have the upper hand. My challenge is in believing it.

Still walkin’

Posted on by Dwayne

Well my plan never came together as I first imagined. That plan, of my morning schedule, got kiboshed right out of the gate with the cancelation of my round of golf. That’s ok though, I’ve recovered with a long walk and some refreshments part way.

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Back to the Normal

Posted on by Dwayne

Today is the first day back to whatever we call ‘normal’, at least our normal. Our Easter guests have returned home and the house is finally quiet after 4 days.

It is also the first day my wife has returned to work, after an absence of about 5 months. And, as a result, it is the first day I will be left to my own devices and alone in the house for the day.

I have chosen to begin the adventure with a walk, my wife dropped me off a ways from home and I will walk back. Of course one of the first stops will be Starbucks for a morning cup of joe. I deferred my normal coffee at home and thought coffee’ing’ out would be a nice way to begin my day.

The sun was up when I began my stroll but not too far over the horizon. Far enough though to cast some shadows and create some interest in the texture of the land. I like this time of day and you’ve likely heard me say that before.

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As my wife’s cousin once said:

“It’s a good life we lead, isn’t it”

Yes Emory, it is. And it also feels great to be back to the normal.

Dollars and Scents

Posted on by Dwayne

In my ongoing efforts to get better, both emotionally and physically, I’ve taken to walking more.  I’ve also purchased a mountain bike, but that may be another story.

So on my walks I’ve tried to keep my eyes open for various unique objects or situations, something that is of interest to me and may be to someone else as well.  I don’t really want it to interrupt my walk to stop and snap but hey, if the opportunity presents itself then take advantage of it.  Because I don’t carry a camera, other than my iPhone, I’ve come to the conclusion that any photos should be taken with it.  It has the upside of then being somewhat unique as well.  Now the iPhone camera is not too bad, I have the 4S so the camera is an 8 mpixel and it does a decent job.  In addition there are a bunch apps out there for editing, and many are free.  I chose to buy one of the more popular ones and have used it to “tweak” some of the photos into a more distinctive form (I think). Some of them come out quite cool actually.

The photo attached is taken of a Silver Dollar bush, probably also known under other names as well, and using the iPhone app was easily manipulated to achieve the desired results.  Easy peasy.  I won’t go into detail here other than to say it went pretty slick, I’m sure using Google to search similar tasks will garner lots of results.

The added benefit of the walk is also the exercise of course, which I’m sure has helped my mood generally and is just plain good for you.  I plan to do more walking, and ride my new bike as the weather improves.  I enjoy being out, seeing the sights and experiencing the fresh air and fragrances as Spring develops.  Maybe there will be more Dollars and Scents in my future.

A Walk, Into the Past

Posted on by Dwayne

It’s a beautiful day for a walk, the air is fresh, crisp and cold but not so cold as to burn your nose and cheeks. I don’t know exactly what inspired me today but I’m thankful, appreciative from the reprieve of blah.

Being the tech geek I am it seemed only appropriate to fire up the pedometer IPhone app I recently acquired and test it out. To be honest I have used it before but to venture outside with it may help inspire me.

About halfway through my trip, day dreaming about my new toy and taking in the beauty of the day, I noticed a bright red object lying on the ground adjacent to me.  It was across the street but as the sun illuminated it I almost immediately recognized it as a child’s firechief hat, laying there discarded and appearing as if it had been run over.

In that moment of recognition I had an instantaneous flashback to some earlier time in my life, it was a moment of clarity, taking me fully into the past.  But as quickly as the feeling came just as quickly it vanished.

I struggled to capture it again, the thoughts ran through my mind, was it a smell, a taste, a happy feeling?  What was the sense that was so quickly brought to me then stolen, like a sneeze that tickles your nose then evaporates as if it was never there to begin with. I looked again, the warm feeling brushed me again, but once again I couldn’t identify exactly what it was.  It was a childhood feeling, that much I knew.  So pleasant, so calming, I wanted to go back to that young point in my life where everything seemed so easy, and everything was happiness and glee.  But alas, tis not meant to be.  I struggled to recapture and hold the essence of that feeling, to identify it’s source and tap into it, but it was gone.  I failed to experience it again.

I continued my stroll with no further epiphanies.  To feel it for those quick moments was something, but I wanted more.  Like a fix to junkie it was a drug to bring me to a time place I’d been before, I just didn’t know when nor where.  I’ve had this sort of thing happen before, a link to a happy childhood passed, and I relish every one. It was enough though, even though I desired more, the uplifting carried me though the rest of my journey, it was a walk into the past.