It's Been A Whole Year - I've Joined a Photo Club

I know.. I just lost my border! I'm borderless. Oh my! I must be free (don't fence me in)..........  I am happy, being close to my family. I still miss 'him' terribly. It's getting fewer and further between the memories that pop in and take me down that lane of sorrow. I try to smile, it was a perfectly happy and awesome time and, yet,  life goes on. 

 I joined a Photography Club and I am a very active member. I socialize with the group. I am enthusiastic about learning and doing all the assignments.. I go on most all the photo walks, and I have even scheduled one of our photo walks.  

I was a member of another photo club also. They are the premier photo club of Spokane.  My experience with going to several meetings and a year end social/display ... they say any ability is welcome. Well, I'm not a beginner and know more than some of them in the group, but this group is more for Pros than anything. They are quite sophisticated, or try to be. I don't know how to do that.  For as pro as they think, they aren't very organized. At least they don't answer their website emails. If a new member has a question... oh well. Signing up you're supposed to get a link to sign into the website so you can submit photos for the meetings..etc. Good luck with that! I knew the Pres. and Treasurer's email addresses, so I was able to communicate my problems. Otherwise.. I don't know how anyone could sign-up ... if they don't answer their web emails. 

Anyway, I dropped out of that club and I'm happy with our little group.  

There are several photo walks that I'll catch you up on the photos on here. 

Our first one of the year was The Finch Arboretum in the Fall.  We all showed up and I immediately lost the group I was with.  I walked over to the creek and when I turned around everyone was gone...I figured I'd meet up with them eventually.  This is the shot I took at the creek.. (there are more, but I'm posting my favorites.) 

And walking back to a little flower garden with some Fall flowers still in bloom. Of course, the bees were busy collecting honey for the cooler weather. 

Off I went to explore some of the bushes and flowering trees.  I came across an interesting bush with dark red coloring and some berries to boot! It's called Physocarpus Ninebark.  I never heard of it. But it's awesome.

I couldn't resist this Sumac. Well, at least I think this is Sumac. .. and, Oh Look!, it's my favorite flower, Cosmos in the background...

I see one of our people in our group and he's headed back home.. he says they're up around the bend......... I'll meander up that way and see if I can catch up to them. In the meantime, I've gotten caught up with the park's sprinkler system! I tried to make it look like fog....... it's more mist.. what do you think?

Meh? 

Someone was imaginative enough to place a bright leaf in line with the 'eye'....

I did not do this, it was already there, just waiting to be 'taken'. Minimalistic. 

Before I came back from the creek.. probably the reason I lost my group.. I crossed over and found a little garden area with a sweet little ornamental Maple tree.. with the sun shining right on it!!! A photographer's luck! 

And some mushrooms in the rock garden... 

Well, I decided I'd been 'missing' for quite enough time, so I photographed the trees along the way to find my people.  

Around every corner........I guess I should say 'beyond every stand of trees'...

I caught up with my friends.... 

And the Sun came out again........

Thank you,  for walking along with me today!  As you probably know,  just click on a photo and the viewer will open for you to see them a little bit bigger. 

~Ellen

Moved, Settled, Kinda Iffy

It seems I always start my posts with "It's been a really long time".  Life gets in the way.

I moved half way across the country, after living 'there' for the past 20 years. I sold all 'our' stuff, kept some stuff.. too much stuff.. to live in a one bedroom apartment. It's near my kids and grand kids. I'm happy to be back in my growing up area.  I'm closer to my birth place than I've been since I was 3! I should go and look around my Grandparents little town. The place I remember visiting when I was a kid, growing up, going through school. They were a couple hours away, but we visited them at least every summer, and sometimes for Christmas. Driving was pretty treacherous in those days, and my parents (Dad) probably only got THE day off for Christmas. Well, the place holds pleasant memories for me.  My sister and I reminisce about it whenever we're together... I see her more often now too!  

My apartment living experience was awful this winter...I moved in in October and the furnace was on the blink all winter long. I was not a happy camper or apt. dweller. They were not honest with me when I signed the lease. (are 'they' ever?)  I wondered why the husband made a big deal about saying the furnace works.. "we turned it on and it came on!"   I should have asked ' why? did you think maybe it wouldn't?'  Turns out it, sometimes, didn't come back on, after you turned it on! Sometimes? Just about every time ....and it wouldn't come on unless you turned it up passed 72, which meant it got about 75 before it cycled off... and then wouldn't come back on..  It took all winter to get it fixed, so that it works automatically the way it's supposed to.  I can even set it on 68 and it'll kick off at about 70! And come back on at ..yeah, 68!  Whach-ya-know! 

The thing is.. The furnace I regulate is the furnace that provides heat to 2 other apartments. Yeah, the thermostat I use is the thermostat for the other apartments.  I felt really bad when the furnace hadn't been on all night and it was really cold in the morning and I couldn't get the furnace to kick in.......... took 45 minutes sometimes to get it to kick in. I was usually up before the kid next door got up to get ready for work.... At first we thought it was the Thermostat. Put a new one in.. the furnace guy actually said it probably wasn't the thermostat.. but he put one in anyway. He took a look at the furnace and said he'd have to order a part... it could take a while to get it.  The first part came in and it was broken! So, waited another while for that one.. then the furnace wouldn't kick in at all, so another guy came and said it was a different part than the one that was on order.. so they ordered a different part. In the meantime, they showed me how to get the furnace to turn on, by poking some wires on the furnace, which was actually easier than turning off and on the thermostat over and over and waiting to see if the furnace kicked on.  Anyway, that part finally came and they put 'er in and they got 'er done. It's fixed! Just in time for those chilly mornings in the Spring ! 

I had troubles with flooding last winter too.  Every time the temperature went up and snow started melting, the run off from the snow would gather on my porch area.. water was up to the wall and  almost under my door by the time they came and set up a sump pump.. I had to call them several times to do that all winter. 

They told me they were going to put in a French Drain this summer... I'm not holding my breath. But, I bet they will be raising my rent/lease come time to re-sign. I think I have reason to object.  

Hmmm, they never give me a receipt for my rent I pay. I guess my bank check is my receipt, but I'm beginning to think I have slum lords.. they own something like 80 properties they rent out. Do as little as possible and blame the tenant.  They have complained to me that some of the tenants don't pay their rent........ blah blah blah and how much money they've lost.  Sounds to me like making excuses is their way.. Oh and they are Christian people!  ha ha ha ha ha ha  so sorry for those of you who are real Christians. I certainly don't like hypocrites! 

On a happier note, my Granddaughter is graduating from High School today. I made a couple of fruit salads she wanted for her party afterwards. That makes me happy that they think my 'stuff' is good! Or maybe it's just that they don't have to make it... I don't care.  I am included.  

My Children are awesome. They are fun and light hearted. I love their friends. I love being around them. I'm so happy being back with my side of the family.  They make up for this crappy apartment I live in! LOL  

OK.. I live in this crappy apartment because it's one I could afford and was open (being renovated), when I went looking. (I am very fortunate to have lived with my sister, while looking and waiting for an apt. for 2 1/2 months)  I couldn't afford most apartments.  Rent has skyrocketed over C-19, and I know how homeless people got that way.  I am just a little more lucky than they are. I didn't want to live in the city, and I found this place just 15 miles from the city and 30minutes from my daughter, and 45 mintues from my sister. The other daughter lives 6 hrs away. But it's better than 2000 miles away! 

I like my life. I like living alone. I like my photography club. I'm glad I'm back.  

I'm HOME again. 

Photo Sunday - Tree

I'm submitting 'trees' ..... lots of them.  Those little twin trees are perfect for Christmas! 

Somewhere around Burgdorf, Idaho.  The stream is a hot spring.