solitude

Did you see it?

/ one2travelfar / 1 Comment

I get excited by nature’s wonders. Yesterday, we got to see a portion of the annular eclipse in the morning. First I made my pinhole camera.

Then I headed outside to wait and watch. The last time I experienced a solar eclipse, we were on Protection Island in the Strait of Juan de Luca. My technique was a little different this time. I used two separate pieces of cardboard.

And it worked. Photographing it with one hand was little tricky.

Then I tried to get a little creative.

When I returned to the cabin, I took another look a half hour later and it had changed to this.

It transitioned from an Apple computer apple to a heart. What a day!

We have come to realize there is no need to rush at anything we do because we don’t have anything else to do. So we can take our time and enjoy. Already, the nights are colder and frost covers everything until late morning.

The days are quickly growing shorter. The sun rose today at 8:22 am and will set at 6:40 pm. This is already 2 hours shorter than when we first arrived in late September.

I thought it was quiet at home, but here the only sounds we hear are made by us, the birds and the squirrels, since there is no one else within hundreds of miles. We got hear a wolf howl one night. I have already begun talking to the birds with a call and response. The other day I had nice chat with a Greater Yellowleg. We are sure to become great friends. The Canada Jays follow us around. And I never realized how versatile a Raven’s call could be. You’re never too old to learn a new language.

Our days are numbered

/ one2travelfar / 2 Comments

They always were, the number is just getting smaller. We leave Aug 24, which is just around the corner. Before then we have to figure out how to get our bikes, and Tim’s keyboard to the shipping pick up point. We are sending them home via bike flight, which worked great getting them here.

Until then, I am bonding with the birds, deer, seals and apparently at least one elephant seal that has made its way to the island. Tim went ashore this week for the usual biathalon trip – motor boat, bike 5 miles, swim 1 mile, bike 5 miles (at least 2 downhill) and motor boat back to the island. Instead I stayed and took my usual hour and a half walk. It’s so easy to get exercise when there are no other demands for your time. Must continue this at home.

I usually spend the morning weaving and reading. Then one of us has to clean the dock, do a couple of chores, and then I walk and walk. I highly recommend it. I have been reading books by a few wonderful nature writers, they get it. Solitude and nature is therapeutic. Stopping to watch eagles soar overhead, watching how a sunrise changes in the smoky atmosphere, even watching baby seagulls spread their wings. It’s all good.

I will try to stay off the go, go, go train when I get home. Make time for things I enjoy and don’t waste time on the internet.

These are some of things I saw the past couple of days.

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Another smoky sunrise. A front is moving through today and the smoke should clear. Odd that it affected the atmosphere but it did not smell smoky.

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A pair of Larry’s.

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Smoky mountains called the Olympics.

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Wonderful clouds.

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And the new me.