A bit of this and that

Dripping branches and SUN

Walking home from where John left me off after our coffee shop adventure, I saw that the sun had not only risen, but that the skies were beginning to clear after two more days of record-setting rain. We have had more than twelve inches of rain this month, with more to come tomorrow, the last day of the month. Many roads are once again flooded, with another atmospheric river poised to remind us that the rain is not done with us yet. But today we have a bit of a respite.

As I made my way through Cornwall Park, skipping the Rose Garden, since now there are only rose hips left to admire, I saw that the sunshine caused a light ground fog to emerge over the fields. And now the sky is filled with plenty of clouds, with only a short peek of the sun available now and then. But, according to the forecast, we should be free of any more rain for a few more hours, at least. Yesterday I tried to find a time in the early afternoon to get in a short walk, but the rain kept me to a brief half-hour, and then I was beginning to get grumpy as the rain just kept on coming down.

Fifteen or so years later

My old boss Mickey sent me the picture on the left a couple of days ago, and I decided to compare it to the one taken at Thanksgiving (shared in my last post) just to mark the differences. Nobody lives another 6,000 days without some sign of it, but I was interested in noticing that although my jawline is a little softer, and the creases in my eyelids a bit heavier, there is much just the same. Some people don't change their haircuts very often, and I seem to be one of them. It also helps that the latest picture is a soft focus, making my wrinkles a little less obvious.

What doesn't show in the new me is the amount of change in my eyesight. Before I got cataract surgery, I had to wear glasses all the time. That changed, once I got the new lenses inserted. Now I only need to wear them for distance. I had always been nearsighted and saw no reason to change that. I am so very grateful for my recent Paperwhite (Kindle) purchase, which lets me read for much longer periods before my eyes give out. My old eyes just don't work as well as they once did, and the AMD (age-related macular degeneration) continues to forge ahead. I can still drive during the daylight hours, but that won't be the case once I lose my central focus. I am simply grateful for all I can do these days.

And now I'm going to sweep my front porch, which has lots of leaves and other detritus making it look rather cluttered. Then I will sit back and enjoy the glimpses of sun while we still have some to see.

:-)