when you adventure – leave only with a photo
We have aquired a cat. Her name is Ozzie. She’s four years old and she’s a Siamese cross. At first she was so nutty that she sprained her front leg. That’s healed now but she’s gone quite quiet. She sleeps a lot and doesn’t eat very much. She only weighs 3 kg so I guess she doesn’t need much food.
We don’t need to worry, right? Right?
I love my Mom very much. She was diagnosed with cancer last fall. It seemed to take forever for her to get in to see someone at the Cancer Institute in Victoria but that’s because it did take forever.
I know Canadians are often proud of their healthcare system but I’m not. I don’t think it should have taken months for my Mom to begin chemo. I know that, sometimes, Mom has felt as though she’s been discarded or looked over.
There is a wonderful nurse named Holly who works at the Chemo clinic here in Nanaimo. She’s the first person who has really seemed to be there for Mom. (Her Oncologist isn’t a bad guy but he’s in another city.)
The cancer Society has a lot of volunteers but no one told us about it until we spoke to Holly. We didn’t even know that there was a branch of the Society here. So many volunteers working so hard and yet there are still so many gaps.
Someone told me “Oh, just go down to the states and pay for treatment.” We can’t do that. Most people in Canada probably can’t do that. And why should we?
I love my Mom very much. She is brave and loving. She is my greatest support and the most loving person that I know. I will be there with her every step of the way. I wish that the Healthcare system would be as well.
My husband, Joel, and I just returned home from a remarkable trip. Grandpa Kinzie was turning 95 and he wanted us all to be there with him in Barrie, Ontario. There was to be an open house and a family dinner and much catching up. We enjoyed ourselves so much I think we would have stayed far longer if we could have.
Willard Kinzie, Joel’s paternal Grandfather is an incredible man. He’s self-made in the truest sense of the word. He’s caring. He’s always willing to share stories and advice. And more than anything, Grandpa Kinzie values the love and company of family.
What we were given by Grandpa Kinzie this trip was the best gift ever. We connected with Joel’s cousins, relatives we’d never met and friends of the Kinzie family. There were some fantastic people at the open house, including the current Mayor of Barrie.
There were curling friends. There were distant cousins and relatives of Nana Kinzie whom we lost recently. Some of the people in attendance were folks who had been on numerous hikes with Grandpa Kinzie when he was still leading expeditions (and he’s been on many).
The open house was wonderful.
Late in the day we had a private family dinner. There was a chance for us all to tell little stories about Grandpa Kinzie and many of them filled the room with laughter. Great stories about a great man.
Family IS important. All us cousins? We decided that we’re going to continue to stay in touch. Perhaps, that was always Grandpa Kinzie’s plan. I’m proud to be a Kinzie.
I highly recommend the Optrix underwater case! It’s only about $30 more than the low-end cases and it’s much more reliable. The lenses the company makes are pretty clear and very sharp. It’s going to be a pleasure becoming familiar with the gear!!
I’ve never seen so many in one place. Certainly not on a ladder.
I made this little garden planet with the “Living Planet” app. It uses a complex formula to swirl a photo into a globe shape. In the most recent app update the creators added a lot of editing tools.
I’ve been really enjoying the app. It takes a bit of time to learn how to compose photos to make the most of the features of the app but it’s worth it.
If you’re a bit fed up with average photo apps then the “Living Planet” app is a great download!
Aside: the creators of the app are great. They keep an active community-like environment going on their Instagram feed. They also post tutorials and give advice on making tiny planet pics.
(They deck mended the Olloclip lenses to me and then took the time to give me a bit of advice on how to use my phone’s features to make the most of it)
New little Olloclip lenses have made it to my house. They’re tiny and amazing.
There’s a wide angle, a fish eye, and two macros. It’s like learning how to take photos all over again.
I’ve discovered the app called “Living Planet”. It’s amazing. A new surprise every time. It does take a while to discover the right composition formula for photos and then you’re off and running.
Thanks to my Dive Instructor and the founder of Marine Conservation Cambodia, I’ve seen sea horses in the ocean. It’s rare.
In many South East Asian countries sea horses are hung up and dried to sell as tourist attractions. Sad. These little creatures are amazing.
