Water!

This weekend was Victoria Day Long weekend in Canada, and for us, as many, it was the first camping weekend of the year. We were all loaded in the truck and ready to go when it was discovered.

A massive leak in out trailer roof.  What you are looking at here is the insulation held up by vapor barrier (plastic) after the soggy roof panels were removed.  We've poked a big hole in the plastic and water is running out into the bucket.  See how it is bowing? Water. Lots.

Does my husband look not impressed?  He's a mechanic and used to fixing broken things and I admire him for not freaking right out.  We took it in stride, really (I followed his cue as I'm normally the one to react, um.... strongly). He didn't seem annoyed even, just got down to the work of fixing it. 

We ended up removing a good portion of the roof and rebuilding it.  Renovating, as it were.  What a mess.  I ran around the disaster scene with my camera.  That part was fun, at least.

But don't worry, there was plenty of time for this:

and this:

We worked out butts off and still managed to get out to the mountains for a couple of days camping.  And it was pretty darn awesome to hang out with these guys for a couple of solid days.

(Water is the theme for 52photosproject this week.  Go check out more photographs on the theme)

Bookmark - Spring

I feel like I need to bookmark this time.  I took this photo on Friday.  The first leaves are finally opening and spring is officially here.  It's been a long, wet, cold winter here and we are sure appreciating the opportunity to leave the windows open at night, to play outside in bare feet and to finally take the bicycles out into the neighbourhood.  Ahhh spring, so full of promise and joy.  Exhale.

Grounded

Grounded.

Firmly planted.

Like a tree swaying in a strong wind or reaching up toward the sunshine with roots firmly planted, anchoring, providing stability.

My feet are rooted, my body is still so I can do the work.
 
for "I found it on the ground" with 52 photos project.

Color

2 weeks ago it rained and then snowed and then froze.  I started out at 6 am as usual, drove up the hill, and then back down it and went back to bed.  It's not worth going to work on days like that.  On the way home I had the fortune of following the snowplow, and here's what I saw out my windshield.  Yellow and Red, Snowplow Ahead. The yellow streak?  That's the reflection of the lights in the ice that coated the entire road.  That's what you look for to see how slippery the road really is. 

I took this photo with my iPhone as proof of how bad the roads really were.  It's the photo I thought of when I saw 52 photo project's prompt for the week: color.  I love all the bright primaries.

On Creativity.

 
I am an artist.
I am not prolific (right now).
But I am always an artist.

I have seen this pattern before.
I get excited.
I create.

Something happens.
A glitch.
My camera breaks
or I get sick
or computers are silly.
(aren’t they always silly?)

And I stop.
Temporarily.
Temporarily turns into a long time.
Because Life keeps going.
And the excitement is gone.

Until that spark hits me again.
(because it always does eventually)
And I delve into creating.
Something new.
Something completely new.

This time I am pushing through.
I am not stopping.
I don’t want to start over again every time.

Because this is what you do
when you really love something.

This is what I think it means
to be a Serious Artist.

On Exercise

You might remember I mentioned it here - one of my goals for the year is to get exercising. Well, It’s May already (yikes!) and I need a plan.
If you want to make a change commit to doing that thing everyday for 30 days and it becomes a habit, so here is my plan.

I hereby commit to doing some sort of exercise for 45 minutes 6 days a week until the end of May.

Why? If you are clear on your goals then it’s easier to stick to your plan. I want to be healthier. I want to be able to breathe deeper, feel stronger, run longer with my kids, and yes, feel better about my body.

How? I know I need exercise, but I’m not really excited about it. That’s why I’m challenging myself to just do it. I really need to just start, and stop making excuses. I like Leo’s take on it here. I’ll start with walking and yoga and keep looking for other things to do. Maybe I’ll get out the roller blades. Exercise should be fun and part of your normal life so that you keep doing it. Exercise is part of living.

When and Where? ok, so a new activity does not “fit” into my schedule at all. But this is uber important. The only flexible time during the week is my lunchbreak. That’s usually my creative time, but if I’m going to get some exercise that’s the only time I can really see it happening regularly. I’m hoping to fit in creative time (also Sooo important to me) in the evenings and weekends which is a better fit anyways because I’m at home where my tools are, it’s easier to do with the kids around, and it fits into small chunks of available time.

And with that, I’m off for a walk. I think I’ve got a podcast or two to listen to on the way to spice it up.

I’ll check back in at the end of May to let you know how it’s going. And now that I’ve said it out loud this will keep me accountable.