A Walk in the Forest
On a chilly and misty Saturday morning, Tony, Bumble and I headed out for an adventure…like we do on most Saturdays. Sometimes we know where we are going and sometimes we just wander until we find the right spot. This adventure was one of those times where we just wandered.
We ended up at this small, cozy campground on the banks of the Skykomish River. The campground has been closed since Covid and Mother Nature is trying to take it back.
During the catastrophic floods we experienced last December, a portion of the campground got washed away. The river claimed a big portion of it’s bank along the campground, leaving new treasures exposed.
I don’t know if this little campground will re-open. If it does, there is a lot of work to do for it to be able to host happy campers again.
In the meantime, this little campground gets visitors, like us, from time to time. I can tell because of the well worn path that is carved out near the river.
We spent about an hour and half exploring the campground. I had my macro lens with me and created some interesting images with it. Close up images of moss and ferns and funny looking lichen. Rain drops too, because we all know how obsessed I am with raindrops or anything that sparkles.
You may have noticed that for the past month or so I’ve used my macro lens exclusively. Are you wondering why?
Well, I’ll tell you.
I have a disc in my neck that is degenerating and it’s causing me some discomfort. In 2023, I had 2 discs replaced in my neck and it worked wonders! I had two really good years of no pain, no headaches and I could feel my fingers again. Last October, my symptoms reappeared and I headed back to my surgeon. We knew this third disc was going to need attention, but I honestly thought I had more time.
Surgery is imminent. We are currently wading through the ridiculous process set up by the insurance company. (Don’t even get me started on that subject!)
I’ve been in physical therapy twice a week since October, and it’s helping to keep my arms and shoulders strong enough to be able to use my camera. But, for now, I am only able to use my macro lens if I want to shoot for an extended period of time.
If you’ve seen any of my videos, you will notice that I don’t use a camera strap. It causes too much discomfort for me. I carry my camera in my hand when I’m shooting. When I start to get uncomfortable, I have to stop shooting, take some Advil and/or a muscle relaxer and find a heating pad.
All that being said, I simply REFUSE to stop adventuring. I just have to know my limits and honor my body when it says it’s time to stop.
Once the surgery has been completed and I’ve recovered, I will be able to go back to my wild style of photography with my BIG lens! (It’s a 300-500 mm wildlife lens that I purchased just before all of this happened. I haven’t even had the chance to use it yet.)
If you are part of my post card club, please don’t worry about your monthly post cards. I already have things well in hand! I wont skip a month and your post cards will be on time.
Holly
P.S. I don’t need anything and I’m doing fine, relatively speaking. I’m just a little anxious to get it over with so I can move forward.