Furled Ferns

I've been trying to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having lately--sunny, with temperatures in the mid-seventies. It reminds me of San Diego, where the weather stays like this all year long.

I took a walk around the pond that is a short drive from my house, and found some young ferns pushing up through the soil. These ferns fascinate me--the way they start as a white clump, and slowly unfurl their green leaves. If you look closely at the first photo, you can see the green hiding underneath the white knob at the top of the stem.




I hope everyone else is enjoying some nice spring weather.

The Hand That Feeds...

We have a small statue in our backyard that we put sunflower seeds in for the birds and squirrels. This morning as I sat outside I saw a chipmunk stuffing its cheeks full of seed:



In past years my mother has actually trained some of the chipmunks to eat out of her hand. She patiently waits with a peanut in the palm of her hand, and these cute little creatures will run up to her and grab the nut, stuff it in their cheeks, and scurry away.

Farewell Winter... Hello Spring

Finally, all the snow has melted in the backyard, except for this little patch that is still hanging in there. It will soon be reduced to a moist spot on the ground.

These are the first sprouts of green that are coming up in the garden. What a relief to see some fresh life poking through, and to have the temperatures consistently into the 60s this week.

Is It Spring Yet?

I took this picture yesterday during our Spring snowstorm.

Walk Towards Recovery

I took a walk yesterday on a trail that goes around a nearby pond. It was still mostly frozen over, with snow covering the ice. The wide open areas of snow in these photos are where the frozen pond is.




It felt good to get out and take a walk. The temperature was up into the mid-fifties, making it feel a little like spring, even if it still doesn't look like it.

Taking walks is part of my plan to get out of the house and do more. I met with my councilor, Jeannine, last week, and she encouraged me to exercise at least twice a week to start.

She also suggested that I keep track of my food intake throughout the day, so I started writing in my journal exactly what I'm eating, and what I'm thinking and doing right before I eat. Hopefully some patterns will show up.

Jeannine also discussed with me the importance of getting out and meeting like-minded people, perhaps by attending some spiritual or meditation groups. I read a lot of spiritual writing, but it isn't quite the same as being part of a spiritual community. So I think I may check out a group that meets once a month and discusses spiritual topics, not too far from where I live. It is open to anyone, and from what I can tell from their website, I would find the discussions interesting and insightful.

I also met with my psychiatrist, Dr. L, last week. We decided to raise my Abilify medication to 15mg, up from 10. We're doing this to see if it helps with my motivation difficulties and ability to get out and do more. I'm glad that we are making the adjustment. Dr. L. is always willing to reevaluate the meds and change things until she feels it is the best dose and drug for my current situation. It could take a while before I notice much difference.... until then, I'll keep walking, and do the best that I can.

Crystals on Cement

I was walking out to my little room to have a cigarette the other day, and I noticed that some of the rain water that had come into the garage was starting to freeze and crystallize. I had never seen crystals like this on cement; it was like frost on a window, only the patterns were much bigger. So I grabbed a camera and took some photographs. I included a quarter in one of the photos, to give a sense of proportion.

This one shows some of the circular crystals that formed:

Seeing water crystals always amazes me. I marvel at nature's ability to produce such beauty.

Self-portait

I thought I would start off 2008 with a couple snapshot self-portaits. Here's to a new year of possibilities...

Cleaning and Snow Pictures

Tomorrow my Mom is throwing the annual holiday party for her side of the family so today we are spending time cleaning up the house. I vacuumed the downstairs, and I will soon clean the upstairs bathroom.

Yesterday I used Mom's camera to take some pictures of the snow, since her camera is much nicer than mine. I thought I'd post a few that I took. The falling snow that you see in some of them is coming down from the trees.