The Photographic Deep Freeze

Sunrise in sub-zero temperatures. Yellowstone National Park. – 2022

I try to update this blog at least once a week, but so far this year, I have been fairly dormant. I have managed to publish a few articles and started a few others but haven’t found the motivation to finish them. As far as photography goes, I’ve been in a photographic deep freeze since mid-December. I’ve spent most of my efforts this past month dealing with my personal health care issues. Annual visits to doctors and switching to Medicare have kept my attentions diverted away from anything involving getting out and enjoying the outdoors. Add to it the fact that we’ve been in a mid-winter deep freeze for most of the month of January here in Denver, life has not progressed beyond being generally bored and gloomy.

I received a pneumonia vaccine earlier this month and had a severe negative reaction to the shot, which has knocked me down to parade rest for nearly 4 weeks. I am only now beginning to feel better, and I am starting to think about things thawing out and maybe getting back outdoors for some serious photography. Right now, I am anxiously waiting for the frozen snow to melt so I can clean up a month’s worth of frozen dog poop in the back yard. Exciting eah?

Ok, now that I got that out of my system, there are some things to look forward to. #1, I’m generally healthy and feeling better (at the moment), #2 I do have plans to make a photography trip to Monte Vista in mid-March to photograph the Sandhill Crane Migration. #3, The wife and I have managed to get out to a few restaurants lately, something we rarely do since the pandemic began, and it looks like we will have a little more freedom to travel together this year. Maybe spend more time at our cabin when we get it opened up in late May. #4, Most of the family seems to be doing as well as can be expected. In truth, life isn’t bad, it’s just a frozen nothing burger at the moment. I’ll be cheering up any time now (stares at the grandfather clock that has stopped due to not being wound.)

Although I’ve spent a few hours watching car show reruns on Motor Trend network, I have managed to keep the news out of my ears and face. Watching news is enough to depress anyone. A constant stream of bullshit and talking heads trying to convince you that the sky is falling. It’s not really news. It’s just, errr…. bullshit.

I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist. In the meantime, I’ll keep on plugging with updating software, cleaning up the photo libraries and dreaming of warmer days ahead while I wait for the thawing of the photographic deep freeze.