While out working I came across this tree Saturday night, so I shot a quick photo of it with my cellphone, then went back and shot it again last night and got these. There are several more of course, but these are what I am happiest with on a quick review straight out of camera.
The rain and fog didn’t quite do for it what I hoped it would, but it had to be shot so soon after I found it because the autumn leaves are falling, and the color of the leaves with the light just makes the whole tree glow so! Having not seen it before and not knowing that I was going to come upon it, it was at first absolutely breathtaking.
I cannot imagine the work that went into wrapping it so thoroughly with strands of lights. And I know somewhere among you, there are those who can imagine a single lamp going out, and the whole tree going dark. Then the search is on.
I regret not bringing my telephoto lens last night and shooting much deeper into the tree. I think there is something to be had there, weather in the middle or along the periphery with more contrast between subject and a dark sky background. One wants a calmer night for such a photo anyhow. Last night’s weather was just a little rough to try it anyhow. Maybe I will bring my lens today and try. I am just having a hard time imagining being in to work so late. I am sure tired after reaching yesterday’s work goal to close the week.
When I was doing a pickup at Jersey Mike’s yesterday, a family was asked about their day and they said they had just come back from doing a family photo shoot. Missed business opportunity for me. I am happy for them, but I would love to have given it a go myself. I still don’t know if that is the type of photography that would make me happiest to do. I know a lot of photogs do it because it is a money-making opportunity. Not a huge one, but everything helps to pay the bills! Give me $250, and I could take the whole day off DoorDashing, which would be a nice break. That would cover what I would earn outright over two days, and given the ease off the gas expenses, probably repay me the better part of three to rest for. A thought I need to take more seriously!
It did rain yesterday. All day. I mean, it was pretty constant. I am sure records were set. I know I was the wettest I have been for a long time. Perhaps since leaving England. It was nice. What I would not do to have days like that once a week or two over summers. The rest of it could be our normal sunshine. Could you imagine that? Seems to me our harvests could be amazing. It’s just a thought.
Oh, I notice that most of the faces I come to know at the many restaurants across town have changed. Any efforts I have made to get to know people are basically all lost now. In just over six months! I still see a couple of the same DoorDashers around. I am not the only one giving all my time to the work. But there is certainly no opportunity to make friends in this line of work. The people I get to talk to are my daughters when they decide to take a turn and come along for the day. That’s absolutely awesome, of course! I love getting such blocks of time with my kids in what would otherwise be time thrown away to the man. But they are not the kind of people one talks to on a social basis as, you know, a sort of sound board for adult problems in life. I should just go to McDonald’s on Sunday morning for a coffee for an hour and leave an invitation in the Dasher’s Discord group and see who shows up, then make that a sort of weekly thing. 10-11 or something.
Anyway. I paid for a new bale of hay which got dropped off the night I first found the tree. I did not see it till yesterday morning, and I had to move it to the shelter because it was raining like crazy. Luckily, I was able to do that right away rolling it with the bucket, rather than having to assemble the bale spears onto the pallet frame. It rolled into place nicely. Managed to get it there just as the last flake off the old bale got served out to the animals. I’ll be cutting that open this afternoon when I come back to the farm with the girls from school. That last flake had fallen away and against the shelter, making a little hole a couple of cats have been sleeping in. Maybe the same will happen again, and they can have their little house back. I imagine it is a lovely warm place for them to sleep. It’s certainly a lot drier than most places yesterday!