Standing up well

I had not planned to post any photos today, as I was expecting to be at a hospital across the city, waiting for my daughter to have her major surgery. However, yesterday evening, she told me not to bother to go early, as she had to be there at 6:00 am and would then be going straight in to get ready for surgery and then a recovery period of 1-2 hours after roughly 4-5 hours of surgery ( longer if necessary). It is now 11:08 am and I am so stressed out, not knowing how things are going and not sure just how to plan the rest of the day. My daughter said that if I am thinking of going over later, to phone the hospital and check with the unit to see if she is up to having visitors. Will need to get a taxi, as I will never drive to that part of the city.

To add to my stress, I have a MOUSE in the HOUSE, for the very first time ever. A few years ago, a number of my neighbours had mice indoors, but not me. I love wildlife, but when it comes to having a mouse inside my home, that is a very different matter. It terrifies me, wondering where it is and if it will suddenly run across the floor, making me scream. I was watching TV yesterday afternoon, when I suddenly saw out of the corner of my eye a dark shape run across my hall floor and into the kitchen. A minute later, it ran back in the opposite direction - and disappeared. I think it may have got in through my front door when I opened it yesterday, to place something in my mailbox for a neighbour to pick up. There are now five traps set! I see one is now upside down, but I don't know if the mouse triggered it or if it was too delicately set. This is not just a mouse, it's a LARGE mouse - or maybe it's not even a mouse, but maybe something like a Meadow Vole? All I know is that it is not welcome and it is making me extremely nervous and stressed out.

And so goes my day, lol!

This photo, zoomed in from the road, was taken on 30 October 2017. I spent the day driving mostly roads that I had been along before (a round trip of 230 km). I still find a few roads so confusing! My destination was partly to check on two old barns that I had only seen and photographed once before. Having been there with my daughter in January 2015, I knew that there were several other old barns and homesteads en route. This day was definitely a barn day, not a bird or wildlife day. Once again, I added a touch of filter in post-processing, to bring out a bit more detail.

A large barn in a photo I posted a while ago was one that I had been looking forward to finding and seeing for the first time, which I finally did in January 2015, with my daughter. I would love to have been able to get photos from both sides of it, but it was in a farmer's field that was, of course, private property.

The second old barn that I saw in this area is in far worse condition, but I love it. It was funny, because I was standing in the road and had taken just a handful of photos of this crumbling, weathered structure, when I noticed someone walking towards me in the distance. Talk about deja vu! I started walking towards her and it turned out that she lived at the farm just down the road, but had previously lived in the house next to the decaying barn and it was her property. She told me to wander wherever I wished, take as many photos as I wanted. I laughed and said that in January 2015, when my daughter and I had been standing right there in the road, a lady came by on her horse and told us the very same story - it must have been the same person! Felt so good!

Another place I stopped at was a farmyard full of old barns, sheds and vehicles. I pulled over and stood by my car to take a quick shot of an old, blue truck from across the road. A person happened to just appear, walking across his farmyard, so I called out to him and we had a delightful chat. I think he was very amused at my passion for old things and told me to walk around and take whatever photos I wanted. Which I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The blue truck was just one of several old vehicles, mainly cars. I told him what an amazing place he had, full of interesting things. I got the impression that he saw things very differently - lots of old things that needed fixing or tidying up : ) I told him to just leave everything as it is - a photographer's dream : )

On the way home, I called in at the Saskatoon Farm to see if the restaurant was still open, but it had just closed (3:30 pm). I realized I had been enjoying myself so much that I had totally forgotten to eat anything all day. Managed to get a much-needed cup of coffee, though, and I did buy a box of frozen, uncooked Saskatoon Berry and White Chocolate scones. I bought some of these last time I was there and they are so good, piping hot, straight out of the oven.