292: Time consuming
Posted: July 12, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Air, Critters, Earth, garden, gardening, goals, home, nature, Photography, pond, Spirit, Summer, Walking, water, weather | Tags: damselfly, deer fly, dragonfly, flowers, Microsoft, Personal computer, Photography, postaday2011, wildflowers, Windows 7, Windows XP 32 CommentsWow. What a difference a new computer makes. Things move along at a much faster rate now. Or they would if I knew what I was doing. I’ve gone from Windows XP (which I loved) to Windows 7 (which I’m not quite even liking just yet). I think companies such as Microsoft make changes purely for the sake of change (in other words, somebody who wants to keep their job comes up with something new to justify their continued career with the company). I really don’t care for the way the Library is arranged on Windows 7. That said, I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually.
The transfer of stuff (mostly my photos) from the old computer to the new has been slow going. The new computer (whom we shall call Socorro which means “one who helps”) would gladly gulp down all of that data in about five minutes. The old computer, fondly known as Snail, seems reluctant to give it up and has been doing so at a slow pace.
I’m not entirely sure that’s a dragonfly up there. It’s holding its wings sort of up and sort of down. A dragonfly holds its wings out (down) when it perches/lands. A damselfly holds them up.
Today’s outdoor time was spent mostly in the garden pulling weeds. The rain we had yesterday made this chore much easier than it has been with the ground being so hard due to lack of rain. The weeds didn’t grow as fast without the rain, either. The veggies in the garden are looking beautiful. I brought in a big handful of Swiss chard, a couple of cucumbers, and enough lettuce to make a big salad for dinner tonight. There is something very satisfying about eating foods you’ve grown. The best part is knowing it’s all good and healthy. No pesticides. No herbicides. No ‘cides’ of any kind.
I did take a short walk after I finished in the garden. It is another scorcher of a day, with the humidity higher than it has been. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler. I’m looking forward to it.
I had planned to go into the woods today. I dressed for it, including my ugly (keep away the deer flies) hat and a good spraying of insect repellent. There are three openings into the woods. The path I took was so overgrown that I was reluctant to follow it too far in. I’ll try another path tomorrow. I am surprised the deer haven’t been eating all the undergrowth in the forest. Perhaps they’ve already cleared out the plants they like to eat and left only those they don’t like.
I’m going to have to cut back on my computer time for a while. I got a call from my good friend The Pickle Lady today. She has found a possible new source of the little cucumbers that make such great gherkins (pickles). The gherkins are in and she’ll be coming over on Thursday with a bushel of them for us to clean up, pickle, and can (preserve). On Friday we have friends arriving in the afternoon or early evening. They are on their way to Chicago and are stopping for an overnight visit.
The local farm we’ve started buying from in place of Hilgert’s has let us know that the beans are now ready for picking. What all this means is that life is going to be busy for a while, with pickling, canning, freezing, and hanging out with friends.
I’ll have to start shortening my blog posts (fewer photos) at least until I get the hang of how this all works on Soccoro. It took me a while to find and resize everything. This might come as a relief to all as I know my blog posts have been photo-heavy.
Well, enough of that. I don’t like to write blog posts about writing blog posts. I’m not sure why. I don’t mind if others write blog posts about writing blog posts. I suppose I don’t like to do it because it seems a little redundant, or unnecessary, or something I can’t quite place my finger (or brain) on, when I do it. Or maybe it’s because I don’t blog about blogging (which I know some people do, and they do it very well). It’s just not my thing.
That’s about it from the Bogs for today. Tune in tomorrow for another edition of my great outdoor adventures. 😉
I’ve already been seeing previews online for Windows 8!! My older son (the computer wizard) has watched it at least several dozen times – he can’t wait!!
Good grief. You mean my new computer’s operating system is already obsolete, Holly?!? lol! I still think a lot of it is change purely for the sake of keeping a job rather than change because it works better, is more efficient, or is something entirely new. Although, every now and then, it really IS something new and that’s exciting. 🙂
I have never seen a dragonfly like that striped one … maybe it is just a dragonfly with bad balance and uses its wings to deal with it?
Sorry, I am a Mac person, I can’t help you with your unfriendly Windows machine. But, even if it is a windows computer ;-), I am sure you will love your new faster computer much better then your old one. Patience . . . you will figure it out.
Good theory, Bearyweather. It was windy and sitting on top of the grass that way must require a lot of balance.
I have aspirations to be a Mac person, but the PC is so much cheaper. And my husband keeps telling me I’ll get frustrated with the Mac (even though way back in the day I had a Mac). I think it’s possible he’s the person who would get frustrated with the Mac. 😉
Gorgeous photos! Sorry, but they distracted me from reading about your computer issues. Sounds like you’re more tech savvy than me anyway. I can do pictures, and I love to write, but not about blogging. Like you…I leave that to the experts.
but thanks for sharing nature’s beauty…hugmamma. 🙂
Oh, I’m not tech savvy at all, Hugmamma! Quite the contrary, which probably makes it better that you were distracted from reading about my computer issues as you would learn nothing at all from me. lol!
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂
Great post, Robin! That is certainly an interesting dragon/damselfly – never seen the striped wings before. Great shots! Love your writing…
🙂
Thank you, Steve. It was the first time I’ve seen one with striped wings, too. 🙂
We have the stripe-winged one here; I’m 99% sure it’s a dragon. They hang out at the mud-hole (pond) in the late afternoon.
I’m going to have to start paying better attention to your weather reports – the storms hit us at 3:30 this morning, soaking my newly-harvested garlic…then today was hot and humid. When I hear you’ve actually cooled-off there, it should be about 12 hours away from us.
Please. I hope…
Beautiful photos, as usual. Wishing you cooler, less-humid days ahead!
Thank you, Marie. 🙂
My family out east often use me as their weather person as the weather here often ends up there. Today’s forecast: Cooler (79 instead of 90) with a brisk wind out of the north blowing out the humidity. It should be heading your way soon if it’s not already there. Enjoy. 😀
Writing about writing is one of my favorite things to blog about–but then, I taught writing for years. I suppose if I took photos as well as you do, I’d be less inclined, as well!
Just curious to know how hot it’s been up your way. It was 94 here in Lexington yesterday and humid–so, so miserable. It rained this evening so things have cooled off a bit, but it was infernal for a while there!
kathy
Writing about writing is your niche, Kathy. Because you’re a writer. 😀
But I was referring to writing about blogging. I got to thinking about it last night and remembered that when I first started blogging and began to get a few regular visitors, I posted about not having time to post or to visit. I received a comment from someone who had been blogging for a while, and it was some snarky advice about how I shouldn’t blog about blogging, blog about having time for blogging, blog about not having time for blogging, blog about stats, blog about not having great stats, blog about not feeling like blogging, or blog about having nothing to say. “Just blog,” she said, “because nobody wants to read a bunch of blog posts about how you don’t have time to blog.”
Being a sensitive soul, I didn’t take it well at first. She may have been a troll:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29
I haven’t seen her come around since that day, but she may have had a point. I had done a series of posts on not being able to post or visit other blogs. It was pretty dull stuff. So now I try not to do that too much, especially since my blog is about my life in the Bogs and not about whether or not I have time to blog today. However, sometimes I do write something along those lines, especially when I haven’t had time to visit other blogs, because it is the polite thing to do, no matter what the Troll said. (Insert a big Pfffffft! to the troll here.)
Weather-wise, it was 90 and humid here yesterday, but cooling off to 79 for a high with less humidity today. Not too bad for July. 🙂
I’m excited to say that I’m eating locally farm grown produce also, Robin. It is such a treat. I’ve never pickled, canned or have done any freezing although I have been known to get pickled many years ago. lol
Saving food for winter seems like a great idea and one that I’d like to learn one day. Hope you have a great time will all your plans.
Thank you, Marianne. 🙂
Isn’t the local food great? We’ve been eating locally grown produce since we moved to Breezy Acres and found we were only a mile away from a local farm that had its own market. Now that they’ve retired, it’s been a bit of a scramble trying to find something nearby, but I think we’re now settled with the CSA and the Walnut Drive farm where we picked strawberries.
Freezing foods is the easiest way to preserve them. I did that for years. I’m fairly new to canning, having started when we moved here. I didn’t trust it at first, but we haven’t keeled over from botulism yet. lol!
it just takes time
give it a few weeks and you’d probably never go back
I am sure you’re right, Kel. As with any change, it takes time to adjust. 🙂
What exquisite..magical details. And – I too – am about to do the whole new computer thing. Looking forward to its speed..dreading the transition!!!
Thanks, Marcie. 🙂
I dreaded the transition, too. Transitions are not always easy. I think it will take a few weeks for me to get used to this. After that, it will be old hat.
Robin, I like it.. Socorro ( for some reason I first typed Sorroco) is a good name, your PC shall reward with handsomely I’m sure. 😀 .. . I love naming things, but it backfires and becomes heartbreaking when I’m saying goodbye to a toaster named Brian or the microwave named Cyril…as I know they’re not going to a good home (sobs) … but casting that thought aside quickly, I have now placed myself squarely in the centre of the overgrown (and I’m sure) magical woods. Breathe in deeply and breathe out…aahhh…heaven … Bye for now.. and quicker loading? (don’t ever say those words in earshot of my Peace, she’ll have a heart attack!!) xPenx
lol, Pen! You crack me up. It’s a good thing I didn’t name my toaster. It’s not been feeling, I mean working, well lately and I suspect we’ll be getting a new one sometime in the near future.
Glad you’re enjoying the magic of the overgrown woods. 🙂
I love your photos. Especially the striped dragonfly and the sunrays in the woods.
I’ll bet you’re going to really love your new computer once you tackle the learning curve.
Thank you, Christine. 🙂
I think you’re right. The speed is certainly a plus. It’s just a matter of figuring out the Library and tagging. Once I have that down, I’m sure I’ll be happy with this newfangeled stuff. lol!
I’m working on Windows Vista – I remember hating the transition from XP to Vista. Now that I know Vista, I love it and will probably hate whatever system we have to eventually upgrade to. Best of luck with all your veggies! I still don’t have cucumbers! Been picking lots of summer squash though.
I found a few small tomatoes today, Karma! I can’t believe how excited I was to find them. lol! I have way too much Swiss chard. We’re going to be tired of eating that very soon.
It’s only been two days, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of Windows 7. Not that I’ve tried anything too serious yet. I’m trying not to miss XP.
your dragonfly photos are amazing
Thank you, Teresita. 🙂
Great photos … and yes, all those changes are wearing. I loved XP and then along came Vista… Oy gevalt! 🙂
lol, Elizabeth! Change, they say, is good. But as you mentioned, they are also wearing.
Nice flowers and insects, thanks a lot. http://cmgardening.wordpress.com
Thank you, Calogero. And thanks for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂
I love your pictures! Beautiful. The woods..and the dragonflies…. thanks for this treat!
Thank you, Patricia. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. And thanks for dropping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂