Exploring New Things

Ozzie and I saw a coyote the other day, and it was a really, really scary moment. I believe that was the moment during which I decided to cast my fears aside and take a desire I've been harboring seriously.

I've been trying out a lot of new things lately. I think starting as a volunteer at the Humane Society has helped me prove to myself that I can try new things and not be apprehensive about them. I was very scared to begin something new like that, but after 20 months of caring for dogs at the shelter, I know that I can conquer the initial fear of new things and really enjoy them.

Tonight I went to a ladies' night at the local gun club and really had a blast! I'm not sure if that's something I'd have been able to do if I didn't already force myself to try new things beforehand, and if the encounter with the coyote hadn't happened. Seeing that rather large, wild animal looking longingly at my baby made getting a gun a more serious priority for me. I also want to start trying out some of the hiking trails at Blue Hills, but with all the wild animals (human and not..) I am worried for my safety. I think having a gun with me will ease those fears quite a bit. I am really looking forward to the open house next week, so I can try out some more shooting and get even more of a feel for the club. I'm already signed up for the gun license class in 2 weeks! With a little push from myself I hope to become a member! I really enjoy trying out new things!

I am a bit worried that all of the things I've been dabbling in don't quite go together in a traditional sense..

I have also joined a local community farm share. This summer I am going to be bombarded with tons of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers and I can't wait! I have to commit 8 hours to working on the farm and at the distribution table when people pick up their goodies, and I've already signed up for 10 or more. I'm really excited about this endeavor as well!

I'm just not sure if I will be accepted by both group (guns and CSA) if they know I am actively involved in both groups! Honestly, I am not one for caring what people think of me, but I am worried that people may think that I am somehow tricking them or pretending to be something that I am not. I just want to be me, even if that is a gun carrying humane society volunteer, eating the bounties of the land.. To me it makes perfect sense.. Protect that and those that you love, and nourish local and natural. I can protect myself and Ozzie on our walks (we saw a coyote the other day - SCARY), I can protect the animals at the shelter with my care, I can nourish myself locally by hunting my own meat (that is the ultimate goal out of the gun club, to kill my own dinner! haha) and eating veggies I help to produce. See, perfect sense.

I think I just have to get past my own stereotypes of these groups of people and see them all as individuals who share a common interest :)

Another new thing I hope to try out soon is riding my bike to the train station as part of my commute! This is a really exciting thing for me, and I really want the weather to cooperate so I can try it out! It will save me a WONDERFUL $104 ever month IF I do it! Instead of buying a commuter rail pass (to the commuter rail station .25 miles from the house) I will buy a subway pass. The subway is 6 miles from my house. This endeavor will be 12 miles of biking, daily. I KNOW I can do it. I just have to find the motivation and put the excuses aside and do it. I know how easy it is to stick with the old routine and do what's easiest, but like I found out volunteering at the humane society, giving new things a shot and putting a real commitment in to it even when it might be scary, or hard, or exhausting, is totally worth it in the end. I am going to try out the biking in May and if it's something I can do, I will start saving my $104 in June :)

This is going to be a really fun and exciting summer for me! Pushing myself to try new things is exhausting for me, but the more I do it, the easier it really does become. I am very excited for my CSA to begin, I still LOVE volunteering at the humane society, I'm looking forward to the gun club open house and the license to carry class, and I want to try out my biking to the subway and hiking Blue Hills!

Spooky!

29°
Dark Clear Early Morning (w/ Stars!)

I forgot to bring a camera this morning, but it was too dark to really matter anyway :-p

It was SPOOKY this morning! I don't think watching a zombie movie last night helped :-p A creepy car drove past real slow, and then I heard the sound of a police siren, but really quick, then I think the car drove past real fast again. But it might have been a different car... There's also a lot of black ice out there, which Ozzie is not a fan of. Poor doggie was slipping on it, but of course that didn't stop him from having fun!

Nothing really thought provoking this morning.. I think it's far too early..

An Argument For a Good Camera

47°
Cloudy w/ Ground Fog

I am not one to carry a camera with me. I figure if I need to take a picture I have my iPhone with me, which has a camera. Today is a really unique day - landscape wise. The snow from the recent blizzard is still on the ground, but it's nearly 50° outside. The snow is melting and creating a mysterious ground fog, which is even more beautiful looking down or up upon it through the woods. I tried to capture the brilliance of it with my iPhone's camera, but it just didn't do the scenery any justice.

My argument against cameras is that people get so absorbed in capturing the moment that they forget to LIVE the moment. Then they start to harass you and limit your abilities to enjoy your moments as well. I don't mind when people snap a photo here and there, or if you are going to a photo shoot with the purpose of sitting there for an hour to get photos taken, or if you are going on a nature walk with the purpose of capturing the natural beauty as you go. But it seems like a waste of important moments to spend half or more of them trying to capture them in print forever.

But, there is also great benefit from capturing pieces of important moments in time. My memory isn't as great as I like to think it is, and without photos I might not remember every important event, or even the little moments that bring pleasure to me - like the fog in the woods this morning.

I am going to try to remember to bring my real camera with me for my walks with Ozzie from this point forward. I think this will be a good change for me, and help me to appreciate photos and those who take photos.

I also think that a blog isn't as effective as it can be with words alone. A photo a day to illustrate my discoveries while walking Ozzie will help to improve my blog, and thus help to accomplish a New Year's resolution of mine.

Happy New Year!

53°

Sunny & MELTING!

Today is the first day of 2011, and I have lots of resolutions! One of my resolutions is to write in this blog at least once a week, to maintain it, and to build it into something really cool! To accomplish this I might need to learn a bit more about the computer.../internetting..

Here are my 2011 Resolutions:

• walk Ozzie at least 2 miles every day
• post to my blog at least once a week
• learn to make my blog more awesome
• knit/crochet on the commuter rail and at home
• read at home in place of tv
  
• play my instruments
• organize the house
• get a gun license
• get a motorcycle permit
• take my job more seriously
• look for a new job
• clean the chinchillas' cage weekly
• maintain an address book and send out birthday/holiday cards

All very do-able things that should help to keep me a happy Sue :)

While walking Ozzie today I thought about my resolutions and how fun it will be to keep them. I made resolutions of things I've been meaning to do and things I want to do, nothing I don't think I can accomplish. I should resolve to get my ankle looked at.. I was looking at it this morning and it's different looking than my other ankle. When I slide on the snow and it bends too much I can't help but yelp in pain. I'm pretty sure that's not normal. I go to the doctor when I don't need to, and I don't go when I do :-p I should resolve to figure out when I need to go! Maybe 2012 will bring that brilliance my way.

Now Ozzie and I are going to relax and watch Eat, Pray, Love, a book I thoroughly enjoyed! I hope the movie is just as inspiring. HAPPY 2011 :)

Friends!

73
Partly Sunny

Tonight Oz and I went for a walk with Rocco, Sonny and Jess :D It was super fun!! We went for a good walk, then played behind the school. I let Oz run around with Rocco without holding his leash and he didn't run away :D He was looking back at me to make sure I was still there too! It was really exciting :) He and Rocco are friends now. They got along great on the walk. I feel much better about Ozzie's doggie daycare trial now! I think he's going to be just fine with all the other doggies. Now he's taking a nap on the couch :)

Good Day! Beautiful weather too :D