Combining my two Blog

This will be my last post on Carver's Sight or is that Site? for the foreseeable future. After I publish this post all new posts, following this one, will be on my other blog. You can click here for that blog, Carver's Photographic Journey. I started blogging here in August of 2006 as a way of dealing with Stage III melanoma, the interminable follow up appointments and scans, as well as the physical problems I've had since the groin lymph node dissection. I stayed on edge because I ended up with ongoing and at times debilitating health problems.

When I first started blogging, I used photographs to serve as breathing spaces in between the flow of words. I also used this blog as a way to house links to research, clinical trials, and information about advanced melanoma.

As time went on, I became more interested in photography and less interested in discussing my health issues. When I first started my other blog, I called it Carver Cards and my idea was to have each post on that blog be one large format photograph. Carver Cards was the name I used in the 1990s when I made stationary cards with my flower photography on the front. 

I wanted two blogs because my original idea was that I would continue to write about what was on my mind on this blog while keeping the other blog free of health whines.

As time went on, I didn't want to continue talking about myself (other than in terms of nature or other interests) on either one of my blogs and they have both gradually ended up being places where I post photographs and participate in online group themes (Photohunters, Nature Notes and Today's Flowers on this blog and Our World, ABC Wednesday, SkyWatch and the Weekend in Black and White on my other blog).

I will probably continue to participate fairly regularly in the same group themes but there isn't any reason not to do that on the same blog. I decided that Carver's Photographic Journey was a better choice for that purpose. I changed the name of Carver Cards a while back because that blog had become a photographic journey of sorts.

I have a superstitious side which has made me afraid that if I close this blog I'll have a cancer recurrence.  The lymph nodes in the basin where my nodular melanoma spread to were removed in March of 2005. I started out with a poor prognosis because my primary was so deep and the melanoma had spread to a lymph node. However, after so many years it is highly unlikely that my melanoma will have spread to an organ or other nodes and even in the unlikely event that it does, I doubt I'll want to talk about it.

I still see a number of medical specialists although I've started streamlining how many I see. I've found that limiting the number of doctors I see is good for my health overall.

I had to give up on most of my exercise efforts and attempts to get back to where I was physically, prior to when all of my health issues began, but I'm starting to walk again regularly which helps me mentally.

I think I'll end it here and continue with my photographic meme posts on Carver's Photographic Journey. However, first I'll digress. I've never understood the word meme. When I first saw meme, I thought it looked like ME ME but found out it's an umbrella word for organized participatory blog themes. I googled meme and found this definition on wikipedia: a meme is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture." There is a long article going into the origins and expanded meaning of the word meme which was first used in a book published in 1976 called The Selfish Gene. 

When I googled blog memes I found this, also on wikipedia: an internet meme is an idea, style or action which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the Internet, as with imitating the concept. I have to say that I think there should be a better word for the participatory activities on the Internet. It's not imitation when each person is taking a theme and showing their world through photographs, essays, etc. 

Also, what I like about the memes I participate in is that I learn more about people from different parts of the world as seen through the eyes of their camera or poetry or essays. Even if I wanted to imitate blogs I visit, that wouldn't be an option because people are sharing their neck of the woods so to speak and we all live in different places, visit different places and have different camera equipment, creative and technical skills. I lied before, I didn't end there, I'm ending here.

Photohunters: Vertical Reflection

Last weekend I went on a walk and looked for vertical reflections for the upcoming photohunt.

I found a bunch of vertical reflections on my walk.

Today (Thursday) I am reflecting on my sincere desire that my trees remain vertical. We had snow and freezing rain last night and freezing rain and snow today.

I have already lost power during the evening on Wednesday, this morning (Thursday) and briefly when I first started composing this post in advance.

I will end my reflection by saying that I have it much easier than the birds who seek shelter in vertical trees and bushes. The birds in these shots are being fed by me on my deck so that helps them somewhat.

Click here for the reflection photohunt and here for the vertical photohunt.

Nature Notes: Moving towards late January

I didn't get the big fluffy snow I've been hoping for but I got a small dusting which had its own beauty.

Considering how cold it was from Tuesday night until Sunday afternoon when it was finally moderate, it's probably just as well that I didn't have a lot of snow to cope with.

The bird tracks above gave me the hint to try and provide some warm water and the carolina chickadee below watched me put out food.

The tufted titmouse below was quick on the mark to get some food.

 Next, a female rufous-sided towhee was getting a snack.

 I went on a walk and spotted the sparrow below in a neighbor's yard.

 A house not too far from me had a large cactus and lirope that looked pretty with a little snow.

 At my house another day, a male rufous-sided towhee eats with his mouth open.

 The little junco below is getting in on the action.

 Every morning I see birds in the tree below that seem to watch me put out cold weather treats.

 I caught the moon before it set for the day.

 I have never seen Canadian Geese before on the baseball field shown below.

The female cardinal motivated me to provide some warm water although it kept freezing again very rapidly. 

 We had a spectacular sunset one evening.

The red-bellied woodpecker was getting an early start on the food I provided during the extra cold spell.

 The brown thrasher also got an early start on the food.

 The nuthatch must have spotted something interesting beneath it.

 I think the mourning dove looked gorgeous all primped out.

When I went for a walk on Friday, I expected the lake to be frozen but the creeks and shallower parts of the lake were the only place I spotted ice.

The highs that day stayed in the teens F (-8 C) but for some reason more of the geese were in the lake than usual in winter. The Canadian Geese normally spend more time in the over wintered grass when it's cold.

The Great Blue Heron was keeping an eye out for fish, at least that's my assumption.

 I think the heron below looks like she's stalking.

The next shot is a Red-Breasted Merganser a bird I've never seen before at Shelley Lake.

The cormorants and gulls took over the fish feeding station.

 They also spent some time in the shallow water.

 I hope the mallard below gets something for all of her efforts.

 If anyone knows what is involved with ice taking the odd form below on the shore, please let me know in a comment. I think it looks like plastic but it's ice.

 In spite of how little snow we got Tuesday night, there was some sticking around six days later because it stayed so cold.

I could have used ice skates to get to the bird baths. All the water that spilled out when I was thawing and dumping created a treacherous area that is still there. I go very carefully with my aluminum hiking stick and watering can. Sounds crazy but it gets difficult to safely make it the few slick feet to the bird baths.

Click for the home of Nature Notes. I'm posting early.

Photohunters: Vast and Wine

Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina 
With a glass of wine in the evening feeling divine
Watching the vast sea my mood happy and free

This photohunt made me think of the old song, Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning. However when coming up with words to go with this photograph of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina I didn't use the old song because for me coffee or tea go with morning  and wine goes with the evening. Click for the wine photohunters and here for the vast photohunters.