My COVID Chronicles - Our little shack
Hey there, it’s me again. Just checking in after a few days at the cabin. A quick visual below. It’s nothing fancy but we still pinch ourselves and we love it all the same. As you can see it’s not the kind of cabin with a guest house, 6 bedrooms, and a dishwasher. There is no running water in the winter, and no furnace. We do love going out there and roughing it. It’s so tranquil and beautiful, especially in the winter.
It is our first year of cabin ownership. Hence the lack of seasonal winter photos.
The fireplace keeps us toasty warm. Oh and did you know there is such thing as a toilet seat that snaps onto a 5 gallon pail?
Yup there is. It’s quite comfortable. And there are bags special made for what you do when you sit on that old 5 gallon pail, strategically placed in our bathroom.
It’s our little shack on the lake.
We stayed there for as many days as we could muster with no shower, limited water, grocery supplies, and a shit pail.
Sorry for the visual.
I’m still having waves of crushing anxiety combined with dooms day scenario’s ripping through my brain. I have an involuntary eye twitch that has just returned. Mostly I just worry about the financial impact of all this.
I’m really trying to subdue this foreboding trepidation with something other than weed and wine.
Just kidding.. I also do yoga and I love to get outdoors, but somedays the need to self medicate is just too strong ;)
But out here, you could almost forget about that world wide pandemic spreading across our planet. Isolating was a whole lot easier. Especially the way we smelled. Just kidding we don’t smell. Well, maybe a bit.
My COVID Chronicles
Last week
McDonalds at lunch time in Saskatoon. This photo was taken March 19th, approximately 5 days after the government started requesting people self isolate and practice social distancing to help slow the spread of the COVID- 19 virus.
Thursday March 19th. Photo’s of an overly quiet, 3rd Avenue, downtown Saskatoon.
Ayden Kitchen and Bar on 3rd and Little Bird Patisserie over on Ave. B are just a couple of restaurants here in Saskatoon posting signs on their door explaining their closure due to the COVID- 19 virus outbreak.
These are scary times my friends. As of 5 minutes ago my last scheduled job on the calendar cancelled. For good reason. I completely understand, and I know I’m not alone.
Still, It’s terrifying thinking of what will, or could, happen next. My foreseeable financial future is non existent at this point. They are predicting months of this and let’s be honest, here in this quiet and relatively safe little corner of the world we are just starting to see the wrath of this thing.
On that note of doom and gloom (your welcome) I will switch gears.
I am going try to focus on good things. Quality time with loved ones. Time to work on long set aside projects. Good people and good times yet to be had. Making plans. Appreciating the little things and moments this “down time'“ has given us.
Friday March 20th - I was out for some necessary items, and ventured into Shoppers. I was feeling slightly anxious, about it all.
Some tape on the floor specifying how far back one needs to stand when in line to check out at Shoppers Drug Mart- Saskatoon Sk. Friday March 20th, 2020
Signs taped to the doors give customers the heads up they are out of toilet paper, antibacterial items, gloves, and most other items that fell into the anti viral protection category, and were easily stockpiled when this world wide pandemic started creeping into our part of the world.
The green tape on the floor lays out where customers need to stand when going through the check out line.
Cashiers are just a few of the professions dealing with the public, on the front lines. The floor tape gives some boundaries from the public, and wearing rubber gloves are a small sense of security when handling frequently touched items.
A big thank you and huge respect for those who are working out in the trenches with the general public. From health care and emergency workers, and kind souls delivering groceries and medical supplies to the isolated. To the cashiers and shelf stockers at the grocery stores, and the Pharmacists, doling out medical advice and medication. And everyone else in between.
On the front lines in every sense of the word. Thank you.
This has been a crazy couple of weeks. I know I’m not alone in having to take some time, to slow down, rethink what’s important. Get back in touch with what is. Whats working, what isn’t…
I would love to hear how you’ve been coping with this global shit storm. How have you been keeping been. Really. Don’t be shy..
Feel free to leave in the comments below, or don’t, either way, just know I will be sharing thoughts and photos through this whole thing. I will talk to you soon my friends.
Stay safe wash your hands.
xo td
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Mr. Connor McDavid - The Dog
Connor’s family happens to be some of our best friends. They live too far away for my liking but when we get together we make up for time lost.
When we visit Connor McDavid not only does he put up with our (haven’t seen my best friends in forever) shenanigans.. but he also graciously obliges me shoving a camera in his face. Sometimes I think he even appreciates the fact there is a human rolling around on the floor with him.
Here are a few pictures made of this slobbery - big teddy bear - heart of gold, fur turd self.
❤️
One Christmas Night In The Kitchen
Documenting a night over Christmas, in the kitchen.
As with most homes my kitchen is the heart of most of the action. This was one of many evenings spent here, but the only one that I decided to pull out my camera. For shame, I know.
The evening like many others, was well spent, laughing, cooking, eating, clearly some drinking, and playing games. Christmas tunes playing on Spotify..
Confession- I’m relentless with the Christmas music, when the opportunity of repetitive indulgence becomes available.
It is not very often that every one is able to get together under the same roof, at the same time. And at the time of these photos not all family had arrived. Lucky for mom, she’d had enough of the shenanigans and wandered off to bed earlier in the evening.
I am so very grateful that this holiday season was one of those rare occurrences where our Reesor side of the clan gathering, was not missing a single soul.
In the series below and ones to follow are in no particular order, my dad Dennis, my youngest son Daxon, his girlfriend Shylo, husband Brad, sister Tonya. Niece and nephew Jayce & Jaryn, and last but not least, Dany the elf.
Till next year.
The Wright Fam
This family showed up in every way regardless of the cold. Us Saskatchewanian’s are fabulous that way ;) What doesn’t kill you.. right?
Making a few photos in between the foggy breath exhalations.
A few of my favs are below.
Jasmine
Jasmine looks up at her mama
This sweet old girl had a photo session with her family the other day. But we all know who the star of the show really was. She probably doesn’t have many more Christmas’s left and so we made sure she got some special treatment.
I am a animal lover, and this old girl had my heart.
Such a beauty
BK & The girls
This man has been one of our very good friends for years. It is almost surreal that I have known him before these two beauties ever graced this earth. So when he asked to have some photos done with himself and his girls, my response was hell yes!
Here are a few favs from our session.
Thanks for gracing my make shift living room studio BK & crew
xo
TD
Waskesiu
Some wildlife
This big boy.
Lots of wildlife in this winter wonderland of a ghost town.
Did not care we were there one bit, as he was sniffing out Voles under the snow.
Zero “fox” given. See what I did there?..
Some scenery
Looking out over this frozen lake, was so peaceful. I swear it felt like we were the only ones around for miles. Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure we were.
A quieter version of this busy summer destination.
Fear and Sharing
“ARTISTS ARE PEOPLE DRIVEN BY THE TENSION BETWEEN THE DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE, AND THE DESIRE TO HIDE”
- D.W. Winnicot
I read this quote the other day posted by @Shamoftheperfect on Instagram. It resonated with me, a lot. So much so that I took a screen shot so I could remember the words, and am writing this self exposing babble to you now.
It is true. The drive to create and share my work, both inspires and terrifies me. And given any opportunity, in my reclusive creative frenzies, I am content to hide myself away in the editing cave, writing stories and editing photos for days on end. At times quite happy never to reveal my creative treasures.
Releasing my photos and writings is often filled with, pride, excitement, riddled with the underlying need for external gratification, yet at the same time burdened with conflicted and a good healthy dose of fear and self doubt.
Its exhausting really, an ongoing battle for me at all times. Maybe it sounds ridiculous, but it is true, and one of the main reasons that I withhold sharing a lot my work.
Did you know I used to sing? Yup, I sure as hell did. My dad is a musician. My childhood is filled with memories of him singing, around the campfire, guitar in hand. He has played in bands and at jam sessions my whole life, and at the ripe age of 75 -god bless- he is still at it.
I grew up watching him on stage, and listening to late night basement practices. The deep vibration of him plucking the strings on his base guitar. Drums and symbols banging, and the ear piercing screech of microphone feed back. I would sing with him around campfires, at weddings, and small town dances.
And then one day I decided I wasn’t good enough. I would pick myself apart, and developed such raging anxiety for public performing that I quit altogether. That was it, my singing days were over.
Why did this happen? Why the self doubt? Why the fear? Where did this come from? Why do I care about being good enough, or what others think of me? Who gives an actual fuck about any of it? And most importantly why do I? I’m still working through some of these deep seeded questions.
It should be about sharing your talents. It should be about just doing what you love. What inspires you, and makes your heart full. What drives you in living your purpose and passions.
I am trying to resolve some of my regard for these give a fuck moments. The ones that hold you back from “doing you.”
I’m sure there will be Many instances of anxiety, neurosis, and mania, followed up with a healthy serving of humiliation. . But I am going to do my damndest to overcome all that. I mean, after half a century it is the least I can do for myself. It’s a constant battle this self doubt thing. But I do believe that life is about growing and becoming the best version of you. And that never comes without some some growing pains.
I am - joyful, grateful, loyal, adventurous, passionate, inspired, and creative. These are just some of the words that come to mind.
Not once when I searched for my words did I think of fearful. The soul is wiser than the head.
And so I shall forge ahead into this decade transition year with some new go to words.
Grateful & Fearless -
“The universe is for me, and so is everything else” - Adriene Mishler
Thanks for listening xx td
In light of the blog topic today, here is a liquid courage recipe.
Kick ass Dirty Martini -
The perfect ratio’s compliments of my good friend Nathan Grund.
In a shaker add -
3oz. Good Gin - Beefeater is good
1/2 oz. of dry Vermouth
Full cap or just under 1/2 oz of olive juice (from the jar)
Pour over ice & shake the shit out of it.
Pour into martini glass
Garnish with 3 Greek mammoth pimento stuffed olives (my fav) you can garnish how you’d like.
Drink immediately while it’s cold but not too fast or you will be smashed.
It’s a fine line I have yet to master.. but how hard am I really trying?
New York City Oct. 2019
Well it’s been a while since I’ve been to the land of blog. But here is what happened lately.
First view of Central Park coming into the big apple.
This trip, unfolded mostly on the streets of the Big Apple. It was me and 2 girlfriends from Saskatoon. There was much walking, lots of touristy sightseeing, and some quiet moments with myself, sidewalk crowds, historic buildings, and my camera.
On foot adventures aside, there was also some mostly successful subway navigation, and an Uber ride or two. But the majority of our exploring was on foot.
The lovely and delicious Joanne Trattoria served us up some Italian food, in house made pasta, and great wine. Below are some shitty photos taken with my cell phone of a stained and empty wine bottle, and an awkwardly positioned cannoli- sum up my wine consumed evening where photography skills were discarded for gluttony and visiting.
We stayed in China town - no photos
Walked a bit in Central Park. Indulged in martinis and charcuterie from Tavern on The Green The bartender turned into a raging lunatic when i requested a separate bill. I guess thats not a thing in New York?
Until next time
xo
td