Rachel's Images

Growing up on the farm, we only had wood heat. Two wood stoves, and a wood kitchen range heated the entire home. In our home, we too use wood as our main source of heat. There are enough dead or downed trees on the farm that we do not need to buy any, it just takes time and sweat to cut, split, haul, and stack it. The warmth it gives us on freezing Michigan winter days makes it all worth it!

After a chilly and windy opening day of rifle season, David and I were headed in for a warm dinner. The foggy atmosphere surrounding the field was a perfect black-and-white setting.

Today was a long day. With a lot of projects going on at work, my brain was tired. It was hard to pull my head together to pick up my camera.

Mother Nature was showing off her dramatic self this afternoon. I love when clouds layer like this, with the sun backlighting each layer.

I left work early today so that David Benjamin and I had a chance to get back out in the deer hunting woods. It is nice to spend quality one-on-one time with each of my kids. We didn’t see any deer, but we watched several squirrels while we were out there.

I have envisioned this with a sunrise filling the sky and reflecting in the creek. I have many memories playing here. I woke the kids up early to get them ready for school. They stayed in the warmth of the van while I climbed down the steep embankment to Weldon Creek. While the sunrise didn’t show, I am pleased with this black-and-white, and we managed to make it back to the driveway before the bus came. That’s a win-win in my book.

Tonight was Joshua’s turn to sit with me. We donned our hunter’s orange clothing and headed across the railroad tracks to the field. We hunkered down in the corner, waiting for the big one. Hunting with a four-year-old, it might not be a surprise that no deer showed. We had lots of laughs though and he was excited to be part of the hunting experience. Once we arrived home, I played around with a green mason jar.

The kids and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom and dad tomorrow. They will be at their dad’s for Thanksgiving Day. We cleaned and prepared food all day today in preparation for the feast. I didn’t even step outside I was working so hard. As I walked past Joshua’s puffer coat, I thought it could make for a cool photo.

Kasey has been asking for a hamster for many months. I decided that for her birthday, it would be a great time to buy one for her. My sister was coming up from Ohio for Thanksgiving, and we found a breeder near her. Kasey was a lucky girl and received Sugar early.

I love the intricate details on old vases and glassware. It is a forgotten art.

Work has been very busy this month. Thanksgiving week is always a juggling of kids, work, and planning and prepping for Thanksgiving dinner. My energy is running low. The kids will be leaving tomorrow for a long weekend at their dad’s. It is always difficult when they are gone, and especially difficult when it is over a holiday.

I did the last few work projects, and then hit the stores for Thanksgiving groceries. I helped my mom get the farmhouse ready for dinner tomorrow before I went home. The house is especially quiet without the kids here. Lately, I can feel the depression trying to pull me in. I had decided earlier in the day that I was done with the 366 Project. I am not happy with the photos lately; 40 minutes before today was out, I forced myself to make an image.

Happy Thanksgiving! Or at least it’s supposed to be “happy.” I received a call this morning that Joshua (and all of us) are quarantined due to close contact with COVID-19. Not only are my kids gone, but now I am spending Thanksgiving alone. Sometimes it seems like life hits you harder when you’re already down. Thankfully, I have the material needed for Kasey’s hamster cage; it will give me something to keep my mind busy.

After several days of staying in the house, I left tonight and headed into Custer. I knew they had Christmas decorations up. Even though my photos don’t show it lately, I have still tried to put my whole heart into it. There are just some days your heart feels small, and that’s all you can give.

The last two days I have focused on working on Kasey’s hamster cage. I found this heart at the bottom of her cage. I am ready for the kids to come home tomorrow. It has been a long several days. COVID-19 has hurt those that struggle with mental illness. It has not been an easy year for most.

I took time to just enjoy having the kids home tonight. Kasey made a delicious meal she calls “Kasey’s combobulation.” It was great just to concentrate on them and nothing else. It did mean I was on the search for a photo later in the evening, but to me that was worth it. We received this jar as a gift. Kasey keeps her tea in it.

The sunshine is a welcome sight today! I love long casting shadows.

The kids and I have still been at home quarantining, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get our Christmas tree up. It is filled with a lot of special ornaments, including my very first Christmas ornament. I always must put this one on the tree, and it must have a light behind it for it to shine bright.

The light was bland today, and it didn’t appear as if there would be any color for sunset. I took a walk around the yard to see what I could see. I am always amazed at pine trees and their structure.

We have been on pins and needles waiting for our COVID-19 results. Hoping that we don’t have it, and more importantly, that we didn’t spread it to others before we knew Joshua had been exposed. David’s results have come back negative. Crossing our fingers, the rest of ours do too! David was so excited to hang Christmas lights up all around our dining room, kitchen and living room today.