Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Acts of Appreciation…


It has been a jaw-droppingly beautiful autumn here in central Massachusetts compared to last year.  The yellows are yellower, the golds more burnished and the crimsons redder.  It is just gorgeous out there.  Last year’s non-fall (the first bad fall that I can ever remember since moving to Massachusetts 30 years ago) taught me that I should not take the beautiful New England autumns for granted.  I love them so.

But the season is all but over for me.  Tomorrow I will be stuck inside for a while because I am going to have my left knee replaced.  This is a procedure that I should have had done at least a year ago but I have put it off.  I have gotten to the point where I can’t even remember what the simple act of getting up from a chair and walking across a room pain free is like.  So it is past time to go ahead and do it.  My doctor tells me that I can expect around a 70% improvement.  How they quantify that is beyond me, but I think a 70% improvement sounds pretty darn good nonetheless.  I will appreciate it!

So in four or five months, I am looking forward to getting back to one of the things I took for granted two or three years ago.  I’m talking about the nice walks in the woods that I used to take with my dog before my knee started dictating the way I would live my life.  We liked looking for those pleasant little surprises that nature lays at our feet…a little red mushroom, an elegant Lady Slipper, a stalwart stand of Indian Pipes, an array of pale green lichen lying on a fallen tree branch.
 
I plan on being back in Blogland in the not too distant future well before I am able to be up and out with my camera.  I have figured that my recovery time will give me a chance to get to some of those hundreds…What? Did I say HUNDREDS?  Silly me!  I mean thousands of unedited photos on my hard drive that have been knocking on my monitor and yelling at me in their most annoying little pixilated voices:
   “Pick me!”  “No, pick me!”  “No! I’m the best.  Pick me!”

So here I go on another adventure.  I’ll see you all soon.  Wish me luck.





16 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

oh, barbara, i do hope your knee replacement surgery and the rehab that comes after will go well!!! please give us updates when you are able.

in the meantime, if these are some of the backlog you've got stored up for us, then i say, take your time in getting back out into the woods and trails. :) laughed at the pixilated voices!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Last image is wonderful. Wishing you everything good and a speedy recovery.

Debbie said...

gorgeous images, do you edit all your pictures?? i often think i can't tell or that everyone just takes better pictures then i do. i don't know how to or have an interest in editing but your pictures are always spectacular!

good luck with your surgery!! i hope you don't have too much pain but if you do, they have some amazing drugs ;)))

Chatty Crone said...

I don't know which photo I like the best - you really captured the beauty of the season.

Brian King said...

Well, that's a pretty big deal, but if it helps you regain pain-free mobility, then it will be worth the aggravation. I hope the surgery and recovery go smoothly and you're back to doing what you like to do. These photos are awesome! Your fall colors are much nicer than ours have been.

Rohrerbot said...

Beautiful shots. Good luck on that knee replacement. I've had several friends that had it done and they are so glad that the surgery happened. A cane for awhile but you'll be so happy once it's over:) Hope it all goes well. Sending positive thoughts your way.

Nicki said...

First and foremost, best wishes on a speedy recovery from your surgery. I have to say I was so very disappointed when I visited my daughter in MA last Fall, expecting the famous Autumn colors and crisper air and it was HOT and HUMID and BLAH! I am glad you are getting a more visually rewarding season this year - the pictures are spectacular.

RobertN said...

Love the photos. Good luck on that knee replacement! Best wishes!

Pamela Gordon said...

Barbara, I do wish you well with your surgery and wish you a speedy recovery. I'm sure you will feel like jumping with joy in a few weeks. :) Your photos today are so gorgeous. Blessings, Pamela

MEcoy said...

what a stunning view

EG CameraGirl said...

Beautiful autumn colour. All the best with your knee operation!

Rose said...

Well, I missed this post yesterday...but hoping and praying that all goes well today and that recovery is quicker than expected. Sometimes if something is so painful already, the recovery don't seem so bad.

My neighbor waited so long and lived in such misery, when she had her hip replaced, it was a breeze for her. Well, close to a breeze. She was in her 70's and did soooo good with it.

Helma said...


Hello Barbara,

really nice this series. Beautiful autumn colors and beautiful weerspigelingen in the water.
Kind regards, Helma




EG CameraGirl said...

Beautiful colours! I too am surprised autumn has been so colourful after such a dry season this year.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Barbara, hope the knee replacement surgery and the recovery go well for you. Seems lots of folks are having knees and hips replaced and report that the outcome was worth the discomfort, which they will surely be for awhile. And, I hope that your outcome is better than expected and will be thinking of you and checking back to see all those photos that are clamoring to be shown. I enjoyed the fall colors here.

Nukke said...

Lovely, beautiful photos !!!!

ps. we got snow already ;)

http://nukkekotinukke.blogspot.fi/