Refusing to cow down and other thoughts
Post 30
North Devon
Last week, I promised some photographs from north Devon, where Jacquelyn and I visited the coast at Mouthmill Beach. And yes, a mill is at the mouth of the river that leads to the beach. It's no longer a working mill, but the building still stands. It is a gorgeous section of the coast, and we walked to it via the South West Coastal Footpath. The SWCP is on my bucket list for us to walk end-to-end one day.
This photograph shows Blackchurch rock viewed from the west. This stunning rock is made up of leaning layers and punctured by two large caves. I have interspersed a few other photographs below for your viewing pleasure.
Aurora
I recommend listening to The River by Aurora to get in the mood. I have been listening to her music a lot lately. Her range can produce instant goosebumps for me. My other recent favourite is The Seed. The lyrics “when the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you can’t eat money. I stumbled across her music through a video of a concert she gave to friends and family in the woods. If you are new to Aurora, I recommend starting with the concert. You will experience her quirkiness, beauty, and talent.
Cathartic cleansing
This week, I spent far too much time and money removing visible noise from my studio office. After upgrading my network to 10Ge, I relocated all the extraneous tech—NAS, Switch, router, Wi-Fi—into the closet behind me. Visible and audible peace returned to my space. Now I am just being disturbed by one cable and too many cable clips holding it against the wall. I think a tiny conduit may be needed to illuminate the clutter.
This morning, I spent 45 minutes under my desk tidying the way all the cables run. Why? It's just my OCD kicking in. I don’t want to see wires when I walk into my office.
Antisocial media
Furthering my quest for cleansing, I have continued to declutter my life by removing myself from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads; I also cleaned out LinkedIn of all my responses, content, etc. I am remaining connected to that platform at Jacquelyn's suggestion. Her point is that I occasionally provide consulting within organisations, and my LinkedIn profile provides credibility to those who don’t know me.
I only actively post on Blusky, Substack, and the Foto app. It's refreshing.
Loose USB-C
I have been chasing an intermittent issue that randomly caused my screen to disconnect from my laptop. I have tried updating software, cables, etc., and finally, it seems to be coming down to the connection on my computer—I think it occasionally wiggles and goes wrong. Frustrating, to say the least. I will blast compressed air into the connector and then try a toothpick to hold the connectors tightly together. Stay tuned for updates from your frustrated IT department.
It's been 20 minutes since my last blank screen…
Health concerns
I am a frustrated vegan. One of my motivations for eating plant-based is my health. I am having surgery in a week, and it is going to be an excruciating recovery. I don’t recommend rectal surgery to anyone. The surgeon has to leave the wound open to heal on its own. You can imagine the consequences of pooping… This is the second time, for different reasons. This resulted from an injury from falling down a cliff while on my way to photograph a waterfall. Thankfully, the photograph was gorgeous, but I am now rethinking whether it was worth it – ask me again in a week.
Anyway, back to plant-based eating, my pre-op reminded me I still have high cholesterol and am borderline diabetic. The cholesterol is my genetics, I have had a calcium study, and my vascular system is that of a 20-year-old. The diabetes is not helped by my having been overly sedentary for the past two months while I waited for this surgery. But still, I eat plants; my numbers should all be green, not flashing red.
Yoga
My response to this latest blood work has been to recommit to yoga. I am using Asana Rebel to guide my return to health. It provides many programmes for me to follow, and so far, I remain motivated, although this morning was particularly tough. Jacquelyn is helping me stay accountable for completing the program daily.
I am continuing to lead weekly meditations for our old yoga studio. We will start looking for a new physical studio as soon as I am healed. I miss the community of a studio.
Coffee
I like coffee; it's one of my few vices. Booze is banned, and I shouldn’t be eating crisps, chips, or chocolate. The importance of a great cup of joe is amplified these days. My brew of choice is called “North Shore Blend.” A wonderful group of people in Lutsen, MN, roasts it. Their business is called Fika Coffee. Soon, they will expand into a new facility in Grand Marais, MN. I am excited to visit it. I buy directly from their coffee shop or online at Fika Coffee // Artisanal Coffee Roaster.
Unfortunately, the strongest minds in the world may forever be frustrated by simple things like genetic predispositions and cravings for potato chips.
I hope your recovery goes well and you can accept the new role of patient. Both noun and adjective.
What a wonderful summary. Stunning photos. I don't know the extent of you injury, but in my own case a surgery I had in that tender area was the fastest surgical recovery I ever experienced. Thankfully. As to your numbers: yes, frustrating to do so much right and still not be where you "think you should be." But consider where you might be if you did NONE of the preventive stuff! I often say "biology is destiny" not because it's a happy thought but because that's the way life plays out. For example: what if you were female instead of male? And all the varieties in between. I have been using LEAFSIDE for about a year now. Vegan & Gluten-free. Its a subscription but very affordable. Especially nice when traveling because it's freeze dried and very compact. I am doing a summary of all of the plant-based ingredients for each of their lines (that's MY ocd kicking in).