Living with Diabetes

All posts tagged Living with Diabetes

Monday ~ November 15, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 16, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

November-15-2015

Happy Monday!

Jeanne and I went looking for a nice sunset scene yesterday, late in the afternoon.  When we started out there wasn’t that many clouds but as we got closer to sunset a bank of gray clouds rolled up and spoiled the sunset that I had sought.

No matter I found a couple of farm structures that I have not photographed before including this old machine shed.  I had spotted a barn (the image below) that I wanted to photograph and after I made several images of it I saw this magnificent building right in front of me. 🙂

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So we continued driving West hoping the find the perfect backdrop to a sunset.  Finally about 20 minutes before the sun slid below the bank of clouds I found a nice farm scene to photograph the sunset.  Well it didn’t turn out all that great because frankly the sun wouldn’t cooperate with me.

So I ended up making a bunch of HDR images, which I haven’t processed yet so we’ll see how they turned out.  I was a little disappointed but still happy with these images.  Remember you can click on any of the images to reveal a larger version of them.

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We were driving along and I pulled off the road and walked a little way to capture this image.  Jeanne said, “What did you see to take a picture of?”  I showed her this image on the LCD screen and she was unimpressed.  I don’t care I really like it.

It’s not every day you see three cows more or less evenly spaced walking as a silhouette across a harvested field against a dynamic sky close to sunset.

At least it’s not every day for me.  🙂

Busy week ahead.  I have an appointment with my Endocrinologist this morning and I’m doing employee benefit meetings this week, which means a couple of zero dark thirty departures so I’m not sure I’ll have a blog but will give it my best effort.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Thursday ~ July 30, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 30, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

July-29-2015

Happy Thursday!

A quick, short post for you today.  Enjoying another night on the patio with magnificent weather and soft glowing sun light.  A couple of Robins visited the bird bath in that beautiful light and I couldn’t resist making a couple of images.

I had another visit with the eye surgeon yesterday.  Eight months after my surgery the flicker problem remains.  It is not quite as prevalent as it has been but still an annoyance.  The fix (if possible) is risky and there are no guarantees so I will deal with this and hopefully at some point my brain will ignore it.

I have 20/20 vision in that eye so I am willing to accept the random flickering.

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I have signed up for a photography school later in the year.  It is a 5 day course held in Tennessee and some of the biggest names in the photography business will be instructing.  It is a combination of classroom and field work.  I am both excited and apprehensive about the opportunity.   It is certainly outside my comfort zone but that is how you grow.

Jeanne is very supportive and that is a major benefit.

That’s all I have for you today.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Sunday ~ July 26, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 26, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , , .

July-25-2015

Happy Sunday!

For some reason I decided to look back at my blog yesterday morning (not reading the posts) just looking at my photography.  It was then that I realized that yesterday was my one year anniversary of being diagnosed with Diabetes.  Amazing all the changes I’ve made in my life over the last year.  All for the best I might add.  🙂

Today I have some more back yard images for you.  After a wonderful dinner I went out to the patio to enjoy the evening sun.  Of course when I see that beautiful soft orange light I have to get my camera and shoot some images.  The moon really stood out this evening and I didn’t have to fight with the city light clutter to make this image.

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We met our great friends Becki and Steve for lunch yesterday.  They had been shopping in Wisconsin and were stopping by Dubuque on their way home.  We ate at my favorite (sort of) restaurant, Tony Roma and had a wonderful visit.  To celebrate my anniversary I had a small piece of strawberry shortcake (my favorite.)  I got along with it pretty well.

Then we did the river walk with them (shot a lot of images) and headed home for a nice nap.  🙂

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I am starting to enjoy the Sigma 150 – 600 mm VRII lens.  At first I thought it wasn’t very sharp but after some experimentation and trying different setting values I believe it is going to be a keeper after all.  I’ve had it for almost a year now but just have not been able to get comfortable with it until recently.

Not exactly the image you expect to take with a 600 mm lens but as we were going inside (the bugs were starting to bite) and Jeanne said, “Oh look at the beautiful ight on Jack’s (our neighbor) flowers.  So I handheld the lens and grabbed this shot. That’s it for today.  Enjoy your humid Sunday. Thanks for stopping by the blog and be careful.

Monday ~ June 29, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on June 29, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

June-27-2015

Happy Monday!

I had one of the most enjoyable Saturdays in recent memory.

Back in March, Jessica from the Hurstville Interpretive Center asked me if I would give a presentation on Drones.  I agreed and it was held this past Saturday at the Interpretive Center @ 1:00 p.m.  At 12:55 p.m. there was no one there but Jeanne, Jessica and Me.

Soon some ladies with young children showed up and then a few others came so we had about 20 people in attendance.  I presented a slide show on Drones and then went outside and gave a flying demonstration.  I let everyone look through the goggles (which allowed them to see what the drone saw.)

It was 2:37 p.m. by the time we packed up and left and that was way too long for me to not have eaten anything.  My blood sugar got very low and I could really feel it.

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After lunch we drove down Highway 61 just North of DeWitt and stopped at the new Tycoga Winery.  What an amazing place.  The manager gave us a tour and details about how they pick and process the grapes.  We sampled some of the wines and I found my new favorite.

It is a wonderful stop for anyone who enjoys pretty scenery, a relaxed atmosphere, and of course wine.  🙂

Then is was on to our dear friends home Steve and Becki and our favorite place to visit the Lazy K Farm.

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Steve and Becki had a fishing contest and invited several of their friends.  We met some wonderful friendly people who we thoroughly enjoyed sharing an evening with.  Great food, conversation, and of course some wine.  🙂

We had to leave much too early as Jeanne’s little dog needed to be relieved.  It’s probably a good thing because the wine was tasting pretty good.

Since I had my drone with me I grabbed some video and this photo of the Lazy K Farm.  More images from the day as the week unfolds.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Monday ~ June 15, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on June 15, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , .

June-14-2015

Happy Monday!

Sorry more images of the Grand Kids today.  We were able to attend Josh’s soccer practice and game yesterday.  It is like anything else in life.  You learn from your experience.

Next time I won’t take the 600 mm lens, it was way too big for the game.  I think the 70 – 200 mm lens would be perfect for this type of activity.  You sit right on the out-of-bounds line so there is no need for a long lens.

Take an umbrella.  The sun was hot and brutal.  The kids were all drenched from the heat and we were too.  I did a 32 mile bike ride yesterday and finished up in time to take a shower and get to the game on time.  What a waste (taking a shower), had to take another one when I got home.  🙂

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Now about the soccer game.  I remember the first time I went to one of Mark’s T-ball games.  I had missed the first one and so when I got there I saw 20 kids in the infield and a few in the out field.  I told Jeanne, no one will be able to get on base.  She said, just watch.  It was great fun to watch.

At the soccer game they play three on the field.  There was one standout on Josh’s team and he scored 9 of the 10 goals.

This was Josh’s favorite thing to do, run to the goal and defend it.  Not a bad idea when you think about it.  It was great fun watching the little guy play and the social interaction they all had.

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Even Gabby got in on the action.  She had fun running up and down the side of the field.  During one of the breaks she decided to show her skills.  She actually did a pretty good job of kicking the ball.

Angie and Ben bring a little pop up tent to the game to keep the kids cool and out of the sun.  But Gabby could only stay in there so long and then she had to burn off some energy.  🙂

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Can’t leave Austin out.  This was his position during the entire game.  He slept though the game and the Grandview Gallop.  I can’t wait to watch him grow as well.

So it was a fun weekend watching the kids do their thing.  I hope to get in another bike ride today but right now the weather looks uncooperative.

It’s been seven months since my cataract surgery and I’m still having the same issues with my eye that I had the day after the surgery.  I have a 3:30 p.m. appointment with my surgeon.  Hope I can get some answers and some alternatives to the situation I have now.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Tomorrow something other than Grand Kids.  🙂

Enjoy your day and be careful.

Friday ~ May 01, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on May 1, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

April-29-2015

Happy Friday!

I have some images for you from my commute last evening.  I know I did not wait for the golden hour of light but I was wanting to capture some scenes with the dynamic clouds in them.  I enjoy capturing scenes with big puffy clouds against a blue sky.

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We celebrated Angie’s birthday last night with some cake and ice cream.  I had a little too much ice cream and paid the price but it had been so long since I last had some it was worth it.  🙂

I got to hold Austin for some time and he didn’t cry.  Okay well he was asleep but he still didn’t cry.  Gabby was enjoying showing me how high she could jump.  Josh was very helpful bringing his Mommy her presents without opening them for her.  🙂

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I went by my favorite tree hoping to capture a “Spring” type shot of it with new leaf buds showing, but it has not happened yet.  I wasn’t going to waste a trip to the tree and those beautiful clouds so I grabbed this image of my tree.

Thanks for checking in on the blog.  Hope you have a wonderful day.  Be careful.

Wednesday ~ February 11, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on February 11, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

Joshua

Happy Wednesday!

The wonder of a little boy building a tower with blocks is a fascinating subject.  When it would fall over he would patiently rebuild and at one time had to stand on a stool to get the last block on the tower.  It was great fun watching and listening to him work.

On the medical front some good news.  When I was diagnosed with diabetes on July 25, 2014 my A1C blood sugar was 9.1, which of course is very high.  I got it down 60 days later to 6.4 and three months ago to 6.2.  I got the results of my 90 day A1C test yesterday and it was 5.8. 🙂

So thank you Jeanne who has helped me in so many ways and so many friends who have continued to encourage me.  It’s not a destination and the journey continues.

Gabby

This is the best image I could capture of Gabby.  Unfortunately I did not get my camera out before she got into the cheese dip.  🙂

I took about 20 images of her during the evening and I just don’t have the time to spend in Photoshop removing all the cheese and food.  She is such a delight.

Angie and Ben were wonderful hosts and made the night very special for us.  Even if they did rudely defeat us in Euchre.

That’s it for today.  Enjoy your midweek hump day.  Thanks for stopping by and be careful.

Thursday ~ December 11, 2014

Posted by Dave Updegraff on December 11, 2014
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

Eagle Flying

Happy Thursday!

I have one more eagle image to show you from last week.  It was just one of those times when I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.

I have noticed over the last few days a lot of eagles hunting over harvested corn fields.  Smaller rodents are less protected from their view and that makes for better hunting.

I had my one month check up with the eye surgeon yesterday afternoon.  He said I had Negative Dysphotopsia, which causes pseudo edge detection and flickering.  He said it would gradually get better and go away.  I was relived to hear that everything is looking good with the lens and my retina so I can stop worrying about that.  Just knowing that there is nothing wrong will help with the flickering problem.

If you’re bored Google Negative Dysphotopsia.  I did some reading and found that 49% of patients with cataract surgery suffer from it.  What I also read was that there is no clear understanding of what causes it.  In most cases it does improve as your brain adapts to the condition.

We’re going to do our annual trip to Galena with our dear friends this Saturday.  I always look forward to photographing the streets and shops of Galena and the wonderful lunch we always have at Benjamins.

That’s it for today.  Hope you enjoy your day.  Thanks for stopping by the blog and be careful.

Wednesday ~ December 03, 2014

Posted by Dave Updegraff on December 3, 2014
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

A Farm Tractor

Happy Wednesday!

I was coming back from the Quad Cities yesterday and for some reason this tractor sitting in a harvested field with patches of snow caught my attention.  I shot a dozen or so images of it.

I wasn’t particularly thinking of black and white when I took the image but it didn’t have the same appeal to me this morning in post processing in color so I opted for black and white.  I like it much better this way.

For information only as folks have inquired, my eye is showing modest improvement (that or my brain is just getting use to the flickering.)  I have an appointment next Wednesday and hopefully it will continue to improve.

I caught my first cold in three years Sunday.  I had forgotten how the common cold can make you feel so rotten.

Thank you Dave for your very kind call yesterday.  It is truly amazing how much a thoughtful word can brighten an entire day.

That’s it for today.  Busy time of the year for us all.  Thank you for taking time to visit my humble blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

 

 

Sunday ~ November 23, 2014

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 23, 2014
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

Hurstvile Dam

Happy Sunday! 

I had a couple of images from last week that I thought I would post today.  Yesterday was a washout from a photography standpoint so nothing new to add.

We had a wonderful dinner and visit with Andreas and Joan Exner Friday evening at L. May Eatery.  It is a nice Italian restaurant located downtown Dubuque.  The ambiance is very nice and the food is great and the prices are okay.   We usually spend the bulk of our conversation on photography and that is very enjoyable for me.

Angie brought the kids over for lunch yesterday as Ben was on call and at the Hospital.  I was to lazy to even get the camera out.  Had a lot of fun playing with Gabby and talking with Angie.

Farm Wagon

My eye is still bothering me.  I have not noticed any real change in it.  I know it may take some time for it to settle down.  Certainly not what I expected but the vision improvement is a reasonable trade-off.  I just hope the flickering and movement subside at some point.

Cloudy, rainy day in this neck of the woods today.  So I’m not sure there will be any photos made by me.

I hope you enjoy your day.  Thanks for stopping by and be careful.