A crazy idea

    I don’t know when I got the idea. Clearly it was before the beginning of January 2023 because in January 2023 I started to post one photo a month of me with a cup of tea on the deck. We call it a deck. Some people have said that it is more properly a porch because it is on the front of the house. Whatever you call the space, it’s a lovely place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea and since January 2023 I’ve been doing just that. It's fun to pick a day, generally near the beginning of the month, when it’s not too cold, too wet, or too windy to sit out for a few minutes and enjoy the surroundings. I post my ‘tea on the deck’ photos on Facebook and I’m always amazed at how many responses I get, usually close to 50. Apparently these monthly photos are fun for other people as well.
    I’ve been thinking of ways to make each photo a little different. After all, the deck doesn’t change, my face stays pretty much the same and I only have so many mugs. Come to think of it, I could be a bit more intentional about which mug I use because I do have a variety. So far I haven’t settled on anything. Today a squirrel provided me with the perfect bit of local colour. As I stepped out onto the deck and got my phone camera turned to selfie mode, I noticed him at the top of the tree preparing to jump. I pushed the button and hoped for the best. When I looked at the photo there he was in mid air his limbs spread as if he was a flying squirrel. Sometimes you just get lucky with the push of the shutter. I know this photo in the tea series will make me smile when I look over the sequence at the end of the year. I don’t know how long I’ll keep this going. It’s a small and easy thing to make a cup of tea and step out on the deck, and, it entertains me.