Humming Along

Hello there, how is everyone?!  Things here have been crazy around here, some good crazy and some bad...but mostly good.

We bought a hummingbird feeder, and that has been both good and bad.  I love seeing these delicate little creatures as they come to feed at our feeder, but man are they hard to photograph.

They are so darned fast and not keen on humans, so trying to take pictures from afar and in the evening light, when they seem to feed the most, is a bit trying on my patience.  I've decided that in the winter the swans are my photo nemesis' (or is that nemisi?) and in the summer these little buggers will do everything in their power to elude my lens.

Oh well, it gives me something to do, right...and it keeps me out of trouble!

The past few weeks have been filled with all sorts of things, like photo shoots until 3 am, and then right back at it the following morning.  Collaborating with a dear friend on some artwork...something I love doing these days, and working, working, working!

   

 

We also had some bad things happen in the past few weeks, friends and acquaintances who passed, some who had lived very long and interesting lives, and others taken too soon by the ravages of cancer.

Our dear neighbor George was one of those who lived a long and interesting life.  When we moved into this house 5 years ago, George was a spry 95 years young, living completely independently, driving his sweet dog to obedience each week, and tending to his beautiful garden.  I'll never forget that at our Christmas party he showed our son his itouch and told him that when the newest model came out he would sell him his old one for a good price.

Because George was one of the oldest living WWII veterans, I had the opportunity to interview him for a magazine, and what I learned was that George wasn't just any WWII veteran, he was the Forrest Gump of soldiers, having seen action in some of the most hostile and critical arenas of the war, and bearing witness to things most people only see in movies.  From there he ended up in India for a few years, and through all of his experiences he embraced moving forward, choosing not to dwell in the past.

He used to joke that he would make it to 100 or die trying, and it was that great sense of humor I will miss at our neighborhood gatherings.  George did indeed make it to his 100th birthday last December when his family hosted a wonderful celebration of his long and storied life.  In true George fashion, he made it to 100 and a half, passing away on the exact date that he turned that impressive age.

I don't think George ever really knew how much of an impact he had on those around him, how much of an inspiration he was, and what an example he set for embracing life no matter what age it says you are on a piece of paper.

He didn't complain about technology, but instead embraced it.  He didn't let a number dictate what he could or couldn't do, he simply lived life the way he wanted too and I firmly believe that it was that attitude that kept him healthy up until just a few months before his passing.  George lived completely independently until his 100th birthday when he decided to move to an assisted living facility, still tending his garden, driving, and caring for his beloved dachshund, and constant companion Hummel.

We could all learn a little bit from George as we frantically go buzzing through life like a little hummingbird.  He taught me to live the life I have right now instead of wasting time pining for the past or longing for the future.  He taught me to embrace change and to move with the times. But the most important thing he taught me was that no matter what your age, you can do anything you set your mind to, that the limit is not in the number, but in how we perceive the number.

If you don't believe me, that age is just a number, please read the short article linked HERE and watch a bit of the video which was shot at an obedience trial when George was 98 years old!!!  He was so proud of this video and showed it to us on his itouch...RIP George, though you are gone you have inspired so many and your legacy will live on forever, you will be greatly missed!