11/9/2024

    It's been awhile away from these posts. I've had my ups and downs with adventures into our health system including two recent hospitalizations which deserve a blog just on our current health system. My hiking had uncovered some problems with my heart sustaining enough flow into it's own system causing ventricular tachycardia and medical evacuation via helicopter with paddle shock to convert my heart rhythm to a more healthy state and since I'm a stubborn person not wanting to recognize my limitations another episode of ventricular tachycardia after walking during a hot day for two miles in the neighborhood. This time I had a Life Vest which monitors my heart rhythm and almost at home I was faint, the alarm in the vest told me that it was going to give me a paddle shock so I lied down on the grass and levitated with some shock pain off the grass with more normal heart rhythm so my wife drove me to the hospital and two days later have an upgraded pacemaker. Now in less denial I do not go on such more stressful walks/hikes but still do easier walks. Since you can hear me coming if the floor has an echo due to right foot drop I visited the neurologist and after nerve conduction test in my lower legs and MRI of my spine I have a messed up lower spine. My latest misadventure was ashore walk by Makapuu lighthouse where attempting to sit down I fell scraping both lower legs and injuring my left lower back side. Fortunately, no broken ribs and now five days out less left side pain. My wife makes sure my wound heal well giving them manuka honey bandages. The body does wear out. Since our longevity has dramatically increase our biological systems get older and sometimes fail with us.    

    Well, besides my more personal life with my delightful interesting and loving wife I continue my hobbies and interests with the piano still challenging me to hit the right notes at a faster more normal pace the the author intended, I continue to read. When last month at Ala Moana Center we went to the only very comprehensive bookstore Barnes and Nobels where I ordered some books for my kindle one of which I'm beginning Neal Stephenson Anathem.  I'm 153 pages in to this 1010 page book which challenges me to understand a world with a different language and social system far in the future. I started out experiencing confusion and difficulty but I'm more immersed now. Besides reading and the piano, I've reactivated my interest into photography. My database photography computer program (Imatch) started to complain to me since it needed a lot of updating and then my computer started to shut down unexpectedly so a new computer is part of my personal office. The purchasing of this computer involved a visit to Best But where I had a salesperson who talked me into buying components which Best Buy then at little charge put together. After this little entertaining buying spree I began looking at my photographs starting from the beginnings of my learning about this craft. I have a printer which has six color inks that can be coaxed into giving me some great photographs (13x19n inches). So preparing the photographs for printing brought me back to using Adobe Photoshops and related software tools. So I'm relearning these skills and feel a sense of accomplishment with the results. I had some photographs paper from the times I had in the past produced this art work and then relearned what products worked best for what type of picture so now I'm the owner of various types of paper. Of course, life has its lessons. My printer began to give me error messages want would not print because of the wearing down of some internal parts and these days it's cheaper to buy the new product rather than try to find someone who can fix it so I have a new identical printer. 

    I've written about this this way to understand that since my hiking life into our wonderful world is coming to an end I now can experience some of this wonder through photography. When I print a picture it is not just that I have the file and print it. I need to see if the focus is correct. Sometimes the colors are off and since I have red green color blindness I use the tools of the software to correct color imbalance, orientation problems such as a level horizon, and then change the contrast, the haze issues, the blown out highlights and the problems of the shadows and darker parts to a picture I think is worth printing among other tweaks. I've ordered my photo display books to put them in and now I can sometimes be satisfied with the results to share with others. In summary, my reinterest in this hobby gives me a sense of adventure and delight in our world and brings back memories of being there with others I have deep connections with sharing our trips and adventures. 

    Being somewhat a nerd when we moved into our present home and had our first major renovation I had a small darkroom which kept out all outside light and had a air conditioner in the ceiling and some running water for my developing photographs. Those days we had silver halide emulsions to capture the light and then had usually a drum to develop the picture. Then of course an enlarger with tools to focus on undeveloped paper then three trays to develop the pictures. When color came out I even tried  to learn Cibachrome. Later while pursuing this hobby I purchased my first film based more expert camera with lenses including a 100-400 mm telephoto monster of a lens.  I still have the files from scanning these 35mm negatives another learning process and more equipment for the scanning. Then learning photoshop was difficult but satisfying both reading and on line courses. I did win a local  photo contest which my wife urged me to enter. Then I learned how to make photo books after joining a local hiking group (Solemates) and I then had to learn how to place photos in a a book which also had my narrative so back to Adobe InDesign. So as I write I am finding that I enjoy the adventures, the reliving of these adventure years later, the dark room and then computer systems skills to create something worthwhile to look at. I'm persistent in mastering some difficult for me skills and knowledge. I enjoy sharing myself as I am with my art and amateur music playing. 

    Well, I have used this blog to see I'm living happily and without impairments that limit my enjoyments, creating, and sharing.

Leonard

   Kokee Awa'awapuhi- Nualolo Trail Kauai