PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE
From the Inside of a Long Weather Front
Week 156 of the photographic documentary of my daily life
It’s the same. Day in and day out. It rains and rains. The wind howls around the trailer and the flies come and go. I get up, eat breakfast, and lie back down to read and write. I make lunch, eat and sit back down with my eyes on the tablet. Somewhere during the afternoon, I either get up to lift some weights or go for a walk if the wind isn’t too strong. Then I eat dinner and go to bed again just to repeat the same the following day.
Normally, my days aren't to be described by anything repetitive. I'm far from living a monotonous lifestyle and yet, this is what describes my life for the past ten days already.
After a very hot and dry beginning of summer in Germany, the temperatures dropped, and rain has been pouring since the official start of the summer vacations.
While I’m certainly happy for the land, this continuous rain and strong winds with no gaps in between has kept us on the ground for almost two weeks now and it doesn’t seem to get better.
As a skydiving instructor, I know better than to be upset about the weather. I’ve had jobs in the outdoors for the past eight years and know what it means to be dependent on the weather.
And yet. It made me frustrated, unhappy and eventually depressed. I don’t earn any money for as long as I’m on the ground and being the beginning of high season now, this is when I earn most of the money that carries me through weaker months. Or should be earning money. Two weeks of no income at this time of the year is enormous.
I’ve never been on the ground for so long due to bad weather. But it is what it is. While I was frustrated and depressed in the first week of this happening, I moved on to acceptance.
This week, I picked up the work on my book(s) and decided if at least I can take something positive out of this weather, so be it the publication of my second book.
Come with me on a week with no adrenaline, action and adventure.
The weather that currently keeps central Europe in its grip is a cold jetstream keeping hot air in southern Europe, bringing lots of rain and wind over Germany and its neighboring countries.
Some days it rains non-stop from sunrise until sunset. Sometimes it rains on and off. And on some days it only rains in the mornings and clears up during the afternoon but only with the arrival of very strong winds (which also prevent us from jumping).
One of those afternoons was today and equipped with a rain jacket, David and I headed out on a walk across the fields. We know how important it is to stay healthy and walks in nature are always great for the mind.
Leaving the forest, we came past this chicken enclosure where some very happy animals were running around.
The next day, I only made it to the back of our trailer, where my small vegetable garden is growing. And no, I didn’t go there to water the plants, I hadn’t done that in weeks. The rain does its job.
But after showing the picture of an onion flower in last week's essay, someone said they'd never seen an onion blooming. So here's another closeup of that unique blossom. With a wasp on it.
The wasps built a nest on the outside of the trailer, I think in the ventilation setup. We let them be as long as they wouldn't come inside our home. Which they don't. In return, they pollinate my tomato plants.
The next day, not much difference. Rain, rain, and more rain.
This is my bedroom window overlooking the meadow and forest behind. Not even birds were sitting in the small pine trees in front of the trailer. It was simply too miserable.
On Sunday, I was so depressed and down, David convinced me to go for a walk. When we reached the field behind the forest, we could see a very dark and heavy wall of rain approaching.
With the strong winds we were experiencing, we knew we didn’t have long until it would catch us, but also still wanted to be outside for a little longer. We had our raincoats on and did get caught in the rain on the way back through the forest.
Monday is our usual weekend and as the dropzone was officially closed, of course, we had the best weather in weeks. But that doesn't help. I took my hammock and sulked in the forest, listening to the birds.
On Tuesday, the day's work had been canceled the night before already due to predictions of high winds. The rhythm of my day took its turn.
Sometime in the afternoon, I decided I needed something to smile and grabbed my camera. I told David I’d go and capture some birds. But no birds wanted to be shot. Or I was simply too impatient. Which is more likely the case.
Looking at the massive clouds behind me, I knew I didn’t have long until the next storm was coming over us.
Looking down for the little things in life, I found joy in watching butterflies dancing around. At least a little smile in all this grayness.
And today? Not sure. I’ve been proofreading a few pages in the German book I’m writing and then translated a few more in the English book I am working on.
Later, when I couldn’t lie in bed anymore, nor sit at the desk in front of the laptop, I decided to go for a walk. David looked up from the screen, asking me where I was heading. And when I said I’d go for a walk, he responded, “It’s raining!”
Oh no, really? I hadn’t noticed. I know, he always tells me we’re bad in humor, the Germans. And yet he smiled and said, “Enjoy”.
Guess what? I danced in the rain, admired a rainbow, watched the sun come out, and made it back to our trailer before the next rain front was moving in.
It’s nighttime now and the rain is pouring down. Heavily.
Tomorrow’s work is canceled. Again. I think we have to get out of here to stay sane. Is anybody in need of an additional worker? I’m free…
This has been my week in photographs. 7 days. 7 photographs. Anyone can join. Once. Or weekly. It doesn’t matter. We welcome everyone! Dennett started this photography challenge in 2020 and many have participated ever since.
Dennett / Erika / Eileen / K. Barrett / Juan / David / Mia / Susan / LensAfield / Kim / Barbara / Diana / Barb / Sandra / Shruthi / Ellie / Pene / Olive / Gustavo / Jane / Penny / Jillian / Shell / Ivy / Lisa / Lynne
And these are the previous weekly photo essays:
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