Power Outages, Sunrises, and Ice Crystals
The plan was perfect. Everything timed out to a "T". Season 65 of #Splinterlands was going to end at approximately 9 a.m. local time. I was only 90 ratings points away from achieving my highest possible league, Gold 1. A new daily #Splinterlands quest was also scheduled to start at about 7:30 a.m. local time. This would give me more than an hour and a half to complete both goals of completing my quest and leveling up to Gold 1. My reward for completing these would be additional loot chests and a higher level start to season 66. I set the alarm on my phone for 7 a.m. and went to bed with visions of loot chests dancing in my head. But life, as it so often does, had other plans.
6:30 a.m.
I was awoken from my slumber by the sudden silence in my room. When you become used to the ambient noises around you, silence can become deafening. Such is the case when I sleep. And, what caused the sudden silence? It was everyone's favorite friend, the power outage.
I may or may not have uttered a few expletives while grabbing my phone to check the time. 6:30. (expletive deleted) Pulling up my browser, I went to the utility company's website to check the outage map. It seemed my whole town was without power. The estimated recovery time...8:15 a.m. Okay, that should still give me enough time to do the #Splinterlands thing. Deep down I knew that estimate was unlikely. But, I was trying to be optimistic for a change.
With nothing else to do, I trudged downstairs for a bowl of cereal. Being up this early has it's benefits. Looking out my kitchen windows, I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise. Not wanting to film it through the windows, I grabbed a heavy coat and went outside. Yesterday was the coldest day of the year, so far. The temperature was in the negatives. So, I didn't stay out there long. Just long enough to get a couple of good shots.
As 8:15 drew closer I checked the outage map again. The estimate recovery time had been changed to 9:15. That was it. All my hopes and dreams crushed. I stared out the window as a lonely tear drop streaked down my face. Somewhere, a sad song was playing. "Everybody huuuuuuuurts..."
It was then that I noticed the patterns of ice crystals that had formed on one of the windows. They were so cool to look at. I had to share them. Plus, it would give me a chance to play around with my camera settings. Autofocus would never be able to focus in on the crystals. I would have to put it in manual mode.
Manual mode appears to be the solution to my blurriness problem. The drawback, though, is that it is a lot slower. And, sometimes when filming, time is of the essence. Especially when dealing with animals. But, these crystals weren't going to fly off at any moment. So, I had plenty of time to find the right focus.
The patterns these crystals form are amazing. And, as I'm sure you know, they are as unique as fingerprints. No two are exactly alike.
When life gives you lemons...I didn't get to accomplish the goals I had set for myself yesterday morning. If I had, I would have certainly missed the natural show going on around me. Maybe this was a lesson I needed to learn. Balance is important in life and maybe I've been too immersed in my online world.
My power came back on at about 9:30. Thankfully. It was starting to get cold. My thermostat was down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I rejoined my #Splinterlands guildmates and life went on.
Wherever we are, we are surrounded by nature. It's always trying to communicate with us. Take time to notice. #NoticeNature.
Join the family...
Gorgeous sunrises are one of the few great things about mornings (along with the waft of yummy scents from bakeries). 😁
It's amazing how water freezing around a tiny particle of pollen or dust creates beautiful ice ferns, isn't it?
Here's to more joy with winter's beauty, no more power outages, and hitting your Splinterlands goals this season! ☕️ 🥃
Yes! They look like ferns, don't they. If only we grew ferns when it was that cold out. Maybe it wouldn't be so cold? 🤔