The Great Outdoors

With the weather now consistently being warmer, I have been able to get outside cycling and to do some yard work.

There's something peaceful about being able to sit on your back patio and watch two little chipmunks scurry around in your yard and your neighbors. The power of watching a hawk sitting atop a large spruce tree and then watching it take off and later circling around, high in the sky. We have two dogs, and one is extra small, so we always closely monitor her whereabouts when she's in the backyard. It wouldn't take much effort for the hawk to come swoop down and grab her! We have also been watching in delight a robin that loves to run through the sprinkler. A pleasant welcome this past week was the return of the fox family that lives on the farm behind our house. The owner of the farm told us that they've been living there for a number of years, so long that the horses are use to them. We live in a developing neighborhood and we have also caught deer and wild turkeys on camera this week as well.

Maybe we should open a zoo?

I made a promise to myself a little over a week ago to start enjoying the simpler things in life, as we have all had to deal and adjust with COVID-19. One of the major things for me was to stop spending so much time on working on this website and ruminating on all things regarding mental illness and social media bringing to light some strong opinions on our current situation. I told myself that I already have made progress in that area and I can only do so much with the current situation. Just being present has made a world of difference.

I hope you are or have started to find what works best for YOU. It's important for our mental health to take a step back and live in the present moment. You don't have to have everything figured out right now. Hell, nobody does!

Here are some pictures from the last week outdoors. If you have any you wish to share, please do so. Just shoot me an email at ben@theupstairsbattle.com

Enjoy!

-Ben