I hope you all had a good weekend. We had a massive protest to end the "stay at home" order at our governor’s mansion just a few miles away from us last week. It seems like more and more of these protests are cropping up in cities around the nation. It appears that people will be going back to work during the late May/early June timeframe.
The weather is finally warming up here in Minnesota. This allows me more access to my sanity delivery device (bicycle). I’ve gotten out on a short ride a few times in the past couple of days and it makes all the difference in my mood.
I acquired some new alloy rims to replace the original steel wheels that have been on the bike since 1958. These alloy wheels will allow me to come to a stop within a shorter distance than the 6-8 feet the steel wheels currently take. I'll probably send myself over the handlebars the first few times because I've gotten used to these long stops.
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough." ~ Aesop
The wheel-building will commence as soon as I can make peace with not having a bike for a few days. I’m reusing the original Sturmy Archer wheel hubs so the bike will be out of commission until the wheels are re-spoked into the new wheels. I should’ve been smart enough to get a back up bike for these types of occasions. Live and learn.
Surprises Are Awesome
I got a very nice surprise in the mail today. A thank you note from one of the students of the meditation class I helped to teach a couple of weeks ago. It made me feel so good to know that she got something positive out of it and her kind gesture completely made my day. I felt a little rusty after not having done this for a few years now. Thanks for thinking of me, Laura!
Stinker Puppy
Our buddy, Amstel (aka Stinker Puppy), is in surgery as I type this for removal of a wart on his leg. He’s had to don the “cone of shame” for the past few days because he keeps biting the wart. Sometimes I can’t believe how smart this beagle is. He started using the cone last night as a tool to catch popcorn. It’s going to be a rough week or so during his recovery. He’s a very active dog by nature, at 11 years old we still walk 4-5 miles every day. Both of us will be missing those daily walks for a while.
On The Vlog Front (Suggestions Requested)
As we all know the best diversion is staying busy. I’m still shopping for some of the equipment I’ll need to produce the travel show. I'm also learning all I can about video editing (which I hear is the most time consuming aspect of it all).
There seem to be an infinite number of choices for a digital camera it’s overwhelming. They all have different pros and cons so there’s no clear choice. I really don’t want to make the wrong choice and have to buy something else a year down the road. If anyone has any input or suggestions that would be great!
These are my top three (listed in no particular order):
The first footage was scheduled to be shot in Ireland this coming August but our dates are teetering on the brink of when Europe might reopen to international travel. All is not lost yet, but the odds aren’t looking great. Toronto in September may end up being my first episode but we will see what our fate is as things develop.
The concept of the show will be all about experiencing the culture, off the beaten path history, events, and food of foreign cities and meeting/interacting with unique locals. Each episode will end with me reading a poem that I wrote on the trip about the entire experience. That poem will then be auctioned off to the highest bidder with all proceeds going to a local charity. I also need to get some merch (t-shirts, stickers, etc) made. What do you think? We’ll see how it all goes.
Spousal Matters
My wife Raymi's birthday is coming up this week. I’m sad that we wouldn’t be able to celebrate with our family and friends but we’re looking at our options for good restaurant take-out food and will probably schedule a group birthday video call for her. She certainly doesn’t want me singing Happy Birthday solo.
Crypto-Related Musings
The bitcoin halving is fast approaching on May 18th! This is when the number of blocks hits 630,000. It will see the block reward fall from 12.5 to 6.25 bitcoins.
I've been in the crypto realm since 2016. I'm certainly no expert so don't make any decisions based on my opinion (I don't even listen to myself half the time) but my instincts are telling me that the market is about to explode. Between the traditional financial markets on the brink of failing, talks of national digital currencies, and a massive influx of institutional investment dollars into cryptocurrency the stars seem to be aligning. People new to crypto are beginning to ask me how to get started. This hasn't happened since 2017 and, to me, this is the best indicator of all.
From what I've studied, the pump isn't likely to happen right after the halving but in the months following. It's going to be interesting. One thing is for certain, we could all use some good news right now. I only hope some of the alt coins grow with the granddaddy of them all...BTC.
It's been such a long, cold bear market.
Things I’m Grateful For
I’m going to end this, and every future Pandemic Diary entry with a list of things I’m grateful for.
- Bike Rides;
- Warmer Weather;
- Surprises;
- Health; and
- Meditation.
Be well my friends! Are you as tired of washing your hands as I am?
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the blockchain
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I like how you're now ending your Pandemic diaries, it's so easy to be swept up ,(or rather down!) by all the negativity when one turns on the news channels!
I know very little about cryptos but do believe the tide is about to turn; with us having to close the bnb for 5 weeks during lockdown, there's been no additional income so I started using some of my steem earnings for the first time and it's managed to patch a few holes;)
I think hand cream sales must have jumped as our poor hands are being washed to death; stay safe my friend!
Thanks, @lizelle! It's so amazing how the universe works, isn't it? If we focus on gratitude we attract abundance. If we focus on negativity we attract struggle and despair. I'm going to talk more about this in my next Mindful Moments post.
I'm no expert in cryptocurrency either. What I've learned in my time in this space is I don't think anyone really is an expert. This feeling is undeniable though. I'm so glad you've been able to fall back on your Steem during these challenging times. That is THE best use case for cryptocurrency. Doesn't it feel completely liberating to actually use it?
My hands look like I've boxed a few rounds. Three of my knuckles are split from dryness. Stay well my friend!
I have a Sony RX100M2 and it is a fantastic little point and shoot camera. It has a huge sensor and also all the features of a DSLR. It is pretty cool little unit. I hope your dog gets well soon!
I think the Vagabrothers (YouTube) use that same camera and recommend it. Does that particular model shoot video as well? Thanks, @bozz. He's recovering nicely. He's by my side right now snoozing as I type this. I hope you have a great day!
I have never done a ton of video with it, but the pictures come out fantastic. My biggest issue is despite how small it is, I always forget to grab it and take it with me when we go out on adventures!
I'm going to be traveling with this camera so its small size would be a huge plus. For my first few forays into shooting I'll probably just use one main camera and a gimbal to keep things simple.
I am not sure if it is still the case, but for a while this was the only compact camera on the market with a 1" sensor. A lot of people just go for a high megapixel rating, but sensor size is where it is at!
Am impressed how the citizens expressed their discomfort of this staying at home by protest. Staying at home is not meant for everybody and can not be convenient for everybody
Yes, not many here in the US are enjoying the lock-down. Many are making the most of it though, which is good to see. There've been lots of protesting lately to end the "stay at home" order and it looks like that will be lifted soon and people will be going back to work.
Good reading and I am glad you are doing fine.
I am writing just to vouches for the canon camera I had experience with sony canon and nikon and personally I prefer canons sensors by much also if you go for the slr canon lenses are a bit cheaper to buy than the nikon's nikkor series. but if you gonna use it as is maybe blackmagic since the default lens of canon is the absolute generic but probably blackmagic is just the body I don't think they include any lens in that price so theres that, never used one have that in mind, but I run through the specs and it does look to be a beast. I suggest to do a google search at forums for problems and issues faults and the likes on each before you decide in which way to go.
Thanks @skapaneas! Thanks for the suggestions! Canons seem to be used a lot by Vloggers, the Sony models are widely used as well. The Black Magic features look great but you don't get any lenses with it unless you buy a "starter bundle" and it has a few negatives that concern me, like poor battery life. This is such a tough decision! In the end, I'll probably want a workhorse that does most things well and then I'll add additional cameras and maybe a drone if this thing takes off.
Most professionals work with Canons. A very good friend of mine used to post for steemit you can check out some of his work in some occasions he mention the lenses used check him out @avtzis.petros everything posted on his blog are from a 80D canon body with various lenses you will get an idea about the sensors quality though. It is magical for those that can work their way with the settings. I am not sure about the video capabilities though so I will let you do your own research on that matter.
Great to know! Thanks so much for the recommendations! Your friend's pictures are amazing. If the Canon shoots quality video that might be my choice.