I’ve been sick for the past few days, which has seemed extremely unfair. Also, practically impossible! I’ve been such a good isolator. I stay at home, I go nowhere, I see no one except Suzanne… how could I have possibly caught anything? But there’s a ton of smoke in the air and I realized this morning that I might have a sinus infection, not a cold, which would explain how I could have gotten it without being exposed to someone else’s germs. Bacterial infections just need a good environment and all the smoke has left me permanently congested.

The good news, of course, is that sinus infections are mostly easily curable with antibiotics. Alas, the bad news is that I do everything in my power to avoid taking antibiotics, because my gut bacteria have the fragile, delicate sensibilities of Victorian women wearing ten pounds of corsets and laces. The slightest hint of aggression and down they go, turning my already limited diet into one that includes yogurt, yogurt, and more yogurt. And not much else. But I’m feeling better this morning than I have been, so maybe I’ll continue with the zinc and elderberry syrup regime prescribed by Suzanne and hope for the best, at least for another day or two.

My entertainment during my sick days has been watching youtube videos about my graphics software, Affinity Photo, and then playing with the software. Ostensibly I’m still learning how to design my own covers, but I have no idea what story this picture would be a cover for. Maybe I’ll write one someday. I really like it, though, mostly because that path is actually the path running alongside my dad’s house. If you look closely you can see the chainlink fence. And I love the thought that such a familiar path might actually be leading to a castle.

I actually have a vast collection of photos of paths. I’ve been taking them for years, all sorts of paths. Some roads, too. Most of them have been backed up on different USB drives, but I might spend a few days organizing photos and looking for them, because playing with this software might not count as “productive” but it definitely counts as “creatively satisfying.”

In other news… nope, I got nothing. Life goes on, one day at a time. Suzanne and I are planning another small camping trip next week, so hopefully the weather and the fires will cooperate. I’m trying not to worry about my failure to write words — well, actually, I’m trying not to worry about anything. It’s not an easy task these days! But I remind myself of all the things that I’m grateful for — hot running water, a happy dog, music playing, a comfortable bed, good friends, toast… so many things. Including the opportunity to learn more about my graphics software, which I am now going to get back to. Take care of yourselves and if you can, vote early!