The new regime will tire me out

 I have to admit, I'm tired of this new regime. I really don't have the energy for it. I know, I know, you only live once (YOLO), you have to cram as much into every possible second as you can before you disappear, but this is not for me. It is too much pressure, and it robs the joy of the moment. It imposes a regime of production (go out, stay active, do this and that, accumulate experiences, cross of options on the bucket list, etc.), and it is no fun. I tried to do it today, and while I did enjoy parts of it, I also had the feeling that I am too old for this.

After getting up and going to the medical center to get some tests done (blood pressure seems to be fine, blood tests and the dreaded HCL are upcoming), I went to Riverside to grab a few photos with my 8x10 pinhole. I had two in mind in particular, one of the cemetery (I think it is called Crestlawn), almost at the foot of Mt. Rubidoux, and of course, the mountain itself. I went, parked, got out and found my spot (one where I didn't have to see any flags, which represent jingoism to me now), then drove to the parking structure for the famous Riverside landmark, the mountain with the cross on top. I was not going to climb all the way up, the temperatures were reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit by then and carrying that big, heavy tripod was too much for me. I just tried to find a spot at the food of the mountain. 

I grabbed the two shots and returned home by 12 noon. Already, the morning was gone, and I still had the afternoon shift to look forward to. I wasn't really, I was tired and wanted nothing more than to lie down and take a nap, then read something. However, I had already paid my ticket ($10), and I debated just forfeiting that admission, but I thought, why not, we have to be eager beavers and go out, according to that philosophy I was talking about in the beginning. I could have stayed home but I drove to Claremont to the botanical gardens to take more photos. And I did. 

It is a large place, and I love the features. There are plenty, and I mean, plenty of benches everywhere, many in the shade. There are also some beautiful features, such as fountains that attract humming birds. Also, there are beautiful desert plants, I love their shapes, although there were not rose gardens like at the UCR gardens. It was still very peaceful, and I love walking around, especially in the first part, the one with the trees and shades and the desert plants lining the walkways. I will have to return, but this doesn't look like a place that will have autumn colors. 

Here are a few cellphone photos. I took a few 4x5 photos, and some with my GW690ii, but I am waiting on the black and white negatives to dry, and will have to take the color roll of 6x9 photos to the lab to get it developed since I do not develop color film. 

Whimsical piece of laid-back California art at the entrance. Yes, do not forget facemasks!

Tall palms. There were some colors at the foot of the trees, I shot this scene with slide film too. 

Love the shape of the desert plants! They are natural sculptures.

A few of the beautiful flowers. Not everything has to come up roses.

There were peaceful, nonrepresentational sculptures in different places.

Loved these sunflowers. There was an entire patch of them towards the beginning.

Beautiful sculptures are located throughout the grounds. One has to remember, this garden is affiliated with Claremont College, which is a hippy-dippy (very liberal) college in a liberal city. When driving along Indian Hill Blvd one passes by the college downtown area, and I was struck by one business called "A shop called Quest" (which evokes the hip-hop group from the 90s, A tribe called Quest). I don't know why that seems so appealing to me, even though I never listened to the group. I just like the name. 

Near the Oak Garden section of the garden. 

This is a center where, ordinarily, they would sell gifts. It is closed because of Covid, though.

This part of the garden is very big. Love the view of the San Gabriel mountains. This would be amazing with clouds.

Loved this scene!

Culture display with water features. It was very peaceful, the sound of the water is mesmerizing. 

Well, that was it. I got home at about 6 p.m. and was bushed. I ate something, then sat for a bit, then emptied film holders and replaced them with fresh film, then after 8 p.m., I started developing the 4x5 negatives. I also developed one of the 8x10 pinhole images, the one of Mt. Rubidoux. So far so good, they all look good, but I want to wait until tomorrow morning before I decide if I will start scanning. Tomorrow I want to take some film to the lab in Irvine then decide if I want to continue all the way to Oceanside. I might go. I might want to take some pinholes down there, but I am, yes, tired. It would be a good chance, however, to give the Catlabs 80 film another chance in the 8x10 format. I think my problem was that I was not accounting for reciprocity when I was first taking images. I was using the Mr. Pinhole suggested exposure time, which was 10 seconds, and which I know now is woefully inadequate. For the Arista 200 film I need to give it 2 minutes, so if the Catlabs film is maybe two stops slower, that would be about 8 minutes. I still want to try again.

But staying at home and reading science fiction would be nice too.