Barbara B.'s Adventures: Big week

The big week has arrived and tomorrow is my mom's debulking surgery where they'll try to remove as much of the tumor as possible. I woke up a little tense this morning after a nice and relaxing day yesterday, so I did my deep breathing exercises (which I find are the most helpful), muscle relaxation exercises, and some stretching. When I met with A. last week she said I should plan on activities to keep me occupied during the surgery. We find out at 3:30pm today what time the surgery is at, so I'm aiming to go for a walk at Edworthy/DFT, have a healthy lunch, play with the camera, and just try to be outside the hospital as much as possible - anything to keep me distracted. Worrying won't change the outcome, so I just need to keep myself together. A couple of days ago the S's brought my parents dinner, so it's these things that are making things easier right now. The next couple of days may be a little tense, but depending on what they tell us tomorrow, I'll try to get myself booked for a massage on Thursday or Friday. Fingers crossed that they'll be able to debulk optimally!!!!!! Go Dr. N. & team! We can do it!

On a lighter note, I went on a photography outing to Banff yesterday. I focused primarily on focal distance and seeing how the manual settings impact the results of my pictures. Originally I had planned on taking pictures by the Cave & Basin, but then remembered reading somewhere that the Parks Canada Administration building's grounds are open to the public, so I checked those out. It's a hidden gem for flower photography!

Not sure what these are - crystals and something?

Inspirational rocks at some shop

Park at end of Banff Avenue

Parks Canada Administration and Cascade Mountain

Parks Canada gardens

Playing with the camera - f/2.8

Playing with the camera - f/8

The last week has been going really great. I'm exercising, eating well, getting out, trying new things, and feeling much more content. Meteor shower photography didn't work out due to an overcast sky, but I've been researching cameras more.... maybe this week's the week for a new one :-).

Saturday was a hike up Mount Bourgeau, one that everyone says is very long, but actually didn't feel hard. Now that I'm back to the city I have my name on an introductory mountain bike course at Fish Creek for Saturday morning.