by Chris Smith, Recreation and Volunteer Coordinator
Barb Treen has an eye for detail. With her trusty camera, Barb captures unique and beautiful shots of nature, including animals, flowers and insects in the wild. In particular, she enjoys taking pictures of the giant blue birds that inhabit our area. Good Samaritan Heron Grove is named for the Blue Herons that reside behind the property fence. As a resident, Barb has a great vantage point that allows her to get very close to these birds without having to drive anywhere or navigate the muck in her power chair.
This past Christmas, Barb, an HCA, and the recreation team came up with the idea to use Barb’s pictures to create a calendar as a fundraiser. Through a partnership with Staples, we were able to purchase 100 copies at an excellent price. We sold all 100, with the proceeds going towards a new smart TV for our 2nd Floor recreation space.
In addition to photography, Barb has many other creative talents. She enjoys writing poetry, and has continued to do so over the years. She has offered this one to share, touching on her “New Passion” of photography since her husband Wilf passed.
My New Passion
by Barb Treen
Taking Pictures, is a new passion I’ve got,
I never took them before, now I like it a lot.
I enjoy taking shots of mountains and rain,
The way I see them, Is not the same.
I see flowers and clouds, sunrises, sunsets
I used to think that was as good as it gets.
But now they look different, they are prettier and new,
I take many pictures, a lot, not a few.
I take them from different angles, reflections, different colors and such,
Some shadows, from up close, from far away too, but not as much.
I learned that pictures in darkness, and when objects move fast,
are harder to take, because the images don’t last.
Or they don’t show up, because the sky is not light
I need a flash, to give me more sight.
I need a better camera, right now I use a cell,
Although with the pictures I get, it is hard to tell.
Oh, I found a new camera, having 14 pixels, not three
Other people say that’s better, although it means nothing to me.
I love this new passion, it helps me when I’m sad,
I still cry thinking about Wilf, but, maybe, not as bad.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of the Journey. Read this and other issues of the Journey here.
