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Saturday, August 22, 2015

Peace in the Midst of a Storm

It's been a trying week for me, as some of you already know. My Gmail account was hacked on Tuesday, the 18th. The hacker somehow got into the account and succeeded in locking me out. Then a phishing email was sent out to all my contacts, advising them that I was stranded in Cyprus with no money, no phone, and no passport and needing their help.

It took a couple of days for Google to investigate and let me back in. Meanwhile, I was locked out of all things Google, including my blog.

There is still a lot I want to do before I will feel semi-secure again; but, in the midst of it all, Doug and I enjoyed a day away at Ouabache State Park yesterday.

Here are some of the peaceful scenes that refreshed my soul.

The place at the park where we enjoy relaxing and reading


 
A butterfly paused just long enough for me to snap this shot.


Wildflowers growing alongside the lake

We try to get to Ouabache State Park about once a week, weather permitting. This summer, some friends have joined us most days; and we usually have supper together at the end of our relaxing afternoons.

It's always a treat to get away for an afternoon, but it was especially nice this week, taking time away from the computer woes at home.


12 comments:

  1. beautiful shots! love the light in the last one especially. sorry about the gmail account! yikes! i use double verification (i.e. when i sign in, i get a code sent to my smartphone via text which i have to enter to verify it is me.)

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  2. That looks like a peaceful place to unwind from the stresses of life.

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  3. Your photos are really beautiful, Linda!

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  4. Looks like the perfect place to relaxafter your worrying week. Your photo of the butterfly and flowers are gorgeous Linda.

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  5. Lovely photos! I especially love the bright refreshing yellow wildflowers (coreopsis, I think.)

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  6. Glad you are getting back . I got the Cyprus message and figured your security had been breached.I use the best one Norton makes and have had really good luck.

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  7. I'm sorry about your gmail being hacked. I hope it does not discourage you from sharing beautiful pictures and getaways in your blog. You've got some very very beautiful scenery here.

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  8. The park seems to present nice photo opportunities and you are definitely able to make use of them, Linda. I love the yellow wild flowers! Hopefully the email issues will be solved soon and you'll enjoy staying online again. ;)

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  9. Those dadgum hackers!! My 2nd cousin had the Cyprus attack pulled on her. Everyone in the family received that message, which seemed real, because she does travel extensively. However, I had her cell phone and immediately called it. Poor thing, she had been getting calls all day. Hope you get the whole sordid mess straightened out. What a nightmare. In the meantime, you took some truly lovely photos of your favorite park. Looks like a serene place to clear your head and relax.

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  10. Tex - I like the lighting in that shot, too. Since the hacking, I've added a security key to my gmail account. I probably still will let that original account lapse into inactivity, but I've added a gmail account to the blog. We'll see how that goes.

    Ruth - It is exactly that!

    Thanks kindly, Linda. Comments like that keep me motivated.

    Margaret - It's become a special place for us. Thanks for the words of appreciation for the photos.

    Aisling - Thank you. I'm really not good at identifying the subjects of my photos. The help of other bloggers is always appreciated.

    Steve - I'm glad you didn't fall for the hack job. The breach was on gmail, rather than on my computer, for which I'm very grateful.

    Psychelyn - Thanks for the encouragement. I'm recovering from the trauma. :)

    Petra - The park DOES provide some nice photo ops. All I have to do is prowl around the lakeshore or the edge of the woods, and I can find all sorts of things to photograph. And, thankfully, the email issues are indeed settling down.

    Gail - I received several calls, too; but each one represented someone who was genuinely concerned about me. That almost made the hacking worthwhile. Almost.

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  11. Oh wow, that's truly scary when it happens. Annoying as well. Thankfully it got sorted out and we can enjoy your images again!

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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    1. So true, Mersad. Hopefully, I've escaped with no harm except the frustration and annoyance. But it has certainly made me more aware of how vulnerable we all are to these hackers.

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