A New Floor - 50with50 No. 36

Wooden

Mickey Mouse seems to check out the new wood floor in our den in the latest entry in the 50with50 series.

After 20 years of the same carpet, we decided it was time for a change. Actually, the change started last year with the 19-year-old linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms. We had all of that replaced with wood. When it was finished, Laura liked it so much that we decided to put the same wood in the den, the hall, and our bedroom, too. So now the whole downstairs has the same floor.

The biggest change I have noticed in going from carpet to wood is the difference in sound quality. As you would expect, without the carpet to absorb sound waves, there is a little more echo in the different rooms. Not that it bothers us any. It was especially fun to go in the hall and hear ourselves echo in there. Yes, we are easily amused. But we have good times.

One question we are often asked is, “Won’t the floor feel cold in the winter?” That’s what socks and slippers are for. And we made it just fine this past winter walking on the kitchen and bathroom floors, so I think we will be okay.

I’m not really sure why, but Mickey won’t stand up straight. Minnie does, but Mickey has bad posture. However, here it seems like he is looking down and saying, “Check out this floor!”

And no, we did not put this in ourselves. It was very much worth paying someone else to do it. If you are in our area and are wanting some floor or tile work done, I can definitely recommend someone to you! Thanks, Justin!

Making Changes

I have talked before about how change is sometimes not easy, but change is often good. We did not necessarily change the floors just for the sake of change. But rather, we changed because time had taken its toll on the old floors. It was interesting to move some of the furniture and see the original carpet color, because the exposed carpet had faded more than we had realized over the years.

Sometimes, the opportunity to make a change gives you a chance to improve things slightly, too. I’m thinking this wood will not trap as much dust and dirt as the carpet did, and you can sweep it pretty easily. Or just turn on the cool 21st-century robot vacuum and let it do its thing, almost like the Jetsons! That cleaner look and easier maintenance is already a nice improvement over what we had with the old carpet.

Similarly, some of our original light fixtures in the house needed to be replaced. Instead of just using a newer version of the same thing, I have replaced them with new-technology LED fixtures. The new lights are brighter than the old ones, and they use less energy, too. Now we pay less to see better. That’s pretty cool!

A change does not always have to be big to be meaningful. Sometimes all of those little changes can add up and make a pretty big difference.

Bible Verse

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalm 18:2

About the Photo

This photo was slightly tricky for a 50with50 photo. It actually would have benefited more from a lens with a wider angle than 50mm. But I wanted to use the natural light in the room without turning on the ceiling light, and I did not want to go with a high ISO setting, so that is why I used the 50mm lens.

Because of the narrow field of view, the composition was a little bit of a challenge. I was actually standing out in the hall looking into the den. I wanted to get a good bit of the floor, and I also wanted to get as much of the fireplace as possible in the frame. And of course, Mickey and Minnie needed to be in there, too. I think it all turned out okay, but it did make me miss the fisheye lenses that I have had for my other cameras. I still don’t really want a fisheye lens for this camera, but it would have created a much different photo.

Sometimes one of the big lessons in photography is learning to work with the equipment that you have.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Aurora HDR. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: SonyFE 50mm f/1.8
Date: August 5, 2020
Location: Home, Williston, Tennessee