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A Hello to Old Friends and the Start of Something New
How I’m working to bridge the gap between older writings and new beginnings while welcoming the threads that hold them together. First, I want to start with a big, hearty hello to all of my friends here, remember me? I’ve said this before and apparently, I’m saying it one final…
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2020 – A year behind glass
Hey there 2020, I’ve spent so much time silently glaring and swearing at you it’s hard to believe we’re almost at the end. Like many of you I’ve read and followed each ugly news story knowing I need to stop the doom scrolling but it’s tough to turn away from…
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Illustrate
Interesting phenomena occur when two or more rhythmic patterns are combined, and these phenomena illustrate very aptly the enrichment of information that occurs when one description is combined with another. Gregory Bateson We’ve spent the spring inside, unable to visit parks, beaches, wide open spaces.. This sudden onset of an…
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Letting the days go by
And you may ask yourself, well How did I get here? Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime Hello, I’ve missed you all! Last spring I didn’t think taking a short break would lead to anything more than a chance to catch my breath but here we are, catching up…
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2019 The Year of Small Surprises and Second Chances: Weeks 14 & 15
The year of small surprises and second chances… To be honest I think this might be how I approach the rest of 2019. Embracing those sneaky, small surprises and allowing for second chances. The first set of images is a throwback to my 2016 photo project when I took one…
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2019 The Year of Pollen and Pretty Flowers: Week 13
If you’ve ever tried to complete a year-long photo project you know each week brings a new challenge and today’s post is my answer to the seasonally specific question “what do I share when the focus of my blog is an outdoor PNW lifestyle but the arrival of spring means…
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2019 The Year of Seeing Green: Week 12
The year of seeing green? Living green? Sharing green? We try for all three here but I still had a hard time settling on one for this post so after a day spent typing and deleting variations I finally acknowledged my best days happen when I can see something green…
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2019 The Year of Black and White: Week 11
While the easy title for this week’s post was “Black and White” I could have also added something about it being the last full week of winter, or how my earliest memories of enjoying photographs were with books full of black and white images. All of these would have been…
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2019 The Year of This and That: Week 10
Have you ever had a week that felt busy in the moment but didn’t result in a list of accomplishments? My best case scenario for a week like this is that everyone made it through without any major problems and each busy day lead to something good later so by this…
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2019 The Year of Mountain Tops and Flowers: Week 9
It’s sunday afternoon and the sun is shining but the air is still too cold for comfort and I am really ready for winter to be over. I know the calendar says we’re a few days into March and warmer days are coming soon so I’m pinning new PNW hikes…
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2019 The Year of Looking for Light: Week 8
I know February is coming to a close when I can hear birds again in the morning but daylight hours are short and it’s too cold for spring flowers to fill the gardens. We’re turning the corner but we aren’t there yet! Because my mornings and evenings are still fairly…
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2019 The Year of Looking Back to Avoid Seeing Today: Week 7
Looking back to avoid seeing today… not something I usually recommend but every once in a while it’s a coping technique I can get behind. We’ve been snowbound for weeks and while I’ve promised to post a photo a day I was tired of looking at icy pictures so after…
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2019 The Year of Crisp White Snow and Icy Blue Skies: Week 6
What a change from last week’s soft pinks and rosy afternoons! This week passed by in a frozen shade of blue all due to a sudden return of winter. We’ve had snow days, ice coated roadways and a first for this blog, icicles. Brrrr All the images above are from…
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2019 The Year of Comfort: Week 5
If you’ve read a few of these 2019 posts you’ve probably noticed each title begins with the same “2019 The Year of” then changes to a short descriptive phrase from the past week. In the past I’ve tried to keep yearly project titles more consistent but my objective with this…
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2019 The Year of Changing Views: Week 4
This week has been a bit of change for me since I spent all of it at home resting so my photo choices are a mixed gallery of memories, sights from a typical work week, followed by a slow Saturday walk along the waterfront. Changing views indeed. We started the…
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2019 The Year of Sunshine, Soft Colors and Decatur Island: Week 3
Sometimes a look back at soft, summer pastels is a nice way to pass through the dark days of January. Our warm winter continues but by this time of year the short days start to wear on me and I dream of long evenings outside until 10:00 pm enjoying the…
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2019 The Year of Lakeside Dreaming in January: Week 2
As I type this on Saturday afternoon the sun is shining, birds are chirping and if I close my eyes I can almost pretend I’m sitting in the lovely sun room at the Lake Crescent Lodge in the Olympic National Park. I’ve already written a few posts about our strange,…
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2019 The Year of a New Daily Photo Project: Week 1
Will 2019 be my year of living dangerously? No that’s not it… a year of self-control, or reckoning, discovery, relaxation? Sigh, I’m terrible with resolutions. Honestly whenever I try to think of a theme or title for the new year all I come up with are overused movie quotes and…
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Everything is (Supposed to Be) Resting
The madness of spring is so enticing. I love it when things are opening up and emerging from the ground. I also love the middle of summer when fruit is bursting forth, but I even love the garden in the winter when everything is resting. Ross Gay Well, everything is supposed to…
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A Tree, A Search for Quotes and Chief Seattle
All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man… the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. Ted Perry Raise your hand if you’ve read this quote before. It’s typically attributed to a speech given by Chief Seattle, See-ahth in the Lushootseed language, in 1854…
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Happy Halloween 2018
Many of you know Halloween is John’s favorite holiday and the planning, preparation and decorating for this year’s display started months ago. A close look might reveal some familiar elements from previous years but somehow he managed to out do himself and present a completely new environment for this spookiest…
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The Reds and Greens of Autumn
“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.”– Unknown “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”– L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a…
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The Last Few Days of Summer
There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air. Rudolfo Anaya Even though the calendar says we’ve passed from summer to autumn the few weeks between September 21st and the middle of October always feel like an extended summer in…
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We Will Welcome Summer’s Ghost
We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost. Henry Rollins Sigh, “summer’s wreckage” is a pretty fair description of my yard and garden today. The peak heat of August has passed leaving a tangled mess of overgrown branches,…
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The Scent of a Lake in the Mountains
Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains. Diane Ackerman My favorite childhood summer scents all conjure up memories of water. Fresh, salty and earthy they all say summer to me.…
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Summer is the Annual Permission Slip…
Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds. Regina Brett For the second summer in a row our traditionally beautiful August has…
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Olympic National Park: Colorful Mountains and Meadows Filled with Wildflowers
It’s August in the PNW and that means every day we have available is spent outside enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds us. This year our summery blue skies have been filled with a toxic mix of wildfire smoke from around the world ( Siberia, Canada, Washington, Idaho and California)…
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Fresh Berries and Lazy Summer Days…
Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup. Wendell Berry While I appreciate the sentiment behind this quote and am sure I’d thoroughly enjoy a summer dawn with fresh picked berries I can also vouch for the fact that they are…
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I Knew Who I Was This Morning…
I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.” Lewis Carroll A quick scroll through my posts makes it pretty clear my approach changes from day-to-day. Sometimes I want as little to no change and other times I enjoy playing with color and shadow to…
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Summer Blues
There’s more than one kind of blue day… My favorites are the ones filled with blue skies, fluffy clouds and sparkling water.
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All Time Favorites: Angular
I know I’m not alone in feeling sad the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenges have come to an end. I’m not the most prolific blogger these days but this recurring event has been both my favorite online group activity and source of inspiration when my creative well is dry. Not only…
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Awakening New Voters: Your Vote Your Voice
The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards. Anatole France Ryan came home from his week as a Page in our State Senate with a newfound respect for what concerned citizens can accomplish when…
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I’d Rather Be…
Today I’d rather be a dog. Our dog Finn to be precise. His day started with a nice walk followed by breakfast next to the heater. Late morning meant it was time for a nap in his favorite sun spot then a second trip outside so he could patrol the…
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Tour Guide – Olympia, WA in Black and White
Labeling this post a “tour guide” might bit of a stretch as I’ve left out all the touristy bits about landmarks, photo-ops and directions but it fits the theme of the weekly photo challenge and it’s been years since I spent time in our State’s Capital so when we took…
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2018 – A New Year and a New Look
While I say I like to reach out and try new things, deep down I’m really a creature of habit. Many habits. If I find a breakfast or lunch I like I’ll eat it every day for a year or longer, I play the same albums over and over and…
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Merry Christmas
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas filled with love, light and happy memories. John, Ryan, Finn and I are enjoying the surprise snow and lighting candles. Presents are wrapped, dinner is cooking and Santa is on his way…🎅🏼 🎁
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Ascend to a Higher Development
One can ascend to a higher development only by bringing rhythm and repetition into one’s life. Rhythm holds sway in all nature. Rudolf Steiner We can find Nature outside us only if we have first learned to know her within us. What is akin to her within us must be…
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A Serene and Settled Majesty
There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations. Washington Irving When the stresses and sounds of daily life are just too much my go-to escapes for some peace and quiet are the…
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Shades of Blue: Part 11 – Happy Halloween!
If you’ve been reading my Shades of Blue posts from the beginning you might notice I’ve skipped ahead a little from late summer but we’re hours away from Halloween and some pictures really need to be shared in the moment. John thinks/dreams/plans for Halloween year round and by mid-summer he…
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Shades of Blue: Part 7 – Crab Pots and Donuts
As an antidote to the wet, windy weather outside I’m remembering a sunny day in July and returning to my Shades of Blue series. Today’s post is picture heavy with only a few words so we can all enjoy the pretty blue skies, colorful flowers and peaceful waterfront views from…
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The Simplest Pedestrian
Far better to be the simplest pedestrian, with knapsack on back, stick in hand, and gun on shoulder, than an Indian prince travelling with all the ceremonial which his rank requires. Jules Verne Substitute the above mentioned gun for a trusty slingshot and Jules Verne perfectly describes Ryan’s preferred method…
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Layered Trees and Exposed Identities
In the spring and summer I watched my plants flower, but it was, perhaps, in winter that I loved them best, when their skeletons were exposed. Then I felt they had more to say to me, were not simply dressing themselves for the crowds. Stripped of their leaves, their identities…
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Shades of Blue: Part 6 Summer Skies and Garden Flowers
Football is on the television, fresh rain is clearing the last of the forest fire smoke and I’m reaching for a fleece vest while looking back through my pictures for another summer gallery. Today’s choices are all about summer skies, summer flowers, summer nights and summer salads. Plenty of flowers…
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Waiting…
“The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them.” ― Stanley Coren Labor Day has come and gone, our summer weather is turning to fall and after a long stretch of quiet days Ryan is back to school…
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Shades of Blue: Part 5 – Dusty Corners
Walk, run, cycle – When you live inside your head for such long periods of time, you have to open the windows, air it out a bit, let sunlight stream into all the dark and dusty corners of your mind. Twinkle Khanna I like to think of summer as a…
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Textures and Elemental Sounds
The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. Henry Beston Regular readers know I like to start these WordPress photo challenges with a quote that leads to a small…
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Satisfaction
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction. E. O. Wilson If you’ve ever wondered why Pacific Northwesterners put up with dreary, wet winters it’s because of summers like this. We don’t have formal vacation plans this year but when an island hike is…
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Shades of Blue: Part 4
I’ve got a photo filled post for you this week as we continue my June walks through town and along the beach. You get to see my mother’s day flowers blooming by our backdoor, views from the marina, an accidental shot of beach sand when I was trying to put…
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Shades of Blue: Part 3
I’d better pick up the pace with these spring themed posts or I’ll still be working through May photos after the 4th of July. 🙂 Today you get to see Ryan and I out in the neighborhood looking signs of spring, roaming the beach skipping rocks and finding interesting driftwood/seaweed…
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Transient
In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds. Robert Green Ingersoll I don’t know about you but the question “What do you want for your birthday/Christmas/Mother’s Day?” always makes me a little uncomfortable. I know the asker means well but I don’t like telling…
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Shades of Blue: Part 2
Continuing my thoughts from last weeks post about Hipstamatic and Shades of Blue I have a new series of small photos from my walks around town. This was a surprising spring morning filled with fog that could have passed for fall if you looked past the brave new blooms. The…
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Shades of Blue: Part 1
If you’ve been with me for a while you might know I take all my photos with my iPhone and if you are a details person you’ve noticed I typically tag each photo or post with the editing app used in case a reader wants to try something new with their own…
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Evanescent
Night is brushed aside like so much cobweb. The day is wound up and begins even before the last haunted dreams, the last of the fog, those spectral and evanescent residues, have faded away. Gregory Maguire, After Alice That 2017 is setting records for the coldest and wettest spring in pacific…
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Reading, Good Company and Reflection
Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him. John Locke We live in a house full of books. Stacks and shelves of printed pages line our walls, our phones and Kindles have digital titles for break time and the cars usually have an audio…
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Wanderlust
You don’t even know where I’m going. I don’t care. I’d like to go anywhere. John Steinbeck While the word wanderlust brings to mind images of grand vacations and months long backpacking adventures I have the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to thank for a definition that makes sense to those of us who…
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Earth Day 2017
If we do not permit the Earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either. — Joseph Wood Krutch I hope everyone took a moment today to appreciate, acknowledge and protect the earth around us. Happy Earth Day all.
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Dogs are our link to paradise…
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace. Milan Kundera My goal for today was to write an…
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Blossoms and Time
The creative process is not like a situation where you get struck by a single lightning bolt. You have ongoing discoveries, and there’s ongoing creative revelations. Yes, it’s really helpful to be marching toward a specific destination, but, along the way, you must allow yourself room for your ideas to…
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Moss On Stone
“There is an ancient conversation going on between mosses and rocks, poetry to be sure. About light and shadow and the drift of continents. This is what has been called the “dialect of moss on stone – an interface of immensity and minute ness, of past and present, softness and…
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The Road Taken
The parks do not belong to one state or to one section…. The Yosemite, the Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon are national properties in which every citizen has a vested interest; they belong as much to the man of Massachusetts, of Michigan, of Florida, as they do to the people of…
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A Good Match
Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity… John Muir So many interpretations of a good match are running through my mind tonight – father and son, mountain hiking and stress relief, nature and escape,…
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Against the Odds
I had always enjoyed the title of Commander-in-Chief until I was informed … that the only forces that cannot be transferred from Washington without my express permission are the members of the Marine Corps Band. Those are the only forces I have. I want it announced that we propose to…
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Hellebore
While local garden centers are filled with pretty displays of spring bulbs and primroses I’m starting to worry about the mostly dormant state of my own yard. Plants that usually bud and flower in early February show no signs of growth and my weeds are the only green things that look truly…
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Shadow
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln Shadows come and go but like strong character, trees are what really leave their mark on the world. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 4
Wow, after 2 years and 730 daily photos I can finally say this project is finished! I’ve enjoyed the practice of taking and posting one photo for every day of the year but now that it’s over I’ll admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by the pace of creating 30 new photos…
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Solitude
Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. Aristotle I’m certainly not a wild beast or a god but it’s nice to know we have something in common. Solitude.
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 3
The third week of January was a big one for us here as our country transitioned from President Barack Obama to Donald Trump. While it’s clear that Trump lost the popular vote and the majority of the country remains firmly against his platform we are all waiting and watching, hoping for the best while planning…
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1-21-17 Marching in Seattle
Saturday morning John, Ryan and I dusted off our hiking boots and stepped out to join the 175,000 marchers in Seattle and 3 million marchers world-wide raising their voices in support of our rights, our safety, our families and our communities. From the Womxn’s March Seattle page: Washington State’s Mission Our…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 2
If we say a New Year shows it’s colors in the first weeks of January I hope my 2017 is filled with shades of a pastel rainbow. Fingers crossed that these photos start a positive trend leading to more time with family, more time in the outdoors and a chance to…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 1
Hello 2017! In Kennedy family tradition our year began on the beach and as you can see we’ve been trapped in a cold but beautiful weather pattern all week. I’m a native Pacific Northwesterner so I don’t let a little cold (or wet) weather keep me from enjoying the great…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 5
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is typically quiet here with kids out of school, parents on vacation and all of us eating too many cookies while binge watching tv shows we missed during the fall. I did continue to work through the week but in an effort to simplify things…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 4
The days leading up to any big holiday are always a busy blur and you’d think by now I’d have found a manageable way to balance the demands of work and family and fun but I guess that dream will always be bit of a work-in-progress. I do try to slow down…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 3
We’re deep into the holiday season now and depending on your point of view I expect you’re having a wonderfully festive time, scrambling to keep up with expectations, tired of shopping or you’re one of those people who finished everything before Thanksgiving. Guess where I fall. 🙂 This weeks set of…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 2
A week filled with Christmas preparations and winter weather make for a merry and bright set of images today. In typical Pacific Northwest fashion we’ve had our first SNOW freak-out, lit up the short and gray days with plenty of bright lights, enjoyed peppermint mochas and spent a little time…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 1
Now that we’re into December I can officially start the end-of-project countdown! After two years of taking and posting daily photos it’s time to try something new and even though I’ve learned a lot about social media accounts and refined my view of the quiet little moments that bring beauty…
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My Year In Pictures: November Week 4
Well November is almost over and the holiday season is in full swing but for me the biggest sign that December is coming are our rapidly shrinking daylight hours. I try to ignore early Christmas music and decorations but there’s no hiding from the fact that there are only about 8.5 hours between…
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My Year In Pictures: November Week 3
Sometimes my weekly photo subjects are selected in advance so each blog post shares only a small peek into our days and sometimes the collection of images tell a story all on their own. This week I think the story of old vs new came through pretty clear as we spent the majority…
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My Year In Pictures: November Weeks 1 & 2
It’s felt like a true roller-coaster ride carried us through the first two weeks of November with days of fun, family, flowers, sadness and wine. We had a great visit with my Aunt, enjoyed John’s over-the-top Halloween decorations, listed new items in our Etsy shop, drank some wine as the election results started…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 4
Sometimes these weekly recaps have a theme and sometimes they are really just random snapshots of what it’s like to run through our week. There are times when I like to tell a longer story and have plenty of photos to stretch the event over a few days and then we run…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 3
I know I felt scattered and pushed for time last week so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that the resulting set of images is a random grab bag of topics but I’m still a little impressed I managed to include dark shadows, Halloween decorations, ugly Christmas sweaters, a Lego…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 2
Every year I try to convince myself that there is plenty to love about Fall. Most people I know (myself included) look forward to cozy sweaters, pretty leaves and warm beverages but these three things aren’t enough to outweigh my dread of shorter days, cold rain and the threat of…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 1
October is here, the weather is changing and my thoughts are turning to late garden color, cozy accessories, movies and spooky lights. My week in a nutshell! After ignoring our yard for much of the summer I had fun at some end-of-season plant sales and shipped my first warm scarf of the…
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My Year In Pictures: September Weeks 3 & 4
If you’re a follower of my Instagram feed you already know I’ve moved on from summer photos to fall and we’ve all been enjoying pretty leaves, gardening and seasonal changes so I’m pushing the fast forward button here and posting the last two weeks of September together in one fell swoop. I…
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My Year In Pictures: September Week 2
It’s obvious I’m running a little behind real-time as my photo project is reaching the middle of September while the calendar says October is almost here but I’m actually liking the opportunity to stretch out summer for as long as possible. Fall has its own beauty but summer is truly…
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My Year In Pictures: September Week 1
As soon as our first hike to Second Beach ended two years ago a return trip has been at the top of my vacation wish list. Our first visit was such a lovely surprise with a quiet beach, warm temperatures, and wide open vistas we couldn’t help but remember the area…
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My Year In Pictures August Week 5
Keeping with the style from my last post this final August catch-up will also be a simple combination of location notes and lots of pretty pictures. If anyone wonders why we love living in the Pacific Northwest this series of Olympic National Park photos really illustrates the best of what we…
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My Year In Pictures: August Weeks 3 & 4
It’s Labor Day Weekend here marking the end of summer and the window above my desk is filled with fog, rain and maple leaves that are starting to turn. Here on the blog however we’re still in the middle of sunshine and summer days as I haven’t posted an update since August…
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My Year In Pictures: August Week 2
My photos this week are a fun blend of hot colors mixed with cool mountain air and ocean breezes. It’s finally started to feel like summer again even though there’s a heat advisory in place we’re spending as much time as possible outdoors, enjoying every minute. Sunday afternoon we tried to…
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My Year In Pictures: August Week 1
At first glance this week’s photos look like a typical set of my daily random images and on the surface that’s true but with a little more background they really tell the story of what’s been occupying our time and how we’re trying to capture some feel-good summer moments in the middle of our busy days. When…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 4
Hard to believe July is already in the past but at least we had a good time while it lasted. 🙂 This week’s set of photos is a mixed bag combining some favorite vacation shots with scenes from my walks through the city and a new order ready for shipping from…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 3
After seven months of staying close to home and really stretching to make my daily images appear interesting I finally got out to take some pretty island photos. One of the creative challenges about keeping up this daily/weekly series is what to do when busy days mean no time for photo scouting…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 2
While there are two different ways to view the lack of regular entries on my posting calendar the end result is the same… I’ve fallen woefully behind in my recap schedule. The good news is I’m keeping up with my daily Instagram/Facebook/Twitter pictures so there are plenty of new images to write about…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 1
In the middle of a super busy week my thoughts turned to holidays and games as an escape from our over scheduled days. Looking at the gallery above you can rightly guess this has been a challenging stretch! Not only are there 3 holiday related images and 2 game photos there is a moment…
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My Year In Pictures: June Week 4
Strawberries, flowers, sail boats and lazy days at the lake – this week’s set of photos is all about summer memories new and old. The week started with this pretty shot from my parent’s garden followed by one of our tiny wild strawberry plants caught in the middle of an evening sunbeam.…
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My Year In Photos: June Week 3
What a week! The third week of June flew by in a flash only slowing to note Father’s Day, the first day of summer, the last day of school and the start of Ryan’s trip to spend some quality time with his Grandparents. We enjoyed a quiet Father’s Day and loved…
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My Year In Photos: June Week 2
I see a lot of blues, grays along with some warm patches of gold in my latest set of photos which is just about right when it comes to June in the Pacific Northwest. Blue skies and flowers mixed with heavy gray clouds and warmed by the sun during our longest…
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My Year In Photos – May Week 5 & June Week 1
After nearly 1.5 years of taking and posting daily photos along with a 2 year tradition of regular weekly wrap-up posts here on the blog I’m finally throwing my hands up and admitting this time around I’ve totally blown my self-induced deadlines. I hope you like this super-sized post covering two weeks…
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My Year In Photos: May Week 4
If these seven photos are going to stand as the final word about my last four weeks I guess they’re saying it was a month of contrasts. I see soft focus and hard edges here and by Friday I even posted one image twice because I couldn’t decide which direction to…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 3
This week I don’t see a common thought tying these seven images together but there is a sneaky unifying thread about this group that surprised me. Brick red is definitely not one of my favorite colors but shades of loud orange-red are present in each shot. It’s all but hidden in two photos when…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 2
We’ve turned the corner into the middle of May and as spring fades to summer our family focus has been on growth and new beginnings. A quick scroll through this set of seven images really highlights what’s captured my attention: pretty, soft colors, natural science and good health. We’ve enjoyed fresh…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 1
I feel like we’ve finally turned the corner toward a long, warm summer and now instead of rushing outside at the first hint of blue sky I’m secretly looking forward to some rainy days so I can catch up on inside chores. Spring 2016 has been picture perfect here in…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 4
Looking at Ryan’s 1000 piece puzzle spread out on the desk is a lot like searching through my photo files filled with tiny images that tell the story of our lives. It takes 1000 little pieces to show every known atom in the universe and at the end of this year I’ll have 1096…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 3
My last set of photos was really a random, disconnected glimpse into our mid-April but this week I’m seeing a definite trend toward happiness and good wishes. Not only did I stop to appreciate a sign announcing “I’m in the pursuit of happiness” but we had the good fortune to enjoy plenty of…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 2
Looking through this set of photos I can’t see an obvious theme tying them together unless I decide to count general randomness as a unifying thread but any week that jumps from Lego mini-figures to trains to audio books to 80’s records must have contained some interesting moments and really that’s all…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 1
It’s always nice to look back on a week that felt like any other and discover you actually saw some great things along the way. April in the Pacific Northwest means fresh flowers, a little bit of sunshine and a lot of rain, all of which you can see above, and to keep…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 5
There are days when I can focus on the big picture and let little things go by the wayside but then comes a week when the big picture is just a bit to big and I narrow my field of vision searching for small things that make me happy. I didn’t over think this…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 4
If you’ve been following my daily photos on Instagram you might have noticed I’m falling a little behind in my weekly recap schedule here on the blog. In fact, I’m planning to write the next recap tomorrow so cross your fingers we’ll be caught up by the middle of next week.…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 3
Random is the first word that came to mind tonight as I clicked through this set of seven images. Appropriate really since I feel like we’re just flying through each day trying to be present at every appointment and commitment while making time for a quick breath and moment to appreciate the world…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 2
A quick scroll through my photo files highlights an interesting color trend that peaks about this time every year. Once our highly saturated strings of lights and holiday decorations are put away it takes me about six weeks to reach for strong colors again so January and February appear as soft months filled with ivory, blue and…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 1
Wow, we’re only a few days into March and already I feel like it’s living up to its reputation of coming in like a lion and (hopefully) going out like a lamb. I’ve had enough of the lion and am sitting here impatiently waiting for some lamb time. The last Sunday of…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 4
We’re almost at the end of the first month in my new year-long challenge and after 27 days of daily photos I am happy to report that it is still fun. 🙂 I’m enjoying the freedom to try some new things after spending a year exploring the random settings in Hipstamatic…
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My Year in Pictures: February Week 3
I’m so happy February has an extra day this year! Really, I’ll need more than one day to catch up but I’ll make the most of what I get. 🙂 The third week of February started on a sweet note with Valentines day falling on a Sunday. We celebrated with…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 2
Finding the right words to describe February in the Pacific Northwest is always a challenge for me. Some days feel like winter while others bring a mix of spring-like skies, rainbows and thunder storms. In truth it’s a month of contradictions as the snow fans fear their last chance of a white blanket…
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The Weekly Photo Challenge: Time Is An Artist
Time and memory are true artists; they remould reality nearer to the heart’s desire. John Dewey I’ve spent a few days looking at this colorful map of the US on my desk and while I thought it would be a fun way to mark the final destinations of our new Etsy orders…
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It’s a New Year and I have a new challenge! My Year In Pictures: February Week 1
As promised I’m back with another daily photo project! If you were with me through my last year-long photo series the format and tone of this new challenge will remain the same but to keep things interesting I’m spending the year experimenting with all the photo apps I’ve collected but not used…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 4)
Today I’m going to jump right into my last “shake it up” recap so we can get to my final thoughts about this project and start talking about where I’m going for the next phase of my photo-a-day challenge. Sunday was a little too cold and wet for my comfort but perfect…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January with Hipstamatic (week 3)
After a difficult stretch mid month we were ready for a quieter week here and I think all of us had their fingers crossed hoping for a few days to catch our breath. Looking back I see we did indeed find a little peace mixed in with a few signs of spring…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I know I started this random photo a day project as a way to acknowledge the good in every day but there are some weeks when I just want them to hurry up and be gone. This week was definitely one of those and while nothing terrible happened sometimes a series of complications…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 1)
We’ve reached the final month of my first year-long photo of the day project and even though I still have 4 weeks of images to share I can tell I’m going to miss at least a few parts of the process when we’re finished. In truth this has been a love/hate…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Weight(less) Kites
You will find truth more quickly through delight than gravity. Let out a little more string on your kite. Alan Cohen This week Ben asks us to share a photo of something marked by its weight – or it’s weightlessness. Ryan carried his new kite through a full day of hiking and…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Invincible Summer)
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. Albert Camus When our winter days are cold and dark I hold tight to moments like this knowing summer will come again. I took this Whidbey Island photo on a picture perfect August day as we hiked along Ebey’s…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 5)
It’s fitting that on the day I decided to check off the last remaining items from three old “to-do” lists I’m ending it by writing a post that bridges the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. It’s a day to clean house, both literally and figuratively and according to WordPress my three-year blogging anniversary.…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Circle (Goodbye 2015 and Hello 2016)
If I had to make a list of favorite ways to welcome the New Year visiting a beach would be right up at the top. John and Ryan have bravely joined me for some of cold, wet and windy walks along the shore followed by a quick photo to mark our presence…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 4 – the Christmas edition)
In the few hours left before our New Year’s Eve countdown I’m here online to recap a 7 day stretch that was filled with Christmas. We spent last full week of the month surrounded by festive displays, holiday decorations, good food, and family. Next week will bring a fresh start and end of the…
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2015 in review
Here it is – my WP year in review. 🙂 It was sweet to see that my busiest day of 2015 was on my Grandma Emma’s 97th Birthday and her “round the world virtual birthday card” was the third most read post of the year. My #1 was one of…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Challenger’s Choice (Shades of Finn)
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve joined Sally’s weekly photography challenge but I’m ready to end the year on a high note and jump right back in with two images for this week’s theme of challenger’s choice (animals). When I opened our Etsy store in November I knew it would mean…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Now that our shopping is finished, the house is almost clean and I have a few minutes of quiet before cooking Christmas Eve dinner this set of photos from mid-month is a reminder of what it took to get us here. All in all we had a good week and…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I’m pretty sure I read hundreds of “how to” articles before starting this blog in January of 2013 but only one piece of advice really stuck in my head, “never apologize.” At first I thought this was just a throwaway line from the kind of person who thinks manners don’t matter on…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Hello everyone! I didn’t plan to be away for so long and don’t think I’ve ever gone 10 days without a post but sometimes life just gets in the way… One thing I didn’t let go though was my daily photo habit and even though this set of 7 images…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 4)
I’m still shaking my head at the fact that as I write this there are only a few hours left in the month of November. Our wintry weather, family activities, busy work days and holiday decorations are all telling me the end of the year is almost here but I swear it we…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Trio
A happy family is but an earlier heaven. George Bernard Shaw A trail-side “selfie” of John, Ryan and I illustrating everything that makes me happy and grateful as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in our sunny pacific northwest corner of the United States. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Trio.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 3)
“Wow what a week” is all I can say as I after seeing this set of 7 photos together in a gallery waiting for my post. It’s been another non-stop whirlwind of activity broken up by a major wind storm, a night without power and some chilly days. Brr…winter is coming.…
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Bloggers Unite for Peace
Originally posted on Uncle Spike's Adventures: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke Here are some ways to add your support to this message of peace: 1) Publish the following statement on your own blog 2) Post a link…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 2)
If I had to pick one word summarizing the past week I think I’d choose “stormy.” Our surprising Pacific Northwest drought is coming to an end as a series of “Pineapple Express” weather systems have delivered more rain in the past 10 days than we usually see in the whole month of November with plenty more…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic ( week 1)
As I sit in front of my computer tonight, three days after the day I wanted to finish this post I’m reminded one more time why this random image, daily photo project is important. It’s so easy to get lost in our busy days. I rush from work to evening events, the laundry room…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 5)
As promised I have a few more spooky images from John’s latest creations in my newest recap. The past week was filled with Halloween preparations and you can see he really had fun designing and displaying new vignettes. I mixed in a few “daily life” photos to keep my theme…
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Happy Halloween 2015!
To all my Halloween celebrating friends I hope you have a happy, spooky and safe Saturday night! We’ve got plans for a relaxing evening filled with good food, scary movies and lots of candy to share. You’ll see several more holiday themed pictures in my next “Shake It Up” post but…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Panorama (Crossing Puget Sound)
Even though my iPhone has a great panorama feature I rarely remember to use it. I’d like to think I am so caught up in the beauty of each location I can’t be bothered to think about trying something new but really I’m probably trying to get a few quick shots…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 4)
We’re reaching the end of October and in a house where Halloween is everything even our simple, daily views are magically transformed into something spooky. This week I’ve included a few glimpses of our newest decorations and some surprising examples of ordinary moments seen in a new light. Sunday is a shot of…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Careful (Father and Son)
Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant. Epictetus One of the best things about my usual “third in line” hiking position is capturing moments like this. John and Ryan like to walk…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black & White (Into the Forest)
A few weeks ago I shared the slightly embarrassing fact that sometimes I take a picture of where I’ve parked my car so I won’t lose it in a crowded garage but I didn’t mention that I also take photos of trail signs whenever we are out for a hike. I’m…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 3)
October is finally settling into a true fall like feel here in the Pacific Northwest. Apples are dropping, leaves are turning and scarecrows are popping up all over town. Our Indian summer continued through mid-week with one last stretch of 70 degree days but by Saturday afternoon rain returned and the…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Portrait of Jan de Leeuw)
October is John’s favorite month of the year because it means he can start installing his latest Halloween creations. I’ll be sharing little peeks of spooky cheer throughout the next two weeks beginning with this portrait of Jan de Leeuw. The original painting by Jan Van Eyck was painted in…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 1)
The first full week of October blew through the Pacific Northwest in true fall fashion. We enjoyed a stretch of sunny days filled with blue skies and fall colors, our summer-brown lawns and dry plants started to green up again and the sun rise is now late enough that I can enjoy…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Baby Birds and Gun Batteries)
I’m slowly working my way through hundreds of photos from our 2015 Staycation and in typical fashion 90% of them are of trees, beaches and the natural vistas that make the Pacific Northwest such a beautiful place to live. I’ve got so many potential images for this weeks “nature” challenge it’s difficult to choose just one…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 5)
If our fourth week of September was all about crisis management the fifth was about going with the flow. I guess the best we can hope for is that everyone ends the week healthy and happy and this time I’m relieved to report we did just that. Finn is on the…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Travel (Chetzemoka)
Cheech-Ma-Ham (Chetzemoka) Cheech-Ma-Ham was 40 years old and chief of the S’Klallam tribe when the first white settlers arrived in Port Townsend, WA. These settlers decided his name was too difficult to pronounce so in 1848 they changed it to Chetzemoka and gave him the royal nick name Duke of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 4)
As you can see from the big red, white and blue emergency sign this week did not follow my carefully constructed plan for a normal stretch of days. The early shots capture some pretty sights and colors that caught my eye but a phone call Friday afternoon changed everything. Regular readers have watched…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black & White (Fall in the Park)
Fall in the Pacific Northwest is a season of extremes. We bounce back and forth between stunning blue skies, mild temperatures and bright fall foliage contrasted by extended periods of damp, cool fog. This misty afternoon happened back in October 2013 but the photo is one of my favorites and I’ve been…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Grid (Seattle’s Great Wheel)
This week, let’s take the humble grid out of the shadows, and make it the star. Michelle W. The Daily Post I’m always amazed by how much weight can be supported by such delicate grid work. Watching these viewing cars float in circles above the Seattle Waterfront was almost as much…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 3)
September has been a busy month for us filled with growth, change and some pretty big adjustments. The first week of the month was all about wrapping up summer and preparing for a new school while the second week was filled with last minute preparations for high school, first day nerves,…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Acorn)
The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. Ralph Waldo Emerson This tiny acorn fell from its Oak tree and landed at my feet in front of Starbucks where Ryan and I were relaxing with iced coffee and cookies after his first day of High School. We decided there…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Monochromatic (Summer Greens in the Pacific Northwest)
A powerful monochromatic image is composed of a gradient of a single color, and has an emphasis on texture and composition. Jen H. The Daily Post After a steep but scenic hike up the Snoqualmie Region’s Ira Spring Trail winding through an evergreen forest, wildflower meadows and granite avalanche zones we enjoyed our…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I’ve erased dozens of opening sentences tonight trying to sum up my experiences from this past week and finally decided to just start with a few thoughts about the process. It’s hard to find your balance when every day is extreme in its peaks and valleys but in the end,…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected (The Web of Life)
“All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We do not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” – Chief Seattle Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Freedom on the Beach)
Kids + Beach = Freedom to Run Put two kids on the beach together and they naturally fall in step, running toward the open water, sunshine and surf. Ryan and his cousin Sophia were my inspiration for this week’s “nature” challenge at Lens and Pen by Sally.
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 1)
The last two days of August and the beginning of September passed through the Pacific Northwest with a season changing storm that’s rare for this time of year. Usually our summer continues for another six weeks and we count on a September filled with pretty fall color, cool nights and sun warmed afternoons but…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Editing and Processing (Polariod Past and Present)
Some weeks really make me work to find an interesting subject for Sally’s mobile photo challenge but the process is also part of the appeal and when it pushes me to wring the last bit of inspiration from my surroundings I count it as a win. This week I thought I had a fun photo ready…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 4)
It’s been a crazy week here in the Pacific Northwest and my choices of trees for the first and last images in this series is no accident. We’ve faced blazing hot weather, unhealthy levels of smoke in the air, end of summer berries and a record setting windstorm. I’m writing this…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Challenger’s Choice From Under the Sea
We’re almost through the fourth week of August and it’s time for a round of Challenger’s Choice over at Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge. I’m a little late to the party but the weeks not over so I still have time to share a few underwater views from our Staycation 2015 visit to…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 3)
This past week was a quiet one, maybe the last we’ll have for a while since my calendar is full of end of summer appointments and back to school activities. Ryan spent the week with my parents enjoying a bit of grandparent spoiling and cousin fun time while John and I…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Creepy
This week, show us something creepy — because hey, we can’t take photos of rainbows and puppies every day. Well, okay, I guess we can. But let’s branch out anyway! Michelle W. The Daily Post Our long hot summer has been filled with fun day trips through some beautiful Pacific Northwest locations…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black and White (On the way to Wallace Falls)
One of the first things you see on the trail up to Wallace Falls is a set of enormous power lines and their two towers. Instead of complaining how ugly they were I decided to treat them like the old growth trees we planned to see at the top of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 2)
This set of seven photos reminds me one more time that interesting things really can be found in the middle of a regular day. I started this random photo-of-the-day project during a dreary February week and here I am, six months later, still looking forward to going outside and finding something new every morning.…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Robin’s Egg Blue)
Last week I sat down with this tiny eggshell and my new Olloclip determined to get at least one clear image with the macro lens. Even though the focus isn’t perfect I like the colors and thought the soft pinks added a nice touch. Posted as part of Sally D’s…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Well, it’s Monday morning and our staycation week is over but sorting through my new photos to find one image from each day has been a fun trip back through our latest adventures. Our goal was to visit at least one mountain, island, river, beach and city while trying new things…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 5)
Another beautiful week has come and gone here in the Pacific Northwest and I’m happy to say we spent every minute possible enjoying outdoor living and a bit of travel. Sunday afternoon Ryan and I hiked to the lovely waterfall from yesterday’s post along with my aunt, sister and her…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Searching For Inspiration
We’ve reached the middle of the hottest summer on record here in the Pacific Northwest and the soaring temperatures combined with our home’s lack of air conditioning are making me long for cool forest pools and fresh waterfalls. Thank goodness it’s time for vacation! This year we’ve decided to shake things…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Close Up In The Garden
This week, discover the hidden details that can only be seen up close. Brie Anne Demkiw – The Daily Post During our walk to the grape vines from my previous post we passed a colony of bees harvesting pollen from this lovely border of sedum… Posted as part of the Weekly…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This week’s set of seven photos perfectly illustrate why I love summers in the Pacific Northwest. The temperatures are generally mild, flowers are in full bloom, gardens are at their peak and the beaches are wide open. I’m a day later than usual with this recap because Ryan and I just got home from long weekend…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Another pretty week in the Pacific Northwest has come and gone but thanks to my random photo a day project I have some nice souvenirs to remember the season. Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to sit outside for lunch and believe it or not I didn’t plan to match my food…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Boom!)
It’s been a hot dry summer here in the Pacific Northwest and for safety’s sake many towns around the region banned fireworks over the 4th of July weekend but these little boxes of TNT Poppits were apparently ok for the general public to throw at the ground for maximum noise…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Symbol (Summer Smiles)
Share your smile with the world. It’s a symbol of friendship and peace. Christie Brinkley This morning I’m remembering our 2014 Lopez Island adventure and dreaming about planning a return trip. One year ago today we hiked to the top of Iceberg Point and Ryan’s smile shone brightly from morning to night. Sharing friendship and…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I think I’ve mentioned before that some weeks I’m surprised by a theme weaving through the photos when I sit down to write my recap. There are plenty of weeks that feature random yet interesting moments but every once in a while I see a trend in my choice of subjects that wasn’t apparent…
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Nature in the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve
The summer of 2015 continues to be a season of extremes and while several parts of the country are experiencing floods and record rainfall the west coast is in the middle of a drought. The entire Pacific Northwest is now under extreme fire watch and Seattle had the hottest 4th of July…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking up July With Hipstamatic (week 1)
I have a quick little recap today since we just got home from a weekend away with family celebrating the 4th of July. Ryan is spending the next 5 days with his Grandparents and John and I are on our way to pick up some take out for dinner so we can…
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Telling Stories Through Black and White Photography: Waiting For Food and Fun
Every week Paula of Lost in Translation hosts a fun Black & White Sunday challenge and this week she’s welcomed guest host Allan Hamilton to share his expertise on the subject of narrative black and white photography. Allan’s guest post is full of great tips for creating engaging images that provoke thought without the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 4)
The fourth week of June was a fun one that began and ended with family time and was filled with what’s turning out to be a stretch of warmer than usual summer days. Since we don’t have air conditioning we’re doing what we can to keep cool and I’m using the high…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Muse And The Spirit of Our Inner Child
“The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.” Stephen Nachmanovitch When I saw “muse” was the theme of the latest Weekly Photo Challenge I knew the days ahead were going to be full of beautiful photos and posts as bloggers around the world let us peek behind their creative curtains while…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Cold Brew Coffee On A Hot Summer Day
Picking a subject for Sally’s Challenger’s Choice week is always fun because with 11 categories to choose from pretty much everything I like to photograph fits the bill. To keep things interesting I try to move through Sally’s list without repeating myself and this month I settled on food photography. I know this is…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Hello everyone! I’m back from a whirlwind week of end of the school year activities, annual appointments, a work trip to New York City and preparations for Father’s Day so the dads in my life can take some time off to relax and be reminded of how special they are…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Sometimes these weekly recaps highlight random, un-linked moments from my days and sometimes an unexpected theme emerges. Flowers, flowers and more flowers filled the second week of June. We filled our empty deck planters Sunday afternoon and before they were finished I snapped a photo of a few of the bright colors…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro in Pink
One last peony photo for the year as part of Sally’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro. Shot with my iPhone 6 native camera and edited in Snapseed.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid Peonies
Can I have one of each? I couldn’t walk past this flower stand without picking out a few for myself! Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 1)
I don’t know why the month of May always ends with everyone in our house sick but once again we’ve spent the last 7 days suffering through a cold that simply will. not. end. Sick or not life must go on and our week was full of some nice weather, end…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature and Organic Produce
I know summer’s right around the corner when I can count on a quick trip through our local garden market to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. This morning we filled our bags with apples, strawberries, rhubarb and big bouquet of peonies picked fresh a few hours earlier. The house is…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: On The Way To Klahhane Ridge
“In-between moments can be just as memorable as grand finales. This week, share a photo you took on the way to something else.” – Michelle W. The Daily Post Last August John, Ryan and I spent four days exploring The Olympic National Park and even though I was recovering from a summer…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 5)
It’s hard to believe June starts tomorrow but the photos above are proof that our unseasonably warm spring is leading right into an early summer. Next week will bring some rain back into the Seattle area but until then we’re enjoying these sunny last days of May. Hipstamatic’s random processing of Sunday’s…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Street Photography (A Quiet Memorial Day)
Most of our downtown businesses were closed Monday in honor of Memorial Day leaving anyone looking for afternoon entertainment with the choice of coffee at Starbucks, some tasty Gelato or the matinee showing of Tomorrowland in a 91-year-old theater. We went to the movies. 🙂 Posted as part of…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Broken
The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks. Tennessee Williams While today’s photo doesn’t include violets or mountains it still reminds me of Tennessee Williams’ quote from Camino Real. Symbolic opposites are incorporated throughout this play illustrating a world full of harsh contrasts and in the end we learn the only thing that conquers the broken is…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 4)
One of my favorite parts of this daily project/weekly recap series is an “aha” moment when I realize there was a trend to my week that I hadn’t noticed in the middle of the rush to finish each day. A little distance is a great tool for gaining perspective and I’m really starting to…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black and White Succulent
I’m always looking for something new to share as part of Sally’s weekly mobile photography challenge and while some weeks find me stretching for ideas other days an interesting composition is literally in front of my face. This little succulent was part of a pretty display of air plants hanging in the middle…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 3)
It’s been a quiet week here filled with normal life and unpredictable spring weather – just the way I like it. Sunday was Mother’s Day and the boys treated me to flowers, a relaxing afternoon and dinner at home. Ryan and I stopped at Starbucks for Frappuccino’s before walking to the beach while…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Enveloped in the Marvelous
The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it. Charles Baudelaire Our everyday lives are filled with marvelous moments just waiting to be acknowledged and the richest of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Today’s recap is a quick one while I wait for Ryan to finish his math so we can start our Mother’s Day walk to the beach. It was another beautiful spring week here in the Pacific Northwest filled with plenty sun and very little rain. We are all a little concerned about a dry…
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iPhoneography Tuesday: Nature’s Cycle in the Tulip Fields
The showy blooms have faded and it’s back to work for these hardy rows of tulips. The Roozengaarde family has farmed tulips in Holland and the US since the early 1700’s and their 1,000 acre farm in the Skagit Valley is filled with tulip, daffodil and iris fields earning them the title of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Sometimes I wonder if seemingly random choices are really influenced by real-time events in our lives. These seven randomly processed images from the past week surprised me today with their faded colors and soft focus and also by the fact that they are a visual interpretation of how I’ve felt here at home. I…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Challenger’s Choice (Seattle’s Underground Streets)
It’s the fourth week of the month at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge and that means it’s time for Challenger’s Choice. Even though this looks like a creepy basement it’s actually my entry in the street photography category as this was an open air…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This past week was a good example of how nice it is to have a few things to look forward too spread out over the course of seven days. We had just enough time to keep our regular life running smoothly while enjoying a birthday celebration, crazy spring weather and meeting…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion (Sounds of the Hoh River)
“A stream is music and motion: smooth glides, fast, turbulent riffles and deep pools, each posing a special challenge.” Nelson Bryant We could hear music from the Hoh River long before we reached this rocky beach in the Olympic National Park. The water literally sang as it rushed over the flat stones and…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Black and White Tiki and Happy Birthday Wishes
Each spring two Robin families make themselves at home below our decks and build these lovely nests raise their babies. Last fall John moved the old ones up to the back porch and they’ve weathered the winter protected from the worst of our wind and rain. This nest has a new resident reminding us…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April with Hipstamatic (week 3)
Another busy week has come and gone but over all it’s been a good one here in our little corner of the Pacific Northwest. While my days fly by in a blur of work, family, driving and if I’m lucky a little bit of blogging I’ve been trying very hard to recognize those quiet moments…
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iPhoneography Challenge: Macro (Spring Trillium)
When we lost the large trees in our front yard I thought my favorite patch of shade loving trillium was finished but we carefully transplanted a few hardy specimens to the back side of our house and this little seedling is growing strong tucked away under a leafy rhododendron. Posted as…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Even though I was away from blogging last week I continued my attempt to take one random photo every day and am here for a quick Sunday night post recapping the past seven days. Ryan enjoyed a relaxing spring break while I had a great time exploring new ways to structure my time and really…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 1)
This past week was a fun one filled with lots of work, the end of the school quarter, crazy spring weather and Easter preparations but thanks to this “shake it to randomize” series I made sure to stop at least once every day and look for something pretty that would have…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Blur (Morning in Westlake Park)
Ah, lives of men! When prosperous they glitter – Like a fair picture; when misfortune comes – A wet sponge at one blow has blurred the painting. Aeschylus I spent some time searching quotes this morning looking for a starting point to accompany the word “blur” and of the many pages of quotations…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 4)
I think any week that starts with a big party is bound to go well and this past one was no exception. Our Sunday began in Bellingham with a beautiful lunch in honor of my mom’s birthday and ended with the discovery of these pretty, pink camellia blooms. I’ve been…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh (Pike Place Market)
I’m pretty sure this “fresh” sign is meant to advertise freshly caught fish at Seattle’s Pike Place Market but each time I walk up this ramp I read the two signs together and think “fresh restrooms” below… Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh.
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iPhoneography Monday: Travel (Underground in Seattle)
The fourth week of every month is Challenger’s Choice at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Photo Challenge so for March I’ve chosen this shot of the upper walk way through Seattle’s Bus Tunnel and Westlake Station. I visited the tunnel a few weeks ago looking for…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Just when we thought this strange, sun filled winter would last forever spring arrived and brought some much needed rain to the Pacific Northwest. This week was exactly how March should feel in Washington with lots of fresh green growth, wet petals on the ground and flashes of bright sunlight. Sunday…
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iPhoneography Challenge: Black & White (Afternoon Light on the Washington Coast)
This was a hard view to leave behind after a wonderful summer day on the Washington Coast so if you have the opportunity to visit the Olympic Peninsula be sure to plan a hike out to First, Second or Third beaches. Bring your cameras and make the most of wide open vistas,…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up March with Hipstamatic (week 2)
At least once a day I shake my head and wonder where the time went. I know rushing through weeks, feeling let down because I couldn’t finish an unrealistic “to do” list is a bad habit but one of the benefits of this weekly series is visual proof that I did find time…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Wall (Deception Pass Bridge)
The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds. Theo Jansen Whidbey Island’s Deception Pass Bridge is a wonderful example of Dutch artist Theo Jansen’s premise that the walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds. Dedicated in 1935 this beautiful cantilever truss bridge joined the…
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iPhoneography Challenge: Macro (cork it)
Pinterest is full of crafty projects using old wine corks and while I’ll admit there was a time last year when I thought it might be fun to make something I can’t seem to get past the “save the corks” stage. Our bags of corks may never grace the walls as a DIY bulletin…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 1)
These past seven days are exactly why I need a project like this shake-it-up series. Every day was filled with things to do and tasks to accomplish but working through each item that needed my attention meant I had very little time for creativity. Usually I end a stretch like this feeling…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Nature (Spring Blooms in February)
As you can see from the title I’ve missed my usual iPhone Monday posting schedule by a few days and I also have to admit I never posted the last Black and White Challenge photo from my promised series of 5 images in a row back in February. Hopefully today’s image makes…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up February With Hipstamatic (week 4)
It’s hard to believe February is over but seeing as this is March 1st it must be true! The last week of the month flew by in a blur of work and events but the simple task of looking for one new thing to photograph and share has really helped me…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward (Gifts From the Sea)
The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea. Anne Morrow Lindbergh Our first view of the Washington Coast from Rialto Beach and posted as part of…
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iPhoneography Monday: Animals (Fun with Finn)
Well, at least one of us was having fun… This was my first day experimenting with Hipstamatic’s shake-it-to-randomize feature and Finn was being a good sport but really all he wanted to do was sleep. Both images were taken with my iPhone 6 in Hipstamatic using Bettie XL and Big…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up February With Hipstamatic (week 3)
While most of the country is trapped in a sub-zero weather pattern our strangely warm Pacific Northwest winter brought bright blue skies and temperatures in the 50’s. No one knows quite what to do here but we’re trying to spend as much time outside as possible knowing the rain and chilly air will be…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: The Rule of Thirds at North Creek Park
Ryan and I spent a fun fall afternoon exploring North Creek Park’s peat bog and floating boardwalk but when it came to photos I couldn’t decide which element I liked more, the wild grasses, the blue sky or the curvy path leading us across and around the water. I finally…
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iPhoneography Monday: Black and White Dragon
Black and White week at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Photo Challenge is a great opportunity to share this companion piece to the Chinese Zodiac photo I posted a few days ago. Like the Zodiac this large brass inlay tile is set into a sidewalk in Seattle’s…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking up February With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Even though it’s hard to believe February is half over I have a new group of 7 random images to share marking the passage of each day in this little month. My “shake to randomize” Hipstamatic project is turning out to be more fun than I expected and not only…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Symmetry in Seasons
There is in all things a pattern that is part of our universe. It has symmetry, elegance, and grace – these qualities you find always in that the true artist captures. You can find it in the turning of the seasons, the way sand trails along a ridge, in the…
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iPhoneography Monday: Macro (Velella Velella on the Washington Coast)
I’d never heard of this little creature before we found a beach full of them during our summer visit to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula but I’ve since learned we stumbled upon a rare summer beaching of thousands of Velella Velella. Millions of tiny blue sea creatures are washing up on beaches…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking up February With Hipstamatic
February is a strange little month. The big family holidays are over, our days are short and wet, someone is usually sick and I’m running on empty when it comes to creative thoughts. I shouldn’t be surprised as the same things happen every year but once again we hit the end…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale (Dragons in Chinatown) B&W Challenge 4
One of my favorite public art installations in Seattle is the series of 11 Chinese dragons twisting and turning their way across light poles in Chinatown’s International District. Under the direction of chief designer Martin Brunt it took a team of sculptors, painters, boat builders and a feng shui expert two years…
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Black & White Challenge Day 3: Chinese Zodiac
Looking down at the sidewalk can be just as interesting as looking up at the buildings in Seattle’s International District. This brass inlay of the Chinese Zodiac is set into the sidewalk along Maynard and I’m continuing my Black & White Challenge walk through Chinatown with this photo in honor of the upcoming…
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Phoneography Challenge: Nature (City Trees in Winter and the B&W Challenge Day 1)
Even though our 2014/2015 winter is shaping up to be the winter-that-wasn’t I’ve spent it either inside the house or out on city streets too busy to take advantage of our unseasonably warm days. I wish I had a camera roll full of forests and snow-covered mountains to share but this image of bare trees…
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Wishing My Beautiful Grandma Emma a Happy 97th Birthday!
One year ago today I thought it would be fun to write my Grandma Emma a happy birthday post in honor of her 96th birthday. I hoped she would enjoy seeing her photo and name in my blog and smile at the thought of this unique birthday card created just for her. One year…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Depth and Compassion
Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. Albert Schweitzer As John, Ryan and I work through the challenges and rewards of living with our newest family member Finn, compassion…
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iPhoneography Monday: Street Quotes
I don’t know how many times I’ve walked past this wall of bronze tiles outside the Westlake Park Starbucks in too big of a hurry to notice what was happening around me but last month I finally slowed down enough to see several of them are actually inscribed with interesting quotes.…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself
Don’t keep all your feelings sheltered – express them. Don’t ever let life shut you up. Dr. Steve Maraboli Walking through Seattle’s Pike Place Market on Christmas Eve I deliberately looked away from the brightly colored food and flower stalls to spend some time watching people and their surroundings. The traditional market attractions are…
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iPhoneography Monday: Winter Fog On The Waterfront
After a week of heavy fog Ryan and I’d had it with the lack of light and we left the house for the beach in search of some sky. I know driving towards the water isn’t the best way to escape fog but at least we had a chance to see more than gray…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity
I’m a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar. Serenity – Hoban “Wash” Washburne For this week’s photo challenge Cheri asks us to share our interpretations of serenity. I’m sure the prompt was meant as an encouragement to explore calm, peaceful feelings and I’m happy to do that with a photo but…
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iPhoneography Monday: A Light in the Dark
Finding a well-lit macro subject inside my house on a dark January afternoon is a challenge but yesterday I spent some time studying an old ship’s lantern on our mantel. The brass and glass light above is one of a set of three from my father-in-law who spent his working years sailing the world,…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadow
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. Buddha A place to clear my mind and fill shadows with joy…
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iPhoneography Monday: Nature (Pike Place Market Flowers in December)
The long arcade full of beautiful bouquets and local flower vendors is one of my favorite parts of Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA but our wet winter days mean these farmers need to be creative if they want to fill their shelves year round. Once the fall flower season…
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Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015!
I’m back for a brief visit during my internet vacation to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year’s Eve! Regular posting resumes in a few days but I want to close the year with this fun collage of 1st day photos along with some exciting news about my participation in a…
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Phoneography and Digital Photo Challenge: Portraiture (Ryan and Finn)
“Never work with kids or pets” is a show business saying frequently attributed to W.C. Fields and while I’m pretty sure it refers to the fact that audiences ignore adult actors when cute kids and/or animals are around it should also serve as a warning to not attempt taking Christmas…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow
The middle of the road is for yellow lines and dead armadillos. Jim Hightower I’m glad John and Ryan chose the side of the road for their summer walk. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Twinkle
We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle. Marilyn Monroe It’s always fun to window shop at Tiffany. Here we get a little glimpse of New York City while walking the streets of Seattle. 🙂
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Black & White (Post Alley)
While the tourist attraction part of this stretch of Post Alley makes me squirm (chewing gum stuck to the walls) I can’t seem to stop looking for new photo opportunities each time I visit Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Last Friday I was drawn to the bright winter light and how each group of…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Gone, But Not Forgotten
The remote beaches and rugged coastlines of the San Juan Islands are frequently mentioned as one of the top vacation destinations in the world but travel magazines rarely mention their history as a haven for turn of the century smugglers and rum runners. Famous privateers made and lost fortunes smuggling drugs, immigrants and…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro (Summer Hydrangeas)
December in the Pacific Northwest means plenty of wet days and early sunsets. Today’s 8:33 hours of daylight passed far too quickly but these bright blue Hydrangea flowers remind me that summer is just a few months away. 🙂 Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge
Converge: to come together and have one interest, purpose, or goal. Thanksgiving in my family is a logistical puzzle but any of us who can be in the same place come together for a meal and between our various groups we share phone calls and goofy texted photos of turkey dinners and happy tables. This year…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Nature (Fall in my Backyard)
It’s hard to believe December is already here but it’s the first Monday of another month and time for Sally’s creative Phoneography challenge: Nature. I’m happy to be back from a busy few days filled with Thanksgiving visits, half-finished home projects and the general stuff that piles up when I try to do too…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Portraiture (Ryan in the Hoh Rainforest)
While this isn’t a traditional forward-facing portrait I think it captures Ryan’s sense of adventure and his belief that nature is full of magic. If he has his hat, camera and a stick he’s prepared for anything and from my second-in-line trail place I’m ready to document our travels. This moment is…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Angular
“Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.” Dali Lama Libraries have always seemed like magical places to me and the freedom to walk aisles full of stories and information is a luxury I never take for granted. Through my childhood, school years and now as an…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Black and White (Heritage Park)
I’ve shared a few mushroom photos from my recent visit to Lynnwood’s Heritage Park but the real purpose of this park is to provide a safe space for the restoration and preservation of some South Snohomish County’s historic buildings tagged for demolition. This 1917 Superintendent’s Cottage and Water Tower was part of the…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Achievement
We have a small patch of wild strawberries growing in the backyard that are pretty to look at but the birds and squirrels always beat us to eating the fruit. Since I haven’t been able to taste one I don’t know if the berries are tart of sweet but this year the…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro (Canna Leaves)
Some of you might recognize this canna from a mid-summer black and white photo challenge but I couldn’t resist going back for a new angle to take part in Lens and Pen by Sally’s weekly phoneography challenge: Macro.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Minimalist
A few days ago I visited Lynnwood’s Heritage Park hoping to tour a vintage trolley car from the Seattle – Everett Interurban Railway and learn a little about the town’s pre-Depression era poultry boom as the second largest egg producing area in the country. This three acre city park is actually…
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iPhoneography Monday: 11-3-14
Usually fall in the Pacific Northwest means cool nights, warm afternoons and plenty of fall color flashing against bright blue skies. I hoped our beautiful summer would lead to another perfect season but this year has been anything but typical and now one of the wettest October’s on record…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Descent
Even though we hiked out to Sol Duc Falls during one of the driest summers on record the powerful sound of water rushing over the edge and down the canyon was something John, Ryan and I will always remember. After admiring this view from the center of the narrow log…
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Another visit to the 2014 Edmonds Scarecrow Festival
Yesterday’s beautiful fall weather was all the encouragement I needed for another walk through town to photograph a few more scarecrows decorating local businesses. Earlier this week I shared Jack Skellington relaxing by a bank and Salvador Dali looking for inspiration outside an art supply store. While I have one more art related scarecrow…
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-27-14
October in Edmonds means it’s time for the Edmonds Historical Museum’s annual Scarecrow Festival. Participants have two weeks to decorate and register their creative displays followed by two weeks of public voting before the winners are announced November 1st. The streets around town are full of some really imaginative scarecrows drawn from popular fiction, business themes,…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Refraction
Finding an image to suit this challenge has taken me all week and I’m still not sure I’ve really captured refraction but at least it’s given me the chance to share one more photo from Lake Crescent, WA. This crystal clear water is due to a lack of nitrogen which inhibits…
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-20-14
I always smile when I see small stacks of stones placed carefully along a trail so this old beach log on the Washington coast stopped me in my tracks. I don’t know if we are looking at the finished work of one artistic beachcomber or if several walkers left their markers…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 24 Hour Review
When I wrote my first post in the 1 Day 1 World Project series I hoped I wasn’t promising something I wouldn’t be able to deliver. Could I really write 24 posts documenting 24 real-life hours and still publish content that was interesting or worse, would it be like hosting the dreaded…
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-13-14
A few weeks ago our local beach was covered by a combination of slippery seaweed and clear jellyfish. Every step we took carried the potential for an unpleasant fall but I’m happy to report we returned unharmed and I have this photo to share as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the last hourly post in my six month project documenting one hour each week for 24 straight weeks! Back in May I thought we would have fun watching the time pass through different seasons and countries but I never dreamed this series would inspire so many…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy
I close my eyes, then I drift away, into the magic night I softly say. A silent prayer, like dreamers do, then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you. Roy Orbison – In Dreams Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy.
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-6-14
This relaxed seagull walked over to visit while a some adventuresome kite surfers flew across the waves. Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Nature.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
One year ago this little corner space beside our driveway was buried under pieces of old asphalt, granite boulders, tree trunks and some pretty big excavation equipment. Bringing some life back to the bed has been an ongoing project and we’ve slowly filled in the soil with new plants that…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Signs
The test of an adventure is that when you’re in the middle of it, you say to yourself, “Oh, now I’ve got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home.” And the sign that something’s wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home…
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iPhoneography Monday: 9-29-14
Two Lucky Duck cousins ready to play for prizes at the county fair. Photo taken with iPhone 5 and edited in Oggl using the Lowy Lens and DC Film combination. Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Editing and Processing.
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1 Day 1 World Project 9:00 am – 10:00 am
It’s hard to believe 22 weeks have passed since the start of this project but one look at our well used BBQ tells me loud and clear that summer is over. Maybe if we wait a little longer the fall rain will clean it for us… If you have a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Nighttime
“How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss Long summer days are one of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest but nighttime still comes far too fast. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Nighttime.
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iPhoneography Monday 9-22-14
Another full weekend and another happy party. I feel like September has passed in a blur of entertaining and schedules but at least the weather has been beautiful, the company has been great and we’ve enjoyed plenty of good food and drink on the deck. I sat down outside Saturday…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Last month I wrote a popular post about how we’ve made an effort to simplify our food choices and buy most of our fresh food from local farmers and suppliers. One of my favorite changes is our weekly visit from Smith Brothers Farms and our milkman, Josh. Four generations of Smith Brothers…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance
“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.” Ralph Waldo Emerson We made it to the turn around point of our Klahhane Ridge adventure with nothing…
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iPhoneography Monday: 9-15-14
Regular readers know one of my favorite things to do is explore a new beach and Second Beach on the Washington coast has moved to the top of my list. I’ve posted a few photos from this visit and there will be more to come but today I have this…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 7:00 am – 8:00 am
In my 6:00 am post I mentioned one of the busiest parts of my week was planning John’s 50th Birthday party. I felt pretty good about finishing the shopping and cleaning by the night before but that meant all the cooking had to happen the morning of the party which is…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Humanity
My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. Desmond Tutu Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Humanity.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Adventure
The mountains are calling and I must go. John Muir “Mom, this is the best day ever!” Ryan’s first steps on the Klahhane Ridge Trail in the Olympic National Park. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Adventure.
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iPhoneography Monday: 9-8-14
We finished our hike out to Second Beach in Olympic National Park just in time for low tide and easy access to some beautiful tide pools. Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 6:00 am – 7:00 am
What do you do with a favorite red wagon when your kid outgrows pull toys and spends his time with electronics and sports? Turn it into a planter. 🙂 This week has flown by in a blur of first week of school activities, a new home re-decorating project and big plans for my husband’s 50th Birthday…
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iPhoneography Monday: 9-1-14
Beautiful, green moss covers most flat surfaces in Washington State’s Hoh Rainforest even this old phone booth outside the Visitors Center at the entrance to the park. Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Nature.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 5:00 am – 6:00 am
We’ve reached the daylight hours again, I’m feeling more like myself and Ryan is home from his late summer week with my parents. Put all these events together and it means another trip to the beach! This time John stayed home to get ready for an early morning at work…
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Travel Theme: Edge
There are several reasons I chose this photo for Alisa’s travel theme “Edge” but my favorite element is the line of Gulls patiently waiting their turn to stretch their wings and fly away.
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iPhoneography Monday: 8-25-14
I snapped this cute little bunny enjoying an afternoon snack outside the Lopez Islander Marina during our visit last month. Rabbits are everywhere in the San Juan Islands today even though they are a favorite attraction for the tourists the critters aren’t native to the area and are seen…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 4:00 am – 5:00 am
I guess a series of 24 posts coming together exactly as planned was too much to hope for and I should really be feeling lucky I’ve made it through the first 16 hours without anything going seriously wrong but I can’t help but be a little frustrated by this one……
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fray
This lone surfer quietly watched the water from Washington State’s Rialto Beach for 30 minutes before he decided the time was right to grab his board and enter the fray.
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iPhoneography Monday: 8-18-14
A few days ago I posted a view from our way up the Klahhane Ridge Switchback Trail and today I’ll share our turning around point. It’s a beautiful hike but this was far enough for me! Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photography Challenge:…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 3:00 am – 4:00 am
I’ve been worried about this 3:00 am week since the beginning of the 1 Day 1 World Project and as of last Saturday didn’t have a single good idea for what to do but Mother Nature came to my rescue with the rare, simultaneous occurrence of a Super Moon and the…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette
Some of our best hours in the Olympic National Park were spent exploring Second Beach on the Washington Coast. The one mile forest hike to the beach from a small parking area is just enough distance to keep crowds away and the sound of roaring surf echoing through the trees…
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iPhoneography Monday: 8-11-14
We’re slowly unpacking after a fantastic vacation in the Olympic National Park and I can’t wait to start sharing photos from our hikes through the mountains, beaches, lakes and rainforests of the Washington State Peninsula. This week is devoted to macro mobile photography at Lens and Pen by Sally so I’ll start small with…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 2:00 am – 3:00 am
I thought it was pretty quiet around here after 2:00 am but look who I found hanging out with popcorn and late night TV… If you have a photo or story to share about your 2:00 am hour I’d love to see it! Please tag your post 1 Day 1 World Project…
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