I have the honor of hosting this week’s Lens-Artists photo challenge. If you are able to do so, we are challenging you to get out and look for a change of scenery. You don’t have to go far from home. It can be in your neighborhood, town, or even a car ride away. Maybe there is a nearby park you haven’t been to in a while, or maybe you’ve been wanting to try a different route on your walk, run, or bike ride. If you are unable to get out right now, we’d love for you to browse through your archives to feature images from places you have visited in the past when you needed a change of scenery.
It’s been a long time since we have gone anywhere so my husband and I took off last week for a short road trip. Three nights in a small town on the Gulf Coast of Florida was just what we needed to recharge our batteries. Morning walks, nature trails, lots of birds, watching the sunset, and fresh delicious seafood were just what the doctor ordered.







In your post, please include a link to my original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so everyone can find your post in the WordPress reader. I’m looking forward to seeing your responses!
Thank you to everyone who participated in Tina’s Special Moments challenge last week. It was a joy to see so many special moments and read the incredible stories that went along with the images.
Many thanks to Tina, Ann-Christine, Patti and Amy for inviting me be be your host this week. I’m looking forward to seeing all of your responses!
Some great shots in a different location for you — how refreshing! We all need a getaway after this past year, and you’ve shown how the ordinary can be extraordinary either because we haven’t seen it in a while or it’s different from we’re accustomed to. You’ve got me thinking how I can share some shots as well.
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Thank you! Iām really glad you enjoyed the photos. It was wonderful to get away for a few days.
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Nice adventure you had there, and I really like that pelican. š
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There were a lot of pelicans there and some would get close to the fishermen on the pier hoping for a free lunch.
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Thanks for a great theme this week. The shot of the pelican is my favorite!
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Thank you! Iām looking forward to seeing what change is scenery you show us this week. The pelicans were fun to photograph.
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Beautiful pictures and an interesting theme . The pelican was a favourite but I was fascinated by the crab traps as well. Super post, Beth !
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Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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thanks for this great idea: https://wp.me/p16aNp-4MM
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Thank you! Iām glad you like the theme.
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What a great get away and images. Yes, the pelican is a show piece. I also like the calm shown in the rest of the pictures. I’m glad you had a wonderful time.
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Anne, thank you so much. That pelicans was more interested in the bait on a fishermanās line than he was in paying attention to me and my lens pointed at him.
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Enjoyed the tour of this lovely town on the Gulf Coast of Florida. These are beautiful photos via your lens. Love the trail, the unique boat, sunset, and the brown pelican capture. Thank you, Beth for hosting this week’s photo challenge. š
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Amy, I am so grateful I was asked to host and I was a little bit nervous! It was a lot of fun. Iām glad you enjoyed the photos.
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I love this theme and your post is inspiring. Here is my entry:
https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/77295/
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Well done Beth! Loved your theme and you got some terrific images from your getaway. The sunset looks fantastic! So glad you found your mini-vacation to be just what you were hoping for.
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Tina, it was my pleasure to host the challenge this week. Thanks again for asking me. I was nervous about it but I really enjoyed doing it. And the trip was just what I needed!
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It’s a tempting thought! We’re not allowed to cross boundaries till after Easter, but I’ve been doing my best around the doors. š š Could you send me that pelican?
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Iām hoping youāll be able to cross those boundaries soon! Iām sure the pelican would love to come see you if you promise him lots of free fish!
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What a wonderful get-away, Beth. The pelican photo is my favourite. I’m still in lockdown but did have “a trip around the world” to share: https://natalietheexplorer.home.blog/2021/03/17/a-trip-around-the-world/
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Natalie, The pelican is my favorite, too. I enjoyed your trip around the world post. Thanks for sharing.
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Glad to hear you were able to get away and enjoy a change of scenery. Looks like the perfect location. I’m looking forward to hitting the road in May. I’m more than ready for the change.
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Ingrid, we were really antsy to go somewhere. It had been almost two years since we had left the state. Cedar Key is one of my favorite places to see birds and I was on the lookout for White Pelicans. There were flocks of them there but they were always too far away to get a good close up shot. The brown pelicans were everywhere and very cooperative when I wanted to take their picture! Enjoy your road trip in May. It’s amazing how good it felt to get out of town for just a few days.
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I love your photos – especially the opening one. It is amazing how the birds divided themselves up that way!
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Thank you! We saw the white pelicans and cormorants on several different sandbars – all too far away for a good closeup. On each one they were grouped like that.
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Your images from your town is just lovely. Here is my change of scenery yesterday. https://mywanderings.travel.blog/2021/03/21/hidden-away-in-mt-dandenong/
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Teresa, thank you. And thank you for participating in the challenge. I really enjoyed your post.
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Thanks a lot.! Glad that you liked it.
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Wonderful post and theme! I would have liked to have followed your suggestion, but I am afraid my publication has gone a different way.
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Ana, so glad you enjoyed the post and the theme. Thanks for your post. I really appreciate your different perspective.
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Nice shots. I think you’ve captured a sense of peace and (in most shots) a sense of calm.
Here’s mine for this one:
https://stupidityhole.com/2021/03/21/distant-rainfall/
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I appreciate your kind words. I’m glad you felt the peace and calm that I felt being there. I enjoyed your post. Thank you for participating.
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Being someplace new is automatically changing scenery. It’s interesting to watch plants change depending on little things that change in their environment. My college campus was very flat with clay soil. Water would stand after heavy rains. But beside campus was a very small high … a slight rise in elevation. Terms out that was a glacial sand dune … and yep … the plants on there were different. Well done, Beth.
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Thanks Frank! When the flowers are blooming in my yard or neighborhood the scenery changes daily.
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Looks like such a beautiful, peaceful place.
Here is mine:
https://photographias.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/lens-artists-challenge-a-change-of-scenery/
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Thank you and thanks for contributing to the challenge. I love your post!
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Here is my entry: https://cxianliu.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/hooded-merganzer/
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Thank you for participating in the challenge.
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Great challenge topic! A restful getaway after the last year is on top of my mind as well. I love the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea. It’s been more than a decade since we’ve visited Florida to spend more than a day while getting ready to embark or arriving from the cruise ships at Miami or Port Canaveral. I need to think of a change of scenery to the eastern coast again!
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John, thank you for your comments. Even though I live near the ocean, it’s always good to visit another coastal town when I can. I hope you will get your restful getaway soon!
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Love your photos, especially the pelican, and I envy you your coastal escape! It’s a great idea for a theme but as we’re still in strict lockdown in the UK I’ve decided to share a place that was a valued ‘change of scenery’ for us as last year’s lockdown started to ease a bit: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/king-john-was-not-a-good-man-runnymede/ Hopefully we’ll be out exploring our immediate area again very soon, and looking forward to a couple of ‘staycations’ like yours later in the year when they should be permitted š
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Thank you for your comments and thank you for participating in the challenge. Your post is wonderful.
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I love seeing these beautiful images of the Florida coast as I watch dark clouds brood overhead today. Congrats on hosting Lens-Artists this week. A great group of photographers there! Your pelican image is wonderful! Hopefully, we can all get a change of scenery very soon!
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Terri, thank you. Iām glad you enjoyed the Florida images. We were lucky to have good weather while we were there. The pelicans were fun to see.
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It seems my pingback failed once again Beth. Here’s a link to my response https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2021/03/20/lens-artists-challenge-140-change-of-scenery/
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It worked this time. Thank you!
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Nice collection of images and a great theme, too!
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I so glad you enjoyed the images and the theme. Thank you!
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Welcome!
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Hello, here’s my contribution: https://wp.me/p59O59-5L4
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Suzy, thank you for your wonderful images of your change of scenery!
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I love that photo of the cormorants and pelicans on a sandbar. Beautiful light, beautiful spot, and a wonderful photo. So wonderful that you managed to get such a lovely holiday.
We just had a refreshing trip of our own, and here are my impressions from one morning: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2021/03/19/a-cold-rain-forest/
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Thank you for your kind words and for participating in the challenge. You took me to another world with your beautiful images.
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Hi, Beth. I’m “running” late this week after major crashes of my computer and camera! Yikes! I just want to tell you again how delighted we are that you’re leading the challenge this week and have chosen a theme that is perfect for those of us who have spent months close to home. I especially love your shots of the pelican and the Cedar Key pier which remind me so much of your part of the country. Here’s a link to my post of a quick trip to Maine. https://pilotfishblog.com/. Have a great week, too.
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Patti, it was my pleasure to host this week. I’m enjoying seeing so many ways people have interpreted the them. I enjoyed seeing your post of coastal Maine. We were there many years ago in March to visit family. Do they still call it “Mud Season”?
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Your photos are so beautiful, they make me want to take a trip to the beach. š
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to watch some people fly some fancy kites. It was a nice change of scenery.
https://ceenphotography.com/2021/03/22/lens-artists-challenge-140-a-change-of-scenery/
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Cee, thank you! I enjoyed your change of scenery post. Thanks for participating!
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Lovely theme and lovely getaway, Beth! I so enjoyed your calm images and subtle colours. All of them. Of course I must have the pelican as a favourite! Thank you for hosting this week – ā„
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Great images and wow what a wonderful trip you had Beth.
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the images.
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We haven’t left our county in over two years and barely gone 20 miles from home during this last year so we are totally ready for a break, somewhere, anywhere, but not just yet. In the meantime we have taken advantage of the opening of some local gardens when the weather was good at the end of February. Others are opening soon a little further afield and we will definitely be booking a slot! Love your pelican shot Beth. They are magnificent birds. I enjoyed seeing them in California. My post will be up tomorrow, though I am not sure you are allowing pingbacks on yours as I haven’t seen any in the comment section.
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Thank you for your comments. I’m looking forward to you post. I don’t know what is happening with the pingbacks. A few people have included them in their comments so please try. One person didn’t get it to work the first time but it worked when she tried again. So glad you liked the pelican. They are fun to see. I’m looking forward to your post.
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You have to allow ping backs on the post and then approve them. A link in a comment is different. I’ll check tomorrow.
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Thank you for mentioning it. I just changed the settings to allow them. Sorry for the confusion.
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Interesting Jude – I didn’t know that either!
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Hmm. Still no Pingbacks. I will add manually, like everyone else. https://fairplay740.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/lens-artists-challenge-140-a-change-of-scenery/
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John, so sorry about the ping backs not working. I donāt know why they arenāt. Will try again to make sure settings are correct
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Computers (and WordPress), gotta’ love ’em. I will attempt to give specific instructions.
1. Click on My Sites at upper left of your WP page.
2. Click on Settings, in main left column, or click WP Admin at bottom and then click Settings.
3. Under Settings, click Discussion.
4. At the top, under Default Article Settings, or Default Post Settings, Turn ON “Allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks) on new posts
You can also turn on/off pingbacks in an individual post.
1. In BLOCK editor look in the right column, click Post, click Discussion, then turn On/Off the settings as you want them.
2. In CLASSIC editor, scroll to the bottom of your post editing and look for Discussion. Turn On/Off settings as desired.
You may still have to look in COMMENTS to approve pingbacks.
I don’t know if all the old pingbacks will reappear or if it will only apply to new pingbacks.
ENJOY!
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John, thank you! I think they are working now.
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Thanks John. I didn’t know that! š
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And another: https://fairplay740.wordpress.com/2021/03/22/lens-artists-challenge-140-a-change-of-scenery-part-deux/
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Beth , love these photos, hoping to return to Florida soon. . Here is a link to mine …
https://100countrytrek.com/2021/03/23/lens-artists-photo-challenge-140-a-change-of-scenery/
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Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Thanks for your contribution to the challenge.
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I’m so glad y’all got to get away. We are going somewhere next week, probably for day trips only, but outside somewhere. Beautiful images and of course I love that pelican! š
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Lisa, the brown pelicans were around the pier and marina. The white pelicans were far out on sand bars in the water. Have fun on your outings!
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The browns tend to be more beggars when there are fishermen around. š
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Wonderful photographs of different locations you’ve visited.
Thank you for hosting this weeks challenge. Hope you enjoy
where my mind went qith this one.
Isadora š
https://isadoraartandphotography.wordpress.com/2021/03/23/lens-artists-photo-challenge-a-change-of-scenery/
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Thanks for an interesting topic this week. The scenery is changing quickly here in East Tennessee as springtime ushers in uncommon beauty! https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2021/03/23/lens-artists-photo-challenge-140-change-of-scenery/
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Thank you for your comment and for contributing to the challenge this week.
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Beautiful photos, Beth. Thank you for hosting this week.
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Miriam, I’m so glad you enjoyed the photos. Thanks for your contribution to the challenge.
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I don’t know why my link looks funny this week!
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It worked! I love your post!
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Thank you!
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Here is mine: https://oureyesopen.blog/2021/03/23/lens-artists-photo-challenge-140-unwanted-change-of-scenery/
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Thanks Lisa! Thanks for participating in the challenge!
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Thanks for hosting. I think this was my first time in this challenge. š
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Many, many thanks to everyone’s comments and to everyone who participated in the challenge. Several people have commented on having trouble with ping backs. I apologize for any frustration you have had about that. I have tried to correct the problem so hopefully there won’t be any more issues.
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Thank you so much for taking us along on your trip. It was a most welcome change of scenery. And what a great shot of the pelican!
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Sue, so glad you enjoyed the change of scenery and the pelican! Thank you!
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Finally a fine day – enough to go out for a change of scenery! https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2021/03/24/lens-artists-photo-challenge-140-a-change-of-scenery-hunting-for-spring/
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Thank you for your beautiful response to the challenge! You had a perfect day for your outing!
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I did – not many so far…but grateful for this day.
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Here is my small contribution: https://thisandthatthenextpart.wordpress.com/2021/03/24/lens-artists-photo-challenge-140-a-change-of-scenery/
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Thanks for sharing your beautiful images!
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A Pingback! I see a Pingback!! Wooo hooo!!!
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I liked both of your pelican photos. They are such an interesting and unusual bird. Thanks for hosting the challenge this week. Your topic forced me to leave the comfort of my home in search of photos. Here’s my contribution from our day trip yesterday. https://bendbranches.com/2021/03/24/the-lost-forest-a-short-story-lapc-swp/
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So glad you enjoyed the pelican photos. It was my pleasure hosting the challenge. Thank you for getting out for a day trip and sharing your story with us.
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A change of scenery is what so many of us want to see at. the moment! From Monday 29th we are allowed to roam a bit further. But I had to go to Birmingham last week and got a change of scenery – no beautiful landscapes, no wonderful light, but it was a change! And very interesting to see a city I know pretty well in it’s abnormally quiet mode. https://travelwithintent.com/2021/03/25/a-quiet-birmingham/
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I’m happy to hear that soon you will be able to venture a little further. I agree. At this point any change of scenery is welcome. Thanks for participating in the challenge.
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