Butterflies – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #384 – What Astonishes You?

February 7, 2026February 7, 2026Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, Nature, PhotographyTagged caterpillar, glacier calving, Grand Canyon, Landscape, Lens-Artists, Mesa Verde, ocean, Photo Challenge, Redwoods National Park, Trillium, Whooping Crane83 Comments

What have you seen or experienced that has astonished you? The challenge is to include photos about things that astonish you and tell us why you are astonished.

I got the inspiration for this challenge from these words by Mary Oliver from her poem “Sometimes”:

“Instructions for living a life:

Pay attention

Be astonished

Tell about it”

According to the Merrriam-Webster Dictionary the definition of astonished is “feeling or showing great surprise or wonder”.

There are so many astonishing places and things to experience in our world if we just take the time to pay attention to what is around us. Sometimes we can be surprised by something in our own backyard or neighborhood. It may be something in nature or it could be something created by humans like a piece of art or interesting architecture. We may want to travel to see astonishing wonders of nature or things created by humans. The challenge is to show us what astonishes you. What makes you go “WOW”?

I can find wonders all around my neighborhood and my own back yard when I slow down and look around me. It’s the little things like these that bring me joy. I’m astonished that this weird looking caterpillar on the left will become a beautiful Gulf Fritillary like the one on the right.

I plant flowers in my garden to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators. During the warm months I keep my hummingbird feeder filled with fresh nectar. No matter how many times I have witnessed it I am always astonished when I see one of the huumers hovering in mid air.

I am always astonished at the vastness and power of the ocean. These waves were crashing on the beach as a tropical storm was approaching Tybee Island, Georgia.

Sometimes my husband and I travel long distances to see astonishing sights. When I pay attention I often find astonishing things I wasn’t expecting to see.

I was in awe of the ancient giant Redwoods in Redwoods National Park in California. I spent most of my time looking up, taking in their enormous size.

And then I looked down at the forest floor and was astonished to discover the beautiful trillium flowers were blooming.

My husband and I have traveled to Arizona twice to visit the Grand Canyon. The canyon is awe-inspiring and makes me feel how truly small I am in the grand scheme of things.

We spent two months in Alaska in 2013 and every day brought new things that astonished me. Seeing and hearing a glacier calving was one of those events that has always stayed with me.

Not only was observing Whooping Cranes in the wild an astonishing experience, knowing that they migrate 2,500 miles from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge every fall was even more astonishing. After wintering in Texas, they begin their migration back north to Canada about mid March each year. We made a special trip to Texas to see these magnificent birds who once were on the brink of extinction.

I am always astonished when I see ancient structures built by humans that have survived for thousands of years. I’ve never seen the Pyramids or the Great Wall of China but I have seen the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. How did they build these structures and how did the people survive in the harsh environment?

Last week I enjoyed all of your wonderful shapes and designs in response to Tina’s challenge. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge..

I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. I can’t wait to see what astonishes you. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to this post.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, February 14 at noon eastern time when Ritva will be hosting the challenge.

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #378 – Last Chance 2025

December 13, 2025December 13, 2025Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Flowers, PhotographyTagged Last Chance, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge56 Comments

All of the members of the Lens-Artists team have joined together to host this final.challenge of the year. The challenge is to feature any of our favorite images that never made it into of the Lens-Artists challenge. The images can be of any subject but they must have been created in 2025. Here are a few of my favorites from this year.

One of my favorite images of the year never fit into any of the Lens-Artists challenges. In early May I discovered a female Diamond Back Terrapin laying her eggs in my garden. I kept a close watch on the nest but sadly none of the eggs ever hatched.

Butterflies, flowers and bees

Birds

I rushed out to the beach when I heard there was a marker buoy weighing around 13,900 pounds that had washed up on the beach at Tybee Island, Georgia. When I got there I found a mermaid, too!

Thanks for sharing lots of Holiday Fun last week for Ann-Christine’s challenge. I enjoyed all of the festive holiday images.

We hope you will join us in posting images from this year that never made it to a Lens-Artists challenge. Please remember to use the Lens-Artists tag and to include a link to this post or any of the Lens-Artists team member’s post.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in our Lens-Artists challenge this year. The Lens-Artists team will be taking a break until the end of the year so we can enjoy celebrating the holidays. We will return on January 3 with our annual end of the year Favorite Photos of 2025 challenge.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy new year!

Every Day is a Gift

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #376 – Wings

November 29, 2025November 29, 2025Posted in Birds, Butterflies, PhotographyTagged Air craft, Airplanes, Angels, Butterflies, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, US Army Air Corps, US Navy Blue Angels, USAF Thunderbirds, Wings99 Comments

This week it’s my pleasure to host the Lens-Artists Challenge. I am challenging you to feature anything with wings. To give you a few ideas I am featuring some of my favorite things with wings.

Bird Wings

Butterflies and other insects

Angels

Military Aircraft

My final examples are of military aircraft. My father was a pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II and later flew several other types of planes including the B52. The first three planes in this gallery were taken at recent air shows I attended. The images of the B24 and B52 are from my father’s photos.

U. S. Navy Blue Angels — U. S. Air Force Thunderbird

When you think of wings do you think of birds, insects, angels and airplanes? Maybe you think of art work featuring fantasy beings like dragons and fairies. Whatever you think of I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to this post.

Last week you showed us some creative mysterious images in your responses to Patti’s challenge Mysterious.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, December 6 at noon eastern time when Ann-Christine will be hosting the challenge.

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #372 – Ephemeral

November 4, 2025November 5, 2025Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, Nature, PhotographyTagged Bee, caterpillar, Daylily, Epemeral, Lens-Artists, Magnolia Blossom, Photo Challenge, The Flower Hour, Yellow Swallowtail44 Comments

Tina’s challenge is Epemeral. She tells us “the dictionary’s short and simple definition of the word ephemeral – “lasting for a very short time“.

There are so many things to be appreciated that only last a short time. I learned a long time ago that life is short and it is important to stop and enjoy the moment before it’s gone.

I decided to focus on flowers and critters in my garden from this year. Some things come and go so fast I miss them if I don’t pay attention. My header image is of a magnolia blossom on a tree right next to my driveway. I can see the tree from my kitchen window. I anxiously await the first bloom every spring. Each bloom only lasts a day or two before it fades away. I grabbed my camera as soon as I saw this bloom in early May.

The rest of the images are of other special moments from the garden this year.

Ephemeral Monarch Caterpillar — *The lifespan of a Monarch Caterpillar is 10 to 14 days*

Bee on yellow flower — *I had to be fast to catch this Bee on a yellow flower*

Ephemeral Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly — *Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly*

You showed us some fun and creative street details in your in responses to Ritva’s challenge last week. Thanks to everyone who participated.

I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to Tina’s post Lens-Artists #372 – Ephemeral .

Be sure to check back on Saturday, November 8 at noon eastern time when Egidio will be hosting the challenge.

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Also shared with Terri’s Flower Hour #5.

Every Day is a Gift

The Flower Hour – Butterflies on Mexican Sunflower

October 16, 2025Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, Nature, PhotographyTagged Gulf Fritillary, Mexican Sunflower, Photo Challenge, The Flower Hour22 Comments

Many thanks to Terri for this week’s Flower Hour challenge The Flower Hour: Maple Leaves

Watch for a new Flower Hour Weekly challenge from Terri of Second Wind Leisure Perspectives every Tuesday. If you would like to participate you can find out more about this challenge here.

Every Day is a Gift