Every Day is a Gift!
The first camellia of the season bloomed a few days after Christmas. There are several camellia bushes in my garden that are covered with buds that will soon be opening.
Many thanks to Terri for this week’s Flower Hour challenge The Flower Hour: Yellow Trumpet Flower
Terri posts a new Flower Hour Weekly challenge every Tuesday. You can find out more about this challenge here.
Every Day is a Gift
Happy New Year!
Once again the Lens-Artists team is starting the new year by asking our followers to share their favorite images of 2025. Your images can be from a previous post or ones you’ve never shared before but they must have been taken in 2025. There is no single host for this challenge. The entire team is sharing the challenge.
In 2025 we went on a Mississippi River cruise, took a few short road trips, and had fun in New Mexico at my nephew’s wedding. When we weren’t wandering we enjoyed being at home in Coastal Georgia. Here are a few of my favorite images from the year.
The year began with a rare coastal Georgia snow storm. The featured image of a cardinal in the snow is one my favorites from the year. Later in the month we made a short trip to Jekyll Island.
We flew to New Orleans to begin a Mississippi River cruise.
We celebrated my birthday with a boat trip to Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.
We celebrated our 55th anniversary in Darien, Georgia.
We had a fun trip to New Mexico for my nephew’s wedding and enjoyed seeing the beautiful Sandia Mountains.
The November morning skies were amazing.
The holiday decorations always add to the fun of the season.
I hope you will join us in the challenge by sharing your favorite photos of 2025. I’m looking forward to seeing your responses. Be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag in your post and include a link to this post or any member of the Lens-Artists team.
Be sure to check back on Saturday, January 10 at noon eastern time when Anne will be hosting our next challenge.
You can learn more about how to join the Lens-Artists challenges here.
Every Day is a Gift
For Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge she is asking us to show “All things bright and beautiful” during this autumn season of bright colors.
Where I live in coastal Georgia we don’t get the bright orange, red and yellow leaves on our trees. Instead, our sunrises and sunsets paint our sky a brilliant orange. The featured image was taken a few days ago when the sky was so glorious at sunset I had to stop and get out of my car to take a few photos.
I still have a few Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia) left in the garden. They are about the only bright orange color I get in the fall. The bloom in the next image appeared to glow as the sunlight hit it this afternoon.
Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge The Impossible Brightness
Also shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
Every Day is a Gift
Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge is Hooves and Claws in honor of National Bison Day which was celebrated on Saturday, November 1, 2025. She tells us that “this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge is not just about bison, but about members of the animal kingdom that possess HOOVES and CLAWS.”
I decided to focus only on animals with hooves and mostly on bison and buffalo. Sadly, the hooves aren’t visible in all these images. The header image is of a small herd of American Bison at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky.
Bison at Custer State Park, South Dakota
Wood Bison in Yukon Territory, Canada
Water Buffalo in Costa Rica
Budweiser Clydesdales
Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge Hooves and Claws
Every Day is a Gift
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.
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
Wandering Dawgs 