Every Day is a Gift!
When I read Patti’s challenge was ZigZag I didn’t think I had any images that would work. As I went through my photo archives I was surprised by what I found.
Bridges with ZigZags
Zigzags in Ireland
Rivers that Zig and Zag
Roads that ZigZag. I had too many to include them all so I chose this one that descends into Palo Duro Canyon in Texas.
Many thanks to our host Patti for her challenge Lens-Artists #310 – Zigzag
Our guest host PR of Flights of Soul chose Balconies for this challenge. Decks and porches are more common where I live so I searched through my travel archives to find images of balconies.
I decided to feature a few balconies from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Many thanks to our host PR of Flights of Soul for this challenge Lens-Artists #309 – Balconies
The challenge from Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures is to use diptychs to create perfect pairs. I wasn’t familiar with this term so I was glad she defined it like this: “A diptych is two images placed in proximity to one another, forming a pair. To make a successful pairing there should be several things in common, and something very different, contrasting.“
I love lighthouses and I am fortunate to live close to two different lighthouses. The first one I will feature is the Tybee Island Light Station, Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse with 178 steps to the top. The original lighthouse was constructed in 1736. The lighthouse has been rebuilt several times and the daymark has also changed several times. Today the lighthouse is painted with the 1916 daymark of three stripes – black at the top, white in the middle, black at the bottom.
The lighthouse has just completed it’s latest restoration. The first two images below show the lighthouse during the restoration project and the lighthouse as it looks today with it’s new coat of paint.
The Lighthouse flies an American Flag on patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day. The following two images show the lighthouse as it was on Memorial Day, 2021 and this year’s Memorial Day, 2024 after the old layers of paint had been scraped off.
The Cockspur Island Lighthouse is shown in the next pair. On the left is a closeup of the lighthouse at high tide as seen from a boat. On the right is the lighthouse as seen from the Lighthouse trail at Ft. Pulaski National Monument near Tybee Island. If you look closely at the image from the trail you can see the top of the Tybee Island Lighthouse to the right of the water tower on the other side of the water behind the lighthouse.
Many thanks to our host Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures for this challenge Lens-Artists #308 – Perfect Pairs
Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge is On the Wing. I enjoy bird photography and have thousands of bird photos in my archives. I browsed through some of them and included a few favorites for this challenge.
I am the daughter of a United States Air Force pilot and I can’t do a post about wings without including wings of the USAF Thunderbirds.
Thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills monthly challenge – On the Wing
Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge of State and Local Parks reminded me of some of the wonderful state parks where we have camped on our many RV travels over the years. I had a hard time choosing which parks to feature for this post but I narrowed it down to three of my favorites. These parks are great for a day trip as well as for tent or RV camping.
Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo, Georgia
We love this park so much we camped here many times through the years. We enjoyed stopping here on our trips to and from Florida. The park is located in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge 17 miles from the nearest highway. There is a small marina with a boat launch as well as canoe and kayak rentals and ranger guided boat trips into the swamp. It’s quiet and off the beaten track.
Silver Springs State Park, Florida
Silver Springs is another state park we visited many times on our RV trips to Florida. Tourists began visiting Silver Springs in late 1800s. The first glass bottom boat tours started taking visitors for rides over the crystal clear springs in the 1870’s. Today Silver Springs is a state park which still operates the famous glass bottom boats. The park also has several hiking and biking nature trails, a museum, a replica of a 19th century settlement called the Cracker Village, and a very nice campground.
Custer State Park, South Dakota
Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument attract many visitors to the Black Hills of South Dakota each year. Another great place to explore is nearby Custer State Park. Visitors can spend a day taking scenic drives on the Wildlife Loop Drive, Iron Mountain Road, and the Needles Highway. The park is also a popular place to camp with several campgrounds to choose from.
Thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills monthly challenge – State and Local Parks
Wandering Dawgs 