This week’s challenge from Ann-Christine is morning.
I’ve always been a morning person and for many years I’ve been the first one up in our house. I start each day by going downstairs to the kitchen to put the kettle on for my morning tea. Next comes quiet time, either in my living room where I can look out the windows, or out in my backyard butterfly garden under the arbor.
Tea in the gardenNature surrounds me in my garden
Hisbiscus
Mexican Sunflower
Sunflower
After my tea I often go for a walk in the neighborhood.
Morning walkBeautiful morning for a walkIt’s nice to see some feathered friends in the morning
This week the challenge comes from Guest Host John Steiner at Journeys With JohnBo. He asked us “If you visited a favorite place more than once, how did you approach the second trip photographically? If you’ve only been somewhere once, what would you do differently the second time around?”
I fell in love with Rocky Mountain National Park when we first visited there in late May, 2011. We spent several days enjoying the wildlife and natural beauty of the park. Snow in the higher elevations added to the adventure.
One day our goal was to drive the Trail Ridge Road all the way to the top to visit the Alpine Visitor’s Center. The road was clear most of the way with deep snow beside the road. I took the above photo when we arrived at Rainbow Curve, at an elevation of about 11,000 feet. Our drive to the Alpine Visitor’s Center would have to wait.
Deep snow along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park in May, 2011
Two years later, in August, 2013, we decided to return to Rocky Mountain National Park on our way home from Alaska. With only one day to explore the park our goal was to see the Alpine Visitor’s Center. We stopped at the Many Curves Overlook on our way to the Trail Ridge Road. The next two photos were taken two years apart at the same overlook. The first is from spring, 2011, the second one from summer, 2013. There was quite a difference the second time around.
View from Many Curves Overlook on May 28, 2011View from Many Curves Overlook in Rocky Mountain National Park in August, 2013
The next two photos are from another overlook in the park. The first is from 2011, the second from 2013.
View from one of the overlooks in Rocky Mountain National Park in May, 2011View from one of the overlooks in Rocky Mountain National Park in August, 2013
Did we make it the Alpine Visitor’s Center the second time around? We sure did and the view from there was spectacular.
This week Patti’s challenge is to show what Simplicity means to me.
“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” ― Laura Ingalls Wilder
After three weeks of social distancing I have really come to appreciate the simple things – a phone call with my brother who lives on the other side of the country, a video of one of our granddaughters, social distancing outside with neighbors, and enjoying the little things in nature.
Here are a few of the simple things that brought me joy this weekend.
Sunset over the salt marshMorning walkWildflower on the side of the roadMorning Sky at sunriseBlanketflower in the gardenFirst Monarch caterpillar of spring
This week Tina has chosen Distance as the theme for the Weekly Photo Challenge.
From Tina’s post:Bottom line; we are all in this together despite needing to avoid each other physically. Please share with us the creative ways you’ve found to address your need to connect while keeping your distance. Have you found interesting and productive ways to pass the time? Are you enjoying comics/funny stories or do you find the situation too serious for jokes? The Lens-Artists team hopes our weekly challenge brings at least a small opportunity to look away from the news for a bit to connect with the rest of us. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing your Distance images – whether related to the COVID-19 crisis or not.
The photo at the top of the page was taken the morning of March 13, 2020, the same day President Trump declared a National Emergency because of COVID-19. It was the last day I was able to take a walk on the beach. I wasn’t the only one on the beach that morning but everyone was already practicing social distancing. Here’s two more photos from my walk that morning.
Last beach walk before Social Distancing began on March 13, 2020Last beach walk before Social Distancing began on March 13, 2020
Since that day, we’ve have been practicing social distancing. Except for my morning walks, my only outings are to the grocery store or to pick up a to go order to help support local restaurants. Sadly, the beaches were closed about 12 days ago. My morning walks are through the neighborhood now and that gives me a chance to say hello to neighbors I haven’t seen for a while as we practice social distancing by walking on opposite sides of the street.
Beaches and parking lots closed after State of Emergency in GeorgiaBeaches and parking lots closed after State of Emergency in Georgia
Some days I have a hard time concentrating because of what is happening but during this time I have been able to take care of a few tasks I have been neglecting for a while. I’ve also pulled a lot of weeds and planted sunflower and zinnia seeds. I’ve had plenty of time to sit in my garden and watch the bees and butterflies.
Monarch on Milkweed
I keep up with friends and family with phone calls, texting, social media and blogging. I’ve also learned a new skill – attending a Zoom meeting! Woo hoo!
Many, many thanks go out to all of the doctors, nurses, all hospital staff, first responders, farmers, truck drivers, grocery store workers, restaurant workers, teachers, volunteers who are making masks, distillers who are making hand sanitizer, manufacturers who are making ventilators and masks, volunteers feeding hospital workers and making meals available to kids who aren’t in school, all the parents who are at home with their kids now, neighbors who are helping out their neighbors. Thank you!
We are all in this together and I believe we will get through it and be stronger for it.
This week Amy has chosen “A River Runs Through It” as the theme for the Weekly Photo Challenge. When I saw Amy’s challenge I immediately thought of the Mississippi River which runs through ten states in the U.S.
“The Mississippi River will always have it’s own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise” – Mark Twain
The Mighty Mississipi runs from the headwaters in Itasca State Park, Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
” Here 1475 feet above the ocean the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico” ~from the marker at the headwaters
Marker at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River
The Headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park, Minnesota
Mississippi River at the headwaters in Itasca State Park, Minnesota
Ordered from north to south, the rest of my images are from several different viewpoints along the Mississippi River.
Potosi, Wisconsin side of the MIssissippi River looking toward Dubuque, IowaView from the middle of the Mississippi River on a paddle boat near Hannibal, MissouriGateway Arch Riverboat on the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MissouriSunrise over the Mississippi River at Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, MOSunset over the Mississippi River from at Trail of Tears State Park in Jackson, MissouriMud Island River Park river walk in Memphis, Tennessee is a 5-block long replica of the lower Mississippi river, from Cairo, IL, to New Orleans, LA.We sat in our campsite and watched barges on the Mississippi River at Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis, ArkansasConfluence of St. Francis and Mississippi River in Mississippi River State Park in Marianna, ArkansasThe mighty Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Mississippi
Wandering Dawgs 