Life is definitely unpredictable isn't it? I had every intention of participating in a 30 day photo challenge at least on most days of July but it hasn't quite happened. Really, it was a silly month to take on such a challenge in the first place since I have little time to snap photos let alone try to make them look nice for you all. Secondly, most bloggers are busy during the summer and who needs 30 days of posts from me cluttering up your in-box...
It was fun in the beginning but I lost steam when we lost my Grandpa. His memorial service is this week. At the end of last week I thought well, I haven't missed that many days so maybe I will pick up the challenge again. Enter a camera issue that has yet to be dealt with.
So, yes, good intentions but this photo challenge is officially over. Maybe I will get to do one in the future. Maybe not. (Life...unpredictable...)
One of the days I missed was animals so I decided to grab a few photos from my archives to share on this last day. Whether is is neighboring farms or our own back porch there are animals, birds and bugs a plenty around here.
Love this mama cow and her calf.
The buffalo farm across the river from us.
These birds come back to nest each year. This farm has built them a platform to ease their nest building.
Ducks and more ducks.
A turkey ready for flight.
An insect rather than an animal but I love when these sweet creatures visit.
And finally, some very hungry pigeons. Thank you to everyone who has followed along on this challenge and for your kind and encouraging comments. I pray the remainder of your summer is filled with all things beautiful!
Day 11: Something Old
Hmmm my first thought of something old was THIS could be the day to post a selfie, ha! But thinking better of it and keeping more to the true theme, I decided on this cello. It was gifted to us by my husband's step-grandpa and has been hanging on one wall or another of our living room ever since.
My husband will occasionally take it down, or a guest, and run the bow across the strings producing a lovely sound. My husband probably could learn to really play it if he took the time as he already plays guitar, mandolin and has the cutest little ukulele that he also plays.
I just love the color of the aged wood, the beautiful curves and curls and the sound I can almost hear each time I look at it.
DAY 10: Nature
I am combining Nature with throwback Thursday to show this bit of nature visiting our house a couple years ago. We get rabbits (oh and the cute baby ones are my favorites!) off and on but this guy, or gal as the case may be, was a regular. See it sitting there all sweet and innocent.
Now see it eating the flowers! Yeah, you could go to bed and there would be flowers, wake up and not so much. His/her favorite were the English daisies. Those disappeared completely. Even so, I love when a bit of nature comes to visit in animal form : )
DAY 8: Favorite Color
If I am being perfectly honest, when I think of a favorite color the first thing that comes to mind is white. I know, right?! But I love white. I love to wear it. I love to use it in my house. It is fresh and clean and bright. But it doesn't always photograph well and even though this is a photography challenge I am using straight out of the camera shots. (It is a vacation of sorts from blogging so...)
I do also love lavender and shades of purple so for the sake of not boring you with my whites I am going with lavender as my favorite today : ) As you can see from the pictures below it IS a favorite color in parts of my garden.
English lavender bundled and ready to dry.
Spanish lavender (love how it blooms all season)
Violas (I never can resist...)
Lupine (such a big and showy flower)
These little "bells" return each Spring below the bedroom window.
Love our Hydrangeas and love that one bush blooms purple.
God is the best exterior decorator ever painting His blossoms in such gorgeous hues!
DAY 6:
Books (Due to a day long headache yesterday I am posting days 6 and 7 together.)
Books to feed the Body
The Spirit
and Soul
DAY 7: Something funny
In keeping with the book theme of day 6 here is something I found funny while reading outside last summer - an actual book worm : )
*I edited this picture after publishing because I did not want to appear to be endorsing the book. Thanks for understanding : )
DAY 5:
Morning Sky
I really wanted to rise just before the sun came up to capture a beautiful morning sun,
but the sheets were cool and the blanket warm and my head felt so right on the pillow.
The sun isn't all the way up here but is outshining the clouds before it.
The sky looks like it has been caked with powdered sugar here -
a lovely contrast against the vivid blue.
And just like that, the "sugar" is spun into mounds of glorious cotton candy...
DAY 4: Leaves
I tried to figure out why the photo challenge would involve leaves on the 4th of July but going into the garden I think just maybe I found the connection. These:
LETTUCE LEAVES
PEAS (among their leaves)
Carrots (pulled up by their leaves)
and crunchy spinich leaves
would make a wonderful salad to serve this 4th of July!
Just wishing these cherry tomatoes were ripe...
Today, at 10:07 AM, it was 77 degrees out. In Washington State people! We are expected to top out around 90. For here, that is H-O-T, hot. So, due to the glorious weather, the fact that the garden is really coming to life, and July is a full one for our family, I was going to take the month off from blogging.
But while scrolling through Pinterest I saw a 30 day photo challenge for July. (I am wondering where the 31st day went but I digress...) I am pretty sure these challenges are for Instagram but my phone is anything but smart so I don't have an Instagram account. So I decided to do the 30 day challenge as a sort of break, with a different subject for every day, and am going to (try) to post them daily here on the blog.
Unlike Instagram style, my photos will probably have some words too because, well, how can you ask a writer not to write - right? (At this point it should be very clear that I am in need of a break from my daily routine, ha!)
So, here we go...
30 DAY PHOTO CHALLENGE
DAY 1: FAVORITE FOOD
I enjoy a wide variety of foods so it is hard to pick a favorite so I am picking one of my favorites during the summer season, raspberries. We grow our own, free of any chemicals or pesticides. My favorite way to eat them - warmed by the sun straight off the vine : )
