It's the end of another year of weekly Lens-Artists challenges, and TINA l invites us to feature images we have loved over the past 12 months, but have not yet shared. Yes, a rose is a rose, still this lovely Lincoln rose was so perfect it deserved to be preserved. And, they are oh, so fragrant as well! In January, before I removed the holiday decorations at our condominium in Long Beach, WA, this Black-chinned Hummingbird liked to rest in the ribbon on the deck rail between visits to our feeder, …

Anne-Christine invites us to bring on the holiday cheer. Any holiday is fine, just so long as we show what some of the traditions and celebrations are in our lives. "At this festive season of the year..." (C. Dickens), I am up to my eyebrows in making and sending cards to friends, buying, making and wrapping present for family near and far, and tomorrow I will begin making cookies and preparing for gatherings at my home with friends and family.

This week Beth of Wandering Dogs, challenges us to feature anything with wings. As one who loves to photograph nature, especially birds and insects, I have many choices to select from. Who hasn’t wished to have wings that would lift us out of trouble, take us off to beautiful vistas on the wind, and provide a freedom of motion that our bodies can’t quite accomplish?

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾/

This week Patti returns to host the Lens-Artists Challenge with an invitation to share our mysterious images. Her post provides several fine photos and explanations to help us get in the spirit. When I came upon this wedding altar on Long Beach, it was a windy September day. Rain was coming my way with a bit of sunshine struggling through the clouds, creating a vision of the mystical.

John, of Journeys with Johnbo asks if we "love to travel—or just tolerate the journey when you have to?" I've always loved to travel, however as I age, I no longer "'chase adventure". I have traveled on foot, bicycle, horse, in buses, trains, boats, ferries, planes, RV's, and autos. Being somewhat claustrophobic, I have no desire to go on a cruise.

Landscape photography typically features beautiful vistas in nature, scenes that open our eyes to the beauty of our earth in its various climates and topographies. This week, Egídio challenges us to limit our choices to no more than six images that we consider to be our best landscape photographs. Since I responded to the original challenge in 2019, #31 by Amy, I challenged myself to find other photos that are equally compelling to me.

Tina leads this week with a challenge to feature images that exemplify the essence of Ephemeral - something that "lasts for a very short time”. Here in the Pacific Northwest we are knee deep in falling leaves, as deciduous trees show-off lovely shades of red, golds and burgundy. Suspended Leaf Transient light provides many opportunities to capture ephemeral moments. Below left, the sun shines through a bank of clouds creating a dramatic scene.

Being a Country Mouse, Ritva's challenge had me scratching my head for ideas! I'm almost always late with my posts to Lens-Artists, this time I'm past the due date. But, I won't let a little thing like that keep me from joining the fun! Ritva tells us, "the goal is to reveal the often-hidden, magical world, of the details we never take the time to notice..." …

Sofia challenges us to "open up the window into the past" with photos of "anything that has had an existence of many years." You can see her lovely invitation here. As I look about me today on the Long Beach Peninsula, in Washington state, the one constant that is the most ancient is the Pacific Ocean. For centuries, the Pacific Ocean has inspired peoples living in the Pacific Northwest.

This week, Ann-Christine asks us what “dreamy” is to us, and wonders how we create dreamy in our photography. You can see her beautiful illustrations of this challenge here. When I happen upon natural settings that radiate ethereal qualities, my task is to recognize what is before me, and take pictures that catch the ephemeral moment. Dreamy images evoke a magical atmosphere, using, as Ann-Christine explains, "soft light, soft focus, delicate tones, and other gentle aspects to produce...an almost surreal or unearthly effect."

Our host this week, John Steiner continues the Lens-Artists Throwback Series, taking us back to July 2020, when Patti hosted Challenge #106: Autumn. John invites us to showcase the colors of Autumn, so I'll start with a photo I took last October, at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis. It was a balmy day, the leaves were turning gold and scarlet, and then there was this beautiful wooden bridge!

Joanne Mason of Joanne Mason Photography is the guest host for this week's challenge. In true Lens-Artists style, she offers a wide open subject that gives us plenty of leeway. Thank you, Joanne! Those of you who follow my blog know I love the Long Beach Peninsula in the state of Washington. So, of course, I think everyone should see it!

Tina takes us on a journey to present our world through the lens of Aesop's Fable," The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse." In her post here Tina invites us to show differences and similarities between the two environments. As always with Lens-Artists, we are allowed to explore the themes in our own creative way, so today I'm offering a little different spin.

Egídio asks us to present photos that “reveal an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent someone or something.” First, I love this Portuguese word; saudade. Often, I’m taken by a memory that is melancholic or nostalgic, though somehow neither word, alone, captures the essence of the impression. These are elusive whiffs of thought that cause an instant ache when I summon the feelings of the moment, and at the same time, I understand it cannot be re-created.

Ritva invites us to showcase photographs that create a calm and soothing atmosphere; "images that evoke feelings of peace and contemplation." Finding quiet moments that provide a sense of serenity is central to my mental well-being, so it was a delight to look through my archives for photos that radiate the nature of tranquility. Miller Lake, a natural fresh water beauty in the Cascade Mountain range of Oregon.

This week Anne invites us to showcase 5-10 photos that exemplify something from the 20 specific categories she suggests. With this wide-open theme, I decided to select only nature photos, which helped me include some shots that I might not ordinarily feature. My first image, a Dune Rune, features both wavy lines and a very cool shadow In order to flourish, mushrooms and toadstools need moisture.

This week Beth hosts the challenge asking us to feature sports activities. I thought about it all week; the different sporting events I've been to (football, baseball, basketball, formula 1 auto racing, rodeos, hydroplane racing...) and all the competitive and fun runs I participated in, and the years of bicycling with my husband sometimes camping, other times on day rides, all happy memories now.

Doors. Hmmm. Dear Sophia asks us to show our best photos of doors, from near and far, from humble to ornate. As it turns out, I have very few shots of actual doors, however since doors are portals - gateways to what lies beyond - I’ll start with a couple nice entryways. Arches invite us to visit the space beyond.

This week Anne-Christine invites us to share photos from Farmers’ markets, fairs, carnivals or other summer memories. With very hot weather this past week, I didn’t make it to our county fair, and the next similar opportunity is after this coming week-end. Consequently, I decided to feature the one Farmers’ Market that is nearby and open most of the year. When I visited at 10:30 in the morning the temperature was already 83°F (28.3°C).

John challenges us to demonstrate how we use lines, colors or patterns in our photo compositions. He promises extra credit for showing two or three elements in one shot! Lines clearly define the subject in my first example taken on the deck of an almost empty Washington State Ferry, headed from Anacortest to the San Juan Islands, in October. The top and side rails of the Ferry, along with the bench seat and windows lead our eyes to the Ferry bow and on toward Rosario Strait and islands of the archipelago.

Tina reminds us that "as we age it's important to maintain our social lives, to stay mentally and physically healthy and to challenge ourselves to learn new things." This week she invites us to showcase things we've learned about any subject of our choice. Sitting outside on my deck, it seems fitting to feature gardening. When we had our house built 40 years ago, we asked that as many trees as possible be saved.

As I write this post, I am in a small cabin at the summit of Willamette Pass in central Oregon State (USA) 5,000 ft. above sea level and surrounded by the Deschutes National Forest. Nearby, the cold sparkling water of Crescent Creek flows by our camp. Once again, my sister Diana, & brother-in-law, Les host me and their daughter Marie at camp and take us out in their boat (with all the gear) to guide us on the search for Kokanee trout in Odell Lake.

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

Quiet Hour - a welcome break in often fast and furious days. Since I'm retired, I can make time for quietness whenever I choose to - one of the many blessings of this phase in my life. My blog is about being, although doing is part of being, being is more than doing. Making space for quiet time is an integral part of the shift from doing to being.