30 - The End

I have to admit there were days I never thought I would reach it to the end of the 30 day challenge, but here it is today.

There is no extraordinary pic today. Just random shots of things in my world that I stumbled upon while out with my camera. Just a squirrel taking a long sip on a hot day. A shell of a bug that has moved on. A spider wrapping up leftovers for lunch for another time. And lastly, a pic for Mr. Oz, who told me to forget about taking a pic of the moon, and to take a pic of the sun. 

Mr. Oz must be psychic, he knew somehow I wouldn't be able to capture the blue moon tonight. The clouds have rolled in early this evening, and so I took his advice to be different and snapped this pic just a few moments ago.

Thanks everyone for joining in whether by posting pics or making comments or just stopping by to have a peek. Have a great holiday week-end!

 

 

 

  

 

 

29

I felt like I should have named this blog, "missed opportunities". That seemed to be the case for me today. I went out for a bit to try and snap a pic or two. I didn't have time to take a drive or felt like walking several blocks to capture something different and exciting. So I opted again to just walk around my small bit of yard and immediate neighborhood to find a subject for today's blog.

I guess I felt some sort of added pressure, that my blog pics should be ending on a high note. That each pic I take should be better than the last one and the last two blogs I do for this challenge, should have something pretty spectacular.

Ha! So much for good intentions. I don't know what it was today that had me a bit scattered brained and not fully concentrating on my surroundings. I would aim my camera to capture a bird, only to look up and find a baby squirrel just a few feet from me in the branches looking down spying on me as I spied on something else.

I tried to capture a pic of two chasing squirrels, only to see out of the corner of my eye, a hummingbird drinking from the blooms of a hosta. I snapped quickly, but not quick enough.

Today, while uploading the few meager pics of today, what should my eye spy while uploading a ho-hum pic of Japanese yew berries, but a praying mantis. Trust me, I have mentally kicked myself over and over for concentrating so much on the red berries I totally missed the huge bug just a few inches from them. But it's there, in the pic, and that is why I have included it today.

The other pics I included are some goldenrod that has been blooming like crazy and is on it's last hurrah of the year. The other pic, is a hosta leaf that the sun backlit and I liked the stained glass effect it created.

Tomorrow is the last day of this 30 days of pic challenge. I can't guarantee that it will go well. I haven't a clue what I will come across and try to capture in a moment of time with my pic. You will all just have to wait and see along with me.

I am crossing my fingers, it will be something extraordinary, but most days aren't so extraordinary and it's what we have to find in those days and in our selves to make the most of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

28...

Today's pics are of an old building and corn. The first two shots are close-ups of a big long building that in it's past, I believe was a lumber yard before being bought by a farmer for machine storage. That farmer has long been gone and his family still owns the property but it continues to decay and fall in. It's just a part of life, the new becomes old, the old disappears, and something eventually will take it's place. Whether it's a different building, or just Mother Nature reclaiming the land.

The third pic is of a corn field. I cropped it a bit to remove some tree branches and some tall green weeds near the base of the corn crop. It was the dry seed heads and the withered leaves that caught my eye....

 

 

 

  

 

 

Mix (27)

Today's pics for the daily photo challenge is a bit of an assortment. The first pic is of old wood, the second pic is a tucked away statue, hidden almost from view. It is nothing extraordinary, but I liked the feeling it evoked. The last pic is of a bird, some kind of pigeon? I am not sure, I need to invest in a good bird book or do some googling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Buildings (26)

This evening I went out for a bit of a drive and snapped a few pics of old buildings.

The first pic, is a cropped detail of the bottom of an old building I thought looked interesting. The second pic is the old building, taken from the corner looking down the side of the building. I liked the way the wood seemed pieced together on the old structure. The last pic is a picture of an old chicken coop that I thought looked picturesque in it's rural setting...

Four more days to go....Woohoo!

 

 

 

 

 

25

Some days the opportunity presents it's self, and yet we still can't manage to reap it's benefits.

I am not thrilled with today's pics. They cold be better. I don't know if I was rushed, or just didn't have the right settings for my shots, but they didn't come out as crystal clear as I wanted. The camera seemed to be fixated on the leaves and had problems with focusing on the water droplets.

I don't know if I expect too much, or if my camera just has limitations, like me. But anyways, here are two pics from today after the rain from yesterday...

 

 

 

 

24

Today was a bit of a bust for taking pics. I woke up this morning to overcast skies but still went out to try and snap a pic or two. It started to drizzle after a few minutes and I headed back inside, and then back out 15 minutes later to try again.

I gave up after ten minutes when the drizzle started again, but did manage to snap a couple pics of foliage with the rain on it. Yes, RAIN, real rain. As I am typing this it is still raining softly. It won't be much, but it will go a long way in helping things make it into fall and thru winter. I am crossing my fingers it continues.

I should have known it would rain, I have some potted up daylilies to get in the ground but haven't got their bed ready for them yet. But, I will happily wait a few more days til they can be planted.

Hope each of you have a terrific Sunday tomorrow!

The first pic is hosta leaves, the second pic is of boxwood, and the last pic is the only critter I could find to snap a pic of, SP the cat...

 

 

 

 

 

23...

Today has been a bit overcast with just a sprinkle now and then to tease me with the rain. I wasn't having any luck this morning trying to capture any birds, squirrels or other critters. They all seemed to be holed up expecting it to rain also. I think we are both going to be disappointed.

I snapped a few pics anyways for today, and they aren't anything too interesting. I just like the texture of the wood and the coloring of the leaves. I guess I am drawn to the oranic feel of a lot of things. Things of the earth and dirt that go back to being a part of it at the end of their cycle.

It's Friday, and just 7 more days of pics. I will be needing a break by then. This has taken a lot more of my time then expected, trying to capture a decent shot each and every day for this past month. I won't be giving up picture taking, but I doubt that I will have the time to go out and about searching for some subject matter every single day. I will post something interesting though if I should happen to stumble across something while out and about.

Enjoy your week-end!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just Stuff.....(22)

Today I tried to think of something different to post, other than birds and squirrels, I figured you were getting bored of them, and I needed to expand my subject matter a bit. It was a quick foray outside today as I find myself not getting a whole lot done with this photo challenge. It's too easy to lose track of time while wandering about or waiting for a good snapshot of a critter in it's habitat.

I hope you find the pics just as interesting though. The first is a pic of some hosta blooms, the second pic is a rather crispy turning host leaf. The last pic is a shot of some old wood. I loved the texture and the cracking, aged look about it. Have a great day everyone, hard to believe it is already Thursday...

 

 

 

 

 

 

21....Are we bored yet?

Today I am posting a pic of a trunk of an old Japanese yew. I liked the texture of the peeling bark and it is probably the best of today's pics that I am posting.

The other pics are ones that I took today, but the two bird pics of a morning dove and the woodpecker, are a bit dark.

The last one is another pic of a squirrel in what appears to be his favorite spot of the whole tree. Hopefully tomorrow some better luck in capturing something more interesting for you, and it isn't such a big snooze fest like today...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20...10 days left

Some days you just feel like being bad....

Today's Lunch...

 

It will be back to carrot sticks, yogurt cups, and healthy eating tomorrow ;)

Tired (19)

I don't know if it is because it is Monday, or because it has warmed back up, but I wasn't the only living thing around here that appeared to be tired. I captured this pic of a squirrel sprawled out on a dead and broken branch trying to get comfy.

 

 

 

Sure enough, like humans, the squirrel squirmed around a bit and re-situated it's self til it found just the right position to take a nap. If only I had captured a pic of the squirrel yawning, it would have been the perfect picture story,lol. Have a great evening everyone!

 

Day 18

From this morning, a few shots....

The first is obviously a  squirrel, caught up in the canopy of the tree with it's mouth full.

 

 The second is a pic I have been trying to get for ages. There are two of these nests on my big tree that are inhabited by flickers/woodpeckers. I snapped this pic of one sticking it's head inside the nest. Not sure if there was anything in there it was feeding or if it was adding a few bits of fluff to line it's nest.

   

  

The last pic, is a rather poor pic, but I liked the appearance of the wings/feathers of the bird in flight.

 

 

 

Hopefully tomorrow or later this week I will have better luck in capturing some better pics of the wildlife around here. If all else fails, I will have to stalk the cat and have her pose,lol.

Sedum (17)

I am not sure what the name of this plant is. It was given to me by a neighbor when she was thinning out her planting bed. I can see why she gave me a start as it does travel a bit and appears quite happy where I planted it a few years ago.

I believe it is a variety of sedum, quite possibly the variety "Christmas tree". I thought that worked well today for a pic, as Mr. Oz had posted a pic of a Christmas ornament. Now if only someone would continue that theme and drop me off some Christmas fudge!

 

Have a great week-end everyone!

Fallen...(16)

If you have made it along with me this far, congratulations! We are over half way there. I know with Multiply up in the air, many are reluctant to blog or post much. I hate to throw in the towel so soon. So I will continue as long as possible here before moving completely to another blog site.

Today's pic is rather simple, but I liked the coloring, shadows and texture.

 

 

15

I have to apologize for today's pic. It's a bit of snooze-fest. I had hoped to have more time to actually get out and wander around a bit in town, but time got away from me. Even when out early this morning watering, I found little inspiration.

I did snap this pic of the soaker hose running, I should have gotten a bit closer, but was afraid of splashing the lens, so I stood back a bit and zoomed, lazy photographer that I am....

 

 

I snapped a few other pics, but nothing too exciting, some close-up on foliage, a few squirrel pics, and then the sky clouded up and started to thunder. You never saw such a happy gardener as I quickly picked up my garden gear and camera, rushed to turn the hydrant off and make it indoors before those first drops fell. Yeah, you can pretty much guess what happened then. Sprinkles for a minute and then by noon the clouds had passed and the sun was back out again. Even if there wasn't any rain, at least it is cooler, one small thing to be thankful for. Who knows maybe while I am out tomorrow resuming my watering chores, I will stumble across something extraordinary...fingers crossed.

Pic(s) for day 14

For today's blog challenge of the 30 days of pics, I have an assortment of stuff. I couldn't decide what to post and it seemed like such a waste to spend so long out taking pics and then just use one and stuff the rest into a folder to be forgotten about. So I have included a few pics here today of things that caught my eye with their colors, patterns, and textures.

 

 

 

 

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Naked Ladies (13)

Sorry to disappoint those who rushed over to be titillated by the thought of anything naked. There is nothing naked here, except for the long stems of my blooming Lycoris squamigera. Also know as magic lilies.

Their strap-like foliage appears in the spring and then disappears. Then, as if by magic, tall stems appear with the lily shaped blooms.

My naked ladies are rather short this year because of the drought. In fact, I am surprised they bloomed at all. They haven't received any extra moisture by the way of my watering, and yet they have bloomed with determination all of their own making...

 

Monday (12)

Is it really only day twelve in this challenge? I don't know why this challenge seems to be taking forever, but I imagine part of it is that my heart isn't as totally in it as it was at the beginning of this photo a day idea.

This new blogging home stuff has been a bit stressful and I think I have got myself situated at my two top contenders for new sites, it's taking awhile to get familiar with everything.

Goodness, I still don't think I know of all the capabilities of Multiply, but as long as I am able to post a few words, a couple of pics, and a comment or two, I am more than happy to drive in the slow lane.

It's overcast today. Which is ironic as the weather channel has not a cloud over us on their forecast map. I blame it on Iowa, they have absconded with our rain and just left a dark cloud over me.

I took this pic a bit ago, and yet when I uploaded it to Flickr, it says this pic was taken 11 hours ago. A bit impossible considering that would have been roughly around 1 o'clock in the morning. I am guessing when I upload pics around noon, the am, pm stuff is a bit confusing for the easy share software? I don't know. But here it is a pic of my grey skies, that would be totally black taken 11 hours ago...

 

 

I wondered if I would even get a shot today, so this morning I wandered about the house a bit and noticed the caning on this old chair. The way I have cropped it, gave it an interesting effect. Almost as though it is an optical illusion when you stare at it long enough.

 

Another pic, taken today out in the dusty garage. I like the feel of old wood, and when cropped and taken at a side angle, it gives a different feel to the pic.

 

Hope you are all having a good day today. I am puttering about trying to take my mind off of a tooth ache. The last thing I want to do is go to the dentist this week..argh!

Sunday pics...(11)

I got early up early this morning and out the door with my camera to grab a few shots so I wouldn't get so behind on blogging over here. I am including a few pics here, as I couldn't decide which I liked best.

The first shot is a close up of a rusty wheelbarrow. I like the coloration and rustic detail in this close-up.

 

The  second shot, isn't the best shot, but I love how the bird was lit up in the sunlight and his beautiful colors just glowed.

 

This last shot, needs no explanation. It's a squirrel caught with his mouth full. I am guessing it is an acorn from over at the neighbors tree?

Have a good Sunday everyone!