Lens.Us.Together

as summer ends

2010-08-20T15:35:00.003-05:00

Despite the fact that it is still very hot here in the desert, our summer routine and schedule is shifting into the "back to school" mode, engaging in activities associated with the Fall season. I am grateful, I like the routine, I like the feeling of new beginnings. I hope you are all well.

Boating

2010-08-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

A gentleman from Harbor Island, Bahamas, lazily paddles across his harbor at sunset.

lazy days

2010-08-08T06:08:00.000-05:00

in the pool.

perfect.

lazy summer

2010-08-01T22:12:00.003-05:00

a lazy summer means no itinerary, a break from work, enjoying the outdoors, breathing fresh air, evenings by firelight roasting marshmallows... did i say no agenda?

2010-07-21T00:14:00.000-05:00

sometime when I'm taking my own sweet time

cause its one of those lazy days of summer

the hubby

just

takes a lay down

to wait

for me

oh we're lazy for sure....

2010-07-19T12:47:00.001-05:00

we spend lazy days

picking berries

and

then

of course

eating them

Lazy Summer Days

2010-07-19T12:10:00.005-05:00

My summer days have been soft and slow,

even when they're full...

and I'm full of gratitude for rich moments like these.

on my street

2010-07-18T15:42:00.005-05:00

lazy summer days around every corner!!

summer in the sand

2010-07-16T23:39:00.002-05:00

Fellow beach goers enjoying the sun and surf at Delawares National Seashore.

Sucking Up the Shade

2010-07-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhh...the lazy days of Summer...

Seeking shade at every turn,

because it's too HOT for anything else!

Smart little quackers!

lazy summer days

2010-07-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

Lazy Summer Days

2010-07-13T23:15:00.002-05:00

Aaahhhh.

Lazy days in Cannes

2010-07-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

Not quite summer in Cannes, France but a warm late spring day on Ile Sainte Marguerite. My new friends Helene and her sons Clement and Paul taking us through the avenue of Eucalyptus trees planted there. Helene's husband Phillipe is with us our boat driver and friend. The island a tranquil escape after the business of touring for 4 weeks. A picnic fresh from Helene's kitchen packed carefully and served on a checked tablecloth. France as we had not yet experienced her, on a lazy almost summer day with the scent of Eucalyptus in the air and the warmth of new friends surrounding us.

Lazy Summer Days

2010-07-13T06:25:00.000-05:00

staring out at the ocean,
watching the waves roll in.

Lazy Summer Days

2010-07-12T20:48:00.002-05:00

Hangin out in the yard and having a lazy day brunch with friends is one of the fun things I love doing in the summer.

Lazy Summer Day…

2010-07-12T19:08:00.001-05:00

I have been relaxing so much this summer that I actually had a hard time picking just one image out…I used this image for my Picture Summer entry for today which had a prompt of “summer solitude”….Just hanging out in my backyard hammock.

Gail

Picturing the Year

lazy summer days

2010-07-12T08:18:00.003-05:00

I think we should explore
our individual ideas on
lazy summer days
mine is floating down the river
with my husband rowing
and at least once every summer
he leaves the fly rods at home
and i can truly relax

happy summer to all

Stars and Stripes

2010-07-05T13:23:00.002-05:00

Stars and Stripes

2010-07-04T21:07:00.000-05:00

Stars and Stripes at the beach... we all love a morning parade!!!!

Stars & Stipes

2010-07-04T13:08:00.001-05:00

Small town Americana

where Stars and Stripes line the lane

pride, gratitude, sorrow & sacrifice

are remembered and celebrated

in honor of the pain

the red, white and blue

2010-07-04T12:26:00.003-05:00

Celebrate the birth of our blessed country, it surely is indeed the land of the free.

pride

2010-07-04T12:13:00.001-05:00

freedom is the last, best hope of earth....

abraham lincoln

Stars and Stripes

2010-07-04T09:37:00.002-05:00

Happy 4th of July everyone!
Be safe!

stars and stripes

2010-07-03T21:04:00.000-05:00

"We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls."

~Robert J. McCracken

Star and Stripes Picnic

2010-07-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a good old 4th of July picnic to celebrate!

Happy Summer Holidays

God Bless us each and everyone!

Stars and Stripes

2010-06-30T23:44:00.007-05:00

I'm proud to celebrate this country. I give thanks for the privilege
of being a citizen. I'm blessed to be an American.

Stars and Stripes Forever

2010-06-30T18:20:00.001-05:00

stars & stripes

2010-06-30T16:59:00.007-05:00

. waving in the sky . above tall trees . in black and white

Sparkling Water

2010-06-28T22:41:00.006-05:00

Sparkling, gurgling and babbling.

falling, filling and bubbling

Shining, reflecting and flowing

Chattering, giggling and running.

A symphony of water humming...
an opera, a fugue, a sonata.

...a liquid serenade.

Kate Iredale

stars and stripes....

2010-06-28T17:13:00.003-05:00

thank you

for doing what you do

you're so much more than than

just a flag

Stars and Stripes

2010-06-28T16:21:00.002-05:00

Melissa Beeks Cornell has chosen Stars and Stripes for our theme this week!

Sparkle

2010-06-28T10:45:00.000-05:00

Young love,

sometimes the eyes sparkle,

giving it away that you have fallen in love,

your eyes light up when he walks in the room.

That sparkle is a dead give away.

Sparkle at sea

2010-06-28T09:52:00.001-05:00

A crew member sparkles at sea.

Sparkle Beach

2010-06-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

~A peaceful place to shine~

2010-06-27T22:49:00.000-05:00

                                 Is anyone else having trouble really capturing the sparkle?
                                    This purse was bedazzling but it isn't coming across.
                                                    You'll have to take my word for it.

sparkle

2010-06-26T13:51:00.003-05:00

sparkling world
from behind a waterfall

sparkle

2010-06-26T13:07:00.000-05:00

The Magical Sparkle of Summer Solstice

2010-06-26T11:29:00.001-05:00

The annual sparkle of Summer Solstice!

A spectacular celebration put on by dear friends each year.

As the years pass I get a wee bit better at trying to

capture the first fireworks of our summer.

roadside sparkle

2010-06-25T15:51:00.003-05:00

driving down the highway ...
catch it out of the corner of my eye ...
turn around to get a quick shot of a longhorn ...
made out of what look to be car parts shining in the sun!!

in her eyes

2010-06-25T10:16:00.002-05:00

Sparkle

2010-06-25T09:47:00.002-05:00

Bokeh behind my Purple Tiers hydrangea.
SOOC - (just resized and sharpened for web)

Sparkle

2010-06-23T08:53:00.004-05:00

The sparkle of the water in the sun.

2010-06-23T00:33:00.000-05:00

Roaming around inside this old church in France, it was cool, and dark and then looking up the sparkle of the candles in the chandelier lit us with their glow. The beautiful stained glass windows all around us glinting and shining in rainbows of colours.

Satisfy My Soul…

2010-06-22T10:06:00.001-05:00

“When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul…”

How Great Thou Art
Lyrics ~ Carl Boberg, 1859 – 1940

English Translation ~ Stuart K. Hine, 1899 -

When I was a child I was a member of a girl’s choir….and these lyrics always resonated with me and stayed with me…

Sparkle

2010-06-21T16:13:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys. This week's theme is hosted by Marca Fleener and it's "Sparkle"

Satisfy My Soul

2010-06-19T23:34:00.005-05:00

"If life is the pursuit of happiness...the beach should be the destination"

The ocean is where I go

to breathe,

to fill

and satisfy

my soul.

Satisfying My Soul

2010-06-18T21:39:00.002-05:00

Conversing with God

through prayers

to satisfy my soul.

satisfying my soul...

2010-06-18T20:02:00.002-05:00

when life is eating me up

and

i need to fill the voids

it's always

the beach

the ocean

and

the grasses in the dunes

that

satisfy my soul

and

bring me back to living

again

Satisfy My Soul

2010-06-17T00:57:00.000-05:00

Fresh Flowers, Vibrant Colors, and Bright Sunny Days,

make me want for nothing else!

satisfying

2010-06-16T21:41:00.002-05:00

This is a spot that can always satisfy. To lay here brings a sense of calm - I sigh and feel a peace come over me... as long as the mosquitoes aren't biting.

rock on wood

2010-06-16T16:47:00.001-05:00

this is the wooden bench on my front porch
during the summer when I am out of school
and time stands still . it becomes a place
for treasures found on my daily walk
a spot to satisfy my soul

satisfied

2010-06-16T15:24:00.000-05:00

shrimp boil last night...

with our dearest friends...

and shrimp fresh from the coast...

both my soul and my tummy were satisfied...

Satisfy My Soul

2010-06-16T14:52:00.004-05:00

there's really only one thing that can truly satisfy my soul...

Satisfy my Soul

2010-06-16T01:33:00.000-05:00

becoming absorbed

in the beauty of a flower

ignites and satifies

Soul

Walk on by

2010-06-15T13:20:00.001-05:00

I need you::I'm here for you

Sometimes I walk by everyday things and don't even notice the beautiful connections until I start to put things together.

Satisfy My Soul

2010-06-15T10:57:00.001-05:00

It is so rare I (and probably many of us) ever get to just sit back and relax and let myself drift off to sleep dreaming of the lazy hazy days of summer. When I get a chance to do this it surely does satisfy my soul.

satisfy my soul

2010-06-15T08:58:00.002-05:00

lost in the lushness
of my wildflower garden
satisfies my soul...
the columbine
lupine
sweet william
chives
daisy
bluebells
wildrose
and many more
and of course my
raspberries along the edges...
i can get lost
digging in the dirt
for hours..

satisfy my soul...

2010-06-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

the sun penetrates into the flowers,

and at some point, the flowers can't resist,

they just have to open up.

(Thich Nhat Hanh)

Mother Nature, you satisfy my soul.

Time flies or lingers

2010-06-13T21:17:00.005-05:00

Isn't it funny how some hours, days or weeks seem to just fly by, while others seem to move very slowly? My work week seemed to go by very quickly but the weekend lingered nicely - and that's the way I like it.

Timepieces

2010-06-13T03:18:00.000-05:00

My watch and my phone.

What I depend on for keeping me on time.

Timepieces…

2010-06-12T09:54:00.001-05:00

I prefer analog watches and clocks but this how I have been checking the time lately…too much time to tell you the truth:) I look at that corner and say to myself…how did another hour go by so quickly! I need to get off this chair and get outside!

Gail

Picturing the Year…

Tempus Fugit

2010-06-11T15:22:00.005-05:00

Latin for "Time Flies"
and my how it does don't you think?
this has been in our hallway for 28 years
chiming the moments of life away like an old friend

my personal timepiece.....

2010-06-10T19:55:00.003-05:00

she tells me when it's time to get up in the morning

and

when to turn the lights out at night

her internal clock always lets me know

when it's noon

since that's when her food dish needs to be filled

again

and

sometimes

she lets me know when it's time to go to the park

and

just sit

Timepiece

2010-06-10T19:33:00.004-05:00

The infinity symbol in this photograph is a very unique "timepiece"...it's actually a sun dial...an analemmatic sundial. I won't get into a scientific explanation of how this works but you can read more about it here. And every sundial needs a gnomon...a triangular plate or pin to cast a shadow on the time and in this sundial YOU are that pin. The shadow is cast by the human body to measure the time.

(The clock is located on a beautiful sandy beach in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.)

sun dial

2010-06-10T14:26:00.003-05:00

when i saw the theme this week was
timepieces
i immediately thought of the
sundial on main street...
we have the most amazing
"art about town"
project here and the arts council
is in the process of trying to
raise money to keep it going..
they have covered up all the cool
sculptures and put an amount on each one.
as they raise each amount
they uncover the art...
quite a few have been uncovered so far...
but not yet on the sun dial...
it really makes you aware of how important
the downtown art really is..

Time Pieces

2010-06-07T22:29:00.006-05:00

I mark my hours by shadow; Mayest thou mark thine By sunshine.

Timepieces

2010-06-07T17:59:00.004-05:00

I can't pass an old alarm clock without adding it to my collection.

AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

2010-06-07T13:52:00.001-05:00

Out the bedroom window the mundane tones of green scream...

when I stop and pay attention.

Timepieces

2010-06-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

We all do it. We steal glances at clocks and watches and cell phones.

We search for them in public spaces, or ask strangers at bus stops.

Clocks that used to grace towers or buildings are sometimes silent and unmoving as the public came to have their own private timepieces.

Watches have become more and more like pieces of jewellery in this day of checking our phones for the time.

I love my collection of timepieces

with it's array of clock faces and digital numbers.

Some are silent, some tick resonantly. One chimes.

Some need to be plugged in, some need to be wound up.

All tell a story... once upon a time.

Mundane Beauty

2010-06-06T23:00:00.004-05:00

The petals fall from a bouquet of delphiniums. The flowers are past their best, but the petals fall in a random beauty that I simply can't discard just yet. I find the mundane beauty of the fallen blue and violet...slowly fading to grey...exquisite.

Mundane

2010-06-06T17:26:00.004-05:00

Just another roadside attraction.

beauty in the mundane

2010-06-06T16:54:00.001-05:00

Water.

Something too many of us think is mundane and boring and oh so plentiful.

Beauty in the Mundane

2010-06-06T16:38:00.002-05:00

A flower before it unfolds its outer beauty,

A bud often overlooked,
Until challenged to find beauty in the mundane.

Mundane Beauty

2010-06-06T11:07:00.000-05:00

it could just be a piece of rusted iron on some weather-worn brick.
or perhaps a remnant of a time gone by...
but maybe, just maybe...
it's art, installed on the street.
just looking for an appreciative eye.

my ordinary life

2010-06-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

I lead a pretty normal life with most of the mundane chores that women have, but one thing I feel lucky that I can always fit in my day... time for just me, and no agenda. This is the beautiful thing about the empty nest.

Beauty in the Mundane

2010-06-06T07:21:00.000-05:00

"What the Heck" is probably what came out of your mouth when you saw Miss Lucy. Lucy is a vulture yes and when you think of vulture you probably don't have sweet thoughts, unless of course you haven't met Lucy. Never would I have thought a vulture would have such a sweet and playful personality, she loves to wrestle with her trainer, is scared to walk down long hallways alone, loves to play with toys, and is fascinated by red painted toe nails. If you are ever fortunate to be in Boise, Idaho you can visit her at the Birds of Prey Sanctuary, a very beautiful soul indeed.

A reminder that beauty is not always the package it is the soul you find inside.... Meet Miss Lucy

beauty in the mundane

2010-06-05T20:39:00.001-05:00

bottom of the barrel.

...

the bottom of the flour canister with an old beat up measuring cup.

beauty is in the little things.

the every day things.

in the mundane.

and they shine like rubies

2010-06-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

dusk on a sailor's delight kind of evening. and as the sun was setting, the windows reflected the red like rubies glittering in the twilight.

everyday beauty

2010-06-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

i forget how beautiful they are unless i get down on my knees and look....

beauty in the mundane

2010-06-03T23:18:00.004-05:00

a worn and enduring friend that reverberates with timeless remembrances of those who have filled our hearts with the most glorious music.

mundane is the ordinary that we see as extraordinary...

2010-06-03T19:59:00.002-05:00

everyday

we live in and with the ordinary

but

when you take a few moments to look outside yourself

and

take in the world that wraps itself around you

the ordinary

~the mundane~

disappears

and

everything is extraordinary

mundane

2010-06-03T16:25:00.002-05:00

there's beauty in nature
also in grace
although the mundane
can hold a special place

to find this beauty
look between the lines
outside the box
nothings defined

everyday things
taking up space
that which brings beauty
and a smile to my face

Mundane Beauty

2010-06-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

Ordinary blackberry

Everyday blackberry

Common blackberry

Run of the mill blackberry that grows wild.

…Yet…

Beautiful to photograph

Beautiful to the taste

A beautiful creation

Mundane beautiful art.

Mundane Weed?

2010-06-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

How many wishes have been made with the much maligned dandelion?

A multimilliongazillion?

Same old same old

2010-06-02T23:03:00.002-05:00

Just another ordinary day
making ordinary plans
for another mundane day.

Mundane... in green shades

2010-06-02T11:53:00.001-05:00

A green glass bottle

standing on the patterned green rug in my front room.

a wooden spoon

2010-06-02T07:44:00.002-05:00

I quietly remove it from the drawer
running my fingers across
the worn smooth places
remembering her

bejeweled bottle rack

2010-06-01T22:51:00.002-05:00

Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.

—Bill Moyers

things with wings

2010-05-30T17:38:00.002-05:00

one of my new chickens.

sweet omelet the white cochin.

things with wings.

things with wings...

2010-05-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

wishing you peace and love.

He's got wings but can he fly?

2010-05-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Time to Fly

2010-05-26T07:20:00.002-05:00

You lead. I'll follow.

wings

2010-05-24T08:30:00.003-05:00

a few weeks ago we took out
a tree that was diseased
and i planted grass seed this weekend
to cover the grassless spot in the yard...
or was i just feeding this winged friend...

Things With Wings

2010-05-23T23:53:00.001-05:00

things with wings have a way of flying away...

Wings

2010-05-23T01:23:00.004-05:00

Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly!

Georgia O'Keefe

wings

2010-05-22T07:31:00.000-05:00

"Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings."

Victor Hugo

wings to fly

2010-05-20T23:34:00.004-05:00

photo credit - my brother, David

“The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings” - James Matthew Barrie

Almost every day I receive a bird photo, or two, in an email from my brother. He has captured a lot of great bird activity this spring. I thought the one he sent me today was especially cute. He said this baby was struggling mightily to hang on to the wire... flopping this way and that, almost falling off several times. In comes mommy bird to give some words of encouragement to her little fledgling. She seems to be saying, "you have wings to fly sweetie, don't be afraid".

Wing nut

2010-05-20T18:20:00.002-05:00

This winged friend of ours
has been tapping at our windows
trying to get in.
It was entertaining....

THE FIRST WEEK!

Free to spread my wings

2010-05-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

What sense is this

that a simple mask

has the power in an instance

to open a door to safety, freedom and joy

to soar, wings fully outstretched

heart open

in this moment

no longer prisioner

to my limited beliefs

of what is possible?

(Picture taken by my friend Deb Sudul)

wings....

2010-05-19T21:48:00.002-05:00

is this cheating

i'm adding a second "wings" photo to the group

since this beautiful creature landed on my doorstep this afternoon

Lens.Us.Together

as summer ends

Boating

lazy days

lazy summer

oh we're lazy for sure....

Lazy Summer Days

on my street

summer in the sand

Sucking Up the Shade

lazy summer days

Lazy Summer Days

Lazy days in Cannes

Lazy Summer Days

Lazy Summer Days

Lazy Summer Day…

lazy summer days

Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes

Stars & Stipes

the red, white and blue

pride

Stars and Stripes

*stars and stripes*

Star and Stripes Picnic

Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes Forever

stars & stripes

Sparkling Water

stars and stripes....

Stars and Stripes

Sparkle

Sparkle at sea

Sparkle Beach

sparkle

sparkle

The Magical Sparkle of Summer Solstice

roadside sparkle

in her eyes

Sparkle

Sparkle

Satisfy My Soul…

Sparkle

Satisfy My Soul

Satisfying My Soul

satisfying my soul...

Satisfy My Soul

satisfying

rock on wood

satisfied

Satisfy My Soul

Satisfy my Soul

Walk on by

Satisfy My Soul

satisfy my soul

satisfy my soul...

Time flies or lingers

Timepieces

Timepieces…

Tempus Fugit

my personal timepiece.....

Timepiece

sun dial

Time Pieces

Timepieces

AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Timepieces

Mundane Beauty

Mundane

beauty in the mundane

Beauty in the Mundane

Mundane Beauty

my ordinary life

Beauty in the Mundane

beauty in the mundane

and they shine like rubies

everyday beauty

beauty in the mundane

mundane is the ordinary that we see as extraordinary...

mundane

stars and stripes