Shutterbugs and photo-lovin’ friends glad to have you join me for The World Through My Lens 05.2024: Everyday Things. It’s been a minute since I’ve participated in any photo challenges. Today I am joining Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee for her Everyday Images photo challenge. Kym describes the challenge as a way to be more intentional about watching for interesting things in life that she can capture with her camera. She says that having prompts that are open to interpretation has helped Kym pay a little more attention to what’s around her.
Every two weeks she publishes a few words or phrases to focus on, and looks for opportunities to take pictures of these things. With all the worry and stress over PC’s health, I haven’t been in the right frame of mind for taking photos. But hoping to get back to photography now that we feel more reassured about Paul’s prognosis. Doing so helps me become more aware of the beautiful world in which we live.
The World Through My Eyes 05.2024
Because I haven’t been snapping pictures, my last The World Through My Lens post was published way back in 09.2023. You can find it here. I really enjoy taking pictures. It feels good to be back to enjoying a favorite hobby.
Everyday Images #35
- at home (monthly): it is already summer-hot here in El Paso even though officially summer is still a month away. Our poor grass has struggled this year. We canceled True Green and have been battling weeds on the daily. And we never seem to be able to water enough to counteract the heat. No matter the season, no matter the temperature or lack of precipitation, I love our home. No place like home.
- yard (quarterly): the backyard. We have just begun using the pool this season and it has been delightful. Today the high was 100* which should have warmed the water nicely. Hoping to swim some laps tomorrow.
- branch: in the heat of this year’s Memorial Day morning, how fortunate these sweet souls were to have the branch of this tree shading them.
- purple: the little bear my friends Cheezy and Prince and I played with during drop-in visits with them. My dress has a purple tint, too.
- river: this is the Rio Grande whose name is a misnomer as the river is rather narrow and shallow, even often nonexistent in the El Paso area much of the year. I snapped this photo on our way home from Las Cruces, New Mexico, which is a 30-minute drive from home. In the second photo, taken from a mesa above Slot Canyon, New Mexico, you can see where the river meanders if you follow the patches of green that are the riverbanks.
- town: happened to remember I needed a picture for this prompt so snagged this at a stop light. Not an especially attractive shot of all of downtown El Paso. Our little town is growing up but still has a little town feel. I like the contrast between the tall, modern building and the quaint, southwest-style church beside it.
Everyday Images #34
- doorway (quarterly): this is the view peeking through our French doors out to the patio and pool I love looking out there, being out there.
- park: Ascarate Park, baseball fields and (manmade) lake - where we spend many Saturdays while PC plays baseball. It is also a place I ‘connect’ with my mom because when she was still living, I would call her on my pre-game walks around the lake.
- fresh: maybe not fresh exactly YET, but I hope to have fresh herbs very soon to spice up my home cooking. I planted thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro, sage and mint. The mint has not done a thing!! Most everyone I know can grow mint without even trying. Not me. 😞 The cilantro came up and just as quickly died. The basil and thyme are doing the best. I have more seeds coming on Monday. And today, I have moved the beds to get some more sun. Fingers crossed in a couple of weeks, all of my seeds will be growing.
- sunrise and/or sunset: sunrise peeking in through the east-facing window in my loft during quiet time. Love the son-shine on my cross wall.
- zigzag: when we passed this house on Memorial Day weekend, I knew I had found my subject for this prompt. I give you zig-zag brick.
- connect: I try very hard to stay connected to the lives of my daughters and their children. Brennyn and 2-year-old Declan and I have breakfast together via Facetime at least once a week. I text with Cady, 13, almost daily and talk with her on Facetime, too. Lauren and the girls call several times a week; I take the girls to school a couple of times a month; volunteer at 8-year-old Lucia’s school and attend 4-year-old Cami’s gymnastic performances. I hope they will remember the ways we stayed connected.
Your Turn
What have you captured lately in your lens? I have enjoyed the photos of my friends on Instagram this spring in the northern hemi and fall in the southern. Both seasons are so beautiful.
Thank you for popping in. I appreciate the time you spend with me. Hoping to do a whole lot of blog reading this weekend to catch up with my friends. Will be by to visit YOU! Hope you will join me in visiting Kym at A Fresh Up of Coffee. Make this weekend a special one.
Hugs and kisses,
Loved all your photos. Gives me a much better view of your surroundings (which are mostly gorgeous). It’s not nearly as hot here yet, but we’ll get pretty close in another month or two, along with really high humidity.
Iris
We have had pretty high (miserable) humidity here for about 2 weeks. I am not used to it!! Seems I just barely move and break out in a sweat. Headed to the beach on Monday, though, so need to toughen up!!
Your photos are lovely. That backyard/pool area looks so inviting; like a tropical paradise.
We have surely enjoyed our pool this year. I finally have convinced PC to start swimming laps with me. And he is doing great. Thank you!!
Hi Leslie - nice to have a little peek into your everyday life. Your home is beautiful and that pool area and patio would be perfect on a 100 degree day. We’re sliding into winter after an excessively hot and dry summer and a cooler (but still very dry) autumn.
Thank you, Leanne. With our hot days, I am beginning to daydream about fall!! Enjoy your cooler temps and approaching winter.
Your home is lovely, Leslie! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a front view, and your pool is gorgeous! I hope all is now fixed and going smoothing with it. I haven’t seen a sunrise in a long time as we only have one east facing room, and it’s Jack’s. I don’t want to bother him that early. I love how the sunrise shown on your cross wall.
Have a wonderful week, dear friend!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Thank you, Marsha. I appareciate your artistic eye and would love to see your photos for the every day images challenge. Come play!!
Your pool looks so inviting and the other shots give a nice sense of place. Glad you are back to doing this!
Thank you. I have missed take pictures. Come join Kym for this everyday image challenge. Would love to see your photos.
Great photos - I love seeing a little more of the area in which you live. I also like seeing blue skies and sunshine because they are both missing here at the moment! I smiled when I read about your herb garden and how the mint won’t grow - ours is the opposite, we forgot to plant it in a pot in the ground and put is straight into the earth. So now it has spread everywhere! Still, it’s a good excuse to have a mojito - just to use it up of course 😉
Thank you, friend. We have a week of 100*F+ (38*C) temps in front of us. Everything is already burning up as we haven’t had rain but about two times this year. I know you guys are swimming with rain and we can’t get a single shower. Oh, send me some mint!! I have just today planted mint again…three’s charm?? Hoping I will finally have some grow.
Your home is beautiful. And those double doors going out to the patio / pool area, that’s so inviting! Loved all your photos!
Thank you so much. I love taking pictures and I am glad to have found Kym’s Everyday Things challenge. Come join us!!
I loved all your photos - so creative, and so many beautiful views. Your home and backyard are gorgeous, and I would spend a lot of time at the pool if I had one like yours. The cross wall and that interesting contrast between old and new buildings in your “town” shot are so striking as well. I so appreciate the shout-out and link to my blog!
Glad that you’re able to feel more confident and less worried about the health prognosis so you can turn some attention to the hobbies you love.