Tag: Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

Walking in the Woods

~ oneletterup ~ 39 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Sand or Dirt
Which Way photo challenge

I escaped out the back door last week and headed to my favorite sanctuary of sorts. Which way to go? Down the path into “my woods” of course. At this time of year, I am blessed with a soft carpet of leaves to welcome me. The CFFC “sand or dirt” would obviously easily be found somewhere along the way.

First I checked in on my crooked tree – phew – still hanging on after all these (3) years.

As I walked deeper into the woods, I looked down and spotted a section of the path where many leaves had blown away. Aha! Sand and/or dirt! Plus a few of nature’s odds and ends.

At the end of the path, where it eventually ends near the parking lot of a local business, I came upon a pile of dirt. A huge pile. But it was more than dirt, it was a repository of refuse that had been pushed into a pile – widening the path to allow for a truck to pass through. Knocking down small trees in the process. I had seen it there before over the past several years, but it’s gotten much bigger – at least 4 feet high now. Yard waste, construction debris and who knows what else. A mountain of a stain on this beautiful landscape. I stepped into this mess for a few photos.

One showed life. One not so much.

Winter White

~ oneletterup ~ 25 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: White
BeckyB’s July Squares: Treesquare

In my part of the world it is summer. A hotter than normal summer from what the climate experts report.

I’ve never been one to look forward to the hot and humid, but it does seem worse than in years past…to me anyway. Growing up, my family never had air conditioning until we moved when I was 11. Until then, I spent “boiling” days (as I called them) outside in a kiddie pool or under the sprinkler or sitting next to a humming floor fan while watching cartoons or playing Monopoly with my sister. It was a round metal fan that you could sit on, cooling off your legs too. Hopefully without sticking your fingers inside. Now known as a “vintage floor fan,” it was back before finger-saving safety features became all the rage.

But I digress…this treesquare is obviously a winter photograph – post major snowstorm. I took this photo many years ago, as I liked the look of wet snow clinging to bare branches. It could be a challenge to capture the moment before winter sunshine made it disappear.

Before we know it…winter will creep back and this will be the scene outside many of our windows. No more hot and humid…which will be fine with me!

Collateral damage caught in the sun

~ oneletterup ~ 18 Comments

Six Word Saturday

What happened to this poor tree? What is the story? I noticed it right away – close to the edge of my walking path last month. Since all the trees had dropped their leaves, this one’s wounds were clearly visible. No longer hidden from view. Layers of bark stripped away.

I suspect it just happened to be in the way of a town or utility company brush clearing project. Left damaged and forgotten. A sad sight.

~~~

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Bark

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: White or Cream Colors

~ oneletterup ~ 11 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: White or cream colors
Cee’s Flower of the Day

~~~

It isn’t often that white flowers get their deserved attention, so I am taking advantage of this challenge opportunity.

I am also grateful to focus on white (tinged with pink…) flowers rather than life and world events. Just not up to that at the moment.

Thank you Cee!

White tulips took center stage a few years ago in a Mother’s Day bouquet.

They also outlasted their yellow counterparts!

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Pink and Yellow

~ oneletterup ~ 14 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Pink and Yellow
Cee’s Flower of the Day

~~~

Now that Autumn is in full swing, pink and yellow don’t bloom from nearby neighborhood gardens anymore. However, during one of my many walks this summer, I thoroughly enjoyed the sight of these pink and yellow flowers.

Their name escapes me (or was never there to begin with…).

So I’ll just call these the Fun Flowers of the Day. 🙂 Unless someone can fill me in.

Happy Thursday everyone! Hang in there. Here’s hoping that the next time these flowers are in bloom, life will be back to the “normal” we used to know.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Aging Flowers

~ oneletterup ~ 10 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge Special Request: Wilting, dead, or aging flowers and leaves.

~~~

Unusual special request, but I understand it.

After all, beauty comes at all ages.

I found two examples.

Tulips – while wilting – took on a “life” of their own a few months ago. A different kind of beauty. One worth documenting.

faded tulip
A vine of leaves added a unique touch while weaving its way through a fence along the river’s edge. Stopped me in my tracks.

Still hanging on…

faded leaves

…and showing off.

Lens-Artists Challenge: One Single Flower

~ oneletterup ~ 26 Comments

Lens-Artists Challenge #101: One Single Flower

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: One Single Flower

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #100: Pause (...long enough to quiet the noise…)

~~~

 

purple iris

I find this to be a congruous set of challenges happening in the same week. In particular, V.J.’s subtext to the topic of Pause…about quieting the noise. There has been way too much noise for me lately – on a personal level – more than I can often handle and process like I did “before.” To focus during the day. To sleep at night.

At the same time, I recognize the need for information, education – and change. All the noise urgently and justifiably vies for our collective public attention simultaneously. Ignited by fear. Anger. Not being heard. Not being properly informed.

I have no answers for any of this. I am just one single person among millions who are worried, tired and anxious. Many have more concerns than I do. Many have less.

raindrop flower

Let’s try to get out of our own heads and pause. Take time to listen and hear and read what others have to say. With open minds. Whether it be the scientists with news about the pandemic and what to do next. Or our fellow citizens protesting for justice and racial equality. Or even the politicians who will shape policy – one way or the other. Let’s reflect. Reach within for empathy. And…again…listen.

And…make a commitment to get out and vote when the time comes.

What does this have to do with One Single Flower?

A mass of flowers draws my attention briefly. After a while they blend in together. In the relative quiet of the walking path.

But the single flower…the one tiny flower among many? That’s what stops me.

yellow flower

The one all alone “out standing in its field” as if to say Look at me! I’m important too!

lone daisy

The one single flower…making itself known.

 

Where did all the flour go?

~ oneletterup ~ 30 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Sense of Touching

…post anything that stimulates or delights your sense of touch.

SixWordSaturday

~~~

Fun fact – the grocery stores may run out of regular plain wheat flour, but around here they don’t run out of gluten free flour!

People may be desperate to bake, but lucky for me, apparently not that desperate.

So, armed with “Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour” and a multitude of other ingredients, I tackled a complicated – but exceptionally delicious – corn muffin recipe this past week.

Since being diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009, my expectations for success in baking have nosedived…using recipes with as few steps as possible. However I made an exception after my daughter introduced these muffins to me several years ago. I was hooked.

They do have a strange expensive ingredient…Crème Fraîche…which can take a bit of searching in the dairy aisle. The container I had bought last month was still sitting in the refrigerator…its expiration date fast approaching.

And it proved to be what moved me to action as the rain poured outside and the light was low.

Having-something-to-use-up is a powerful motivator.

Baking kept my mind off the latest surreal news of the day…with delicious results.

muffins

 

muffin