FOL14 - Week 20 - The View About The Ground

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May's topic for the Focus on Life 2014 weekly photography challenge is 

'In, At and About' 

and for week 20, Sally over at  

The Studio Sublime, gave us the prompt:

The View About The Ground

I'm always looking at the ground - usually for cool rocks. 

I decided to photograph something else this week though.

The grass with it's tiny yellow 'flowers' and this fallen leaf from the Grapefruit Tree.

 

This seemed a bit more 'summer' than rocks. 

Plus, the rocks were hot to stand on and photograph in my bare feet and the grass felt good despite the 104 temperature!

Hop around to the other participants this week and see what they captured in their "View About The Ground". 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Looking About!

Cheers,

~Shel~ 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 14 - Morning Moments

It's week 14 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at The Studio Sublime has given us the theme of "Moments" for the month of April.

 

 

This week our prompt is

"Morning Moments".

 

Sally asked us to photograph what our Morning Moments consist of; whether it be a quiet, coffee drinking moment or a mad dash to get the kids off to school, a 3a.m. feeding for those with little ones or stolen moments waiting for the train or bus to take us to work.

 

Most of you know that I capture as many 'Morning Sunrise Moments' as possible.

 

Despite the fact that I LOVE the time where the sun starts to rise and it goes from dark to light and the day officially begins,

my favorite morning moment is actually chatting with my son for a while

 before he leaves for school each day. 

 

But, since he wouldn't let me

snap his photo (surprise!)

or capture any of these moments on film

(digital camera! LOL!),

I captured this Morning Moment instead,

 

Yep, pretty much everything is 'outta-focus' until I have this! :-)

 

 

Ah, the morning Cup O'Joe!

 

It's my second favorite morning moment.

 

Okay, well maybe it's my third, favorite!

 

 

 

Please go check out what

Morning Moments

every one else has captured this week!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Morning Moments!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 13 - Eye Level

It's week 13 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at The Studio Sublime has given us the theme of

"Checking Out" for the month of March.

 

 

"For the last Saturday of March, we're going to check out what's going on at eye level.

From where you stand, sit, kneel or lay, take a look around at your surroundings and capture what's at eye level."

 

I was going to snap a photo of my computer screen for the prompt this week because, lately, it's what's at 'eye-level' every single day as I work on analytical data review.

 

But, I thought that would be rather boring

for you all to see, so,....

 

I had lunch out on the patio one day

and this is what was at eye level.

 

Well, it was at eye-level as I leaned back in my chair to enjoy the scene. :-)

 

 

And then one night this week, Mike and I walked over to the neighbor's and had cocktails by his negative-edge pool and watched the sunset.

 

This is what was at eye level

as I sat in one of the comfy chairs.

 

 

 

 

Of course I had to include a photo

of a sunset (or sunrise), right?

 

(today's my birthday, so I'm allowed!)

 

This is really 'eye-level'. You can't tell where the pool ends and the lake begins. I love that!

 

 

 

Please pop over and see what every one else captured at eye level this week.

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Eye Level Beauty!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 11 - Beauty All Around

It's week 11 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at The Studio Sublime has given us the theme of

"Checking Out" for the month of March.

 

This week's prompt is:

 

 

Beauty All Around

 

You've all seen the sunrises and sunsets I've been posting lately, which would have been super for this week's prompt, but I'll spare you yet another one!

 

I was out walking in the neighborhood keeping a keen eye out for something to photograph that would embrace this prompt.

  

This was some of the
beauty I found all around.



Pretty flowers outside our subdivision

And, even more.

Beautiful Bougainvilleas

 

 

Okay - so I couldn't resist.
 
Here's another sunset.

Friday Night's Sunset Over the Big Lake
(sorry I couldn't make it bigger w/out it running off the page!)



And here's a duck landing on the water, too!

  

 

 

 

Please go check out the "Beauty All Around" that everyone else found this week, won't you?

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Beauty All Around!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life 201 - Week 9 - Macro

It's week 9 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at The Studio Sublime has given us the theme of "Checking Out" for the month of March.

 

Sally explains this month's prompt, "March for me is the beginning of Spring and a good time for checking out!  There are many definitions of "checking out", but I'm talking about checking out and exploring the world around us.  Some times when we are checked out of life and checked in to technology we tend to not focus on the amazing things that are happening around us every minute of everyday."

 

 

 

For week 9, our prompt is:

 

Macro Shot
 

"This week we are going to get up close and really check things out!"
 

 

I just LOVE macro shots!

 

Click photo to enlarge :-)



I'm much better at drooling over them than I am at actually capturing them, but hey, I have fun trying!
 

 

 

 

 

 I spent last weekend 'checking out' Jerome, AZ with my sister and a couple of friends and was happy enough to capture some cool macro shots of the beautiful, fresh flowers that were on our table at The Flatiron.

 

 

 

Everything about The Flatiron was super!

 

 

From the relaxed atmosphere, to the awesome meals that Chad prepared, to the fun banter that could be heard between Jen and Amy behind the bar area.

This place was rockin' the cool-vibe! 

My sister's waffles on Sunday!  Yummy!

 

 

And, just so you know, they have the best coffee on the planet! (thank you Amy!)

 

And some really beautiful flowers that make for great macro shots, too!

 

Click to enlarge photo collage :-)

 

Please click on all the links below to check out what gorgeous, up-close macro shots the rest of the Focus on Life gang has captured this week, okay?
 

 

Until Next Time,
 

Peace, Love and Macro Lust!
 

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

  

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL2014 - Week 5 - Get Outside

Our host, Sally, from the Studio Sublime, gives us a new focus each month for our "Focus on Life 2014" weekly photography challenge.

 

For February our focus is: 

Cabin Fever

 

And, for week 5 of 2014, our prompt is:

 

Get Outside!

 

Sally shared a few words with us for this week's prompt.

 

"We find ourselves in the dull-drum of winter.  This month we will break free of those feelings and focus on the fabulous-ness of February!  Sometimes the perfect fix for temporary relief of cabin fever is simply to get outside, even if you just step out on the porch.  Get out of the house and focus on the change cooler temps bring to your surroundings."

 

So, for week 5, you're instructed to:  Get Outside!

 

I really feel for all the folks around the country who are getting tons snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, and things of this nature - it's just super crazy!

You will definitely want to 'click to enlarge' these sunrise pics! :-)
Nope - no enhancements - just cropped and framed them in Pixlr.
And, Yes - it was really this vibrant and breath-taking!

 

 

But here in the Arizona Desert, well,...we're having some really nice, really warm weather  - record braking on some days. It's been in the high 70's and even hit 80 I think.

 

 

 Hopefully this is not a precursor to what's coming our way from Mid-April through late October. I'd hate to think that our average temperature for this time of year is going to be in the 120's vs. our normal average of about 105 to 110 or so.

 

 

But, once it's over 110 it pretty much all feels the same.

Probably like when it dips below -5, with wind chill factors of -40, cold is cold. Ice is ice. It hurts to breathe!

 

 

So, I feel for those of you suffering.

 

I'm really glad and extremely thankful to live where I do.

At least this month anyway.

:-)

 

 

Our Sunrises and Sunsets here in Arizona are among
the most beautiful in the world (IMHO) and on Thursday morning I looked out the window as I was fixing my coffee to see the absolute best sunrise starting to come alive.  I rushed to get my phone and went outside and started snapping away.

Sorry, but I couldn't decide on just one of the photos
I snapped and had to show you all of them!

 

I hope those of you in the wake of all this crazy-silly cold weather can stay inside, stay warm and stay safe.

Feel free to use any of these as your screen saver.
That's what my niece and sister did!
LOL! ;-)

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Sharing The Warmth!!

Cheers,

~Shel~