scotland – Dutch goes the Photo!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 210

Puzzles larger than life itself

Welcome to the 210th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Thank you all for the wonderful responses to this week’s photo challenge theme of puzzle. Also, more importantly, thank you for the warm welcome for my return to this great forum. It feels good to be back!

Sometimes the puzzle is rather large…

The above monkey puzzle tree was found by my wife and I in the gardens at Clan MacLeod’s Castle on the Isle of Skye. When I saw these people standing next to it, I just had to photograph it and capture an impression of its massive scale.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Debbie started the week’s responses off with a wonderful set of images in Travel with Intent, as she highlights the national tree of Chile…go check it out and see how it connects with the image above!
Diane reminds me of something that I very much enjoyed as a child in a lovely post in pensivity101; nowadays, I will often help out my mother-in-law with this kind of puzzle!
The capture in Teresa’s post in My Camera & I really caught my eye, as she features the puzzle aspect of architecture in a great way!
Leave it to ladyleemanila‘s post to blow my concept of puzzle piece count way up high! 18,000 pieces is mind-boggling!
Ken has us off to the races in a great post in Pictures without Film! There’s nothing better than a group of ducks vying for first place!
The ancients have left us interesting puzzles, as we can see in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery; this puzzle makes me think both of piecing things together again and the challenge of understanding what the larger structure might have looked like…
Maria brings something to mind in her post in Kamerapromenader, for which it takes a real expert to find a good solution! The skill of people who work with stone in that form is priceless!
Sandy shares some stunning black&white photography in her post in Out o f my Write Mind, which also demonstrates that these are perfectly pieced together!
Susan made me laugh with her entry in Musin’ with Susan, as it is filled with wit and a puzzle that many of us can relate to! Also, check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan, and enjoy the variety of great photos!
Hammad has a very fine capture in his post in The Blog of Hammad Rais; this photo makes me think that this maze has a way out…but does it?
Teressa shares a wonderful set of images in her post in Another LQQk, which lead me to believe that she enjoys a puzzle or two! I agree that the puzzlement in the statue is very pronounced!
No regrets for some lovely egrets in another wonderful post in Don’t Hold Your Breath! I have photographed some in my travels, but didn’t know as much about them as I.J. shares with us.
The sun is highlighted as a puzzle in our universe with a great quote and photo in Sgeoil‘s post; an intriguing concept!
Alice showcases a puzzle to be solved by a horse in her post in The 59 Club…how do you adjust to look through that fly cap?
Brian brings us a subject that is truly puffed up and looks like it might be ready to blow in his post in Bushboy’s World, so be careful! Great song too!
Take a closer look at the puzzling photo in Land of Images, and tell me what you see… serendipitous art? I like it!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 202

One man’s junk is still junk…

Welcome to the 202nd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Thanks to all of you for creating a stunning set of posts! It was an absolute pleasure to read each and every one of your posts, as each found something unusual or, in the case of one country, something that happens all the time. Some of you included a reminder that we need to do something about all this junk, which we cannot hear often enough.

When you read all these great posts, I’m confident that you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Thank you again and have fun with these posts!

Here we get everything, including the kitchen sink…

Even on the gorgeous Isle of Skye, one can come across some junk! This sink that had been dumped unceremoniously in this lovely field really caught my eye. This composition breaks a couple of rules, but I felt it created the right amount of tension between the sink and Nature’s beauty…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Kammie starts things this week with some of her treasures in a wonderful post in Nut House Central; I have to admit that the radio dial is just awesome!
This week in theOnlyD800intheHameau we join on a househunting trip in rural France, where the interior decorator asks us to use our imagination! Great post!
Jackie has a scene right out of the Beverly Hillbillies in her post in JunkBoat Travels; if only granny was sitting atop the wagonload! There are some other great scenes as well!
Na’ama has another fantastic poem in her post in Na’ama Yehuda, as a treasure is found! The photo is also rather stunning!
Nandini is junking it up in her haikus in her post in queennandini; great writing and some rather cool pictures too!
Maria shows us that lizards may have a very different appreciation than we do of what has value in Kamerapromenader; it’s a treasure to them!
Diane shares another great post in pensivity101, as we learn about how junk might have value to others; the junk in the photos looks rather nice!
Ken has a wonderful photo of treasures of a bygone era in Pictures without Film, as some parts may no longer be useful…
Andrea has some amazing photos of interesting junk in her post in ARHtistic License; she clearly has a keen awareness of the world around her!
Julie’s post in Eat, Play, Live has some salvage parts turned into art; as she says, this is definitely not junk, as the salvage is from the World Trade Center…
Sarah shows us that taking the trash out can be a colorful experience with a wonderful photo in her post in By Sarah; great scene!
Carol’s post in Light Words certainly put a smile on my face, as I’ve never seen anybody so happy with Tony the Tiger! There’s more great junk in Carol’s post as well; go check it out!
Bren shares another gorgeous photo in her post in Brashley Photography, with a great sense of abandonment; did that boat have hopes of becoming a junk?
David has some rather intriguing junk in his post in David M’s Photoblog; taking apart a zoom lens is one challenge that I have never undertaken, so it was rather cool to see the contents of the lens on display in this post!
Jez takes us for a visit to a nice little home in his post in Photos by Jez; that lizard has a nice place!
Brian highlights some of humanity’s junk in his post in Bushboy’s World; our junk makes living quarters for various creatures… Amazing adaptation!
The post in JP the Wide-eyed Wanderer has a fantastic junk garden in it; that just goes to show that anything might make a garden!
Beware of Viveka’s post in myguiltypleasures; it might make you hungry! Viveka shares one of the junk pleasures that she doesn’t feel guilty about: burgers!
Deb has another awesome post in her blog, Twenty Four; the practical use of junk is expressed brilliantly!
The photo in Land of Images is absolutely gorgeous, and I love its depiction of rusty remnants! Now, I’m trying to decipher what exactly was dumped there…
Sandy reminds me of something really relevant in her post in Out of my Write Mind: no matter how we hide our junk…it’s still junk! Awesome post!
Ann-Christine provides us with a view with all sorts of junk in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…, not the least among which are the stairs…
TiongHan gives us a very Dutch view of junk in a wonderful post in TiongHan’s Blog; bicycles in canals are a perennial problem in the Netherlands!
The saying is definitely true in a great post in WoollyMuses, and I agree that some junk is just not a treasure to have lying around.
Sometimes when you see a piece of junk that looks like the one that we get to see in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery, we might be tempted to test its mettle…
Robert highlights a magnificent item in his post in photo roberts blog! That scale might have been thrown out, if it were too honest!
Tatiana has a wonderful set of photos that tell the story of Chloride, Arizona, in her post in VegasGreatAttractions; there’s some rather interesting junk there. The only thing that would concern me is the name of the town…
Rupali highlights a problem that exists all around the world with a great photo in her post in mazeepuran; parents, please teach this lesson!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 201

Rich tones and wonderful evenings!

Welcome to the 201st round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

A bit late in my round up, but I think it might be worth the wait, as the Yard theme elicited an amazing set of response with some great interpretations. From reading all these posts, there’s something to learn, lots to enjoy, and the occasional chuckle! I thank all of you for this great set of creative posts!

I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I did!

Here is a little backyard…

As my wife and I were sauntering around after dinner in the lovely town of Cromarty, Scotland, the golden hour was appearing at full strength! This view of the yard and lovely house gives you an idea of how richly colored the light was. I actually toned down some of the saturation to make it look a bit better…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Kammie starts things this week in her post in Nut House Central; we get some fantastic views in her backyard, including a very photogenic squirrel!
More stunning photos this week in a great post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, as we get to enjoy a Brahminy Starling (aka Myna)!
Na’ama has an amazing yard in her post in Na’ama Yehuda, which is definitely a great place to be and enjoy!
Ann-Christine takes us into a magnificent yard in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…, which may not be the largest yard, but it has everything one needs, including a cat!
Jackie brings out some of the best in yards in her post in JunkBoat Travels, and I definitely have a favorite among them!
This week in theOnlyD800intheHameau we go to Giverny and are treated to a magnificent photo of a stone in the graveyard; part of the family plot?
Diane has a project under way in her back yard, as we can see in her lovely post in pensivity101. Time to assemble the greenhouse!
Carol definitely has a lot blooming in her yard! Her post in Light Words shows this with great photographs!
Sarah might just have the win on colorful yard denizens in her post in By Sarah, as the Gang-Gang Cockatoo is stunning!
Maria has some great yards in her post in Kamerapromenader, of which I love the open feeling of the Botanic Garden!
TiongHan stakes us into Catalunya with some wonderful photos in his post in TiongHan’s Blog; the graveyard sure looks beautiful!
In a lovely post in her blog For the Love Of, Anita has not only a great photo of a graveyard, but complements it with a magnificent poem!
Nandini has several interesting takes on our theme in her post in queennandini; now I’d like to go visit a cool yard sale!
Julie takes a wonderful approach in her post in Eat, Play, Live, as she takes us on a trip to a shared yard! Parks are awesome yards!
Bren definitely shares an amazing photo in her post in Bren & Ashley Ryan Photography, as the light and composition provide stunning balance!
David enlightens us with another amazing set of photos in his post in David M’s Photoblog; the capture of the raccoon really caught my eye!
Brian brings us to one of my favorite countries in his post in Bushboy’s World, as we look into a gorgeous little courtyard!
Nicole brings us an absolutely stunning view in the yard that she features in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme!
Carol gives us several ways to interpret our theme in her photos in the Apples in my Orchard; it looks like those yards are numerous square yards!
Cee has a great assortment of yard photos in her post in Cee’s Photo Challenges; the color of those flowers is just incredible!
Donna’s post in Wind Kisses definitely goes to show that the right backyard is something that all of can appreciate!
Russell shares some great views in Beautiful Photographs of what I would classify as the kind of yard that all of us enjoy!
Eric gives us a view of his backyard in Up North! that many of us can relate to, as there’s nothing like camping in the backyard!
Sandy has us hanging out in Nature’s yard in her post in Out of my Write Mind; this is more that just a great place to be, as we could meditate for hours on its beauty!
Chris’ photo in What’s (in) the Picture? provides us one of those classic views of a very famous graveyard. Beautifully photographed!
Jez takes us for a walk through a colorful and interesting yard in Photos by Jez; that boatyard is filled with great photo opportunities!
Irene caught the eye, literally, in her photo in Heaven’s Sunshine! To have such a lovely hawk in one’s backyard is magical!
Sometimes a backyard can provide Nature’s bounty, as we can see in Deb’s great photo in Twenty Four; those peaches look nothing short of delicious!
Seeing a backyard across the seasons, we really get to enjoy the most of it in a wonderful post in A Day in the Life. Looks like a great backyard!
The message comes through in the photo in Land of Images! Now, who will do that yard cleaning? Great post!
The sun might be over the yard arm in WoollyMuses, but that doesn’t stop the dogs from having fun in the backyard! Great and interesting post!
Viveka takes us to the vineyard in an awesome post in myguiltypleasures; what an amazing area, which leaves me thirsty for a bit of wine!
Debbie takes us into the wide open yard of self-forgiveness in a fantastic post in her blog Forgiving Connects; I can relate particularly to tip #2, and so does the cat!
There may not be a blade of grass in sight in Harvard Yard in this wonderful post in One Letter Up – diary 2.0, but the crowd appears to be motivated!
A yard can undergo many phases, as we see in a lovely post in Kanlaon; the plumbers may have made a temporary mess, but blossoms will return!
Debbie has some wonderful views from Slateford Aqueduct in her post in Travel with Intent; I always love the utility of railway arches!
Pragun definitely has an amazing yard in front of their house, as we get to enjoy in Sun-Sea-Soil-Sky!
If I had a backyard view like that in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery I probably would never leave home, but just enjoy it! Stunning!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Junk

Twinkies anyone?

Welcome to week 202 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

You really went Yard with last week’s theme (the round up will be posted later today). As this took me back to a moment in Scotland, it detoured me to a moment in Inverness, filled with unexpected American exports that led me to the theme of Junk! Junk food to be precise in this instance, as you can see in the photo below. Of course, Junk can be used in many ways from one person’s garbage to another one’s art or treasure! Your challenge is to find some Junk that speaks to you and share it with all of us!

I hope that you can have a lot of fun with this theme, and can’t wait to see the best junk yet!

Here’s the storefront window that inspired me…

Walking around in Inverness and enjoying the local scenery, this store caught me by surprise and elicited some laughter from me! Of course, I had to capture this moment and preserve some of our (not so) finest exports. Part of the fun here was that at that time Twinkies were not on the shelves in stores in the USA; there was a hiatus in their availability from November 21, 2012 until July 15, 2013 due to bankruptcy proceedings.

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Don’t just throw out that junk, but capture it this week!!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 196

Reaching toward the sky on Skye…

Welcome to the 196th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

My apologies for the late posting of this round up, as I was still fighting the tail end of a bad stomach bug and found myself exhausted by the end of the afternoon on just about every day.

The volume and quality of your posts was breathtaking, as your creative eyes captured many different shapes of trees, each with their own character. I really enjoyed reading through your posts and learned about some trees that I didn’t know and was entertained by many a unique shot!

Thank you for all the effort you put into your posts!! Please share your thoughts with one another!

Here’s another tree…

This Monkey Puzzle Tree is still one of the most amazing trees that I have encountered in my travels. Found in the gardens of the clan MacLeod estate on Skye. The sheer scale of this tree is awe inspiring.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

I love Nicole’s optimism that showcases in her post in Un Photo,Une Poeme, as she gives me the thought of Spring!
Bren features an amazingly idyllic location in her post in Bren & Ashley Ryan Photography; I expect the elves to appear any moment!
There’s yet another great photo in Land of Images, as the reflections are amazing!
The wonderful sculpture that is highlighted in My Camera and I… makes me wonder: is it art, or Nature? Or both?
The photo in Paperkutzs shows us what is not exactly a tree, but the flowers make me forgive it all the time!
Kammie put together a great set of tree images in her post in Nut House Central; which one is your favorite?
Xenia has a great set of posts this week, first with her post in whippetwisdom, which speaks of the wind and ice! In Tranature, we get to see a small forest, as lichen surrounds us… And last, but not least, we cross the forest bridge in Tranature, surrounded by trees!
Emily captures an amazing tree in her fantastic post in Zombie Flamingoes; that is some set of branches!
The wonderful post in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery asks the question whether it is a tree or an ent… or is it a house?
Diane has a wonderful take on trees and the memories they bring for her in her post in pensivity101; talking to trees is really important and the tree in the photo is simply stunning!
Jackie’s post in Junkboat Travels tells an amazing tree story, as their drive up the mountain road on Hawaii is interrupted by a tree… you’ve got to read this incredible story!!
In another magnificent post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, we get to see some of the trees of the Himalayas. That really makes me want to go visit the area!
Na’ama’s amazing poem in Na’ama Yehuda tells the story of a tree, whose roots are tired.. Wonderful!
Elizabatz’s post in Albatz Travel Adventures has an incredible array of trees from all over; stunning shots!
Cee shares a wonderful set of trees in her post in Cee’s Photo Challenges; her photos are awesome!
Maria takes us for a walk in her post in Kamerapromenader: a walk among the beeches that is a true pleasure!
A great post in the Jesh Studio brings us some of the sense of Winter that we all love for its beauty, and trees!
I agree that the trees shown in Beautiful Photographs are rather special and provide a lot of interest!
Nandini really gets the trees in the great haikus in her post in queennandini, and the photos are amazing!
Sarah’s not only captures the trees in her post in By Sarah, but also brings us the wind!
Indira finds us a great fruit bat in her post in Sharing Thoughts, which makes for a great silhouette!
Julie takes us to one of those mysterious locations that is on my bucket list in her post in Julie Does Stuff, as we get to see some of the trees at Angkor Wat.
Viveka brings us the story behind the Snapphane Oak in a great post in her blog, myguiltypleasures; the circumference is stunning!
Irene captured a lovely reflection in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine, where the trees stand tall next to the pond! In another wonderful post in Heaven’s Sunshine, we get a view of the winter marsh! And last in Heaven’s Sunshine, and definitely not least, the sunrise breaks through the trees…
Brian takes us to the tip of the tree in an interesting photo post in Bushboy’s World; now to see the rest.
The esplanade of the Chateau Amboise is stunning, as we can enjoy in the post in theOnlyD800intheHameau; great tree structure!
In a lovely post in MyTravelCSP, we get to enjoy a wonderful variety of trees from all over!
David takes us to some absolutely stunning shots, as he captures trees in various moods in his post in David M’s Photoblog! Gorgeous post!
Lisa tells the story of a very specific tree in a wonderful post in A Day in the Life, as it is the tree that her grandfather planted when she was born.
Sandy brings us what I consider the best time for trees in her post in Out of my Write Mind; the colors are simply stunning!
The photos that we get to enjoy in Chateaux des Fleurs are gorgeous! I particularly enjoy the mysterious path that is formed in the second image…
Eric must have endured a bit of cold for the great shot that he shares with us in From the Lens; Winter is one of my favorite seasons as well!
In a lovely post in Wanderlust and Wonderment, we get to enjoy some of the amazing variety that trees bring to us! The Walking Tree is incredible!
Susan documents an unbelievable tree her post in Musin’ with Susan; that Banyan tree is just a single organism! For more great photos, go check out the week in review in Musin’ with Susan!
A great post in radhikas reflection brings us a some really interesting tree views. The tree that forms a big ‘O’ is asking for a small swing…
Deb presents us with an absolutely gorgeous photo in her post in Twenty Four; a very inviting view of a location that all of us could enjoy!
Tatiana shares a truly stunning Winter image in her post in GiftSmart; beautifully executed photo!
Yinglan always has great photos and her post in This is Another Story proves that point!
There very much is art in the sky in a wonderful post in One letter UP ~ diary 2.0; the colors and the tree make for a compelling image, and yes, that tree could tell stories!
Ken takes us to the big tree in his post in Pictures without Film, where we get to enjoy a rather unique shape in this tree!
Chris takes us to Bretagne in his post in What’s (in) the Picture; the mood in this image is just outstanding as I can really feel myself there.
Hammad shares the fight of the green giants in a wonderful post in the Blog of Hammad Rais; those giants are fighting for humanity!
I really enjoy the capture of shape and framing in the photos in Photo Robert’s Blog; Robert really has an eye for catching just the right view!
Woolly leads us down lanes flanked by trees in a couple of gorgeous photos in WoollyMuses; stunning views!
Amy’s wonderful post in Photography Journal Blog shows us how sometimes a little adjustment can do wonders for an image!
Ramya captures a tree overcoming an interesting predicament in her post in And Miles to go before I sleep… It’s just amazing how Nature adapts!
Joanne captures a gorgeous sky and the bare trees against that sky in her post in Joanne’s Crafts and Adventures; absolutely lovely!
In a great post in Alive and Trekking, we get a stunning view of foliage that asks us to go explore further!
Debbie showcases what happens when you look to see what is presented at your feet in her post in Travel with Intent! The reflection of the tree in the puddle is just gorgeous!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Vacation Retrospective

Confessions of a traveler!

As I selected Retrospective for this week’s TPC theme, I thought it would be nice to look back at countries visited during the 2010s! So here it goes!

Austria

Looking down from the shorter tower of the Stephanskirche provides an incredible view across all of Vienna!

Canada

In Vancouver, BC, I got to walk among the treetops, high up above the canyon floor (below…)

Scotland

On the Isle of Skye, I got to see some of the most incredible landscapes, such as here, where I’m a ways up in the Quiraing range. I could sit here forever and watch the clouds change the landscape!

Israel

I got some time in Israel to explore the Apollonia National Park in Herzliya; this amazing Roman settlement was a wonder to behold!

Italy

Our Italian trip was filled with amazing towns (idea for some posts…), such as Massa Maritima; the hill towns in Tuscany are just stunning! And the food was awesome too!

Netherlands

As can be expected, there have been numerous trips to the Netherlands, and Rotterdam is still among my favorite cities in this world!

Iceland

Iceland is filled with amazing vistas, and I spent way too little time there (4 days) to scratch the surface. One of my discoveries was the Herring Era museum in Siglufjördur! It brought one back to a different time!

Czech Republic

Sometimes, travel doesn’t go as planned, and you get to spend an additional 24 hours in a location. This happened in Prague, which is not a bad place to find yourself in!

Ukraine

My visit to Ukraine was fantastic, as the hospitality was amazing and I got to see some of the sights, such as the view here!

England

Liverpool, England, was an impromptu visit that gave me the opportunity to see my favorite Premier League team play at Anfield, their home ground! A fantastic city too!

In less than 2 weeks, I will be in India, so the adventure continues!!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 185

A precarious perch!

Welcome to the 185th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge! First of all, my apologies for the delayed posting of this round up; I’ll do better for the current one!

There was plenty of creativity on display in your responses to the theme of Steep! There were some rather dizzying heights and the steepest of stairs to climb, as well as a couple of drinks that were appropriately steeped. It was an absolute pleasure to read each and every one of your posts!!

Thank you for all the creative energy that you put into these posts!!

Here is a rather steep perch…

These seagulls are nesting on the cliffs of the Isle of Staffa, off the coast of Mull; this uninhabited island is well-known for its large numbers of puffins. So I came armed with a stunning 400mm diffractive optics lens to explore the island and find absolutely zero puffins! There were plenty of seagulls, which were so easy to approach that I had to back up with this lens, so that they could fit in the frame of the picture…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Ed was first out of the blocks this week with some great steep photos in his post in In My Mind’s Eye. Great stair climbing exercise there!
Diane shows us that steep can be experienced from a boat in her post in pensivity101, as the other end of the lock is a lot higher up!
With a couple of beautiful photos in TiongHan’s Blog we get a real appreciation of how steep things can be! That art installation is amazing!
Nicole takes us into the Peak District in England with a gorgeous photo in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme; Mam Tor is an inviting hike!
Bren’s view of the Jurassic Coast in Bren & Ashley Ryan Photography shows an amazing set of cliffs!
Jackie had to do some serious climbing to visit the temple at Wat Hanchey in Cambodia! You can see in Junkboat Travels how steep it was!
Eivor and Pearl are certainly not daunted by the steep hills that we get to enjoy in whippetwisdom; lovely photography and haibun!
Russell found multiple uses for our theme in Beautiful Photographs, as the price of the steep steeple was rather steep; poor protestants!
The lovely town of Sarlat has some incredibly steep roofs, as we can see with a gorgeous photo in theOnlyD800intheHameau!
As we can see in the wonderful photo in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery, those cliffs are rather steep!
Hohenzollern Castle in Germany is an amazing location, and the photo in F2.8_iso100 highlights its beauty very well!
Cee’s photos in her post in Cee’s Photo Challenges definitely show off some steep locales; in particular, Mount Hood looks rather imposing down the road!
The stairs in the photo in Na’ama Yehuda‘s post might be too steep to stand, but they do provide an opportunity for one of life’s little victories!
Tatiana’s post in her blog Travelways takes us to Acapulco to a site that I visited many years ago: la Quebrada is well-known for its cliff divers, which is not something for the inexperienced! In her post in Vegas Great Attractions, Tatiana touts the benefits of jumping… I’m sure it is a thrill, but I’m not convinced to go out and do it! Would you?
Maria takes us to a gorgeous area in her blog Sagittarius Viking; her photos of Sitegraves Pass make me want to visit it!
Rupali gives us an amazing view of Bergen in the post in Mazeepuran; the climb up Stoltzekleiven must have been arduous, but worth it!
Kammie brings us some great steep locations in her photos in Nut House Central; some of these look like they would be fun to climb!
Cath works hard to overcome her fear of stairs, as we can see from her victory photos in Cath’s Camera; those are amazing locations, after which she has a well-deserved cup of tea…
Jase takes an interesting approach to our theme in a cool post in Proscenium; you’ve got to build it up to make it steep!
Ramya shares the view at the end of a tiring trek in And Miles to Go Before I Sleep…; the view is stunning!
There are some great steep areas in New Jersey, as we see in the post in A Day in the Life; the Palisades look amazing!
We get to have the fun in funicular in My Camera and I…, as we visit the Peak Tram in Hong Kong!
Eric takes us to a location that cannot be denied steepness in From the Lens; the Grand Canyon certainly qualifies!
Ann-Christine presents another amazing photo in her post in To See a World in a Grain of Sand…; the location intrigues me, as that type of rock formation is unusual!
Alice shares some rather steep views in her post in the 59 Club; the ascent appears nearly as harrowing as the potential descent!
I’ll admit that in her post in Travel with Intent, Debbie takes steep to another level…that’s a scary place to work!
Sandy makes us wonder, if we are so inclined, in her post in Out of my Write Mind; the ascent might be wonderful, even though it will be arduous!
Maria reminds me of one of the reasons that I want to go back to Iceland in her post in Kamerapromenader; the Nature is simply breathtaking!
David presents an incredible view of Bickerton Hill in Cheshire in his post in David M’s Photoblog: the colors in this image are stunning!
In a gorgeous post in Wanderlust and Wonderment, we get to visit to amazing sites: Bryce Canyon and Masada; a world apart, both are imposing.
Chris’ post in What’s (in) the Picture? takes us inside a wonderful bit of architecture and an interesting museum!
Aletta takes us to a wonderful location in her post in Now at Home, as we get a great view of a gannett colony in a special location in New Zealand.
Irene looks down a rather steep drop toward the coastline in a wonderful photo in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine; the variety of blue of the water is eye-catching!
Deb showcases another amazing photo in Twenty-Four; the surf beating against the steep rock is stunning!
Teressa certainly visits some gorgeous locations, as we can see in her post in Another LQQK; Gibbons Falls in Yellowstone should be on anyone’s must see locales list!
It’s good to bring your wife with you on the trail, as we find out in Fleeting Muse; on that steep trail, she was a true lifesaver!
Nandini wrote some wonderful ‘steep’ haikus for her post in queennandini; and those climbs are rather steep as well!
The steps of Montmartre are rather steep, as Susan shows in her post in Musin’ with Susan! Also, please check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan; the colors on that hummingbird are truly iridescent!
In a truly interesting post in Sweet Aroma, Oneta shares the wisdom of a child, as the impact of steepness is pondered.
With another set of stunning photos, Robert brings us some rather steep angles in Photo Roberts Blog!
Amy takes us to the top of St. Albans Cathedral in Photography Journal Blog, where she details both the event and her treatment of the image.
Jez looks up in the world, as he finds a wonderful variety of steep views in his post in Jez Braithwaite: this goes to show that there’s more than one way to look at things!
The gorgeous photo in the post in Land of Images brings us to the steep-le of St. Walburge’s Church in Preston; looks stunning!
In this week’s entry in sgeoil we are inspired by John Keats to climb with him the steep, Nature’s Observatory; great photo as well!
Woolly brings us a feature of cows that I had not considered in Woolly Muses: on steep terrain, such as in Switzerland, they have shorter front legs! You’ll want to check this out!
Oh noooo! There’s no doubting that the snow is too steep for some in a wonderful post in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0; awesome post!
Elizabatz tours the world for amazing, steep locales in her post in Albatz Travel Adventures. There’s one location that I have visited among them; which ones have you seen?
Marie put in the effort along a long climb in Genoa to get the great view we see in The New 3Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect; the way down was much easier!
Khürt brings us the favorite drink of a civilized world with a stunning photo in Island in the Net; it is well-steeped and beautifully photographed!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 183

The warmth of the setting sun…

Welcome to the 183rd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

First of all thank you all for the well-wishes, as my wife and I appreciate them very much. Your Sunset contributions were nothing short of amazing! There were a fair number of images that just about took my breath away with their beauty! Thank you all for the effort and creativity that you put into these images and posts!

Here is another sunset in my catalog…

It’s rare that a setting sun produces such a hyper-saturated light that I have to pull back the raw image that is produced in camera; that happened in this shot, as the setting sun was simply stunning and created a warm glow over the wooded area and pebble beach in front of me.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Sarah kicks off this array of sunsets with a lovely photo in By Sarah that was taken at Glenelg Beach; simply gorgeous!
I’m rather partial to the gorgeous photo in Land of Images, as the Isle of Skye is one of my favorite places in the world!
Brian’s world is a good one, as we can see in bushboys world; that’s a fantastic view of the sunset through the tree.
There are some really wonderful sunsets in the post in Nut House Central; Kammie clearly enjoys that time of day, as it shows in her photos!
Ed shares some great sunsets in his contribution in In My Mind’s Eye, as he features a location that I know.
Tatiana spent some quality time in Manzanillo, as we can see in her blog Giftsmart; the sunset over the water is amazing!
Jackie proves that one doesn’t need to go to exotic locations for a great sunset in her post in Junkboat Travels; gorgeous view!
Maria brings us another wonderful post in her blog Sagittarius Viking; the Kelso Dunes look like a wonderful place to visit.
The subject of sunset combined with rain produces a great image, as we can see in Black Body; it’s somewhat mysterious, yet inviting! In another post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, we get treated to amazing wildlife in Kenya and a great sunset!
I have to say that the fantastic photo that is featured in the theOnlyD800intheHameau made me chuckle! The giraffe looks completely non-plussed and has no idea what is being done…
Alice captures the scene at the beach perfectly in the 59 Club; the lifeguard tower against the sunset is beautiful!
Na’ama creates a beautiful moment in her post in Na’ama Yehuda; the setting sun provides a sense of welcome into what lies after…
Diane proves that a boat can be a great asset for getting lovely sunsets in her post in pensivity101: gorgeous vistas!
In The Jesh Studio we encounter another wonderful post, which shows us that palm trees and sunsets combine very well!
The photos that Robert features in his post in Photo Roberts Blog not only provide us beautiful sunsets, but also build a wonderful mood!
We get a stunning sunset in Santa Cruz in the lovely photo that is featured in Fleeting Muse‘s post!
Jase brings us a stunning orange sky in a fantastic post in Proscenium; definitely go check this post out!
Jez takes us to Serra Canyon in his post in Jez Braithwaite; the sunset view here is nothing short of stunning!
Zefaney provides us with a great post in Scroll, which gives us that golden feeling that comes with sunsets!
Maria brings us several amazing sunsets, each with their own unique feeling in her post in Kamerapromenader; lovely photos!
Xenia is taking her whippets for one last run in the day before the sunset takes hold in her lovely post in whippetwisdom.
Len demonstrates the beautiful ending part of sunsets in a series of amazing photos in Len’s Journeys.
Viveka brings us some rather lovely sunsets in myguiltypleasures, and reminds us to smell the roses!
Woolly shares some of the sunsets from his travels in Woolly Muses; I’m not sure that I’d ever leave Geelong with those sunsets!
David decided to go with only one sunset image in his post in David M’s Photoblog: you have to see it to believe it’s beauty!!
We are treated to a series of sunsets in another great post in A Day in the Life; each of these is wonderfully serene!
Likewise, in this week’s contribution in sgeoil, we get a wonderful sense of serenity in both the image and the poem that accompanies it.
In a lovely post in Now at Home by Aletta, we get two very different and gorgeous sunsets!
Sandy shares a wonderful photo in Out of my Write Mind, and the haiku that she wrote with it is simply lovely!
Na’ama creates a beautiful moment in her post in Na’ama Yehuda; the setting sun provides a sense of welcome into what lies after…
Indira provides us with some rather exotic sunsets in her post in Sharing Thoughts; they are awesome!
Susan goes back to a wonderful sunset in Hawaii in her post in Musin’ with Susan: it’s a gorgeous moment! Also, please check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan; great photos, although I’m not sure I believe the sign…
Corinna shares two amazing photos in her post in 50 First Dates with Myself (a wonderful blog!); I particularly love the first photo!
Irene takes us to the wonderful location of Waikiki in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine; what a stunning view!
In Wanderlust and Wonderment, we are treated to an amazing series of sunsets; that cruise from Boston to Montreal must have been magic!
The sunset that is featured in Nandini’s post in queennandini is incredibly filled with colors; they are almost surreal!
I’m not sure where Deb captured the amazing shot in this week’s entry in Twenty-Four; regardless, it is an absolute stunner!
The amazing sunset at Serkaud in India that you can see in a post in F2.8_iso100 is simply stunning! Well done!
In Following Him Beside Still Waters, we are treated to a series of lovely sunset images!
In her post in Travel with Intent, Debbie captures an amazing view at the square Colisseum!
There’s a stunning array of sunset images featured in My TravelCSP! It’s hard to pick a favorite as each has unique aspects!
There’s something inherently serene in the lovely photo of sunset at Lake Champlain in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0! I could gaze at it for hours!
Ken’s photo in his post in Pictures without Film is beautifully executed and stunning; I particularly like the lighting on the ruins!
Eric brings us a sunset from Ellendale, MN, in his post in Up North; the captured view is simply gorgeous!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 175

Old streets are the best!

Welcome to the 175th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

The array of cities that were featured this week is simply stunning! I knew that your creative minds and eyes have been all over this world, and through your fantastic posts, I got to see some sights that I have not seen with my own eyes. Thank you all for putting together a great series of posts and making for interesting reading and viewing!!

I hope you enjoy reading all these posts, as much as I did! Getting ready for the next challenge…

Here’s another city view that I enjoyed…

That’s a nice tower with a classic vane!

Glasgow is a wonderful city with lots of areas to explore; here, we were walking down one of the city’s oldest streets, Trongate, where this steeple is located.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

This week’s theme of City is kicked off by Sarah with a wonderful view of Sydney in her post in By Sarah!
Not all cities are the same size, but all have their own character, as we can see in pensivity101‘s post; Poole certainly looks like a wonderful city!
Nicole takes us to one of the quintessential cities in England in Une Photo, Un Poéme; Bath stands out and has a rich history!
One of the really big cities is featured in A Day in the Life, as New York City takes the headline!
Jez features some of the sights of Glasgow in an awesome post in Jez Braithwaite; there are some rather interesting options there!
Another stunning photograph shows us a gorgeous cityscape in theOnlyD800intheHameau; that traffic is not that great, though…
Sirisha gives us some wonderful views of Atlanta in her blog queennandini; I’m looking forward to visiting there later this month.
Jackie makes me want to take a closer look at Toronto after seeing her post in Junk Boat Travels; the transit system itself is worth the visit!
Na’ama gives us an important aspect of the city in her post in Na’ama Yehuda: escaping the cityscape within the city is to be valued!
Ulli takes us to a mountain in hist post in Suburban Tracks; of course, this mountain has everything to do with a great city!
In another great post in For the Love Of…, we get four cities for the price of one! The Quad Cities look wonderful!
If you can make it in the city in Chateaux des Fleurs, you can make it anywhere! Great location and shot!
Maria takes us to two great Swedish cities in Kamerapromenader, as we get to see Stockholm and Uppsala!
Robert feels at home in the city, as we can see in his post in Photo Roberts Blog; those are simply amazing photos!
Tatiana features a desert city in her post in Vegas Great Attractions; Las Vegas looks pretty good! In a second post in Travelways, Tatiana takes us to Belize City.
Debbie features the truly amazing railway station in Edinburgh in her post Travel with Intent; just love the view of the castle in the background! In a second post on cities in Travel with Intent treats us to some stunning vistas!!
After seeing the wonderful post in iBallrtw, I’ll definitely want to visit Český Krumlov!
According to this week’s contribution to the theme in Proscenium, Jase is back on top and Philadelphia looks great!
This week’s entry for the them in Don’t Hold Your Breath makes me wonder what could happen in more than 5 hours! Go check it out!
Viveka likes visiting cities as is evident from the awesome post she shared in MyGuiltyPleasures; which of those is among your favorite cities?
Alice has a couple of great cities in her post in the 59 Club, where I have to say I’m partial to Savannah!
A lovely post in Granny Shot It shows us some interesting architecture and enhancements in several cities.
Eric captures a great view of Nevada, Iowa, in his blog Up North; it just goes to show another benefit of a morning run!
Kristina shares a lovely photo of Edinburgh in her post in Looking for enchantment; that city made it to several favorite lists!
David features a stunning photo taken from the South Bank of the Thames in his post in David M’s Photoblog; the atmosphere is amazing!
Klara provides us with a wonderful view in her post in Sliku svoju ljubim II, as we get 2 different views of Hong Kong in a single photo!
In a lovely post in her blog Kanlaon, herself shares views of three awesome California cities!
Sandy finds us a great escape in the city in her post in Out of My Write Mind; it’s amazing how we can get away within a city!
Katy’s post in Wanderlust and Wonderment takes us to the great city of Budapest with some amazing views!
This week’s contribution in Travel with Tech definitely makes me want to go visit Melbourne! It simply looks spectacular at night!
Deb takes us to the Eternal City in her post in Twenty-Four; and Rome never looked better!
Woolly gives us another view of the lovely city of Melbourne in his post in Woolly Muses; his daytime photos are wonderful to see!
Irene provides us with a great view of Honolulu in her post in Heaven’s Sunshine; great photo!
The photos in Land of Images are always great and this week’s entry is no exception; it shows us the other side of the city!
Donna provides some compelling arguments for choosing Phoenix as a city to settle in, as we see in Wind Kisses; great photos and good reasons!
Khürt puts together another stunning post in Island in the Net; his overview of Philadelphia could easily be published in a glossy travel magazine. Also, best wishes with the upcoming surgery!
Elizabatz’s post in her blog AlBatz Adventures brings us to a stunning array of cities, both far and near!
It’s great to see Stef back in Ostendnomadography! The post is just fantastic and makes me want to go door to door!
Ann-Christine must have done some serious climbing to get the photo in her post in To See A World in a Grain of Sand…; it’s a great perspective!
Amy gives a wonderful approach to making a photo even more interesting in her post in Photography Journal Blog; that shot turned out awesome!
Hammad gives us a truly interesting view of the different aspects of Karachi in his post in the Blog of Hammad Rais. Wonderful post!
The choice of city in this week’s contribution in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0 is one that I like very much too! San Diego is a great, livable city!
Teressa takes us on a tour of Des Moines, IA, in her post in Another LQQK; I never realized how much there is to see in this lovely city!
This week, we get a wonderful view of growth in a city in Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery‘s post; very interesting post!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 173

Locks of all sizes!

Welcome to the 173rd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

All of you certainly had a Lock on this week’s theme! Your posts were filled with creative approaches to the theme and there were a couple that really surprised me with novel interpretations. Some of what you shared in your posts were personal moments of joy and there were some deep interpretations that really made me think and appreciate your thinking!

Overall, I couldn’t be happier than with this great set of posts and the work that you put into it. Thank you very much!!

Here’s a pretty sizable lock…

The Falkirk Wheel is a one-of-a-kind lock that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, raising, or lowering, boats by 24 meters; the Wheel replaces 11 locks in this connection, thus making the trip significantly faster. The operation of the lock is based on Archimedes’ Principle.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

Jez kicks things off with a lock that had not cross my mind in his post in Jez Braithwaite; that zoom lock really comes in handy from time to time!
This week we go to Derinkuyu in Don’t Hold Your Breath, which has some astonishing areas to explore, which include a lock…
Shelley wonders if vacation is like getting a new battery in another wonderful post in Quaint Revival; you be the judge, if she has a lock on this subject!
Brian is negotiating in a fantastic post in Bushboy’s World; the Canal St. Martin is truly lovely!
Michelle definitely closed the theme beautifully in her post in Take a Walk… and Discover!
The stables are locked, as we can see in the stunning photograph in the post in theOnlyD800intheHameau; it looks like the horses had a nice place to stay in the Chateau de la Riviére in Pompadour.
Na’ama really identified the dark side of the lock in her post in Na’ama Yehuda: both for animals and humans the lock can be used against us…
Judy puts together a gorgeous set of images in lifelessons, where the locks come in interesting varieties!
Debbie takes us to Sotland in her post Travel with Intent, where we don’t want to get locked up in Edinburgh Castle. In a second post in Travel with Intent, Debbie shares a stunning view of the Falkirk Wheel!
I fully expected that there would be no shortage of locks to choose from in pensivity101‘s post, and they are indeed stunning!
The photographs of locks in Chateaux des Fleurs are truly stunning! Beautifully shot!
This week in The Jesh Studio, we are treated to a wonderful variety of images and a lock that doesn’t look to be that strong…
Danny’s photo in Danny James Photography is fantastic, and really captures an intense set of locks!
Jase has another awesome post in Proscenium, which locks into the right tee!
The locks that are captured in Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery are stunning; those Teutonic Knights knew how to build them!
Jackie found some great locations for locks in her post in Junk Boat Travels, which are a joy to behold!
Tatiana gives us an amazing close-up view of the Miraflores Locks in her post in Travelways; the Panama Canal is still a wonder!
In a very cool post in iBallrtw, we get another view of the locks in Canal Saint Martin in Paris and a shoutout to Busboy’s World!
Ken has a lock on love in his blog Pictures without Film; there are some serious locks in Llansteffan Castle!
Maria captured a wonderful bridge in Vilnius in the post in her blog Kamerapromenader! Love is alive and well in Vilnius!
Woolly shows us that love locks are ubiquitous in his post in Woolly Muses, as we see them in Salzburg…
Alice brings us a wonderful shot of Lock 35 in the Erie Canal in her blog the 59 Club.
Carol brings us proof that Paris is truly the city for lovers in a wonderful post in Light Words!
Viveka brings us some gorgeous photos of locks in her post in MyGuiltyPleasures; and the quote by Sarah Dressen is truly appropriate!
In a truly wonderful post in A Day In The Life, we can wonder about love lost, or locked…
Deb captures a lovely scene in her post in Twenty-Four; the lock and weir are stunning!
Cee’s has a fantastic variety of locks in her post in Cee’s Photography, among which I like those curly locks the best!
Susan has an extremely stylish lock in her post in Musin’ with Susan, which also has an amazing history! Also, go check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan!
Khürt brings us a couple of stunning posts; the first one in Island on the Net brings us the Kingston Locks on the Delaware and Raritan canal; the second one in Island on the Net shows off the Griggstown Locks on the same canal. These are fantastic documentary posts!
David takes a retro approach in his post in David M’s Photoblog; the resultant image is fantastic!
In a great photo in Land of Images we get to see a classic wooden pair of locks!
In a really wonderful post in Travel with Tech, we get to see a report on love locks in Prague; stunning photos!
Teressa rummaged through her random item drawer to find lots of lock that we get to see in her post in Another LQQK; awesome post!
Elizabeth features a great selection of locks around the world in her blog AlBatz Adventures; they are amazing!
John and Karen share their special moment in Budapest in their blog, JKRoaming; go read this amazing post!
We get to experience an unusual lock in Heart 2 Heart, as it is from the land of Bhutan; great craftsmanship!
The story of a trunk makes a great post in One Letter Up – Diary 2.0; it’s amazing how something as basic as a trunk can make it from generation to generation!

Please let all of these great bloggers know your thoughts about their posts!

	Stephen Greaves on Tuesday Photo Challenge…
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	pensitivity101 on iPhone Friday
	jansenphoto on iPhone Friday