Sometimes a girl just wants diamonds

Six-Word Saturday 11.26.22

Lens-Artists Challenge #218 – Over The Hill

Donna at Wind Kisses, creator of beauty through photos and words, is guest hosting the Lens-Artists Challenge this week in honor of her joining the over-the-hill gang in the same week. 🙂 (That includes me, so I feel free to say that.)

When somebody says to me-which they do like every 5 years- “How does it feel to be over the hill?” my response is, “I’m just heading up the mountain.” — John C. Baez

Sometimes the path leads literally over the hill as it did here in Cape May, New Jersey quite some years ago. There’s something intriguing about a path that leads through a portal, don’t you think?

Sunset in Wyoming. I was down near the cabin when I decided there might be a wonderful sunset in the offing, so I ran up a very, very long, steep hill (at 7,000’+ altitude) that the horses take some time getting up. I wasn’t over the hill but the sun certainly was. I was simply exhausted but managed to keep the camera steady.

I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top. — Will Rogers

Plants that are seemingly over the hill still may manage to keep their beauty. Of course diamonds always add to that!

Sometimes “over the hill” is a bit more permanent than just being old. This is being ancient!

These rock stairs invite you to go over the hill in Descanso Gardens in California.

One early morning on the way home, the Bighorns once again stunned as I drove over the hill (think mountain and very unimproved road) and get ready to put it in first gear and head down the mountain. You never know what view might await over the hill.

Over the hill means the hardest climb is over and the view is terrific.
~found on a coffee mug

Finally, we’re now in autumn and in many places leaves are now over the hill, aging gracefully and beautifully.

There’s nothing like a beach sunset.

for Squares: bright, Six Word Saturday, and Life in Colour: pink

Although I’m on the other side of the US from where this photo was taken, I might be seeing a beach sunset tonight. For Saturday, San Diego is on the agenda.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #137 – Soft

This week Ann-Christine challenges us to share images that are “soft.” “Soft” immediately made me think of fog…but Tina already did that beautifully. Then I thought about trying to do “Soft in the Desert”…but if you’ve been in the dessert, you know there really isn’t too much “soft” here! “Sharp” I could do for weeks, though.

After scrolling through an enormous number of photos, I propose a virtual visit Cape May, New Jersey, birding mecca (although no bird photos today) and a beautiful beach area and you won’t need vaccinations or a passport. We’ll start with the only bird-related image in this post, a soft feather.

Wouldn’t these make great dusters?

There was a lovely foggy day while we were there. I sneaked out with my iPad (these all iPad photos, by the way, as this was before I ever had a smartphone) and blissfully wandered through a world magically softened.

The sand wasn’t completely soft, but it was soft enough to take footprints, prints that faded into the soft distance.

This is one of my favorite views of that day and if you added a carriage, you’d have a wonderful scene from a historic horror movie! Can’t you just see it racing down the alley made by those trees pursued by a ghostly figure?

This soft land led to a soft, beautiful sunset which brings us to the end of our virtual visit. Wasn’t it great to be able to travel without problems?

Wordless Wednesday…last light

Wordless Wednesday…doppelganger

Wordless Wednesday…Lighthouse, Cape May

Weekly Photo Challege: Half-Light…morning at Cape May

This moment as I prepare my introduction is a harmonious moment: bloggers from around the world waiting as one for the theme of the Weekly Photo Challenge Theme. A few times we’ve been disappointed, waiting for a theme that either didn’t arrive or arrived late.  Some of us are sleeping, some barely awake, other (I assume), at work.  But we’re all refreshing the WordPress site, waiting for the theme.  And the winner this week is:

Half-Light.

Better than being “Half Lit”, don’t you think?  And now we’re all off to search our files for just the right photo.  That takes longer and longer each week as the files grow.  Away I go to search.

Although Krista talks about the half-light of night, I’m more likely to see the half-light of morning, being a morning person, such as in this shot from Cape May, New Jersey, a lovely place in a state mistakenly thought to be urban and concrete.  This is my quiet time, a time when I’m happy not to see another person, but to revel in the creations of the Creator and the quiet of not-quite-awake nature.  A happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it with me and to the rest, have a marvelous weekend.

Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature…still life with egg case

It’s the first Monday of 2016, meaning it’s time for Sally’s first photo challenge of the year as well, for photos taken with any non-traditional camera.  “Nature” is the theme and, for this week, I’m going back to the beach at Cape May, New Jersey. The beach is littered with the shells of the knobbed whelk, whose necklace-like egg case strands are also found on the beach.  This one made part of a lovely beach still life.

Black and White: On the Beach

Nevil Shute’s post-apocalyptic novel “On the Beach” thankfully has nothing in common with this photo except for the location.  This shell was found on Cape May, New Jersey and made the transition to monotone rather well, I think.  Once again, black and white highlights all the details of the shell, while the shadow adds interest.

I’m still have no internet most of the time.  I’ll be back in the groove next week.