Lens-Artists Challenge #132 – Striped & Checked

Ann-Christine has set forth a challenge of stripes and/checks this week, so let’s go hunting. Or should I say let’s check it out? 🙂 Although we now live in Arizona, I’ve lived in the Midwest with four seasons all my life. So as odd as it seems to many people, I miss winter. So my stripes are from Illinois winters, while my checks are from downtown Chicago. Feel free to curl up with some hot chocolate or hot coffee or tea while viewing.

Snow with the remnants of irises.

From “my” park, a place I miss with a deep longing.

Our neighbors’ fence.

The big city. Not in winter.

Dressing up

Just perfect for LavAzza, Italian coffee shop in Illinois. Dressed in coffeehouse chic.

for SquareUp and Life in Colour: brown

Travel photo 6

Su from Zimmerbitch nominated me for this travel photo challenge. We’re not just traveling today, the two in the photo are as well. Today I nominate Drake at ledrakenoir to post ten travel photos, no explanation required. You may accept or decline. 🙂 If you accept, please link back to this post. Cheers.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #126: An Alphabet Challenge–Subjects That Begin with the Letter A.

Phew! Patti, I think you win the award for the looooongest title challenge to date, at least that I’ve seen.

I’m featuring photos from Illinois today and although I know most of you expect nature when you come here, what could be more iconicalyl Illinois than the Arcs and Arches of the Bean in Chicago? It’s a mind-bending Awesome Artistic beauty.

These Architectural features (and yes, you could say Arcs again) are found in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Let’s close with a two-fer: Animals in a nature Alley.

for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #126: An Alphabet Challenge–Subjects That Begin with the Letter A.

Thursday doors…in a galaxy far, far away

I’ve missed two weeks of Thursday Doors and it gave me withdrawal symptoms. With-door-al symptoms? Anyway, this trio of doors is from a galaxy far, far away called Archives, when we still lived in Illinois, in a time when masks were only worn on Halloween or by some people in hospitals, and during a season when the air was warm and flowers bloomed.

for Thursday Doors 11.12.20

Friday flowers…when there was water

Scrolling through some photo files from a few years ago, I came across this photo taken in Illinois where water is generally abundant. I’m not likely to get many dew/raindrop photos in Arizona, but I also wouldn’t be getting spoonbill or cacti shots if we were still in Illinois. 🙂 This is a close-up with a telephoto lens, meaning I had to stand about 6′ away. When I took my Nikon, I didn’t always want to carry extra lenses. Needs must.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #116: Symmetry

This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge might have you seeing double. Although most things aren’t truly symmetrical, many are so close that you can’t tell the difference or you feel that you’re seeing symmetry.

When I think of symmetry, the William Blake poem springs immediately to mind:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 
In the forests of the night; 
What immortal hand or eye, 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Fortunately for you, there’s nothing fearful about the symmetry I’m sharing today. The snowy egret in this first shot is almost dancing on the water and with the water’s smooth cooperation, it’s almost perfectly symmetrical.

“Symmetry is what we see at a glance; based on the fact that there is no reason for any difference…”
― Blaise Pascal, Pensées

Here’s another almost symmetrical shot from the Riverwalk in Naperville, Illinois.

Although this photo is less symmetrically perfect than the previous ones, there’s still a pleasing almost-symmetry about it and it feels balanced.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #101 – One Single Flower

Cee’s Len’s-Artists Photo Challenge this week features single flowers. I realized I’m spoiled for choice, but that’s not a bad problem to have.

My first photo, an iris, was taken with an iPhone and has been one of my most popular photos. Of course, the light is what makes it and I never again could get that same light. Then the older man who grew these beauties on his tree lawn died and the family dug them up.

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.”
― Luther Burbank

Now that we live in the desert, I think it only fitting that I should include a shot of a cactus flower. Although you might not think it, the cacti have some of the most beautiful blooms you’ll ever see. Just be careful when getting a closeup!

“I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one.”
― Edna St. Vincent Millay

Leave it to beaver

As my time in McDowell Forest Preserve begins to come to a close, I look back and realize I’ve seen many wonderful things. But until recently, I hadn’t seen a beaver. I’d seen their work: the gnawed on or gnawed down trees. I’d see the attempts to prevent that work: fencing around the bottoms of young trees. I’d seen what I thought were their dens, but I’d never seen an occupant.

Sunset

I tend to be up before the sun, literally, but sometimes I’m around when the sun sets. On Christmas Day, I needed a bit of time away and walked around the little lake near our house. This was the view that greeted me, perhaps photos I should have used for my December 31st post.