Tag Archives: photography

a NEW collage of our most recent waterfall chase

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Happy Saturday!

I thought I’d better hurry and post all the waterfalls we saw on our recent trip to northern California before I forgot the names or can’t remember which were which in my photo stash. So here goes:

Top left: Burney Falls, (#51 on my Waterfalls Bucket List)

Top middle: Potem Falls (#50)

Top left of top right quad group: Lower McCloud Falls. (#52)

Top right of top right quad group: Upper McCloud Falls (#52)

Lower left of top right quad group: Lower Kings Creek Falls (#54)

Lower right, top right quad group: Hedge Creek Falls (#53)

Lower left: Whiskeytown Falls: (#55)

Lower middle, top of double group: Crystal Creek Falls (#56)

Lower middle, bottom of double group: Upper Kings Creek Falls (#54)

Lower right: Middle McCloud Falls (#52)

Have a terrific day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!

a few NEW photo challenge entries

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Happy Tuesday!

When I saw Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge topic today of “Sticks and Stones”, I knew I should have an image or two from our recent trip to enter. I remembered snapping quite a few “tree art” photos.

As we hiked to a waterfall on our trip, we passed by a burn area and I snapped another “tree art” photo that I thought would work well for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness photo challenge.

And lastly, here is my son having a stone skipping contest while we were visiting Grand Teton National Park. I’m pretty sure this is Jackson Lake. So, obviously, this image is for Cee’s “Sticks and Stones” challenge also.

Have a great day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!

a NEW update to my National Parks bucket list

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Happy Friday!

Today I’m updating my National Parks bucket list since we visited Lassen Volcanic National Park on our trip last week.

First, we stopped at Manzanita Lake and walked all the way around it, then hiked the Kings Creek Falls Trail, and lastly, we hiked down to Bumpass Hell (see photos…that’s where all the hot steam comes out). There were warning signs to stay on the path, so we wouldn’t end up like Mr. Bumpass who had to get his leg amputated because of burns he’d received from falling through. We were, of course, very careful to do so!

We’re up to 19 out of 63. Many more to go!

LIST OF US NATIONAL PARKS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (63 total)

  • Acadia National Park {done}
  • Arches National Park {done}
  • Badlands National Park
  • Big Bend National Park
  • Biscayne National Park
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park {done}
  • Bryce Canyon National Park {done}
  • Canyonlands National Park {done}
  • Capitol Reef National Park {done}
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  • Channel Islands National Park
  • Congaree National Park
  • Crater Lake National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Death Valley National Park
  • Denali National Park and Preserve
  • Dry Tortugas National Park
  • Everglades National Park
  • Gates of the Arctic National Park
  • Gateway Arch National Park 
  • Glacier National Park
  • Glacier Bay National Park
  • Grand Canyon National Park {done}
  • Grand Teton National Park {done}
  • Great Basin National Park
  • Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park {done}
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
  • Haleakala National Park
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park {done}
  • Hot Springs National Park
  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Isle Royale National Park
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • Katmai National Park and Preserve
  • Kenai Fjords National Park
  • Kings Canyon National Park {done}
  • Kobuk Valley National Park
  • Lake Clark National Park
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park {done}
  • Mammoth Cave National Park
  • Mesa Verde National Park {done}
  • Mount Rainier National Park
  • National Park of American Samoa
  • New River Gorge National Park 
  • North Cascades National Park
  • Olympic National Park
  • Petrified Forest National Park
  • Pinnacles National Park
  • Redwood National Park {done}
  • Rocky Mountain National Park {done}
  • Saguaro National Park
  • Sequoia National Park {done}
  • Shenandoah National Park
  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park
  • Virgin Islands National Park
  • Voyageurs National Park
  • White Sands National Park 
  • Wind Cave National Park
  • Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
  • Yellowstone National Park {done}
  • Yosemite National Park {done}
  • Zion National Park {done}

Have a great day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!

a NEW favorite waterfall

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Happy Tuesday!

We returned home from a fun trip where we chased a bunch of waterfalls, rode e-bikes, and hiked and hiked and hiked! So, I need to update my Waterfalls Bucket List. I believe I’ve found my NEW favorite waterfall. Burney Falls in Shasta County, California was amazing! Here are some more views from the trees as we walked down to it, and then hiked up the other side of the creek.

And here’s a longer shot of the area.

We hiked to 7 different waterfalls on our trip. I’ll try to show the other photos in upcoming posts. I debated counting more than 7 because a few had lower falls, then we hiked to the middle falls and then to upper falls, but I guess I’ll just count one falls per creek. I’m at 56 out of my bucket list of 100! Many more to go!

Have a great day. I hope you do or learn something NEW today!

NEW photo challenge entries

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Happy Thursday!

The NEW image above, taken recently in Amsterdam is my entry for Dan’s Thursday Doors challenge. The image below is for Cee’s CWWC challenge. As I was trying to capture the storm on the mountain this week, I was a bit perturbed with the ski lift right smack in my way, but I guess it works for this challenge. There’s always a bright side to everything eh?!

Have a great day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!

a NEW photo of my week

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Happy Tuesday!

I finally went out for a short photo walk this week. My favorite capture from that walk is of all these white pumpkins. I like the lighting, I like the fall theme, and I like that I got a photo I like. Cuz that doesn’t always happen. haha! I wish I had more time to go on photo walks more often. I’ll just have to make that time, right?!

Well, that’s my NEWness for today. I hope you do or learn something NEW today too!

Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share

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Happy Monday!

Isn’t this a gorgeous sunset?! I’m in debt to my sister-in-law for snapping this photo because I was too busy playing pickleball to stop and grab my phone to capture this beauty!

That’s me…right there (above). I really was playing, not just standing there, haha!

And, that’s NOT me (below). I tried something NEW this week. I tried Float Therapy. It was an interesting experience.

This Tedx Talks explains the benefits of Float Therapy; but in case you don’t want to watch the TEdx Talk, I’ll list a few benefits too.

Here is a list of the benefits of float therapy, based on scientific evidence:

  • Reduces stress and anxiety: Float therapy can help to reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, while also increasing the levels of the mood-boosting hormone endorphins. This can lead to a reduction in stress levels, anxiety, and depression.
  • Improves sleep quality: Float therapy can help to improve sleep quality by reducing stress and anxiety, and by promoting deep relaxation.
  • Relieves pain and muscle tension: The weightless environment of a float tank can help to relieve pain and muscle tension by reducing the pressure on the joints and spine.
  • Boosts mood and creativity: The deep relaxation and sensory deprivation experienced during float therapy can help to boost mood, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
  • Accelerates muscle recovery: The Epsom salt solution used in float tanks can help to accelerate muscle recovery after exercise or injury.
  • Improves skin health: The Epsom salt solution can also help to improve skin health by reducing inflammation and promoting cell regeneration.
  • Reduces inflammation: Float therapy has been shown to reduce inflammation throughout the body. This can be beneficial for people with chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and Crohn’s disease.
  • Boosts the immune system: The reduction in stress and inflammation caused by float therapy can also help to boost the immune system.
  • Improves cardiovascular health: Float therapy has been shown to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure and improving heart rate variability.
  • Reduces migraine headaches: Float therapy can help to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
  • Improves cognitive function: Float therapy has been shown to improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and processing speed.
  • Reduces chronic pain: Float therapy can help to reduce chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis, back pain, and fibromyalgia.
  • Improves mental health: Float therapy can help to improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Lastly, I’m making NEW plans to do a “30 Days of Culture” challenge – similar to Gretchen Rubin. The trick is to figure out the best month (or just 30 days) to do such a challenge! I want to do this because I love culture and want more of it in my life! Here’s a quote from Gretchen:

One reason that I love it is that it gives me a nudge to do things that I wouldn’t ordinarily do, exposes me to culture that I might miss, and takes me places that I love.

That sounds like a wonderful way to Explore NEWness, yes?! I’ll keep you updated on the when, and the what (you already know the why!). :o)

Have a great day! Do or learn something NEW!

a few NEW photos of Scandinavia

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Happy Tuesday!

We’ve been back home from our 16-day trip to Scandinavia for a week now. This will be a short post because I’m still very busy trying to catch up with work etc., but I wanted to upload a few photos {but how do I choose!?!).

I guess that’s “a few” haha! These are all SOOC (straight out of camera), so when I get time, I’ll grab more that need a bit of editing and post those.

It was fun to visit somewhere NEW to me. Have a great day and do or learn something NEW to you!