June is Great Outdoors Month, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Spending time outdoors not only yields many health benefits, but social and economic benefits as well. Sources tell us it takes 60-70 days until a new habit becomes automatic. Walking, hiking, and cycling outdoors are fairly easy habits to begin and sustain. If you start now, just think, in 60 days you will have a new, healthy habit that you will want to keep doing.
National Trails Day, held on the first Saturday in June, and National Get Outdoors Day, held on the second Saturday in June, are also ways to celebrate the great outdoors in June and all summer. And it can be anywhere.
“You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” – Dr Seuss
For my southern hemisphere friends who are enjoying winter, I know you have many ways to enjoy the outdoors this time of year; skiing, snowshoeing?? Tell us more, or show us your favorite summer outdoor places.
In the great outdoors, what activities do you enjoy? Hiking, cycling, birding, swimming, paddling, gardening, camping, fishing, BBQ-ing? The list is endless!
Let’s start in our own backyards.
Being in the Great Outdoors isn’t only all about the big, grand national parks. Most folks live in some kind of dwelling that has a yard, maybe both front and back, or at least access to a neighborhood park or walking trail. I have been fortunate to have nice backyards in which to sit, unwind, feel the breeze or sunshine, etc. Maybe your own backyard is enough outdoors for you.
“If ever I go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. ~ Dorothy Gale, The Wizard of Oz
Birding and Gardening then…
Although small, the backyard of our former home in Sacramento had 5 large redwood trees that I planted from seedlings, multiple sunflowers, and plumeria, …
… and of course lots of bird visitors, including Annas’ hummingbirds and black-headed grosbeak!
…And now…
When we made the move to Eastern Washington, I never imagined how wonderful the rural lifestyle is. Neighbors are close enough for a friendly wave but far enough away if you know what I mean. Living on 3/4 acres gives us lots of creativity to plant veggies, trees, and flowers. Hubby built these planter boxes out of scrap lumber. The quaking aspens on the right are over 12 feet tall in just 18 months.
This May I added many more potted flowers including petunias.
My neighbor had too many irises and gave me a bunch. One bloomed!
“There is nothing quite so delightfully mysterious as a secret in your own backyard.”
~ Patrick Rothfuss
We have lots of bird visitors, including robins, swallows, hummingbirds, and ravens to name a few. We live close to the lake so bald eagles flying overhead are not an uncommon sight.
Bugs Like Our Backyards, Too
If there are flowers and birds in your backyard, guess what? Insects and spiders live there, too. Here are a couple of new ones, and a favorite oldie.
“The world of your photography is limitless–just like your backyard.” ~ Nick Kelsh
Are you a fan of your own backyard, or would you rather explore the great outdoors on a grander scale?
Challenges I’m Inspired By this Week
Each week I find inspiration from my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges. I enjoy incorporating these into my Sunday Stills weekly themes.
- BushBoy’s Last on the Card (Iris)
- Cee’s Mid-Week Madness Challenge (Iris again)
- Dawn’s Spring Festival
- Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge Birds Feeding
- Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday
- Lens-Artists: Bugs
- Marsha’s Wednesday Quotes: Writer’s Choice/Midpoint
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently than mine.
- Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
This Week’s Featured Bloggers
Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers, poets, and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Below are this week’s links from bloggers who shared their photos of The Great Outdoors. I add these all week as new links are posted.
- YOUR BLOG’S NAME HERE…
- Always Write
- Between the Lines
- Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
- Cee’s Photo Challenges
- The Day After
- Deb’s World
- Easin’ Along Image shared in comments
- Equipoise Life
- Flights of the Soul
- Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
- Graham’s Island
- Hugh’s Views and News
- LadyLeeManila
- Loving Life
- Musin’ With Susan
- Philosophy Through Photography
- Quaint Revival
- This is Another Story
- Travel with Me
- Whippet Wisdom
- Wind Kisses
- Working on Exploring
Last week we focused on waterscapes. For those of you who don’t get around water much or if you missed posting last week for the water theme, please hop in this week with your waterscapes! They’re outdoors, right? Now get outdoors and enjoy!
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Join me each Wednesday in June as we celebrate more outdoor fun. Have a great week!
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