Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
Fun, Fitness & Photography
49 Days In 1988: Week 31 – First Night – Hugh’s Views & News
Many thanks to Hugh for featuring me on his blog today!
This weekly feature shares accounts from his journal written in the 1980s and introduces bloggers’ book project and favorite 80s songs!
If you have not visited Hugh’s blog yet, please stop by!
Photo by Emre Gencer on Unsplash
via 49 Days In 1988: Week 31 – First Night – Hugh’s Views & News
Sunday Stills: #Lazy Days of Summer
We are almost at the midpoint of August which means for many, summer is nearly over. Sure the weather will still be warm in the northern hemisphere, and maybe too hot on the West Coast (the wildfires aren’t helping matters), but school starts for many youth, teens and young adults in mid- and late-August!
The featured image above shows a strong leisure ethic in a college student the very first day of classes a couple of years ago.
Educators like myself are undoubtedly putting the finishing touches on course and classroom preparations, marking a clear end to the “lazy days” of summer which happens to be our theme this week for Sunday Stills. I know several students who are already back to school!
I remember as a kid growing up in San Diego, that we did not go back to school until the second week of September, well after the traditional Labor Day holiday. We did not get out for the year until mid-June, but my definition of summer always seemed like June through August to me.
Did you have time for some laziness this summer? I think I had more than my share after experiencing a crazy-busy spring. I took the whole month of June off where I didn’t do any course prep. I managed to write a few thousand words into my No Excuses Fitness book project, but I indeed felt lazy overall.
It didn’t help that we opened a Netflix account in May. Now both my hubby and I see the Millennials’ appeal of binge watching new and old movies or new-to-us Netflix series a couple of hours a night. However, that practice will need to be reigned in by early September!
Luckily my new Fitbit Charge 2 (not an ad) nags me every hour to get some steps in, so the appearance of laziness will stay in my own head!
I still have two more weeks before I step foot onto the college campus, so until that day arrives, I plan to experience a few more lazy days, now counted in just a few hours.
Here are my photo interpretations of “Lazy Days.”
I’ve been a little lazy capturing delta sunsets this summer. How perfect on a hot summer evening that the sun seems to rest a while among the wind turbines.
Still obsessed transfixed with my backyard sunflowers, I captured the lazy opening of these petals on a newly-bloomed sunflower.
Opposite of lazy? This bee on the same sunflower is heavily laden with sunflower pollen, giving “busy bee” a whole new meaning!
All the photos in today’s post were captured by my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
How do you like to spend your lazy days?
If you are on Instagram and have some sunflower shots to share, please join me for the rest of August using hashtag #monthofsunflowers
Link here or share in the comments!
Sunday Stills: You’ve Got a #Friend
Who among us doesn’t have a friend? Some have a larger circle of friends, while others have a choice few.
Sunday Stills asks us to share an image of “friend.” The featured image above shows my daughter with her best friend Gideon!
Here are some of my examples of “friend.”
A surprise wedding shower for me hosted by my windsurf friends 5 years ago!
“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”
― Muhammad Ali
Two friends out for a stand-up paddle session.
Then there are our fur-baby friends who are also friends with each other. Aero misses Gideon (left) who lives with his mommy in San Diego (pictured above).
“Blogging introduced me to people from all over the world. I have met people who I now consider friends who live in Australia, UK, South Africa, Europe, Philippines, not to mention new friends in the states. My new friends, despite their distance, are as important to me as if they were my local neighbors.” 7 Ways Blogging Changed My Life
Bloggers became friends and spent a weekend sharing our tips and tricks for blogging.
“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”
― Linda Grayson
Did you know today is National Friendship Day? according to National Day Calendar
Link up here!
My continuing gratitude to those who faithfully post their photos each week!
Say hello to our new participants who shared posts in July for the first time!
Bushboys World
Indira’s Blog
KAMERAPROMENADER
Mama Cormier
Megakaos2013
The Nuthouse
Picture Retirement
Vintage Neon Signs
Wanderlust and Wonderment
Whippet Wisdom
Wind Kisses
Woolly Muses
Zombie Flamingos
Remember I gladly share your posts to social media! I just opened a new account with MIX, which replaced StumbleUpon. Check it out when you get a chance, as I will also share your posts to Mix via my Chrome Extension.
As always, I look forward to seeing your creative views of the theme for Sunday Stills this week.
Sunday Stills: #Drunk with…? or #Summer Drink
The last Sunday in July challenges Sunday Stills participants to find an image depicting “Drunk with…?” Since this is indeed a challenging theme, I thought I would add an optional related theme “Summer Drink.”
Your theme can be centered around alcohol but it doesn’t have to be. I’m not much of a drinker although a special occasion may find me enjoying a skinny cocktail.
What is your take on “Drunk with…?” I’ve heard the expression “drunk with power,” or “drunk with pleasure.” Perhaps one of my blogger friends can show us what this means in a photo, a poem, a short story, or…?
For my own purposes, I chose to go with Summer Drink. I admit I may need more literal themes to inspire me on these hot, lazy days of summer.
This is one of my backyard hummers enjoying his summer drink.
My hubby’s collection of steins from Germany and Europe.
A leisurely sip of cold beer on a hot summer day.
Again, I rarely drink these days, not that I did before. I’ve only been really drunk a couple of times and I HATED the feeling of being out of control, the accompanying sick stomach and the inevitable hangover.
I suppose I can be simply drunk with joy whenever I am out experiencing summer leisure activities.
Sunday Stills Stats
In July, during just the 4 weeks, we had over 60 bloggers share their posts.
We’ve had over 100 links since we started Sunday Stills in May.
Thank you to those who regularly share posts for Sunday Stills! I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am!
Link up here with your post! I share all posts on my Second Wind Leisure Facebook page, on Twitter and on Flipboard or Pinterest.
August themes are up for view! Visit my Sunday Stills page here!
Sunday Stills: #Macro or Close-Up Photography; Is there a Difference?
This week’s Sunday Stills theme is “macro-anything.” Now what does this mean exactly?
Macro photography is also considered close-up photography. However, using a true macro lens yields the sharpest, tiniest details whereas a closeup may not show each detail.
I got a close-up shot of my resident Anna hummingbird perched after feeding. She was quite tame!
I don’t have a macro lens on my phone or camera, but I do manage to fill the frame. This time I cropped the photo for a macro effect.
Sometimes a macro image takes on new characteristics in an abstract way. My backyard windchime featuring a brass dragonfly looks different in its close-up.
Even the mundane becomes an abstract study in geometric shapes. This is the lobby floor of The WELL of Sacramento State University. See captions.
According to SLR Photography Guide:
“If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look big, you end up with a “macro” view of a “micro” subject.
Close up photography, is the act of photographing objects such as flowers or insects in close range so the subject you are photographing fills the frame.”
Susan at her blog Musin’ With Susan hosted the Macro Moments challenge a while back. Here she gives an example of macro vs close-up.
I’m also adding these shots to Live, Laugh, RV Wandering Wednesday Photo Prompt.
Experiment with your camera, mobile phone or tablet. Take a before and after shot and share your results.
Remember to title your blog post something different than mine!
Sunday Stills: A Plant’s Life
Thank you to Betty Louise, at Idaho Bluebird, whose blog I have followed for several years. She suggested the theme “plant life” for this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge.
I am enjoying a wonderful weekend in San Diego attending my brother’s wedding. Today’s shots of plants and flowers are mostly associated with the San Diego area, where I was born and raised and lived there until age 20. With family still there, three step-children, my daughter and fiancé, and a grand-baby, you can bet I visit there two-three times a year.
Bougainvillea
I love this plant, so much so that I managed to plant one in my front yard here in Northern California, although it may struggle with the dryer, hotter summer air. San Diego is more humid with more even temperatures year ‘round.Bougainvillea are everywhere! It is beautiful, but watch out for its thorns!
Jacaranda
This gorgeous purple tree flowers mostly in June in San Diego (and I’m sure many other places). It is a large tree and a sight to behold.
Jasmine
Another favorite plant is “night-blooming jasmine.” I don’t have a photo of one, although while visiting I will try to find some to photograph.
Night jasmine has a tubular yellow flower, much different from the star jasmine pictured. Since they open only at night, I never notice them, but I can smell their heady scent that is mostly apparent at night!
My grandfather had an amazing backyard filled with Bougainvillea, jasmine, magnolia, honeysuckle and two huge date palms, among other tropical plant life that prefers the even temperatures and ocean breezes. He took pride in his yard and spent hours pruning and planting.
Sadly, when he passed away over 20 years ago and the home was sold, the owners sold the two date palms! I guess they are popular trees! Even these days, when visiting, I drive by his old home and still see where the palms resided. I hope they are happy where they are now.
Thank you so much for all the participation with this photo challenge. I’m noticing other comments on Sunday Stills posts of yours which means you are connecting with each other!
Also, one word of instruction to help your blogging journey. When titling your Sunday Stills post, you do not have to use “Sunday Stills” in the title, and it is best NOT to title your post the same title as mine. Our blogs are found on google searches using SEO and having several blog posts with the same title can be confusing. Please be as creative as you wish with your titles!
Because I am traveling when this post publishes, I may not be able to share and comment until Monday evening, but no later than Tuesday!
Do you love the plants of the Earth? Share one or some of your favorites in Sunday Stills. I can’t wait to see what images you share!
The Wonders of the Public Pool
I have managed to combine three photo challenges into this one photograph.
Summer in July finds children counting the minutes until their neighborhood public swimming pool opens for the day. Although I no longer oversee the daily operations of these pools, I do appreciate the lengths leisure professionals must go to to ensure clean, safe pools with well-trained lifeguards.
All that training and preparation for the opening of the pools makes no difference to a child.
Inspired by these photo challenges
- One Word Photo Challenge: Pool
- Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Fountain
- Lens-Artist Photo Challenge: Wonder
Sunday Stills: Can You Capture the #Wind?
Today’s Sunday Stills theme challenges you to capture the wind! Wind is a very broad theme which is open to much interpretation.
Like last week, I challenge you to get creative with your photography or other projects! Perhaps you captured the wind in a poem, a song, a quote. I’m sure there are hundreds of songs with “wind” in the titles.
This is one of my favorite quotes.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” William Arthur Ward
We can only see the effects of wind, whether it’s a gentle breeze fluffing a bird’s feathers, or hurricane force winds ripping piers from their docks, or clouds scudding across the sky blown by the beginnings of a storm.
The featured image above shows wind’s effect on the clouds and the ever-present wind turbines.
Wind plays a big part in my life since I became a windsurfer in 2009. The wind is ALWAYS the topic of conversation from April through September in our household and at the delta as every windsurfer I know checks their wind meters, their weather apps or asks if there will be enough wind for sailing.
When it’s a BIG day, it looks like this.
Brodie loves the wind and waves. You can tell it’s windy by his flapping ear!
I manage to have good days windsurfing. Just last week hubby caught me coming off the water with a big smile on my face after 45 minutes of fun in the wind.
Did you know my logo for Second Wind Leisure represents stylized sails in an abstract “W”? A graphic artist friend created this for me years ago when I started blogging, and for my website Windigen Consulting (which is German for wind).
I’m looking forward to what your interpretation for WIND!
Link up here with your post! I share all posts on my Second Wind Leisure Facebook page, on Twitter and on Flipboard.
Still Looking for Photo Challenges?
Since the WordPress weekly photo challenge ended a few weeks ago, many bloggers are still searching for photo challenges in which to showcase their photographic talents and images.
The word “challenge” is a bit of a misnomer, as everyone is not necessarily in a photography competition, but rather, a showcase of our hobbies and talents.
The challenge lies in finding that perfect image that fits the theme of the host’s challenge. I strive to combine some of the challenges when I can.
I haven’t posted for Jennifer’s One Word Photo Challenge in a long while! This week’s theme is Plant. In the featured image above, these sunny zinneas graced my backyard deck.
In addition to blogging photo challenges, there are other challenges on a variety of social media. I began taking part in the 2018 Summer Instagram Photo Challenge hosted by Leslie at Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After.
This was posted recently for the aforementioned Instagram Photo Challenge, a beautiful macro shot of a rose. I love how it worked out that I could share this Instagram post and use it for the blog!
I also tried to plant some vegetables two years ago, last spring, and although the tomatoes (shown here) started out promising, they didn’t have enough juice to become a full, red tomato!
But it sure made for a nice macro image!
The newest challenge to hit the blogosphere is Lens Artists featured on four different blogs. You can check it out on fab photographer Tina Schell’s Travels And Trifles.
For a great round-up of photo challenges for bloggers, visit Cee’s Photography page.
And of course, my weekly Sunday Stills challenge.
As the saying goes, “When one door closes, another opens.” Go out and get creative!
Sunday Stills: What Does #Summer Mean to You?
For the Sunday Stills challenge to celebrate the first week in July, share your favorite thing about summer. You can simply share one photo of your favorite summer experience or wow us with a gallery of what summer means to you.
And it’s not just about photos…perhaps you are inspired by a song, poem, artwork, short story or something else. It would be nice to have a photo of your idea, but please be creative!
What does “summer” mean to you? Is it the warm (or hot) weather? Or…
Witnessing a refreshing summer storm?
Planting and enjoying your backyard garden?
Enjoying a water sport?
Enrolling the kids in some swim lessons?
A beautiful hike in the mountains?
Calm sunrise at a Mexican resort?
Chasing your dog on the beach?
Stopping to smell the flowers?
Visiting a national park?
Whatever it is, please share your idea of SUMMER this week!
Since we are on the subject of summer, feel free to join us on Instagram for the Summer Instagram Photo Challenge that starts today. You can join anytime!
Join our growing Sunday Stills Tribe
Bloggers who shared Sunday Stills posts in June
OnceUponaTime&HappilyEverAfter
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters
Smorgasbord Variety is the Spice of Life
The New 3Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect
If I left anyone out, please forgive me! I can add you!
Three Ways to Thrive When Your #Leisure Time Expands: A Guest Post
Join me today as I share my thoughts on ways to thrive when your leisure time expands. I discuss these concepts on Sue’s lovely blog as part of her Over 50 & Thriving Guest Series.
Thriving at midlife is a concept our parents and grandparents probably didn’t think about. Baby Boomers today have so many more choices in the 21st century with meaningful careers, healthy leisure lifestyles, a variety of second acts, and satisfying retirement.
To find satisfaction as you continue to thrive after 50, I suggest three ways in which to do so.
- Dealing with Isolation as a Writer/Blogger
- Feathering an Empty Nest
- Nursing Injuries after 50.
Come on over to Sizzling Towards Sixty to read the rest and you can see what I did for my summer decorating project!
Another Redhead: Cee’s Black & White Challenge
I have been busy on the blog this week, so this post is short and sweet as I share my black and white version of this woodpecker.
Back in early 2017, with my new Lumix camera in tow, I strode along the American River Bike Trail hoping for some good photo ops! Although it was late January, it was a sunny day and birds were out. I was so excited to see Mr. Woodpecker here.
Cee’s challenge accepts black and white photos with these elements: I chose the third one to highlight the pop of red on his little birdy head.
- Black and white photography
- Sepia tones (browns)
- Selective color with the majority of the photo being in black and white
- Desaturated – very little color tone left in your photo
Here he is in full color with minimal post-editing. I zoomed in on him quite a bit, and was pleased with the clarity.
Feel free to join Cee’s Black and White Photography Challenge every Thursday where she provides a new theme.
If you are on Instagram and enjoy challenges, check out the Instagram Summer Photo Challenge that begins July 1st.
Sunday Stills themes for July are ready for planning purposes, too!
My eBook on Amazon
Sunday Stills Photography Challenge
