Potted Plumeria Plants
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Another #Fresh Look At…

Are you getting fresh with me? Please do!

February’s last Sunday Stills challenge finds us exploring “fresh.” Although the northern hemisphere temperatures have been downright cold of late, the cold air feels and smells fresh and clean.

“Breathing fresh outdoor air is a known detoxification protocol.”

― Steven Magee

Fresh Air

Just before our “warm” weather got cold again, the skies put on a wonderful show as gathering storm clouds entertained us every few minutes with their drastic changes.

Beginnings of a winter storm
Looking west…here it comes!
Winter Storm set in
Rain, wind, and quite the show to the south

Trust me when I say the “fresh” air got so cold it hurt my teeth to take a breath!

In my former delta days, windy days brought fresh air and long hours of windsurfing with evening celebrations to cap off a good day on the water. Freshly dressed after an afternoon of playing, we continued to play and someone asked us to pose in “Charlie’s Angels” style in the ODD silhouette shot below. You can see how windy it is. That’s me on the left.

Fun After a day of Windsurfing
A slightly odd, but fresh gathering after a day of Windsurfing

“Close your eyes and turn your face into the wind. Feel it sweep along your skin in an invisible ocean of exultation. Suddenly, you know you are alive.”

― Vera Nazarian

Fresh Frozen

Temps were in the icy single digits again this past week in Eastern Washington and Idaho. Nature is a little confused, warm enough to alternately melt the ice on our driveway then flash-freeze the standing water, showing us ODD, fresh, wind-blown ice patterns.

Odd shapes in ice
Odd Flash frozen ice
Flash-frozen ice patterns

We had similar temps in late January, too, when we visited the Grand Coulee Dam in Central Washington. A recent ice storm coated everything with frost creating an incredible winter wonderland.

Last Autumn Leaf Frozen in Place
Last Autumn Leaf Frozen in Place
Frozen Willow Trees
Frozen Willows
Ice Storm in Central Washington paints a fresh winter scene

Fresh Florals and a Taste of Summer

Longing for spring, I’m sharing new and old images of plants and flowers.

These freshly transplanted houseplants of varying sizes enjoy my living room.

Freshly planted houseplants

When I lived in Sacramento, I had ordered plumeria cuttings from Hawaii. I was very lucky to see the pink ones bloom so quickly after planting. It usually can take 2-3 years to flower.

Potted Plumeria Plants

This plant was re-homed to my daughter’s house in San Diego where plumeria flourish.

In a few weeks, I can look forward to the wild sunflowers!

Arrowleaf Balsamroot wild sunflower
Arrowleaf Balsamroot wild sunflower

Looking ahead toward late spring, when I can plant my veggies and more sunflowers. Nothing tastes better than freshly grown produce!

Potted garden plants
2021’s potted garden

My last refreshing thought–on Friday, we finally got our fiber internet installed and launched. Wow, to be able to stream again and watch shows at night(!) I haven’t seen in months was truly refreshing, in addition to experiencing lightning-fast uploads and downloads.

Photo Challenges this Week

Each week I am inspired by my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges. I find it fun to incorporate these into my Sunday Stills weekly themes.

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

Sunday Stills weekly 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 into the comments.

Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Below are this week’s links from bloggers who shared their FRESH photos and other creative endeavors.

March themes are available on my Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Page. This page is updated monthly and I am open to YOUR theme ideas, too! Feel free to share your ideas in the comments.

Have a wonderful week and I look forward to your fresh and creative ideas! Join me on March 6 as we explore the theme “Memories.”

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108 comments

    • Thank you, Graham! It’s been a good winter here for photographing outdoor scenes, but I am ready for spring. Yesterday was very springlike, mid 40s, sunny, dry streets. Today a bit more snow, but rain on the way, which we could use. I’ve been reluctantly using satellite internet since last May while waiting for the fiber to be connected. It worked but we couldn’t stream anything after 5pm without serious buffering. I’m now a happy camper in my own well-connected home!

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  8. Nice photos, Terri. It’s very fresh here on the Isle of Wight today. We’ve been out walking along the beach but we both left our phones at the caravan so I didn’t get to take any photos. Sorry! Will be home next weekend to have another go.

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  11. Your photos are just gorgeous. I called Vince over to look at your icy pictures. I think the random pattern looks like a cat. Vince disagreed, but what does he know? Thanks always for linking. I’ll find something fresh for you or go take some fresh photos today. I love this topic. I can’t believe you were able to grow plumeria. I love them and miss Hawaii! See you soon.

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    • Thank you, Marsha! LOL on the cat, I think I have to agree with Vince this time, hahaha! I had added the veggie garden to get to “taste” you originally had. Still works, right? My plumeria was a miracle, but I’m glad my daughter can still enjoy them–they’re happier in San Diego with more humidity. I miss HI too!

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      • I think we need a fence within a fence to grow vegetables here. Javelina and probably rats ate my tomato to the soil. It was in a pot in the back patio, which is sort of enclosed. I miss tomatoes and basil the most.

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  14. Hoo boy Terri, those frosty images are incredibly beautiful but no way I’d tolerate that climate these days. Must be a huge change for you coming from CA. Are you hiding indoors as I would be, or are you enjoying the change? I’m sure come July I’ll be seriously envious LOL! PS. Loved the funky silhouette!!

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    • Thank you, Tina. I’ve always been a mountain girl who loves 4 seasons. Wearing the right clothing and footware for winter is the key. I’d rather have the snow with days of sunshine than the weeks of gray fog we’d get every December and January in Sacramento. It was just dismal. Glad you like that silhouette, those were some fun times 😁

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  28. Isn’t ‘Fresh’ such a great word? I hear it’s the little brother of the word ‘life.’

    I’ve never heard of ice patterns before, Terri, so that’s something new for me this week. Winter wonderlands always look fresh and inviting. I think that’s why toothpaste is often the same colour – to entice us to use it twice a day. Add another friend of ‘fresh’, mint, and you’ve another version of freshness. I’ve gone all dental because I’ve just finished writing a story about teeth.

    I’m joining in on Wednesday with my Wordless Wednesday photo, Terri.

    Have a great week.

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  29. Warm weather is one the way, Teri, though those frozen willows are just stunning – picture worth an ice storm. And amazing skies. Wowza. I look forward to spring too. We woke up to warmer temps this morning… finally, though it’s still raining. I hope the warmer days and spring flowers will be visiting you soon. 🙂

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  31. Oooh, I love those frost and ice photos!! I’m a little envious of your cold weather, I admit. We’ve had weeks of above freezing temps and lots rain! It’s oddly depressing in Alaska in February, LOL!

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  44. That winter wonderland photo was gorgeous, Terry! I love weeping willows but have never seen them iced over. Although I don’t enjoy the rain around here because of mud tracking dog and big guy, I do love the freshness of the air afterwards. Glad the fiber is up and running now.

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