Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Blue is My World

This month, BLUE is July’s featured color for the challenge.

Out of a Clear, Blue Sky…

“The sky, the sky beyond the door is blue.” – Ryan Stiles

Fireworks against a blue night sky

In the US last week, many of us likely enjoyed fireworks and pyrotechnic displays. I don’t mind seeing fireworks, but when the illegal ones go off a few steps from our backyard, I get nervous. I admit it was nice to sit in our backyard and watch the fireworks all around us. The admission was free and the parking was amazing 😉

My dog Brodie always gets the blues when the noisy booms begin, usually a few days ahead of the 4th. I dose him with Vet-approved antihistamine, which makes him drowsy.

Tired dog with ball

We recently enjoyed the summer solstice (June 21). I never get tired of seeing light in the sky at 10:30pm as shown below.

Summer Solstice blue night sky
A Blue Solstice Sky

Some more blue sky shots…simplicity in blue.

Splish Splash, Blue Bird Bath

“The bluebird carries the sky on his back.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

When we set up the new bird bath in our backyard, we had no idea how much fun it would be to watch the birds enjoy the simple pleasures of taking a bath.

This mated Western Bluebird pair visits every. single. day.

two bluebirds in birdbath
two bluebirds in the bird bath
two bluebirds in bird bath
Come on in honey, the water’s fine
Two bluebirds taking a bath
Couple’s bath time

Moving from the sky, to the bird bath, and into the ocean, here are some very blue surf images from our visit to Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii in Winter 2018.

Blue Hawaii

“Surfing’s a more profound kind of sport than it looks. When you surf, you learn not to fight the power of nature, even if it gets violent.” — Haruki Murakami “Let the ocean worry about being blue.”

Each month I share an image for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge. I chose this filtered version of a perfect July day at the beach, complete with a lifeguard station and beach patrol vehicle.

beach scene lifeguard tower and truck
Blue summer’s day at the beach

“We are a blue planet and an ocean world.” – Nainoa Thompson

40 Blue Flowers

That’s the estimated amount of flowers that are truly blue. Here are a few from my garden and beyond.

“Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came to thy dazzling hue?” – James Montgomery

Inspiring Photo Challenges This Week

Each week I find inspiration from my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges. I enjoy incorporating these into my Sunday Stills weekly themes.

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 blue-inspired photos this week. I add these as new links are posted. *NOTE: This may be the last week I share links within the post. WordPress has recently changed the way we add links to our posts. As usual, your links appear in the comments section for those who wish to visit others. I appreciate your feedback on this.

I can’t wait to see how you interpret the various shades of BLUE this week! Join me next week as we explore things that are small.

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blue brushstroke
SURF signature

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145 responses to “Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Blue is My World”

  1. […] during the month and our Twos can be shared any time this week. Please visit Terri’s blog here to see her representation of the color blue and here for ‘Things in […]

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  2. […] Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Blue is My World – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives […]

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  3. My contributionhttps://philosophyvia.photos/2023/07/15/blue-blossom/

    Liked by 1 person

  4. […] Cee Neuner’s CFFC: Side of one Any Item, Terri Webster’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Blue is My World and Debbie Symth’s Six Word […]

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  5. I’m a little more late than usual to our Blue party! Why? I was singing the blues the past 6 weeks myself but you’ll have to read our post to know why.

    I feel for Brodie! Cooper and most dogs I know don’t do well with the fireworks noise. Now that he’s lost much of his hearing, he slept right through it all. Our seat this year was in the camper bunk looking out a window. It was too cozy to get outside and watch; which is why I didn’t attempt to post any photos!

    My favorite of your blues is your daily jay bird baths. How mesmerizing and entertaining that would be. And of course you and I think alike with our island blue oceans and the blue sky pictures. Thanks for a lovely blue yet cheerful post.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much, Cheryl. Aero never had issues with fireworks, but Brodie does like most dogs. Today, not only did the western bluebirds come take a bath, I caught a hummer perched nearby taking a bath under the sprinkler! Love our blue skies, at least they’re not smokey yet!

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  6. Oh my goodness…I just had a “I can’t believe you forgot…” moment. I had a bunch of blue photos that I left out of my post….had to go back and add them.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hate when the happens 😉

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  7. Hi Terri, sorry for the no-shows lately but I’m feeling a bit ‘blue’ after my wonderful trip and haven’t got back into anything much yet as a result. We’ve not been home a week yet and I’m giving myself some time to acclimatise to the cold weather, after the amazing summer weather we had in England and to getting back into reality! I’m sure you understand. I’m looking at this week’s prompt so that’s a start :).

    Love all your blue shots, you’re very talented with putting everything together as you do.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Many thanks, Debbie! Glad your back home safe and you can recuperate from all the fun! I look forward to hearing about your trip. Take good care my friend!

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  8. Hi Terri, blue is absolutely my favorite color and I had a post composed, but forget to schedule it to publish while we were away so…. next time.
    I didn’t know about the changes to WP regarding links. I always depend on you and Hugh to keep me up to speed on these things. Will have to check that out. Personally, I like having the links all together, but if it’s a pain…
    Your bird bath photos are standouts this week. Awesome!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Suzanne! Thank you for your feedback. Yesterday I counted how many more clicks it takes to add a link in a new window…8. No biggie. I’m in the habit of adding links as I go. You can still publish your post. Not too late. 😉

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      1. Thanks Terri, I have a post scheduled for Sunday so will pass on the offer. I don’t like to bunch up too many and overload everyone with reading.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. No worries, I get it! Enjoy your week!

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  9. I SO love your bluebirds! I don’t see them much on this side of the mountains! I’m coming with pictures of Seattle from above, mostly blue. As far as your question on links, has something changed? Either way, do whatever is easiest for you! 🙂 https://catsandtrailsandgardentales.com/2023/07/12/green-and-blue-over-seattle/

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    1. Thank you, Susanne! Not only these bluebirds love the bath, but the doves and robins. I can only hope the ravens don’t want to try–they’re a bit too big! The dropdown menu for adding links is a little different, but it is only 3 more clicks, so no worries. I don’t mind adding links as I go 🙂 Thanks for weighing in!

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  10. […] Sharing with Sunday Stills Challenge, #Blue. […]

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  11. […] I took this photo in early spring just as trees were beginning to bloom. The white birch and blue sky fit perfectly with Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Blue is My World. […]

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  12. The daytime white moon against the blue sky backdrop is just enchantingly amazing.
    And the couple’s bath time made me smile 🙂

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    1. Thank you Hammad! I had some fun with these blues. The bluebirds have been a fun source of morning entertainment 🐦

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  13. Gorgeous shots, Terri. The birds are having such a great time thanks to your birdbath. I love the picture of Brodie relaxing, LOL! His eyes made me laugh! Your little bluebird signature is super cute. Your ocean pictures made me wish I was in Hawaii. We should go there next. Forget the Valley or even the mountain heat or cold. “Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learnin’ how…” https://youtu.be/IENuCp4eT84

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    1. Thank you, Marsha! I have a good pic of a Robin taking a bath. Doves also like to dip, but no good pics yet. Hawaii sounds like a good plan! We eventually need to back to Hilo so Hans can iron out his title situation. Let’s go surfing 🏄‍♀️

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  14. My two boys hate the noise of fireworks, Terri. I feel so sorry for them when we approach Guy Fawkes Night in the UK. I’ve tried to help them, but nothing seems to work. It’s the same at New Year when some neighbours let off fireworks at midnight. I hope the UK government will only allow proper fireworks displays one day. Not only are they much safer, but they’re usually held out of town.

    Your longest-day photos are amazing. It was semi-light here on the 21st of June at around 10 pm too. But by 10:30, it was pitch dark. And now we travel towards the longest night.

    There are so many possibilities with the colour blue. I could have shown you the sea, sky, or even some plants, but I’ve gone with something different this week. Hope you like it.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Oh I love this image of the rolled up towels, Hugh! Very beachy and festive!

      I know very few dogs that enjoy fireworks. For a “gun dog” Brodie is a pathetic example, but we never trained him that way. My little Aero never reacted to the fireworks but that little 14 pound dog had the heart and soul of a lion. I’m sorry your poor babies have to go through this every year. I use benadryl (google it for appropriate dosage–I confirmed with our vet), which mellowed Brodie out. I also took him for a good walk and a good ball chase to wear him out earlier.

      And don’t remind me that the days are getting shorter. We still have light at 4:30am but I can already tell the difference 20 days (from the solstice) has made. Have a great week–I’m off to read your other post!

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      1. Glad you like the image, Terri. I took it at the entrance to a spa at a hotel we recently stayed, although I did not stick around long in the spa. It was a great place for a pre-dinner drink, though.
        I’ll check out Benadryl. When I’ve asked the vet before, they always recommend a plugin diffuser, but it never seems to help. I’ve also tried comfort jackets which did help at first but don’t seem to work anymore.
        We always go for a long walk in the afternoons, and while Austin loves chasing a ball, Toby does not anymore. We take them out later, about an hour before dusk on Guy Fawkes day, then return home, close all the curtains and turn the volume up on the TV. We live in a detached house, so the neighbours do not hear the TV (at least I don’t think they can).

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      2. A plug in diffuser? Does it infuse sedation? 🤣 we saw a lot of ads about the jackets I wasn’t impressed. Your idea to darken the house and keep the volume up is a great idea. A Kennel or bathtub also works I’m told….the bathtub or shower is like a den and some dogs feel comforted by hiding in one. My neighbor turns on the bathroom fan and closes the door. Seems to help. It’s easier to sedate them IMO. A good long walk before the evening fireworks is a good idea too. Thanks, Hugh for sharing your ideas.

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    2. We had a dog like that, Hugh. He was frantic during fireworks and thunderstorms. I hear they have all kinds of things to help, but our story had an unhappy ending. I like your towels. Hope you are doing well.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, Marsha. Yes, my two also dislike thunder. They tend to hide under the bed, while I try and act as if nothing is happening.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. haha I did that too, but it was hard to ignore 45 pounds climbing onto your shoulders trying to get as close to your face as possible. LOL

        Liked by 2 people

  15. […] Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Blue is My World […]

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  16. Lots of wonderful blues, Terri. The bathing bluebird photos are a joy. Hope your pup recovered from the fireworks fright…

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    1. Thanks so much, Jane! I don’t know why we didn’t get a birdbath sooner. Brodie is over it all now. Keeping benadryl at the ready was helpful this year.

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  17. Wonderful blue birds, flowers, and other pictures, Terri. There are very few blue flowers in my garden.

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    1. Thank you, Robbie! We are surrounded by so much green (not complaining), the blues really pop. The hydrangeas are the only blue flowers I have now.

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  18. Beautiful blues, Terri! Those fireworks look great, and I’m glad nothing caught on fire but the works. I’ve become paranoid about fireworks with these hot crunchy summers, but what fun to sit in your yard and enjoy them. Loved the Blue post!

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    1. Thank you, Diana! We watched for at least an hour before heading back inside. They boomed until midnight then stopped, thank goodness. One of my neighbors puts on a big 4th party and literally launches from the nearby lake. It’s shallow enough so they can stand less than knee depth and set it all up in the water. We didn’t see it this year so I’ll be interested in how they put it on next year. Glad it’s all over for now!

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      1. The lake is a great idea!

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  19. You shared some amazing blue! That moon! But the bluebirds tugged at my heart… how nice for you to see them often. I don’t have them here or in AZ. And to see them in the birdbath makes me smile.

    We used to go to the Cleveland air show every year to see the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds (they took turns.) So seeing your Blue Angels gave me fond memories. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you, Nancy! The birdbath is a great source of entertainment for other birds too and I’m glad to do my part to help keep them stay clean and hydrated 😉 I miss seeing the Blue Angels, always a spectacular show.

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  20. A beautiful array of blues, Terri 👏 Love the shots of the wee birdies enjoying a bath 😃 Here’s mine: https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/07/11/blissful-blue-sunday-stills/

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  21. […] Hi all 😃 My latest entry for Terri’s Sunday Stills: #Blue. […]

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  22. I’ve been waiting for the blue photos! It’s always been my favorite color and your images are spectacular. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you so much, Debra. Blue has so many amazing hues and shades and seems to appear everywhere in nature. I’ve seen some gorgeous blues as I read the link-ups from Sunday Stills this week 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  23. […] I needed a watering can so in order to help the planet I chose this bright blue metal one, just in time for Terri’s Sunday Stills BLUE […]

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  24. Beautiful Terri. Blue is my fav color in nature – as in, the ocean. 🙂 xx

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    1. Thank you, Deb! Of course you would love ocean blue! Your favorite place in nature 💙

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      1. Yes indeedy! 🙂 ❤

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  25. […] Sunday-Stills:…My-World-of-Blue […]

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  26. You can never go wrong with blue. Another great set of pictures. Be sure to check mine out.

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  27. Beautiful blues Terri and such lovely captures of the bathing birds! 💙 We’re enjoying some fine blue skies at the moment and our contribution for this week’s lovely challenge is here: https://whippetwisdom.com/2023/07/10/haiku-fire-of-blue/

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    1. Thank you, Xenia! We’re in the middle of a summer thunderstorm as I type this!

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      1. Oh dear, may you all stay safe and dry! 💜🙏 xxx

        Liked by 1 person

  28. […] Sunday Stills: Monthly Color – Blue is My World […]

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  29. Terri, you have some gorgeous blues for the week. Thanks for the inspiration. 😀 😀
    Here is my entry.

    #Blue – Sunday Stills Challenge

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    1. Thank you, Cee! Always great to see your links to Sunday Stills 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  30. […] Here is my entry for Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge. […]

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  31. Such a lovely range of blues, Terri. Beautiful captures. 💖

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    1. Thank you, Eugi! It was fun to add some new pics to some old blues 😉

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      1. Most welcome, Terri!

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  32. So pretty Terri…love the bluebirds. I don’t know that I’ve seen them around here. However at the moment I don’t have a lot of landscaping that draws birds. I love the creativity you took with the last one.
    https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2023/07/taking-in-life-around.html

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    1. Thank you, Kirstin! Until we planted some young trees in fall 2021, we didn’t have many birds. We attracted hummers the next summer by placing the feeder near our young Willow, they seem to like to perch after feeding. The bath will bring plenty of birds. They need water in the dry summers for drinking and for bathing to clear off the mites from their feathers.

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  33. […] This week, on #SundayStills, it’s the monthly color challenge! For July, it’s Blue. […]

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  34. Terri, I love all your gorgeous blues! I don’t know which I like better – the ocean, the sky, the flowers, the birds…

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    1. Thank you, Beth! As for the color blue, I suppose they are all winners 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  35. The blue birds are lovely. Sadly we never see daylight at 10pm in Australia, but I guess we have many other things to make up for that 😀
    Here’s a few blues from mehttp://travelswithali.com/2023/07/09/%f0%9f%94%b7-sunday-blues-%f0%9f%94%b7/

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    1. Thank you, Ali. We are well up north so summer days are long (6 hours of night). I suppose the opposite is true for Australia but your long days might be in Tasmania during your summers.

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      1. Yes I think so, and the East coast. Daylight saving was vetoed in WA

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  36. GotDemLowDownDirtyHeartBreakingBluesBabe, Gottem’ Bad. I’m a Blues fan. Excellent.

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    1. 😆 Hahaha, love it John, thank you 💙

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  37. Wonderful blue images, Terri. In most of Australia, there are tight limitations on fireworks – it certainly makes it a lot safer. Toni x

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    1. Thank you, Toni. And that is good to hear about Australia’s restrictions.

      Liked by 1 person

  38. What a gorgeous blue theme that enhances my ‘simplicity’ challenge!
    Terrie, you are the winner.
    I adore the bird bath and simply loved the other bird admiring its better half while she was immersed in it. The narrative is both simple and beautiful!
    It’s incredible to see surfers waiting in the blue vastness! What more could one wish for than a blue sky, blue lake, and distant blue mountains?
    I love how the blue blossoms are spreading joy all throughout!
    Brodie pose is the best.
    Thank you so much, Terri.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, Mr Philo! I’m glad the color challenge worked so well with your simplicity theme. We could all use more of it in our lives. I bet you are busy as the host this week. Take good care!

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      1. Thank you Terri.
        Yes your colour theme is a perfect one for simplicity examples.
        It’s amazing that, your bet is 100% correct and being the host kept me busy all day.
        How did you guess so correctly?
        Fantastic!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I know how busy I am with SS and Lens Artists is very popular, and of course, the host has to read and comment! Happy for you!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Agree.
        The article must be good enough for the people to take part in the discussion.
        Thank you for your encouragement.

        Liked by 1 person

  39. Lovely selection of blue! The blue birds are adorable! What a treat to have them visiting every day.https://mariawijk.wordpress.com/2023/07/10/blue-sky-and-blue-sea/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Maria! That bird bath has become popular with the birds here–not only the bluebirds, but robins and mourning doves, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  40. […] Visited the Danish Island Bornholm a couple of days. Biking our way around the small island in perfect summer weather.For Terri´s Sunday Stills Challenge. […]

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  41. […] week for Sunday Stills hosted by Terri the challenge is the colour blue. As it happens I took a few blue shots last week […]

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  42. Hi, Terri – I absolutely love your wide range of blues featured here. Especially Brodie feeling firecracker-blue on a blue and white rug. Very, very creative!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Donna! Brodie puts us through the ringer sometimes. I’m glad I talked to our vet last month. This time last year we were in Arizona and there was no need to worry about the fireworks. We were ready to keep him comfortable for a few nights.

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  43. So many delightful blue items in this post Terri. Cobalt blue is so beautiful. Of all the images, I like the pair of Bluebirds best. I’ve never seen a Bluebird although we do have them here in Michigan. I like seeing birds enjoying the birdbath, not sipping, but just immersing themselves not only in the water, but in the whole experience. I’ve seen them splashing in a puddle in the road, the neighbor’s gutter and even basking under the sprinkler on a hot day. Brodie napping with the ball in his mouth from his antihistamines … poor baby. We have had fireworks here since Memorial Day weekend (SMH on that), every night, weekends are the worst though and Fourth of July, the ordinance allows them until 11:45 p.m. the day before/of/after a holiday. I had an errant firecracker land on a shingle and burn it once. I also worry about fire. A homeowner in my City had their garage catch on fire from a misfired firecracker.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Linda! I get a kick out o seeing the cute bluebirds! I have a set of robin birdbath pics I just uploaded from my camera I will share in a later post.

      Fireworks are nothing to mess with. I grew up in SoCal where they were strictly forbidden. Sacramento allowed sales on the tame stuff but there were always illegal M-80s and others that could easily start a fire. Even the tame ones tried to burn my daughter’s foot when she was a toddler. It was one of those ground ones that zips around and it literally chased her in our driveway and burned her foot. Jeez. Fireworks are allowed in my rural country and luckily the seem to stop on the 4th, thank goodness.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’ll look forward to seeing the robin birdbath pics Terri.

        The fireworks (big boomers) are going off at 10:15 p.m. as I write this comment. That’s scary what happened to your daughter! A woman in northern Michigan was killed last week when an errant firework struck her at a 4th of July private fireworks event. Something I don’t usually say but … I’m grateful we have had a lot of rain lately with all the residential fireworks going off.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Fireworks should just be banned unilaterally. Many of my neighbors with properties mowed and kept their yards wet all last week. Can’t believe your still having Fireworks there!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I agree with you Terri. I was glad for the rain as I usually do the same thing, plus leave the hose stretched out in case of a fire for ready access since the fire department can’t be everywhere at once.

        Liked by 1 person

  44. […] For Sami’s Monday Murals, Natalie’s PPAC and Terri’s Sunday Stills. […]

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  45. Love scrolling through the post and seeing blue everywhere. It is funny as it can be seen as a gloomy color and I find in always so happy. Like others I loved the playful birds. And loved more picturing you sitting there enjoying them. Very nice, Terri.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Donna! Blue has so many shades, both vibrant and moody. I stayed with nature’s nest. I was so pleased with the bluebirds, both in their quest for our new bird bath and my images. We just put a huge patio cover over our backyard deck and it’s so nice to sit outside now.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I am sure. This is your season to be out and about. Your beautiful yard continues growing and I love it.

        Liked by 1 person

  46. Wow, such stunning photos! Lots of blue! 🙂

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  47. Hi Terri and Happy Sunday! Enjoyed your blues, especially the little bird couple. We have a bluebird who loves our yard but he’s a bachelor so far 😊. Also lovely blue flowers – hydrangeas are my favorite and mine last week were blue also. I’m linking my Simplicity challenge post here for the blue of the ocean and the sky. Wishing you a lovely week! https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2023/07/08/lens-artists-challenge-257-simplicity-photography/

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    1. Happy Sunday, Tina! The birds and flowers are fun to see every day and of course fun to photograph! I’m glad to see your link! I hadn’t had the chance to stop by your post yet.!

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  48. The Bluebird couple is adorable!! They look very happy. Aw, I feel sad for dogs who are troubled by the fireworks. We had a Golden Retriever that LOVED them and our little Copper was terrified of them so much so that he didn’t want to go outside for the full 10 days people in the area seem to take as the 4th. 🤔

    I’m so glad you shared ocean views and blue flowers too – all those different shades of blue are enchanting to me!

    I hope you have a great week!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Shelley! I just love those little bluebirds, such characters! I feel sorry for dogs this time of year. Aero never cared but Brodie has to be sedated 😦

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome.
        We have a neighbor who has two dogs and they shot off fireworks (HUGE ones) for 45 minutes. I don’t have a clue what they did with their dogs during that time. Yikes.

        That’s interesting that Aero wasn’t bothered by them. I know our Golden loved them because I trained him as a hunting dog and the first time he heard the gun go off he was treated with a chunk of hot dog. That worked for 4th of July too. He was all about the food! 🤣 I hope Brodie has recovered and is happy the fireworks season is over.

        Liked by 1 person

  49. I love those little bluebirds and the Blue Angels pic. We have the Red Arrows over here.

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    1. Thank you, Stevie. When we lived in Sacramento the Blue Angels practiced right over our neighborhood near the old airfield. They don’t fly here for some reason

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  50. Wow! Those are great blue images! I have never gotten a shot of a bluebird taking a bath, though we have them around. One winter we had a few sit on the frozen edge of the heated birdbath, but that’s the closest I ever got.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Dawn. I finally got the camera close to me to get the pics. I had a long zoom otherwise, the see me and fly away! I like the idea of a heated birdbath 🙂

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  51. Hello, Terri,
    “Blue skies, smilin’ at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see” The lyrics to that song played in my head throughout your entire post. Thanks! I have not heard of a Lithodora–must be a Western flower. Your hydrangeas are a knockout and one of my faves! My contribution is a photo of a friend’s backyard. Every spring, it is filled with blue (mostly) crocus; as you can see, they put on quite a show. Have a great week! Joe

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you, Joe! Funny how an earworm begins, LOL! We saw the lithodora in Sacramento. I had to google it–seemed pretty rare. Wish I had a better pic of them. Wow your image of the crocus field is stunning! Have a great week as well!

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  52. Love the bluebirds bathing. Nice to have them as regular visitors. Interesting to hear about your fireworks experience. Here in Hawaii people love fireworks and there are usually lots of illegal ones to be seen and heard. But this year it was strangely quiet because of new regulations requiring permits for use and restricting the kinds of fireworks people can set off. Someone still managed to get themselves killed down in Kona though. Sad really. Here’s mine this week: https://grahamsisland.com/2023/07/09/i-got-the-blues-real-good/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Graham. They are fun to watch. The fireworks ended at midnight on the 4th and none heard on the 5th. Our county restricts them until them. Living on an island, I imagine it’s not that easy to get illegal ones, even with permit restrictions. Sorry to hear someone died. Here we worry about stray sparks igniting wildfires. Spokane County prohibits any kind of fireworks except professional pyrotechnics. The fire dept reported it has made a huge difference in the last several year.

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      1. I’m not surprised they’re cracking down in your area given the fires over the last few years. Dry conditions were a factor here too. As far as illegal fireworks go, it doesn’t seem like it’s ever been hard to find them here. There were certainly plenty going off in previous years!

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  53. The bluebirds are lovely, Terri. Such nice neighbours 🤗🐦🩷

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    1. Thank you, Jo. We have a pair of mourning doves who bathe as well, and they’ve added a fledgling to their family. No pics yet!

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  54. […] Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge theme is ‘Blue.’ See more responses here. After sorting through some photos, I found a cluster of abstract blues that I like so here they […]

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  55. Dogs and fireworks. Not a good match! I love his security ball. Mine has one, too.

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    1. Definitely not, Jacqui. He loves his ball. Funny, while we sat and watched the fireworks he acted OK. Just hearing the booms reverberating inside the house really messes with him.

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Wow. Your photos are amazing. I particularly love the moon and the planes shot, but some of those blue flowers are astounding. Thanks for hosting. Bernie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Bernie! I have better luck getting the moonshots when there is some daylight. It is one of my better ones and maybe more dramatic.

      Liked by 1 person

  57. Those bird bath pictures are great!

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    1. thank you, Dawn–made my day to capture these 🙂

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      1. I’ll bet. It would mine too.

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  58. It wasn’t hard to get blue!!

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  59. So many wonderful blues Terri. Love the bird bath photos 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Brian! 💙 I’m happy to help the neighborhood birds stay cool!

      Liked by 1 person

  60. You just can’t go wrong with the color blue – one of my favorite colors. Great collection of images.

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  61. […] Sunday Stills photo challenge is the color BLUE. We were fortunate to enjoy lovely blue skies with occasional white clouds during […]

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  62. The Blue bird of Happiness would blush (bluish) Terri!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hahaha 😆, yes it would, Wayne! Our climate is very dry, so we’re happy to supply the birds with water 💧

      Liked by 1 person

  63. Beautiful blues, Terri. Blue sky and blue space (water, ocean) always lift my mood. I love your Western Bluebird photos. How wonderful that they visit you every day. Here’s my contribution: https://natalietheexplorer.home.blog/2023/07/07/outside-the-box-love-park/

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    1. Thank you, Natalie. I’m always amazed how many blue images I have in my media files. Of course I added a lot more with this post!

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  64. […] The ‘blues’ in my post are for Terri’s #SundayStills July colour challenge. […]

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  65. Wow, the moon and the planes are amazing, Terri and I love the ocean and flower pics. The blue birds are so cute and they obviously love having bath.
    Ah, poor Brodie. Dogs must wonder what’s going on with all the noise of fireworks. We don’t have many going off round where we are, only 5th November for Guy Fawkes and most of those are organised events so not to near the house, and possibly New Year.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Cathy! I have to sit quietly on our backyard deck to capture the birds in action in the bath. And make sure Brodie doesn’t see them as he likes to chase them and bark. Jeez! I wanted to mention how much I love your blue moon photo as well!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, Terri. My moon pics turn out much better in the daytime.
        Flynn tends to do the same when the birds are around so I tend to take a lot from the house.

        Liked by 1 person

  66. […] to this month’s Sunday Stills Colour Challenge hosted by Terri Webster Schrandt. It’s said that blue is the colour of loyalty and trust and has a calming […]

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  67. You do the blues so well Terri! Do you sing them too????

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    1. Thank you, Anne! LOL, I’ve been known to!

      Liked by 1 person

  68. Blue is a wonderful color and worthy of a tribute. Blue birds, blue skies, blue flowers, Blue Angels, and more … you have gotten the string off to a great start. The variations of blue in the sky amaze me. … and of course, I’ve done a beach walk about blue … so I invite your readers to stop by. https://beachwalkreflections.wordpress.com/2021/02/18/43-blue/

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    1. I should have added that blue is a close favorite color behind green. The two together–wow! Many thanks, Frank! I will check out your post momentarily.

      Liked by 1 person

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About Me

I’m a former university adjunct Professor and retired recreation & parks practitioner living in North-Eastern Washington State near the Idaho border. Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is my blog about living a leisure lifestyle, including photography, friends, fitness, and fun.

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