Cobalt Blue river and yellow sunflowers
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Not Quite #Watered Down

The upcoming Memorial Day holiday (May 27, 2024) in the US is the traditional start of summer, bringing throngs of people to lakes, rivers, and oceans.

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo da Vinci

This week, the Sunday Stills photography challenge honors waterscapes of all kinds. I’m adding my annual water safety spiel at the end.

Our Awesome Oceans

“The ocean has always been a salve to my soul.” – Jimmy Buffett

Winter Ocean Views in Coronado
Ocean Views in Coronado, San Diego
Hilo Bay Surfers
Hilo Bay (Hawaii) Surfers
Lonely Fisherman
Lonely fisherman casts his net on Hilo Bay

Riveting Rivers

“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
– John O’Donohue

The Spokane River’s journey begins in Idaho and runs through downtown Spokane, meandering toward the Columbia River.

Spokane Falls in May
Spokane River Falls in May

The mighty Spokane River turns north to grace the Centennial Trail in Riverside State Park…

Suspension Bridge at Bowl and Pitcher
Suspension Bridge at Bowl and Pitcher

…only to be slowed down by the Nine Mile Falls Dam…

Sunflower view of Nine Mile Falls
Sunflower view of Nine Mile Falls

…metamorphosing into Lake Spokane and Long Lake…

Cobalt Blue river and yellow sunflowers
Spring Day along the Spokane River (Lake Spokane)

…turning southward to be stopped momentarily by the Long Lake Dam…

Long Lake Dam at Overlook area
Long Lake Dam
Bridge over Spokane River After Long Lake Dam
Bridge over Spokane River south of Long Lake Dam

… to end its final journey joined with the mighty Columbia River bordering Washington and Oregon.

Early March Sunrise, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Early March Sunrise, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Lovely Lakes and Lake Life

“The lake and the mountains have become my landscape, my real world.”
~ Georges Simenon

Wing Foiling on Columbia River Gorge
Wing Foiling on Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (not me)
SUP session in Lake Tahoe
SUP session in Lake Tahoe (yes, me)
Rio Leaps from Pier!
Friend’s Dog Leaps from Pier in Lake Tahoe

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu

My Annual Water Safety Spiel

Summer water activity traditionally begins with the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. As the former aquatics director for a public parks and recreation organization, I was responsible for reminding people to be safe in the water.

Every May, I proudly continue to post about the importance of water safety, which coincides with National Water Safety Month.

Paddling in sit-down position
Marsha and I ending our Stand-up Paddle Session on Watson Lake, AZ…we are wearing life vests!
May is National Water Safety Month

“The only reason I started swimming was for water safety. Then, once I started falling in love with sports, I got more comfortable with it.” – Michael Phelps (28-time Olympic medalist)

Students engage in dual kayaking for a leisure class.
Safe Kayaking at Sac State Aquatic Center at Lake Natoma, Sacramento

As the holiday ushers in water sports and activities, the air may feel warm in the sunshine in many places, but beware of the cold and turbulent water as it rises and carries debris like telephone poles and entire trees downstream to unsuspecting visitors. Our weather temps in Eastern Washington hover around 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit, while water temperatures are in the low 40s.

Plunging into ice-cold water from a snowpack will likely take your breath away, or the hidden debris may sweep you away without warning. A teenager died recently from drowning after jumping off a bridge into the 45F waters of the Spokane River.

Kids Don't Float
Adults, Please Wear a Life Jacket…set a good example!

Even these Merganser ducks are playing it safe under Mama’s watchful eye.

Merganser Duck and Ducklings
Merganser Duck and Ducklings at Mammoth Lakes, California

Please be smart and safe. Even if you believe you are a strong swimmer, at least wear a life vest. Heed the warning signs.

Danger Sign at Charles Road Bridge
Danger Sign at Charles Road Bridge

The message of water safety as we enter the summer months in the northern hemisphere should never be watered down.

Inspiring Photo Challenges This Week

Each week, I find inspiration from my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges, which I enjoy incorporating 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.

I am excited to see your waterscapes and perhaps the water activities you and your family enjoy. I’ll take a break next Sunday during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Please join me on June 2 for the beginning of Great Outdoors Month.

June themes are available on my Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Page.

“Take a course in good water and air, and in the eternal youth of Nature, you may renew your own.” ~ John Muir

graphic stand up paddleboarder

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111 comments

  4. Beautiful pictures! You are surrounded by beauty.
    Thank you for the Water safety info. Living by a lake, I agree with you that we all need to remember to be safe on the water.
    Happy Memorial Day!

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  9. I love your pictures of the Spokane River flowing along its course. For a Washingtonian, I’ve spent very little time in the Spokane area, and your pictures make me want to visit more! I thought I might join the challenge this week but life has intervened in unexpected ways, so we’ll have to see. (I love a water challenge!)
    Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

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  12. What a thrilling body of water you have on your doorstep, Terri! I love being around water but I’m not much of a swimmer so I’m always cautious. I often I wish I was a braver spirit. Fabulous photos of your river. Such a beautiful area!

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  15. Wow, your opening picture is breath-taking Terri. Water safety is so important. I was in my early twenties and went rafting with a friend. He insisted I put my lifejacket on as we paddled through glassy waters on the Sandy River outside of Troutdale, Oregon. Even though I scoffed and argued that I didn’t need it, almost the second I had it fastened, the raft overturned, and I went down the rapids under it. I was underwater for the ride down the rapids, but was able to kick off the rocks and come up a couple of times before surfacing at the end of them. Had I not had on the life jacket, I’m sure I would have drowned. I was fully clothed and they were heavy, nor was I the best swimmer in the world.

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  16. What a great neighbourhood you live in with all that refreshing water, Terri. It looks so tempting to jump in on hot days, but those water temperatures you mentioned – Brrrrr!

    As you know, I’m not a fan of being in or on water, my fear of water is something I’ve never been able to get over, but i do enjoy sitting on firm ground watching those folk who enjoy being in and on the water. Plus, I find living on the coast such a boost for the soul and life itself.

    You mentioned to me to include the piece of Flash Fiction I published this week entitled ‘Swimming Lessons.’ So here it is.

    http://hughsviewsandnews.com/2024/05/20/flash-fiction-swimming-lessons/

    Thanks for all the i formation about safety in the water. I only heard on our news yesterday of two teenage boys who went swimming in a river and who both got into difficulty. Sadly, one of the boys died, but the other managed to get back to shore to raise the alarm.

    Enjoy your upcoming holiday weekend. We have one too, although the weather doesn’t seem to want to play fair. So we’ll have plenty of water falling from the sky.

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    • Thank you, Hugh! I never dreamed we’d live in a place like we do. Your part of the coast doesn’t look as urban as the San Diego beaches. They are a nice place to visit when we’re there.

      Sad to read that another teen lost his life by drowning. It never ends. Yes, I thought your story worked for my Sunday Stills theme. I enjoy the creativity of other bloggers’ posts.

      I’m sitting here with a head cold. We have rain coming tonight through Wednesday. Netflix, here I come. Meteorologists are predicting a hot, dry summer with a strong probability of wildfires. We plan to stay home except for my short trip in early August to Yosemite. More about that later.
      Have a good weekend!

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  19. Terri,

    We’re blessed to have lakes and streams all around us where we live, but your image of Lake Tahoe gave my heart a tug because we loved our time there. As someone who had a close call while trout fishing in a rushing stream with no life vest, I really appreciate your emphasis on water safety. A little reminder can go a long way in saving lives. Thanks and have a wonderful week! Joe

    Liked by 1 person

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  22. Beautiful photos, Terri. I especially enjoyed those beach scenes with the waves. And a great idea to add water safety tips to the post. No, kids don’t float. I know that as soon as summer hits, you’re going to out on the water. Enjoy!

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  25. Beautiful and refreshing water photos, Terri. I lived near water most of my life, being brought up in Florida. When I was in elementary school, learning to swim was a requirement and we had access to a public pool across the street from the school. I was five or six when I learned how to swim. Where we live now, there is a pool on the premises and we are not too far from the Chattahoochee River.💕

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    • Thank you, Eugi! How wonderful you were taught to swim at an early age. Our parents didn’t avoid danger, they taught us how to navigate it and armed us with knowledge and skills. Parents nowadays seem to avoid this and overprotect their kids. Perhaps why the teenager drowned recently in our cold water😟
      I hope you have the chance to enjoy the Chattahoochee river soon!

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      • You’re welcome, Terri. We hope to travel to Helen, Ga, soon and watch the tubers navigate the Chattahoochee. It’s very entertaining.

        Learning lifesaving skills early in life is so important. I wish more parents would realize how critical it can be.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Kirstin! I love being around the water and seeing people having fun. Swimming lessons are and wearing a life jacket in rivers, lakes and oceans adds more protection against the unknown. Yay for linking today!

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  28. Oh, my, so many jaw-dropping gorgeous photos! I can see why you enjoy living near Spokane. I’d say your post is a splashing success. I love that you shared the safety messages too. Including the difference in water temps. Good thing to point out! I’m a wear a life vest gal, wouldn’t be in a boat of any kind without it. A healthy respect for the water is a wonderful thing to embrace. And now, it’s spring, and all the water activity fun can begin! Yippee! I hope you’re planning many more water adventures for the summer.

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    • Thank you so much, Shelley! Waterscapes are among my top 5 image captures. In California, there were a lot more media messages about Water safety, because Sacramento boasts two major rivers, the Sacramento delta and 90 minutes to Lake Tahoe, not to mention two local lakes. Do people wear life vests? Not the ones who really need them 😟
      I remember a news segment years ago where a man boasted he put a life jacket on his dog, but he himself didn’t need one. Oy!
      I already have a kayak date set with my neighbor next month!

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      • Your waterscape photos are top image photos – well deserved status!
        That makes sense that CA would have more water safety messages. I was raised to wear a life vest or we couldn’t go in the boat. So I carried on that tradition. My daughters do the same – a healthy respect for water is a good thing to embrace.
        Oy…that’s sadly not surprising that someone would do that. 🙄
        WooHoo – that sounds like a fun adventure!

        Like

  29. Fabulous water images, Terri. The ocean ones are particularly gorgeous and that dam!

    I’m struggling to catch up with posts after having visitors. Have a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday.

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    • Thank you, Cathy. We have two dams that turn the Spokane River into Lake Spokane. So close to home, we feel very blessed to live here.
      I miss your SS posts but I understand the need for a break when you’re entertaining visitors. I hope you had a wonderful time.
      If you get a wild hair, please hop into this challenge anytime. I’ll read and tweet no matter when you post. If not , enjoy your week!

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  34. These are beautiful shots Terri – no wonder you are a water sports enthusiast, but also the scenes are picture perfect. I have never learned to swim and should do so, as that is the only way I’d do SUP or kayaking, canoeing, etc. I love the Jimmy Buffet quote!

    Here is my post, a little earlier as we are having some stormy weather. I had to re-subscribe to you as WP dropped you from Reader, second blogger that this happened this week.

    Morning marsh meander.

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    • Thank you, Linda. I do love being around the water. I saw your follow notice, lol! Probably why I don’t use the WP reader. I read your post but couldn’t comment from my phone (wanted me to log in). I’ll be home soon and can comment from my computer.

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      • You are lucky to be around such beautiful venues, though Michigan is the Great Lakes State and we have four of the Great Lakes in our state so the number one recreation here involves water.

        I subscribed by e-mail to everyone 10 days ago, then found a workaround (thanks to Brian-Bushboy who suggested I open each post in Reader in a new tab) so I unsubscribed to everyone. I tried filtering the subscriptions to one folder, but half of them went there, half not and it’s my primary e-mail address, so I stopped the subscriptions. Frustrating!

        Liked by 1 person

      • I did let them know tonight Terri … they did a follow-up on last week’s Reader issue, so I told them I had a workaround but it was still glitchy. I use Comcast/Xfinity web-based e-mail, so I copy the e-mail address and then create an e-mail folder just for that addressee … it works seamlessly for everything else, like other subscriptions, but not for filtering the WP subscriptions.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Tonight I did let them know as they did a follow-up on last week’s Reader issue, so I told them I had a workaround but it was still glitchy. I use Comcast/Xfinity web-based e-mail, so I copy the e-mail address and then create an e-mail folder just for that address … it works seamlessly for everything else, like other subscriptions, but not for filtering the WP subscriptions unfortunately. I should have used a dedicated e-mail address for WP only. .

        Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Suzanne! I think I remember you mentioning your past life as a swim instructor. Makes sense from what I know about you! I enjoyed teaching one class a year once I went into full-time work to keep up my certs!

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  44. Hi Terri that’s a wonderful post , thank you for reinforcing your “safety spiel” well done it’s so important to do this. So many deaths occur that could be avoided.

    Lovely quotes too, my favourite photo was Early March Sunrise, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon and your friend’s dog jumping into Lake Tahoe. You beautiful posts always brighten my day 💜💜

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    • Thank you, John! When we lived in Sacramento which has it’s own charm with the huge trees canopy, I loved driving to Lake Tahoe or at least into the Sierra foothills to get my dose of pine forests. When we first visited Spokane in 2010, I asked Hans…why don’t we live here? 10 years later, we do! Hope you can visit Spokane again some day!

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