This month, I’m celebrating “June is Great Outdoors Month.”
“Along this earthen wonderland my heart falls in green love; as I gaze awestruck to the trees sharing grace from above.” – Angie Weiland-Crosby
Getting outdoors during June should be easy for us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. However, for my southern hemisphere friends who are enjoying winter, I know you have many ways to enjoy the outdoors this time of year, such as getting away to warm places or, for those who love the cold, skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing.
If you are participating in the photo challenge, tell us more or show us your favorite summer outdoor places.
In case you need inspiration…
“It’s only in winter that the pine and cypress are known to be evergreens.” – Confucius
This month I’m focusing on the color EVERGREEN, a dark green commonly found in pine trees. Feel free to choose any color of green, and while you’re at it, explore the colors of green outdoors.
I’m convinced my love of evergreens (pines, cedars, etc.) came from two years spent living near Portland, Oregon, as a child. Once we moved back to San Diego, most of the “evergreens” we saw were palm and eucalyptus trees.
I still love walking in the forested Portland neighborhoods when we visit.
“Go out, I beg of you and taste the beauty of the wild. Behold the miracle of the Earth with all the wonders of a child.” – Edna Jaques
My parents loved the great outdoors. Every summer for over 10 years, my parents took us camping in Tuolumne Meadows, the high country of Yosemite National Park. San Diego can be warm in summer, so despite not wanting to leave my friends behind for 2-3 weeks, I appreciated the cool alpine air.
Back in the day, I loved trees so much, I climbed them and then purposely jumped from them!
During our road trip in March, we stopped to visit the Redwoods State and National Park on the Northern California Coast. I wrote more about it here.
Fun with Photo Editing
The years spent camping in the Great Outdoors, especially Yosemite and other U.S. national parks, engendered a continuing family legacy that I’m proud to share with my children and grandchildren.
In summer 2020, despite the pandemic closing many places, we still managed to meet my daughter, my brother, and their spouses for a long weekend in Mammoth Lakes, California.
Of course, we took lots of pictures, but my daughter took some and surprised me with a watercolor she painted from one of the pictures.
My daughter did a great job capturing us and the trees. Pine trees are not that easy to paint! As I processed the digital version of the image, I found the original and reimagined edits of the same image.
Sharing for XingFuMama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge.
Birds Tending their Babies Capture the Essence of an Evergreen Life
If you’ve followed my blog over the past three years, you may remember the two Say’s Phoebes that have turned our patio cover into their own little “AirbnBird.” This cozy spot has become a regular nesting place and a lively part of our home.
This year’s first brood fledged in mid-May, and like many young birds entering the world for the first time, they looked a little bewildered as they waited for Mama and Papa to return with food.
It’s hard not to feel connected to these delightful birds. They have transformed our simple patio into a lively hub of activity, highlighting the beauty of wildlife and reminding us daily of the wonder in the natural world. Stay tuned for more Phoebe stories (hint)… the second set just hatched June 12!
An “evergreen life” describes a state of resilience, fruitfulness, and enduring vitality—flourishing regardless of the season or external hardships. – Jonathan Brenneman
Also sharing this week for Dan’s CFFC: Green Crayola, Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday (bird images excluded), and Lens-Artists: Wonder (Looking Back).
The Wonders of the Public Pool was my first contribution to the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. Congratulations to the talented Lens-Artists team, whose weekly inspiration has encouraged bloggers since 2018.
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. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
- 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.
If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret the various shades of green and evergreen this week. Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme.
Join me next week as I launch a new feature, Animal or Bird of the Month. Rather than stick to one animal or bird, we’ll tackle “WILD.” Let your imagination, well, run wild!
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