CMMC: August Pick a Topic


Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

CFFC: Forms and Shapes in Nature


Nature forms its own cover for its rocks and made it look like a carpet
In a way, nature knows its way to create art, like this streak of yellow through a patch of green

Finally, these are interesting looking tree trunks, aren’t they? The first image reminded me of horse’s hooves like one is raising while the other one remains on the ground. The second image makes me think of a teepee.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

#SundayStills: Monthly Color Challenge: #Yellow in the August 2023 Garden


I’m surprised to say there aren’t much to do in the garden these days.

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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #262: Framing Your Photos


Happy Sunday! Amy from the blog – The World is a Book… – is the lovely hostess for this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge and this week’s theme is all about Framing.

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Nature Photo Challenge #24 – Edibles


I have no shortage of edibles in my backyard and front yard gardens. After all, I eat mostly out of it during the summer.

There was a rainstorm about a week ago. I love the look of the garden after a storm. The water droplets on the leaves made for a great photo opportunity and I got to play with my macro lens filters because I find the camera focuses better on small subjects (like water droplets) with a sort-of magnifying glass attached. I love how the pictures turned out.

These are kale leaves, by the way. I doubled my kale production this year from 3 plants to 7 plants this year – 2 dinosaur kale and 5 Red Russian kale. Ever since June, I’ve been eating kale once a week – cooking it down in a broth. I didn’t know what it was doing to my gut but it didn’t take long to find out. I believe it was the thing that contributed to my 7-pound weight loss in 2 months.

I also have herbs in my garden this year. I had dill in late spring and early summer before it went to seed, making a corner of my garden smell like dill pickle. That’s one of my favorite smells and often found myself visiting that corner of the garden just to inhale the scent since I’m not going to get to make my pickles this year (thanks a lot, earwigs).

After heavily pruned the Holy Basil back in July, it’s starting to grow back again, producing more of that bubblegum pink blooms. Did I mention it smells like bubblegum? Another one of my favorite corner this year.

Finally, lemon balm. I love the smell, too. It doesn’t smell like lemon. It smells like one of those lemon-flavored super sour hard candy. It was a herb I wish I had last year because it was one of the plants that died on me. This year, however, I have such an abundance of it that I don’t know what to do with.

Last but not least, I can’t forget the most obvious edibles in the garden. I’ve sowed a new round of snow peas for the fall garden, hopefully, those will emerge soon, before I get anxious. I’ve had a few of the Japanese cucumbers and they were, so far, the best variety I’ve grown so far as they don’t get bitter.

The strawberries are getting ready for another flush as the temperatures cool. I’m looking forward to it. I’m loving the sweet banana peppers this year and am considering replacing my usual bells with this pepper in the future. I’ve eaten at least 10 of these already and my bell peppers have not even produced one. So disappointing this year.

CMMC: August Color: Old Brick


Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

CFFC: Contrast #WordlessWednesday


Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

#SundayStills: Feeling #Lazy yet Triumphant


Last week’s rain has made me a lazy gardener.

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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #261: Work in Progress


Happy Sunday! Hosting this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Ann-Christine has presented an intriguing theme of Work in Progress. I hope you like my offering.

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CMMC: August Close Up


I’m opening this week’s post with a close up of a sunflower in my front yard. I absolutely love them and all the pollinators they attract. I took the first photo before the rain came in and the second after. It’s been raining on and off for the last 2 days and when it’s raining, the pollinators are usually nowhere to be seen but it also gives me an opportunity to get closers without having to worried about getting stung by Mr. Bee.

My favorite photo this week has to be this photo – Mr. Grasshopper doing yoga under my shade cloth. Since last year, I have been noticing quite a few of these guys in my garden. I haven’t determine whether they are good or evil, yet as I haven’t seen much damage done by them. I guess I’ll let it be for now.

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

CFFC: Cars #WordlessWednesday


Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #260: Overlooked


Happy Sunday! Concluding the month of guest hosts, Janet from the blog – This, That, and the Other Thing – is hosting this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge with the theme of Overlooked.

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Nature Photo Challenge #22 – Tree Bark


I guess I do have a few “tree bark” pictures to share though I doubt whether the first picture even can consider “bark”.

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CMMC: July Alphabet: Any Word with 2 M’s


Description: Garden Mums, Mushrooms, and Dinosaur bones at the Dinosaur National Monument

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

CFFC: Street Lamps or Outdoor Lighting #WordlessWednesday


Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

#SundayStills: Two of a Kind #Double


This week, it’s time to look closer because you will be seeing double on this week’s #SundayStills.

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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #259: Unbound


Happy Sunday! This week, continuing with the month of guest hosts, Dan from the blog, Departing in 5 Mins is challenging us with the topic of Unbound.

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Nature Photo Challenge #21 – Waterplants


I decided to join in this week’s Nature Photo Challenge, hosted by Denzil of Denzil’s Nature.

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CMMC: July Pick a Topic


Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

CFFC: Parks and Playgrounds #WordlessWednesday


Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

#SundayStills: #Small, Beautiful, and Powerful


This week, it’s time to get #small with #SundayStills.

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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #258: Fences


Happy Sunday! This week, continuing with the month of guest hosts, Dawn Miller from the blog, The Morning After… is the lovely hostess for this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge with the theme Fences.

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CMMC: July Color: Magenta


Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge