Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend a bit of time out near a big expanse of water, in Silverdale, WA. Doesn’t being by the water both energize and soothe you? A very powerful and wonderful feeling. I’ve read that a huge portion of the world’s population lives within 50 miles of an ocean coast. I can understand that.

I particularly like this photo because it appears to be black and white (monochrome) but has no adjustment from RGB, is just straight from the camera on a gray late winter’s day. I’m calling it my my Best Post of the Week.

You might check out Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, A Piece of Heaven, Weekend Reflections,  Shadow Shot Sunday 2, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Skywatch Friday. Lots of photo talent out there! But do browse around here first, perhaps clicking on a new tag or category, or trying a search. Cloudscape, perhaps?

The overlook in Normandy Park, Washington is just a neighborhood road at which you can gaze out at Puget Sound and see the sky. Sometimes the light shines on the water so beautifully. This is what it looked like the other day.

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, A Piece of Heaven, Weekend Reflections, and Skywatch Friday. You’ll be glad you did. And do browse here first if you have a few minutes.

There’s a supermarket not too far from me (Renton, WA Winco, for the locals) that has a parking lot that is quite open and on a slope so that it just seems to have more light and sky than your average parking lot. I always look up when I am there, and this time I just loved how the trees and sky were doubled in the car windows. Hope you like it, too.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven and Skywatch Friday for more interesting photos. You can see all the photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

This view of boats at the Port Townsend, Washington marina would be pretty nice with just the boats and water, but add in a spectacular, low-arc rainbow and you get something special. At least I think so. I did post another view of this scene before, but this one has never been shown. Love those archives!

View Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and new meme A Piece of Heaven if you get a chance. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see all the photos here.

One of Seattle’s nice old brick buildings in the Greenwood neighborhood, with the winter tree shapes casting shadows on the building and reflections on the glass. I was driving by, stopped at a red light, and blessedly had time to get the window down and snap the photo. Sometimes you’ve got to be quick! I like the way the sky in the window is almost more important than the real sky, and I’m calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Weekend Reflections, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) new meme A Piece of Heaven, and Blue Monday are all fun places to visit. Remember, you can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

Happy New Year to all. I wish you, my loyal readers, all the happiness and love your heart can hold, in 2012 and always. And I wish you the joy of creativity! When an artist contemplates his or her work, it is one of the moments of true happiness that we have in this life. The world of the internet has brought people together in ways we never could have imagined. I am thankful every day for this blog (and my computer) which connects me to so many. Thank you for viewing my photos, and especially thank you to those who have taken the time to leave thoughtful, interesting comments. Much appreciated!

Amazingly, this is my 1,000th post! What a lovely coincidence.

If you have a moment, check out Skywatch Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Watery Wednesday and Pink Saturday. Because I just want to keep looking at this image, I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Do click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner for the entire blog.

A beam of sunshine, a couple of blooming houseplants, and a close up lens. Ah!

Visit Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday, Weekend Reflections, and Cactus Monday for great memes. Check them out! And the banner above with Sara’s Fave Photos will get you the complete blog here.

My daughter Lila is travelling in S.E. Asia for a few months (lucky!!) and has been sending updates and photos to friends and family, courtesy of the internet, of course. The days of a postcard arriving months later are over, or at least are supplemented by more timely stories and images. This view of a river and the sky was taken in a small Cambodian village where she got to stay with a local family overnight.

Visit Skywatch Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, Watery Wednesday and Pink Saturday. And if you’d like to see the rest of the collection here, you can search by your interest in the upper right search field, or just click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner for the entire blog.

It’s finally raining, although softly, so I went outside for the pretty raindrop display on the coral bark Japanese maple tree. We have gotten almost no rain for the past two months and usually get 5 or 6 inches in both November and December. The garden (and I’m sure the ski resorts) really need the water. Not to mention it’s put a crimp in my scenic shots for Watery Wednesday!

Other fine photoblog memes are Macro Friday, Macro Monday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday and Weekend Reflections. See my neighbor’s house in that middle raindrop? I think that is so cool. And you can find lots more photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos any time you like.

Driving across the 520 bridge towards Seattle the other day, I was wowed by this sunset setting up. I so wished I could pull over and wait for the pink clouds that I knew were to follow. This slice of sunlight is pretty cool, though, even though the photo quality is low. A fitting post for the Solstice, almost here. The sun will return!

Visit Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Thursday Challenge (Light), Skywatch Friday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday and Weekend Reflections for tons of photo fun. Guaranteed! And be sure to click around here and there onSara’s Fave Photos first, hear?