Just back from visiting Sonoma County, photographing as much as I could. I love this place so much. The landscape of Northern California wine country has to be the most beautiful in the world. Everywhere you look is beauty.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world, Blue Monday for more blue and Scenic Sunday for more great scenery. How about viewing a new tag or category here first?

For me, the solstice is a key day to my emotional equilibrium. With the solstice night at about 16 hours long in this latitude, daylight is crucially important. Once the solstice arrives, the days lengthen again, so all is positive and improving.

I took this photo in my back yard on Tuesday morning, the solstice. One of the only benefits of the shorter days is that I actually witness the dawn light on some days. Can you tell I am not an early riser?

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world, Blue Monday and Scenic Sunday as well. This one is straight out of the camera, too. And Happy Solstice to you, a couple of days late.

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Here’s a stunner of a view, if I do say so myself. It’s amazing what a little patch or two of sunlight can do to an otherwise gray vista. This overlook near my house has been such a great scenic boon to me, and I am grateful.

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Skywatch Friday and Scenic Sunday, too, for more great photos.

I continue to be excited by the lucky break I encountered in the cloud cover and am calling this my Best Post of the Week.

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This is my backyard, taken last week in the first snow of the season. I felt that I needed to post another shadow shot today. I love the roses below, but the shadows just weren’t crisp enough. These blue shadows are good for Blue Monday, and this is another for Scenic Sunday, too. Also, this is a good post for the Sunday Creative, on the theme of Frozen.

As always, if there’s just one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog experience.

Looking at the new snow that had fallen out back on Monday, we could see from that dark, laden sky that more snow was coming. When the sky is darker than the land, it’s such a strange kind of look. I like the way this is a full color image but looks almost monochrome.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen around the world, and Scenic Sunday for great scenery. And have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I know everyone likes the sunshiny skies, but since this IS Seattle, once in awhile I have to show what it truly looks like. These clouds over Volunteer Park do have a little tone variation, and you can tell I’ve lived here for a bit, because I do appreciate that the clouds aren’t just one tone of gray! Seattle doesn’t actually get any more rain than New York City, say, only about 36 inches a year on average, but it sure is cloudy, a lot. Did I mention dark and cloudy?

Anyway, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday for more skies all around the world. Outdoor Wednesday has more outdoor photos of all kind, and Scenic Sunday has more great scenery. If there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog.

Palm trees silhouetted against a sunset sky . . . what could be better? I feel relaxed just looking at it. Our conference in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel did keep me busy morning to night, but I did sneak some pictures, thank goodness.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more fascinating skies seen round the world. This one is definitely SOOC, or straight out of the camera, and Scenic Sunday has some more scenery for you, too. Pink Saturday has more pretty pinks!

I like this photo a lot and am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

That overlook near my house in Normandy Park, Washington didn’t disappoint in yesterday’s good weather at sunset. Mount Rainier is lookin’ picture-postcard good. Those tiny orange-leafed trees and houses seem very much like a painting that I’ve seen somewhere. And did you realize that even though it’s pronounced rah-NEER, it’s spelled like “rain-ier” (rainy-er!) which I think is a hoot. And that helps you remember to put in both i’s.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies around the world, and Scenic Sunday for more scenery (of course).

One post only on this page means there’s lots more to see if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos. Do try something new here, perhaps a search for “Rainier”?

I know I’ve posted a few photos of autumn leaves recently, but how can I resist when I see an image like this one? The local (mostly gray) weather makes me run for my camera whenever the sun shines and I can get outside. I took this one yesterday on a little walk near my house. I have never appreciated sunshine like I do now that I live in Seattle, that’s for sure.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Scenic Sunday, Blue Monday and Color Carnival for more super photos with a theme.

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This is a very strong favorite of mine. I’m calling it my best post of the week.

There’s nothing like a walk on a sunny day in autumn. I happened to look up and saw these leaves glittering in the sunlight. Some even seem to be heart-shaped!

Visit Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for more close ups and more yellow.

You can search here for whatever you’d like to find, or just a click on a tag or category can yield lots of fun. But to find the very latest post, click on Sara’s Fave Photos.