Our host, Sally, from the Studio Sublime, gives us a new focus each month for our "Focus on Life 2014" weekly photography challenge.
For February our focus is:
Cabin Fever
And, for week 5 of 2014, our prompt is:
Get Outside!
Sally shared a few words with us for this week's prompt.
"We find ourselves in the dull-drum of winter. This month we will break free of those feelings and focus on the fabulous-ness of February! Sometimes the perfect fix for temporary relief of cabin fever is simply to get outside, even if you just step out on the porch. Get out of the house and focus on the change cooler temps bring to your surroundings."
So, for week 5, you're instructed to: Get Outside!
I really feel for all the folks around the country who are getting tons snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, and things of this nature - it's just super crazy!
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| You will definitely want to 'click to enlarge' these sunrise pics! :-) Nope - no enhancements - just cropped and framed them in Pixlr. And, Yes - it was really this vibrant and breath-taking! |
But here in the Arizona Desert, well,...we're having some really nice, really warm weather - record braking on some days. It's been in the high 70's and even hit 80 I think.
Hopefully this is not a precursor to what's coming our way from Mid-April through late October. I'd hate to think that our average temperature for this time of year is going to be in the 120's vs. our normal average of about 105 to 110 or so.
But, once it's over 110 it pretty much all feels the same.
Probably like when it dips below -5, with wind chill factors of -40, cold is cold. Ice is ice. It hurts to breathe!
So, I feel for those of you suffering.
I'm really glad and extremely thankful to live where I do.
At least this month anyway.
:-)
Our Sunrises and Sunsets here in Arizona are among
the most beautiful in the world (IMHO) and on Thursday morning I looked out the window as I was fixing my coffee to see the absolute best sunrise starting to come alive. I rushed to get my phone and went outside and started snapping away.
Sorry, but I couldn't decide on just one of the photos
I snapped and had to show you all of them!
the most beautiful in the world (IMHO) and on Thursday morning I looked out the window as I was fixing my coffee to see the absolute best sunrise starting to come alive. I rushed to get my phone and went outside and started snapping away.
Sorry, but I couldn't decide on just one of the photos
I snapped and had to show you all of them!
I hope those of you in the wake of all this crazy-silly cold weather can stay inside, stay warm and stay safe.
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| Feel free to use any of these as your screen saver. That's what my niece and sister did! LOL! ;-) |
Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and Sharing The Warmth!!
Cheers,
~Shel~
Absolutely gorgeous sunrise pictures. Sometime there are benefits to being an early riser.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary! I liked your pics I just saw over on your blog, too - crazy ice in Florida! Once of my brother's and my 2 of my nieces live there and it looks like they went through the same thing you did! I tried to comment on you blog again this week, but I'm not sure why it won't let me. The box comes up and then when I click inside it to comment it takes me back up to the top of the page and then I click it again,...and I just keep playing that game. I think it is either a blogger thing, or possibly it's my windows 8.1 with my internet explorer 11 set up. I tried switching to googlechrome and to firefox, but the same thing happened - so I wanted you to know that each week I don't comment on your posts, it's only because I can't - not because I'm not trying. :-)
DeleteHave a good weekend!!
Fantastic photographs Shel, they look like the sky is on fire and the reflections in the water are very cool. I can't imagine how lovely it must be to live somewhere that hot. In the peak of summer we are lucky to hit the 80's and that usually only lasts for a couple of days.
ReplyDeleteThanks Judith! Oh, I can't handle cold weather, so although in the summer I whine about the heat, I'm completely grateful to live here instead of some place cold. I would freeze in a heartbeat for certain! LOL!!
DeleteAwesome photos Shel, I'm not looking for months of triple digits either. At least up in central AZ it will be about 15 degrees cooler than down in the Valley.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know it! That 15 degrees will feel nice, but it will still be plenty warm up in your area no doubt. AZ summers are warm - to say the least! :-)
DeleteOh Shel these are just gorgeous! and yes, I am jealous! you with your 70 degrees, and us with 10. Wish I were there, watching the sunrise with you!
ReplyDeleteCome on down Cynthia - I'll have a nice drink waiting and we can sit on the patio and enjoy the views and the temps! :-)
DeleteWhat a magnificent sunrise! I'm never up early enough to see one! I'm glad you don't have to deal with the extreme cold. It is exhausting after awhile. On the upside though, there are no flies or mosquitos!!
ReplyDeleteYes Annette - I don't like the flies and mosquitos at all. If we get just a few I'm freaking out and getting all grumpy!! And I remember dealing w/extreme cold where I grew up and yes, it was super exhausting!
DeleteGorgeous pictures! Those colors are absolutely fabulous, how lucky you are to start your day with such beauty!
ReplyDeleteThank you Karin - I really do feel blessed to see this type of a scene on a regular basis, that's for sure!
DeleteGorgeous! We were on the same wavelength this week but your sunrises take the cake! I want to think we have a case of "weather guilt" but then.... nahhhhh. Are you going to Tucson this year for the bead show?
ReplyDeleteNo, no weather guilt here, either! LOL!! But I do feel for those in the cold - that has gotta be tough. And, yes, I am going down to Tucson this week - message me if you're going and maybe we can meet up. That would be fun!!
DeleteFabulous sunrise photos Shel. I agree that you have awesome sunrises and sunsets. I love seeing the Arizona sunsets.
ReplyDeleteThank you Becky! I really never do get tired of seeing them or take them for granted.
DeleteAbsolutely breath-taking - I've never seen such a beautiful sunrise - when I think what I must have slept through..!
ReplyDeleteHaha - Diana! My hubby quite often says in the mornings when I show him the sunrise pics I take, "Wow, I missed out on seeing that? Well, you missed out on sleep. Sounds like a fair trade!" LOL!! He values his sleep! :-)
DeleteBeautiful photos Shel! I am jealous! We don't have snow - but TONS of rain! I am so ready for the sunshine. We will be headed to AZ soon to visit parents. Can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you! And, enjoy your visit to our sunny state! You will probably see lots of sunshine here! Even if you're in the mountains, it might not be as warm as the desert areas, but it'll still probably be sunny. ;-) That's one thing we don't go long with out,....
DeleteWow - that is just stunning. I really miss sunrises and sunsets. They are just not as glorious here in Montana as those I had in NJ
ReplyDeleteThanks Patty. I wouldn't have thought of NJ as having great sunrises and sunsets, but you are not the first person who has told me that, so they must be pretty spectacular!
DeleteOh my, what lovely photos! Now you have me wanting to take a trip to Arizona.
ReplyDeleteCome on out Alice! It's a beautiful state!
DeleteBeautiful sunrise photos. I remember a day like that this week but did not have my camera with me to record it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie! I just had my phone, but it sometimes takes better pics than my camera - especially sunrise/sunset photos!
DeleteBeautiful sunrise! We had a bit of a heat wave here today, it must have gone up to 40! People were running around in shirtsleeves with no coats on.
ReplyDeleteThanks Beti! 40?!! Yes, that probably did feel like a heat wave after all that super ultra-cold weather, didn't it?!!
DeleteWOW! Just, wow!
ReplyDeleteThe most amazing skies I've ever seen were in Sedona - felt I was on Mars - red earth, read sky...
Thanks for evoking the memories, Shel :) x
Oh yes Claire, Sedona is one of the most amazing places on earth isn't it?! It's were we got married and the back drop and skies were truly amazing - as always.
DeleteWhere are you in arizona. I'm heading to tucson on Wednesday.. Love those sunrise pictures... my current camera takes horrible sunrise/sunset pictures! we don't actually get nice ones here... we did in the west though!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the PHX area but am heading to Tucson Thursday to meet up w/some girlfriends down there. Message me and maybe we can meet one of the days you're there. Paula over at CaveCreekBeads is gonna be down there one day this week, too. It would be cool to get to see a few of my FOL Blogging Gals!! :-) Shel@asicj.com
DeleteWhoa!!! It's not just your opinion, those really are some of the most beautiful sunrise photos I've seen! Arizona is such a lovely place. My grandparents spent the later years of their life living in Sedona and I had the pleasure of visiting there for many years during my childhood!
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy. I thought it was one of the most incredible ones I've seen in several years myself! And Sedona is one of my favorite places. We got married there because of it's beauty and energy - fabulous scenery all around.
DeleteThere's something about the sky that speaks to my soul, and your photos have made my soul very happy today! I especially love the 5th one with the double whammy of color reflected in the water! Breathtaking!!!
ReplyDelete