Summertime Photo Scavenger Hunt Linky: The Boy's Team Logo (item 15)

It's the end of June and time for the first linky for the 2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. Please add a link to a post about the Scavenger Hunt. Either one written for today or one from earlier this month. Also, if you don't have a blog, feel free to link to your flickr or any other clickable photo sharing site where you have pictures. And please try to go visit a few other participants and leave a comment. It's all part of the fun!
***Edited to add: Apologies if the technology is not working for you; it's acting up for quite a few people, but working for others. You can always email me at rinda1961@yahoo.com if you can't link up, and I can add your link. Hopefully I'll get it sorted out! *****
My post today is a tale of two team logos. .  . and the choices a young man makes as he grows up. 
My son Henry is a very talented soccer player. Not EPL talented, but talented enough to be pursued by minor league teams here in the states, such as the Burlingame Football Club (second photo) or Lane United in Eugene, Oregon. Both are the lowest level feeder clubs for a MLS team. He would love to play for either of them - he loves being on the pitch, and he tells me that he is playing the best soccer of his life. 
But he is also a young man who will be graduating from University in a little over a year and knows that he needs to be building a resume and making contacts to start a career in his chosen field of sports business. 
So he applied for a summer job with the San Francisco Giants baseball team and had what he thought was a terrific interview. He waited and waited to hear back from them. His email and voice mail remained silent, and he asked whether we would be okay with him playing soccer and taking classes if a job with the Giants didn't come through. I said, "Of course!" I told him that he's only 21 once and the possibility of playing professional soccer is amazing and something he would never regret doing and would be able to talk about for the rest of his life. 
And then the email came with a job offer from the Giants. And Henry accepted the job. And he works every home game, wearing his employee badge with the San Francisco Giants logo. He's making good contacts and learning new skills  and hoping it will turn into a regular job upon graduation.
But if it doesn't, I'm hopeful that the clubs give him another chance. Because even though I'm proud of him for making the "right" choice, the adult choice about what team logo to wear this summer, part of me hopes that he still gets a chance to someday be able to tell his kids and grandkids about the year he played professional soccer . . . 

***************

Link up your scavenger hunt post below and don't forget to visit a few other participants when you get a chance! My other scavenger hunt posts can be found by clicking this link. Also, it's not too late to join the fun. You have until the end of September (approximately) to find the 21 items on the official list. You can find all the list and all the details here. 

Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Linky Coming on Thursday!

#2 A footprint or paw print

Follow the footprints back here on Thursday to link up with a post about the 2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. You can write and link a new post or link up to a previous post.It's just a terrific opportunity to see who all is participating and how the hunt is going. Looking forward to see you on June 30th!

Enjoying an (un)planned summer

Wild Heart - found at the beach

For the first summer in a long time, I'm approaching the holiday without too many plans. I often teach or have big plans to write or travel or do other work. But this summer, I didn't sign up for any much of that. Sure, I've got a few things to do, here and there, but mainly I have time to do whatever I want or to do nothing at all. And I'm really enjoying it.

Wild Heart - found on the bluffs

So what have I been doing?

Cleaning out the garage and doing some light gardening - both feel very satisfying. 

A little reading, but not as much as I would like.

A lot of TV watching - binge watching Justified (OMG - this show is so good; I'll be sad when I finish it this weekend) and Bloodline (season 2 not as good as season 1, but I enjoy sharing this with Henry) and soccer, soccer, soccer (Euros and Copa Centenario)!

A little blogging (again not as much as I would like).

A lot of photo scavenger hunting (including my finds for item #1 a wild heart).

Some scrapbooking (traditional and photobook)

What am I still looking forward to this summer?

More scrapbooking, sketching and art journaling

Getting reacquainted with my camera and lightroom

More blogging and reading

More home improvement (hardwood floors downstairs and cleaning the upstairs rugs)

And, today, I'm heading to a class with Tim Holtz!

Enjoying this (un)planned summer so far. What about you? Did you make a summer plan? Or not? How's it going so far?

Scarpbooking Variations: New Apps and Old Styles

#8 A Scrapbook Page or Art Project

I met some friends at the last remaining local scrapbook store last week and had a wonderful and productive time finishing the last of the pages for Henry's sports album. These pages are from his college soccer team's victorious trip to the national tournament.

Very traditional and basic pages made with cardstock and stickers. But that's the tone of his whole album. And I still have to add journaling. But I'm so proud of myself for getting caught up on this mammoth project. Plus, it ticks off item number 8 on the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. 

I still really enjoy making traditional paper scrapbook pages, and I'm looking forward to figuring out what photos I still have to scrap and which ones I need to print to scrap. 

But I'm also branching out into other types of scrapping, including:

• shutterfly photo books - I'm working on uploading my photos from Japan there and will create a 12x12 hardcover book with those photos.
• chatbooks app -  Deb Turtle's mentioned this app and shared a code for a free book (CFA6GXG7). It actually is free if you choose the slow shipping (which I did). I created a 60 page book with 60 photos from Henry's college life, all pulled from my iphone. I haven't received it yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing it and will give a review once its here. I think he'll like the book, and he's not that quality conscious - LOL! Anyone else tried this yet?
• I also got a notification for a new app called Parabo. If you use the code "amaze," you can get 25 free 4x4 photos. They're supposed to be on high quality matte paper, suitable for display. I did have to pay shipping for this one, so it wasn't actually free. But still reasonable, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they turned out. I printed my favorite 25 photos from Japan, and I'm thinking of matting them together in a grid and putting them on display somewhere (maybe the bathroom, actually!). Anyone else used this service? 

How's the hunt going?

Item #12 A Window, Option 1

It's been so much fun to watch the 2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Facebook page and instagram hash tag filling up with Scavenger Hunt photos. For my blogging friends out there, how's it going?

Item #12 A Window (option 2)

I know I've seen a few posts, but I just wanted to check in. Let me know if you have any questions. So far, I've got seven and one alternate found (although I haven't blogged them all yet). Plus, today I'm going to go crop with friends, so I'll be able to tick off number 8 very soon.
1. A "wild heart" - a naturally occurring heart (like the rock above, but it doesn't have to be a rock)
2. A footprint or pawprint
3. A skeleton, bone or x-ray
4. A book or magazine read during 2016
5. A porch or deck
6. A camper (caravan)
7. A family gathering
8. A drawing, art project, artistic photograph, scrapbook page, greeting card, or art journal page created by you.
9. Someone playing with, in, or around water.
10. A bicycle
11. Fresh produce
12. A window13. The moon
14. A buffet of food
15. A team logo16. A map showing a trip taken during the time period
17. Twins
18. A supermarket cart, basket or trolley full of groceries 
19. A seasonal cocktail or beverage20. Someone laughing
21. A photograph of you with a newspaper or calendar page from the time period covered in the Hunt. Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.
Alternatives - if you're having trouble finding any of the above, you may substitute from this list (but you may not substitute for item #21):
alternative 1: a lighthouse
alternative 2: a baby (human or animal)
I'll be hosting a link up at the end of the month. And, if you haven't started yet, no worries. There's still plenty of time. The summer solstice is still about a week a way, and the hunt lasts until September.

Cheap Amazon Books and First Summer Read

SPSH  Item #4 A Book Read in 2016

I'm making reading a priority this summer, and I have finished my first book! 
It was a very fast read in the psychological thriller genre and generally well-written. I think the very end of the book took a few wrong turns (no spoilers), but on the whole I'm glad I picked it up. Especially because it was very cheap! 
I bought it off the Amazon website, choosing the "used paperback" option. The book only cost .97. Even with $4.00 for shipping, the book was still the least expensive one I have bought in some time. It arrived in very good condition and quickly, even though it came from the U.K. The book had not yet been released in the U.S when I ordered it, so I took the used paperback option. I used to do that a lot when I was buying out of print kids books for my son. I think I'll do it more in the future. Maybe you can do the same.
The book also qualifies as Item #4 on the 2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. I wrote a post about my summer reading plan here if you want to check it out.

Caravan Photo Then & Now and Thoughts on Returning to Blogging and Photography

Caravan Photo, 2013

2016 Item #6 A camper or caravan

When I put this item on the Scavenger Hunt list, I wasn't thinking about this vintage caravan that's parked around the corner from my house. I was mainly scrambling to come up with items that paralleled summer vacation ideas. But then I saw it when taking the dog for a walk and snapped a picture. It reminded me of when I first saw the caravan three years ago, took the top photo and wrote this post. 

Three years ago, I was a much more avid photographer and blogger. I spent more time with my camera and crafting words to tell stories and capture feelings. I miss that so much. 

And that's one of the reasons I decided, after much thought, to host the scavenger hunt again this summer. It's a great reminder to take photographs and visit blogland. I'm still working on getting 'round to visit blogs. I'm still working on figuring out whether my big camera works (it was treated as a chewtoy by the dogs one afternoon) and how to get photographs from it to the computer (my software was destroyed in my last hard drive reboot). But, those are all goals for the summer. ror now, I'm glad to be back to taking photos and blogging.

I know from reading blogs that there is an ebb and flow in being a blogger. Some people leave and return. Some leave and take to facebook and instagram. Some seem to disappear entirely. I'm glad that you haven't left blog space entirely. I value your friendship and your posts. And I'm glad to be back among you.

The Hunt is On!

#19 A Seasonal Cocktail or Beverage

The 6th Annual Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt is off and running! Lots of people are posting to the instagram #rindas2016scavengerhunt and tons of people are active over at the facebook page.  There's even been a few blog posts, such as this one  by BJ and this one by Alicia. I, myself, have already found three items from the list. Paul and I have made it a fairly regular practice to head to a little tapas place in the harbor on Friday afternoons to enjoy their fantastic Sangria, pictured above.

#11 Fresh Produce

I also took a minute on Thursday to snap a photograph of what we got in our weekly "community supported agriculture" box: fennel; nectarines; rosemary; strawberries; kale; red onions; lettuce and squash.  This is about the fourth year we've been participating in this program, and I love it.

I thought twins would be hard, but Deb Turtle has already posted a shot on instagram. Also thought skeleton or x-ray would be challenging, but that was before we found out that Catherine is an OR nurse and posted this to the facebook page:

So, how is the Hunt going for you? Are there things that are hard to find? Things that are very easy? Feel free to post a link to any blogpost in comments, and I'll come take a look.

In the meantime, here's a terrific graphic created by Julie Kirk of notes on paper:

Enjoy! And let me know how things are going for you.

2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt: The List!

In the northern hemisphere, summer officially begins a little later this month. And, with summer arrives my annual Photography Scavenger Hunt. The idea is simple. I post a list of 21 items for you to find and photograph before the autumn equinox on Thursday, September 22, 2016. The list is intended to be challenging, but not impossible. Hopefully it encourages you to go on a few outings; always it requires you to be observant. You can read more about how items make the list by clicking on this link. 
For those of you with blogs, post your photographs and share your adventures in finding the items. For those without blogs, keep track of your finds in some other way (a flicker account, a shutter fly album, etc.) if you want to be able to share them with the group. (It makes it easier to share if you "label" or "tag" your scavenger hunt posts, as you do them). Once a month, I'll host a link-up so people can visit your finds, but feel free to post about the Hunt whenever you like. 
There's only two rules: no fair submitting photographs taken before the start of the Hunt and have fun. 
Newcomers welcome - the more, the merrier! No special photography skills are required - I love seeing everything from snap shots to fine art photography in response to the list. 
For pictures I take on my iphone, I'll be posting to instagram using #rindas2016photohunt. There's also a facebook page  (with big thanks to Kathryn Trotter). Ask to join, and she or I will let you in.
So, without any further ado, here's this year's lists:
1. A "wild heart" - a naturally occurring heart (like the rock above, but it doesn't have to be a rock)
2. A footprint or pawprint
3. A skeleton, bone or x-ray
4. A book or magazine read during 2016
5. A porch or deck
6. A camper (caravan)
7. A family gathering
8. A drawing, art project, artistic photograph, scrapbook page, greeting card, or art journal page created by you.
9. Someone playing with, in, or around water.
10. A bicycle
11. Fresh produce
12. A window
13. The moon
14. A buffet of food
15. A team logo
16. A map showing a trip taken during the time period
17. Twins
18. A supermarket cart, basket or trolley full of groceries 
19. A seasonal cocktail or beverage
20. Someone laughing
21. A photograph of you with a newspaper or calendar page from the time period covered in the Hunt. Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.
Alternatives - if you're having trouble finding any of the above, you may substitute from this list (but you may not substitute for item #21):
alternative 1: a lighthouse
alternative 2: a baby (human or animal)
Let me know if you have any questions. Also, if you're new to my blog or the hunt, let me know. And if you're a blogger, leave a link to your blog so I can add you to my feedly reader.

Details of 2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt

Tomorrow is June 1, and that will mark the return of the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt! I've really enjoyed hosting this event for the last few years, and I'm looking forward to doing it again this year.  Interesting items to add to the list have been floating through my mind and ideas about how to structure it have been simmering there as well.
For those of you who haven't participated before, I host this event starting on June 1 and running until the last day of summer (September 21, 2016). I post a list of about 20 items for people to find and photograph during the summer. 
I encourage people to blog about their finds, and I host a link-up once a month. There's also an instagram tag (#rindas2016photohunt)  and a facebook page. The original idea was to create a list which gets people out and about during the summer months to explore places they might not otherwise go, but I also include items which are somewhat challenging to find. The time frame is long enough that most people are able to find most of the items without being too stressed. It's become a way for people to open their eyes and be aware of their surroundings and also a way to see the great variety of items found around the world. There's usually about 60 participants from all over the globe, which means some people are actually participating in the summertime scavenger hunt during the winter (those in Australia and New Zealand).
The scavenger hunt is free and open to everyone! If you don't have a blog, you can put your images in a flicker account or any other photo hosting site that works for you. The only rule is that the photo needs to be taken during the time frame of the Hunt (no using old photographs from your archives).
You can click on this link to see all my old scavenger hunt posts. Last year's list is available here. The 2014 list is here. The 2013 list is here. You can click on this link to find the 2012 list. The 2011 list of items is clickable here. 

2016 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Coming Soon!

Yes! 
The Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt is on for 2016.
It will begin on June 1, 2016 and run until September 21, 2016.
Details to follow.
I know I have been absent from blogland for a while, but I am looking forward to a wonderful summer of photography, art-making, reading a blogging. So, I hope you will join in and let others know that the Scavenger Hunt will be happening this year!
Don't know what I'm talking about? Click here to see last year's rules and list or this link to see all my prior posts on my summertime photography scavenger hunts.

Some final thoughts on the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt

Fall has definitely arrived to my coast side neighborhood, judging by the decorations I found on a recent walk. And fall seems like a good time to reflect on this year's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt . . . 

Every year, there is an item that turns out to be really scary. And I never have any idea which one it will be! This year, it was definitely a flag pole with at least three flags on it. That set up is very common here in the United States - a flag pole will often have the U.S. flag, the flag of the particular state and then the flag of the city or company. Apparently, this is not so common in other countries and people really struggled with it. And there's the ones I think will be hard, but turn out not to be.  This year, it was the overloaded vehicle. That's one that you had to keep your eyes open for and then stumble upon, but most people managed it.

And there's always an item that turns out to be much more fun and way more interesting than I anticipated. This year it was "a public restroom, bathroom or toilet." I found every single one of the entries in this category fascinating. It surprised me a bit that people found it difficult to take a photo of this item. I guess because I often find myself in an empty bathroom. So glad I included it on the list! I also am really glad I included two or more people wearing matching uniforms. Loved the variety that showed up in response to that!

Every year, there are some items which are ubiquitous but varied. This year, for example, there was the traffic signal. I saw boat traffic signals, regular traffic signals and (surprisingly) many of the London traffic light tree. That's something that I never knew existed. And I really like the idea someone suggested that maybe there were several of you there at the same time.  The other item in this category was "someone plugged in to social media." Way too ubiquitous these days (but interesting none the less). 

All-in-all, I really enjoyed the hunt! And I will definitely be hosting it again next year.

Last Day of Summer (Final Photo Scavenger Hunt Linky)

On the last day of summer, 2015, I stopped by the store on my way to work and bought myself a bouquet of flowers;
I let go of trying to find item #13 A Merry-go-round or Carousel, resolved to revel in the joy of finding the other 20 items on the list; and 
I decided not to photograph the rocking chair in my garage as a substitute.
One the last day of summer, 2015, I hand wrote a sign, propped it up in front of my bouquet of flowers and took a selfie in my office;
I looked back through all my scavenger hunt posts; and
I smiled at the memories I created this summer hunting for flags and bridges and tents and turtles.
On the last day of summer, 2015, I created this linky for people to post their final thoughts on the scavenger hunt (or to repost a favorite find or their previously posted final round-up);
I went to bed with the anticipation of waking up in the morning and looking to see what others have found; and
I began to think about the list for next summer's hunt . . . 
******************************************************************
Please join in the final linky below (even if you finished back in August . . . or July) and please go visit your other hunters. And thank-you for participating in this year's hunt!

The End is Near! Final Scavenger Hunt Linky Coming Tomorrow

Architectural Columns

I've been having computer problems - actually, I've been having camera-downloading-to-computer problems. It's put a bit of a damper on my photography and my ability to complete the 2015 Summertime Scavenger Hunt, but I've got the balance of the day to do. And so do you!  I'll put up the final linky tomorrow for everyone to join in.

A traffic signal

In the meantime, here's a some new photos (columns and traffic signals) and a couple re-do's. First, the three or more flags I had originally planned to photograph and finally did:

And a public restroom. While I do like the first one I posted, I think this is such an interesting visual (taken at the San Francisco airport):

My goal for today: Buy a bouquet and take my selfie. That will still leave me with the carousel to find, so I might have to use an alternative. But I think I can do it! Can you?

Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt August Linky: Conquering Fear

Item #2: An Ornate Door Knocker

Hello, and welcome to the August linky for the 2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt! Today, I'm sharing what may be the most difficult and scary item from this year's hunt. This item was on a wintertime scavenger hunt, and I never found it. So, I put it on the Summertime hunt, and it's been pretty elusive. I've kept my eyes open as I've traveled around. Finally, I noticed this one on a door just around the corner from me. So, earlier this month, I pulled my car up in front of the house and took a photograph with my phone.

Immediately, the door flew open and the owner of the house came over to ask why I was taking a picture of her house! 

And I lied. I told her I liked, no, that I loved, her door knocker. I told her that I lived around the corner and had noticed it when I was walking my dog. Then I asked her if I could take a close-up of it. And she said okay. She was still looking a little suspicious, but she did say that she had just moved into the house and didn't like the door knocker at all and offered to give it to me when they redid their door. I politely declined and went on my way.

And I am so glad to have this item scratched off this summer's list!!!

I know that many of you have completed the Hunt, but don't worry if you're not yet finished. There's still a few more weeks left to complete the Hunt. You have until September 22, the official end of summer to find all the items.

If you've been playing along and have created a blog post about your adventures this month, please link up so everyone else can see what you've found. And please go try to visit some of the other scavenger hunt posts.

July 2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Linky: To Settle or Not?

Each summer, I enter the scavenger hunt with great plans to get amazing photographs of each item, but, as I blogged last month, sometimes you just have to grab what you can when you can because the best laid plans can go astray. So, recently, when I was at the vet with my dog, I snapped this picture of very cute turtles on a switch plate for item #7. I almost posted them recently, but I'm glad I waited because last night at the humane society I met "Thumbelina."

She's a red eared slider turtle and much more what I had in mind when I put the item on the list. So, I'm really happy I didn't "settle" for the switch plate turtles!
Now it's your turn to share a story or post about your scavenger hunt adventures. It can be a new post written for today or a link back to something you've already posted. Do try and go visit a few other hunters and leave a comment with some blog love!
And remember, there's still plenty of time to join the fun and complete the Hunt. Summer does not officially end until Sept. 22!

Reminder: 2015 July Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Linky coming Friday!!!

No, it doesn't count as a bouquet of flowers, but it's as close as I've gotten so far! LOL!
Maybe I will treat myself to a nice bouquet this week so that I can photograph before the end of the month. That's when I'll be hosting the July linky for the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. Please come back on Friday and link up a post (new or old) about your scavenger hunting adventuress. 

Mare Island for Seven! (Photo Scavenger Hunt)

I have always said that one of my favorite things about my Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunts is when they provide provide people an opportunity  excuse to take a trip to discover something new. And each year I put some items on the list which will force me to get off my butt and go do something different give me that opportunity. When I put metal bridge on the list, I was planning an excursion to take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. That still might happen, but last weekend, I found myself in Vallejo with a few extra hours on my hands, and I decided to go see if I could find a spot to take photos of any of the nearby metal bridges. On my way, I found lots of items for the Hunt!

 

I started at the Visitor's Center where I captured a ticket booth (this is where the tickets for the Ferry is sold) and saw a woman walking her dogs:

They struck me as a very sweet trio; I imagine they have a very special bond between them!
Then it was off to Mare Island, a retired Naval base where I was told I could hike to a good vantage point for taking a photo of the Carquinez Bridge in the nature preserve on the island. I drove to the entry of the Nature Preserve.

And found a rather random tent pitched near the entry! As I walked up the trail, I decided to capture a photo of a body of water:

A sail boat heading up the Napa River. As I got further up the hill, I spotted:

A cell tower in a rather beautiful location! I also found the "Spirit Boat."

It's not on the Scavenger Hunt list, but it's a cool find nonetheless!
Finally, at the top of the hill, I was rewarded with a stunning view of the bridge which is at the top of this post. And here's a more zoomed-in shot:

All-in-all, a terrific day for scavenger hunt photo finding! I think I only have five left, but that includes two of the most difficult (merry-g0-round and ornate door knocker), plus some easy ones, like the traffic signal. How are you doing on the Hunt?

Me on Monday

Happy Monday!
What kind of a weekend was it?
It was a celebrating 4th of July weekend with family and friends

Playing board games (wits and wagers; rumiko) and not just to pose for the #4 Someone playing a board game or card game for the 2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt

 

Enjoying BBQ

 

And shooting off fireworks!
While my boy was off in another city, driving the float for his baseball team in the Vallejo 4th of July parade:

And my girl sent word that she made it to Machu Picchu in Peru:

It was also a taking the dogs for a walk on the hill to capture #16 a panoramic view from up high

And working away on an article and preparing for my final week of class, both of which have kept me from visiting blogs much but have an end in sight!
How was your weekend? Stop on over to Sian's blog From High in the Sky to wave hi.