Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Flight

I hope you will enjoy my submissions this week. From time to time I like to try and capture all of the prompts in a single shoot thus resulting in a cohesive theme for the series. 

This week's prompt list: Shine, fast, left, peace and plain.

My chosen theme: Flight

Shine:

 Following this gull with my camera I shot straight up directly into the sun shine as he swooped over my head.

Fast:

 He was so fast. For this shot I wanted a stronger motion blur to the background than the bird which was accomplished by moving the camera with the bird.

Left:

 He looped around to the left and turned to come directly back towards me.

Peace:

Alright, I know it isn't a dove but he still looks so peaceful.

Plain:

Although I am more drawn the the shots with delicate of fluffy white clouds in them this one with the plain blue sky is alright.

I managed to capture all of these while I was at the beach with my family. Shortly after taking these photos I took my camera back to the car so I could get in the water and enjoy some fun with my kids and grand kids. While in the water a flock of gulls decided they liked my oldest daughter's bright red hair and were circling and swooping down at her. At her request I created these two composites to remind us of the episode which with our rather odd sense of humor we found very funny.

Although my daughter liked the first one I wasn't completely happy with it so I did this next one also.

Please be sure to fly over to Ashley Sisk's for more Scavenger Hunt Sunday submissions.

New Year's Resolutions

The new year has begun and thus ends the whir and blur of the holiday season. Don't get me wrong, I love the time spent with family and friends; I love the beauty of the season and all the glitter and lights. With the end of one year and the coming of a new year my mind begins to focus on the future and plan what changes need to be made in the upcoming year. I have never considered myself one to make New Year's resolutions, and yet it occurs to me that in many ways the plans I make for the upcoming year are just that.

After feeling overwhelmed by the whir and blur of November and December, I have come to realize just how much I as an individual am in need of quite time.  Time to rejuvenate my spirit, time to foster inner peace, time to inspire creativity. Always the over achiever I realize that, as I have often done, last years plan left me with little time for quietude. While I did accomplish a lot last year, I often found myself feeling a bit overstretched and in a state of mental chaos.

Most likely because I enjoy spontaneity, down time rarely remains down time. Thus my plan for the new year is to schedule regular quiet time. To help myself remember to do just that I have created this inspirational print and will be hanging it above my desk.

What kinds of New Year's resolutions have you made? What methods or reminders do you use if any to help you follow your New Year's resolutions?