Photo Challenge: HOPE/WISH/DREAM

If you all remember back to when I put out the prompt I made it vague on purpose. I wanted these pictures to help us think about the year we're leaving and the one we're leaping into. Since that's happened my family has gotten a couple of pieces of sad news, making the new year celebrations feel more melancholy. I hope you're getting good news for the new year and I think these photos will brighten even well-lit days.

Thank you for a glorious year in images. I'm truly looking forward to another year of sharing this tradition with you.

Our Cindy has taken some wildly Christmasy photos this season. I can feel the wishing sparkling out of this one.

I spent the holiday in New England and was unable to connect with Our Janet in person. If we'd managed it I assume it would have looked like this.

Our Sara lives with a perpetual dreamer. Even discarded on the street he had to try this pogo stick to make sure it didn't work.

The friendship here is the fulfillment of so many of my hopes and dreams.

I don't even know what to say about what Our Bethany offered here. It feels like everything I felt when I posted the prompt. I miss her.


One of the unexpected sadnesses for my family this week is that my uncle died. Sudden heart failure in his home. One of my greatest continuing challenges is learning to release things that I cannot or should not control. In view of both those things let's have the first prompt of 2016 be LET GO. How's that?

Please enter by 9am Tuesday January 12th for posting on January 13th. Tag your photos with PHOTO CHALLENGE and LET GO. Check out the wonderful work in our Flickr Pool for inspiration. Also, let me know if you have any questions. The  appropriate email for that is Kizzbeth117 at gmail dot com.

A Wolf in No One's Clothing

You all know Our Janet from the photo challenges.

I met Janet online because she was writing some brave pieces on her experience with cancer. Spoiler alert: She's in remission. Part of what drew me into the story is that she had two dogs at the time and during her treatment one of them had to go live with a friend. I couldn't imagine how hard that would be. I could see how it was necessary but thought that missing the comfort of my crew would make things so much harder.

Funny, though, I have never asked her about that.

The Final Photo

This weekend I got a message from Janet wanting to let me know that she had to help her dog, Wolf, on his next journey. While it wasn't wholly unexpected she didn't think it would be exactly now. It's less than a week to Christmas. She could have made another choice, waited until after the holiday, snatched some time to get used to the idea but she thought about what was right for Wolf and for him she let go.

Treats for everyone, you guys. No, more than that. No, little more. Yeah, just a couple more and then a few for the humans and then a couple more and there we go.

Much love to Janet and her Dave from over this way and to all the rest of you too. May your days be bright even if the merry is tempered.

xo
Kizz

Photo Challenge: ADVENT(URE)

Well this one was fun! I think the next one will be interesting, too, so please scroll down for the prompt and join us!

Quick announcement before you go, though. Today Neil Kramer's 10th Annual Christmahanukwanzaakah Concert (he says it's the final, I plan to deny that for as long as possible) went live in the wee hours of the morning and it's glorious as usual! You'll see Our Sara and me in there along with our talented canine companions.

Our Sara's Bu's life is one giant adventure. Ever the optimist, the player, and the flirt.

This is funny, I always think of Our Cindy as the leader of all great adventures. Nice of her to let the rest of her family take point on this one.

I took some photos of Our Sara's chorale rehearsing for their holiday concert. Holiday music makes me feel adventy.

Speaking of dogs whose lives are an adventure. Our Janet has been on an intrepid journey every day with this one. Lucky girl.

The next prompt is the last for the year. I'm calling it HOPE/WISH/DREAM but the idea is to post a photo that either sums up what was important to you for 2015 or what you're looking for in 2016. Have fun with it!

Please enter by 9am Tuesday December 29th for posting on December 30th. Tag your photos with PHOTO CHALLENGE and HOPE/WISH/DREAM. Check out the wonderful work in our Flickr Pool for inspiration. Also, let me know if you have any questions. The  appropriate email for that is Kizzbeth117 at gmail dot com.

Treats And More Treats

Just a couple of months ago we sent our love to Our Audra on the passing of fabulous Wylie Coyote.

Yesterday she said goodbye to Wylie's partner in crime, Raleigh Todd. A majestic beast, he was. He held on as long as he could.

As is our custom, please give everyone treats for just being here. Being here can be hard.

Photo Challenge: CRAZY

You know what's CRAZY? I lost a whole week and didn't realize the photo challenge timer was buzzing! Here we are with some CahRAYzee photos!

We're coming close to the first anniversary of the start of Our Bethany's family's epic journey. This photo makes me think of that story.

This crazy festive tree captured by Our Janet is speaking to my (cold, shriveled) holiday spirit.

A family around the block from me fills their yard with jack-o-lanterns every year then lets the squash families compost in place. I love it and always take pictures of multiple points in the decomposition journey. For the first time I've been "caught" photographing by the human family...twice. Both encounters I've simultaneously felt that they thought I was crazy while feeling that they thought that I thought that they were crazy. They're cool.


I'm still feeling kind of crazy. Let's have the next one be ADVENT(URE). So it can be Christmasy or it can be adventure-y. You can go full religion, partial religion, or no fucking religion dammit! Anything you do will be the right thing.

Please enter by 9am Tuesday December 15th for posting on December 16th. Tag your photos with PHOTO CHALLENGE and ADVENT(URE). Check out the wonderful work in our Flickr Pool for inspiration. Also, let me know if you have any questions. The  appropriate email for that is Kizzbeth117 at gmail dot com.