shine/sunshine: a photo challenge

Sunday was a beautiful day in the Midwest. Actually, Saturday was a beautiful day, too and I am not referring to the Chicago Cubs.

We’ve had a run of beautiful days. Warm sunny afternoons followed by cool nights. Tonight, the sky was clear again when I took Ivy outside. Since she and Mr. Skunk met in August, she gets an escort out in the evening. I looked up and I could see several stars. Living so close to a major city, my stargazing is limited by the light pollution. I am thankful for the stars that shine bright enough for me to see.

ivy leaves shine a brilliant red-orange
ivy leaves shine a brilliant red-orange

I spent most of my day hunkered down in the basement working on school and other things. I popped out of my cave to enjoy a slice of O’s birthday cake. It was O’s birthday and W was over to help celebrate.

It was that time in the afternoon when the sun’s angle illuminates and shines across the landscape in a special way. It makes the grass greener and the fall leaves redder, oranger, and yellower than they are in the midday sun or morning sun.

the leaves of the maple tree peak through the other trees lit by the sun
the leaves of the maple tree peak through the other trees lit by the sun

The backside of our home faces west and is surrounded by mature maple trees and a lonely ash tree. Among the maples is a maple tree that turns the brightest orange-yellow in early fall. It is so bright it appears to be afire. The other maple trees turn a pale yellow and drop almost simultaneously after the first heavy frost in mid-November. One of the maple trees has a vine that climbs the trunk and had turned a brilliant red-orange.

It was magic the way the sun shone through the leaves, and that is how I found our back yard when I came out for a slice of birthday cake.

O’s birthday, the slice of cake, and the tree were the bright spots of my day, pardon the pun.

I snapped off several shots and caught a frame of Ivy looking upwards to the branches for a squirrel that was chirping at her.

Ivy the wonder dog, looking up and hoping wishing for a falling squirrel
Ivy the wonder dog, looking up and hoping wishing for a falling squirrel

O had a great day – she begins year two of the teenage years. I the kind of day where bright spots were few and far between and I am looking for a way to make it look as if it shined. In some ways, I made the day count – church, O’s birthday, the tree, were bright spots. Monday will be here before I know it, so I’d better wrap this up and move forward. Tomorrow is another day and I hope it is a million and six times better. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, looking for ways to make the day shine.

What made your day shine?

Today’s post is inspired by this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Shine. What about you? Has the sunshine or any other light source caused you to stop because it’s highlighting something you didn’t notice before? Take a moment to check it out next time it happens and share what you see!

10 thoughts on “shine/sunshine: a photo challenge

  1. Again – amazing pictures. We’re just starting to get some cooler weather here – cool as in the 70’s. Not quite cool enough at night yet for the leaves to start changing, but the pecans are starting to drop. Won’t be long now before Fall finally arrives for its 2-week visit. Things are a little different down here in the South.

    Have a great week.

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    1. I noticed yesterday on my way to school that the trees had turned over the weekend, or so it seemed. It is getting light later and I might have missed it it….We’re heading to Houston for a wedding this weekend where the temps are much warmer than we are accustomed to, it should be interesting. Enjoy fall. Peace.

  2. It sounded like a great day for you. Happy belated birthday to O, and hope you enjoyed that slice of cake. Maybe you even went back for seconds in one day… 😉 Here in Australia spring is approaching, and I am glad that warm weather is coming and shining our way 🙂

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