A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Photography

Photo Blogging Challenge: March 2020’s theme is …

March?

Yikes! Next thing you know, we’ll be moving our clocks ahead and having longer days! That means more time for taking photos and, hopefully, other things for you!

PBC logo

March, each year, is a good time for this challenge as it marks another year we have been doing it. Of course over the years, we’ve seen fewer people take part. That being said, I do enjoy doing it, so we keep moving along and see what happens with it.

So as we celebrate our anniversary, let’s hope we find a way to grow the challenge and maybe get other people involved. I know there are a lot of challenges out there and people take part, but the beauty of this one is it’s all about interpretation and very open-ended. So let your blogging friends know and maybe we can grow!

Here’s the thing to always remember about this challenge: It doesn’t matter what you use to take the photos. It can be a DSLR, your phone, a compact camera, or heck, if you can get things set and scanned in time, a film camera! Just have fun and try and challenge yourself.

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Seven. If you’ve been with us for a while, I’m sure you had an idea what was coming for this month’s theme! Please make sure your blog post publishes Tuesday, March 31. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge (February 2020): Money

Money. 

I mean, down deep, we all want it. Heck, we need it. Some people want more than others. But money makes the world go around, that’s for sure. 

And though they say money can’t provide happiness, I always say it’s a pretty good start. Think about how often money makes things tough or hurts relationships and lives. 

It’s taken me a few years to understand finances a bit. I’m getting better with it and am actually looking to be somewhat debt free (outside of student loans) within the next three years. Of course, I know there could be major purchases that would interfere with that; and then all the normal bills … but I’m talking about things such as credit cards and debt like that.

Anyway, money. 

When I first posted this theme, I had some ideas. I kind of went with said ideas, but the photos aren’t as … exciting … as I hoped. But they will do the job. 

For those of us who live in the states, you know our money is boring. It’s green, and it is just there. The coins are OK, but nothing special. 

If you look around the world, money is different. 

It’s colorful. It’s nice to look at or to use. The denominations are even quite different, as you’ll see. It’s something cool to see color with money and designs that make the money a bit more friendly, so to speak. 

What I set out to do was find some money that was nice to look at and share. eBay proved to be the spot as I found a place that sold some good stuff, so that’s what I am sharing. 

With all of that in mind, here are my five for February!

1. One billion!

Imagine having the largest bill? Yowza! These bills are from the former Yugoslavia. I couldn’t resist saying I was a billionaire, though!

2. Funky!

I love when the bills from other countries just have an interesting look, or what I would refer to as funky. Agree?

3. The colors!

When I look at these bills, from Madagascar, all I can think is the colors! I love how colorful the money is and how it just stands out. It’s so nice to look at. 

4. One with nature!

How nice are these bills? The nature is front and center as well. And I like the intricate details. 

5. Coins

Even coins from afar have such a nice look to them. The coins in the US aren’t bad, depending what you get. But some coins are just older and just don’t feel exciting.

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see March’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: February 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

On the Trail: Wapta Falls

As I start to work on a few of these newer features on my blog, one thing I’ll be doing is occasionally going back in time, so to speak. 

This feature is one that will have that regularly. 

My thought process for this feature will likely be once a month. If I can get into a rhythm and have enough spots for it, then I might go twice. But for now, it’s a once-monthly feature, so I’ll be bringing back past trips and hikes. 

Today it was from the geocaching trip this past fall, which took me throughout the Pacific Northwest – in the United States and Canada. 

One hike I looked into was Wapta Falls, as there was an Earthcache there. Mix that with a waterfall that was supposed to be simply amazing, and it was put on the “must do” list. 

The thing about geocaching trips where there are so many things to see and do, some things get skipped. This trip was no different. While in this part of Canada, we had to skip several things to make sure other things were done. I don’t regret it, but it definitely makes me want to return to explore more. 

Anyway, Wapta Falls. 

Wapta Falls in her glory. Simply amazing!

This hike followed a long day of travel and other stops. This day began in Kamloops, British Columbia and brought us closer to Banff National Park. Several things had to be skipped to give us a remote chance to get into this area, make the hike and see the falls. As we pulled into a drive up spot to get a pass to the park, we asked the girl working if we stood a chance at doing this before dark. 

Absolutely, she said. But bring flashlights – the odds of making it back out in the light would be slim. Excellent advice. 

The hike out was only supposed to be a bit more than a mile (though add more in the winter when the gates on the road are apparent;y closed). And, that’s probably about right. For the most part, the terrain isn’t too bad. But on normal walking, I can do about an 18-minute mile if I am pushing it, but usually I’m in the 20-minute range. 

This took a bit more. 

One thing I realized though, that despite going into a different time zone from where we started the day, there were no issues with daylight. I was actually shocked. Being from upstate New York, when the sun sets at a certain time, it doesn’t take too awful long after to get dark. And despite being in part of the Canadian Rockies, when the sun went down, it remained light for quite a while. 

The hike out wasn’t too bad, with a little incline. When you get to the end and are near the falls, you have a couple of options – stay up top and view the falls in all their glory and call it good, or head down the hill with a few switchbacks to get up close and personal. 

Well, we didn’t come all this way to stay up top and head back. Down we went. There were three others down there and they were indulging in some herbal enjoyment. They waved, but weren’t too close, basically giving us the run of the falls. These were impressive. 

Wapta Falls from above. Really amazing to watch that water flow.

Wapta Falls is situated inside Yoho National Park. Part of the Kicking Horse River, these falls are nearly 100-feet high, and almost 500-feet wide. 

From the top, the falls were amazing. But from the bottom – despite the hill that sits in front of them – they are simply breathtaking. The sound and rush of the water is incredible. The mist that comes off of the falls, too, is powerful. We were going to attempt to get to the left side of the hill as I wanted to try and get a wild photo, but with as slippery as things were, we stayed to the right side. Still, it was pretty amazing to be up that close to these falls. 

The hike back was a bit more difficult. Getting back up to the trail took some work (remember, I’m not in perfect shape), but it wasn’t a bad hike back. And the girl at the booth was fully correct – a flashlight coming back out was smart. In the end, we did about 3.5 miles and it was definitely a good workout.

Final thoughts: 

Positives: The trail isn’t too bad, and it’s quite easy to follow. Hearing the falls as you approach is impressive, though when you get to the end, it’s even more amazing. This is a very remote area, so you likely won’t find a lot of casual onlookers – it’s likely people who really want to see the fall. 

Cons: Depending what you consider a con – but once you get out there, no bathrooms and you are in nature. I find this to be a positive – but some might avoid it because it’s remote. Finding the road in wasn’t easy. 

Overall: If you like a hike in the woods with an amazing payoff at the end… and you are in this area? Make this a must stop. 

Geocaching note: There is one geocache out here – an Earthcache (GC7W35A) with a rating of 1/3.5. This can be your goal as well, but what it brings you to is even more amazing. No traditionals or anything along the trail out or in the parking area. 

To watch a Relive video of this hike, please see below!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge: February 2020’s theme is …

Well hello, leap year!

You know what that means … an extra day in February!

PBC logo

That means we are off and running in 2020 with our second month and you get that 29th day to get those photos done. We won’t be posting on the 29th of February for four more years.

Hopefully we last that long!

Anyway, drop a message letting us know you are taking part and maybe convince a blogging friend to join us as well! It’s the time to start snapping photos and getting things done!

Depending where you are, I hope you are staying warm and having a good year so far!

Before we get to this month’s theme, let’s do our monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Money. This is a pretty broad stroke, so hopefully you can have fun with it and find some great images!! Please make sure your blog post publishes Saturday, February 29. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge (January 2020): New

So, remember when it was 2019?

Not any more!

And just like that, we are at the end of January 2020. What in the hell is all I can say. But the month started with me being sick and ends with me pushing myself with walking and everything else, so I can’t complain!

What’s even cooler is that we are in 2020. It’s a cool year and hopefully it will be awesome — for you personally, professionally, and blogging! I think we should all come together and see if we can’t actually grow the challenge this year. I’d love to see many more taking part by the end of the year than what we start with!

When this challenge first started in 2013, we had a bunch of people. Unfortunately, many of them no longer blog. That being said, there are still plenty of bloggers out there and this challenge is so open that people can do it however they want! Interpret the theme in whatever way they see fit, and also use any type of camera. This month, I used my new iPhone 11 for all of my images. The camera is awesome!

So let’s see where 2020 can go. If we can all find a way to get a few new people participating, think about what kind of challenge this can be every month!

So let’s get to the challenge! Five photos for new!

Here are my five!

1. New focus

Over the years, I’ve tried many planners. I always fail. But I wanted to do something different. I didn’t exactly need a planner fully, more of something where I can journal more. I want to keep track of a lot of different things and I’ve been working on this bullet journal. I start it officially in February, so here’s hoping it works out for me!

Bullet journal planner

2. New game

So many of you may know I am into board games, especially ones I can play solo. This is a newer one I got and while I was sick, I learned and played the game a few times. Lots of fun!

Criss Cross game

3. New snow

It seems we’ve been in a cycle this winter. Snow comes, then it disappears. And then more snow comes. Here’s some new snow one afternoon.

Snow covered picnic table

4. New medicine

This seems to have been a good addition to me and is really helping. It’s made me feel good moving forward with the diabetes battle.

Ozempic pen

5. New … drink

This Irish cream was a Christmas gift from my brother. The new Hydro Flash “drink cup” was one I picked up. This Irish cream is outstanding and I dare say better than Bailey’s!

Irish cream

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see February’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: January 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!