A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Photography

Photo Blogging Challenge (March 2023): Ten

Ten years.

That’s how long this challenge has been going on. Some days it’s better than others. We have speed bumps or late posts (ha!) and sometimes have had more people participate than others. But it’s been a whopping 10 years.

Seems almost fitting that this one is late.

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The past several months have been high-stress ones. Thankfully, last Wednesday, the biggest part of that ended. But at that point, my thought process of what day it was went out the window. Then when the weekend got here, I wasn’t think about days at all.

So, here it is.

Ten isn’t the easiest of themes. I took a lot of photos this month, and I am sure most of you can figure out what my subject was most of the time.

So to say this month has been a stretch … well that’s the beauty of interpretation!

I know at times this challenge gets slow and such and for that, I apologize. The theme for this month should be easier … hopefully!

Here are my five for the month! Let’s see what you all have!

1-3. 10 inches (of snow)

So my area always tends to get a good snow storm in March. This year was no different. In the village, we got about 10 inches of snow. Hills/mountains and back roads got upward of 18 inches or more. And when there’s a lot of snow, well … and some snow days happened …. dogs must play! and icicles must be chewed on!

4. March 10

I was lucky I snapped this photo on March 10 — or I might not have been able to use it this month! This is the local college. Sometimes we walk around part of it and this was a great photo opp as Harper took it in.

5. 10 seconds

That’s about how long, give or take, I get to take a posed photo of Harper!

There’s my five and let’s see what you came up with! 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.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for September. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! I know this month can be crazy, so … April’s theme is … You do you! Remember to come back on (hopefully) May 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: March 2023 results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (February 2023): Love

OK, you all know what my post is likely to be filled with, right?

February is the month of love. You know, Valentine’s Day, Cupid, candy, and everything in between. It’s an interesting holiday as … shouldn’t you show people you care every day? Instead of picking one day to purchase flowers and all with jacked up prices?

The greatest of Hallmark holidays!

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I’ve never been much for the holidays that seem to be directly aimed at consumer spending. While Christmas and such as developed into that, it does also have a much bigger meaning. Valentine’s Day seems fully aimed at consumer spending.

Alas, it’s always going to be there.

My valentine, of course, was Harper. And she is the perfect valentine. If you have some treats and such, she’s all about everything you are. The amount of love she shows, though, is unmatched. She’s a cuddle pal walking pal, and everything else all wrapped into one.

Growing up, I was always a cat person. I actually had thought about adding a cat, but have backed off a bit as I wasn’t fully sure. And if I can’t be 100 percent in to make sure the cat is good for Harper, then it’s hard to get one. I’d want them both to have good experiences from it. Maybe in the future,

But this dog … she has showed me how amazing it is to love an animal. I cared very deeply about the cats in my life, but they were like many cats — came to you when they wanted attention and stayed away when not. Harper always wants to be near or around me. Even when I want to take her in the car, which is sometimes a chore!

Let’s see all the love you had in February!

Here are my five for the month! Let’s see what you all have!

1. Harper loves … baseball

I always said if I had a dog, I wouldn’t go to Bark in the Park. Yeah… that worked out well. Now I love spending time at games with Harper. And she loves it, too! She’s gotten foul balls and even had a ball thrown up from the bullpen for her at a game! It’s enjoyable! This is at the field of a local summer college league team.

2. Harper loves … her friends!

And she has a lot of them! Several will come over to play. I’ve also just gone to a dog park for the first time. She also meets dogs while out walking etc. It’s always nice when the other dog is friendly.

3. Harper loves … to sniff the wind

Dogs live heavily through their noses, so when we get some good winds, Harper will often sit, stick her head in the air and sniff away. It’s always makes me wonder what she smells and if it’s a great smell!

4. Harper loves … carrying her toys!

This is a similar photo to last month, but … Harper loves carrying toys when we walk. Usually she gets it after she goes potty. She looks to me for it, too. This one was taken on Valentine’s Day.

5. Harper loves … life!

Treats, walks, cuddles, sticks, balls, the Chuckit Cube, running and playing with friends, snow, water, and everything else, Harper loves life. And she brings so much joy to me (and, at times, others). I got lucky with this dog and I look forward to a long life of adventures and laughs!

BONUS!

I couldn’t resist adding one more. Harper and her friend Amy booping noses (I think Amy was trying to share Harper’s stick!)

There’s my five and let’s see what you came up with! 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.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for September. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! I know this month can be crazy, so … March’s theme is … Ten! Remember to come back on (hopefully) April 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: February 2023 results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (January 2023): Nice, new, and looking ahead

How does time move so fast?

The other day, 2023 started. We’re already into the next month. And as I write this, we’re in a deep chill, with a furball curled up next to me, so all is good in the world.

At least in my eyes!

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So here we are starting out a new year. And I honestly let time flip on me this month. I had so many things going on and, unfortunately, some stress-related things. I did, however, take a lot of photos this month. And the photos I have taken are the ones that have helped with my stress!

You guessed it — Harper.

So, I might be taking some liberties this month. One good thing, though. I’ve been using my main camera a lot more again. That is one of my goals this year, so it’s exciting to pull it out and use it.

I’m going a little different with my post, though. I’m kind of using photos as part of my description for life as it moves forward.

I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying all that you do and capturing moments!

Here are my five for the month! Let’s see what you all have!

1. New year, new view

January, of course, brought in a new year. While I wouldn’t say 2022 was bad, it had some issues for me. My heath wasn’t the best as I didn’t pay attention to my blood sugars as I should. I did walk a lot (thanks, Harper!), but I allowed a lot of stress to get to me and that led to stupid eating. A lot of that stress, too, came from outside work and it included things that just shouldn’t create stress. My goal is to change that in 2023. Life is too short. I have a milestone birthday this year and I would prefer the year to be enjoyable, rather than filled with stress.

2. Looking around is nice

Sometimes, the little things in life can really get to you. And what happens there is you tend to stop looking around and seeing all the good. There’s a lot of good in this world. So as this new year really gets underway, I am pledging to myself to stop and look around. Harper likes to sniff a bit, so it’s easier to peek around.

3. Enjoying life more

If you look ahead, one needs to enjoy life more. How does one do that? Well, there are many ways. The first is to start worrying about your own health. For me, it means getting things in order and starting to hold myself accountable in as many ways possible. Cutting out stress eating. And just enjoying life. That, of course, will include Harper as much as humanly possible. I mean, how can’t you enjoy life with this pup looking up at you?

4. New friends

Harper has made a lot of new friends and it’s been great. Not only just for her to be able to play, but the overall socialization. It’s nice when you can hang with some other dog owners every once in a while in a non-stressful and non-competitive situation. It’s also funny when everybody is snapping photos of the crazies running, wrestling, playing. Somebody said I have a private dog park in town. I think that’s a great way to look at it. And we make sure the dogs are all cool with each other, which has been fun.

5. Many adventures

This year will hopefully give us many chances at adventures. Be it hiking, exploring, geocaching, baseball games, dock diving, or many other things, the adventures with Harper will be something I will always look for. New sniffs and places, and all sorts of other things. She’s been a rock to me since I got her, and I love seeing where it will lead next. Here’s hoping you will all have some amazing adventures as well throughout the year!

BONUS!

Couldn’t resist one more of Harper playing with one of her friends!

There’s my five and let’s see what you came up with! 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.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for September. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! I know this month can be crazy, so … February’s theme is … Love. Remember to come back on (hopefully) March 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: January 2023 results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (December 2022): Happy Holidays

December has come and gone.

That means a mere 350+ shopping days until Christmas!

I hope everybody who takes part in this challenge had a safe and fun holiday season. No matter what you celebrate, hopefully it was spent with family and friends and you had the chance to relax and enjoy the season.

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I enjoyed the season overall, though it was odd. I got really behind on a lot of things and then a couple of days before Christmas, I came down this this chest cold crud that seems to be going around. I’m still coughing from it. So my shopping was a little later than I had hoped and things like that. Alas, I think I got everything done and set in time!

We did have a white Christmas here, which is nice. The past few years we haven’t had that, and it stinks. Though it seemed like it was going to do what it’s been doing — snow and then rain before Christmas and give us green. It did that this year — but then some more snow came and it was white. I was happy about that! Harper was as well as she got to run, and also play with some friends in the snow.

Welcome to 2023! Here’s hoping everybody has a great year ahead!

Here are my five for the month! Let’s see what you all have!

1. Santa Paws is coming to town

Santa Paws was coming! And Harper was ready. Check to the end of this post for a bonus photo looking at the cookie setup. And yes, Harper snaked one!

2. Happy birthday!

Cam’s birthday is in December, so this was a celebration!

3. Helping Santa!

Harper had to help Santa get back to the North Pole!

4. All of us

Me, my brothers, and my mother on Christmas day.

5. Opening presents

Harper may have been spoiled. Here she is opening one of her presents.

BONUS!

This is the Santa tray from the above photo.

There’s my five and let’s see what you came up with! 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.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for September. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! I know this month can be crazy, so … January’s theme is … Nice, new, and looking ahead. Remember to come back on February 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: December 2022 results

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

Photo Blogging Challenge (November 2022): InstaSnap

As I peeked over my phone photos for the past month, I’ll bet you can guess what the bulk of the photos I’ve taken are of.

Harper, of course.

But this is a cool theme, I think. It shows how we do things in a different realm. No SLR or main camera. It’s using the phone/mobile device and showing what you do with said photos.

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There are a few things I do when using my phone, which is an iPhone 13 Pro. As much as I like using my main camera — and I am doing so more now — the ability to take great images with a phone really makes it hard to carry around equipment.

With each of the photos this month, I’m going to explain what I did when taking the photo, and what I did — if anything — after. What I’ve realized, too, is I need to make sure I start posting a lot more photos. I have so many on my phone that I just haven’t done anything with. And considering Harper has her own Instagram, I need to get those photos there!

I had a few I would have liked to have used, but I did finally get it down to five photos!

Here are my five for the month! Let’s see what you all have!

1. Hipstamatic

I love Hipstamatic. It’s one of those apps I don’t use enough of. This photo is a camera I created within Hipstamatic giving the look of a color pinhole lens. If you don’t have Hipstamatic, it’s really cool because of all the different films and lenses you can use.

2. Portrait

I love the portrait mode on the iPhone, but sometimes it goes wrong with what it gives you. BUT, sometimes that result turns out cool. In early November, the weather was great and we took Harper for some ice cream. She loves it, of course, and gets it all over her snout. The portrait mode was one and it really blurred everything out, which I thought was pretty cool.

3. Snapseed

Snapseed is my go-to editing app on the iPhone. I also use lightroom, but Snapseed does everything you need on the fly. I can adjust everything needed and make the photo really pop within moments. This is one I took using portrait mode, and then editing with Snapseed.

4. Closeup

The really nice thing about the iPhone is how crisp things get, even when you are really close. This one was done doing that, and then a quick wash through Snapseed.

5. Pals

This photo is one where you are just glad you can take good photos on your phone. Harper had a playdate with two of the neighbor’s dogs and, somehow, I got them to sit lined up. A few snaps later, and then a run through Snapseed and here’s what we have!

There’s my five and let’s see what you came up with! 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.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for September. Make sure you drop your link there.

OK, so it’s time to keep on moving! I know this month can be crazy, so … December’s theme is … Happy Holidays. Remember to come back on January 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: November 2022 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!