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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Photography

Photo Blogging Challenge (February 2022): Photographer’s Choice

March 1, 2022

First things first — I have to say that these challenges can be hard for one reason: I take so many photos of Harper. I’ve decided, though, that I’m going to try to not fill this challenge each month with Harper.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be some photos of her!

Every once in a while I like to throw themes like this into the fold. It makes it a somewhat easy month for people, but I also feel like it also gives people the chance to be creative and make a theme of their own. When you have the choice, it often means you can really think outside the box.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is PBC2.jpg

It also means you have the ability to just have a potpourri of photographs!

Not so purposely, I ended up with a bit of an adventure/outdoor type of a theme. I spend a lot of time with Harper outside, so I get to see a lot of nice scenery. But I also got away a couple of times this month, so I’m adding some items from that.

It seems like we are coming slowly out of the pandemic and more things are available. This lends to some fun opportunities, especially with photography. But I am still going to keep having adventures and such, and photography — both with my phone and my traditional cameras — is becoming fun again.

This theme always gets me excited to see what others have done with it. I hope you all had a great month and have a great March!

Here are my five for the month!

1. Selfie game

Before Harper, I hated selfies. I think it’s safe to say my selfie game has stepped up some! I do some with Harper when I can get her to settle down. This one was on a recent hike and I wanted to get the sky and such behind me. As I was snapping, she reached up and gave me a pepper kiss and this is the photo that happened. I really liked how this one came out.

2. Found it

I had the chance to get out and do a little geocaching this month, which was nice. This was a grab I made on the way to a New York Islanders game. I used the Hipstamatic + app for this shot and I thought it looked pretty cool.

3. Snowman

I couldn’t resist this photo — taken at a week of toss and fetch. The colors and the ice etc., just looked so cool to me.

4. Cannonsville

My area has several reservoirs, which are water sources for New York City. The reservoirs were made, if I remember right, came about in the 1960s. To make the reservoirs, they had to evacuate and flood several towns. The towns are remembered around the reservoir by these signs. I actually think I might do some research on some of these items and do some blog posts in the future.

5. Puppucino!

Harper had her first Puppucino from Starbucks. Something tells me she loves it!

BONUS PHOTO!

I needed to put a bonus photo in this month. I attended an Islanders game, the first NHL game I’ve been to in years. I loved the new arena. They even won that night, which was even better. Had some good seats and really enjoyed the time. The food prices, though, were crazy high!

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 January. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for March is Nine! Remember to come back on April 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: February 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!

Filed Under: challenges, My world, Photo Blogging Challenge, Photography Tagged With: blogging challenge, hoohaablog, PBC, photo, photo blogging challenge

8 Comments

2021: A year in review

February 22, 2022

In the past when I did my year in review post(s), they tended to come out in late December or earlier in January. 

But that’s OK – I haven’t done them in a few years, so this turned into a much longer post.

I have a feeling many of us would say 2021 was a year of craziness. Between Covid and all of the other things happening around the world, it was going to be nuts right off the bat. 

But, when you get into personal worlds, things can be different. Depending where one lives, you may have been able to do things differently or were able to kind of have a “life” of sorts. 

Living in a small area has allowed me to live life a little more loosely, all while making sure I follow the guidelines set in place. So let’s take a peek back at 2021. 

1. Harper

To say my life changed on July 2 would be an understatement. That’s when this little furball of a puppy came into my life. We had picked out Harper from a breeder about 1.5 hours away and got her at nine weeks. I had done so much research on dogs and golden retrievers over the past year or two, so I thought I was ready for this. 

To a point, I was. But in a lot of ways, I wasn’t even close. 

Puppies are a lot of work. 

I took two weeks off from work when she came home and I was naive to believe that’s all I would need to get her into being the perfect dog. 

Harper on the day she came home!

Ha!

I can’t even say how wrong I was. 

Let me say this … if I didn’t have the emotional attachment I have to Harper, and I could go back in time knowing everything I know now, I wouldn’t do it. I would likely still be dogless, or would have tried to find a rescue I could bond with. But, I can’t go back in time and with Harper being more than eight months old now, it’s amazing to see how far she has come. 

That doesn’t take away how hard it was for a few months, physically and emotionally. I also think it’s quite safe to say I will never go through having a puppy again. One time is enough for me. I was at the end of my rope many times. I questioned if I should keep her or talk to the breeder about returning or maybe rehoming. 

Then she’d look at me with that golden look. And she’d sit at my feet. 

Like I could get rid of her?

I also was fortunate in finding a great doggy daycare/boarding place. The owner owns goldens, so that was great. And Harper loves going there. 

But…

The biggest thing that happened was finding the right trainer. I had one session with a trainer and I just didn’t agree with the style, so I contacted another who was highly recommended. 

Harper in December

Life. Saver. 

I truly believe it’s safe to say that if I hadn’t found her, I’m not sure where I’d be. She doesn’t just train the dog, she trains you. She’s always there to help and work with you. She’s also into dog sports and we’ve worked to make sure Harper is, too. While she enjoys everything so far (toss and fetch was the first), it seems her love is dock diving. I want to also try some agility, eventually, with her, but I love dock diving and that’s what I want to focus on. It’s so much fun and Harper showed great strides in the fall. I can’t wait until spring to see where she can go with this!

One thing I’ve learned, however, is this is going to be constant. She will continue to learn and grow. And it’s a constant growing experience for me. We are still working on some things – such as her wanting to jump up on people or trying to get stuff on counters. But that will come in time. 

Over the six months she’s been with us, what have we learned? A lot. She’s grown into a great dog. She’s one who will cuddle and snuggle. She loves to play fetch, more with tennis balls. And she will go for a long time if I let her. She’s curious. She’s stubborn. She loves to walk, but she needs a job so she is usually carrying a stick or a stuffed animal. 

I’ve been told I seem to smile more and laugh more. I hope that’s true. She’s brought a lot of enjoyment (and frustration at times) into my life, but I’m really starting to have a crazy good bond with her, and I’m trying to plan more places I can go with her. I also love when I come in from work and she comes running to see me. 

Where from here?

Well, I want to work on her with photography more. She tends to shy away from “posed” photos, but I can get plenty of sleeping and action photos. The jumping needs to be worked on as well. Finally, the other big thing is working on her in cars more. She gets motion sickness at times and will throw up. I have a lot of places I want to take her, so this is something I need to keep working on. With my 50th coming up in a couple of years, I’m already planning an epic road trip and I want her with me, of course. 

I post plenty of things about Harper on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/), and I’m sure there will be posts on here. But, Harper also has her own Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HarperTheGolden), but I need to do a lot more work on that one.

There is no doubt that Harper is my No. 1 item for 2021. I look forward to watching her grow and develop and continue to be part of my world. 

2. My health/personal life

I was doing so good.

For the first part of 2021, my A1C continued to go down. It was awesome. And the last 3-4 months of the year changed that. High stress – from work and Harper and the holidays and everything else, I just wasn’t good. I was still working on Harper and walking, so I wasn’t moving as much as I should have been. And I also ate more crap and my portion control went out the window. Thankfully, I haven’t put on a ton of weight, but at the same time my A1C took a jump up (got my results a few days ago). 

It’s not an excuse, but I know what happened. And I know the reason. So it’s time to dial it back and get myself on the right path again. I have done it before and know I can do it again. 

Harper walking more will help. 

I’m also trying to utilize my normal planner into a life journal. The weekly look at things has more on it than just the normal stuff. If all goes well, that will give me some accountability. It won’t happen overnight as I don’t have a ton of self-control at times, but it will happen. 

All of my other blood test results looked fine. My blood pressure and such was fine. 

In regard to other things, I’m pretty content in life. I was able to travel a little and get out and see things. More on that below. 

Being able to get away some, like this short trip to the Jersey Shore, has helped my mental and physical well being.

I think the reality of our current world situation – not just the pandemic, but everything political and all, has made me realize that I need to find the more fun things in life. I have to find the simple pleasures. 

Part of that, of course, is trying to find things to ground myself and enjoy the steps in life. That, in turn, should help with my health. 

See, I’ve always been a bit high strung when it comes to stressful things. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on that to try and dial it back. Part of my issue is work. I tend not to say no, or take on way too many things. When I was at the newspaper, I rarely turned something down or made a case why I shouldn’t do it. I just did it. I’d have vacation days at the end of the year that I needed to take or lose them because throughout the year, I’d not take them. 

In the end, I was laid off due to cuts. The newspaper didn’t show me any loyalty when all was said and done, so what did I get in the end? Notta. 

Therefore, as I moved forward, I knew I had to watch for myself. Everybody is replaceable. At my current job. I still push myself probably too far. But I don’t sacrifice “me” time. I take vacations. I take care of myself. And, for the most part, those above me encourage and support employees to take care of themselves. Mental health issues are real and I’m lucky that my employer(s) take things seriously and don’t want to see people have issues. 

That means I take vacations and unplug. I try to get outside and explore. I look to see new things and experience different parts of life. With Harper, I like to go and see different things. 

And a lot of times, when I do this, I don’t look at my email etc. 

Exploring the world around me has been beneficial healthwise. I tend to smile a bit more when I get outside and I’m seeing different things now. Everything is new to Harper, so it’s enjoyable to explore with her and see what she finds interesting. 

My health – both physical and mental – are doing much better since the start of 2021. Though I took some steps backward with my diabetes control, everything else seems to be doing better. It’s a long road and I will keep working on it. 

3. COVID

What a world in which we live. 

COVID has taken over everything. And no matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to the severity of it, masks, or vaccinations, the reality is we are still deep into it. 

And we’re also at a breaking point. 

The reality is, the majority of people who are going to get vaccinated have already done so. Those who are against it are likely not going to change their mind. And masks? Those who will wear them do so. Those who won’t, don’t. 

We’re two years into this. Almost 5.75 million people around the world have died from the disease, including more than 900,000 in the United States. 

People are going to be set in their ways and beliefs. Sure, you’ll get some who might change their minds some. But the reality is, most are staying along the path. At some point, though, you have to wonder when we start coming out of this. Is there herd immunity? Is there something with the variants getting weaker as they come out? Will it become a yearly “flu” shot? 

I’m vaccinated. I have a booster. And I wear a mask. I’ve been exposed a couple of times and am thankful I didn’t show any symptoms. I haven’t had to be quarantined because I am vaccinated. But at the same time, it still wears on me. I try to do what I can to stay safe and healthy. And I hope others, even if they are against the vaccine and masks, will take others into consideration when making decisions. The sooner we can all get closer to being on the same page, the sooner we can hopefully move away from this and get back to some sort of normal. 

4. Baseball! 

One thing felt a bit normal in 2021 – being able to go to baseball games. 

It started in April when we went to a Phillies game. At that point, there were limited seats. Only like 10,000 people were in the stadium, and masks were to be worn. 

As the season continued – at the minor and major league levels, more people were allowed in, of course based on where you were. Mask mandates were lifted or softened. By the end of the year, it truly felt like baseball again. 

I didn’t make a lot of baseball trips this year. In fact, I only hit four stadiums – Syracuse, Binghamton, Philadelphia, and Aberdeen. The last one was on a late-summer trip to the Baltimore area for geocaching. 

It was nice to be able to hit a few baseball games this year, even if the majority of them were closer and quick trips

It was nice to be back in a stadium for games. I likely would have been to more games, but with getting Harper, it was harder. We did take her to one “Bark in the Park” in Binghamton and will do so again this upcoming season. 

The little things truly do help you cope with the bigger picture. Even just a fireworks night at a baseball game can help make you smile a bit.

It’s funny, though. A few summers ago, I was pushing 75 games. At the end of the summer, I was thinking how crazy it was. Fun? Yes. But still crazy. And it wore me out. Then the first summer of covid, where all minor league games were canceled and no fans for MLB came and went. And, shockingly, I didn’t miss being in the stands as much as I thought I would. 

It was great to get back to it this summer, though. I’ve realized that if I stay in the 25-40 game range most summers, I’ll be quite content and not feel burnt out from going to games. 

It’s only January, but baseball will be back soon enough. Well, hopefully. They still need to figure out the CBA. 

5. Travel 

Travel returned this year to many people. With the loosening of requirements, people got out and visited friends and family. Went to new places. And tourism started to come back into the world. 

I can’t say I went a lot of places, but I got out a little bit, even if just for a few small trips. I had the chance to go see some baseball games this past summer and I also hit up the shore twice, so that was nice. 

I didn’t travel as much as I might have liked this year, but one thing is for sure — I’ve realized you can travel closer to home and still find fun things to do!

I will admit that I’m still a little skeptical about flying. I realize it’s probably overall safe, but I’m not sure how I feel about being masked up for a several-hour flight. And remember, I’m pro-mask for myself in most situations – and being in a tube above the world for a few hours would be a place where I’d wear it. 

But, as things seemingly start to slowly once again improve (I hope), maybe things will get better. 

One other thing to consider moving forward, though, is Harper. I plan to hopefully take her on many trips, which will scratch flying. I am not one to want to put her through that experience if not necessary. 

I’ve also realized over the past year, there’s a lot of things within driving range I’d like to see. New York State has a ton of amazing parks to explore. There are different places throughout the Northeast I’d love to see. And heck, there’s much more in the United States and Canada I’d like to see – and it can all pretty much be done via car, which also means being able to bring Harper with me. 

Look around your own backyard and parks and such near you – sometimes traveling doesn’t have to be far to find some fun things to do. 

6. Geocaching/getting outside

Getting outside was a must in the past two years.

And though I haven’t geocached as much as I once did, it was nice to get out there and do it again. There’s plenty of them to find around me, so it has been good when I’ve needed to do something. I’ve done a few geocaching trips as well, which has allowed me to see some new areas and parks. 

I’ve tried to be out more and to also get back into geocaching a bit. It’s been fun and it’s also nice to find some creative hides.

In 2021, I found a total of 231 geocaches, which isn’t my best year by far, but also isn’t my worst. The good part of it is that it was toward the end of the year that the numbers started coming around. I did 23 days worth of geocaching, averaging 10 per day. 

The good part is many of those caching days were toward the end of 2021, which means I started getting into it again. As 2022 has started, I’ve already started getting some days in, which is great. And I’ve been bringing Harper along, which is even better. 

Obviously, Harper won’t be logging in her finds and such, but she seems to enjoy wandering around and exploring as we’re out on the trails caching. It’s just been really nice to get out and find some caches as well as place a few. 

7. Financial 

I’m in a better place at the end of 2021 than in the beginning, that’s for sure, I’m still not where I probably should be overall, but it takes time. 

If you think back to when I came out of college, I went to work for a daily newspaper. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting rich there. Looking back, I have to wonder how some people survived (or still do) working for newspapers. It’s definitely not a way to get rich. Hell, in many cases, it’s not a way to even be middle class. And while I’m currently not on track to be rich, I’m comfortable. And even better? I’m saving for retirement, and doing so rather aggressively. 

A few years ago, I opened a new credit card and transferred all balances because it gave me interest free on the balance for like 21 months. I paid that off last January, which was outstanding. That meant I was out of credit card debt. 

Now, I use my credit cards sporadically for purchases and then work to pay them off as fast as I can. It was nice because I had a Lowe’s card that I put the fence for Harper on. That will take some time to pay off as it was an investment, but I felt a lot more comfortable doing it with having a clear balance. 

I also am adding more to my retirement accounts as I know it’s something I have to keep building. When I started this current job, I had zero savings for retirement. And what little amount I did have, I had to use when I was unemployed. 

With working for the state, I have a pension now, which is nice. I also have two retirement accounts I’m building. Who knows where this world will be when I finally can retire, but I want to be as ready for it as possible. I wish I had worked for the state a lot sooner in life, but there’s not much I can do about it now. The end result is I will just have to work until at least 65, if not a bit beyond that, to maximize certain things. I’m OK with that. It’s just nice to know things are building toward that age. 

Finances are tricky and always a work in progress. I’m definitely better now than I was 10 years ago, if not just the understanding part of things. 

8. Looking back

I know many people will look at 2021 and yell about how bad the year was. With Covid still running rampant, and everything else in my country and the world as a whole, the year was tough for a lot of people. 

The one thing with the pandemic is I’ve tried to find the silver linings. I do think when this is all done and past us (and I do believe it will at some point) we will find some positives. I can think of a few. It’s just a shame we’ve had to go through a lot of negativity and a prolonged pandemic to find any of the good things. 

To me, 2021 will always be the year of Harper. It’s hard for me to think of it as a bad year when she came out of it. The key is for all of us to keep pushing forward and try to make this world a positive and better place for all!

And, at the same time, will anything positive from this ever outweigh all the bad that happened? Will we ever have a normal again? 

For me, I look at 2021 in a few ways.

I feel I became more in touch with different things and I really think I appreciate things a bit more. The little things, anyway. We’re only here for a short bit of time, so we need to start realizing what is important. 

In 2021, I got Harper. For that alone, it’s a pretty good year. Though it’s been hard and frustrating at times, she’s become such a big part of my life. I’ve learned a lot from having her and I know the future with her will be a fun journey. 

And 2021 ended with hope. Will we get out of all of this in 2022? Will things start to return to somewhat normal? Time will only tell but we can continue to hope. 

Until then, try and be good to one another and yourself. Here’s hoping 2022 is a good year for all of you and that we have a lot to be thankful for when we flip the calendar.

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!

Filed Under: A 'lil HooHaa, blogging, Harper, My world, Photography, Year in Review Tagged With: 2021, 2021 year in review, golden retriever, harper, looking back, my world, year in review

1 Comment

Photo Blogging Challenge (January 2022): Black and White

February 1, 2022

The one month I would have loved to have been able to use color photos, and I selected black and white as the theme.

Go figure!

That’s OK, though. That’s part of having a challenge like this. Sometimes images you capture won’t always fit the theme, so you have to figure something out!

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Black and white is always cool to me, but more for nostalgia. As a kid, I learned how to develop my own film. There was a darkroom in the house when I was growing up. I was also a “darkroom technician” at a local weekly paper.

So black and white reminds me of newspapers of old, and the smell of the chemicals etc. It always gives a cool feel to photos.

But, in today’s way of photography, no everything fits black and white. We are so accustomed to having everything in color that sometimes taking said color away is almost jarring. But there are some scenes that still scream to be without all of the color.

I’m excited to see what others have come up with.

I hope everybody has had a great start to the year!

Here are my five for the month!

1. Harper!

It’s hard for me to put Harper in black and white because she has such a beautiful color. But this one seemed to work out well. This is her frolicking in the snow!

2. Abandoned car

This is something we found while out geocaching. It’s always interesting to find an old car in the woods, no matter how far from a main road.

3. Cold picnic

I was out for a wintry walk with Harper at a local park and came upon this scene. I thought it worked quite well in black and white, though the pieces of blue in the sky were nice.

4. #BallLife

No matter the season, Harper love retrieving and chewing on her Chuckit! balls!

5. Covered bridge

I had the post all set for publishing, and then I passed this Sunday and I loved the look. I knew it would be perfect for this challenge. So I snapped some shots and had to, unfortunately, eliminate, some ice!

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 January. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for February Photographer’s Choice! Remember to come back on March 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: January 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!

Filed Under: challenges, My world, Photo Blogging Challenge, Photography Tagged With: blogging challenge, hoohaablog, photo, photo blogging challenge

4 Comments

Photo Blogging Challenge (December 2021): Holly jolly

January 1, 2022

As this post arrives, we’ll already be into 2022.

And, I’m sure we will all be looking ahead to new things and a new year full of hope. Maybe we’ll finally find our way through the current situation that the world has been facing for almost two years.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is PBC2.jpg

Alas, we can all only do our part. And that part is up to each individual. I have my thoughts and beliefs and the such, but this is no place for it. All I hope is that each of you remain safe and care about not only yourself, but others as well.

So, holly jolly for this month’s theme.

For those who know me, Christmas is likely my favorite holiday and season, The music and everything going on. The colors and the lights. It usually makes me so happy and in a truly great mood.

I won’t say that I was in a bad mood this season. But I will say I never fully reached the spirit like I usually do. I enjoyed parts, but I really didn’t get far in other parts like I normally do. I attest that to so many changes in my world, and then just everything going on not only in the world, but locally to my state and area.

Still, this was Harper’s first Christmas. So, I’m sure you can figure what my post is heavily centered on. I’m sure she will be featured quite a bit in future themes, too, but I am trying to start using the newer camera I got more, so hopefully I’ll be able to challenge myself in each of these challenges.

I hope everybody had a great holiday season!

Here are my five for the month!

1. Ho! Ho! Ho!

I took Harper to see Santa. This photo is one I actually took and you can see how she wasn’t having sitting with Santa! There are better ones with me in the photo, but those were taken by somebody else. It was nice that Petsmart offers this to people for free.

2. Waiting for the big guy

Harper destroys toys. I had so many good Christmas ones that she ripped through. Some I took away before they were fully done so I can keep them and hope she’s calmed down on destroying by next year. But then I found these… and this one withstood her constant chewing. So, she also got one for Christmas that wasn’t holiday related.

3. Happy birthday!

Cameron’s birthday is just a few days before Christmas, so there’s usually a small gathering and then they throw him something more for his friends and such in July. I figured this was quite a bit holly jolly!

4. First Christmas!

It was Harper’s first Christmas and she had her bandana saying so! I was happy I got her to stay still for a few moments to get this shot!

5. I mean, she did try…

Some days naughty… some days nice …

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 December. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for January is Black and White! Remember to come back on February 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: December 2021 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!

Filed Under: challenges, My world, Photo Blogging Challenge, Photography Tagged With: blogging challenge, hoohaablog, photo, photo blogging challenge

4 Comments

Photo Blogging Challenge (November 2021): Give thanks!

December 1, 2021

In the United States, November is the month of Thanksgiving.

And, it’s a time where we should all try to give thanks for something. Truthfully, we should all be doing that even more than we do on an everyday basis, but November gives us a reason.

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In this world right now, sometimes it can be hard. So many are divided and one’s opinions and beliefs will differ from others — and at times, that can make things tough on both parties.

Alas, there’s still things to be thankful about.

As I write this, the one thing I truly give thanks for is snoozing against my leg. It fills me with so much happiness and joy (well, most of the time).

I’m also thankful she’s not a barker, considering my one neighbor’s dogs bark pretty much non-stop if the owner isn’t home — which is nearly every day from 5 p.m. and for several hours. So yeah …

I know the direction I am going with this post. And then I will look forward to seeing what you all have given thanks for with this theme. Only one month left in 2021 … and maybe we should give thanks for that, too!

But, for now, we go upward and onward.

Here are my five for the month!

1. Cuddle naps

I’ve had my ups and downs with having a dog. I’ve had Harper now for five months, which is crazy. And Harper and I are settling in better. She’s still frustrating at times but we are both growing. I laugh way more than not with her. And since the battle for her being on the couch was ended, she seems way calmer — probably because she can be up on the couch. I’ve also adjusted where I sit, so I am usually on the couch and she snuggles up with me almost every night. Sometimes in ways I don’t get how they are comfortable! How can’t you give thanks for this, though?

2. Curiosity

I am truly thankful that Harper is curious. She liked to explore. She likes to see different things. She gets spooked, and she’ll also grab what she can with her mouth. But she really does like to see and experience things. I have a lot of plans for the two of us in the coming years, so we keep building!

3-4. Two of four seasons

As much as there are times I can’t stand certain seasons, I truly do love living in an area where we get all four seasons. Hopefully, we’ll get a white Christmas, too. But I’m thankful that we can see the fall (even if you have to clean things up at the end of it!), have nice winters, great springs, and good summers. It’s nice to experience it all and it does give you a different feel when the seasons change.

5. If I fits …

I love watching Harper grow. My mental state is getting better. She was spayed a few weeks ago, and I think that has helped her calm a little. But she’s really enjoyable to watch. When she plays. When she eats. When she sleeps.

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 November. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for December is Holly Jolly! Remember to come back on January 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: November 2021 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!

Filed Under: challenges, My world, Photo Blogging Challenge, Photography Tagged With: blogging challenge, hoohaablog, photo, photo blogging challenge

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Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! You know, Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! 

You know, of course, Santa Paws travels with Santa Clause, making sure to find treats and toys for all the good little doggies! (We know they are all deserving, right?) So, Harper put out some milk for the big guy, carrots for Rudolph and the reindeer, and special cookies for Santa Paws! She is ready! 

#SantaPaws #Christmas2022 #HarperChristmas #MyDogHarper #GoldenRetriever #DogsofInstagram #PhotoOfTheDay #Photography #Christmas #IPhoneography
One of the best parts about having Harper as my be One of the best parts about having Harper as my best friend… ❤️
Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to sna Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to snap this shot. The colors in the sky were fantastic and the scene was nice looking (though, to be fair, I drove by what I think would have been a better scene -- the valley and hills full of snow etc.)

#Snow #Winter #Sky #Color #InstaLove #photooftheday #picoftheday #iPhoneography #nature #love #instalove #photography #happy #smile #photo
The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪 The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪
Just a break on our morning walk … #goldenretri Just a break on our morning walk …

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #mydogharper
Tired. Tired.
Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! 

#phillies #ringthebell #baseball #dog #goldenretriever
I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I have her. It’s been a year and four months and she makes me smile and laugh more each day. It’s amazing how much a dog changes your look on life, and how much joy they can bring. 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta
I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to post here, as well as on Harper’s (@harper_dublin) account). So, as I start to transfer photos, I’ll try and catch up. So photos coming could be from all seasons and who knows when. 🤣

This one is recent from the courthouse square in Delhi. We had some pretty good fall colors this year. 

#fall #delhiny #seasons #iphoneonly #love #photography #photooftheday #instagood #happy #picoftheday
From a few weeks ago. I was trying to get Harper t From a few weeks ago. I was trying to get Harper to put her paws on the bridge and looked out, but she was more content jumping on me and looking up. I do love the way she seems to be looking at me.
Instagram post 17992900117561614 Instagram post 17992900117561614
Couldn’t resist a quick stop this morning with t Couldn’t resist a quick stop this morning with the fog and frost settled in. 

Hamden Covered Bridge 

#coveredbridge #coveredbridges #bridge #fog #frost #nature #upstatenewyork
Harper’s friend Lucy is around this weekend! #g Harper’s friend Lucy is around this weekend!

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta #outside #sunshine #friends
So… @harper_dublin wants to know why she can’t So… @harper_dublin wants to know why she can’t have @mallons_homemade_sticky_buns.
This is why we can’t have nice things. Saw this This is why we can’t have nice things. Saw this on me morning walk Friday with Harper. Likely some college kids, but also as chance at local hooligans. I had Harper so not a lot I could do, but I managed to get the cart off the chair. (See second photo) This was in a local park.
Harper is ready for #nationalfetchday on October 1 Harper is ready for #nationalfetchday on October 15! @chuckitfetchgames 

Should be fun! @discgolfdarren @harmm23
Starting to feel like fall! #fall #nature #autum Starting to feel like fall! 

#fall #nature #autumn #colors #foliage #instagood #seasonchange #leaves #leaves🍁
Street lights hidden in a tree. #life #light #wa Street lights hidden in a tree. 

#life #light #walk #explore ##instagood #photooftheday #photography #happy
Finally learning this Canon M6 MarkII before my tr Finally learning this Canon M6 MarkII before my trip starts this weekend. Really like it now that I took the time to set it up and learn the differences between this and my 7D MarkII. This and the iPhone will do most of the work on the trip. 

Photo is inside on a dark and dreary day. Transferred to phone and edited with #snapseed. 

#canon #m6markii #dog #dogsofinstagram #goldenretriever
Life is good. Life is good.
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P.J. Harmer

P.J. Harmer
A video looking at my first year and a half of owning a golden retriever, my first dog. It's had its ups and downs, but I've truly loved the ride and look forward to the future. 

Music: Happy before we get old by Michael Shynes via Artlist. 

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
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► Follow Harper on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/
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Thank you for watching. :)
When these boxes come, there usually some excitement. But this one ... is the ultimate unboxing! 

#cielovideo52 #52weekchallenge #week5 #weeklychallenge

Music: Happy to be Happy (Dapun)

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
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I hate being in front of the camera, but also realize sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world. So, I'm getting better with it. Week 4's theme was all about us and having us in front of the camera, so I tried to come up with a creative way to do it. 

#cielovideo52 #52weekchallenge #week4 #weeklychallenge

Music: Infinite Wonder (Ben Fox)

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/softball29
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog
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