Some Favorite Photos from 2022 (Lens-Artist Photo Challenge 1-13-23)

Hello Everyone, The first Lens Artist Photo Challenge of 2023 – hosted by Journeys with Johnbo,  invites us to share some favorite photos from 2022.

So this post has some favorite images, not necessarily the best quality or best composition – just some favs.  Ready?

1) Chihuly Red Reeds at Virginia’s Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA).

The photo below is special to me because the greenery is starting to grow back around the reeds. A while back, the museum deep cleaned the Red Reeds and they removed all of the plants. The reeds looked so much better with the green and we are glad to see the growth coming back. The softness of the plants works with the firmness of the glass. The wisps and short verticals in the greenery syncs with the tall vertical glass spikes. In addition, red and green are complementary colors and so when you see this art in person, the green plants really add a lot to the red glass art and we were glad to see the growth. 

Speaking of growth, one of my special friends, MJ, quit her job in the financial industry and  for the second half of 2022, she went on multiple retreats and traveled a lot. Whenever she is back in town, we try to meet up for coffee and sometimes we take a long walk and talk. We call them “talk walks” 🙂 

2) So…. In the photo below, I tried to capture a selfie of us while walkin’ and talkin’ near the museum. 

 Also on one of our “talk walks” – I grabbed these next two images 

3) Window Shot at Laundromat 

In the photo below – we can see the man on his phone while at the laundromat. Later, I realized that my shadow (in the lower part of the image) was in sync with the shape of the man (both on phone and both slightly arched right). Also, the orange wall and stripes on the building near my shadow is in sync with the vertical orange letters on the window. I just like the mood of this photo. And then it has the word “change” on the change machine – which could remind us of life’s change and all that. Without overdoing it – the laundry machines also add to the mood – these tools – machines – that allow us to have hygiene as we wash and dry our textiles. The large garbage can smack in the middle reminded me that some things in life needs to be tossed and moved on from so we can rebound and/or focus on what brings vitality, unity, and wellness. 

4) Window Shot at Pizza Place.

I took this next photo to show Cindy G. (here) the Jane Fonda poster.

Cindy started her first business around the same time that Jane Fonda was emerging in the workout world in the 1980s. I also had Jane Fonda’s workout cassette tape in 1987.

Anyhow, later when I looked at this photo, I realized this image had some oddities with the reflections, workers, and misc. details. 

Next up – Hiking was a favorite takeaway from 2022. 

5) Enjoying the view after a gentle hike (a total of 7 miles of rather easy walking).  This is a selfie that actually came out (most of my selfies do not come out ). 

6) Hugging a Tree 

I am not sure how you feel about hugging a tree, but “some folks argue” that humans can help the tree when they give it a hug. Hm?

The reason I hugged the tree was for the potential grounding effect. When humans directly touch the earth or touch a tree, it can allow the body’s energy system to connect to the natural electrical charge of the earth, which then results in balancing the meridians in the human body. I invite you to look it up because some forms of arthritis have had symptoms reduction or elimination by grounding with the earth.  

7) My least favorite thing about this particular hike was the Xero shoes my spouse bought for me. He loves this brand of shoes and has gone through numerous pairs.  However, I give the Xero shoe a zero! Not for me. 

Before the hike, I did try to break in the shoes and get a feel for how they fit. However, the seven miles of gentle hiking showed me that I am just not the right person for these kind of shoes. We passed them on and I went with a brand called Oboz. 

My husband LOVES Xero Shoes because he likes the way they feel and he believes they allow the feet to move more naturally with “bending, flexing, and feeling” – However, I believe that technology in a shoe can be a gift.  I want (and need) support from a hiking shoe. I like a little cushion in the shoe because it absorbs the shock and allows support for joints and bones. The Xero shoes did NOT absorb the shock from the walking and my bones ached for days in way I had never felt before. Some folks might say that this means my feet are used to “cast shoes” and I need to give it more time. I say, no thank you.  I think I gave it enough time and maybe it is bias, but I think support in shoes eases the burden of the bio-terrain.  And so if I want technology – like memory foam or gel – inside a cast shoe to take the edge off of walking on hard surfaces – I am going with a shoe that offers this support. I now have a pair of OBOZ hikers that feel amazing with cushion support. 

 8) One of my favorite drinks from 2022 was this coffee on the second day of a mountain hike. We brought a baggie filled with Anthony’s organic instant coffee mixed with Keto powdered creamer.  It looked really weak when we were pouring the hot water, but it came out perfect. 

 Sometimes food and drink tastes better in certain contexts. Like after a fast, the threshold lowers and flavors are sometimes more powerful. Similarly, having hot morning coffee on a cold morning in the middle of a two-day hike can be quote the indulgent experience. 

 

 

Thanks for checking some favs from 2022. To join in with this week’s challenge, go here: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/

 

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