Crimson’s Creative Challenge has been going on for a whole year, already. Can you believe that? I did not partake in all of them but quite a few. Thank you, Crispina for hosting such a fun and open challenge. There is no way I could NOT write a little something to commemorate this auspicious occasion and include a few “matching, not matching” pics 😉 I may have cheated a tad with the timeline, for the purposes of my story.
The Journey
We are to take a journey
Will it be a long one?
It will start late in the summer
And then we will arrive?
No, we must keep moving forward
All through autumn?
And once the leaves have fallen?
We must keep on through the snows of winter
This journey will take forever!
No, you shall see, before you know it, 52 weeks will have gone by
A whole year?
Yes! But you’ll have enjoyed the journey for all it has brought you
What about the challenges?
They were the reason this journey began
I am so very glad for it
I am too.
Dale this is beautiful and so sincere. Something only a good friend would do. I’m sure she’ll love it. Wonderfully done! 💜👏
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Awww… Thank you, Jen! It is amazing how friendships are born over the blogosphere. I have come to know and appreciate Crispina so much in such a short time.
You have made my day (well, it’s 1 am so I am off to bed, but you know what I mean!)
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You’re welcome Dale. and it is amazing how we’re drawn to some people and not others. It’s a mystery! 😊
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So true. And what amazes me is how friendships are formed through this on-line world which are very real.
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Dale, beautiful photos, and a fantastic way to arrange them in answer to the prompt. I smile at your creativity. That is what the challenge is all about.
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So glad you liked, Crispina. A tad forward of me to add not one but three photos but once the idea was born…
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No problem, you add as many as you want. The restriction is on wordage. 🙂
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Yes, well, it feels rude as the photo prompt should take precedence…
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Nah, the challenge says… anything.
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I know, I know… I was pretty pleased with myself when this came to be, quite frankly. I had my “green” picture all ready and was trying to come up with a story to go with when I went back to my photos and well, there you have it.
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Well, those photos are fantastic. I really do welcome them. Let’s face it, I love trees.
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You and me both so I am ecstatic that you found my photos fantastic 😉
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I like the phrasing… 🙂
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Thought you might 😉
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See how well you know me 🙂
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Indeed! 🙂
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Well done Dale a gorgeous poem and well done Crispina and all who sailed with her 💜
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Thank you, Willow. 🧡
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💜💜
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🧡🧡
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This is a delight! Beautiful photos of the trees in every season–a journey through time (with friendship). Who could ask for more?
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Thank you, Merril. It is while I was looking for my usually “matching” photo that it came to me… And I was blown away by my own obsession with trees…
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Nothing wrong with that obsession (she says, thinking of the million photos she has of trees, too.) 😉
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Indeed. We are far from alone… 😁
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Lovely!
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Thank you!
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Excellent, Dale. I loved the 52 week view of life and the woods.
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Thank you, John. I admit that I was at a loss. There have been quite a few paths and roads in the 52 weeks.when this idea came, I had to run with it
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😊
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As the seasons change, so does the view. But we are still in the same place. What has changed? We have of course. Another year of experiences and life, changes our perspective on our own lives. Great pictures and poem.
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Thank you, Jan. You are so right. We grow and change and move forward intellectually, spiritually, emotionally…
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It looks like an intriguing challenge! And your response to the image was wonderful!
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Thank you, Dawn! Yes. It is wiiiide open… If you click on Crimson, you’ll be directed to Crispina’s post explaining all…
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Q,
How terrific was this! Blending the challenge with the anniversary with the theme to create this wondrous journey of four seasons. And nope . . not saying you’ve outdone yourself because you’re just going to keep outdoing yourself in every challenge to come, so yanno, that whole broken record thing? I don’t want to be it. I’m a father of two and thus have been accused of such things in the past. Imagine that . . .
Seriously though, this was so clever and appreciative in its steps from there to here. With the promise of going back and doing the whole journey all over again. To which I say as a devoted reader . . .
Yay!
B
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B,
Aww shucks! Thank you for your ever-generous compliments… Imma take ’em! It’s so funny because I had my “matchy-matchy” picture which is quite similar to Crispina’s, if’n I say so myself…. then I thought, Now what? During my search for the perfect pic, I had noted the others and THEN it came to me…
I love you thought it clever and wants you to know, Mr. Devoted Reader, that this writer is muy appreciative.
Double Yay!
Q
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Take ’em . . por favor. 😉
I remember the matchy matchy, it was/is a keeper alright.
Glad it did, because you hit a grand slam with it.
As is this devoted reader . . as in muy appreciative.
Let’s have a double, yeah!
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I will, graciously.
It was the last one, acting as bookends for the year. Damn, I really am clever! 😉
Funny how the things you think will be a mere ‘ok’ turn into a grand slam…
Yeah! Yeah!
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As per.
That IS clever. As Rob Thomas would say . . you are smoooove!
You used your pen as if it were a Louisville Slugger and pulled a Juan Soto with this ‘un. Sweet swing.
Yeah!!
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Smooooove, eh? I likey.
Oooooh! I love that I know what you’re talkin’ about!
I’ll stop before we sound like The Beatles. 😉
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Like that ‘un? Of course, he had a shotgun partner in Santana. Which always helps the words go down silkily.
Knew it!
I thought the same song!
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I do. And they were magical together. I’ll never forget when that song came out and Mick and I argued over whether it was Santana or Matchbox 20… we were both right 😉
Course you did.
Course you did 😉
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It really WAS both in that instance. And which side did you fall on?
Course . . no coarse . . unless it’s needed. 😉
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I was Rob Thomas, Mick was Santana – of course.
Bingo!
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I am Rob Thomas as well, love that guy.
There is no putting Santana in a corner, I get it. But for my opinion and what it was worth, I had Thomas as well.
Haven’t played it in years!
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Me too. He has a voice that his own.
Oh, his presence was felt (those guitar riffs are ALL Santana) but the voice…
I don’t think we’re old enough to play. We’re in that middle phase…
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Funny how I was given some shit for my Thomas crush back in the day when I had the Gorilla blog. But those peeps were music snobs on a level of stupid, as far as I’m concerned.
He does songs with so many artists and you’re listening when all of a sudden . . WHAM!
This be the truth.
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Where you? Pffft to the music snobs who know not of what they speak.
He does. I was searching for a tune and I was surprised by just how many artists he has collaborated with… WHAM and BAM!
Thank gawd.
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Yeah, Pffft them!
And he’s got a story alright. Inspirational to young and old peeps alike.
Really.
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LOL!
He does! And he is.
😉
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😉
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😘
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😘
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😘😘
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😘😘
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This is so lovely and you are so kind and generous! Just had to say it! I found Crispina’s challenge through you (as I am known to do, stalking you around the bloggosphre…) and while I don’t always participate, I am always happy to when I can do so. Congrats to Crispina for the year’s anniversary, and that you to you, Dale, for all the good that you are.
And … I love the four season photos!
🙂
Na’ama
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Thank you, Na’ama. What a sweet thing to say! (Stalk away… how do you think I found these bloggers in the first place?) And, frankly, there are only so many challenges one can do in a day/week!
Seriously, you are too kind. Glad you liked my extra photos to go with Crispina’s excellent original!
xoxo
Dale
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🙂 Well, what sweetness it was, was well deserved by you, my friend. How perceptive of you to take the time to notice it’s been a year, and to take the time to comment on it so nicely. I just had to say something. So there. I had.
🙂
And … yes, so many challenges out there! Even if I had the time to respond to all of them, who’d have the time to read all that? 😉
So I just have to hope that those I do not always respond to, don’t take it personally, and that they aren’t seen as less worthy. Tis’ all of it really good stuff.
XOXO
Na’ama
PS is it still stalking if I have permission to do it? 😉
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I saw it was challenge #52, so I put it together myself 😉 Then she did a lovely post to commemorate it as well. That said, I shall take your compliment with grace and a smile.
There are so many. I won’t even look further than the 3-4 I do now… and even then I don’t do them all every week. I then feel I have no time to write my rants 😉 or walks…
I honestly don’t think any challenge issuer takes it personally as they, themselves are very involved in theirs and other’s.
Nah. Loses its bad-assedness when we give permission, doesn’t it?
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I’ll just continue to sneak around behind you and stalk you into other blogs, then, eh? …
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Yep…. Oh man! It god dark suddenly here and is hailing. Sorry, Zeke, I waited too long…
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Oh oh for the hail! I hope it stopped and melted and that poor Zeke doesn’t have to cross his legs much longer …
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It did, we did and now it’s snowing…
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Snowing???!!!
I not ready. I not ready! I not ready!!
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LOL! You guys get a lot less than we do ..
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I know … I’m a southern girl compared to you … 😉
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Hahaha!!
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A wonderful trip through the journey of the year Dale!
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Thank you, Andrea! It’s the least I could do 🙂
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Ah, Dale, such a lovely journey and your photos …ah….sigh sigh! 🙂 xoxo
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Thank you so much,Marina.
You are the sweetest.😘
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😊😊🤗🤗😘
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😊😊
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Loved that you looked at nature’s journey (as opposed to a personal one). You created a smile with this one.
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So glad I did, Frank!
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So beautiful, Dale. I love how you put it, the trees through the seasons.
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Thank you, Sawsan. I love when an idea works!
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It just sparks through like lightning
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Sweet!
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Dear Dale,
Love the poem and the photos. You’re so creative with the writing I’ve come to admire. Glad to be on this journey with you.
Shalom and lotsa hugs,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thank you! It’s so funny because I always say I’m not creative – didn’t inherit my father’s genes to paint so I thought that was it. Silly me…
So very glad to have you on this journey as well!
Shalom and lotsa love,
Dale
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Thank you for the reminder and for the journey in charming prose.
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Thank you, kind lady
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Very well spoken Dale! ❤
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