A 'lil HooHaa

A lot has happened since last month’s challenge.

At least in my world.

The biggest change for me is the addition of a puppy to my world. And that hasn’t been easy. Yes, that is part of my happy post. So stay with me. But, it’s also been a different side of things for me. Until now, I’ve never dealt with something like this. Besides happy, it’s also been many other emotions for me. Not all of them positive, either. But, it’s a learning process.

This month, overall, has been tough. My normal deal in the summer is … I go to baseball games. I might take a trip or two. Maybe work on a project. And maybe get some geocaching or photography in. That’s changed.

Instead, this summer has been dealing with a puppy, going to a trainer, puppy classes, getting less sleep (especially on the weekends), and hoping things get better. Now, remember, first-time dog owner, so I’m not used to a lot of this. It is getting better and hopefully it will continue to do so. It’s frustrating, too, but we celebrate the small victories and look to the future!

I’ve been working on a blog post for this whole subject, so it will be coming. Until then, let’s get to this month. Here’s my five!

1-2. Harper

Yes, Harper (Harper Dublin “officially” for AKC purposes) is now in my world and will be for hopefully a long time. I struggled hard early, including second-guessing, debating calling the breeder or worrying about rehoming. But, a lot of that is because it’s constrained a lot of what I am used to be able to do … and in time, I know things will change. We’re getting there, but here she is. Purebred golden retriever. The second photo is of Harper and my friend Darren’s dog Lady, who was the first other dog Harper met and played with.

3. Vintage

One thing I am trying to work on is realizing I don’t have to be with the dog 24/7, and I need to still try and do some things. I had the chance to go check out a local vintage baseball game and brought my camera with me … enjoyed it. I might try and get to one or two others this fall.

4. Soap box derby

Things getting back to somewhat normal makes me happy. My town has an annual “fair on the square” that runs every Friday during July. This year they only did three of them, but the final week always features an adult soap box derby. They missed it last year, but this year was fun to watch!

5. Flowers

I love the colors of flowers and they always make me smile. Especially when I see them while out walking.

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.

** 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 June. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for August is Adventures! … Remember to come back on August 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: July 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!

Note: Please make sure you see the end of this post for the new way of doing things. It’s only one small change we made in November, but a change nonetheless. Thanks!

To say that my world has been busy would be an understatement.

But, it’s mostly for good reasons! And with that, I can’t be upset. If any of you follow me on Instagram, you’ve likely seen the photos I’ve posted of a puppy. By the end of this week, she’ll be here and a whole new adventure will be starting. There’s so much more going on in my world and I’m excited about it all. I’ve always started writing some blog posts offline, so hopefully everything that is changing will help me get back into this on a more regular basis.

Outside of that, it’s been an interesting month. We’ve had cold days and super hot days. Work has been a bear, as it is during this time every year. and it will keep me busy into the first couple weeks of the summer, and then it’s gearing up for the fall. Working in education can be quite crazy for anybody, but in my position, I have certain times that go into uber crazy mode — this is pretty much one of them. Then add to it some other things going on and I’m all over the place. I’m tired, that’s for sure, but I’m pretty excited where things are going and the direction of everything. I’m not saying everything is perfect by any stretch, but overall I can’t complain. And that is a good thing. I’ll keep plugging along and seeing where things go and hopefully I’ll be able to keep smiling!

And now, we slowly start to head into the summer months. It seems, at least in my part of the world, things are easing up. I’m still on guard, so to speak, but it’s nice to see smiles again and see people doing things. I hope, however, you all remain safe and diligent in doing your part so we can keep moving forward.

Now … let’s get to the photos! It was a DIY sort of month and here’s what I had for my five!

1-2. Building

Cameron stayed over one weekend and Legos (as well as Nerf wars) were on the docket. This kid is really quite good with Legos and building. We had to abandon one set as it was just a bit too much, but we attacked another one and he did an amazing job!

3. Being a DIYer

I’m trying to learn new things, including some woodworking. This was a setup one weekend. Stay tuned to the end of this post for some bonus photos!

4. Learning

I now own some pretty decent power tools as I learn more. This is my friend Darren showing me a bit about the circular saw. Reality is, I never needed to use a lot of these items. But I’m not doing my best to learn them as I found it’s quite enjoyable to do some DIY stuff.

5. Leftover

From the project that day, this is some of the leftover small pieces. I thought it was kind of cool looking!

BONUS PHOTOS!

So, what did we create that day? A couple of benches! Here are the end products! I learned quite a bit that day, and look forward to learning a lot more and creating more. Now these lumber prices need to come down!

And there are my five (plus bonuses) 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.

** 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 June. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for July is Happy! … Remember to come back on August 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: June 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!

Note: Please make sure you see the end of this post for the new way of doing things. It’s only one small change we made in November, but a change nonetheless. Thanks!

OK, so …

This deserves a bit of a face slap. Especially considering I am the one who posts the themes and such. Alas … here’s the story.

For this month, I had it in my mind that the theme was liquid. Not anything about drinking. So I had gathered a few photos when I happened to check out the post for last month … I noticed the “Drink up” theme. We dammit … the photos I did already have didn’t work, so it was back to the drawing board. I set up a light box tonight to snap some photos and I tried to come up with a different look at the theme. I think, for the most part, I captured it. I think there’s a few things I could have done differently, but I also didn’t feel like cracking something open and drinking it (you’ll see what I mean below), so I had to adapt in a different way. No problem with that. What I need to do for May is to keep the theme in my head and on my calendars. I’m taking more photos lately, so that should help.

That’s my story. I hope you all had a smoother theme month than that!

The weather seems to be changing here, and I hope it’s the same for you. Be safe and healthy and here are my five for the month.

1. A spot of tea?

I do love a cup of tea. I tend to go back and forth from teabags to loose tea, but I enjoy trying different flavors and brands. Fruity ones are more of my favorite.

2. Flavors

I have worked to try and drink as little soda and things like that as possible. I drink a lot of water, but sometimes I feel like I need to get some flavor. I like the no-sugar options that are out there. This is a few of them.

3. Red Solo cups

Whenever I see them … I still go back to my youth. Outdoor parties and filling ’em up.

4. Nectar of the Gods

I wasn’t in the mood for one tonight, or this photo would probably be of the pint glass! Either way, Guinness is amazing!

5. Water

This is from a trip from a few years ago. I picked it up and never opened it. I just thought it was very cool. Though I do wonder about water out of a tin/aluminum bottle.

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.

** 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 April. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for May is Spring has sprung! … Remember to come back on May 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: April 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!

Note: Please make sure you see the end of this post for the new way of doing things. It’s only one small change we made in November, but a change nonetheless. Thanks!

Eight years.

Though this challenge has had its ups and downs, and sometimes (winks) runs a little late. But, for eight years, we’ve held this challenge. And so it will continue.

In the eighth years this challenge has taken place, it’s held different looks and feels. Sometimes we had a lot of people. Other times, not so much. Over time, I’ve seen a difference in blogging as a whole — me included. Ever since the one year where I did one post a day, I’ve just sputtered on every aspect of blogging. But I would rather not lose this. So where do I go with it? I don’t know … but eight years of blogging this challenge has made me realize there are a lot of people in this world who still blog for the reasons I started. I never looked to make money on it (I didn’t mind the occasional freebie), I always did it as a way to just write and get my thoughts out on things. But the photos has always been the fun part of blogging. That’s why even though, at times, I’ve struggled — I’ve always wanted this to continue.

But I digress.

Eight years has been a blast … and I hope there is more to come.

Make sure you all read each things here … there might be some surprises!

I hope you all had a good month and here’s also hoping for the future months to be as good or better. Be safe and healthy and here are my five for the month.

1. Eight

I’m trying to journal a bit this year and get back to pen to paper. I’ve been pretty good about it, but there’s been some missed days as I find my style and way I want to do things. I thought this made for a good entry!

2. Snail mail

I been into Postcrossing for quite a while, but like other things, I go in spurts. So I have a lot of postcards. Here are eight of them. And what should I do with these eight? Well … if you are commenting or a regular participant of the challenge and would like a postcard… let me know in the comments (you’ll need to privately send me an address).

3. Meeples

I love board games. And meeples are pretty awesome. So here are eight of them!

4. Pathtags

Part of geocaching is collecting personal items — including pathtags. Pathtags are individual coin-type items that colorful and detailed. I’ve had several made during my geocaching time. Here are eight of them. I haven’t had one done in a few years, but I might have to think about doing a new one soon.

5. Dice

I have quite a collection of dice. Here’s a few showing 8.

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.

** 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 April is Drink up … Remember to come back on May 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: March 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!