Photo-a-Day Week 52

We have reached week 52, but have 3 more days to complete the year's worth of daily photos. We still have kids and grandkids here, so tonight's summary will be brief. Come back Wednesday night for the year's conclusion. 

Day 356- 

This Christmas stocking has been with us since a year before we got married. This past June, we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary, so it has been around just a few years. The names of us, our kids, their spouses, their kids, and all of our pets over the years cover this relic. Instead of a wreath on our front door, I like having this on the glass door so you can see both sides of the stocking.

A Stocking for Everyone

Day 357-

In the winter the views of intermittent creeks really stand out through the woods. On some of our warmer days you can hear chorus frogs singing in the wetlands.

Intermittent creek

Day 358-

The late afternoon's sun's ray shine through the woods. Our maple trees keep their leaves long into the winter. The leaves really glow, making for another long angle sunshine photo. The pine needles hang on the branches like tinsel on a Christmas tree. 

Backlit Maple leaves

Day 359-

Turning the lights off and leaving the tree lights on a timer makes for a magical look. The lights from the tree reflect off all the windows, making it appear as though we have multiple trees. 

Reflections

Day 360-

 I know I have shared snails before, but this one being so dark looked different to me. Not sure what happened to its tail end. It is kind of cut up or scarred. Of course there is dog hair on the tail. 

How I'm moving OR Snail with Dog Hair

Day 361- 

Greenville-Spartanburg airport parking garage. Since I drove to pick up part of the family, I could only grab a photo once at the airport. Good angles and shadows of the parking levels made for a decent photo.

Stairwell

Day 362- 

Our three little grands came the day after Christmas and we celebrated once they arrived. When we were at the beach this summer they had cousin crew beach towels, so it was perfect for the kids to have t-shirts for this gathering. 

Cousins

Like I said at the top, come back Wednesday for the final installment of the 365-day Photo Challenge. 

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Photo-a-Day Week 51

We are so close to the end of the year! My week count is off a little, but the daily numbers are on target. With Christmas in just a few short days, there will be more holiday items in the daily photos. Come along and read more about the photos.

Day 349-

We went to a concert in Honea Path last week, and I wanted to photograph the decorations on Main Street. The concert venue is called Fiddle and Bow, a small former storefront building that hosts intimate concerts. This week was a bluegrass show. Small-town America really does Christmas decorations well!

Honea Path

Day 350-

Another day playing with the dogs in the driveway. It made me laugh when Liebling had the ring caught on her ears. She was ready to run after the other ring, not noticing she still had one on her head. 

I did drop it, throw the other one

Day 351-

We had another cold snap, and the water in the ditches froze in an interesting pattern. The curvy patterns caught my eye as I walked Fiona. 

Curvy ice

Day 352-

The tree is up and decorated. Millie has found a safe spot to hide from the dogs and check out the ornaments that are within her reach. I chose not to put the icicles on this year, some of Millie's favorite ornaments. She loved to knock them off the tree and scoot them around and tuck them under the edge of the rug. Not this year, sweetie!

Quality control 

Day 353-

If you could choose a rotten day to drive an hour to go to Costco, this would have been it. The traffic was crazy when we got up to Greenville, and the crowds were what you would expect right before Christmas. UGH!! 

Rainy foggy day

Day 354-

This winter bloomer is one of my favorites. Prunus mume 'Hokkai-bungo' is blooming a little earlier than usual this year. I look for it to be blooming by New Year's Day, but never before Christmas. Our weather has been different than previous years. Some days were a lot colder and others a lot warmer. If you can find a Flowering apricot, they are really nice to have, especially loved by the honey bees.

Flowering apricot

Day 355-

I was spreading some wildflower seeds on our septic drain field and noticed the holly berries on the Possumhaw holly at the corner of the lot. It is a native holly and grows wild in our area. Ilex decidua, like other hollies has male and female flowers on separate plants. 

Holly berries

The ones I didn't use-

While riding to Costco, I was taking a lot of rainy, foggy pictures. It was a toss-up whether to use this one or the one I chose. 

Here's another picture of the curved ice. Because I was walking Fiona, it was a quick couple of photos. Sadly, this one was blurry. A better view, but blurry, of the curved ice formation.

 I got out the kaleidoscope again to capture some Christmas magic. Do you see Santa? 

Thanks for reading through another week's worth of photos. 

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Photo-a-Day Week 50

We are getting close to the end of the year, and Christmas items are starting to enter my photo array. Hope you have been enjoying the various photos and maybe you would consider doing your own photo-a-day challenge for 2026! It certainly has been an interesting exercise in observing my surroundings and finding something to photograph. Some of the photos are interesting photo techniques, and others are purely subject matter-centered. Let's look at this past week's photos and the also-ran photos.

Day 342-

Lebkuchen tins. I have more than I would like to count. Each and every tin was purchased filled with lebkuchen. I can count seven more from my chair that are visible. Downstairs, there are more- another stack like this one. There are more in the closet with the Christmas decorations. We lived in Germany two times for a total of almost seven years. We like lebkuchen and I LOVE the tins. Each tin is different, a different decoration each year. When the girls were little, they had some of their 'treasures' in a tin, another had their artwork, and others recipes. Some of the tins still have a faint aroma of lebkuchen, that yummy gingerbread cookie from Germany. Our second time in Germany, we lived near Nuremberg, home of Otto Schmitt lebkuchen (these tins are from Otto Schmitt). Starting in October, you could smell the gingerbread in the air as they began the holiday baking.

Lebkuchen

Day 343-

These two items are from my mom's house. The Ruth stained glass window is in the Chevers chapel in the casement at Fort Monroe, Virginia. My mom, along with a number of other ladies from the Chapel of the Centurion at Fort Monroe did the needlepoint chairs for the Chevers chapel. Years later Fort Monroe ended up closing, and they closed the Chevers chapel. Those who worked on the chairs were able to have one. Fort Monroe is now a National Park facility. The Ruth stained glass window has the quote, "Whither thou goest, I will go. Where thou lodgest, I will lodge." A memorial to the Army wife.

Ruth window and Chapel chair

Day 344-

This is a pet peeve of mine. Bills or bank statements that come with an additional page printed with "This page left intentionally blank". Once those words are printed on said page, it is no longer blank. 

But is it?

Day 345-

Grocery shopping, looking for products that are gluten-free for when my daughter comes at Christmas. I took a photo of the shelf of breakfast cereal to see if any of these were of interest to her. She passed on these.  

Gluten free

Day 346-

After college, one of my friends and I went to Europe with Eurail passes and our backpacks. I bought a couple of pairs of wooden shoes while in the Netherlands. I like having them on the side table in the living room. I also have one of the others that my mom did some tole painting on. I can't remember where it is, will have to look for it one of these days. (not a high priority)

Wood on wood on wood

Day 347-

Our neighborhood book club has a cookie exchange in place of a book discussion in December. Others from in the neighborhood are invited. The group has grown over the years. A few years ago the option of not bringing cookies was offered. I am glad as we are up to baking eight dozen cookies. We share a half a dozen in each baggie or tin. Everyone who brings cookies takes home the same number of cookies they brought. The selection of cookies is always fun to see and sample! This is just some of the cookies, I put some into the red tin with the gold rim- to keep them fresh.

Cookie exchange haul

Day 348-

I got our Christmas cards done and in the mailbox to get mailed. Charlie helped me with addressing them. It was most appreciated as the list grows. Do you still send out cards? I feel like it is a nice way to stay in touch. As the grandkids grow, it is a nice way to share their cute little faces. Our kids don't want them on social media, which I totally understand, so this is my way of being the grandma showing off her little loves. 

Christmas greetings

A couple also-ran photos- 

Liebling was checking out the front yard, now that the leaves are down, the street is visible. She lets us know if anyone drives or walks by. 

She also likes to stare at me, hoping it is time to go out and play. Between her and Fiona, the plea to go out and play is strong. 

One of the possible choices was my plant window. I have grow lights to supplement the light from the southern window. Some years, I think about starting my indoor plants over again- that means tossing the leggy, not good-looking plants, and trying something new. 

Another sunset photo from a moving vehicle. It wasn't as bright and colorful as the sky, so I decided to use the mailbox full of cards.

Well, two more weeks!! If you decide to try this year-long challenge, let me know. I would love to follow your challenge. See you next week.

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.