Sharon's Souvenirs

Monday, July 15, 2019

Cell Phone Costa Rica

Dominical sunset.

I take more photos with my cell phone than I used to. Here's why...

1) These days, the main reason I grab my phone when I leave the house, is to track my steps. My goal is 10,000 steps a day. DJan is snickering (she's too nice to guffaw) since she probably gets 20,000 a day - uphill. I don't always make it, but some days I surpass it - 13,841 steps last Saturday! The good news: cell phones can underestimate steps by around 20 percent. So, a camera-in-hand means more photos.

2) For God's sake, I need to carry my phone so I don't miss an email from Athleta or Barnes and Noble. Sigh. Phone = photos.

3) Blog Stats. Yes, you heard me right. Actually, you probably aren't hearing this at all, because you're not visiting. Or worse, visiting, but not reading. That's why I keep my posts short. I don't like admitting that my stats are down, but on the other hand, it isn't a good use of my time to try to fix the problem. But what I can do, is spend less time blogging. I take more photos with my phone and skip the fancy editing. Now, I simply upload posts right from my phone. Or photo edit on the fly with my laptop while traveling. The days of photoshop are dwindling.

Today, I uploaded this group of rejects and stragglers, right from my camera roll: Cell phone Costa Rica...

Apparently, this Great Curassow is a farmer's market pet. Somewhere, around Dominical.

A fried avocado and shrimp salad at PorQueno? in Dominical.

Yum!

A coati at the front door in Playa Flamingo. (at the Happier House)

Cows on the lam in the hills over the Osa Peninsula. If you're ever driving in Central America, (we've done it twelve years running) and a vehicle flashes its lights as they pass, a hazard is in the road ahead. That happened to us here. Morris code for: Cows in the Road!

The view at PorQueno?

The only flamingos you'll find in Playa Flamingo. (because it's named for the pink sand)

Dominical sunset.

Inflatables in Jaco.

Sangria at Iguana Lodge. Yum!

I love this photo. Dogs in Puerto Jimenez.

Playa Flamingo pool. Sigh.

Stay tuned for my last two Costa Rica posts from our 2019 trip...

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Sky Watch Friday

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Monday, July 8, 2019

Closing the Capitol

I love this photo.

It's time to move on to our 2019 trip to the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce. Nice! This is my last post in a seemingly endless series from our 2018 trip to Canyonlands, Arches and Capitol Reef. We love Red Rock country so much, we're already planning our 2020 trip: sizzling Sedona, Arizona and Lake Powell. I can't wait.

Mule deer.

We were shocked to discover orchards in the desert, dripping with fruit. In Capitol Reef, they harvest cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, apples and pears. While we were there, we devoured a tiny cherry pie so good, I brought one home on the plane. We also picked slightly under-ripe apricots and brought those home too. After tasting them ripe, I wondered: why the heck didn't we pick more?

Always cairns.

A last look and on to the next!

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Sky Watch Friday

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Monday, July 1, 2019

I Love Liquor!

Miami is a photographer's rainbow-colored dream. I wasn't there long enough to take an extended photo safari, but, if you're staying in South Beach, the photos practically find you.

Sunrise started it all. Actually, a dark, early morning breakfast at the New's Cafe started it all. We dined early enough to see late-night revelers strolling home, hung-over, on the sidewalk in front of us. Year's ago, we were visiting South Beach around the time of Gianni Versace's murder, just a few doors down. Now, the mansion has a restaurant.

Follow my lens...

Classic color and Art-Deco charm on South Beach. You'll discover that each lifeguard tower has a different design and color scheme. Cool.

Since we're cocktail connoisseurs, I had to snap this sidewalk photo.

Indeed! However, I don't love littering.

The parrots of Miami.

I find this photo hilarious. It's like the beginning of a writing prompt: The plastic Port-a-Pottie flew over South Beach on an epic joy ride, trailing toilet paper like streamers in an air parade.

Here's a challenge: Create your own sentence for this photo and leave it in my comments.

Below our balcony, dinner was served.

Sunset over cruise ship row. Seeing the monsters lined up like floating planets is awe-inspiring. There aren't enough adjectives to describe the size of the behemoths they're shipping off these days. They're like floating water-parks. I prefer land.

Happy Independence Day!

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Sky Watch Friday

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Monday, June 24, 2019

Costa Rica: Diez

I've arrived at number ten: seven photos, ten weeks, short and sweet. Week ten continues near the sands of Playa Flamingo. We decided long ago that the beaches of Dominical, Costa Rica, are our favorite. Still, there's beauty in the tropical dry forests of the more touristy end of Costa Rica. Follow my lens...