Just wanted to let you know that I added some photos to the Photo Scavenger Hunt.
I will try to update photos in groups, so that there will not be a lot of these small notification posts.
Category: Examples
Photo Scavenger Hunt
I am taking part in a photo scavenger hunt. This has been something that I have been interested in trying for some time. I happened to stumble upon one over at Nicole’s site recently and decided to go ahead and jump in and give it a try.
What is a photo scavenger hunt? Exactly like it sounds, it is a scavenger hunt where, instead of bringing back the item, you take a photo of it. Of course, this presents some interesting options, as your list can contain items that are impossible in a conventional hunt. For example, you cannot bring back a building, but you can take a photo of one.
Now keep in mind that I am not a good photographer. However, this is part of why I am interested in joining in this hunt. By “forcing” myself to photograph subjects that I might normally overlook I will get invaluable practice and improve my skills.
I have completed the list and added all of my photos. You can click on the pictures to see them full-sized. This was my first ever photo scavenger hunt and greatly enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be looking to take part of more in the future. Who knows, I might even host one!
- Here is the scavenger hunt list:
- local currency
[singlepic=35,320,240,,] - local flag – Everyone’s decorated for St. Paddy’s Day!
[singlepic=37,320,240,,] - local food – Because what’s more Irish than potatoes?
[singlepic=38,320,240,,] - something rusty
[singlepic=47,320,240,,] - local wildlife – I couldn’t decide between these two, so I just included them both.
[singlepic=26,320,240,,]
[singlepic=27,320,240,,] - local nature
[singlepic=19,320,240,,] - local stamp – it was local once it got here. 😀
[singlepic=48,320,240,,] - part of your neighborhood (it can be a very small part)
[singlepic=44,320,240,,] - traditional house
[singlepic=41,320,240,,] - a local person
[singlepic=20,320,240,,] - local weather
[singlepic=28,320,240,,] - local transportation
[singlepic=25,320,240,,] - traditional local clothing – I don’t know if it’s traditional, but how could I pass up a photo like this?
[singlepic=36,320,240,,] - night sky – this was my first ever picture with the nighttime setting. I’ll have to play with it some more!
[singlepic=45,320,240,,] - sunrise
[singlepic=49,320,240,,] - local product non food – this is the product I was going to photo, and my wife happened to spot this one on the way to the store… just hanging in the tree!
[singlepic=46,320,240,,] - something furry
[singlepic=39,320,240,,] - something feathery
[singlepic=18,320,240,,] - a sign of the season
[singlepic=22,320,240,,] - a part of you
[singlepic=43,320,240,,] - your main hobby – had to go back in the archives for this one. It’s a combo of my two favorite hobbies, hiking & geocaching!
[singlepic=40,320,240,,] - a local shop
[singlepic=23,320,240,,] - a local restaurant
[singlepic=21,320,240,,] - a street sign – For some reason, this sign hits my funny bone. Something about traffic calming being the answer to road rage. (I know, I know, but it’s what I think when I see the sign.)
[singlepic=24,320,240,,] - a local mail box
[singlepic=42,320,240,,]
Keep Your Eyes Open for New Opportunities: Winter Veggie Soup Recipe
You never know where you will stumble on the next great thing. It could be a new hobby, a new widget for your collection, or a great vacation deal. My most recent find was a new recipe, discovered in the folds of the grocery store coupon book. I was waiting in line at the store and flipping through it to see if there were any deals that I couldn’t pass up. Turns out there was: Winter Veggie Soup.
With the weather cold and over-cast, some hot home-made soup seemed like a perfect fit. My wife and I gathered the ingredients and set about putting everything together. Once the preparation is done, this recipe is about as simple as they come, you just have to sit back and wait for everything to cook once it is all combined in the saucepan.
- Utensils
- Large pot
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Hand Blender
- Vegetable Peeler
- Ingredients
- 3 tsp of Butter
- 3 medium Carrots (peeled and finely sliced) [Ours were a bit small, so we used 5]
- 3 leeks white part only (washed and finely sliced)
- 1 1/2 medium sized Onions (peeled and finely sliced)
- 4 cloves Garlic (finely sliced)
- 4 medium Potatoes (peeled and finely sliced) [Again on the small side, so we used 6]
- 1 Chicken Stock Cube
- 4 cups Water
- 2 tbs chopped Parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Put 2 tsp butter, carrots, leeks, onions and garlic in pot over low to medium heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes.
Add potatoes, stock cube and water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a further 25 minutes.
Blend until smooth or leave a little chunk if desired (since we don’t have a hand blender, we used a potato masher. It worked just fine for us!), then add the remaining butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with chopped parsley.
For a side, we sliced a demi-baguette, buttered the slices and toasted them in the oven. The slices were delicious with the soup, either dipped into or simply eaten along with it.
This soup was much better than we anticipated (we weren’t quite sure about the amount of onion called for in the recipe) and we will definitely be having it again. We both had second helpings and scraped the bowls clean with our last pieces of bread. The next day we finished it off. Our only complaint about this delicious meal is that we just didn’t make enough. There’s nothing better than an easy recipe that results in a delicious meal!
Adventure Is Not All About Travel!
Often when I tell someone that I am going on a trip, they comment “what a great adventure!” And they are right. However, I think that people often have the mistaken idea that adventure = travel, which is not the case. Traveling might get you to the adventure, it might even be an adventure in and of itself, but adventure can be found wherever you are.
I think that the biggest reason for this mis-belief is because people don’t realize what I said in my first post, that “an adventure is something that is exciting or new to you.” They think ‘adventure’ and picture some grand excursion. In reality, an adventure can take place in your back yard, at your local park, or in your home town.
It all depends on your mindset. When you are looking for adventure, you can find it in the most surprising, dare I say everyday, places. If all it takes is doing something new or something exciting, you can do that in your nearest grocery store. I can wander over to the cheese section and find some very interesting looking specimens. I have never tried any of them, and know nothing about them. For a quick culinary adventure, I could pick out one that looks interesting and ask someone behind the counter what they recommend that I try it with. Pick up their recommendation and go home to sample. I might feel safer to do a quick search online for recommendations I searched for “Merlot and cheese combo” and came up with a list of cheeses to consider: Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, and Parmesan… in about three minutes. If you’re already a cheese fan and have tried everything offered locally, check out the other aisles, I’m sure that you can find something new.
If you are short of inspiration, spend some time with a 5 year old. Any child will lead you on a constant stream of adventures, if you let them. You will explore with a prince or princess, discover exciting worlds and otherwise have an amazing time. All of these amazing adventures to be had in familiar, everyday settings. (Don’t have a 5 year old that you can borrow? I’m sure that if you ask your friends, family, and neighbors you will find someone who could use a babysitter, even if it is just for a few hours of peace during the day.)
As a blog about everyday adventure, I will be mentioning all different kinds of adventures that are available, not just the ones that involve travel. Don’t become discouraged because you don’t have the time or money to go somewhere for a week-long getaway, you can have adventures anytime, anywhere, as long as you are looking for them.
Feed the Fowl
[singlepic=12,320,240,,left]
I have not yet found a city that did not have a body of water full of waterfowl in it somewhere. Mallard ducks with iridescent heads, majestic swans and… you know, geese. Sometimes these are ponds tucked away inside of a subdivision, in the middle of a local park, or they are the local boat ramp leading to a larger body of water. If you don’t already know where they are located, you can take an afternoon and explore, searching them out. You might be able to ask around and find someone who can lead you in the right direction.
No matter where you find them, these birds love to be fed. Fortunately for us, they make for a cheap date. Bread and water, as a matter of fact, and they supply the water. You don’t need much, a few left-over slices, a moldy loaf (I’d probably recommend throwing away the moldy parts, though), some out-of-date stuff from the store. I have never had too much, and have little fear of ever doing so. If you are at a park, they might have candy machines that dispense feed for $0.25.
You can always tell when they have been fed before, as they will flock towards you. (We were once trailed half-way around a pond by about 50 ducks, even though we had nothing to feed them.) This is quite handy, as there is no chasing them down. All you have to do is appear at the water’s edge, stand still for a few moments, and then begin serving dinner.
Simply pinch off a piece of bread, toss it near the waterfowl and watch them dine. They will dive after the bread, making sure it does not go to waste. (Though I have tried, I have not yet managed to find a duck who catches bread as it falls toward them… even when it hit them in the beak.) If your ducks are on land, you can carefully feed them out of your hand. Simply place the food in the palm of your hand and lower it down to their level. They will grab it with their beaks. Try not to move as they do so, or they might inadvertently pinch you (which can be frightening for children).
If you’re looking for a quick and simple adventure, feeding the fowl might just be the ticket. It can be calming, enjoying the scenery and seeing the beautiful colors of the birds themselves. Great photo opportunities are offered. It neither costs a lot nor does it involve a lot of traveling. Once you have found a great location or two, you can repeat as often as you wish.
Now go out, find your fowl, and enjoy the dinner!
See How Easily You Can Become an Explorer
Have you ever really explored where you live? Do you know what treasures can be found tucked away in the back of the shops that line the streets? If you are asked for a restaurant recommendation are you familiar with the local eateries where the servers know everyone and the food really tastes home-made? Have you ever really explored the park or discovered the local art gallery?
It always amazes me how much you can find when you head out on foot, especially in areas that you normally drive through. The slower speed enables you to see things that you easily over-look when driving by, especially because when on foot you are not as distracted as when you are driving. Since you are exploring, you can take the opportunity to visit that shop you always thought “looks like a neat place to visit”.
It doesn’t matter if you live in a large city or a small town, there are surprises to be found everywhere. The small town that I come from has an art gallery on the court square, chock full of local art. You would never find it driving, though; I discovered it while walking.
Perhaps you would be more interested in a different type of local information. Every community has some surprising tidbits of history tucked away in its past. Not only is the history there, but so are the markers. I’m always surprised by the events that happened in the most random locations. (There was a B29 bomber that crashed in July of 1945 less than 10 miles from the house I grew up in.) You can search out these markers and learn more about a local past.
If searching out history is your thing, not only can you seek out monuments and markers, but you can seek out the very foundations of your town. The city where I am attending school has dry-stacked (no mortar) stone walls that are over a century old lining some of its roads. Some of the buildings match the walls in age. It’s always interesting to discover these pieces of history that are still in use today.
Don’t hesitate to take a longer look at places you think you know. You might have over-looked something in the past, or something might have changed since you last visited. It seems that every time I visit the local park there is something new (or new to me). Perhaps a different bush is in bloom, progress has been made on the new walking trail, or I get to see the sunset framed behind the trees.
You will work up a pretty good appetite while exploring. Continue seeking out new things as you prepare to dine. Try a new eatery; some of the best food I’ve had came from the most unlikely-looking places. If you’ve already been everywhere, visit a familiar place but sample a new dish. How can you say who has the best burgers in town until you’ve tried them all?
You might not be able to explore your whole community in a single afternoon, and that is probably not a bad thing. You can start every trip at a different place, view things from a different angle, and continue to discover new secrets about your home.
Are You Still Making Excuses?
My wife and I are very excited about studying abroad in Ireland. As much as we are looking forward to it, though, it almost didn’t happen. The worst part? It would have all been our own fault. We kept finding excuses why this wasn’t the best time to take the trip.
- It’s cheaper to go over during the summer, on our own
- What if we can’t get all of the classes we need?
- We’re having a hard time finding an apartment within our budget, what if we can’t find somewhere to live?
- What if something happens and we run out of money?
Each of these have easy answers why they are not issues. This is not only the best time to go to Ireland, but we get to stay longer, so any extra cost is worth it. If we do miss a couple of classes, we can take them over the summer at the community college. We always have a hard time finding apartments online, we do much better in person; at the worst, we will have to raise our budget and cut back somewhere else. No matter what, we already have our return tickets, so we will not get stuck in Ireland.
We were accepted into the program, and then spent two weeks debating if we should go or not. The stress was building. Finally, I sat back and realized that we were just making excuses. Were we going to pass up living in Ireland for 6 months because of excuses? Excuses! Not on your life. Once we realized that there were no real reasons for us not to go, everything seemed to fall in place.
What adventures are you missing out on because of your excuses? Don’t do this to yourself!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain
Do you have an adventure you want to experience, but excuses are holding you back? Here’s a process that will help you out. All you need is paper and pencil. Following are six questions; write down the first thing that comes to mind for each question. Keep writing until the flow stops. I will provide an example for each question, identified by this color.
- What is the absolute worst thing that could happen if you do what you are considering?
We would go to Ireland without having found a place to live, and not be able to find somewhere to live while we were there. So we would have to stay in a hotel and would burn through our money, leaving us broke and homeless in Ireland. - What could you do to fix what went wrong?
I imagine that the school would not let us stay homeless, so I am sure we could work something out. We could check Craigslist and find a place to stay in trade for work. We could find a job that pays under the table, doing handi-work or something. We could find housing through a local church. We could stealth camp around the town. Last but not least, we could borrow the necessary money from our families. - If you go through with your idea, and it works out well, what are the possible positive outcomes?
We will be able to spend five months in Ireland (my first trip out of the country). We will get to spend a week traveling around Europe, and spend a couple of days with my wife’s host family from when she studied abroad in Finland. I will be able to work on the website while I am traveling, and will have built up a decent readership by the time we return to the USA. - Are you putting off what you want to do only because of fear?
I’m afraid that I won’t get the classes that I need, that we’ll spend more money than we can afford, or that …. I think that is basically what it boils down to. - What is it costing you to postpone action?
We stressed ourselves out for two weeks, trying to determine if we could go. If we went during the summer, it might cost us less, financially, but we wouldn’t get to stay as long or do as many things. Also, since we are going during the school semester, we still have the summer to go on other adventures. If we don’t go now, we could continue finding excuses for years. - What are you waiting for?
We have looked at the worst that could happen, and the best that could happen. I know the worst that is possible, and the simple things that I can do to fix it. I think we just ran out of excuses…
Quit making excuses, get on with your adventure!
Sunset Painting Completed!
My excursion back into painting was something that I have been looking forward to for some time. I purchased the materials over a year ago, but never made the time to use them. As I was writing the Planning Your Adventure series, I decided to use “paint a painting” as an example for a simple adventure to plan. This motivation pushed me to dig out the materials and actually paint! Even with this motivation I continued to put it off. I was in the process of moving out at the time and I put it off until I got to the point where I either had to sit down and paint or pack the materials away for another six months.
One evening, when I was done packing for the day, I spread out my art supplies. The kitchen table was covered by tubes of paint, brushes, a canvas, and the inspirational photos that I had taken over the last couple of weeks.
Of course, then it occurred to me that I had packed away all of my cups and plates. What was I going to use as a palette and to rinse my brushes in? Fortunately acrylic paint is non-toxic and washes off of smooth surfaces fairly easily, so I was able to use a tupperware lid. Looking around, I spotted the water bottles in the recycle bin and cut the bottom off of one to use. (After washing it out afterwards, it is still perfectly recyclable.) I was set!
The image that I wanted to paint had been in my head for over a year now, so it didn’t take me long to start painting. After getting the sun roughed in, it wasn’t quite right. After three tries, it still wasn’t quite what I had in mind. Apparently, though, it was what I was going to end up with. So I finished the sun and began painting the trees silhouetted in front of it. Hmm… this was working out quite well. I liked how they framed the sun, causing it to stand out even more. With renewed excitement I finished up the trees.
As with everything else, this painting did not go according to my plan. However, I very much like the finished result, as does everyone else who I have shown it to. I plan to frame this and hang it up in our new apartment once we return from Ireland.
A 5 Year Old Took Me on an Adventure
My niece took me on a series of adventures this weekend. A simple camping pad from Wal-Mart became a roller-coaster ride and then transformed into the three pigs’ house. The big bad wolf came and “blew the house down” (over and over and over!) By spending a couple of hours following chasing her imagination we had some wonderful adventures.
As much of a stinker as she can sometimes be, my wife and I always look forward to spending time with our niece. Her delightful disposition and natural creativity, coupled with the simple playfulness that comes with her age makes our times together nearly continual playing and games.
She brought the camping pad out and asked me to roll her up in it. I did so, and then lifted the end of it, quickly unrolling her (roller coaster). She loves that! It works best if you keep their arms straight down to their sides. Eventually I got tired and we switched to building a house out of the pad. It is a simple matter to stand it up on end, wrap it around her as she sits down, and then cover her with a blanket. Then I get to play the part of the Big Bad Wolf who comes and Huffs, Puffs and Blows Her House DOWN!
Of course, the playing did not stop there. We migrated out to the garage, discovered a box large enough to play in and spent nearly an hour focused on the box. Later in the day we headed outside with the camera and took a number of photos. I am pretty sure that my niece is going to be a model, or a photographer. She absolutely loves being on either side of a camera, and is a natural. Pictures of her come out wonderfully, and she’s already better with a camera than I am.
It is very easy to come up with excuses to not play with my niece. “I’m too tired,” “I have a headache,” or “I have some work to finish.” No excuse is worth missing out on the irreplaceable time spent together. I don’t actually need a nap, rarely do I have more than a mild headache, and work can definitely wait.
Sometimes it is easier to avoid what you really want to do than to get started doing it. It takes a lot of energy for me to keep up with my niece, but it is always worth it. If you are blessed with time to spend with children, take full advantage of it. Time flies by, don’t let it slip through your fingers. Your adventures might be imaginary, and your guide might only be a couple feet tall, but the memories will last a lifetime.
The Packing Conondrum
What do you get when you combine a budding ultra-light backpacker with a 4.5-month trip? A frantic series of repacking attempts. Over the last two weeks I have repacked my suitcase at least five times, and altered my packing list even more more.
My original goal was to take only luggage that could be taken as a carry-on. It’s not going to happen. I have ended up with a fairly small suitcase worth of stuff, spread out into a bit larger duffel bag (so that I have room to bring souvenirs back). In addition to my carry-on backpack, which will have my electronics, notebooks for school and entertainment for the flights.
Dividing my stuff into two bags offers a couple of different advantages. If my duffel bag gets lost, I can buy new clothes fairly easily. However, if my backpack is lost, I will lose a couple of electronics (laptop, GPSr, Palm and cell phone) that contain irreplaceable information. I do have backups of the information, but it will be a continent away, and thus inaccessible until I return. As my carry-on, my backpack will remain with me at all times, and thus will be easy to keep track of.
I was able to get down to a single suitcase fairly easily after realizing that I only wear a limited amount of clothes on a weekly basis anyway. In all reality, if I did laundry every night, I would only need two outfits. One to wear and one to wash. Since I won’t be doing laundry every night, I need to take enough clothes for a week (my normal laundry schedule). What a coincidence, I need a week’s worth of clothes and I normally wear the same clothes week to week. It’s perfect!
In order to get the most use of my wardrobe, I chose clothes that I can pair together in a number of different combinations. I can wear any of my t-shirts individually or as undershirts. My dress shirt can be layered under my sweater for warm dressiness, worn casually with jeans, or simply worn with my dress pants when needed. By packing clothes that can be layered I am actually able to pack less. My warm-weather clothes double as baselayers, so my meager suitcase-worth of clothes will function for any seasons that I might encounter while traveling.
Since I was able to limit myself to only the dufffel bag and backpack, I will have everything that I need, but will be compact enough to remain mobile. I should not have any problems carrying my luggage whether we travel by bus, plane or train. While the urges of the ultra-light backpacker have not been fully satisfied, an acceptable compromise has been reached. I should only have to re-pack another time or two before we leave. 😀