30 Days of Photographs II: Pleasure

I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret. We're only 13 days into this prompted photographic journey and I'm exhausted. When I dove headlong into this marathon, I'd read the rules and skimmed the prompts. Post a current photo, accompanied by no more than 250 words, for 30 consecutive days based on each day's prompt? Sounded like a cakewalk to me.

I read all of this in the wee hours of April Fools' Day—oh dear gawd, the irony. Without hesitation, I opened a new post, inserted a photo I'd taken after March 1st, and published my first post—two hours late. Yep, that's one of the rules. No matter which time zone we're in, most of our posts hit the blogosphere at exactly the same time. It. Is. Beautiful.

I find pleasure in the simple things many people take for granted or don't even notice. What gives me the greatest pleasure is anything that brings a smile or a raucous belly laugh to my sometimes too serious self, delightfully surprises me, or leaves me in awe.

Photography is how I express all of this and so much more. When words fail me, as they so often do, I shift my perspective and start shooting—straight from my heart.

This week, I've logged many hours in the car and on foot trying to find opportunities to complete the list of prompts.

Along the way, pleasure found me.

This juvenile red-tailed hawk attempted to snag dinner. Unfortunately we were both fooled by the wooden decoy.

One very hungry and disappointed youngster heading out in search of edible prey.

These markings on its back form a Rorschach inkblot with ever-changing interpretations.

Yes, I broke the 'one photo' rule because these 45 minutes were some of the most extraordinary I've experienced in months.

Tomorrow's prompt is: Forty-Two. Ziva and Mike? You. Will. Not. Break. Me.

Camera Critters, Weekly Top Shot, Sunday Best.