Taking in Life Around Me.....#Sundaystills: Theme...Peek

This #sundaystills challenge is hosted by Terri from Second Wind Leisure. It's a great themed photography challenge that you'll enjoy. I love seeing the other participants interpretation of the theme each week...it causes me to think outside the box. I joined in hopes of it pushing me to get out and take more photos...I have to some degree, but I also like that Terri is okay with us finding photos in our archives, which is also a lot of fun. So check out my photos and then head over to Terri's page to participate or visit other's posts. There are some awesome contributors who always inspire me.

This weeks theme is "peek". We could also use "peak" or "pique".

One thing this challenge has done, is piqued my interest to want to get more creative with photography, explore the areas around my own home more, and create a greater desire to visit different areas of the world. 

I always get excited when the spring blooms begin to peek through the ground, and I always hope the deer don't get to them. 

There's a lake in the town that neighbors my daughter and son in laws town and the houses all around it are amazing. There are some rundown ones, but there are so many beautiful and unique houses. I always wish I could "peek" in the windows. The one above (sorry the picture is not clear), has an atrium attached to it (which is what I was trying to photograph but the sun was glaring)...I've always wondered what it looks like inside.

This is another home on the lake...There are so many unique style homes, from cottages, to stucco, to 70's style and more. Longview is almost 100 years old. One day if I walk it with the grandkids I'll try and take more pictures. I'm always paranoid of getting caught, which would probably keep me from ever peeking in windows.  I shared on the #weekendcoffeeshare all the squirrel bridges that are in the area of this town. Find my post here. Since I've started babysitting the kids at their home and taking my grandson to preschool, his little sister and I do a lot of exploring during the 2 1/2 hours he's there. It's been fun. 

Peeking in storefront windows last Wednesday...this caught my eye. My mom used to have an Easter tree and if this one had been for sale, I would've bought it. 

Ginger (my daughter and son in laws dog) peeking out the window...and her little pink tongue peeking out of her mouth.

I stayed the night with the grandkids last night while my daughter and son in law were in Seattle for Supercross races...this morning I peeked under the table to see this. Pepper and Ginger have a special relationship. Sometimes it's an annoy and be annoyed relationship. 

We've always loved trips to the beach and if we have the opportunity to peek into tide pools, it's fun to see what we can find. This was probably 2011 or 2013. 

This little goat was peeking around the fence hoping for some treats at the Draper Girls Farm in Hood River Oregon. Always a stop when we are there. From their neat antiques, fresh fruit and beautiful flower gardens, plus the view of Mt. Hood...it's a favorite. 

Late summer can be peak fire season in the PNW. This hazy sky was from the fires in Central Oregon when we visited Sunriver in 2017. 

We have covered porches around our house, so whenever the sun hits just right and peeks into the house, I get excited. I always think sun through windows is beautiful. 

When we were in Italy...I so badly wanted to peek through the doors of these homes to see how the people lived, what their homes were like, to ask why they all had "curtains" over the doorways. 

The peaks of the Swiss Alps were stunning. We often said it was like the PNW on steroids at times. 

I love historical homes and buildings, and on Kelleys Island there are many. Again, I would LOVE to get a peek inside. 

We hit the "peak' season for fall leaf peeping in the NE States last fall. We followed a fall foliage map to determine when to go and when to hit each state. It was pretty accurate. 

When it comes to "pique"ing interest...My interest has always been piqued when it comes to paint and sips, which I've also found funny because, while my dad and his dad were very good at painting, I never thought I had that gift. I still don't, however, last year, I attended two paint and sips. I had no expectations except to have fun, and I sure did. This one, above and below was the second one I attended. I'm in the front row in the red shirt.

The above photo was my first paint and sip. That was a fun one too. 

Natalie was the first to pique my interest more in murals and public art, as well as exploring mine and neighboring towns and cities, keeping my eye open for what they have to offer. Many others do the same with public art posts, and even photographing doors, etc. They've all inspired me. Everyone on this link party inspire me every week. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin