REPOSTED: Here They Are!! January's FREE PHOTO CONTEST Entries: Theme: Bridges!! and the announcement of February's FREE PHOTO CONTEST THEME!!

This is a RE-POST!!!
(I forgot one photo by Peter F. so I added it at to the beginning this post. Not to fear, though, I did not contact any judges yet, so the voting will not be affected!  If I forgot to list anyone else's photo, please let me know right away!!)  My apologies to Peter!

You have all done it again!!

You have blown me away with all of your entries into 

January's FREE PHOTO CONTEST with the theme of:

BRIDGES!!!

We got 19* entries!!

(*Once again, if you entered a photo by the deadline of Jan. 31st, midnight with the correct theme, and do not see it listed below: PLEASE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY).  If this occured, I will re-post this blogpost to include your forgotten photo before I contact the judges.  It is possible I skipped someone as I was gone on vacation and may have not noticed your email.

That being said, here are all of the WONDERFUL 

bridge photos!!!!:

This one is by Peter F.  His blog is called: "White Shadow in the Basement".

This one is from Amy. Her blog is called: "Amy's Camping Chronicles".

This one is from Bilsot. His blog is called: "Amateur Photographer".

This one is from Miss Arti. Her blog is called: "My Yatra Diary".

This one is from Sharon. Her blog is called: "Sharon's Paws Create".

This one is from Paz. His blog is called: "Pictures of Ireland"

This one is from VaBookworm 87. Her blog is called: "Confessions of a Bookworm".

This one is from Sara. Her blog is called: "Greyt Days".

This one is from Muffy. Her blog is called: "Muffy's Marks".

This one is from Nat. Her blog is called: "Just Nat".

This one is from Teresa. Her blog is called: "Gardening With Soule".

This one is from Eva. Her blog is called: "Wrestling With Retirement".

This one is from Connie. Her blog is called: "Far Side of Fifty Photos".

This one is from Patty. Her blog is called: "Two Greyhound Town".

This one is from Linda. Her blog is called: "Linda's Letters".

This one is from DJan. She has two blogs. One is called: "D-Janity" and the other is called: "Eye on the Edge".

This one is from Scott P.  He does not have a blog.

This one is from Larry B. He has two blogs. One is called: "Larry's Creative Zone" and the other one is called: "Larry's Photo a Day".

This one is from Judy. She has two blogs.  One is called: "The Road to Here" and the other one is called: "Through Squirrel Eyes".

***************************************************************

Weren't they WONDERFUL???????

Gosh, I kind of hate to have to contact the Judges.

They are going to HATE ME for having to choose just ONE winner!

*****************************************************************

And WHAT, (you ask)....

is

FEBRUARY's 

FREE PHOTO CONTEST's THEME???

Well, get your cameras out and get busy!!

The theme is:

OLD BARNS

Send me your old barn photo by midnight, Feb. 28th, 2011 

following

THESE RULES.

You do not have to have a blog to enter.

All votes are IN!! Here is your 2010 Winning photo of the YEAR!!!!

As most of you know...

I have been on vacation to Florida

and

to Savannah

for the last three weeks.

We just got home a few days ago,

and

I am tired but glad to be back.

Unfortunately, I got behind in my posting

for my FREE PHOTO CONTESTS....

but

the good news is--

that

all the votes are in and now I can announce the 

2010 WINNER OF THE YEAR.

(For those of you that haven't seen all 12 monthly winners, click HERE to see the blog post).

The votes were very close, folks....

so many of you deserved to win.

All of the winning monthly photos were marvelous.

But, without further delay....

DRUM ROLL PLEASE......

The winner 

IS:

JOE!!!!!

This is Eva's husband's shot. Eva's blog is called: "Wrestling with Retirement".

Congratulations Joe!!!

Job well done!

I need to also give kudos to the very close runners-up:

--Judy, for her wonderful photos of birds

--Linda for her awesome captures of the eagle and waterfalls

and

Pat, for his wonderful clouds photo

You three had the second most votes in the order listed.

But, most of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for entering every month and making this contest as wonderful as it is!

Please keep submitting your wonderful photography...we all benefit when you do.

Bond Falls-Part TWO

Continuing today with winter falls pictures

at

Bond Falls...

(if you missed my last post, scroll down to see Part One).

I loved the walkover bridges on the river:

Black and white heaven:

Lacy ice formation right next to the edge of the falls brink:

See how black and white changes this same scene from up above?

I love doing this in the winter!:

And?

Here is the color version of the other black and white one above too:

Can you hear the rapids?:

(I had a hat with earflaps on, so I probably didn't hear it very well either. haha)

I HAD to play with black and white

AND

shutter speeds in this shot.

I'm SO glad I did...

I loved the little ice and snow formation

right smack in the middle of this set of falls!:

I have more photos again for you of these falls

in my next blogpost....

so go warm up now with a cup of cocoa

until we meet again!

Bond Falls!-Part ONE

Every winter, I like to snowshoe in to at least one winter

waterfall.

Not only is it good exercise, but the falls take on a whole new look

in the winter white

and

never fails to amaze me with its ice formations.

Besides, it is wonderful for black and white photos too.

So, about a month ago, we packed up the car and took a drive to Bond Falls.

It was gorgeous.

And there had been so many snowmobilers that had walked the trail to the falls, that we didn't even need

to use our snowshoes...we wore our regular winter boots.

So for the next few blogposts, I am going to share some of the beauty of these winter falls with YOU.

The falls are actually a set of several cascading falls down to the very bottom.

So I am showing you these in the order of our actual walk down the falls.

SEE why I really LOVE winter falls?:

All over the place were clumps of snow and ice right beside rushing water:

And stunning "plates" of ice formations overhanging the rapids:

This adorable little hut is open in the summer at the falls...but it was closed up and sealed

for the winter now:

Pine boughs....

               snow clumps...

                                 and rushing water..

                               Awwww...

Forget about looking at clouds for dreams...

what do these look like to YOU?:

I loved this little

adorable bridge

on the walk beside the falls:

AND

this view of the river

with the bridge over it:

And we totally lucked out with the weather that day....

very warm for US....in the high 30's and sunny...

hardly even a breeze.

Just glorious and refreshing.

Stay tuned, I will be posting MORE of our Bond Falls trip

in blogposts to come....

Hoarfrost: Part THREE

Just a few more pictures today

of the

lovely hoarfrost

we had one winter's morn.

Enjoy!

May this winter's day find you in awe of Nature

and may the day be as bright as this was!!

Hoarfrost: Part TWO!

As mentioned in my other blogpost,

I took so many photos of our recent hoarfrost on the trees and plants...

that I had many more to share with you.

So we will continue again today....

Weeds take on a whole new look when they get covered in shiny frost!:

And, just LOOK how neat the frost crystals are up

close and personal:

And the hillsides?

MAGICAL!:

When the sun shines down on the bushes, they absolutely

GLOW!:

See?

SEE why I get so excited

when I look out my window

and notice that we had hoarfrost arrive overnight?:

I will be doing one more blogpost

with the pictures of this glorious day, so stay tuned!

*****************************************************************************

Did you know that this is the LAST DAY
to enter the FREE PHOTO CONTEST
for Janaury???

You only have until midnight tonight to send me your
photo...with the theme of:

BRIDGES!!

So, get up, get dressed, grab your camera....drive out to your favorite bridge,
snap a photo
and send it!!!

Just follow these rules!!