“Count your nights by stars, not shadows; count your life with smiles, not tears.”
– Italian Proverb
Adding to that, count your age by friends, not years. In my 73 years on the planet, I can attest to the wisdom of these quotes. This post, published on April 2, happens to coincide with the anniversary of my birthday. Not that I’m so special, everyone has a birthday, and I have been lucky enough to have survived over seven decades of celebrating my own special day.
On my birthday in 2015, the wispy clouds in the late afternoon drew me to my favorite spot at the edge of the White Tank Mountains in Buckeye, Arizona. I captured the opening image during the golden hour, a panorama that became one of my favorite images of the desert at sunset.
There are several baseball diamonds in the Phoenix Metro and prior to the start of the baseball season, several pro teams play each other in exhibition games, usually from late February to the end of March. In 2012, it happened that the final game for the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds at the diamond in Goodyear was on my birthday. My wonderful wife, Lynn, provided the tickets… ok, so I bought some of the beer. >grin<
In 2013, Lynn and I headed to Tucson with our hiking club. On April 2, we stopped at Picacho Peak, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, to hike the mountain that was the site of the only Civil War battle fought in the Arizona Territory. From there, we also visited the historic town of Tucson.
Some of our family joined us in 2018 for a cruise on the Dolly, a ship that tours Canyon Lake, a manmade lake near Phoenix. Created by a dam, the lake provides views of wildlife like bighorn sheep. High on a spire, an eagle built a nest, and I happened to get a birthday present of an image of mama and two fledglings.
In late March 2019, Lynn and I began a journey from Los Angeles to Miami via the Panama Canal. Other family members accompanied us and we made several stops along the way. It was our second trip through the canal. We were invited along with other family members to make this birthday even more special for me than our original trip through the canal in 2014.
On the evening of my birthday, I captured a sunset off the coast of Mexico, about 85 miles (136 km) southwest of Puerto Vallarta. On that note, I leave you with your challenge for the week.
Maybe you had a special birthday anniversary, or you have a new birthday in the family. Do you celebrate your pet’s birthday? Maybe it’s a birthday of an organization, or of your blog. For this week’s challenge, show us what is special to you about birthdays.
If you would like to join us on the Lens-Artist Challenges, click the link to find out how to join in the fun: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/about-lens-artists/
I also leave you with a link to a video that you can play on your birthday. It’s from the Beatles on their White Album released in 1968. Happy Birthday to you, whenever that may be!
Next week, I will be looking forward to seeing Sofia’s challenge and the responses that will surely follow.
John Steiner
[…] This week, on Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #193, John from Journeys with Johnbo is the host for this week’s challenge and he’s picked the theme They say it’s your birthday… […]
I see you like to travel on your birthday as well. 🙂 Nice post.
[…] Whatever event you choose to feature, please remember to link your response to John’s original here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag. Thanks also to Amy for last week’s Earth Story challenge. She […]
Happy birthday, John. You have had some pretty incredible birthdays in your 73 years. Keep up the good times.
I hope I have many more to come… but I’ll take what I can get. 🙂
I hope you do, too. You both have an amazing life together.
We have been lucky, so far. 🙂
[…] * Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: birthday. […]
[…] week, John from Journeys with Johnbo is hosting LAPC #193, celebrating birthdays (including his!). My birthday was only a month ago and […]
Happy belated birthday, John! Hope you had a great weekend. Here’s my contribution: http://peacefulatdawn.com/2022/04/05/lens-artists-photo-challenge-193-birthdays/
Thank you!
[…] challenge from John this week is They Say it’s your Birthday, which is just in time for my […]
Thanks for joining in on the challenge, Teresa!
All the best for your birthday month, John.
Here is my entry for this week.
What a heartfelt and wonderful post for your daughter, Teresa!
Thanks again John ❤️
[…] Lens artists photo challenge – Birthday Special […]
Some nice memories here John
Always good to celebrate your birthday 🎉🎂
We don’t make it a point to travel on our birthdays… they just always seem to coincide. >grin<
Must be a good time of year
[…] week’s Lens-Artists Challenge invites us to focus on birthdays. We’re not big on birthdays in our family, but back in June […]
What a lot of memorable birthday celebrations! In my post, I focus on just one … https://margaret21.com/2022/04/06/a-historical-happy-birthday/
I’m sure it was a memorable time for you and your family! Thanks for sharing such a precious time.
It was for me to remember it all, really!
[…] Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Birthdays […]
Happy 73rd birthday to you, John. I love your amazing photos. Here’s my post, not my birthday but my grandkid’s birthday!
Thank you, Miriam!!
[…] week, Journeys with Johnbo is hosting the challenge. One of the best birthday bashes in recent years was my husband’s […]
Thanks for hosting – here is mine for the week
https://norasphotos4u.wordpress.com/2022/04/06/lens-artist-challenge-topic-birthday/
[…] since John of Journeys with Johnbo created this week’s topic Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #193: They Say It’s Your Birthday, we just figured the rebirth of Chalk Walk was as celebratory as a birthday […]
Your topic was fun even though I don’t have many birthday photos. So, enjoy the Re-birth Day of Knoxville’s Chalk Walk this past weekend. It was artsy, fun and oh, so special! https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2022/04/06/re-birth-day-knoxvilles-chalk-walk-2022/
What a great festival!
[…] A sunrise like this on a Spring morning over the water. A gift on any day but if it is your birthday? Lens Artists Photo Challlenge #193 is ‘they say it is your birthday’. […]
[…] post is part of John S’s LAPC #193- BIRTHDAY photo […]
[…] week, John Steiner is looking forward to celebrating his birthday, so I’m happy to join the LAPC party. In some […]
[…] Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #193|Birthdays […]
[…] each month of the past year. How lucky that this week it’s John’s birthday and he set birthday as the theme for Lens-Artists photo challenge. You can find all the previous bestia’s birthday posts in the memories at the end of this […]
Here you go, finally it’s Friday and my fur friend turns 9! I hope you had a most wonderful birthday. Cheers!
Thank you and happy 9th to bestia!
[…] I am (as usual) coming quite late to this week’s lens artist challenge (#193 – They Say It’s Your Birthday), it appears that Johnbo and I actually share the same […]
Belated birthday wishes John. I have only meet one other person who shared my birthday! Great post
Thank you! As luck would have it, I actually have a niece and a nephew that share my birthday. We never forget each other’s special day. >grin<
Wow, a real family day then 🙂
[…] https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/2022/04/02/lapc-193-they-say-its-your-birthday/ […]
Wonderful post and theme, John! Love, love, love the eagle nest photo!
https://lindylecoq.com/2022/04/08/lens-artists-photo-challenge-193-they-say-its-your-birthday/
Thank you! I was lucky to catch the family peeking over the edge of their high nest!
[…] (For John’s Lens-Artists Challenge: They Say It’s Your Birthday…) […]
[…] Thanks to John for the challenge Lens’Artists #193: Birthday […]