August 10: Water: Lakes
“Make your heart like a lake with a calm, still surface and great depths of kindness.”
-Lao Tzu
Lynx Lake is one of the most pristine lakes in Arizona.
Featured Bloggers for WQW #28: Rivers
Thank you to those who linked.
- BEACH WALK REFLECTIONS
- KEEP IT ALIVE
- LIGHTWRITELIFE
- NOW AT HOME
- SECOND WIND LEISURE SUNDAY STILLS
- TRAVEL WITH ME
- TOURING MY BACKYARD
- WIDE EYED WONDERINGS
IT’S EASY TO PLAY ALONG WITH #WQW
This weekly writing challenge runs from Wednesday through Tuesday at noon. All you need is a quote to go with your post. Write a poem, story, or memoir. Share photos and a story or no story. Just have fun with it and let the quote or quotes lead the way.
Topics for the year (subject to change) are listed on the WQW Page. Feel free to post weekly, or drop in from time to time – All are welcome.
Definition of Lake
“a large body of water surrounded by land.”
Oxford Dictionary online
For More Ideas about Lakes
- YOUR BLOG POST GOES NEXT
- HEAVEN’S SUNSHINE
- HOURGLASS POETRY
- KEEP IT ALIVE
- LADY LEE
- LOVING LIFE
- NEW2WRITING
- SECOND WIND LEISURE
- TRAVEL WITH ME
- WIDE EYED WONDERINGS
Summertime and the Livin’ Is Easy on Man-Made Lakes
“Skip a stone. Take a hike. Sit a spell. Listen. Daydream. Just breathe. This is lake living.”
Unknown
Our parents needed to wait until Dad retired before they had children. Sadly, as far as our enjoyment of lakes was concerned they did not wait.
Lakes were not a huge part of our upbringing in Indiana. Dad worked most of the time, and Mom was pretty much allergic to the outdoors. Lakes weren’t within walking distance so Randy and I could go by ourselves. Our lakes were the puddles that formed in the grass when we ran through the sprinklers.
As an adult, I have been fortunate to live near lakes and enjoy them as often as I want.
In Woodlake, near the Sequoia National Park, dammed lakes are essential for flood control, and electric power, as well as for providing a water source for a semi-arid climate. Kaweah Lake was dammed in the 1960s after a 100-year flood that flooded every town in its path in the 1950s. Today is it also a popular place to kayak.
Bravo Lake was created as a resort destination by enlarging a levee around the natural seasonal lake in the early 1900s. Since that time, there has been some contention between the town of Woodlake, which houses the lake but can’t use the water, and the Bravo Lake Water District. Bravo Lake is privately owned and managed for the exclusive rights of farmers who are part of the district.
Currently, the town is building a pipeline that will skim off the water before it enters the lake and divert it to another lake on City property for use by the City residents.
Near Prescott, Arizona in the high desert region of the Prescott National Forest, there are four man-made lakes. The first one is pictured above.
Sadly, Willow Lake is not one of the best for water activities. We hiked across the trails along the bottom of this shallow, man-made lake.
Watson Lake is the largest of Prescott’s four man-made lakes. For the first half of the summer this year it was used to fight a large forest fire. By the time we used it in early July, the water level was so low that we encountered almost as much vegetation as we did water as we paddled.
Man-Made Lakes in Other Seasons
In February 2013 I visited Boston, MA as part of a planning committee for the National Council for the Social Studies. It was a rare treat to travel to the East Coast, and I spent an extra week in order to visit a few friends there. My best friend’s son took me to see some of the sights in Massachusetts and Maine but I couldn’t tell you now which place was which for sure. This lake was unapproachable and untouched by human activity other than hiking.
Lake Michigan – a Fine and Natural Sight
“A normal lake is knowable. A Great Lake can hold all the mysteries of an ocean, and then some.”
-Dan Egan
Even though my brother Randy gets motion sick on boats, the boat taxi we took from Point A to Point B along the shore of Lake Michigan in 2013 didn’t bother him at all and afforded us a chance to photograph some of the large boats on the lake.
- Cell Pic Sunday hosted by John Steiner – Noyo Headlands Park
- Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer
- Sunday Stills – Summertime hosted by Terri Webster Schrandt
- WWE (Water, Water Everywhere) #138 Fannyside Lochs hosted by Jez Braithwaite
I apologize for all the acronyms. Most teachers and administrators use them in education to make explanations almost impossible for the public to understand, and that’s my background.
IRL (In Real Life)
We are having another blogger meet-up if anyone happens to be passing through the Prescott area on September 15th. Let Janet of This That or the Other Thing, Lisa from Micro of the Macro, or I know if you are interested in meeting us for lunch.
If we were having coffee this morning I’d tell you about my week.
- New Project: writing poems or finding old poems for each theme of WQW using one quote and one picture.
- Continuing Project: rating photos as I take them and as I create new posts. Adding key words to key photos
- Rain every day – Monsoon season.
- Dinner with California friends looking at property in Chino Valley.
- Working out details with our new property manager for our Scottsdale condo with Terri Webster Schrandt’s brother-in-law. Who knew where blogging could lead us?
- Getting the ALL CLEAR on both my DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and healed torn meniscus! Now I’ve started some SERIOUS/STRENUOUS leg exercises to repair the atrophied muscles in my left leg.
- New Project: Vince and I are going to serve as Life Group Lay Coordinators for our church to help get 20 small groups started and running.
What About Your Experiences?
Remember if you are researching a topic, you have found a gold mine of quotes. I summarized articles, and the name or website behind the post adds the gravitas I might lack about a topic. Don’t forget that songs count as quotes, too.
Ongoing on Always Write
- On August 9th Story Chat presented Gloria McBreen’s new story, “Backstab.”
- PPAC #58 – “Busy Art in Black and White” (Photographing Public Art Challenge) is your choice of art – no theme! Two more days to link.
- Upcoming topics for WQW
- August 17: Earth: Mountains, Rocks
- August 24: Travel/Transportation: Cars or Trucks
- August 31: Holiday: Labor Day/Work Ethic/Dirty Jobs/or Writer’s Choice/ or YOUR WOTY Review
- For a list of past WQW posts visit my WQW Page
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
92 responses to “WQW #30: Enjoying Great Lakes and Not-So-Great Lakes”
[…] Marsha’s WQW challenge […]
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Marsha, Thank you for your weekend coffee share. I love your lake photos, especially those with reflections and where the water sparkles like diamonds. I’m fortunate to live close to one of the Great Lakes, and have opportunities to visit many lakes in Ontario. Have a wonderul week!
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Say hi to the Great Lakes. We made trips to see them on vacations when I grew up in Indiana, but never got into them farther than our waist and seldom if ever on a boat. They are amazing works of nature, though, much to photograph, learn, observe. Have a wonderful week, too, Natalie.
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In case the link/pingback didn’t work I’ll stick mine here 🙂 https://hourglasspoetry.com/2022/08/15/summer-lakes-the-dock/
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For some reason, your WP account won’t let me press any of the log-in buttons even though I’m logged into my account. I’ll answer a few more comments until I get one that asks me to log in and then see if it works. A black box covers the log in buttons telling me to log in before I make a comment. Funny!
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Oh good grief…well, maybe it’s a glitch that will resolve itself. Could you tell me what log-in buttons you’re referring to? The only thing I’ve intentionally done, is click the “all comments must be moderated” deal–but lots of people have that, with no issues.
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It’s not intentional. Lots of people have the icons you have to click before you can submit your comment. Yours had a pop up box that said to click one of them before you could submit the comment and it was right on top of the place to click so you couldn’t click it. It’s just a weird WP thing
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Double-good grief. Maybe I should go back to letting people comment if they’ve already had a previous comment approved…. I’ve heard of “weird WP things”–but I thought a paid upgrade would eliminate stress. I’ll have to think about it, because the reason I switched to all comments having to be manually approved was that I had a major Spam issue in the past…really awful stuff that distressed me so much I deleted the blog. I wonder what that pop-up box is that you mentioned…
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I fixed the spam problem by closing comments after 30 days. Most spammers go for old posts. I still get a few but not in the hundreds like I was getting before I closed comments after 30 days.
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Hi Marsha–I just did an experiment. From my other blog I was able to leave a comment on this blog with no “pop up” anything. Worked fine. So I’m clueless about the problem you’re experiencing with trying to leave me comments.😊
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I had it happen to me today on another blog, so it may be something with my blog, or just a new glitch. I’ll check it out.
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[…] https://alwayswrite.blog/2022/08/10/wqw-30-enjoying-great-lakes-and-not-so-great-lakes/ […]
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This worked. I finally was able to post a comment using Twitter, but it never let me post one as a WP customer. LOL
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These projects you’re planning or having underway sound exciting! Loved the Lao Tzu quote and the quote about lake living too. I’m so sorry you didn’t spend much time at the lake as a child, but glad you’re able to make up for it as an adult.
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Thanks for your kind words, Astrid. I don’t feel deprived in any way, really except that I don’t have the ability to paint the beauty I see. LOL
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[…] This post inspired by Marsha’s Writers Quote Wednesday Water: Lakes […]
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What a beautiful variety of lakes! You are fortunate to live, and have lived, near water 🙂 My nearest water is a small pond in a park or the River Thames, neither really qualifying for this challenge! In a departure from my usual gallery of images from around the world I’ve decided to share one particular city that is blessed with a string of man-made lakes, Udaipur: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/udaipur-rajasthans-city-of-lakes/
Oh, and you know how much I would love to live near enough to join you IRL meet-up!
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That would be such an honor. Maybe some day we can at least visit. 🙂
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[…] The amazing City Palace deserves a post of its own one day. Today I want to focus on the lakes themselves in response to Marsha’s Writers’ Quote theme of ‘Enjoying lakes’. […]
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You sure showed diversity in lakes and the opening photo has some of that diamond kind of sparkle /
Beautiful
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Thanks, Yvette. I’ve shared the photo before, but it is one of my favorites.
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☀️😊
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It is great that there is plenty of preservation of water through these man-made lakes. It is good forward planning.
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Probably desalination is next for Arizona. They are talking about putting in a plant to help with water shortages in Phoenix.
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These are so beautiful, Marsha, these could easily be a collection of cards/postcards.
My entry this week: https://new2writing.wordpress.com/2022/08/12/lakes/
Hopefully, it will make you laugh. 🙂 Take care. KL ❤
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Thank you so much, KL.
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[…] WQW – Lakes […]
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Funny story!
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Fabulous photos!! I might join in this time…maybe.
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I’d love to have you! It’s fun to see lakes around the world. 🙂
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I used to do your WQW prompts as “Starlz” at my old blog. I’m curious–maybe it’s my imagination or poor vision, but do you only include those who do the new “link” thing in your round up/ wrap up? Do those who just link via pingbacks or in the Comment box (which was my way of operating) miss out?
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I struggled with the Link thing, so I quit using it after a couple of weeks. I read and answer each comment, so if you have a post to link, it shows up in the comments if you include the link. If you just write it and don’t link, I wouldn’t know about it. That being said, I have missed a few post accidentally, no matter how careful I’ve tried to be. If I missed yours, I apologise. Don’t feel bad about calling me on it with another comment, like “Did you forget me?????” I never intend to leave anyone out.
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It’s doubtful I would ask, “Did you forget me?” I’m not a child–I’ll be 70 next month. My question was not meant as criticism, I only wanted clarification–because all my previous responses to your prompts (old blog) included the link back to you–which I thought showed up as a pingback for you…but I’m not very tech-savvy.
I’m sorry the Link thing was not successful, as you seemed excited about its premiere.
For most of us, blog prompts throughout WP are very enjoyable–but some bloggers find there’s a burdensome expectation attached: that those who respond to the prompt should then read & comment on everyone’s post in the “link thing”, as a mutual courtesy and support.
So if I write for/to a prompt I include the link back to the blog author’s prompt–but it’s impossible for me to read and comment on every post. (It could add up to hundreds per week for even a small-time blogger.)
And I don’t expect a big fanfare for every post I write–some hosts merely acknowledge with a Like, which is fine. Blogging is supposed to be fun for everyone, not a job.
So, if my query offended you, I sincerely apologize, Marsha. That was never my intent.
💖Leyde, who used to be Staarlz…but in “real” life is Leslie 😊
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Real life, Leslie. You didn’t offend me in the least. Even though this is a hobby for me (and I am 70 already – LOL), I work at it diligently as though it were a job for the sake of my readers. I hate to let people down or disappoint them in any way that might take away from their enjoyment. There are tons of challenges out there that people could participate in, so I’m honored when they pick mine. 🙂
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Oh good, I’m so grateful we are OK!! Like you, I hate disappointing people too…but it’s inevitable sometimes. Generally, the reason I change blogs so often is that there’s been some misunderstanding between another blogger and I. (The Comment Box–it can be a blessing or curse.) Then I spiral down and delete the blog–but when I gather myself back up again, I want a new blog, crave writing again! And I’m sure I’ll be participating in your prompts again–because I love the concept of pairing quotations with writing or photos, whatever. However, I may not always be on time with my offerings–you must have more energy at 70, than I do, haha! Blessings to you, my dear.
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I have experimented with several blogs over the ten years I’ve been blogging – one paid, others I have managed for organizations, but I keep coming back to this one. I’ve renamed it several times to try to fit what I do. It is like a dear old friend to me. I’ve lost touch with some of my first blogging friends and some of the ones that came along when I tried to make my blog more about writing. But overall, I don’t feel that I’ve closed the door in anyone’s face – or at least I hope not. I know I have hurt feelings and I’m so sorry for that, but I try my best to be a friend to all who come here, and to those I visit.
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I don’t think most of us deliberately hurt others. You have a great blog.
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Thank you so much, Leslie.
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You are sincerely welcome😊
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Hi Marsha, here’s my post.
http://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2022/08/12/lakes-still-waters-run-deep/
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[…] WQW #30: “Water: Enjoying Great Lakes and Not-So-Great Lakes” […]
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Fabulous photos of the lakes Marsha. I have fond childhood memories of summers spent picnicking beside lakes and rivers. We paddled in them too. I still feel drawn to water. I’d sit for hours just looking at lakes and rivers! So calming.
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They are so beautiful. I never did that – sat still for hours beside a lake – too many mosquitos. Even now. I take a quick drive through or get out and take some pictures as I dodge the mosquitos.
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Thank goodness we don’t get too many mosquitoes here in Ireland. The few we do have only appear in very hot weather…..so, about 7 days a year! 😄
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Wow, I’ve never heard of a place with no mosquitos, though we didn’t have as many in Portland, Oregon as we do here.
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[…] Written for;WQW #30: Enjoying Great Lakes and Not-So-Great Lakes, hosted by Marsha […]
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Amazing lakeside views, Marsha 👏 Love seeing the boats with older lines & yachts harnessing natural power 😃
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I loved the ride on Lake Michigan. I could ride in boats all day long if I had something to do. Just to sit and fish makes me totally antsy.
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I would hopefully be driving the boat, not just a passenger 😀
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That would be nice. I’ve only driven a boat a few times when I was a teen and was waterskiing. We all drove the boat for each other. It was very nerve wracking coming into shore because of al the people swimming and we had to keep the speed up because the man who owned the boat wanted to pretty much land on shore. I never wanted to drive a boat much after that. Another grisley story was that my husband’s cousin was driving a ski boat when someone fell overboard, and somehow he decapitated him. Yep, I think I’ll stick to professionally driven boats!
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Love this Marsha!!! So pretty. And the quotes were great. I love trying to get reflections in the lake. Here’s my post.
https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2022/08/wqwtheme-water-lakes.html
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Thanks for the uplifting words, too. 🙂
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Nice collection of lakes. Although Willow Lake is shallow and isn’t great for water activities, I love the (autumn?) view and it seems like a nice part of the trail for the hiker in me. Bravo Lake is my other favorite with that mountain view. Bonus for its name too, haha.
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Bravo Lake was named in the 1850s by the natives that lived there when the white settlers came. Two white boys were having a fight by the side of the lake. When it was over the natives called out “Bravo, Bravo!” (I guess they liked that new white word! LOL)
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Ohh that’s not an origin I expected. I was imagining something related to the beautiful view, haha. That’s interesting.
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Isn’t water the most beautiful thing? And you have showcased it so well, Marsha. Great photos! I’d love to see some of the States. Especially the watery bits 🤣💗
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Well, if you ever come here, I want to see you! The US is a big place, but if flights are reasonable. …
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🤗💙
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love all your photos, Marsha 🙂
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2022/08/11/lakes-quotes/
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A lovely look at the lakes and life Marsha 🙂
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Thank you, Brian. I have had a good life – with or without lakes. But it’s better with lakes.
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[…] Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays #30: Enjoying Great Lakes […]
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I had no idea there were lakes in Prescott although I did giggle at the Willow Lake photo.
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
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As you can see, they are all subject to change. Right now they should be filling up. We have had so much rain, and it’s raining right now.
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you and Terri have a lot of fun Marsha!
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We have, and we are getting together in Portland on Sept. 21-30. She’s taking me from there to Spokane where she lives. I’m very excited.
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Her new place is beautiful!
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If you live nearby, set aside some time for coffee if you’re not already scheduled.
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thank you Marsha,that would be great to meet you both but I do not travel outside of Canada. I never was a traveller.
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No worries, I just thought if you were close, it would be great to meet you. Terri has said a lot of great things about you.
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Thank you Marsha,that’s heart warming to hear!
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You’re welcome. Just passing along the good word.
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Love that reflection on Lynx Lake and really any of the images showing water. Too bad I’m not as good a swimmer as I am a talker. 🙂
Sorry I’ll miss your meetup. I just finished processing a PPAC image, and I’m going to bump the image scheduled for this Cellpic Sunday to replace it with the one I am just processing now. Look for it on Sunday.
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Awesome! I’ll be looking for it. I’ve been so behind in posting – up in the middle of the night to get them done, so if I don’t link, that’s why. We are in the process of getting a new property manager for our Scottsdale condo. Our last one didn’t pay the AZ taxes for two months and then their check bounced. We got two fines of $50, the AZ tax board sent US a refund when they finally paid the taxes. Of course, we had no idea who the taxes belonged to, so we wrote the manager a check. Crazy stuff! We are hiring Terri’s brother-in-law to be our new manager. He’s amazing.
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Wow! What a zoo. Hope things work out.
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I know. I have faith in Carey. It can’t be worse! 🙂
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Beautiful photos of the lakes! You’ve got quite a variety there!
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Thanks, Aletta. The variety is in the lakes, isn’t it? I’m loving the variety that is coming in from readers.
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That’s the beauty of these challenges, you get to see such a lovely variety!
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People’s pictures are amazing. We are all in different places, not only geographically but in our photography, organizing, and processing pictures. We learn so much from each other, or at least I have through the years. I look back at some of my old pictures and cringe! LOL Some of them I know how to fix now. That’s really cool. It’s all because of other bloggers helping me.
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I’m still amazed at just how many lakes you have there in the Prescott area, Marsha. Even if the water levels are low in summer, they are still a wonderful resource for recreation and staying cool. Your shot of the schooner on Lake Michigan looks amazing–to me, the white sails against the dark blues of the lake embody what summer looks like, especially in San Diego. I also love how you captured the sparkles on Kaweah Lake–just gorgeous!
I linked with my Wordless Wed post today about our hike on the trail that borders the Spokane River/Lake area. https://secondwindleisure.com/2022/08/10/wordlesswednesday-walking-and-floating-on-the-centennial-trail/
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i feel the same way about my old photos!
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We are lifelong learners, Aletta! That’s what makes life so fun! 🙂
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Oh yes, absolutely!
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[…] Sharing for Jez’s Water Water Everywhere and Marsha’s WQW: Lakes […]
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[…] Always Write […]
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So many looks at lakes in different parts of the country. You are lucky to be amidst so many. Lynx Lake is such a hidden gem and your capture was my favorite of your photos. yes, summertime. Refreshing summertime.
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Refreshing up here. I don’t think of summer as refreshing in the Phoenix area or where we lived in Central California, either. Way too hot! Even here, fall is our best time of year.
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Everything is relative, isn’t it. We were on the rim last weekend. It was 50 at night. I had long johns, and fleece on all the time. Honestly it was kinda nice to wear some old favorites.
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You are so right. I like that too. I had the doors open here all day enjoying the sound and dampness of the rain.
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you nailed these reflections so gorgeous Marsha in word and pics. love them. I’m dreaming of summertime coming and ending too soon. 💖💖💖
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Your life is too busy to even know that summer is here and almost finished, my dear. Go sit by a lake for a few minutes and do some yoga, just daydream, or write some poetry. I’m your sis here. 🙂
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