I know this word is overused but after posting some photos to my BlueSky account, it got me thinking about what is beautiful to me. It’s more than what people look like, that is superficial and way less important than the beauty inside of them.
But for me, the first thing that comes to mind is the beauty of the natural world around me. I love snapping photos of flowers, trees, insects, animals, and so much more. When walking with a group, I’m the one who lags behind as I stop to snap a photo of something.
When traveling solo on my motorcycle as a 58-year-old widow in 2005, I was amazed at the beauty I found in the landscapes seen in every state. There was always something that took my breath away. Even dead trees have beauty to me.
Take time to stop and really look around you – you might be surprised. Here are a few photos from my 2005 journey through 42 states, covering 27k miles.
My A-Z this year are random thoughts, ideas, and whatever pops into my mind for the letter of the day. As in previous years, I will keep it short and sweet.
Till next time!
Definitely beautiful! I had hoped to ride when I got out to our house here, but things didn’t work out as expected. Thinking about getting a trike for the stability now. I’d like to take a trip up to Nova Scotia again where we used to ride. But it might be smarter to go somewhere we’ve never gone together. What do you do with the dogs? If my balance comes back now that more of my strength has returned, I’d like to try something to prove that I can and look for the beauty!
You should price having a trike kit put on your bike, might be more cost effective and you already know the bike. Just be prepared to forget about counter-steering. When I rode Stu’s trike I had to keep reminding myself “fat butt” due to the rear width and “I’m driving a convertible down the road” so I remembered to steer like a car.
We have an amazing boarding place with day care. Both dogs loved it, of course now we are down to one. They were there the entire two months of our European vacation and had no issues.
Riding will be so good for your soul and mental/emotional health. I miss it!!!
I also find nature beautiful. I feel happy when I am in it. I have never traveled across the US, but am thinking about giving it a go since I just retired.
If you can, go for it! For me it was so healing, I didn’t have to talk to anyone other than to order food or book a hotel. I also did meet-ups across the country with other motorcyclists I had met online, the majority were women. Since I took that year for ME, I spent three weeks volunteering on the Blackfeet Nation reservation as something not for me. The first two weeks were part of Global Volunteers, the third week I was consulting with the local community college. I’ll never forget it!
I love those pictures! An adventure that will keep a glow going for a lifetime.
It’s surreal looking back at it now, twenty years later. I’m so glad I did it!
🙂
very brave of you on that motorcycle 20 years ago!
I’m not an adventurous or impetuous person, there was a LOT of planning involved and I listened to my gut when necessary. Thanks for stopping by!
What beautiful pictures! And what a great adventure you’ve had. My biggest adventures have all been walking adventures. The last really big walking adventure was when I walked with a group from Savannah, Georgia, to King’s Bay, Georgia. We walked approximately 100 miles in about a week. I found that coastal Georgia was absolutely beautiful, although, at the beginning of September, it was very hot. And then, there was the hurricane warning so we had to cut the walk short. But still, an adventure. And we got to eat a low country boil, which was very delicious.
Wow, that was quite a walk and definitely an adventure. Coastal GA is gorgeous, I need to go back to Savannah, too. I’ve never done a walk and at 77, not going to start now. LOL! I have several friends who have done the Camino in Spain, some more than once.
Noe following you on Bluesky – thanks for sharing your link.
It’s become a good spot for me to share photos I’ve taken in the last twenty+ years. I followed you back!
Omg how impressive 👏 love the beautiful captures. I would love to read more about your motorbike adventures. I have explored different places on bikes with my husband but only as a backpack. Couldn’t muster the courage to learn to ride one.
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I was 55 when I learned to ride. My husband had cancer and kept encouraging me to learn. I’m so thankful he did! I gave it up ten years ago due to vision and balance issues but I still miss it and the freedom you feel when riding.
I’m also in awe of the beauty to be found on planet Earth. I like your non-theme in the A-Z. Some of my favorite posts have been those I just sat down and wrote as opposed to planned. I’m winging it a little in that I haven’t written a single post ahead of time, but I have come up with a list of words to fit my loose theme so that’s a start. Good luck with the A-Z!
In previous years I had 85% or more of the posts written before April first so this is a first for me. Last year I did a serialized story and only had 20% done before the first. That was a real challenge. Even then, I had words so this is very different for me, the detailed planner. LOL!
I think you taking a solo trip, on a motorcycle no less, is beautiful! Your photos are stunning. Thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it – there will be more photos coming as I write each day. This is a first time doing A-Z totally off the cuff! Thanks for dropping in…
Off the cuff is the best!
Surprisingly, that is how all my mystery books have been written. I start with a location, a couple of characters, and a body. LOL!
oh my! that’s cool
Oh my, that is very impressive that you traveled across the US on your bike. I can only imagine how much beauty you enjoyed. Incredible!
It was truly the trip of a lifetime. It seems a bit surreal now when I look at the photos.
Wow! There is such beauty all around! Great photos. I am so impressed that you travelled through 42 states on a motorcycle!!
Awww, thank you!
Great pics! I agree that the world around us has so much to show. The past 3 years we’ve taken our kids across the country in different directions and shown them some natural beauty. I hope they’ll look back and appreciate it.
So wonderful to be able to do this with your kids. I hope they will remember it fondly as they grow.
Nature is always beautiful even when it’s messy. When I take photos, I prefer nature or the enironment around people.
Your photos are wonderful. It’s like traveling along with you.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a lovely day.
I love your travel photos! What an adventure that must have been!
It was truly an adventure, one I was blessed to be able to take.
What an adventure Donna – surely the substance for an A to Z one day? Today I have to write my “P” post which will be about Photography and Poetry so I am going to have to sit down and start choosing… Like you, Donna, I often snap flowers (I call them flower portraits) and they, like all the photos I take only more so, offer the conundrum of what to do with them. My daughter bought me a digital frame for my 70th so there is now a rolling, personal exhibition in the living room…
I need to get one of those digital frames, but then I’d have to cull out a lot of bad photos before putting them on an SD card. LOL! With SmugMug as my storage, I no longer cull as much as I used to (as I discovered searching through for photos to use here and on BlueSky).