The World Through My Lens 03.2026

Sweet photobugs, thank you for popping by today.  Bringing you photos that I have taken for the 2 photo challenges I am participating in this year.  They are The Everyday Images challenge hosted by my friend Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sunday Stills, hosted by my friend Terri at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives.  These gals share their photos several times a month but I can't seem to get my photo challenge posts together more often than once a month.  You can find the February's edition of The World Through My Lens, here, if you missed it.  

Everyday Images

Love that this challenge features prompts for...well, everyday things.  I try to find ways to put those everyday things in their 'best light' because I want my photos to be pretty.  But sometimes it is hard.  The word 'river' was tough for me this month. But I put on my thinking cap and came up with a solution.

colorful:  Lucia's 10th birthday was mid-March.  Can't believe we have another grand in the double digits!!  We helped her celebrate with Olive Garden takeout, cake and presents.  Her cake was very colorful.

moon:  rarely am I happy to climb out of bed in the middle of the night because I have to make another jaunt to the bathroom.  But on 03.03.2026, my nightly trek was rewarded.  On my way back to bed, I remembered there was to be a lunar eclipse and a blood moon so I slipped onto our balcony and this is what I saw.

from above:  so enjoyed the spring break visit from my daughter Brennyn, and her children Cadence and Declan.  Dec wanted to go to the mountains so we did!!  He was a trooper traipsing about on the trail.  Snapped this photo of him from above where he was climbing about behind the stage at the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater.  

river:  this one took some imagination as there just aren't any 'proper' rivers in El Paso.  Even the renowned Rio Grande is a misnomer as there is often little more than a trickle of water running between its banks.  So, I give you the Campo del Sol neighborhood lazy river for this prompt.

delicate:  these flowers were so beautiful.  Can't believe they would grow in our desert climate but Lowe's was selling them.  Took this photo on the portrait setting.  Wish the other blooms and leaves weren't blocking my focal point.  But I guess the out of focus areas make the shot more interesting maybe??

neighborhood spot (quarterly):  a small steak restaurant has recently gone into what was formally a Subway sandwich shop.  We couldn't believe the transformation when we ate there for the first time a few weeks ago.  The food was delicious and Great American Steakburger was doing a booming business.  It was nice that we could have a beer and walk the two blocks home after dinner.

minimalist:  on our recent visit to see the poppies, Cami popped inside the framework or bare bones of a teepee used for Native American ceremonies at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.  The second photo is the teepee in an even more minimalist state without the adornment of my youngest granddaughter.

scenery:  our Franklin Mountains are always majestic but never look better than in the spring when the poppies appear.  

on top of it:  a picture snapped on top of my cactus.  I am hoping that those round, brownish things are going to bud into flowers soon.  If that happens, I will share a photo of them next month.

arched: repeating arch shapes in this San Antonio home's stained glass window from a trip we made almost 2 years ago.  The second photo is an arched bridge on the trail around the poppy blooms.

fresh:  we have planted a very small raised bed of veggies and herbs.  Last year we tried to grow from seeds but this year we purchased starter plants which feels a little like cheating to me.  But everything has grown since we planted it so we must be doing something right.  Right??  Last night I made my version of chicken enchiladas and we enjoyed our very own fresh cilantro from the garden with them.  

Sunday Simplicity:  one Sunday afternoon early in the month of March, we finally finished our winter jigsaw puzzle.  It sat on the coffee table in our den for maybe 2 months.  Ha!!  Dare we start a spring puzzle?

at home (monthly):  absolutely LOVED having all of my babies at home over spring break.  I am blessed.

spring:  is when the poppies bloom.  And Cadence makes them look even more beautiful!!

Sunday Stills

03.01.2026 NO CHALLENGE

03.08.2026 Seascapes hosted by Cathy Between the Lines:  I just booked our condo for this summer's escape to the Emerald Isle in Pensacola, Florida.  Loved looking through our beach photos from previous vacations in order to find some to share with you.  The first beach is in Cancun, and the second two photos are from South Padre Island, Texas.

03.15.2026 Monthly Color Challenge: jade green, peridot hosted by Susanne Cats and Trails and Garden Tales:  the water in Ascarate Lake has turned a peridot green but not in a good way.  

  

03.22.206 Early (celebrate Equinox: spring or autumn), hosted by Susanne:  while we were in Phoenix for a weekend of Cincinnati Reds' spring training games, we got up early for a hike to the White Tanks waterfall, and breakfast beforehand.

03.29.2026 Your favorite places, hosted by Cathy:  my absolute favorite place is home.

Your Turn

What are you capturing in the lens of your camera these days?  Did you enjoy family time on the Easter weekend and snap lots of precious photos of your loved ones?  

We had the El Paso kids over for dinner, a quick hot tub soak and sunset Easter egg hunt.  Yes, I took oodles of pictures.  So glad we don't pay for film any more!!

Thank you for the visit today.  Hope you will come back again sometime!!

Hugs and kisses,