The World Through My Lens 04.2026

Sweet shutterbugs, 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 March 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. Sometimes that is difficult but this month, I found many of the prompts among the beauty of London and Edinburgh. 

Everyday Images #85

evening and/or morning: our first evening in Great Britain, we took a cruise down the Thames at sunset, complete with champagne 🍾 and canapes! 

current season (quarterly): I fretted about what to pack for our trip to London and Edinburgh, thinking we would have 12 days of a cold, spring drizzle. But we have been absolutely blessed with sunshine. And only one real day of chilly rain. We had packed our umbrellas from home and they saw their first rain ever!

beside me:  my PC is always beside me through thick and thin. Tonight we are snuggled up under the covers in our Travelocity accommodation.  We have walked over 15K steps everyday of this vacation.  Glad to be back to our room a little earlier today. Here we are in front of Northpoint Cafe in St. Andrews, Scotland...the very spot where Kate and William first met. ❤️ 🌹 😘 

bloom:  our little rose bush stru toggled all summer last year.  It has taken off this spring with the first bloom opening on Easter.  Hoping it continues to thrive.c

table:  In this essay on Substack, I wrote about the struggles we were having with my daughters over politics and our crazy government.  How our differences had kept the kids from coming over for the weeks after Christmas.  I kept our table set for Christmas because we never had our holiday dinner together.  But as it neared Easter, I decided to switch to spring table settings.  I am happy to report we enjoyed Easter dinner together with our El Paso kids and our relationships have been restored. 

bridge:  PC said 'let's go fishing' and I jumped up.  It is so enjoyable to be at the lake this time of year.  And I managed to snap a few photos to satisfy this month's prompts.  

sparkle:  participated in a mosaic class where we made garden saints.  I named my Santa Lluvia (Spanish for rain).  Notice the bit of sparkle for her halo. Yesterday, put her beside our magnolia which seems to be struggling right now.  Guess what?  Last night we had rain!!  Thank you, Lluvia.  

Everyday Images #86

purple:  this is PC's favorite color so I think I notice it more than I used to. And the El Paso grands have always been very big on whose favorite color is what. These blue (and pink) bells grow all over Scotland. They are so dainty. 

out for a walk (quarterly): for this quarter's photo for this prompt I am using a photo from our walk beside the River Leith in Edinburgh. Lovely, lush green amble on a drizzly afternoon. 

grow:  for about the third year in a row, we are trying our hand at growing some veggies.  This is an item on my list of spring goals.  So far, so good.  The only fatalities have been my cilantro - which was doing so well but I think the wind beat it to death, and maybe our 2 blackberry bushes.  Here is PC showing off the fruits (or veggies) of our labor so far.

at home (monthly):  a little different take on the prompt this month. I generally feel 'at home' in libraries and bookstores. However, there was a library near our hotel in London that had an uncomfortable air about it. From the books, the the arrangement of the space, to the patrons and staff. This photo is from a rare editions book seller. The proprietor was very kind to us and allowed us to browse some pretty crazy rare editions of books. Some selling for over tens of thousands of dollars.

trees:  in general, our trees in El Paso are not much to brag about.  With the exception maybe of the Mexican Elder and the Palo Verde.  If we drive just 30 miles up I-10 to Las Cruces, NM, though, there are a few more memorable trees like these that I captured on a recent hike.  Their gnarled branches remind me of talking trees from the "Wizard of Oz" or "The Lord of the Rings" movies/books. Wouldn't these be a pleasant picnic spot?

big and/or small:  when we went fishing the other day, the lake was full of fuzzy, new ducklings learning to swim.  Not sure if this lil one is following behind mama or maybe big sister.  The sun sparkling on the water reminds me of the glimmers to my life that nature always brings.

birds: I finally have pictures of birds other than the standard ducks and pigeons of El Paso. Caught these wee ones on a bench outside the Castle Doune in Scotland.

Sunday Stills

04.05.2026 NO CHALLENGE Happy Easter!

04.12.2026 Monthly Color Challenge: Diamonds and Quartz: one of the souvenirs I have seen everywhere are Christmas ornaments. They are all so detailed and fancy. I want one of each! Many of them have 'diamonds' and other gems. Here are a few of my favorites.

04.19.2026 Celebrating Earth Day (April 22):  the day we arrived to the city the London Marathon was being run. There were runners still completing the run and lots of runners and spectators celebrating in the streets near our hotel. And there were cans, bottles, food packaging all spilling over out of the trash cans and bits of bright colored confetti sprinkled everywhere.  The next morning I was beyond impressed with how well everything had been cleaned up. At home, I try to pick up trash everywhere I go. It did my ❤️ heart good to see all of the revelry neatly bagged.

04.26.2026 April is National Garden Month:  and I was blessed to have the opportunity to stroll about the Royal gardens at Holyrood Palace, the castle where the Royal family stays when visiting Edinburgh, Scotland.  Could almost envision Elizabeth walking beside me. 

We have had a brilliant time in Edinburgh over the last 6 days but heading back to London tomorrow.  I will miss Scotland. Would like to think that maybe I will return someday but who knows. 

Your Turn

Have you ever felt particularly at home in a place you have visited for the first time? That is how I would describe my feelings for Scotland. It felt comfortable, familiar. Probably just my silly imagination. According to Ancestry.com, I am about 34% English and 33% Scottish, so maybe those numbers influenced my feelings. But I just know I won't forget Scotland. 

We are so tired tonight. Not jet lag, just the happy exhaustion from making the most of everyday. 

Thank you for popping round to visit. Hope you have seen some magnificent things through your camera lens lately.

Hugs and kisses, 

Leslie