Today might have been gloomy and rainy, but it was also a day filled with excitement! The best part was getting to pick up my wife at the airport after her work trip to North Dakota.
My wife really doesn’t like it when I post pictures of her. So, I decided to share a picture of both of us! There are so many amazing things about her. I won’t go into detail, but trust me—she’s truly something beautiful.
If you have known me for a while, you know that I am obsessed with taking at least 10,000 steps every day. My streak is 1627 consecutive days with at least 10,000 steps, or 4 years, 5 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days. It’s an impressive achievement, and while someday it will end, for now, it is a beautiful testament to dedication and perseverance.
Enough about me. The most beautiful sight today was seeing pictures of my brother at a local county fair. Witnessing the joy of those you love is, perhaps, the most beautiful thing in the world.
Throwback photo from a few years ago – totally unrelated to today’s adventures! Had an amazing time with friends, diving into conversations about the past, present, and future.
During a previous chapter of my life, I walked along the bike trail almost every day in the summer. But today, after a couple of months, I took my dog for a walk along the bike trail! She was thrilled by all the new sights, sounds, and smells, and I enjoyed the beauty of walking alongside the river.
Weekends in the summer are made for golf, and today was no exception. I hit the course and had a great time with friends. My shots were a mixed bag – some were beautiful, while others, well, let’s just say they added some excitement to the game!
I love moderate mild weather which makes the upper plains a good place for me to call home for most of the year. However, my heart truly belongs to the western part of my state, where I grew up. The climate and landscape is wonderful – a contrast to the eastern part where I currently reside.
I started my day with a walk with my dog this morning, and the temperature was a crisp 49 degrees. While some might argue that it’s too cold for early August, I believe it was absolutely perfect!
There were other beautiful moments: dinner with my wife, helping a client at work, and receiving my new camera. The first picture taken with it is attached.
Today was a whirlwind of meetings and travel, so I didn’t get the chance to wander through downtown like I wanted. But I did manage to catch a pretty sunset, and it was a reminder that there is beauty everywhere, even on the busiest of days.
The purpose of this challenge is to take a moment to appreciate the beauty surrounding us. A few days ago, I shared a post about the beauty of a gift I received—a camera. I also included one of my favorite football pictures. Below is the story about one of the first pictures I took.
When I was young, my mother used to give each of her children a Christmas ornament every year. Some years, the ornaments had a similar theme. I remember a Wizard of Oz themed year and another year with a fairy tale theme, when I got a Puss-in-Boots ornament. My first ornament was a train, and I still have it.
When I was three or four, I received a football player ornament that became my favorite. Even now, it remains front and center on our tree, a reminder of Christmases past, present, and future. I took one of the first pictures with my new camera of this special ornament. Like me, it has aged. While some may not find it beautiful, it holds a special meaning for me. Sometimes, beauty is found in memories or photo albums.
I consider myself lucky to work in an area with an abundance of dining options. Within just one block of my office, I have access to over 10 different eateries, offering everything from full-service restaurants to Mexican, pizza, cafes, burger joints, Irish pubs, Thai cuisine, and coffee shops. I usually opt to dine out for lunch and try to support local restaurants as much as I can. However, not every place suits my taste buds.
A beautiful meal requires a combination of food, presentation, service, atmosphere, and company. Today was my second trip to the newest restaurant near me, Bibisol. It is a small restaurant that seats no more than 30 people. I had the empanada and carot tinga. You can see it pictured above. Although I won’t be providing a food review, I will be adding this place to my regular rotation.
As I was growing up, I developed a passion for photography. Even though I didn’t know much about the technicalities, I was always on the lookout for that perfect shot. Over the years, I drifted away from photography as it was expensive and time-consuming.
A couple of years back, I convinced my wife to get me a “fancy” camera for Christmas. Little did I know that this simple request would lead to me capturing some truly amazing moments of my youngest son tearing it up on the tennis court. From there, I found myself snapping shots of his teammates, and before I knew it, I was covering all sorts of sports action.
Ever since I received a camera as a gift seven years ago, I’ve been on a photographic journey, capturing nearly 200,000 moments. While most of the shots end up getting deleted, the ones that make the cut are shared with the players and parents completely free of charge. Economically, it doesn’t make much sense, and I don’t know if they enjoy it, but the joy I get from taking, editing, and sharing the pictures is priceless. I believe that if I were to do this on a regular commercial basis, some of the magic would fade away.
I’m really looking forward to the upcoming college fall sports season. I can’t wait to head out and capture some amazing moments with my new camera (similar to the photo at the top captured a couple of years ago). Photography has a way of beautifully capturing moments, and I’m excited to see what I can capture this season.
Sireadh Toileachas 
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