Spring Madness

Spring is here, and the days are getting warmer. So what does that mean here in SoCal? The community where I live has opened the pool. Unfortunately, the pool is solar heated, which means the water still isn’t warm enough. But it’s supposed to reach the high seventies later this week, so hopefully I’ll get brave enough to take the plunge.

I’m looking forward to going swimming and gaining back some more strength and mobility. And cross training is supposed to help with weight loss. At least I sure hope so. So besides going to the gym, I’ll work on my breast stroke. Freestyle and water aerobics will have to wait for many months until my shoulder is completely healed.

In case you’re wondering about the main photo up on top, I had found the original, free image of the swimmer and then had fun tweaking it in my latest app discovery, Painnt. I’ve been spending hours playing with various filters… I love photography and special photo effects. I’ll have to showcase some of my favorite photos in the coming weeks. Here are some of my favorites:

Quinoa gone wild.

Dockside garden.

Happy puppy.

Beautiful flowers.

Secret garden.

Flower garden.

Tabbies at play.

Jewels good enough to eat. These berries look like sparkling gems.

Pelican spreading its wings on Huntington Beach pier.

A black and white photo of the famous bandleader, John Philip Sousa (center), and his band gets loaded up with color. My great-great-grandmother’s brother, holding his clarinet, is seated next to Sousa on the left. Musical talent definitely runs on my dad’s side of the family—now we know why.

Sunset photo turned into sunrise colors in Painnt. Newport Beach.

Sea bird. Newport Beach.

Boating. Newport Beach.

The seal lifted his heavy head to stare at me as we passed by. Newport Beach.

Reflections. Dana Point.

The bridge to peace and quiet.

Rare rainy day in SoCal.

Pretty pitty goes for a car ride.

Sketch created in Painnt app.

Dried flowers.

The Cottage. San Juan Capistrano.

Got the Midas Touch… at least where flowers are concerned.

Cozy outdoor fireplace.

Stairs leading to beautiful cove and solitude. Laguna Beach.

Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Meditation.

Textures and shadows.

Classic brown tabby morphs into a jewel-toned kitty.

Elegant baby shower.

The Eternal Flame. Photo of lit candle with a black background was transformed into a beautiful mosaic.