The Favorite Foto Friday Winner and What Do You See?

The votes have been tallied and here it is. This is your favorite February Favorite Foto Friday photo . .

Bear Lake Reflection

Thank you so much for taking the time to vote and for your nice comments. I appreciate every one of them.

I put all the voters' names in a bowl and Dennis picked one. The winner is Naomi! She'll be receiving an 8x10 print of her favorite photo. Congratulations Naomi!

As I've probably said before, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to photograph God's beautiful creation and share it with all of you here. 

Yesterday was Dennis' birthday. He wanted to go for a drive, so I grabbed my camera just in case there was anything to photograph.  I was glad I had it with me when we came across this fella resting in the pines. . .

Now I have a question for you. When you look at this photo, what do you see?

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

         The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 

    What is man that You take thought of him,

         And the son of man that You care for him? -- Psalm 8:3-4

This is it -- The Finale of February Favorite Foto Friday

It's been snowing here since last night. A steady, quiet sifting of powder outside our french doors.  I've resigned myself to the fact that spring comes late here, and drink in the beauty of the flocked evergreens. 

Also, I'm grateful that I don't have to drive to work in this weather.  After years in the midwest, fighting the slippery roads to get to my corporate job, I'm happy to be in our little homestead with nowhere in particular to go.

Well, it's the last Friday of February Favorite Foto Friday. This is where I post the winning photos from the last three Fridays and you get to vote for your favorite of those three. Then I put the names of the voters in a hat, Dennis picks one out, and the winner gets an 8x10 print of their favorite photo. Everyone is eligible for this giveaway, whether you've already won a prize or not.

Here are the three final contestants for the winning February Favorite Foto. . .


Contestant #1 - Bear Lake Reflection

Contestant #2 - Beside Still Waters

Contestant #3 - Light of the World

Gosh, I've actually got butterflies in my stomach over which photo might win. I love them all!


It's been loads of fun playing February Favorite Foto Friday with you. Can't wait to see your vote. Remember, you have until noon mountain time on Monday to cast your ballot. Just leave a comment with your vote for your favorite photo.


Have a great weekend and God bless!

We have a winner!

For a few moments I thought we would have a tie for the February Favorite Friday Foto, but fortunately one more vote came in to keep that from happening. And the winner is. . .

Light of the World

I have to admit I'm very fond of this photo. While Dennis painted in the Endo Valley picnic area last September, I looked for photo ops. One doesn't have to go very far to find them. The bright morning light at the end of this black tunnel of trees astounded me. It spoke of the world's darkness and how Christ is the light that dispels it. I'm glad I got this shot.

Later that same morning we hiked up the Alluvial Fan. I took this photo of Dennis painting near the top. . .

Then I hiked up a little farther to get this shot. . .

Isn't the sky the most incredible shade of blue? It's one of the best things about living here.  


Thanks to everyone who voted over the weekend. I put all your names in a baseball cap and Dennis pulled out Anonymous, aka Deb. Your Starbucks card is on its way, Deb.


This Friday I'll post the winning photos from the past three weeks for a final vote. See you then!

It's February Favorite Friday Foto Giveaway Time!

Welcome Folks! We're closing in on the February Favorite Foto Friday Finale here at Joyful Altitude. This is Round 3 and another opportunity to vote for your favorite photo and a chance to win a $5 Starbucks Card e-Gift. Just leave a comment with your vote and I'll add your name to the drawing. You have until Monday noon Mountain Time to vote. After that we'll pick one name from the voters. Janet won last week, so she's ineligible for the drawing this week (sorry Janet. . . need to give everyone a chance).

As a recap, here are the details of the February Favorite Foto Friday Giveaway:

• Every Friday in February I'll post three photos from my album and you'll have a chance to vote for your favorite. Only one vote per person allowed.
• By noon Mountain Standard Time on the following Monday I’ll post the winning photo of the week based on the number of votes cast. You have until Monday noon Mountain time to vote.
• On the last Friday of the month I'll post the winning photos from the past three Fridays, and you can vote again for your favorite of those final three. 
• Out of those three photos one will emerge as the February Favorite Foto Friday Photo of the Month based on your votes. I'll take the names of all of you who cast votes in February and put your names in a hat. Then I'll let Dennis pick one name out of the hat. The winner will receive an 8 x 10 print of their choice (without the copyright notation, of course) from all the photos I posted on February Fridays. 

Okay, , here we go. Vote for your favorite photo by using the comment bar at the bottom of this post. You have until noon mountain time on Monday to vote. Here are your choices:

Photo #1 - Pink Over Prospect Mountain

Photo #2 - Guardians

Photo #3 - Light of the World

Have fun casting your vote! See you on Monday with the winner!

Happy Valentine's Day and the Winner of February Favorite Friday Foto!

I know you've been waiting to see which photo received the most votes this week, so here it is. . .

Beside Still Waters

I took this photo August 2 last year while hiking in RMNP with Dennis. He had given me his extra camera just a few weeks before. When I downloaded the photos and saw this on my Mac screen, I knew photographing God's beautiful creation was going to be one of my passions. Sharing them with you is a joyful experience for me.

A huge thank you to all of you who took the time to comment and vote for your favorite photo. I put all your names in a hat -- well, okay, it was actually an empty Quaker Oats container -- and  Dennis pulled out a name. The winner of the $5 Starbucks Card e-Gift is Janet. Congratulations Janet! You'll be receiving your prize via email.

In the middle of posting the February Favorite Foto Friday photos last Friday, I heard a knock on the door. When I opened it, a nice man in a brown uniform handed me this box. . .

Inside the box I discovered this card. . .

and this. . .

which became these. . .

Aren't they gorgeous?

Dennis and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary today. We were married on Valentine's Day 2010 in the Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark, Colorado. . .

Dennis promises at least 29 more joyful anniversaries. I'm holding him to that promise!

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

Philippians 2:1-4, NIV

It's February Favorite Foto Friday and Whoa! Another Giveaway!

Hurrah! It's February Favorite Foto Friday. Your chance to have fun and win a prize.

But first I have to tell you about my visitors yesterday. I was sitting at my desk, which faces our backyard, and all of a sudden I saw this cute little face appear outside the french doors. . .

A young mule deer decided to taste test my dried up tomato plant. Hey, I don't mind sharing this time of year, if he doesn't mind eating woody stems. I didn't want to scare him, so I stayed seated in my desk chair and snapped the photo.

A second deer came up to the french doors and peered in. Take a look at those big, brown eyes. . .

Then I noticed more deer coming down the hill behind our apartment.  They took an interest in the very large pine tree  and dried grass about three yards from the doors. At this point I had to get up and take a closer look. . .

I wanted to get better photos, but was sure if I opened the door I would frighten them.  I waited until they moved a little farther away, and then quietly opened the door. This fella decided to stay, but kept a wary eye on me. . .

I love the wildlife here in Estes Park. There is a special vitality they bring whenever they stop by our place.

Ok, on to round 2 of February Favorite Foto Friday. I'm going to show you three more of my favorite photos and you get to vote on which one of the three you like best. Everyone who voted last week will be receiving a postcard of their favorite photo. (We printed them off today and they'll be in the mail tomorrow.)  I had fun reading your comments, and I'm hoping to get even more this week. In fact, I'm hoping so hard that I've decided to really sweeten the pot and do another giveaway. This time you'll have a chance to win a $5 Starbucks Card e-Gift just by voting for your favorite photo. I'll take the names of everyone who voted this time and throw them into a hat. Then I'll let Dennis draw one winning name. Hey, as much as I like Starbucks I'm tempted to vote on my own photos just for a chance to win!

As a recap, here are the details of the February Favorite Foto Friday Giveaway:

• Every Friday in February I'll post three photos from my album and you'll have a chance to vote for your favorite. Only one vote per person allowed.
• By noon Mountain Standard Time on the following Monday I’ll post the winning photo of the week based on the number of votes cast. You have until Monday noon Mountain time to vote.
• On the last Friday of the month I'll post the winning photos from the past three Fridays, and you can vote again for your favorite of those final three. 
• Out of those three photos one will emerge as the February Favorite Foto Friday Photo of the Month based on your votes. I'll take the names of all of you who cast votes in February and put your names in a hat. Then I'll let Dennis pick one name out of the hat. The winner will receive an 8 x 10 print of their choice (without the copyright notation, of course) from all the photos I posted on February Fridays. 

Okay, nature lovers, here we go. Vote for your favorite photo by using the comment bar at the bottom of this post. You have until noon mountain time on Monday to vote. Here are your choices:

Photo #1 - Beside Still Waters

Photo #2 - Poppies!

Photo #3 - Red Sky Sunrise

Have fun, cast your vote and tell your friends to do the same. Then be sure to come back Monday to see the winning photo.

And the Winner of the First Favorite Foto Friday Photo Is. . .

#3 - BEAR LAKE REFLECTION!

Bear Lake is a beautiful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park. (Are there any spots in RMNP that aren't beautiful?) Elevation is 9,450 feet. I took this photo on September 9th last year while hiking with Dennis. When I downloaded my photos, I was dumbstruck by the reflection of Hallett Peak. The details of that mountainsiade are so vivid. 

Here are more photos I took of Bear Lake that day that you might enjoy.

And here's a photo I took a couple of week ago. It looks quite different in winter, doesn't it?

A BIG thanks to all who participated in the Favorite Foto Friday Giveaway. I'll be contacting you to make sure I have your mailing address for your prize. This was a LOT of fun. Please stop by this Friday for Round 2 of Favorite Foto Friday. 

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

Flash Freeze and February Favorite Foto Friday Giveaway

What do residents of Estes Park, Colorado do when the outside temperature dips to 30 below? Well, some of them watch hot water flash freeze. 

"Excuse me?" you say.

Just watch this movie Dennis made of our friends Mike and Keely. They were outside of Starbucks Wednesday at about 7:00 AM. Keely demonstrated how hot water flash freezes when it hits 30 degrees below zero air. (Don't try this at home if you live in the tropics.)

Seeing that water freeze in mid-air is pretty cool (no pun intended), but personally, I'm glad I wasn't there to witness the live action. I much prefer being indoors by a roaring fire when it's 30 below. I don't care how much fun watching water turn to ice can be. 

On another note, I know there are people reading Joyful Altitude from all over the world, and that gives me the warm fuzzies. But I’d really enjoy hearing from you. I know, I know, some of you are just too shy to comment. So, here’s a little fun incentive to get some interaction going between you and me. Starting today, Joyful Altitude will be featuring February Favorite Foto Friday. And it will include (drum roll, please)  a GIVEAWAY. Here’s how it works:

• Every Friday I'll post three photos from my album and you'll have a chance to vote for your favorite. Only one vote per person allowed.
• By noon Mountain Standard Time on the following Monday I’ll post the winning photo of the week based on the number of votes cast. 
• On the last Friday of the month I'll post the winning photos from the past three Fridays, and you can vote again for your favorite of those final three. 
• Out of those three photos one will emerge as the February Favorite Foto Friday Photo of the Month based on your votes. I'll take the names of all of you who cast votes in February and put your names in a hat. Then I'll let Dennis pick one name out of the hat. The winner will receive an 8 x 10 print of their choice (without the copyright notation, of course) from all the photos I posted on February Fridays. 

 So, come on! Join in the fun and try for a prize. And invite your friends to join in, too.

Still not sure? Ok. You twisted my arm. As an added incentive, the first 20 readers to cast a vote for their favorite photo from today’s selections will receive a free 4x6 postcard photo of their choice. You can choose from any of the three photos I post today.

Ok, thats it. Ready? Here we go.

Review the following three photos, taken in Rocky Mountain National Park, and then leave a comment with your vote for either #1, #2 or #3. Remember to only vote once.

#1 Photo - Mr. Bull Elk

#2 Photo - I Lift My Eyes 

#3 Photo - Bear Lake Reflection

Thanks for participating. See you on Monday with the winning photo. Can't wait!