The Daily Joe

Last Sunset of 2025 Photo of the Day 365/365 This photo is very symbolic of my vision of 2025. It ended up fairly well - it took a bit of work to get there (lots of editing to remove powerlines and other "issues") - it is a little off center - it's very streaky - but still - all in all - it came out ok.  It ended up mostly positive and there are many plusses. 2026 should prove to have even more challenges. I'll be retiring, we'll start a journey as grandparents and so much more. Here is to a New Year and New Challenges.

Old Curvy Road to the Farm on a Misty Morning Photo of the Day 364/365 I took this photo yesterday morning  We had to go get some bloodwork done for myself (a VERY early appointment) and were on our way back home. I noticed the mist hanging in the valleys and took a good number of shots but this one, with the road and the touch of morning blue sky, caught my eye. I had to do some editing to get the road to be visible, but it was worth it and now up to where I saw this image.

Snowy Mountain Road Photo of the Day 363/365 This photo was taken a few years ago near my father-in-law's home. He lived on the side of a mountain and this was the only road onto that mountain. It was usually well kept and safe to travel on. This photo just seemed to carry the winter theme and I thought it nice as we get ready to wrap up 2025.

Sunset Sky, Lone Tree, and Snowy Field Photo of the Day 362/365 Can you believe that there are only 3 days left to this year?  It just amazes me how time if just flying by. This photo was taken a little more than a week ago and it took some editing to coax out the image that I "visualized" for this shot. As with most of our snows, the snow comes in, it gets warm enough to melt, and then the snow is gone. You have to capture it while you can. 

Sunset across the Field before the Snow Photo of the day 361/365 I took this photo a few days ago. I was on my way from work to that Karate School and was running just a tad early. I was able to catch the actual sunset.I was very happy as the light from the sun still lit the field and the sky. It was still very cold and luckly there was enough room to pull my car off the road and get a few shots.

Christmas Sunset Sky Photo of the Day 360/365 We went to my son's home for Christmas dinner yesterday and had a great time just eating yummy food and opening gifts and talking about some future important events. On our way out, I saw the sunset sky and had to try to capture it. The reds, oranges, and faint blues were magnificent - too bad for the power lines.

Cold Christmas Eve Sunset Photo of the day 359/365 I decided, at the last minute, to try to get a walk in, yesterday afternoon. It was nearly sunset time, and I looked out but didn't see much. The clouds were murky near the horizon and the sun was just setting. It's the time of year that I don't get great sunsets in the neighborhood but I managed this one, despite, the cold wind, and my less-than-festive mood. I wish to you and everyone you know - Merry Christmas - and if you don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays.

Down the Old Road at Sunset Photo of the Day 358/365 This photo was taken a couple of years ago. My wife and I were exploring roads on the way from here to there. We had a meandering destination in mind but she chose the roads and waited for me to ask her to stop for photos. This was one of those times - as we get to Christmas this year, SHE is the best present I have - she has put up with me for 45 years (42 married and 3 dating) and I could not have asked for a better life partner.

Dark Sky Sunset Photo of the Day 357/365 When I left work yesterday, I noticed the dark sky around the horizon so I believed I had little chance of a sunset. Well, when I reached a railroad crossing, I noted that the sun was peekiing out under those clouds, so I hurried to the one spot I knew on the way home to catch it. This was the result, the sun was setting and the clouds were dark and foreboding but it provided a nice image of the sky and setting sun.

Flaming Sunset Clouds Photo of the Day 356/365 This photo was taken earler this month when we were travelling between Christmas parties. We had one at our home, then one for my martial arts school. The sky, that night, was absolutely amazing. I was taking photos with my phone at every opportunity. The shame is that most did not turn out due to things blurred in the photo due to movement, but there were a few that did come out and this was one of them. 

Sunrise through the Trees Photo of the Day 355/365 I took this photo yesterday morning as I did my morning ritual in the kitchen. The sun was just coming up and I really liked the orange of the rising sun coming through the trees that line our back yard. It gave me hope for a good day. The day did start well - I wish it had ended on a more positive note - but we'll see where things go.

Misty Morning over the Field Photo of the Day 354/365 The other morning, I heard the weather reporter talk about a fog warning in our area. I truly hoped I would see some on the way to work but to no avail, it was clear. So, I decided to look back at some of my unposted phtoos and found this one. It was in the right place, at the right time, but the wrong date. I took this in August, but it give one the mood of what I was hoping for. No edits were needed for this one.

Farm Yard in a Dusky Sky Photo of the Day 353/365 On the way home the other evenitng, I drove a different path and was able t capture a number of beautiful scenes with a glorious sky and blue hills and snowy fields (one of which I posted a couple of days ago). As I try to do, I turn around to see what "the other side" looks like. This is the view that I saw when I turned around that afternoon. A very pretty pastel sky and the sunset sky reflecting on this white barn and fence.

Sunset Sky through the Trees Photo of the Day 352/365 The sunset skies have been quite spectacular this year. This one was taken when I left work yesterday afternoon. I feel I was lucky because the clouds seemed to want to take over and make things gray. I was fortunate in my timing because I still got some of those sunset golden hues before the clouds came in. I took 5-10 shots at this location but this one, to me, was the best.

Red Sky, Blue Hills, and a Snowy Field Photo of the Day 351/365 On my way home from work yesterday, I noted the beautiful sky coming to fruition. However, it gets stale taking photos from the same places - so I tried going home a way that I hadn't in over a year. The sceneery did not disappoint and I was able to catch the tail end of the sunset sky. The sky contrasted so nicely with the blue hills and the (brrrrrr) cold snowy fields. This was, by the way, unedited.

Farm and Sunset Sky Photo of the Day 350/365 The year is going by SO fast - 15 days until 2026 and 10 days until Christmas. So, I'm taking every opportunity I can to take walks and enjoy the scenery that is presented to me. As I get older and closer to retirement, I wonder what comes next. This view was on a cold, COLD walk a few nights ago and I had to play with editing it a bit before it showed what I saw - but it was worth it.

Sunset Sky over a Snowy Field Photo of the Day 349/365 Our second real snow of the season, and I think this one will stick with us a few days. It is very cold and windy. Near sunset time, I decided to venture outside to get a few photos with my phone and one of the "screenless" cameas that I bought. The phone did the better job and this is the result. The clouds almost look like a bird coming in for a landing - but I like it.

Cold Gray Sunset Photo of the Day 348/365 Our church did a carol sing on our town square. It was a fun time of singing, friends, cookies and hot chocolate.  It was, however, cloudy and windy: snow was on it's way.  When it was over, on our way  back to the car, I noted that the sun was setting and it had broken through the gray clouds. I grabbed my phone and nabbed a couple of photos before the clouds overtook it again.

Reaching Up from the Sunset Sky Photo of the Day 347/365 This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago while out on a sunset walk. On this evening, I had missed the actual sunset and had been somewhat dismayed at the lack of clouds to help with a good photograph. While out on our walk, we passed a neighbor's yard.  The yars was surrounded by woods, but had a singular tree standing tall in the middle - and when I looked, you could still see the golden hues coming up through the woods into the blue of the coming night - and took this shot.

Sunrise under the Branches Photo of the Day 346/365 This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. The sunrise was spectacular and I had taken a number of shots at various locations - and if you follow this, you've seen some. This one just kept coming back as one I should post. I really like the branches in the foreground, and if you look closely, the sun is just rising through the branches of the trees on the hillside - I really like that. 

Sunset Clouds over the Road Photo of the day 345/365 I took this photo this past weekend while we were on our way between our family Christmas party and our dojo Christmas party.  It was a fantastic sky but we were very much pushed for time, so there were no opportunities to stop. I had to shoot at stop signs or from the moving car. I did get quite a few shots - some good - some not so good. This was one of the ones I liked.

Cold, Beautiful Sunset Sky Photo of the Day 344/365 On my way home last evening - I was just leaving the parking lot and saw the sun setting. I did my level best to make it to one of my spots to get the sky and this was the result. I was in a hurry as I had to swap cars with my son - but I made 4 shots in 3 minutes - not too bad. I really love the colors in this one.

Barn and a Little Touch of Autumn Photo of the day 343/365 Despite the current snow and cold, I reached back a few weeks and got this shot out of my camera roll. I took it after leaving a memorial service for a family member. This little patch of autumn color had survived the wind and rain.  I loved how the color stood out against the barn and the bare trees in the background. To me, this is a "country" scene.

Cold Sunrise over the Pond Photo of the Day 342/365 I took this photo last week after our first measurable snowfall. It was a cold morning and the snow was such that I could not pull off the road. So, I took my chances and stopped, rolled down my car window, and took a couple of shots. When you do that, most times, the photos will not be straight. I now mine weren't and I had to do some editing to make it work, but I think this one came out OK.

Cold Country Road after Sunset Photo of the Day 341/365 As we were rushing between holiday parties yesterday afternoon, the sky lit up wth the post-sunset colors and clouds. While my wife drove, I struggled to find a few shots where there were no power lines and open skies. I did get a few, but this one stands out as a really nice shot. The colors were gone within minutes and we made it to the second party on time (barely) - but it was worth it.

Morning Clouds over a Lone Tree Photo of the Day 340/365 I took this photo earlier this week on a COLD morning on the way to work. I took a number at this location, but I like this one the best. I especially like the clouds that were low on the horizon behind the trees. I wish that they would have been higher. But nature gives and I try to mimic what I see. 

Covered Bridge in the Morning Snow Photo of the Day 339/365 I took this photo two days ago on the way to work. The snow had fallen, our first, measurable snow, and it was pretty cold. I found a spot I could pull over, just onto our campus, and took a few photos before I became too cold. I've always liked this bridge and captured it in all seasons - but I think the winter time is the prettiest time to photograph it - and the morning light made it even better.

Cold Morning at the Creek Photo of the Day 338/365 Yesterday was the morning after our first measurable snowfall. The morning was crisp and mostly clear. There were enough clouds to make an interesting sky, but enough snow that I could not easily pull off the road. That's not to say I didn't take photos from my open car window with my flashers on, but I could not jump out of the car most places. This spot, though, I was able to get out and take a few photos and I liked this one.

Sunset Down the Road Photo of the Day 337/365 I took this photo last weekend. I had just started my "sunset walk" and was a little early. The sun was a little too high so I took my time and tried to see other views. As I crossed the road, I saw this scene and decided to capture it. After looking at it for a bit, I like it better than when I took it. I almost deleted it immediately, mostly because I abhor power lines, but I'm glad I kept it.

Just Before Sunrise on the Farm Photo of the Day 335/365 I tookthis photo yesterday monring on the way to work. The pre-dawn sky was just so pretty that I had to stop at a few of my "pretty spots" to take a few photos. I've posted shots from here before, but I wanted a wider view when I saw how wide the colors had spread across the horizon. I feel that this is a good representation (no edits) of what I saw then.

Sunset and Field Grass Photo of the Day 335/365 I took this photo over the Thanksgiving Holiday (here in the states). I was out for a very short sunset walk. I really wanted to catch the sunset itself, this time, so I left a little early. In reality, I left a little too early and it was a little cold, but I managed to hold and and try to get some good images. I really like how this one came out. I like the sunshine hitting the grass and the streaming clouds. It looks alot warmer than it was.