This week, Ritva hosts the Lens-Artists Challenge. She writes, “This challenge invites you to hit the pause button. It’s like giving your inner self a little nudge to relax and savor each moment. By slowing down, you become aware of the beauty in the details—the gentle swaying of the leaves, the captivating dance of light upon water—that you may otherwise rush past.” You can read her entire challenge post here.
Lynn and I cruise so much, we get caught up in the “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium” syndrome. The phrase, the title of a 1969 movie sums it up best. Our road trips are a lot less frenetic with longer stays and time to enjoy the sunset as we did in 2015 at Itasca State Park in Minnesota. The opening photo is a view of Lake Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Those rocks on the right are stepping stones allowing people to walk across the river at the point where it begins.
Waterrock Knob is a viewpoint along the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 451.2, straddling Haywood and Jackson Counties in western North Carolina. The view and our quiet time was after a somewhat strenuous walk up to a viewpoint near the summit parking lot. Google AI tells me that the peak is a part of the Plott Balsams range and rises to an elevation of 6,292 feet, making it the 16th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States. This photo is from a few days ago, a visit to Maggie Valley, North Carolina to connect with our son and daughter-in-law for a few days.
In the small town of Sylva, North Carolina, as we walked down the street, I noticed a man leaning against a window apparently in conversation with someone unseen to us.
On our journey to Kruger National Park last year, we heard that a leopard had her kill stolen by a crocodile. We first found her two cubs under a tree. A little ways away from the cubs, the mother leopard rested in a tree, no doubt thinking she will have to hunt again to feed her cubs.
As our guide drove us past a small band of baboons, I spotted this young baboon appearing to be in deep thought as he was totally oblivious to our vehicle and the fact that he was posing for photographs.
At the end of the day, we took the time to photograph an unusual sunset and cloud display as we headed back to camp in Kruger National Park. This is a good photo to conclude my response to Ritva’s Challenge.
Last week, Anne sent us on a virtual scavenger hunt that provided so many interesting responses. Next week, Egidio hosts the challenge that you will find posted on Saturday at noon Eastern Time. Be sure to follow him here so you don’t miss his challenge post. Check here to find out more about submitting your own challenge responses.
John Steiner
Journeys with Johnbo 
John these are wonderful images, calm waters, gorgeous mountains, I could spend hours looking at this view. The animals, the baboon stole my heart.
Thanks, Ritva!
Beautiful images, that express the quiet perfectly!
Thanks!
The leopard made me smile, a truly quiet time
Even apex predators have bad days. >grin<
Again, worth waiting for John! Your landscapes are just beautiful and your others are simply creative. The leopard gathering up energy for another kill, the guy at the window and the pensive baboon are all great examples of quiet.
Thanks, Anne! I do want to go through others’ responses, but I’m still playing catch up with things to do.
Take your time!
You’ve reminded us that it’s important while travelling to carve out these quiet moments to appreciate what we are seeing rather than always rushing on to the next place. Also, that animals have their quiet moments too. I love the leopard photo and even more so that pensive baboon 🙂
Thanks, Sarah. I found it fascinating that so many wild animal photos I captured in Kruger would have qualified for the challenge.
These are all gorgeous I images John, my favorite is the first lake scene.
Thanks Brad!!
A lovely selection of quiet moments.
I love the image of the man leaning against the window. That shot really ‘talks’ to me of a quiet moment.
Thanks, Vicki. When I saw him standing there, my first thought was this week’s challenge theme.
While I loved the photos as usual, you had me smiling at “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium”, which I saw. I don’t really remember the movie, just the frenetic pace which too many visitors everywhere try to replicate. I prefer to stay and savor, although not adverse to moving around, just not so quickly.
Thanks, Janet! Cruising can get people into that “rush” mode. I like to pick excursions that get us out in the countryside.
I would too. It’s good to experience a place rather than just skim the surface as quickly as possible.
Peaceful photos. Thank you.
Such peaceful photos John, I remember the leopard had her catch stolen and hope she had better luck the next time 🙏
Thanks, Xenia!
Very lucky to have spotted the leopard!
We searched the area among all the other safari vehicles, and finally our guide spotted her in the tree.
The baboon shot is wonderful, John. Your landscapes are gorgeous as always, but the baboon won my heart this week.
Thanks, Sofia!
So much serenity in all these images John, wonderful.
Thanks, Leanne!
Oh John, you have selected some very peaceful and serene images!
Thanks, Pamela!
Great variety on this one John. Your portrait of the young baboon is perfection!
No doubt he was pondering why I would be taking his photo. >grin<
Great selections John. I love the lake and leopard in particular. Lucky crocodile not to be eaten by the leopard! At least the cubs weren’t harmed. It’s a jungle out there!
A jungle, indeed! Thanks, John
John, I really like how you started off by taking me to two places I’m familiar with – Lake Itasca and the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. I really like the photo of the man in the window. And then you took me Africa with your amazing images of the wildlife and sunset. All are beautiful quiet moments!
Thanks, Beth! It was fun to include photos I’d just taken a few days ago in North Carolina. Of course, I had to share the wildlife photos from Africa.
Such a varied and intimate look at quiet moments. The Lake Itaska sunset is breathtaking, and I would definitely be trying to meander along those rocks.
There is something special about the Great Smokeys and you gave the perfect image to show us why. The trees, the layers of hillsides, and the clouds all contribute to the peace you mention.
And I love the leopard. Poor thing having to go back our to hunt, but it real life, so I love the story you shared with us. So nice. All of it.
Thanks, Donna! Those rocks are fun to walk across, even for an old man. 🙂
I never thought I’d feel sorry for a leopard.
The lake is gorgeous as are the mountains. I also was drawn to the window photo
Thanks, Nora!
Your first picture looks like such a peaceful spot, John.
It was, indeed!