Category Archives: Photography

P52.26 – January Beginnings

January 1, 20262026, Photography, Project 52CadyLy

My friend, Stacy, used to run a Project 52 group on Facebook a number of years ago, and since then, I’ve always toyed with the idea of doing this again. I loved the community aspect of it. I loved how the different prompts would push me to think just a bit more creatively. And I loved how it encouraged me to keep picking up my camera.

This past December, I got a new camera for my birthday/Christmas: a Sony Alpha 7 IV, and I’m going to start up a P52! And, since it’s really hard for me to contain myself to “just” a P52 when the possibility exists for me to do a 365… I will have one “official” prompt for the week, but then add in 6 additional prompts in case I (or anyone who wants to join me) feels a little extra that week and wants to make it a daily thing.

My current plan is to post the images on IG, on FB (which is probably going to be the easiest place for friends to reply with images of their own, if they choose), on my Flickr in a P52.26 album that I will share publicly, and here on Cadyly.com, where I can write more about the image, how I took it, and my thoughts around it.

I have a link.tree in my Instagram bio, which will take you to all the places.

I will be starting today, Thursday, January 1, 2026, because “New Year,” but I will have my weeks start on Monday and go through Sunday – so this week will be a short week.

My plan is to have all of the prompts out by mid-month for the upcoming month, so you have some time to plan out your images, if you are the planning type.

🌱 January’s Theme 🌱

January’s Theme is Fresh Starts & Winter Light. I’ve listed out each week’s main prompt, as well as 6 additional prompts per week. Feel free to do any of the prompts that you want, switch them out, do something entirely different… Whatever makes you feel happy and engaged. This isn’t graded and it’s supposed to be fun! (I need that reminder more than anyone!)

Week 1 (1/1 – 1/4): Something that feels calm
- Morning light through a window
- A favorite mug or cup
- Cozy layers
Week 2 (1/5 – 1/11): Patterns in nature
- A quiet corner
- Something you’re looking forward to
- Hands holding something warm
- A peaceful walk view
- Something blue
- A reflection
Week 3 (1/12 – 1/18): Light and shadow
- Winter sky
- Your favorite snack
- Something old you still love
- A moment of rest
- A simple breakfast
- A texture you enjoy
Week 4 (1/19 – 1/25): Your current view
- Something that smells good
- A sign or word that stands out
- Something silver or gray
- A self-care moment
- Something handmade
- A book or page
Week 5 (1/26 – 2/1): Something that makes you smile
- Footprints or paths
- A soft fabric
- A daily ritual
- Window reflections
- Something white
- A favorite color

I hope you enjoy watching my photography journey this year, and I look forward to seeing what you capture!

Have a blessed 2026!
— Jenn

2024 Project 52

January 3, 20242024, Photography, Project 52CadyLy

Several years ago, my friend, Stacy, started a Project 52 group on Facebook, where we would have a prompt a week and take a photo to fulfill the prompt. It helped us work on our photography skills and encouraged us to get out there and take more photos.

This year, I’m thinking about revitalizing this area of my interests and think that another Project 52 would be fun to do. (And just maybe I can convince Donald to join me, so I’m not doing this alone! Also, please join us!)

I will be using the prompts from 365 Project. I will try to make a graphic for the year’s prompts, but for this week it is: New.

Stage Nature Center

August 22, 20222022, Adventures with Donald, City Parks, Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Exercise & Fitness, Michigan, Nature and the Great Outdoors, Photography, TroyDeer, Rouge River, Stage Nature Center, SummerCadyLy

It has been a little while since we have indulged in one of our favorite lunchtime pastimes: finding a new city park to explore. We tend to do this a little more in Tallahassee, but we have found that there are quite a few local parks in Troy which are beautiful and fun to explore – particularly in summertime. Today, we returned to the Stage Nature Center – where we had seen the mink earlier in the year – to see how it looks when everything has had a chance to green up.

This is the Rouge River, as it is here in Troy, a little more than a creek.

We only had about 30 minutes to spend at the park during my lunch hour, so we made a quick trip around the Sugar Maple loop. It was really neat to see the different colors of green in the leaves and how the sun lit up the trees. The part of the loop that we walked also had a display of the various stages of tree/forest lifecycle, with logs in various stages of decay and decomposition.

The nature center has programs in the winter/early spring where you can rent a tap for a sugar maple tree, then collect the maple syrup produced from the sap.

We spent a few minutes at this crossroads in the paths to watch some chipmunks. They are FAST little ones! One of them ran up a tree and started chittering very loudly for quite some time. At first, I didn’t know what was making that sound and ended up recording it on my Bird ID app. I’m not sure if he was mad or excited, but he certainly wanted everyone in the forest to hear what he had to say!

Just as we were about to move on from the chipmunk area, we spied four deer running parallel to our path. Donald’s phone has much better zoom on the camera and he was able to get this incredible photo.

A view of the Rouge River from the other side of the Sugar Maple loop.

We just did the short 0.4 mile Sugar Maple Loop today, as I only had an hour for lunch. It was really pretty and we want to come back after work one day to see what animals are active in the early evening, as well as spend more time in the back half to see if we can spot our mink friend again.

I love seeing all the different colors of green!

This was a very BIG bee on this flower. It’s in an area of the nature center which has been planted as a monarch butterfly migration station.

I love when parks make boards like this to help people know what kinds of flowers and plants are indigenous to the area, and to promote planting native plants in gardens. Sometimes, you will see a companion board, where they will inform you of invasive species in the area and ask people visiting the park to help remove the invasive species if they are seen during your walk.

This was just a quick out and back visit, but we had a lot of fun. It was great to take a break and get away from the house for a bit, as well as to enjoy the warm, sunny, non-humid weather while we have it!

You can now listen to our blog via our podcast! It is available from Anchor via Spotify, but we are also working to get it published to other podcast platforms. Don’t worry, we will be working on our audio quality as we go! Enjoy!

Quarton Lake: Lunchtime Walk

April 20, 20222022, Adventures with Donald, Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Michigan, Nature and the Great Outdoors, Photography, WeekdaysCadyLy

It has been rather chilly in Michigan these past few days, and while the temperature was still on the low side, the lack of cold winds and bright sun made it feel good to be outside.

So, when lunchtime came, Donald and I decided to make a quick trip down the road to Quarton Lake for a walk around the water.

These bright blue flowers were blooming in yards surrounding the lake. Siri thinks they are called Scilla. 😀

The birds (mostly robins) were chirping away and foraging, and the squirrels (both black and red/gray) were having fun running in and around the trees.

Quarton Lake is in the middle of a residential area in Birmingham, surrounded by large houses of varying architectural styles.

There are so many different species of pine tree here in Michigan. This one reminded me of the Torreya pines in Florida which are very rare. However, the needles on this one were a lot softer than on the Torreyas.

On the Maple Rd side of the lake, there is a small park that includes this white fish sculpture. And, of course, the waterfall. 😀

The watershed from Quarton Lake feeds into the Rouge River (or so I would assume from the signage on the bridge 😜). Some of the houses in the neighborhood were lucky enough to have the river on their backyard.

I’m no nature expert, but I think these yellow flowers may belong to a Forsythia bush.

This pine tree had thin, delicate branches with soft, short needles. Very pretty!

At the south end of the lake, there is a grist wheel and a plaque to let people know that Quarton Lake used to be called Mill Pond and was the site of a grist mill which ground grain into flour for the Birmingham community.

Just a couple of the beautiful houses surrounding the lake.

Looking back at the park entrance and Maple Rd

Yet another species of pine tree. This one had cool pinecones forming.

This view is from the north side of the lake. Our lunchtime walk took us completely around the lake. It was great to get out of the house for a bit and enjoy the sun on our faces!

Love, Jenn and Donald

Florida – Lake Ella

March 25, 20222022, Adventures with Donald, Florida, Nature and the Great Outdoors, Photography, WeekdaysLake EllaCadyLy

After work today, we decided to get out of the house and spend some time at Lake Ella. We stopped by Black Dog Cafe and got a couple of their Lattes of the Day and some small snacks. We sat on their deck (which has a new roof/awning) and enjoyed our bagel and pastry and read awhile. Once our pastries were finished, we wanted to walk around a little.

All of the trees are greening up with the new growth of spring

Plants at the edge of the water near the gazebo

View from the east side of the lake, looking west

Cypress tree with all the knees – so pretty!

We stopped for a moment and sat on this bench swing, taking in the peacefulness of the afternoon. We saw a couple Spin scooters nearby and I joked about renting one for another ride. They are a lot of fun, but after Donald’s near-miss and my accident (which I’m still recovering from), we think that we should invest in some helmets (and perhaps other protective gear) before we ride the Spins again.

Low-hanging branches, near Black Dog Cafe

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few of our photos from our walk! We will certainly have more adventures to share soon!

Love, Jenn and Donald

Doing Something I Love

November 1, 20192019, Photography, RandomnessCadyLy

Last week, I had a meeting on the main medical campus and took the bus there from my office. On the way back at the end of the day, I got extremely nauseated – I just wanted to curl up in the fetal position and die. Instead of commuting home right away, I thought to take some photos of the fall leaves in the Arboretum. But there was no great place to park, and I wasn’t up to a lot of hiking, so I eventually decided to go to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens instead, with the idea of walking through the woods there.

I didn’t make it that far. I went into the Conservatory, and started snapping away with my iPhone. I’ve photographed Matthaei a bunch of times, but I always enjoy it. Here are (some of) the fruits of my afternoon:

I even edited my photos, uploaded them to an actual album on Flickr, and made them into a photo book via Blurb. It’s nice to do something you love to do, every now and then. 🙂

Clawson Fireworks

July 5, 2015Holidays, PhotographyClawson, fireworks, Fourth of July, Independence DayCadyLy

Every year, Clawson puts on the best fireworks display! 🙂 I love living close enough to be able to walk to the park (and miss the gridlocked traffic after the show)! This year, I got to share the evening with Ross and Chelsea.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the evening:

As always, you can see the rest of my photos on my Clawson Fireworks Flickr page.

Fun at the Zoo Boo!

October 14, 2012Holidays, PhotographyCadyLy

Sorry, everyone…. I’ve been quite sick lately, so EVERYTHING has fallen off my plate. Pretty sure I dropped the plate, too. I’ll try and catch up, if I ever get better. 🙂

Krystin invited me to the Zoo Boo with her family. It was so cute to see Evie as a bee, especially when she would tell us that a bee says, “Buzz!” Dad Jerad was quite the trooper, carrying his little girl most of the way. It’s always awesome to be around parents as excited and involved as Krystin and Jerad. 🙂

It was raining on the way over, but by the time we parked, the rain had stopped and we could see some blue sky peeking in:

The Detroit Zoo had set up a short walking course dotted with candy stations manned by Zoo personnel in various Halloween costumes. Along the way, we got to look at tons of carved pumpkins and other visual delights.

Look at the cute Kutler family! Ready to get CANDY! 🙂

Evie-Bee getting ready to get candy at the first stop:

She looks a little unsure, but Daddy’s right there to keep her safe!

Then, she took off running!

We found a maze made of hay bales and chased Mommy through that.

On the way to MORE CANDY, Mommy and Daddy helped their little bee fly!

Treat Station #2

Oh, Look! Another bee!

And a Snowman Pumpkin!

They didn’t seem to be as interested in looking at all of the pumpkin sculptures on the side of the walkway — at least not as much as I was. 🙂 These things were CUTE!!!

Okay, this one was kind of freaky…

Cheezing for the picture:

A family stroll:

The Toy Story characters were there…

Getting a family picture…

The Reptile House was set up like a Haunted House of sorts. Really, they need to get creepier?!?

Now, it was starting to get dark, but we were still able to take a look at the camels and deer.

See how Daddy picks his Evie-Bee up?! 🙂

Mommy and Daddy leading Evie to the next candy station:

Glow sticks — sold for a King’s ransom. Needless to say, we didn’t buy any.

Aww! Polar Bear Pumpkins!

I like this picture:

They needed to have this drink station more in the middle of the walk, not the end….

Zebra and Giraffe and Elephant Pumpkins!

Yay! This was a fun Zoo Boo!

The penguins watched us leave….

Goodnight, Zoo!

Stunning Sunrise

October 5, 2012Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, PhotographyCadyLy

This morning, I’m struggling to compensate for how much pain I’m in, so I have cute clothes on, hair arranged, make-up on, got an iced chai at Starbucks and blasted happy music all the way in to work. God apparently went along with this plan, because He gave me an amazing sunrise to watch. I mean, just LOOK at these colors!

The photo is grainy and stuff, but when you are merging from one highway to another and working with a point-n-shoot…. 🙂

Here’s another “lovely” shot…

And here’s an “action shot,” taken over my shoulder out the window. 🙂

Finally, I pulled into the parking lot of a nearby hotel and walked as close as I could to the highway to get a clear shot.

I’ll give you some more shots, so you can enjoy it, too. This is straight out of the camera — no edits.

This is also straight out of the camera, but I started playing with some of the color settings. 🙂

Hope you have a blessed day!

A Blessed Day

September 1, 2012Of Trials Opportunities and Gifts, Photography, SacramentsCadyLy

I’ve been wanting to go to confession for several weeks now, but at every turn it seems that something would come up. The longer I went, the more I wanted to go. I used to go about every 2 weeks to my pastor for confession, but lately have been going to confession Friday evenings after work at Christ the King. However, after being frustrated in my attempts for so long, I wanted to go to confession to a special place.

Don’t get me wrong, God’s grace is God’s grace no matter the location or the priest who channels his grace.

But.

I’m not the kind of person who *feels good* after confession. I don’t feel “light as a feather,” or anything like that. I just feel like me. Although, when I go to St. Bonaventure’s for some reason, I feel God’s love and mercy more than usual. It’s not uncommon for me to exit confession crying. For some reason, there I have a better sense of my sin, and therefore an increased humility and gratitude for what the Lord is willing to forgive me.

After confession today, the day just seemed to … slow down, in a way. I lingered over sights and appreciated everything that I encountered.

First, I spent some time in prayer before the tabernacle.

Then, as I was exiting, I noticed a garden space. At first, the door to go in was locked, but one of the priests saw that I was trying to go in and opened the door for me. The flowers inside (outside? The garden was an interior courtyard with no roof) were beautiful.

When I first arrived, there was no one in line for confession and no priest in the room, so I had about 30 minutes to kill before the next scheduled confession time. I wandered through the exhibit on Fr. Solanus and then wandered through the gift shop. I ended up getting a rosary bracelet and a couple of postcards.

On the way out, after my confession, I took a couple pictures of the door.

The building stone:

And Sister Death, which is a sculpture of this twisted black piece of a tree.

The sense of peace, quiet joy and reflection stayed with me throughout the day. It was wonderful. I felt His love surround me wherever I went. And I kept receiving signs of love throughout the day. I wish I could hold on to that feeling forever. 🙂