Hello OEG Connect community, to our first Monday of 2026. In our ongoing effort to generate activity in this space, I am trying a new weekly effort of a Monday post hopefully of interest aimed to instigate replies 1.
I received a lovely email wish for the new year from @wisalalim featuring an image of a daisy. Where I live (central Canada), its a little bit far from the time of year to see flowers, but I believe there is always something one can see in the world out their front door that expresses “health, happiness, love, alignment, and gratitude.”
I am always interested in seeing glimpses via photos of the places we live around the world. If you are inclined to try and share, when you go outside, look for some small symbol of opportunity, hope, beauty as an inspiration for 2026. Share the image by dragging and dropping into the message window (on a computer) or use the Add Image/File icon on the editor (the one with the upward arrow icon). Please practice good habit by including your own attribution and license to share under. Also look for the place in the editor where you can add alternative text to your image to improver accessibility (ask for help if needed).
Okay, here’s mine. I took a walk with my dogs and the combination of early morning fog and freezing temperatures creates beautiful patterns of frost, ice made of small crystals of frozen water that I find mesmerizing.
Photo by Alan Levine @cogdog shared here as CC BY.
Who is willing to share a photo? Please reply!
And look for more in this attempted series tagged monday-connect If you have suggested ideas for other topics, challenges, activities please let me know.
It’s not outside, but, while reading this post, I just happened to be sitting in this most stunning nook I discovered in an office building where I’m working in the city today. It’s an old bank converted into a beautiful multipurpose corporate building and there are still these little nods to its history and I’m so glad I happened to look up to notice this.
Oh that’s quite the evocative image, Nate, the complete charring of the center tree yet surrounded by living, thriving ones. What is the predominant tree type there that has the autumn color? I’d expect lots of conifers, are those larches?
Ahh, my "rule: of going outside is meant to be broken, the idea of looking up or down to notice detail like this is definitely rewarding.
Such ornate detail seems common in old bank buildings in many places, that’s quite a grand ceiling. And indeed something you might not normally notice.
I know Ponderosa pines well from where I lived in northern Arizona and they grow here in Saskatchewan in the Cypress Hills (and one planted at my current home). If you get close the bark smells like vanilla.
I know it’s Tuesday today, but I took this on Monday. The light in the park was beautiful last night. It was cold and crisp, the temperature just below freezing. There was a great spotted woodpecker calling in the trees right where I took this picture.
Any day is good for a serene scene like that, where we can imagine the working sounds of that woodpecker, thanks Lorna and wishing a beautiful new year to you.
Loved this prompt by @cogdog, so I’ve been keeping my eye open for “photo ops”. This photo was taken yesterday on KPU Surrey campus after work. I was walking to my car when I noticed the sun shining through the trees… it’s 4pm and the sun was still out!
It’s so nice that it’s not getting dark at 3pm anymore. The days are getting longer and we’re getting more light.
