The Daily Post’s photo challenge this week is to share the most meaningful photo we’ve taken this year. I decided to choose one for each month of the year as well.  It was a fun way to review the year, and helped me realize that — all in all — it’s been a great year for me personally. Kids, pets, nature, friends, art, and challenges that made me stretch and grow. Here are my choices:

January

It’s rare to get snow where I live, and it can be rare to get a sunny day in January, so this day was special on two counts!

February

Daffodils broke through the soggy soil in my back yard early this year, it seemed. They avoided any serious frost, though, and brought vibrancy and color to this sometimes-dreary month.

March

Sebastian the Tux Cat is always special.

April

Sometimes you come across an image that just begs for a photo. Cell phones rock!

May

I took a six week class at a CrossFit gym and loved it! Note to self: exercise won’t kill you, and can, in fact, be fun!

June

Chules always makes me smile.

July

The Uroboros Glass Factory went out of business after 40 years of producing art glass in Portland, OR. I was so sad that I had to drown my sorrows in a shopping spree at their factory outlet store. Now I have lots of cool glass just waiting for cool ideas as to how to use it.

August

Chules and his new buddy Brisco got together at the beach in August. Brisco’s eskie “sister” Zoey was there, too. Fluffy cuteness overload!

September

Exploring nature with the little ones in my life is a treat and an honor.

October

Fun in the autumn leaves.

November

A perfect sunrise!

December

Well, December’s not over yet, so that favorite photo might be just around the corner.

On other fronts, it’s been a more difficult year. The political scene in the US this year has been brutal. Partisan machinations and misplaced priorities; ethics free-fall; utter disregard for the environment and the survival of the planet; massive gun violence that gets lost in a miasma of political posturing…

I didn’t think I had one particular photo that was the most meaningful to me, until I got to the end of this year-end review process. But there is, in fact, one photo from January that kind of set the stage for the year and as such has proven to be the most meaningful photo I took this year.

It is this:

Portland Police Department officer monitoring the peaceful Women’s March on January 20, 2017 in Portland, OR.

The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: 2017 Favorites