Today is Alexis’ birthday… so happy birthday Alexis!

I hope you have an amazing birthday without too much paperwork, unless your really want to do that paperwork, then happy paperwork day!

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A SHAPE! What a great theme. But did it shape up to be a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 10, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Scott Degeneffe – 1 week
2-Derrick Gorshe – 1 week
3-Mary Green – 1 week (2)
4-Mike Vest – 1 week
5-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks
6-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
7-Sheri Fakhouri – 4 weeks
8-Becky Parmelee – 4 weeks
9-Monica Jennings – 5 weeks
10-Logan Kahler – 5 weeks
11-Nathanial Brown – 6 weeks
12-Jesse Howard – 6 weeks (3)
13-Tamara Peterson – 9 weeks
14-Alexis Stensland – 14 weeks (3)
15-Mindi Terrell – 21 weeks (2)
16-Brandon Kahler – 46 weeks
17-Linda Bennett – 50 weeks
18-Sarah Toot – 51 weeks (2)
19-Angie DeWaard – 55 weeks
20-Dawn Krause – 59 weeks
21-Kim Barker – 65 weeks
22-Joe Duff – 66 weeks (2)
23-Teresa Kahler – 77 weeks (2)
24-Carla Stensland – 77 weeks
25-Micky Augustin – 79 weeks
26-Andy Sharp – 80 weeks
27-Bill Wentworth – 81 weeks
28-Cathie Morton – 85 weeks
29-Elizabeth Nordeen – 86 weeks
30-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 88 weeks
31-Kio Dettman – 90 weeks

Heading into today’s submissions, here is the map of where THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE submissions have been taken:

Map courtesy of visitedplaces.com

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Alexis Stensland (Swaledale, Iowa) – 15 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Swaledale, Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Swaledale, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 81 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 56 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 82 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 47 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 78 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa)

Cathie Morton (Des Moines, Iowa) – 86 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Boone County, Iowa) – 60 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Kamrar, Iowa) – 87 weeks

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 7 weeks

Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 67 weeks

Joe Duff (League City, Texas)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 66 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 91 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Iowa) – 51 weeks

Linda Bennett (Iowa)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 6 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Mary Green (Salt Lake City, Utah) – 2 weeks

Mary Green (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Mary Green (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Micky Augustin (Near Colo, Iowa) – 80 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Urbandale, Iowa) – 22 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Urbandale, Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Urbandale, Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Des Moines, Iowa) – 6 weeks

Monica Jennings (Des Moines, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Tampa, Florida) – 7 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Indian Rocks, Florida)

Sabas Hernandez (Ottumwa, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sarah Toot (New York City, New York) – 52 weeks

Sarah Toot (New York City, New York)

Scott Degeneffe (Near Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Indianola, Iowa) – 89 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 10 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Colfax, Iowa) – 78 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Stanhope, Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

31 participants! That is a pretty great week! That is 8 of the last 9 weeks that we’ve had over 30 submissions! That is impressive and if we keep that up, I might lower the maximum submissions to 2. We will see if we can keep going at such a high rate of participation! WooHoo!

There were submissions from several places this week, but no place new.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Florida
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ New York
+ Texas
+ Utah

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

31 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 60% of the way there!

If you are wondering, these are the missing states:

+ Alabama
+ Alaska
+ Connecticut
+ Delaware
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Indiana
+ Kentucky
+ Maine
+ Maryland
+ Massachusetts
+ Mississippi
+ New Hampshire
+ New Mexico
+ Rhode Island
+ South Carolina
+ Vermont
+ Virginia
+ West Virginia

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

My submission was taken in my basement. I continue to not help grow the map. Maybe one of these days I’ll just get a wild hair and drive to New Mexico. Stranger things have happened.

There were plenty of big accomplishments this week! Tamara joined the Double Digit Streak Club! WooHoo! Sarah joined the 1 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! Carla and Teresa both joined the 18 Month Streak Club! Double WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all lengthy streaks. Derrick couldn’t build on his submission from last week and Becky’s 4 week streak came crashing to a halt.

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

GUILTY PLEASURE – THEME SUGGESTED BY SARAH TOOT

GUILTY PLEASURE! What a great theme for year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a GUILTY PLEASURE photo? It is simply a photo of something that you enjoy, but you know that it is bad. Either low in quality or bad for you. In the theme reveal image I am watching THE WRAITH. Which is one of the absolute worst movies ever made. Everything about the movie is inept from the acting to the directing to the storyline to the special effects and I love every second of it! Another example of a GUILTY PLEASURE of mine is Funyuns. I know they are terrible for me and leave me with absolutely dreadful breath, but I can still hammer down a bag of them like it is nobody’s business!

So think about what you love, but you know isn’t good or good for you. Could be a band or a show or a food or a person… You’ll figure it out. Maybe your GUILTY PLEASURE is Photography 139. I won’t hate. I’m kind of in the Dave Grohl mindset on GUILTY PLEASURE(s).

While thinking about that thing you love, but sometimes are a little embarrassed to tell other people about, meditate on the following quote:

Isn’t three quarters of life a guilty pleasure?
-Joan Collins

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

RULES

The picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is it. Thems the rules!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of GUILTY PLEASURE in this place that will hold only a little bit of judgment on your pleasures next Monday.