Developing Perspective: How Pictures Changed My View

2025 Year In Review

Todd Takes Pictures

Dec 31, 2025

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My initial feeling about 2025 was that I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it just felt like a “not very good year”.

Then I started looking through my pictures.

It’s human nature to focus more on things that annoy, upset and stress us out. Most of us have fairly vivid memories of every little bad thing that happens. It can affect our mood, cloud our judgement, and even impact our future decisions.

Sometimes so much of the negative piles up that it becomes hard to remember anything good that happened.

Fortunately, most of us are walking around with a camera in our pocket for almost all of our waking hours. I don’t know about you, but when I started looking back through my picture archives (even if you don’t want to browse through hard drive files, google photos auto uploads most of your pictures) I kept coming across images that made me smile.

Perhaps 2025 wasn’t such a bad year after all.

At first I wasn’t planning to do one of these “year in review” posts. But now I feel like it would be good for me, so I kind of have to.

… and you probably should too (even if it’s just for yourself).

So here’s how we’ll do this review. For each month, I’m going share a link to a gallery with a few picture, and also a short version of the stories that go with them. I have a feeling that whether anyone else reads it or not, I’m going to enjoy writing this post. 😊

January

We got up and out of the house at least 4 or 5 times during the first month of the year. We hiked the first segment of the Arizona Trail, down near the Mexican border. We took advantage of the best weather of the year to visit Gates Pass and Tucson Mountain park. Put on our coats to take a visiting relative up to see the views from the Hamburg overlook in Ramsey Canyon, and even took the dog for a romp in the river. Ending things up with homemade tacos and spectacular sunsets.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/january

February

San Diego Sunsets, whale watching, and fresh crab legs for Kelly’s birthday. I’m sure we did a few other things in February, but this epic road trip dominated my pictures. We saw the Imperial Sand Dunes, Jacumba Hot Springs, and accidentally hiked part of the Pacific Crest Trail on the way there. We then stayed two nights at the Navy Lodge, right on the beach at Coronado Island.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/february

March

This was my birthday month. I got pineapple upside down cake, and a new big lens (Sigma 150-600) for my camera. Got to hang out with two of my granddaughters at an aquarium. Went on a few picture taking nature walks, and at one the track meets we went to we even got an unexpected Thunderbirds airshow!

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/march

April

Holy cow, we finally bought a Jeep! I got to take Prom pictures of the girls. We went to a couple of fun track meets, and Jaiden got her first tattoo! Not sure how this month could have been better.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/april

May

Kelly’s son Evan graduated from high school. We visited our favorite little mountain town of Bisbee to catch a comedy show. And on a drive up to the top of Carr Canyon, I got some of my favorite bird pictures of the year with that yellow-eyed Junco.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/may

June

San Diego, again. But first we had to go to the Bisbee pride parade, which is always fun. For this San Diego trip, we took the whole gang, including two my daughters visiting from Texas. The eight of us (6 teens and 2 adults) rented a house near Sunset Cliffs. It was one of the most expensive vacations I’ve done, but worth it.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/june

July

After dropping Kelly’s youngest son at running camp in Pinetop (near Show Low), we drove up to I-40 and pointed the Jeep towards Flagstaff. We made a quick pitstop in Winslow Arizona (yes I stood on the corner, but I think that picture is in Kelly’s phone), then headed for the meteor crater. I’m not sure I’d make a special trip just for this, but since it was on the way, it was definitely worth seeing. We did a couple of hikes in Flagstaff (including the snow bowl gondola , and got some great panoramic view from the airport look trail in Sedona. The kids went back to school around the 20th, and we got a preview of what my Jaiden will look like in her graduation cap and gown this coming May. Oh yea, don’t forget to check out that massive dust storm (aka “haboob”) that I managed to get an pretty cool picture of.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/july

August

I have no idea why I grilled bacon-wrapped filet mignon, but it was good. August is peak thunderstorm month, and we somehow managed to get another wall of dust (after I’d told my two new guys at work about how that “never” happens here. We hit putt-putt golfing in Tombstone and a trampoline park in Tucson for my daughter’s birthday. I took a few cool nature pictures, including a Spinx Moth that gave me a sunrise pose on my finger before flying away.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/august

September

Cross-country season started, thunderstorms were still firing, and I got a couple of good bird pictures. One of the teens got her driver’s license, and two others posed for pictures before the homecoming dance. I think this was also the month I bought a cast iron wok to cook my stir fry in.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/september

October

And unexpected rainbow, a trip up to the top of Mount Lemon, a “hard” hike in the Huachuca’s, bird pictures and Halloween light shows. My daughter opened a bank account to deposit the checks from her first job, and we had the first evening cool enough to light the fire pit in the back yard.

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/october

November

My granddaughter’s birthday party, taking bird pictures at the Gilbert Water Ranch, the first fall colors in Ramsey Canyon, and the last picture of Kelly’s son as a civilian before he shipped of to Navy boot camp. Oh yeah, we also saw Sandhill Cranes, and the Salt River Wild Horses!

See all the full size pictures: https://2025review.myportfolio.com/november

December

Obviously Christmas dominated this last month of the year. But we also got our first frost, some peak fall colors in the mountains and near the river, and even a couple of interesting shots for my picture of the day project (which I think I’m retiring now as the year draws to a close).