When I was a boy, I was addicted to a book series, titled (in Dutch) "Wonder van het Gewone", which translates literally as "Miracle of the Ordinary". It was all about natural history, and we wonders we can see in the ordinary things surrounding us. It was the first thing that came in mind when I had to decide on a new theme for the weekly challenge, and after I slept a night, the idea is still there.... So be it: show me your ordinary miracles! And of course you don't have to stick with natural history wonders, there are many unexpected things around us which can leave us in awe!

The challenge will run until midnight my time (Central European) Sunday July 27th.

Every week, a new theme is picked and judged by the winner of the previous week.

Everyone is eligible to send in their best interpretation of the given theme, as long as the photo is taken with a Pentax/Samsung camera. Themes can be subject-oriented or technique-oriented.

Rules
1. Post ONE photo (max 1024x1024).
2. The photo must portray an interpretation of the theme.
3. Post your single picture in this thread and explain what motivated you to take the picture and/or how you feel it represents the weekly theme (especially if it's not obvious).
4. The challenge is interactive. Any response is welcome.
5. The judge will pick the WINNERS and choose one of them to be the judge for the next week.
6. This challenge runs for 7 days plus an additional day for the judge to choose the winners.
7. Any Pentax (or Samsung DSLR) camera can be used.
8. Pictures can be from any time frame, not just within the week of the current theme.
9. In case the winner of a challenge is unable to become the judge for the next challenge, they will PM the #2 winner for that person to be the judge.

Some examples from me

[Arjay Bee]

Taken on WPD with K20D and S-M-C Takumar 100mm Macro.
The frog lives in the flower in a sunny spot and the insects visit the flower for the pollen. Frog then eats the insects and moves to another flower as it wilts. The small miracle of Darwinian survival.

[gifthorse]

Now appearing nightly in a sky near you.

[charliezap]

Bees are everywhere and do an important job.If it weren't for them there wouldn't be too many other miracles in nature.This guy was gathering with many others around my Heavenly Blue Morning glories.Who cleans them off when they return to the hive?--charliezap

[atupdate]

We foster dogs for a local rescue group and last year we fostered 29 puppies from 7 litters. We are currently fostering a pit bull mix with 7 puppies. What makes this foster mom and puppies different is that the puppies were born 1 week after we started fostering the pregnant mom-to-be.

What is amazing about puppies being born is that the mom instinctively knows what to do as the puppy emerges one at a time in an embryonic sack. Just as amazing is that the puppies cannot see or hear for the first two weeks of their lives but uses their sense of smell to find their mother's milk and do so within minutes of being born.

Here you can see the mom giving birth to puppy #2 while puppy #1 is nursing.



Tim

[scomatic]

I not sure i suite the title or not, let try.... Bread on the rail or Coconut on the rail?

[SpecialK]

"Wall Street" trail at Bryce Canyon.

[tessfully]

Rense, this is an amazing theme. It makes me realize that in the few years I've been taking photos the most ordinary of miracles, for example a bee extracting pollen, puppies born, bread cooling on a rail, trees stretching for light from the depths of a canyon floor, are anything but ordinary, indeed they are extra-extra-ordinary. Upon reflection the most mundane in and of itself becomes miraculous. I've actually started a folding now titled ordinary miracles. Now for choosing one to enter! Thanks for this great topic.

[RollsUp]

Faces

[reeftool]

A newborn foal in the wild herd of Chincoteague Ponies. They actually reside on Assateague Island but are named for Chincoteague Island which is across the channel. This wild herd has survived on the hostile barrier islands off the Virginia coast since the 1500's. They are managed today, a necessity due to development. There is a yearly round up and auction in Chincoteague every summer to keep the herd to around 150. K5 and K 300/4.

[Murfy]

I thought this was neat, a little moth on a flower. I barely noticed him. Just noticing the little things in life, the little things around us we don't notice. He isn't particularly pretty or cute, but still amazing. Taken with a pentax k-3 with an Ozunon manual macro lens.

[jmschrei]

Just the right light creates magic

[Rense]

Great shots!!! Keep them coming!

[rbefly]

Fine concept for the theme, Rense, and congratulations on last weeks' win.
Here's mine, titled 'Before + After'. K-5, DA 50mm f/1.8@ f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 80.
Ron

[Outis]

I visited Japan, which was a land of marvels, but I also really enjoyed all of the detail on this backlit palm frond!