Seabirds on sand dunes, a misty sunset at the Chinook Middle Village and Station Camp, icicles, farmlands, piles of seashells and razor clams — these are just a few of the scenes from a gallery of over 120 entries to this year’s Coast Weekend Photo Contest.

Filing through my inbox on weekday mornings to look at each of the newest images added, the clips of memory with stories of adventure and surprise from the past year, felt much like opening holiday cards in the mail.

Between the press releases, meetings and conversations about upcoming columns to sort through, I had the privilege of getting a glimpse into some of our readers’ small moments of joy. So to each of to you that entered the contest, thank you.

Through Tuesday, take a moment to look through the gallery of images and cast a vote for your favorites. As you do, select each to read its story. And whether or not your scene is part of the list, let it inspire you to tell your own. My inbox is always open for seabird and sunset photos, contest-related or not.

Warm wishes and happy holidays from Coast Weekend.