February Photo Scavenger Hunt

1.  Flower

It has been a fabulous February here on the west coast ~ such pleasant weather compared to those east of the Rocky Mountains.  In gardening terms, everything seems to be ahead of schedule by over a month.  Who knows what that will mean for March...we'll have to wait and see.  The crocuses are blooming, the daffodils are beginning to flower, and even some of the blossoms are blooming :)  An early spring ~

By my front door ~

This fern caught my eye with its flowery look, so I added a watercolour effect ~

2.  Love

I had to choose the Neigh-Baas for this category ~ sharing such a loving friendship

and I thought these two ducks looked like they were afloat in a sea of love amidst the twinkly sparkles ~ photo untouched.

but this next photo speaks volumes, don't you think?  The little boy had been sitting on a rock staring out into the ocean, while his dad rested on the bench.  The boy eventually wandered back to the bench and did the best he could to be as close to his dad as possible without disturbing him.  There was something rather poignant about the whole process.  Of course, I don't know the real story, just surmised from observation.

3.  Number

Can you find numbers tucked in and amongst the boats and rigging?

and there was a birthday celebration at the park for someone who turned two years old!

4. Beautiful

Here is the beautiful two year old birthday girl dressed in her party finery, even down to her pink sparkly shoes ~

5.  Favourite Colour
I think a pink-hued sunset is my favourite colour!

6. Birds
Here are a couple of Canada Geese flying overhead, and a Goldeneye swimming by! If you haven't seen the Pileated Woodpecker, you can find her (no red moustache) on my previous post.

7.  On the road

Apparently, Victoria, British Columbia is rated as the Most Romantic City in Canada by amazon.ca.   During February, Government Street in Victoria was bedecked for Valentine's Day with red and pink lights around tree trunks etc.  I took this photo, catching a glimpse of the lights.

8.  Tap
I wandered through a recycling centre where numerous taps were to be found ~

 More taps at the Marina, hooked up to the fish cleaning table ~

 Oh, and if you want to see more taps....tap, tap, tap of the Pileated Woodpecker you can click on my previous post... ;)

9.   Price

Free is often thought to be the best price ~ and items left at the end of a driveway often disappear quickly...this was a large one though, so no idea how long it took to castor off!

10.  Heart
I had so many choices for this category ~ however, I chose this fresh new blossom tree because I could see a heart shape made by the branches...

11.  Corner of home

A gift from one of my nieces, this Amaryllis grew from a bulb I planted, and the massive blooms filled up a whole corner of the parlour!

 12.  Whatever I choose

On February 20, the Moon, Mars and Venus were gathered together, making for a most beautiful night sky scene.  The last time they were in a similar configuration was in 2008. My photo doesn't do it justice, but it's a great reminder of a magical night.

Thanks to Greenthumb for hosting these monthly challenges.  Thank you for coming by to see my choices, and I appreciate your comments, too :)

Wood you?

Someone has returned to carry on with more tree carving ~ 

and of course the message was quite fitting ~

Wanting to be included, Quigley has also been busy with his correspondence ~

A closer look at the note:

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Balwen, Boots, and Birds

Yesterday was breezy, making for a cloudy/sunny combination that was enough to invite me out with my camera.

I wanted to check to see if I could take a better picture of Balwen and found him friskily frolicking around the field. 

Oh, look ~ a white forehead patch as well as a white tail!

Down to the beach ~ Whitecaps on the waves as well as on a lamb's head ;)

A splash of colour as boots wended their way across the rocky shore ~

Crows spiralling through the air ~ not sure if there was food or nesting material involved ~

An eagle silhouetted against the sky ~

 and a rainbow to finish off the day!

Oops ~ missed my 'misty' pic

Black, White, Grey, a Bit of Colour and Bird Sticks

If you have kept an eye on the Great Horned Owl cam from my previous post, you will know that both eggs have hatched.  The first egg was laid on Jan 1, and the second, three days later... Just like the magic of nature, the first egg hatched on Feb 3 and the second...three days later :)  They are adorable looking little creatures fluffed out with natal feathers...

Although we have no snow, my world seems to be populated by black, white and grey things. 

Quigley, the grey squirrel, was checking to see if he had successfully chased two black squirrels out of the back yard.

Yes, he had, because one of them was in the front enjoying some bird food ~

A large dog being taken for a walk across the road ~

Happy to see my friendly NeighBaas still keeping each other company :)

But the biggest excitement was noticing more black and white in the adjoining field...

I will try and take some better photos of the black lamb with the white tail... The fuzzy part at the bottom of the photo is the top of the fence.  

A bit of colour added to black and white markings was seen on a Spotted Towhee that frequents the front yard.  If the light is right, his bright red eyes are rather striking! 

Oh..and just so you know what else Quigley has been up to, other than chasing about ... He has very kindly gathered some bird sticks together because he knows that Spring is on its way .... if you don't believe me, I have proof ~

 

(and a vivid imagination :))

Owlets hatching!

For my 600th post, just thought I'd link up to the live webcam of a Great Horned Owl nest in Savannah, Georgia.  The nest has two eggs which are about to hatch.  Highlights appear on the site as well.

Quite fascinating :)

Thought also this would be a good chance to add a photo of a Barred Owl I took on one of the smaller islands around here ~

and if you'd like to see some amazing photos of hummingbirds, check out this blog of a fellow who travels North America in an RV.  Sounds like he's also planning a trip to Alaska.  Right now he is boondocking in the desert near Yuma.