Monday, February 29, 2016

february ~ memories and moments

Whether or not the groundhog saw his shadow over here...I have no idea!  But I do know that February arrived with the promise of spring.




On February 1st the crocuses (top right) were all set to open...and now the garden is 'smiling' in blooms.  The bees are busy as well.   I can't say we really had much of a winter to speak of...but spring is welcome!

I'll  leave you with just a few pictures and prose from this past month. 


Birds of many feathers flocked together on the fields...with trumpeter swans and ducks sharing the bath water.

(click photo to enlarge)
It seems that most every long weekend results in traffic jams on the freeway...which passes right behind our farm.  The long weekend in February was no different...though the cause had nothing to do with holiday traffic and everything to do with a serious accident caused by an out-of-control vehicle leaving the roadway on the overpass and colliding with vehicles on the freeway below.  The traffic on the Trans-Canada highway was at a standstill for hours...and the overpass was closed as well.  Amazingly...there were no fatalities and the injured were all expected to survive.

The long weekend was the perfect time to get away for some 'girl time'...


...joining up with sisters and nieces in Las Vegas. 


Then came Valentine's Day...when I have traditionally had a party with the grands.  Since some of them were away...I invited the rest of the gang for Sunday lunch on the 14th. 


On this rather grey and dreary day...my granddaughters looked out the back window after lunch and were sure they saw some men standing out in the field. We got out the binoculars and figured out that the 'men' standing out in the field were actually eagles sitting on the fenceposts!  Emme and Spencer thought we should drive out to the next country road for a better view.  And so the three of us hopped in the car and did just that!


This photo was taken on our little drive (one mile away)...with our house in the background.  Adult eagles and young ones...a Valentine's gathering of their clan!


As you can tell by the markings...most of them were young bald eagles.  They do not have the totally white head and tail with dark brown body until age 4 or 5. We always enjoy the eagles in our backyard during the winter months!


And Emme enjoyed taking selfies with my camera while we were on our V-Day outing!  They may have outgrown the tea-parties of old...but they know how to bring fun to any occasion.



February also means it is time to empty out the pits at the barn.  Though it didn't smell real sweet around here for a day or two...the seagulls thought our fields were the best place to be.


One more thing I must share!  Over the weekend our granddaughter Ranen competed in an Irish Dance Competition (a Feis) with dancers from all over the province. What a delight to watch!  She was more than overjoyed to take home a fistful of gold medals and the large trophy at the end of the event!   Who said one needed Irish blood to fiddle and dance with the best of them?  (She also won the fiddling category.)  We were very proud of her, of course! 


And this was the view from my front porch as the sun set today!  And so ends February...one day longer than usual.  Wishing each of you a wonderful March.  Spring is really almost here!



19 comments:

  1. That was a FULL month! The grands are growing up so quickly - 'little' Ranen is adorable in her dancing curls - but when did she get to be such a big girl!?....and the twins seem to have turned into TEENS all of a sudden. I loved the shots of the eagles - I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that gathering. Weren't you lucky to get to see the party up close? I can easily see how they looked like men in the mist - very mysterious.
    Despite its extra day, it was a short month, yet you managed to pack more into it than most. I enjoyed your catch-up.

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  2. Those eagles are amazing! Ranen really stole the whole show! That's fabulous. It was fun read through your re-cap.

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  3. Well now those eagles sorta do look like a bunch of old fellas at a convention. Ha! Congrats to Ranen! Wow. Lots of trophies! I think we're all going to have an earlier spring if things keep going as they are.

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  4. Lovely photos and post ! Looks and sounds like February was a good month there for you all ! Thanks for sharing , have a good March !

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  5. Oh those eagles - what an interesting sight indeed! Your grands are growing up so beautifully and congrats to Ranen - red irish curls and all! Your February looks to have been a great month and I gasped at the sight of the flowers - so beautiful. Nothing in bloom over here yet even though our Winter was quite mild as well. Here's to March!

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  6. The photos of the eagles are amazing Judy. How exciting to see them like that. They do look like men out in the field though. :) Your photos of the spring blossoms are beautiful. You are so fortunate to enjoy them so early in the year. Your granddaughters are beautiful and talented. Happy March to you! I hope it brings an early spring to the rest of us.

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  7. I can't believe those eagles sitting on your fence posts! They look huge. Also love the photo of you with the twins in the car .... and congratulations to the beautiful dancer and fiddler!

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  8. I just love seeing those granddaughters of yours. They make me smile every time. I love those eagles, the sweetest ever Irish Dancer, those eagles and all the cheery photos of spring flowers from your garden.

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  9. Your granddaughters are growing up so quickly. Congratulations to Ranen. I can just imagine those Irish Dancing curls bouncing!
    What a wonderful eagle gathering! They do look like people in the mist.

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  10. Oh, Judy!!!! I always look forward to your posts!!
    That really DID look like men standing out in the field! How wonderful to see the eagles!!
    I love hearing about what you do with your grandchildren! How Louis Dean and I would have loved watching your Ranen perform!!
    Wishing you a March full of sunshine and flowers!

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  11. I just love your posts. The photos are always outstanding and you have a way with words as you describe the events of the month. The photos of the eagles were amazing. I've never seen anything like that. Your flowers are gorgeous. Your grandkids are talented and beautiful! Enjoy March...

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  12. Beautiful...those girls are growing so fast!!!

    Hugs!

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  13. Congratulations to Ranen! I have a great niece named Rhiannon who is also very proficient in Irish Dancing and wins awards. Perhaps one day they will dance together at a Feis?

    I loved seeing the eagles sitting on your fence posts --they did look like old men from a distance. I know they have special meaning for you, and that was a wonderful sign to see so many. Your twins are beautiful young ladies.

    Your views are always lovely, Judy! Have a very blessed Easter and enjoy spring!

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  14. I agree with what some of the other commenters have said. I look forward to your recap of the month. I enjoyed seeing the eagles and really wondered what was in your field. I am a prairie girl but have always loved the mountains.

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  15. The smiles from 3 of your beautiful grand daughters brought a smile to my face too. Double the fun with the oldest and talented and radiant little dancer....such fun! The gathering of eagles was amazing. I've never seen anything like that. And...those pretty flowers are always a good sign of what is yet to come...but enjoy today first...right!

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  16. Those eagle photos are unreal, you should send them to some magazine! Why do we have so many eagles this year? They seem to be so multiplied in number this year compared to other years.

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  18. These are fantastic photos. I am so glad that you had such amazing moments with your family. Thanks for sharing those with us. Last month we too had a great time. We celebrated our mom’s birthday at one of her favorite party venues in Chicago. She was quite happy with our surprise.

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  19. This post made my coffee taste even better today! I learn so much here. I am so thankful for your posts and that you carry your camera with you. I cannot imagine having flowers growing in February, or seeing so many eagles in one field.

    The "selfie" picture of the three of you, is my favorite! What a fun,
    and hip grandma you are! Congratulations to your granddaughter too! I would have loved watching her perform!

    Happy Easter to you and your family!

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