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!