Category: Blogger Challenge

This February hasn’t felt nearly as long as February typically does. It’s either because we’ve been blessed with quite a few days of Spring-like weather, or because this blog challenge has given me something specific to do each day. Perhaps it’s a mix of both?

The final prompt of the month says I need to share the February image from my wall calendar. I actually have two wall calendars. Both are in my office. One is more functional than decorative. It even has a utitilitarian look.

See what I mean? There’s no mistaking that calendar for an object d’art.

But it works.

The other calendar is more decorative. It hangs in a spot that’s been occupied by a calendar since December 2012 or so.

One of my girlfriends used to give me a calendar for Christmas every year. I’m not sure why she stopped. The calendars have always been more my taste than Hubby’s so I liked hanging them in my office.

When I was growing up, the calendar for the house always hung in the kitchen. I can’t remember if I had a calendar in the kitchen at our old house or not. At this house, there’s not really a good spot in the kitchen for a calendar.

Frogs would be more appropriate in my office, but I like the cows painted by Lowell Herrero. And it’s MY office.

Thanks again to all of my blog buddies who played along. Whether you succeeded or not, I’m still glad you participated.

 

• Two Wheels Two Feet
• Highway Lass
• Ride North
• CurvyRoads
• The Biker Wave
• FuzzyGalore
• Richard’s Page
• Scooter in the Sticks

Today’s prompt is “nature trail or city street for walking.” While I do find cities interesting, especially in foreign countries, my preferred choice for a stroll would be nature trail.

I really should have been a park ranger.

When I started to think of pics for this post, I immediately thought of the images I captured at Olympic National Park (ONP) in 2013. It truly is an amazing place. It doesn’t get much more “natural” than in a rain forest.

The hallmark of ONP is its diversity. It covers nearly a million acres and includes several very distinct ecosystems: wild coastline, temperate rain forest, and glacier-capped mountains.

Of the three, I think I enjoyed roaming among the rain forests best. It was just so green, and was teeming with life.

Even the slugs are interesting.

Annelies hit the nail on the head when she said she’d never seen so many different shades of green. And look at all of the different shapes textures.

The beaches were amazing, too. There are lots of tide pools.

I could wander a beach looking in tide pools all day.

That shot was taken from Hurricane Ridge. That’s a glacier below the peaks of that mountain.

it wasn’t as cold as you’d think.

I captured the butterfly shot at Hurricane Ridge, too.

I’m not sure if large, freshwater lakes are their own ecosystem, but there are several of those in the park, too. Not to mention rivers. That picture was taken from the shore of Crescent Lake.

The next day, we went back into the rain forest. The Hoh Rain Forest to be exact.

That’s a stream you’re looking at. The water was crystal-clear!

Doesn’t that look calm and peaceful?

One of many waterfalls in the park.

A lovely little spot, right?

We ended that day with a picnic on the beach.

Cities have their advantages, but nothing beats a natural setting when it comes to walking for relaxation.

 

Only one more day left in this year’s challenge. Take a look at how others did…

• Two Wheels Two Feet
• Highway Lass
• Ride North
• CurvyRoads
• The Biker Wave
• FuzzyGalore
• Richard’s Page
• Scooter in the Sticks

I’m a singer. Much to Hubby’s chagrin, I hum, too. Unconsciously.

I usually reserve my singing for times when I’m alone in the car. Or when I’m painting. I’m not sure why painting brings the music out in me. Maybe because it’s such a mindless task.

I remember giggling out loud when the guy who painted our house introduce himself to me as “Hector, the Singing Housepainter.” I never did catch him singing, though.

I’ve always enjoyed a wide variety of music. I have wasted innumerable brain cells storing song lyrics in my head over the years. It even surprises me when I come up with lyrics to songs I haven’t heard in ages. Even songs I never particularly liked. It’s weird.

Anyway… today’s prompt is “three songs you love to sing along with.” For me, it’s really, really hard narrowing this list to just three songs.

One oldie I’ll be singing until I’m in my grave is Dan Fogelberg’s “Leader of the Band.” I like a lot of his songs, but that’s the one I sing most.

Peter Gabriel’s “Red Rain” is another.

And then there’s Jason Mraz’s hit, “I’m Yours.”

I’ll never win any singing competitions, but, in my opinion, I do okay carrying a tune.

 

This month is winding down. Only three more prompts after tonight.

The prompt for this day is… “Share the 25th image you come to on your camera or phone.”

I’m choosing the image from among the files on my iPad. That’s actually a random hodgepodge of images from my phone and my camera.

That pic was taken on January 1. We decided to be different and actually go into the big city and visit some museums.

It was fun.

 

We did a different kind of exploring today.

A post shared by Kathy Kirkpatrick (@vatoadmama) on Jan 1, 2017 at 12:08pm PST

It may not look like leftover pot roast, but it is.

There were no carrots left, but that was okay. Potatoes, fried-up in a skillet, with hunks of beef, and onions. It looked a little bland, so I added cheddar cheese, too.

It was yummy, albeit a little unhealthy. Okay, a lot unhealthy.

That’s what I ate for breakfast today.

Good thing I don’t eat like that every day.

We’re still experiencing unseasonably warm temps here in the northeast. Today, I think it hit the mid-70s. Crazy! But I’ll take it.

Today’s prompt was easy-peasy. Now you know what a very warm mid-February day looks like from my house.