Everett, Wash.

FLOWERS....unless the candy would happen to be chocolate covered cherries...but I much prefer flowers....and perfume. 

I just answered this Featured Question; you can answer it too!

Winter-Time
by Robert Louis Stevenson

There is a 30% chance of snow today according to the most recent forecast...BUT if I look outside I see a 100% chance of snow falling from the sky.    My momma use to call me her weathergirl....look outside and you will see 100% of what it is doing.
 
After taking Mel out this morning, Will came in stating..."Grab your camera Mom...you have to get a look at this...."  Wow!  Okay...it snowed last night, light and fluffy but it also froze and I am not sure what you call this "reaction" but it sure was spectacular.
 

These things covered every branch of every plant...amazing....mini ice spikes shooting out in every direction.
The landscape was simply breathtaking!

This week at ILIVEINMYCAMERA....our assignment was BUNCHES.....take a look...there are wonderful shots this week.   
Don't forget, anyone can vote AND join in the fun.

"The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing I’d do." - Presidential Candidate Barak Obama, 2008

Some people do agree

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Many Americans haven’t heard about Congress’ plans to expand abortion through the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) — and other bills like it that would eliminate virtually every pro-life law in the country and force taxpayers to help pay for it.

You can help spread the word. It’s easy: http://www.fightfoca.com/

   

This was my entry last week in the photo contest at ILIVEINMYCAMERA.
It really has a significant meaning behind it.  I loved what GLEDSOME said in his comment when he voted for it..."I don't know if he speaks softly...but he sher carries a big stick...  ;p"
Well it was back on December 5th that that guy "with the big stick" had quadruple by pass surgery. Yeah...and here he is a little more than a month later walking....not just walking...but he really was forging ahead in awe that he was able to walk, at a good clip mind you....without pain or being winded.  I could not keep up with him.  Will had to run ahead of me to catch up and get him to "wait up."  This was his first real walk...on the beach no less...in the winter....since he was sprung out of the hospital.  The look on his face was priceless because he was so full of tenacity that day...and it was contagious.  We all walked a good ways...with him doing 3 miles.  Now bad for just after open heart surgery.  So it is really with gratitude that I was even able to take this picture let alone enter it in a contest...and to actually tie for first...it just makes this last grueling (for my subject...Papa) month and a half so worth it to be able to see the "fight" in his face and body language....and the determination in his wife's walk as well.  Oh by the way.....the stick was a piece of driftwood his wife found along the beach.

I am thrilled that I was tied for first place with broncomom!!! 

I know I have said this before, but here I go saying it again.....I love these contests each week.  Will and I can't wait to hear what the next assignment is and then we take off in our separate ways to interpret the assignment.  On occasion he helps me or I help him, with an idea or something....and occasionally we are fiercely competing with one another, enjoying every minute of it!

Photo Contest
This week was fun!

The new subject this week is People...in black and white...
There are some real good ones.
My entry is in there as well so please take a look and vote for your favorite.  
Thank you!

I've been watching the darkness lift up it's shade to reveal the white blanket...not enough white yet.    Snow is not normally one of my favorite things but if I have to endure winter than I will take snow rather than ice or just plain old cold....as long as I don't have to drive in it.  I was up before 5am with Will...he is out hunting today.  I bet his view is so pretty up 15 feet in his tree stand.  My view is just not white enough...too much brown peeking out.  But this morning there are birds galore at the feeders.  They are calling away and flying to an fro.  I love to watch them. 

Last evening Will and I went to a lecture given by a game commission officer about his study of Barn Owls.  It was very fascinating and eye opening and only added fuel to my fire against development of precious farm lands and pastures...and this newfangled way of farming.  Here is something I just never realized....the old barns are disappearing and being replaced by metal barns and a metal barn may keep out the pigeons but it does not help the slowly disappearing barn owls.  Barn owls are the farmer's friend because they eat the rodent population...mainly voles but also mice and rats.  Each chick eats 4 to 5 rodents per day!  A clutch averages 6 chicks.  That's a lot of rodents.  Their average life span in the wild is only 2 years and that may have a lot to do with starvation.  The movie "Oklahoma" came to my mind and that song "The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends..." only my version was "The Farmer and the Birder Should Be Friends."    However, it is not a laughing matter.  It occurred to me that this dilemma could cause a country split....conservationists vs developers.  The statistics were staggering as to the amount of acreage being developed daily.  We see who is winning.  This also means crop loss because of developments.  300 crops are lost per day and in our county alone the number is 2,000 acres each year. This causes a snowball effect for all native animals, native plants and natural landscape...and of course that will in turn effect humans.  This is a very agonizing subject for me...so I will quit and go back to watching the birds at our feeders.

young chicks

adult