take what you get, brush it off, then.....

.....make the most of your day!

I needed a gentle reminder this past short while so made a note to myself!

Some days it takes a little extra effort to go forward but not on this day! Confluence Park looked and sounded inviting!  I wore my real hiking boots for the first time this year, it was time for my feet to get use to them again.  With no ice nor snow, with the creek running freely, paired with the Robins singing loudly, this was a wonderful walk.  If I did nothing else on this day, I would have been content with the fulfilling feeling I arrived back home with! 

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On this day, I bundled up to brace against the cold wind and slight sprinkles of sleet.  Our plan was to cover roughly ten to eleven kilometres while we brain-stormed at solving our world's problems. I tend not to notice my surroundings on these kinds of walks but today was different!  Oh the distractions, of the best kind!  I had my first crocus sighting this season, March 24th, the earliest ever!  This collection was growing on the upper slopes of Hanson Ranch.  These are just two of the dozens of photographs I took.  If I saw nothing else on this day, I would have been content.  We continued on, taking the weather as it came, reaching our goal of eleven kilometres, then going for a reward afterwards. 

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A white out blizzard was what faced me when I opened the curtains on this morning.  There would be no going anywhere!  It was what it was, I brushed it off, then went about my day.  It was the perfect day to turn on my fairy light tree, settle in near it then paint until my heart was content.  With tulips on my mind, I used a tutorial I followed the other day and did a mosaic with a tulip instead of the Canada Goose. This was my third try!  It looks simple but it was not!  This crocus painting was a third try too! I used  yesterday's photo as my reference.  I was happy with how they both turned out. After those two, I was ready for something simple.  The line and wash of birds and flowers took all of thirty minutes and I got it right on the first try!  All these were accomplished while also attacking household chores!   

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After staying inside yesterday, I needed to get out the next day!  After brushing the snow off my vehicle then cracking the ice off, I ventured out onto the roadway but did not go far.  Heading back to Nose Creek would do it for me.  No one had been yet so I broke trail in the deep snow. Thankfully it was more on the fluffy side.  At -23C, the park was quiet, any wildlife had gone back into hibernation.  I saw a flock of Magpies and one.....

.....male Mallard Duck!  It did not matter to him what the weather was like!  He took his bath!

He shook it off!

Then went about making the most of his day!

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Today was on the cold side, but I can take that, so I took it, once again brushed more snow off my vehicle,  cracked off more ice, then went about my day finding a way to make the most of it!  I arrived at Carburn Park to find no new snow and it is only roughly a twenty minute drive down the Deerfoot 500. The Carburn Bald Eagles had been on my mind after all the new snow. I was happy for the Eagles to see this area did not get the snow.

The Bald Eagle is still sitting in the nest. 

It was too when I was there last. 

I chatted with the guys who are also monitoring the activity.  

The other Bald Eagle was grooming on a tree not far away. 

Our chatting came to an abrupt stop when a shift change took place. The split second the Eagle in the nest flew off, the other Eagle stopped grooming and flew to the nest. Here it is coming in for a landing.

It is just about ready to land on the nest! 

When the Eagles are not side by side, 

I cannot tell the male from the female. 

The Bald Eagle settled into the nest and went about its day incubating the eggs. The Canada Geese had been settled but in a flash they all took off to fly to better grounds to continue going about their day!  

That gentle reminder did the trick!  No matter what gets thrown our way, I do best if I focus on finding ways to brush it off, go about my day, doing what I can to make the most of it!