Saturday, February 1, 2014

January 2014 Scavenger Hunt: Colorado



I hope that everyone's New Year 
has gotten off to a great start!

Here are my photographs
for January's Scavenger Hunt. 


January's List

1.  J is for ?

Jigsaw puzzles, of course!
They're one of my favorite things to do on a cold January day!









2.  1:00 p.m.
One o'clock found me walking each day in the woods
along the Burro Trail on a long weekend in January ~
accompanied by Rufus (B) and Gracie (Y).
On this day we were watching skiers and snowboarders
sliding down a service road at 1:00 p.m.



3.  Measurement

There's nothing better on a cold January day
than a pot of baked beans made with molasses.




(Okay!  Shhshh!  Don't tell!  This pot was baked in January 2013!)





4.  Color

There is only one color that I could chose for January!
BroncoORANGE !!!!!








GO 
BRONCOS
!!!!!




5.  A Corner
Two Buds, Gracie (Y) and Rufus (B),
in their favorite corner of the kitchen.




6.  Hats
A Lovely Summer Day in Newfoundland,
Hats Required!
My Sister Barb and the Ever-Patient Terry

We're barely into our hike to the Tablelands,
and Barb and the E-P (and Me!)
are already soaked!
July, 2011




7.  A Stamp
Canadian Stamps, 1960




8.  Looking Down

Oh the snarls we three get into ~ 
Trying to hold 165 pounds of lovable labs with one hand
and shoot a " Looking Down" picture with the other!
(Leashes and Camera Strap)





9.  Crowd

Early in January I heard a racket out in the field.
When I pulled back the curtains,
I saw a crowd of Canadians 
hunkered down to feed
on a cold, snowy day.

Misery loves company came to mind!




The tiny, dry snowflakes fluttered down,
almost invisible except against the bodies of the geese. 





I was hunkered down too,
under an afghan in front of the fire
sipping hot coffee and enjoying a good book.



10.  Natural
The Natural Beauty of a Winter Morning


 Snowy Branches as the Sun Comes Up



 Shades of Snow Just After Sunrise




11.  Fruit
Apples Ready for a Pie





12.  Roof
Rooftops on a Winter Morning






February's List:
F is for ?,  3 p.m.,  Grain,  Lamp,  Clock,  Honey, 
Fountain,  Round,  Shadow,  Group,  Repurpose,  Clouds

Thanks to Jill and her Made with Love blog for setting up the hunt.




P.S. I really did paint my nails
          in Broncos colors for the Super Bowl!

Go  Bronco!!!!!

36 comments:

  1. What a fun post! First of all, I absolutely love all your photos! As far as jigsaw puzzles go, I do love them but have to admit that I haven't done one in quite a while so I really enjoyed looking at yours! I used to work in a jigsaw puzzle store from 1997 to 2001. :)

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    1. Hi Linda! Thank you for your kind words! I love doing jigsaw puzzles, and I wish there were a jigsaw puzzle store here. I always had them in my third grade classroom for my kiddos if they finished their work and had a little spare time. I think working a puzzle exercises developed spatial thinking ~ which is fundamental to so many things in life. My problem with jigsaw puzzles, which is why I don't do them as much as I'd like, is that I lose all sense of time! Just one more piece, just one more piece can keep me up into the wee hours of the morning! Have a great Sunday, and an even better week!

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  2. Wonderful photos and great post! I love that 'Winter Morning' image. I also enjoy puzzles, although I haven't done one in years. I've got one sitting on a bookshelf. Brand new. Waiting for me. Perhaps one of these days...

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    1. Hi Martha! I'm so glad that you enjoyed my pictures and post! I have several puzzles waiting for me too! My nephew gave me a 3,000 piece puzzle of a medieval map of the world. Yikes ~ but, boy does Kevin know me well! It's probably going to get me into serious time trouble. Like many kiddos I taught, I have trouble with closure and transitioning to something else ~ especially on a schedule! LOL! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a lovely week!

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  3. I am taking your team and giving up 2 points..hope they win..I love love love your photos.

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    1. Hey Jackiesue! Thank you for the kind compliment about my photos! I hope, hope, hope the Broncos win! Especially for Coach Fox and Peyton Manning. The story of how Peyton Manning came back from his neck surgeries is amazing and inspiring! And he is class personified! I'm in a pool at our favorite neighborhood bar and grill. We'll see! Have fun today!

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  4. All that snow, blah it has to go lol jigsaw puzzles are fun to do. And congrats on not falling over while holding the pups and taking a pic, that is a feat haha

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    1. Hi Pat. We got a few inches here, but up in Breckenridge they got 32 inches/81 centimeters in the last storm! I hope to go back to Breck in the next several weeks and see it! Epic! So far, I've only fallen once when out with the dogs ~ and they were off their leashes. I was on snowshoes for the first time in decades and leaned back a little to get a picture of Gracie and Rufus. The heels of my snowshoes sank in the deep, off-trail snow, and I was flailing with camera in one hand. I eventually extricated myself, but it didn't help to have a concerned Gracie licking my face and jumping all over me! Have a great day, Pat!

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  5. I can imagine football fans in Washington and Colorado are going to be real excited for the big game tomorrow.

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    1. You have no idea, Adam! It's like Canadians when their hockey team was playing the USA's team for gold in the Vancouver Olympics! OMG! I hope that you are enjoying a happy weekend! Have a great week!

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  6. I remember using those Canadian stamps when it cost 5 cents to send a letter! Oh so long ago . . . .

    Enjoy the Superbowl tomorrow and may your Broncos do you proud!

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    1. Hi Debra! I think the old stamps are lovely ~ and, boy, do I miss the price!!!! Win or lose, our Broncos will do us proud! I've made a real effort to understand more about football this year. I even had my picture taken with Miles, the Broncos mascot! Even I understand how special Manning is! I used to take my kiddos on a walking field trip to a water treatment plant about a mile from our school. The plant manager always enjoyed showing my kiddos chart of water usage during Broncos games. Every halftime there was a gigantic spike in water usage as all the fans in the city ran to their bathrooms and flushed! We were always the youngest ~ and almost the only elementary classes ~ who went to the plant. The manager so got my literal and curious third graders! Have a great week, Debra!

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  7. You did a great job of finding just the right photos for the hunt. The one of the geese is my favorite. Don't you wish we could invite them in out of the cold to watch the game with us...go Broncos!

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    1. Thanks, Peggy! I never tire of watching "The Canadians!" I often think of them out there in the cold! In the winter when I was doing door duty at the end of the day, great flocks of Vs would be flying east for the night. Thousands and thousands of geese. One day I'm going to figure out where they were sheltering. Every morning they'd be flying west (looking for golf courses and reservoirs I think), and I'd watch them in wonder again from the parking lot as I parked and loaded my cart and headed into school. What a racket they made ~ beautiful music to my ears! Have a good week, Peggy! And, oh yes! Go Broncos!

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  8. Great collection of photos, as always!

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  9. Thank you, Louise!!!!! We both are photographers at heart ~ among other things! Have a great week!

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  10. Wow, those Natural photos are just stunning! Love your Bronco nails too :)

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    1. Thanks, Julie! There's so much beauty to be found on a winter morning. I'm glad that you enjoyed the photos. Have a great week!

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  11. Your nails are hilarious and pretty- go Broncos!!! Those poor geese! So cold and miserable! I'd prefer the Afghan!
    Those wintry roofs are super!

    Ooh and exciting you're coming to England!!! FYI, all the big London museums are free now! X

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    1. Thank you, Kezzie! I'm still flashing my blue and orange Broncos nails proudly, despite the drubbing my Broncos got yesterday! Life goes on! How cool that the big London museums are free now! Yeah! Have a great week!

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  12. Wonderful, brilliant pictures! Goodness, just look at the all that snow. Poor goosies! Gracie and Rufus look cozy though; they are beautiful dogs!

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    1. Hi Jan! It's great to see you! I do feel sorry for the goodies! Gracie and Rufus are my sister-in-law's dogs, but I do love them. They're coming for an overnight visit tonight, because Terry's sister is spending the night with us. And they are every bit as lovable as they are beautiful. Have a great week!

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  13. Oh, I love the Snowy Morning and the frost-furred branches....

    I've often wondered where the Canadian geese go in winter ... now I know they all fly to Colorado! :)

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    1. Hi Sue! I'm glad that you enjoyed my winter photos! Yup ~ lots of geese here! They love our golf courses and open spaces. Some of them have given up migrating and have become permanent residents ~ usually fat and happy! Have a great week!

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  14. Very dear Fundy!
    I don't recall ever reading such a sweet comment from anyone than yours on my latest post!
    It went directly to my heart!
    Before a visit of our property this morning, I take a few minutes to say hello and how deeply touched I am!
    It is true I cannot take photos like these (with all the time it takes) and be blogging at the same time!
    But when I get returns like yours, I feel it is well worth to show nature's happenings around here!

    I just love this post of yours with lovely pictures of what's going on in your life these days, I can't comment on each one but "The Natural Beauty of a Winter Morning" is an absolutely stunning photo!
    I wish it could get that cold here but this winter is particularly mild here.
    Keep well and warm,
    Much love from France!!

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    1. Thank you for such a loving and kind comment, Noushka! You were one of my very first followers when I began my blog, and I have so enjoyed getting to know you through your amazing photographs! Much love right back at you! Have an awesome week and take care!

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  15. I didn't realize that you were also a third grade teacher. So was I. Actually I taught all the grades plus for nine years taught elementary gifted students...the best gig in the world. Of course on Groundhog's day we did a binchey of activities. I miss the art of teaching. I hear they are so busy teaching for the tests now that all the fun is sucked out. Therre's more to school than math and reading.

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    1. Hi Peggy! Yes, third grade was my favorite grade, and I was fortunate to be able to spend most of my years teaching it! I always taught the regular classroom, but what a range of magnificent kids, each and every one! I had tons of fun with the gifted and talented kids in my class; and for years, I had an after school (or before school) literature and art class for the GT kids. But I also got a lot of pleasure from working with the kiddos who were challenged all kinds of ways.

      Over the years more and more of the fun disappeared as more and more time was taken up with testing. Today, in Colorado, 50% of a teacher's evaluation is based on how his or her students score on their standardized tests. There is so much testing for accountability that it borders on child abuse (in my humble opinion!). The soul of learning is being sucked out! I think that change must come. I think that parents are really getting upset about what is happening.
      Education will not be improved by attacking and disparaging the millions of teachers who works so hard and care so much for the students in their classes. I am watching public education being destroyed in front of my eyes, and I hope things improve before it's too late!
      But I'm an optimist, and I hope that better things will eventually happen as a result of all this turmoil!
      Have a happy week! Take care!

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  16. Great 'hunt' this month, Louise! I liked your choices.....now what is it about Wolfville, Nova Scotia that produces this love of jig-saw puzzles? Just askin.
    And, I LOVE those close-ups of the Canada Geese....now they could be printed and hung! WOW!

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    1. Thanks, Jim!
      Those poor, cold geese! I wanted to bring them all inside ~ except they were probably warmer than I was! I keep thinking that I will print and frame some of my favorite photos, but I have a lot of favorites! LOL!
      What can I say? Jigsaw puzzles are the best! Maybe it's an Atlantic Province thing. My great grandmother did jigsaw puzzles all her life ~ she even had a special puzzle board made for her when I was a small girl. And, oh my, did Newfies love to do jigsaw puzzles when I lived in Westport on White Bay. We would get together to spend the evening working puzzles. The Westporters would hang them in their houses after the puzzles were complete! Too fun!
      Take care!

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  17. The dogs all wound up in their leashes...so familiar except it's around our legs! So disconcerting when other dogs and people are heading your way. Oh well, I wouldn't have it any other way.

    Yes, to jigsaw puzzles, apple pie, baked beans and honking honkers. We have a salt marsh behind our cul de sac and it's filled with honkers every fall.

    Sorry about your team, man that was a hard one. Unfortunately we didn't see it because we had a a horrendous week last week 1st Jim in emerge and then at the end of the week I was in emerge. Jim sent you a gmail sort of explaining the situations. We slept a lot when we finally got home and so not to much TV was viewed.

    Hope all's well with you 2.

    Ron

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    1. Hey Ron!
      Sleep is a good thing! I'm so glad that you two are doing better. I really appreciated Jim's email. The good things about horrendous weeks are that they pass and then we so appreciate normal when it returns. It can be very scary though! Aren't we four lucky to have such amazing, supportive, and loving spouses???!!!
      The Super Bowl was tough to sit through. When I think of everything the Broncos went through this year, and the personal struggle that Manning endured to overcome his neck injuries and return to the game ~ well, it's heartbreaking. But I'm proud of our Broncos, even though yesterday was such a disappointment. I'll be right there cheering them on, season after season. Heck, maybe I'll even do a blog post on Manning sometime. I think he is a true hero!
      You guys stay out of trouble!!!! Take care!
      LooLoo

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  18. Thanks for taking part in this months Scavenger hunt, as always so many great photos. I really like colour, nature, roof and looking down. Greenthumb. I think you forgot to add your link to the S.H page.

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    1. Your link is there I must have been 1/2 asleep.

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    2. Hey Jill! You're so funny! I did add my link, but there was a small gap in time. Then I suddenly remembered that you reminded me to do that last time! I love the SH ~ Thanks for doing such a great job of managing it! I'm meeting people and seeing places that I never would have experienced!

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  19. Love all your snowy pictures! So pretty. And so sorry about the Broncos losing the Super Bowl. Your nail color was really cool!

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.