Need colour? You got it!

A vibrant Strawflower from the archives, taken on 5 October 2009. This morning, the sun is actually shining, but in Calgary, you never know what will be happening in a few minutes' time : ) I think this orange-red flower is a cultivar.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerochrysum_bracteatum

Yes, folks, it's spring, but you'd never guess it! The sun finally came out yesterday afternoon and I made a spur of the moment decision to go and check out a pond in SW Calgary, to see if it was open water. No, it was still frozen over, but I did catch an American Robin feeding on the ground nearby. Also saw two pairs of Canada Geese along the edge of the pond. I then thought that, seeing as I had driven this far, I might as well go further and see if I could see any sign of a Northern Hawk Owl that a few people had seen recently. Nothing, of course, but I took a few shots of the ice that was covering the trees and shrubs. Having come this far from the city, I reckoned that I might as well try another place I enjoy. By the time I had reached my furthest point, the dark clouds had rolled in and it began to snow! Wishful thinking took over, and sure enough, it worked again! Found myself a Great Gray Owl : ) The falling snowflakes created white, blurry blobs in many of my photos, but I picked out a few that are OK. So glad I decided to push myself out the front door.