February Foto-Challenge

A portrait photographer friend of mine has a fun little tradition every February. She asks her clients, friends and family to join her on a creative adventure - a photo a day for the month.

She gives them a list of topics/subjects/ideas - one per day - and those who take her up on the challenge have the creative license to interpret the daily task as they see fit. They then tag her on social media so she can see what they do.

It's so much fun, I wanted to put one together myself with a twist. If you are a photographer, artist or writer join me a get your creative juices flowing.

So I hereby challenge you my friends, my family, my followers. The creative souls who inhabit this space with me. Here is the 1st annual HIWalkerPhoto Foto-Challenge:

Day 1: Safety 1st                                        
Day 2:Shadows                                          
Day 3: Red                                                 
Day 4: Building Blocks
Day 5: Out the Window
Day 6: Snow Day
Day 7: Secrets
Day 8: Wake me Up
Day 9: Reach for the Sky
Day 10: Cravings
Day 11: My Family
Day 12: Good Friends
Day 13: A Good Pair of Shoes
Day 14: X's & O's
Day 15: Dead Presidents
Day 16: A Duck's Life
Day 17: Life's Imperfections
Day 18: Textures
Day 19: Laughter
Day 20: Where I'm Going
Day 21: Where I've Been
Day 22: Monday Morning Blues
Day 23: Contrasts
Day 24: Life is a Playground
Day 25: I Ate What?
Day 26: My Happy Place
Day 27: Fast Food
Day 28: Early Spring
Day 29: I Love You Because . . .                            

Cooper

I've always been a bit of a sucker for big brown puppy-dog eyes. My dad was a dog person so we always had dogs around. My first real friend was Lady, a German Shepherd with a taste for rubber squeaky mice. Oh how she loved to gnaw on them until the squeak was gone. She was my playmate, confidant and protector.

As a child, I would have most likely identified with being a cat person. I couldn't wait until we moved to the farm to get a cat (or several - it was a farm, you need lots of barn cats, right?) But dogs were always present.

Now I would consider myself an animal person. I would have a menagerie if I could. In the meantime, I will love on the critters I meet.

That is how I got to go for a walk with my friend's Golden Retriever Cooper. I had gone to Cle Elum for a business meeting, staying in Michelle's vacation home at the Suncadia Resort. Cooper was there too, keeping his favorite human company.

While she worked on a few things before our meeting, I decided to go for a walk to stretch my legs after my drive. I coaxed Cooper to come with me. A little reluctant at first, he soon became enthusiastic for the adventure. He trotted off ahead of me on the trail, a very large doggy smile on his face.