Unbelievable

Somethings are just too beautiful to believe.

Late Thursday night I got a tip from a birder friend about the sighting of a snowy owl not too far from Rice Lake.  Laila and I had hoped to have a day to have a little fun today before tomorrow's memorial service for Dad.  I suggested that we go on an adventure to see if we might see the snowy owl.  

We had a nice breakfast with Gus in Rice Lake, ran a couple of errands, and then took a drive.

We had directions and, on the second try, found the location where an owl had been spotted.

I spent all last winter hunting for a snowy owl, 

so my hopes were not very high that we would see anything.

We were slowly making our way down a country road when I saw it.  

Laila thought it was a garbage bag on a fence post, but I did not agree.  

I am so glad that I was right!  

There she was...I have no idea if it was male or female, but she was beautiful.  

I was speechless to really see such an amazing bird.

The weather was white, the air was white, the sky was white, the snow was white, 

and of course, the Snowy Owl...white.  

So, photography was tricky and I have no experience shooting white on white.  The owl was a ways off too, beyond the range of my zoom lens, but I did manage to get a few photos.

I'm convinced this was a sign from Dad.  

We two daughters could not have been more excited.  

We each managed to take a photo with our cell phones & binoculars.  

That is a crazy technique that produces some pretty surprising results.

Laila's cell phone & binocular shot of our Snowy Owl.

Wanda's cell phone & binocular shot.

I also took some photos with my camera.  

They are not award winners, but I am pretty excited anyway.

 

Through the windshield as she sat on top of a power pole.

Thanks Dad, we believe.