2011:02

Welcome, February! Unlike much of the country, the Bay Area has been full of sunshine and spring is in full force. Trees are in bloom, and the hillside behind my apartment building is starting to echo with chirping birds around 7 am. (It's a lot less charming when it's light at 5:30am in a few months, and the birds are going nuts at that unholy hour.)

I took my Feb 2011 calendar shot on my trip to New Zealand last fall. Deirdre and I walked around this small village outside of Rotorua, without realizing we were supposed to donate money for the privilege. The building in the above photograph is the church hall (I think) for Saint Faith Anglican church.

The water is steaming but the swans didn't seem to mind in the least. The whole village was located there because the hot springs throughout the area provided handy cooking and heating sources!