After a mostly cloudy and cold start of the week this weekend temperatures rose to almost 56F (13C)! It was quite sunny although there were a few short showers as well.
When we went for a little walk down the road this afternoon we got caught in one of those short downpours during which this beautiful rainbow appeared. 
If you look closely there's a very faint second one just above it!

In the fir trees next to our landlord's house this pretty Red-tail Hawk kept a careful eye on us:

Yes, we see you too! 

                                           

Earlier this week I walked to the pond in Willamina and found a lot of ducks in the pond:

              

 

 I saw a few Buffleheads. We've had them in our pond as well but none so far this winter:

And this is a  Greater Scaup on the left, an abundant migrant and winter visitant in the Columbia River estuary, and a common American Widgeon on the right.

I took a little detour to the (South Yamhill) river where it was even foggier than at the pond. Nothing to see here ...

Oh wait .. another hawk peered down on me from his high perch in a dead tree .. almost didn't see him there ..

                                                            

And that is really all the excitement there was this week .. I can't come up with anything more. 
James is still trying to get familiar with all his new software and does a lot of studying and researching.
I could show another sourdough bread of course but that gets really old doesn't it?
OK .. you twisted my arm:

       

See that part of the crust that split and rose up on the far side? 
That's called an 'ear' and in the world of sourdough bakers you have pretty much reached perfection if your ear looks like that.
                             Who'd thought I would ever get there?  .. not me!