This PBC theme Make Your Month Loving is a good pick for the month that includes Valentine’s Day. My view is that it’s also a worthy objective for each and every page of the calendar. Looking for ways to be kind, being present and asking “how can I help you today?” are just a few ways to practice being loving.

Finding ways photograph loving actions proved challenging. Circumstances didn’t always work out according to plan. It’s not called a Photo Blogging Challenge because it’s easy and straightforward! Sometimes you have to adapt. That’s what happened for me this month. I hope other participants had an easier time of it.

1. Anniversary Bouquet but no Anniversary Couple

Mr GeoKs’ parents celebrate their wedding anniversary in February. So I planned to photograph the celebrants with the bouquet we delivered in honour of their special day when we went over for a visit. Unfortunately, Grandpa GeoK slept late so we didn’t even have a chance to visit with him. I had to settle for photographing one of the beautiful red roses in the arrangement. Red roses are perhaps the premier symbol of romantic love, passion, and deep devotion.

2. Chocolate

Chocolate is a traditional and widely-accepted symbol of love, affection and thoughtfulness. We scored this assortment from Santiago’s only bean-to-bar chocolatier on Valentine’s Day. The 70% Pangoa Perc is long gone; we opened it to introduce Santiago acquaintances to the art of bean-to-bar. Back at home, our youngest adult GeoKid is enjoying the Merkén Smoked Chili bar (and I’ve enjoyed several squares, too). Looking forward to trying the rest in the weeks to come. 🙂

3. Quality Time

Another way to make your month loving is to spend quality time with those you love. Mr GeoK and I just enjoyed a whole month of quality time – in Chile and Argentina. One of my favourite experiences was a day spent puma tracking in the company of experienced guides and trackers. We were truly fortunate when one of the trackers spotted Petaka, aka the “Queen of Patagonia.” Her territory is in the Torres del Paine National Park area. She is often featured in wildlife documentaries and photography. A skilled and successful huntress, she has raised several sets of dubs. One of Petaka’s distinguishing features is her heart-shaped nose!

4. Loving Chilean Flamingos

I’ve not yet found time to process my trip photos, but I went looking for the photos I shot after spotting a pair of loving Chilean Flamingos in the high Atacama Desert because they fit the theme. Here’s one image from the series.

5. Penguins in Love

I do my best to include Lego in each of my PBC posts. This month Mr GeoK made it easy for me when he gifted me this cute “Penguins in Love” set for Valentine’s Day/

Another image I planned but couldn’t prosecute was a selfie of me enjoying breakfast with my parents. I planned to join them the last weekend of the February, but Mom ended up in the ER. She’s subsequently been admitted to hospital, but is on the mend and we hope she will be discharged in a few days. If you have a moment, please send some positive energy her way. Thank you!

That brings to a close some of the ways we made February loving. To see other participants’ initiatives, head on over to host PJ’s post and look for the link up at the bottom.

While you’re there, please consider joining us for the March edition of the challenge. You’ll need 5 photos that have something to do with the theme, and a blogging platform to share them from. Don’t worry about writing much; I am definitely on the wordy side! Hope to see your pics next month. Meanwhile, make it a good one. 🙂