Pepper finds a friend to keep her company

Some of our favorite photo subjects in the "Menifee in Pictures" contest are animals. And sometimes, those animals aren't real.

Ruth Ferry sent us this photo showing her feathered friend Pepper, who lost her companion when a predator snatched her. Ruth said Pepper was "lonely and traumatized", so she hatched a plan to help Pepper out. Ruth warmed a fabric Christmas goose by the fireplace and sat it next to Pepper, who nestled close and slept peacefully with her new friend.

Ruth is now eligible for the Photo of the Month award.

"Menifee in Pictures" is a regular feature on Menifee 24/7. Readers are invited to contribute photos for publication. Email your photo as a .jpg file to info@menifee247.com and selected photos will be published, along with your name as the photographer. Please include your full name on the submission and any explanation about where and when the photo was taken. If your photo is selected from among those published as the Photo of the Month, you will win a $25 gift certificate from Giovanni's Pizza Pasta and More, located at 26900 Newport Road in Menifee.