Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Animal Wednesday

 Well Con isn't an Animal but he is hanging my Rabbit sign I drew out and painted.
Con cut it out for me.
Our Garden beds are out there.
 Our neighbors went out of town this weekend and we did Critter duty.
Fed Six Chickens, Two Cats and one bunny Rabbit for three days.
This one decided to get on my shoulder and I had the camera so I got the best pix I could without seeing what I was taking.
 I had bent over to put the food in their feeder and she hopped on my back and when I straighten up she got on my shoulder.  Why doesn't anyone else have a camera when I need them to get cool pix? LOL 
Annie is in the back ground.
 They are all fully grown now.
Soon they should be laying eggs.
 The bunny is new and loves their cats and plays chase with them.
She wanted to play with Annie but I didn't let her out and play chase the rabbit to put her back in when we left. They were nose to nose here.
Annie whined every time she saw her in there.
She made sure I went out to check on the Bunny when we went over  to check on things.
Look at this Bunny then check out my Rabbit I made in the first photo at the top.
The coloring is Amazing. :))
Hope you had a wonderful Weekend.
HAW

Thursday, May 24, 2012

PPF Journal page of Ducks and Tanagers

One morning I looked out my Kitchen Window to see if anything was out there ready to be fed.
What a treat to see these mallards out there scrounging for food.
There did happen to be some seeds in the little box on the ground con made me with a screen in it.
They don't land in our yard very often, at least not that I see.
This came out pale when I scanned it.. either that or my computers monitor is acting up again.

Each morning I take these four pie plates and one butter container full of a variety of seeds, Sunflowers and a mix we get at Costco with nuts and shelled sunflowers etc  and I put out some bread broken up and some hole nuts for the jays...We have a suet cage out there too. Lately I have been adding dried worms for the babies being born I got at walmart, but I wont be doing that after the bag is empty.. too gross. :)
I have 2 shelves, One log table and two Covered bird feeders.
 and the one wooden thing on the ground.  We used to put seed in little hanging feeders but then the squirrels started hanging upside down on them to get to the seeds and would break them. So con started making the covered bird feeders.  I also spread some of the seed and bread around the ground around certain stations so the small birds could get some food. I put out variety of seeds to attract a variety of birds. This time of year I love seeing all the activity and its worth the extra expense of all that seed. Summer time when it gets hot and the hay in the fields has seeds and the babies are born the birds melt away till fall.

We also have added lots of different watering holes for them.
Lots of shallow dishes for bath taking and lots for the crows who love washing their food in the clean water.
One afternoon a flash of yellow and orange made me look closer to see the two  Male Western Tanagers in my journal drinking out of this one bird bath. They drank and drank then took off not to be seen again, but I did get a couple blurred photos and had to add them to my journal. So far my sightings have been because something drew me to my Kitchen window to look out at the right moment. Who knows what I have missed.
Happy PPF

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Animal Wednesday

 We went for a walk the other day.
I had this feeling we were being watched.
 Enlarge this photo and look up the hill to the left of the house.
 Peek a boo
I see you...
I zoomed in. 
Check behind this one. There were two and it had to come and peek too.
A Neighbor driving by stopped to see what we were looking at.
I said the two deer up on the hill. She never could see them.
We also came across this Turkey Vulture on our walk.
As we got closer we saw the dead squirrel that had its attention... The Turkey Vulture decided we were getting to close to it and flew up in the tree then took off from the tree. It's wing span was HUGE.
It was so big that it freaked out Annie who broke loose from me as I was trying to get photos and started running home with her tail and leash dragging behind and me running after her trying to stop her. I have never seen her freak like that before. Since then every time we go by that spot she slinks away quickly.
I guess I don't need any chickens, I have one already. :))
HAW


Thursday, May 17, 2012

PPF May Madness in our Garden Journal page and I won an Art Video

I have taken to jotting down ideas for journal pages in a lined notebook as they come and  then transferring what I like about them into my journal here. I want this to be a certain way at the end of the year of Seasons. I added more to this page then was in my notebook at the last minute.  
I am finding May Madness in our yard. Birds are nesting and some are already feeding their babies.  Some are acting silly like this Towhee we watch every day come and check itself out in the gazing ball.  
The Chickadee was added because She was doing some of that May Madness too. Stripping the sisal string for nesting material which I blogged about in my  last post. 
Then last week I was over talking to Fair while she was out digging up bulbs and weeds and along came this cute Blue bird checking us out. I didn't have my camera so I did a memory sketch when I came in the house. He stood there chatting to us very softly and then flew off. They are nesting in one of her birdhouses  over from where we were standing. It was time to set out all our yard ornaments Con has made so I added that in here too. 


A couple weeks ago I put my name in for a Give away from a  blog I have followed for some time http://djnewbold.blogspot.com/
and I WON.
 I was shocked. I really was interested in this Video too and when it came I wasn't disappointed in it.
Its a fun learning tool for journaling on the go and what to take with you when you go on location and ideas for making a  fun journal. I watched it straight thru, but there was so much info to take in I will go back to  certain sections again and maybe again. :)
It can be found at Interweavestore.com
By Cloth, paper, Scissors.
Go check out Jacqueline Newbold's blog  I added above.
Thanks again Jacqueline I really appreciated the chance to win this.
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

HAW..Its a Chickadee day

 A few months ago our neighbor across the street brought me over a little gift package of  a few birdseed stars and what ever on sisal strings, knowing I love feeding the birds.
I waited till it was done raining to put them out, and started seeing this Chickadee coming chipping away at the seeds a little, but the other day I looked out to see him/her not eating the seeds but shredding the string.
It climbed up and down the string with no problem pulling out little bits of the string filling it's mouth full little by little in quick work.
 We just stood watching in amazement at how much and quick it stripped the threads into its mouth.
 Ah not quite done.. A little more and I will be happy and off it went. 
It's a wonder it could fly.
The photos blurred because I was hurrying to get the shot before it left  but it had black wings.
A little later in the day I got this shot.
What else do you do with old licence plates from another state??
:))
I decided to put out more string  which I shredded and its about all gone, but the Chickadee was back shredding that string. Not exactly the purpose I had in mind when I put it out, but whatever it needs I am happy to supply. :)
HAW

Thursday, May 10, 2012

PPF April & May migrating birds Journal page

So much is happening right now in the yard that I don't know what to journal first.
Migrating birds are coming thru, but this year they aren't staying long or coming in the masses they usually come in.
Last year I had dozens of the Lazuli Buntings, which look like little jewels on the ground,  and this year one showed up and  for about 20 minutes.

I got so excited  when I saw the one Lazuli Bunting that I ran for the phone to call my neighbor, and fellow bird lover, Fair. I hardly said hello before blurting out. " A Lazuli Bunting just showed up and  it's sitting on our feeder shelf right now... we should be seeing the Black headed Grosbeaks too any time now  since  they seem to come around the same time." No sooner did I say that , I turned back to the window to see  a  blacked headed grosbeak sitting on the same shelf eating sunflower seeds. I shrieked "OMG there's one  out there now"..Too Funny. I had to look twice to make sure I wasn't hallucinating . lol
Several Black headed Grosbeaks stayed around for a day but then moved on except for one male that's still hanging around and seems to love the Suet.

A few days later the Evening Grosbeaks dropped in all of a sudden as I was sitting in the sun room looking up a bird in one of my bird books. I looked up to see one and soon  a dozen or so started landing in our  bird feeders and on the ground. I love the mustard yellow color and that big splash of white on the males back. There were lots of Females too.
Usually we have them staying around for a week or so but they ate for awhile and flew off never to be seen again.

I don't know why the change in the migrating pattern but it could  be the late warm up here or because of this one juvenile Hawk that is being really obnoxious hanging around and chasing and fighting with the Crows most mornings and scaring off the other birds. Which sets me off  Yelling OH NO A HAWK...with me running to the door to chase it away. Now all I have to say loudly is,  " HAWK"  and Annie, our Border Collie, charges outside running around barking up at the trees like a mad hatter not really knowing what she is barking at. To which the Hawk sitting WAAAAAY up at the tippy top of the trees is looking down its big hooked beak at her thinking....
Stupid dog!!!
I can fly what can you do?
 :))
Happy Paint Party Friday

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Animal Wednesday

 Went across the street with Annie this afternoon to share some bulbs with Jill that Fair, who lives next door to me, gave me that she dug up this morning.
 I kept a few Paper whites but she gave me a lot of them and tulips and I had no room for them.
Jill was happy to get them. 
Of course I had to get a picture of the Chickens. She lets them run free when she and the kids are out in the yard. Johnny, the cat, just lays by them. But when he saw Annie he had to come and say hi. He is such a sweetie. 
 He really likes Annie so he gave her a little rub.
 Annie did the Lady like thing.... sniffed his butt. lol
 Maybe a little belly rub would be nice.. don't you think? 
 Our weather has warmed up so there's been a-splishing and a-splashing in the bird baths the last couple days.  There's about five Starlings in there splashing all that water around. :)

Makes me want to sing  Bobby Darin's old time song;

Splish splash, I was taking a bath
Long about a Saturday night
A rub dub, just relaxing in the tub
Thinking everything was alright

Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor
I wrapped the towel around me 
And I opened the door, and then
Splish, splash! I jumped back in the bath
Well how was I to know there was a party going on...

:)))
Happy Animal Wednesday.
Let's Party!!
PS.. New journal page coming Friday.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Full Moon Madness


 Saturday night I waited and waited for the Moon to make its way up to be seen.
It seemed to take forever but for once we had a nice night with no clouds and It was worth the wait. It was lovely.
Our neighbor Jill, across  the street, sent her kids over with flash lights to come and get Annie and I since it was pitch black out to see it from the River.  We live in an area that has no street lights except for the one we have and pay for. The kids had friends over and thought of it as an adventure. Annie thought that was pretty cool too after she got over her barking fit over the flash lights scaring  the wits out of her. :)
 Unfortunately it wasn't easy to see the moon from the River since there were so many trees in the way, but I did get this interesting shot thru the trees. The first one was from her Driveway.
This one was a blur but I loved the way it came out. Almost like the moon crashed.
Which thank goodness it didn't.
I am having problems with blogger. I was not sure I could even post these  pictures so this is a test.
I tried to add more pictures to my side bar on my blog and it said no.. I have to purchase more space it says but I cant figure out HOW.  Has anyone else run out of space on their blogs SIDEBAR..and had  to buy more? Please tell me how to do so and where to go pay.
The new changes with blogger has really made it harder to be blogging now.  I am baffled by this one. 
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