snow and mermaids :) That's how I roll...lol

Well, it snowed alright, but it snowed overnight. Which is a bummer for me because I love to watch the snow falling down, however, I did snag a picture last night. I do like how flash picks up night snow, lol

This morning I had to clear all the bird feeders for my little feathered friends, because as you can see, snow covered everything. This little Downy woodpecker seemed to be just waiting for me to clear the suet feeder.

Looks like this little Chickadee is planning on building his own snowman perhaps?

The Bluebirds immediately began flocking to their mealworm feeder!

I added some seeds to the mealworm feeder and this Cardinal dove right in, didn't need to ask him twice!

And some art, what's a snow day without art? This is my mermaid for the 12 Months of Mermaids Facebook group, come join us! How did I do drawing a baby? I'm not use to drawing babies so this was a true challenge for me.

I am so very lucky to be on the ColourArte Design Team, 

the products are simply amazing!

Proper duck food etiquette

Sunday was peaceful, cool and relaxed down by the creek. I even got a visit from a lady Mallard, although she wasn't thrilled to be sharing the creek with me and decided to go back upstream after eye-balling me for a moment. 

I want to feed them so they will get use to me but I didn't have the "proper" food to give. Bread, crackers, popcorn etc. are bad for them and should not be offered. I know this and yet I have done it.

Bad, bad, bad me!

This is a list of the "proper" duck food:

• Cracked corn
• Wheat, barley or similar grains
• Oats (uncooked; rolled or quick)
• Rice (cooked or uncooked)
• Milo
• Birdseed (any type or mix)
• Grapes (cut in half)
• Frozen peas or corn (defrosted, no need to cook)
• Earthworms
• Mealworms (fresh or dried)
• Chopped lettuce or other greens or salad mixes
• Vegetable trimmings or peels (chopped)

And, of course, duck feed pellets or poultry starter pellets are another great option, and they can be purchased from farming or agricultural supply stores, but I don't need a large amount of feed since I really don't see them that often.

By knowing what to feed ducks as part of a nutritious and responsible diet, birders can enjoy this activity without inadvertently harming their favorite waterfowl.

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Ebony Jewelwing

Sometimes I wonder if I am just seeing more of what around me (nature wise) because I am out in my garden and along the creek bed a lot lately. I don't remember seeing dragonflies damselflies before but I've been seeing them often in the last couple of weeks. I finally got a picture of one and came back inside to research and find out what it is. It's called an Ebony Jewelwing. I love the first sentence..."You first catch a glimpse of black wings that flit and flutter in the vegetation on the banks of a tranquil woodland stream."....Yep, my stream is very tranquil indeed!

 a common damselfly of eastern North America

"Damselflies, along with dragonflies, belong to the insect order Odonata. Damselflies are in the suborder Zygoptera and have two pairs of similar-shaped wings. When perched, they hold their wings, either closed or slightly spread, above their abdomens.  Dragonflies are in the suborder Anisoptera—their forewings and hindwings are of different shapes and, when perched, they hold their wings out flat or somewhat downward. Dragonflies are generally larger and are strong, fast fliers. Damselflies are dainty looking and are weak fliers."

Don't laugh...fill in the blanks

Naw, just kidding, you can laugh along with me...I know I am ______! (you can fill in the blanks) Someone who gets excited about a bunny is ________ lol But the first year I moved in we had lots of them. It wasn't uncommon to see 5 or 6 out in the yard. The next year...zero. We also had more hawks, so I think they ate them all :(  

I found this bunny tail out in the yard one day in the second year...I know I am _______ for keeping it. Only one of my friends knows about it, I don't usually share this because I know it grosses most people out. I guess I felt so bad for the missing bunnies that I felt I should treasure it, kind like a memorial for all the lost bunnies. 

So, now you know my deep dark secret, lol Are you still my ________?

Southern Flying Squirrel

The southern flying squirrel is 1 of 2 flying squirrels found in North America— the other one is the northern flying squirrel.  Both southern and northern flying squirrels are found in North Carolina, although the northern flying squirrel is rare, occurring at higher elevations on only 5 or 6 mountain ridges in the western part of the state.

Southern flying squirrels live in hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests. They require older trees with cavities for roosting and nesting, and in winter readily roost together in surprisingly large numbers. Tree cavities have been found with as many as 50 roosting squirrels. Because of their need for tree cavities for habitat, they are a natural competitor for woodpecker’s homes.

This little guy is sooooooo cute! He can have all the bird seed he wants! I don't have one visit me often so I get excited when I do! lol

The southern flying squirrel is the smallest squirrel in North Carolina.

Deer pets

Deep in the forest is the theme over at Art Journal Journey.

This isn't a stretch for me as I live right by the woods, and my favorite visitors are the deer.

Here is a picture taken of the newest members to join the wooded landscape of North Carolina. Aren't they cute?

As you can imagine ( or maybe not if you look at my "garden" ) it's quite a challenge to try and grow flowers with my deer pets. But, the New Guinne Impatient has stood the test of time as they aren't so tasty. As you can see, mama knows but the babies had to learn on their own. It didn't take too long for them to give up eating them.

I am just finishing up my page for Clearprint and will be sending it in on Monday. Again, using the front and the back page of the vellum to create my page.

The front is painted with DecoArts Multi Surface paints to bring everything to the forefront.

The back page was painted with the same black and a greyed down version of the paint and then stroked over with various inks to create, hopefully, a misty view of the mountains in the background.

I really love the dimension that painting ( or drawing ) on vellum creates! You should check out Clearprint and order your own.

milieu: noun

the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment
pronunciation
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Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges - #8 Friendship

 

 

 

The inside of the card:

 

Our Daily Bread Designs - stamp

Cricut - French Manor, p. 54

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Experimenting with my camera, I am titling this "winter into summer"...lol
yeah, I know, gumballs and weeds...don't ask...:)

Yesterday the skies opened up and it poured for about 30 minutes with lightening and thunder galore. Enough to make me unplug everything and go stand by the porch to watch the creek fill up and that's when I spied someone else seeking shelter from the deluge :) When it was all over, he got a Graham cracker from me and scurried back to his home.

 

gambit: noun

a chess opening in which a player risks minor pieces to gain an advantage

or

 a remark intended to start a conversation

also

 a calculated move

 

pronunciation
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Hello WOYWW stalkers visitors!!
Welcome to my mess :)
Instead of my desk, I thought I'd show you the sordid floor picture. This is to the left of my desk and must be stepped OVER to get to my desk. The general mess can stay like this for weeks on end too...just shameful. On my basket of Really Reasonable Ribbon; I have my mixed media coasters almost ready to go for mailing, 2 Easter cards for the ART MoB that just need sentiments on the front before being packaged up, papers for my "local flavor" cards that I make for the Art Mob and my dish from breakfast....oh and upside down magnet that recently got knocked down and is forlornly laying there.

 

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I wanted to show this card on a WOYWW post as there are so many of you that really enjoy Tim Holtz and the Blueprint Stamps by Mario. I found this font and thought of your ladies.

You might need to click on the picture in order to see it better but it's called

Handwriting draft

 

Here is the card which is entered in:

 

Paper Playtime - Challenge #2 Use some brown

 

( this is what I referred to when I said "local flavor" cards ) 

 

Creative Imaginations - squirrel from paper

American Traditional Designs - Evergreen Forest paper

Faber Castell - PITT pens

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Mystery solved

 

Not that you knew I had a mysterious situation, but alas, I did.

I have a suet feeder that has had it's flimsy chain broken now twice this past week. Which meant that it has fallen and had to be retrieved and fixed each time. I have had to resort to a heavier clip and been blaming my squirrels although it didn't seem possible. I've seen their acrobatics out there, hanging from the arm to feed on the suet but didn't think it was possible for them to break the chain, because I've never seen their entire weight on the suet cage. They always hang using their hind feet to hold them up.

 

 Plus the arm of the feeder is always knocked askew which also seemed weird, which I thought was the raccoons trying to pull the suet over to the railing so they could get to it...until..I witnessed....
 

the attack of the big ass crow!

I wish I had gotten a better picture for you but this is one huge crow; that attacks the suet feeder with gusto. I think his weight alone is what broke the chain and after his tangle with the feeder the arm is pushed around almost back onto the porch!

A mystery solved!



bleep: verb transitive

 

To edit out (spoken material) from a broadcast or recording

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There are times when living where I am just makes me so happy. Like yesterday when I went out on my balcony to eat my tomato sandwich to find this looking at me, looking as startled as I was, to find her in my backyard. I muttered a "bleep" Me! and slid back into the den to grab my camera, of course the downloading wire was still attached to the camera but I didn't dare take the time to unwind it and unhook it as she looked ready to bound away back into the woods!

 

She was actually a willing subject after she settled down and accepted my presence up on the balcony. Even so I was holding my breath and only trying to adjust my camera angle when she wasn't looking at me. In my mind I was having a steady conversation, worried about my camera settings, wishing I could take the time to adjust and hoping for clear pictures knowing that the foliage I was peeking out of would obstruct my camera's automatic focus....it does choose what to focus on sometimes; regardless of what I want!

 

She did become bolder with me and was more concerned with the parking lot activities on the other side of the building. I kept thinking that at any moment she would be leaping away and was wondering if I would be able to catch her in motion...

 

I loved the patches of sunlight coming through the trees and as always amazed at how sheltered our area is and how comfortable the wildlife is back here. Some of my friends think the animals are sick, like the pictures I shared of our raccoon friend who came out in the middle of the day, but like this doe, it's 2pm, normally a time you don't see them when you live in the city but they feel protected enough to come out. Here she is looking up right at me, she is nearly under the balcony's edge.

 

I love taking pictures of deer, as evidenced by my blog header, that was taken up at Catoloochie with the Elk, but there is something special when they come into your backyard. I thought this picture in particular was darling because it looks like she is blowing me a raspberry as she leaves, headed back into the woods...as if to say..."See, I wasn't afraid of you at all. "

 

These are the little moments I am grateful for.

plumage: noun

The covering of feathers on a bird

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Tomorrow I leave for vacation, so I've been busy doing all that last minute "count down stuff" before traveling, you know, packing, laundry, making sure no food is left behind that can spoil, arranging for my friend to water my plants, cleaning the place ...all this because you don't want your place dirty in case you die on vacation, sort of the equivalent to making sure your have on clean underwear in case you have a car accident...kid you not! lol

So I was coloring my hair and decided to go take my ice tea and camera out to the balcony to enjoy the light rain shower we were having and while sitting there I noticed that the sugar water from the hummingbird feeder that the raccoons had knocked over a couple of weeks ago ( boy they made a mess too ) had now mildewed and I began to clean a little when I noticed these paw prints under my chair! lol Evidence that they were the culprits, not sure if I want to clean them off, so they were left as is. I know, I'm a little crazy about my wildlife that visits me. ;)

Speaking of the rain shower, I had an enjoyable couple of moments watching a hummingbird bathe in the rain droplets left on top of this tree branch and wanted to share them with you :)

Ready?

 hummingbirds will rub against the leaves to bathe

A typical bird bath is too large and deep to be suitable for hummers.

They do still need water to bathe, however,

to wash sticky residue off their feathers

and keep their plumage in top condition for insulation and efficient flight.

Show's over ;)

She was very modest, having kept her back to me during the entire bath...did she know I was going to post her pictures on my blog?

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