Enchantments and oddments...

Saturday morning my DH made this table.

(enchantment)

The base is metal and was found in a dumpster,

by his father.

(oddment)

We bought an 18 in. wood round,

attached it after staining it.

 (enchantment)

The top sort of looks burnt.

(oddment)

But we like it

(enchantment)

-------------------------------------

My son came to visit,

(enchantment)

so he and his dad wanted to go fishing...

no boat, no wading,

just relaxing on the pier,

(enchantment)

on the Laguna Salada,

near our home.

It was very calm waters.

(oddment)

 

 This fish was a keeper,

but it ended up being

catch and release day,

Lucky little black drum.

(enchantment)

 ...watching, waiting...

(enchantment)

 ...twinkling stars on the water...

(enchantment)

 

...rust and barnacles...

(enchantment)

 

...wooden pier texture.

(enchantment)

This is one of the bait shops

that has been open since the 1940's.

(enchantment)

How it survived the many hurricanes,

I will never know.

(oddment)

I thought this photo may make a good painting.

Lots of character.

(enchantment)

_______________

Then at home we were entertained by the birds...

(enchantment)

Cooling off on a warm day...

(enchantment)

Just one hummingbird?

(oddment)

...he thought he would have the feeders to himself,

(enchantment)

...then the other birds (orioles, about a dozen) showed up.

(oddment)

Cute little bird, waiting his turn at the feeders.

(enchantment)

He hung like this for the longest...

(oddment)

So fun to watch so many.

(enchantment)

Hope your day is filled with

enchantments and oddments.

It makes for an interesting day.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

The sweetest song....and a bird brained idea??????

Each morning I love to listen to the melodious birdsong
that comes from my backyard.
This morning I heard something different...
I watched and finally saw several red breasted grosbeaks.

The song of the red breasted grosbeak

is similar to a robin's, but sweeter...

almost like a "robin in a really good mood"
someone once said.

"I don't ask for the meaning

 of the song of a bird

or the rising of the sun

on a misty morning.

There they are,

and they are beautiful."

---Pete Hamill (author, journalist

who studied art in Mexico City

and in 2002 wrote a book called Diego Rivera,

next book on my list to read)

The next visitor to my bird bath was a black headed grosbeak...

Then a first spring hooded oriole...

All have very lovely bird songs.

Now what do you think of this?????

It may sound like a bird-brained idea,

but the mayor of a Mojave Desert city in California

 wants to brighten the streets

 by broadcasting recorded bird songs.

There is scientific proof that

listening to birdsong makes people happier.

Good idea or no???

Savor the Day!

Yvonne





Bed, beauty, and a new bird sighting...

We finally got our new winged bed stained and finished.

We built it a few weeks back,

but we got sidetracked for a time.
Now it is done!  Yay!

We used a dark walnut stain,

then put 3 coats of poly on it.

I love it!

  _______________

I've also been busy making more soap.

This time I added lavender and vanilla for scent.

Then I also added some French green clay,

which is very good for your skin.

It is supposed to remove toxins,

so that is a good thing.
Now it has to cure for a few weeks.
It is making the house smell wonderful!

_____________________

 This spring we have a new little visitor...

an Indigo Bunting.

This is about the best photo I could get.

We were sitting in our yard swing,

and all of a sudden we saw this flash of blue,

which is unusual here.

 This was my first sighting of

 an indigo bunting here in south Texas,

at least when it is in the blue breeding stage.

The little bunting is about 5 inches long.

It was such a nice surprise.

I love surprises!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

This and That... for my 700th Post....

Wow, I can hardly believe I have posted

 700 times.

I began this blog as part of an

online art project I was involved in,

and it just went from there.

I have shared many parts of my life...

like I've said in the past....

enchantments, fragments, oddments

and things that make me smile.

I have received some great feedback,

encouragement, support and more.

Thanks to everyone!

I have really enjoyed getting to know you ALL.

---Yvonne

................

This and That...

Saturday, a group of British birders

stopped in front of my house.

They got out of the van,

all armed with binoculars.

  They were looking at birds in the trees.

My husband and I were outside,

so we struck up a conversation with them.

I invited them to my back patio

for shade, and to watch the birds.

They were so friendly and nice,

and so interested in the hummingbirds especially,

a bird they don't have in England they told me.

I told them about non drought years,

when I have dozens flying about,

but this year only a few have showed up.

I enjoyed the birders very much.

Now they are on their way south,

to visit the birding centers in the valley.

Birders are a special kind of people!

--------------------------------

Well, looks like something loves the drought.

The cactus!

It is now just coming into bloom.

Many, many unopened flowers right now,

but soon, they will be covered

with delicate flowers,

in yellows, and oranges.

This week I am traveling up to Cuero,

the Wildflower Capital of Texas,

so hopefully I will get lots of great photos to share.

I hope you find a way to....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

A Woodpecker Story

My backyard is full of all kinds of birds,

and one of those is

the amazing woodpecker.

This is the Golden-fronted Woodpecker.

She is about 10 inches long,

and is sitting here in one of our mesquite trees.

The male has a small red cap,

but I didn't see the male today.

I really love Native American lore,

and bird lore is one of my favorites.

One Native American story of old

about the woodpecker

 goes like this....

Once, many moons ago, 

there was a woodpecker

who taught a very shy young man

how to make a flute.

This young man wanted to ask for the hand of

 a beautiful young woman in his village.

He was so shy

he just didn't know how to ask her to marry him.

One day,

while walking in the forest,

he heard a most lovely sound coming from a small tree branch.

A woodpecker had pecked holes into this branch.

When the wind blew gently through the holes,

  a beautiful and magical flute-like sound was created.

The young man decided that he would

take this branch back to the village.

He knew that if he serenaded the young woman he loved so much

with this lovely and delightful flute music,

she would fall in love with him.

And,

she did.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Voices of lost lovers....

“Somewhere a bird sang, its chant hanging plaintive and melancholy in the still air...I think it's a sort of lark or something. Our tradition has it that they sing with the voices of lost lovers. If the stars are smiling on them, you will hear its mate call back in a moment.” ― Jane Johnson, The Tenth Gift: A Novel

There are so many wonderful things said about birds....

I love to sit in my yard

and watch all the lovely birds

I'm blessed with.

I especially love to see the cardinal pairs.

(female cardinal)

At times I see the male cardinal feeding the female.

(I have yet to get a photo of it happening)

She is waiting for his return.

 

Some Native Americans believe...

 

The Cardinal is one of the most easily recognizable birds with its brilliant red color.  It can be seen throughout the twelve months of the year and is often depicted as a Christmas bird. Their eggs hatch in twelve days.

The number twelve connected with the Cardinal

 is why there is a belief that they are lucky.

 When you spot a Cardinal 

you can expect a change for the better

 within twelve days, twelve weeks,

twelve months or at the hour of twelve.

Another belief by many Native Americans

 is when you observe a Cardinal flying upward

 toward the sky

you will have good luck.

The Cardinal perching your windowsill

is the spirit of someone you have lost.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Kiskadee

We are lucky to have many, many kinds of birds

here in South Texas...

....probably close to 400 different species.

My yard is always full of bird song,

and I love it.

With our warm climate,

we have birds year round,

but certain ones come up from Mexico

and South America

only during spring and summer.

Right now we are having

the Kiskadees visit us.

They are a beautiful colorful bird

with a loud and distinct call...
kisk-ka-dee
or weh, weh, weh.

They love my bird bath, of course.
We are in an extreme drought,
so water is always out for them.

One of the Spanish names for the Kiskadee

 is ‘Bienteveo’

which means ‘I see you well’.

One of my friends told me

 the bird is saying

 “Bien – te – FUE”,

which means

 “It went well for you.”

And of course each country has some legend

 about what they think the bird is saying.

Here is one sitting in one of my mesquite trees.

I really enjoy seeing and listening to all the birds,

especially the Kiskadee.

It's one way I....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

 

Do Birds have Christmas?

If you follow my blog,

you know I love the birds.

Here in south Texas we have over 350

species and many of those visit my yard

year round, including green jays, chickadees,

cardinals, titmouse, doves, owls, kiskadees,

orioles, robins and many many more.

We live close enough to the bay that we see

many water birds like herons etc. too.

I feel very blessed.

I hope you enjoy

my bird photos from this morning and also

 the following poem by Mike Zerr called.....

Do Birds have Christmas?

(colorful green jays at my feeder)

On a chilly Christmas morn, as I looked out the window

at a crystal coat of frost on the Mulberry tree,

I saw a sudden movement, like a darting shadow

that quickly transformed, into a happy Chickadee.

A thought crossed my mind, as I watched this little friend.

Could I learn the truth, from a fine-feathered brother?

If the Chickadee could talk, my ear he would bend.

Do you birds have Christmas, or is this day just another?

I watched, and listened, for action and sound.

Suddenly, a Brown Creeper, diving with speed

halted its plunge, a foot from the ground,

to peck at some old suet covered with seed.

More tiny friends appeared, to my delight.

The tree filled with blacks, reds and yellows

as Goldfinch and Cardinals arrived in a flight.

Do birds have Christmas? Tell me, little fellows.

Some Juncos flew in, these darts of slate.

They were hopping and jumping like children at recess,

feeding on seeds with the ground as their plate.

Do they know of Christmas? I can only guess.

I pushed close to the window with my forehead,

as nuthatches and woodpeckers joined in the throng.

All colors of feathers, white, black, yellow and red.

Each different, but the same, all getting along.

I sneaked open the window, and heard them all sing,

At last to my mind came all the right words.

It was as clear as their chorus, a choir on the wing.

Birds don’t have Christmas, Christmas has birds!

----Mike Zerr

(looking for fallen seeds)

(big eyed titmouse)

(a nice pair on my fence)

Hope you

savor the day,

and have many Christmas birds in YOUR yard.

Yvonne



Fall is time for birding!

Hello everyone!

Fall is time for many bird species here in South Texas.

The Rio Grande Valley area is amazingly beautiful,

with it's hundreds of  varieties of birds,

and other wildlife.

One interesting bird that many of you may never have seen

is the

CHACHALACA.

They were everywhere at the birding center,

Quinta Mazatlan, in McAllen, Tx.

Here you can see four on the ground

and two in the tree eating oranges.

There were many more scurring around in the brush.

They  can get very loud in the mornings

with their 'cha cha lock' sounds.

They are in the shade,

and my camera is not that great,

so here is another picture of one

to show you how beautiful they are.

They are also called Mexican Pheasant.

What birds are in your area this time of year?

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Hot Dry Summer and Little Hummers

Well, this summer has been a scorcher.

Yesterday it reached 107 degrees!

Today will be another hot dry day....

up to 105 they are saying.

The heat doesn't seem to bother

the amazing hummingbirds,

as my three feeders have about 1-2 dozen

buzzing around them right now.

More are expected because

September is migration time

for these little wonder birds.

I've recently been looking at hummingbirdd art,

and reading stories of

hummingbird lore.

I always find those kinds of stories interesting.

The Hopi and Zuni Native Americans (and others)

 paint hummingbirds on water jars and other pottery.

The belief is that the hummingbirds long ago

 intervened with the gods

to bring rain to human kind.

The story goes like this....

 many years ago

 there was a huge famine

 with good and water becoming very scarce and hard to find.

 A young boy and girl were left alone

 while their parents went in search

 of the needed food and water.

Their search was in vain.

While waiting, the boy made a toy hummingbird.

His sister threw it into the air

and suddenly it came to life.

 The tiny hummingbird began to bring the boy and girl

 an ear of corn every day

 to help them survive.

The hummingbird was very worried

 about his boy and girl

so he flew to the center of the earth

and pleaded with the God of Fertility

 to help.

The God of Fertility

took pity on them

and began to provide rain

for human kind.

The parents returned from their search

and they all lived happily ever after.

During these hot days

I have been doing more reading,

How about you!?

Reading is one way to....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

The Heron Within Us Waiting to Fly

Casmerodius albus

 or

Great Egret

watercolor

5" by 8"

The Heron Within Us

Here is south Texas,

in the salt marshes,

 we see many beautiful birds,

and this is one of the prettiest...

with it's long white neck

and black legs.

The immature egret does not

have the plumage yet,

but is still elegant.

It is a cousin

to the

Great Blue Heron.

These birds are still hunted 

across the globe,

for their beautiful feathers,

which really makes my heart ache.

Here is a quote about the blue heron

I thought you may enjoy.

"Creativity is the Blue Heron within us

waiting to fly;

through her imagination,

all things become possible."

                                ― Nadia Janice Brown

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Watercolor lessons, inspiration and fun!

Every Wednesday I attend a watercolor class,

full of lessons, inspiration and fun!

Today was no different.

I recently painted my first landscape,

and got it critiqued today.

Now this is how it looks.

You may have seen it before, in a couple of posts back

http://inkspillersattic.blogspot.com/2012/05/ruby-sipper-tea-and-watercolor.html#links

As per Dolores' instructions,

I loosened up the foreground flowers,

added some purple to the water

and that's about it.

It sure made a difference.

I will be practicing more landscapes soon.

------

Today I also did some ink pourings, 4 total.

Next week I will do some negative watercolor painting on top of them.

Click below to see one I did last year and more about how I did it.

http://inkspillersattic.blogspot.com/2011/02/vanilla-beans-flowers-and-art.html

-----

We are also doing still life paintings.

Here is what Dolores set up for us.

We can do the whole thing, or just part.

There's different textures, different backgrounds etc.

I love birds so....

Below is the close up photo I took and will attempt to paint.

Wish me luck!

Remember to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne



Tea Day Musings

 Every morning

I've been having a cup of Yerba Mate,

and for Tea Tuesday I think I will do the same.

My husband painted my wire tea cups

that I found at the thrift store.

I'm using them as candle holders today,

but I know they will have many more uses

around the house.

I've been in the garden this week,

as the beautiful weather draws me outside.

One of my new plants is this Rio Dipladenia.

As midday brings warmer temperatures,

I go inside and enjoy my new organized studio space.

This week I designed a bookmark for myself,

using Photoshop.

 The red dragonfly is part of one of my paintings

of the real red dragonfly that I saw once.

Then I added some quotes.

By late afternoon, each day,

 temperatures drop once again, and

 my husband and I sit in the yard,

watching the birds,

laughing and talking about our days,

 about getting older,

and just about life in general.

I did catch this photo of a little hummingbird.

We have probably a dozen or more around the feeders.

Time spent in the garden

is like therapy...

 Creating art is like therapy.

Having a balance of being alone,

and being with others

is important to me.

 All these things in my life

 have brought me to the conclusion that

I need to....

  ...let people know how much I love them much more often

... let family and friends know how much they mean to me

                                    … put words to my thoughts, and to slow my thoughts down
                                                              … let go of the past
                                            …accept where my life's choices have brought me
                                                          … just be in the moment

and if only in my solitude and my thoughts...

 to just...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne



Wabi Sabi Ghost Town

What IS wabi sabi anyway?

- an appreciation for that which is not perfect.

Well, I found it in the

 GhostTown of Terlingua, Tx.

This being my second trip to the Big Bend area

of Texas, I saw some of the same at

Big Bend National Park...

but I found wabi sabi at

the place we stayed at in the ghosttown...

Upstairs at the Mansion.

Outside, it is a mansion no more, as time and harsh conditions

have taken their toll on the old Perry mansion

But inside you are very comfortable

and surrounded by wabi sabi.

Handmade, hand quilted quilts are available

for the deserts cold nights.

The curtains are made of gauze or burlap,

draped over a native 8 ft long sotol yucca stem

(this is the part of the yucca plant that shoots up

and holds the massive blooms)

that acts as a curtain rod.

Then the curtains are pulled back by spiraled wire,

enabling you to enjoy the great views.

Upstairs is an extensive library.

It's nice to sit and read and enjoy the views

of the mountains and desert below.

In the kitchen is a make do table, coverd with lovely linens and

old vintage car seats for sitting.

Art is on the walls.

A wire fence panel piece holds hooks for pots and pans above the

unique 6 burner stove.

A beautiful  vintage looking ornate mirror is above the sink.

A glow surrounds the room 

thanks to a very old Mexican wrought iron lantern hanging above

in the tall ceiling.

Twinkling lights greet you when you come in at night.

The grounds are native rock and native plants

drawing many unique birds to the house.

The ghost town is full of ruins of

a once thriving community.

You can see most of them from the porch.

When you pull up to the mansion,

you are not quite sure of this place.

But like they say,

never judge a book by it's cover.

The sunsets and sunrises can't be beat.

And yes, that is a wifi connection tower

coming out of the top of the mansion.

Now that's wabi sabi with benefits!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Wet on Wet Watercolor Swan

This week I've been practicing

the wet on wet watercolor technique.

First I drew out this swan

(11 by 15 inch)

 then completely wet the paper,

and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

My puddles of pigment were prepared

while waiting  on the water to soak in.

I then used a rolled up towel to roll over the paper,

to absorb any excess water.

Then I began to paint.

 I used a 1 in. flat brush and a #10 round.

After the watercolor pigments were dry

 I added black acrylic paint

onto the beak.

Lastly I spattered some white paint

here and there.

Chapter 5 in Watercolor Wisdom

by Jo Taylor shows lots of different techniques.

I will be trying a few more this week.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Little bird watercolors

I painted two 5 by 7 in. watercolors

of little birds.

This one I don't like so much.

But that's okay.

This one is better I think.

But as Henry Van Dyck once said...

“Use what talents you possess;

 the woods would be very silent

 if no birds sang there

 except those that sang best.”

Savor the day!

Yvonne

Birds Nests

It's always interesting to find

empty and abandoned birds nests.

Just be sure they ARE

empty and abandoned,

before you decide to keep them.

Recently I have found three.

I always wonder how

those little birds create

such a work of art.

This one was in my yard,

and broke apart almost completely

when I found it.

It has lots of grasses, dryer lint,

 feathers, fur etc.

This one came from the winery I recently toured.

They clean them out of the vineyards

when they are pruning the vines.

The base is made from 1/8 to 1/4 inch

'Y' shaped twigs, interlocked with each other.

Then the inner nest, which is wedged into the top

of the outer part,

has pieces of cotton rope,

mostly dried grasses, and dryer lint.

 There are websites on bird nest identification.

This is just one of many.

http://www.thebirdersreport.com/egg-and-nest-identification

I recently found a blog that has a great idea

on what to do with found birds nests.

http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/2008/10/birds-nest-home-decor.html

Go check it out sometime.

You have to be careful handling birds nests,

even when they are empty like these are.

Sometimes they will have mites in them.

When you find anything in nature,

 just be sure to use

common sense.

Savor the day!

Yvonne