Mother Nature's Daughter

Be The Seed

2012-01-22T21:57:00.000-06:00

I love this video from Milliande, an artist in England who has lots of fun with art. This is from her Art Journaling series and it's lovely to watch. Enjoy!

Thinking Of Frida

2012-01-21T22:22:00.001-06:00

The Broken Column

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite artists. Her life was filled with tragedy and pain, both physical and emotional, and that is something I connect with. She spent many weeks laying in bed, healing from an accident that nearly killed her and so painting became her outlet. Her paintings are pure, raw emotion. Words could never express what she does with the stroke of her brush.

For the past couple of weeks I have thought about her a lot because I have spent many hours laying in bed trying to heal from a back injury. I needed to do something to get my mind off of the pain - something creative - and so I picked up a pen, pencil and paper and began to draw. Suddenly, I was transported to a familiar place - a space I hadn't visited in a long time - and it felt like going home. I used to draw all the time when I was younger, but somewhere along the way drawing gave way to painting and other artistic pursuits and I didn't realize how much I missed it.

I happened upon Zentangle, which is basically a fancy way to doodle, but it helped put me in a meditative place and made me forget about the pain - both emotional and physical. If you need a way to find a quiet space in your mind, I highly recommend trying this out. It's not difficult and anyone can do it. There are several videos on youtube to get you started. Here are a few examples of these little drawings I've completed during the past few days.

Double Queen Hive Update

2011-07-30T12:18:00.000-05:00

I checked on my newly installed double queen hive this morning and everything is looking good so far. All the bees from both hives are now friends and it's a really strong hive now.  I inspected the weaker brood box first and found some capped brood, lots of empty brood cells and some uncapped honey. I'm not sure if the queen is still in this hive or, if she is in the hive, if she's laying. It was difficult to see if there were any eggs and I didn't see any young larva. I'll check again in a few days.

In the stronger hive, I didn't find the queen, but I did see lots of capped brood and LOTS of very young larva. This queen is definitely still in this brood box so I'll let her alone to do her thing. I'm glad that at least one good queen is still alive.

I had installed some Cutts Beetle Traps in three places within the hive last week and found no hive beetles in the weak hive trap, about 10 dead beetles in the strong hive trap and no hive beetles in the honey super trap. I put all three back on the frames so hopefully I'll catch some more. Altogether, I saw about 10 live hive beetles running freely during my entire inspection so I wouldn't consider that a bad infestation. Still, I want to keep their numbers down. Small Hive Beetles lay their eggs in the honey stores and their larva basically putrefy the honey.  They're a scourge within a hive.

Finally, I treated for Varroa mites. I put powdered sugar in a flour sifter and sprinkled a good amount on top of all the frames. Then I used a bee brush to get the sugar on all the bees that were down inside the hive between the frames. They REALLY didn't like this and immediately began buzzing loud and flying around, banging into my veil.  It won't hurt them, but they now have to groom themselves to get the sugar off. In the process, the Varroa mites will fall off of them, down through the screened bottom board and onto the ground where they'll die.

We are in a severe drought here in North Texas. Temperatures have been over 100 degrees for more days than I can remember. Everything is dried up or dying. I'm not sure the fall flowers will emerge. I'm hoping we'll get some rain soon to encourage some blooms to peek out. I visited a fellow beekeeper this week and he said a lot of beekeepers in our area didn't harvest honey this year because the bees just weren't able to make any due to the drought. Some beekeepers are already feeding sugar syrup to their bees to keep them alive. So far my bees have some honey and I'll keep a close watch on them to make sure they don't run out. If they do, then I'll have to start feeding them, too.

Double Queen Hive Installed!

2011-07-22T20:45:00.001-05:00

I did it. In 100 degree heat, completely covered in a full bee suit, I did it. I installed the double queen hive. I had planned on taking pictures throughout the entire process but it was so hot and I was fighting the coming darkness so I just plowed through the installation. Here's what I did in the specific order in case you want to try it with your bees:

The grass was pretty tall around the existing hives so I took a hoe to chop down the grass where I wanted to place the hives.
I laid down sand to make the ground level and then placed the cinder blocks where I needed them to support the platform I made last night, then placed the platform on the cinder blocks.
I flushed the bees out of the super of the weak hive with Fisher's Bee Quick, which is a natural bee repellent that smells like almond oil. I love the smell but bees hate it! lol This drove the bees down into the brood box where I wanted them.
Next, I took the super off the strong hive and set it aside while I moved the hive body with the screen bottom board onto the platform.
I took the super off the weak hive and set it aside, then moved the hive body with the screen bottom board next to the strong hive on the platform.
I placed a queen excluder in the middle of both hives, which covered half of each hive.
I placed a piece of news paper on top of the queen excluder.
I placed the super from the strong hive on top of the newspaper.
Then I placed the super from the weak hive on top of the first super.
Finally, I put the inner hive cover and cover on top of the supers, and two halfs of a migratory hive cover on each of the exposed halves of the hive bodies.

Here's the finished result.

By the time I completed the installation, the bees were pretty upset. I was hot and thirsty so I took off my veil and gloves and chugged some water and poured it on top of my head. Whew! That hit the spot!! I decided to take a few pics with my veil off and the bees were buzzing around and not too happy. One of the girls decided to let me know exactly how she felt about it and stung me right on the tip of my nose!!! Ouch!!! LOL

I decided to put an entrance reducer on the weaker hive because I could tell the two hives were not happy with each other. The newspaper I laid down between the hive is designed to keep the two hives separate long enough for them to get used to each other's smell. The bees will chew through the paper within a couple of days and gradually the hive smells will mingle together and the bees won't know who is a friend or enemy and they'll start working together. The queens, however, will never get along and will fight each other to the death - that's the reason for the queen excluder between the two hives. The workers can walk between the holes in the excluder, but the queens are to large to fit through so they'll never come in contact with each other.

I did all of this at the end of the day when all the field workers were back home for the night so that when they leave the hives in the morning, they'll get their bearings on where their home is now located.

I'll check on the newly combined hive in a few days to make sure it's doing ok and will keep you updated. I'm really anxious to see if this configuration works. My goal is to make the weaker hive stronger with more bees and shared stores of honey. The super from the strong hive is nearly full of honey on all 10 frames, however the super on the weak hive is nearly empty of honey - not even a full frame of honey. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Hive Plan

2011-07-21T21:25:00.000-05:00

Ok. Here's how my double queen hive is shaping up. In my previous post, I was still figuring out the logistics of creating it and I finally came up with what I think is a pretty good plan....at least in theory. We'll see after a few weeks if it works or not.

I bought a 3/4 inch thick piece of plywood and marked off where the screened bottom boards would go.

Then I marked off the inside of the bottom board, where the screened portion is and drilled a starting hole.

Next, I used a jigsaw to cut out two holes the size of the screened portion of the bottom board (my first time using a jigsaw so no laughing at the sloppy job! lol). It's important to have this opening to allow the Varroa mites to fall through to the ground. Varroa mites are like little ticks on honeybees and they can literally suck the life out of the bees. However, honeybees are very hygienic and will groom themselves, knocking the Varroa mites off and down to the bottom of the hive where they fall through the screen and onto the ground where they die. Yep, I noticed that, too. It's going to be super weak in the middle. Didn't think that one, through. I'm going to have to support that weak spot with concrete bricks underneath.

Here's what it looks like with the screened bottom board sitting on the base. Forgive the out of focus pic. It was getting dark and I was in a hurry to get all the pics so I could show you what it looks like so far.

And here's what it will look like when it's in the bee yard with the hives on it. Well, half of it. The other hive will go on the other side over the opening. Pretty cool, huh? I'm going to install it and combine the hives tomorrow after work so I'll show you how it looks when it's fully operational.

A Sad State Of Affairs

2011-07-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

I checked on my beehives Saturday. The first time I've had time to check on them since late April. The last time I peeked in the hives, all five were doing ok and making honey. In every beeyard, there are always hives that are stronger than others and I had a couple that I knew were weaker. Still, I thought that I could leave them to do what they know how to do best. Wrong answer! I found two dead hives when I visited the bee yard on Saturday. No bees. No honey. No wax. Here is what I found in both hives.

Wax Moth infestation in both hives. This is a severe infestation where the developing moths are growing across the entire length of the frame. Wax moths larvae eat the wax and they leave behind a webbing that is difficult to remove. The bottom board in the background is covered in larvae droppings and insect litter. I was so surprised to see how fast the moths had taken over both hives.

Here's a close up of the larvae casings. Yep, there's developing moths in those little cocoons. I brought both hives home to see what could be salvaged. If there's a bright side to this sad sight....the songbirds were treated to a feast of lots of larvae - just free for the taking! I have a family of House Wrens that hang around my house and they eagerly gobbled them up. My own little clean up crew. :)

I was able to salvage the hive bodies and some of the frames, but I had to throw away the more heavily damaged frames. This sight just makes me sick. One of these hives was one of my original two hives from 2006.

I inspected the three remaining hives and found that two were really strong and had about 85% of a super filled with honey. The third hive is struggling with fewer bees and not even a whole frame of honey. I pulled a couple of frames of honey from the stronger hives and left them with the weaker hive to hold them over until I can figure out a more permanent fix.

I've got a few options to go with.

I can kill the queen in the weak hive and join the bees from that hive to one of my stronger hives to create an even stronger hive.
I could feed the hive and nurse it along and hope the queen is stimulated to start laying again.
I can create a double queen hive.

I've been researching the double queen colony system and I'm leaning in that direction. With two queens in the same hive, there are twice as many workers - more nurse bees to tend the brood, more field workers to gather nectar and pollen. Also, if one of the queens dies, the hive will still have a queen for uninterrupted brood production. This double queen hive is very interesting and I think I'm going to give this one a try. The reason being, I can still access the brood boxes easily and it seems more stable than a very tall hive configuration such as this one.

I'm concerned about the bees having enough honey going into the fall and winter and I want to make sure the hives are healthy and ready for the fall blooms. Every year since I've been keeping bees, I've always harvested honey, but had to feed sugar syrup during the winter. Honey is the best food for them, of course, but I've been a bit too greedy so this year I've decided to let the bees have all the honey in hopes that I've have really strong hives going into the spring 2012 season. Healthier hives=more honey production. At least that's the idea.

Now I've got to figure out the logistics of combining the two hives in this fashion. I'll post the details of how I do it once I figure it out myself. I've got to act fast so I'll be putting it together this week. Wish me luck!

Honey Wine & Beeswax Art

2011-06-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to announce that my work is now available at Rohan Meadery in La Grange, TX. Situated in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Rohan Meadery crafts artisanal honey wines using locally sourced honey and the finest natural ingredients.

Please visit their website and try one of their delicious wines...or better yet, visit them in person and sample all the varieties. Wendy and John love to share their knowledge of this ancient beverage and can help you choose the perfect mead for your special occasion. http://www.rohanmeadery.com/

Found Treasure

2011-03-27T22:13:00.000-05:00

I found this bird nest laying on the ground under a tree today. It's amazing to see how birds build these small structures using the materials at hand. The foundation of this nest was made of strips of tree bark about 1/2 inches in width. Then lengths of dried grasses and tiny twigs were woven in and out and between the strips of bark. Dead leaves were added here and there. I'm not sure what purpose dead leaves serve. Perhaps it's just to add a bit of pizazz. A conversation piece. Who knows. I hope in my next life that I come back as a bird so I can make such beautiful creations!

Quiet Morning In The Park

2011-02-26T10:10:00.000-06:00

I woke up early this morning (about 6 am) to the sound of a bulldozer running up and down my street. They've been doing street improvements in my neighborhood which is nice....but really? Do they have to start working so early on a Saturday morning??? I decided to make lemonade out of that big old lemon and headed to the park to greet the coming day with a little peace and quiet. I'm glad I did because there were a lot of birds there just getting their day started. There's always a large variety of ducks and geese, but I was also treated to a ladderback woodpecker, two cranes, and a brilliant bluebird (who let me see him close up sitting in a tree but who refused to let me take his picture). My favorite bird, however, is the Great Blue Heron. I've seen him at the park many times - usually very early mornings or dusky evenings when there's few people around. He's a loner and prefers to stay away from crowds. This morning he let me get close enough to take his picture while he was fishing for his breakfast. As I made another pass around the small lake, I saw him flying low over the water. It was a magnificent sight to see this huge bird flying effortlessly, his reflection in the still water, with fog dancing on the surface. A tall glass of lemonade, indeed!

Keeper Of The Night

2011-02-20T14:27:00.000-06:00

This is a Great Horned Owl that I saw yesterday at a birds of prey show. Can you imagine if you were a mouse what terror you would feel at the sight of this coming after you in the dark? If the eyes weren't frightening enough - take a look at those talons!! What a magnificent bird!!

Reaching

2011-01-07T08:07:00.000-06:00

I've been busy in the studio lately - getting ready for three art exhibits in the new few months. I want to show you what I finished last night - but first a little background on it. I started working on this piece in 2009 and I actually showed it in this form in an art exhibit that summer.

In my gut, I knew it wasn't finished but being a new artist, I didn't have a lot of work to submit to this show so I entered it. When I saw it hanging in the gallery, I knew for sure that it wasn't finished. After the show was over, I brought it home and hung it in my hallway and glanced at it every now and then and thought to myself "one day I'll do something with that".

I've been working on an important art exhibit coming up in June. It's an important exhbit for me because the gallery owners approached me to do a show with one other artist. When a gallery does that, they are impressed with your work and know it will sell. It's a huge validation that I am a real artist. It's both scary and exciting seeing a dream come true - it's a strange and wonderful experience. They requested 10-15 pieces to show so I've been working really hard on gathering ideas, deciding what direction I want to go, and creating the pieces.

Last week I walked by this unfinished piece and immediately saw that it needed a tree and roots. I was scared to work on it again - afraid I would mess it up - but I plunged in and took a chance. I've never done the technique that I knew it would require and I wasn't sure I could pull it off and make it look right. While I worked on it this week, the creativity just flowed freely....and when it was finished there were a whole lot of emotions running through my head. I realized last night that I've been reaching deep inside myself - pushing myself to go beyond what I think I'm capable of - and it's working. Geez! I never thought in a million years.....

And here is the finished piece. It's titled "Reaching". That word kept running through my mind while I was working on it this week and it's very fitting. I don't know if you can see it, but there's a little bird flying away in the top right corner. That bird is me - soaring.

A Season For Peace

2010-12-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

I decorated for Christmas last night and brought out some ornaments that I haven't seen in the past several years. Christmas 2001 was very difficult because I lost two people that I dearly loved.... and every Christmas since then has been too painful for me to celebrate.

I have a very talented aunt who is a porcelain artist and every year she used to paint all her nieces and nephews Christmas ornaments. Oh, how I looked forward to this tradition! In the days leading up to Christmas, I wondered what beautiful treasure my aunt had lovingly prepared for me. These special ornaments, especially, bring back many wonderful memories of Christmases past - and the knowledge that those days are gone forever. I keep all these special ornaments in a beautiful Christmas box and for the past nine years this box has sat on a shelf in a closet. Last night I sought out this box.

I don't know why I decided that now was the time to bring them out, but I did. I'm glad that I did. I shed many, many tears. I grieved for loves ones dearly missed....and I washed myself clean of the grief. Each ornament that I unwrapped was a long lost friend...a memory revisited. As I placed them carefully on the tree, I felt the love that I thought was gone forever....and when the tree was fully decorated, I realized that those you love will always live on in the magical memories that you shared.

Now I can enjoy this holiday season to come with a renewed hope for good memories yet to come. I wish all of you a peaceful holiday this Christmas season.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T17:52:00.000-06:00

I was driving in the country this past weekend and saw this picture perfect autumn scene from Texas and wanted to share it with you - along with my well wishes to you for a wonderful Thanksgiving day. I hope you are surrounded by people who you love and love you in return. I hope you have plenty of good food, lots of laughter, and many blessings.

Experiment with Silence

2010-10-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

There are many subliminal messages being fed to us every second of every day through mass media. They tell us what to wear, what to drive, what to eat, what to think. I look around and I see a nation of robots following the pied piper. I fight a battle in my mind against this onslaught and find myself mentally exhausted at the end of the day.

Then it dawned on me that I don't have to subject myself to this propaganda. I have a choice.

Tonight I chose to be in a quiet home. No TV. No music. No background noise at all except for the usual neighborhood goings on. You know what happened? I accomplished my nightly chores in record time. I also continued my purging project and was able to think clearly about what should stay and what should go. I sit here typing on the computer after a full day of work, then working at home for nearly 5 more hours and I feel rested and somehow at peace.

It seems downright weird not to have something on as background noise - but the benefits have far outweighed the weirdness. I think I might make this a regular thing.

I wonder....has anyone else done this?

Purging

2010-10-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to remove the clutter that is blocking your path. I started this process yesterday - purging physical objects that I no longer need (or ever needed)..... and that sometimes leads to purging mental and emotional clutter. This is true in my case. Time to make room for new things in my life. Time for new growth.

Fork In The Road

2010-10-10T20:11:00.001-05:00

I didn't know when I woke up this morning that today would be anything spectacular, but I reached a fork in the road this afternoon.....a fork that will change my life forever. I know which path I must choose. It terrifies me, this path. I've seen it on the horizon for some time now and I've been trying to avoid it. Skirting around it. Going around in circles at the entrance. Now the time has come that I must take that first step. I have chosen. There is no looking back. My bare feet are planted firmly on the road less traveled and it shall make all the difference. Here I go.....

Bees And All That Jazz

2010-09-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

I went to check on my bees today after work. Usually a few bees take a ride with me in the car on the way back from the bee yard and today was no exception. It's been 19 years since the death of Miles Davis so the local NPR station played one of his songs on the radio as a tribute. What a surreal moment that was....driving down a country road, the sun setting in the distance, bees lazily buzzing around my head while the golden trumpet of Miles Davis lulled me into a peaceful tranquility. These are the moments I live for.

A Good Scrub

2010-09-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

I love bath puffs and I've been using them for years. It's always bothered me, though, that I'm contributing to all the plastic that winds up in landfills. Plastic that will never disintegrate....or at best will take hundreds of years to decompose. Enter Etsy (I love this website!). While perusing the shops last week, I ran across HippieChickDesigns. This chick makes cotton and hemp bath puffs!! Bless her! I ordered one and it arrived in the mail this weekend. Hemp and cotton WILL decompose in a short amount of time so it's earth friendly. The best part - these bath puffs are washable! Just toss them in the washer and reuse them. Sweet! Be kind to the earth...check out her shop and pick up a bath puff of your own here.

Believe

2010-09-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. - Harriet Tubman

Raincrow Farm

2010-09-05T18:23:00.000-05:00

I launched my farm store on Etsy. It's a small beginning....but a beginning nonetheless. For years I've dreamed of having my own piece of dirt and making it work for me. Ok, so I'd have do a lot of work. :) But still, it feels amazing to sit back and see the fruits of my labor...and the culmination of my dreams....finally producing a result. I've got a couple of knitted scarves and a quilted table runner listed now. In the weeks to come, I'll add some soap that I'm waiting on to cure. Nature, art...and now my farm. Wow! When I wrote down my goals at the beginning of this year, I had no idea that I would accomplish so much before the end of the year....and year isn't over yet!

Here's where you find Raincrow Farm on Etsy. Stop by and say hello. Sit and stay a while.

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-09-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

I have been honored with the "Beautiful Blogger Award" by Amanda, a sister in art and nature.  Thank you, Amanda! It means a lot that you passed this along to me. :) As a recipient, I need to tell seven things about myself and pay it forward to other bloggers whose writings I enjoy. Here are the seven things about me....

1. I've lived in the city all my life, but I'm a country girl at heart....a farm girl to be more exact. I love working with my hands and preserving old skills. Lately, I've been aching for a farm of my own and have been impatient for the day when I can move to my own little place in the country. After creating an "Urban Homesteading" treasury on Etsy this week, it dawned on me that I DO have my own little farm here in the city. I'm a beekeeper, harvesting both honey and wax.  I also make soap, quilt and am learning to knit. That's a pretty good start, right? So I dubbed my operation "Raincrow Farm" and opened up a second shop on Etsy where I can sell my homemade goodies. Yeah! I'm an official homesteader!

2. I love birds.  I got that from my mother.  I remember as a child, one of the first birds she pointed out to me was a raincrow. We were walking down the street in the neighborhood where I grew up and she said "Hear that bird?  That's a raincrow. We're going to get some rain soon."  I was in awe that a bird could make such a beautiful sound AND predict the weather. It's been one of my favorite birds since then. I've never seen one - just heard it's lonesome call - and that makes it a mysterious and fascinating creature to me.

3. My grandmother was a fabulous quilter and she taught me her craft. She was a great lady and loved to quilt and show off her creations. I never work on a quilt without thinking about her. She's been gone 9 years now and I still miss her very much.

4. I'm a list maker and goal setter. I have to be, otherwise I would never get anything accomplished.  Like a lot of Pisces, I'm a die hard daydreamer. In some ways, this is a very good thing because most of my paintings are composed in my mind's eye while I'm daydreaming....but if I allow myself to daydream as much as I'd like to, I would only THINK of wonderful things that I'd like to do instead of actually DOING them.

5.  Lonesome Dove is one of my very favorite movies. Gus is my dream and I doubt I'll ever find a man who will hold a candle to him. :)

6. I have a pet dove named Woodstock and he has taught me fluent dove. We coo to each other each morning while I get ready for work and sometimes we make up new tunes to call to each other.

7.  I can't grow a tomato to save my life. I've tried it several times and none of my plants have ever produced a single tomato and this bothers me. I gave it another shot this year and bought two heirloom tomato plants. Both bloomed, but never set fruit. You would think with honeybees on the place, I would have tomatoes running out my ears. Go figure.  I'll keep trying, though, because I love a good sliced tomato with just about anything and I'd love to can some spaghetti sauce and salsa with my own homegrown, vine-ripened goodness.

And now it's my turn to pass on this award. These are two blogs that I follow on a regular basis and they provide me with endless inspiration. Thank you ladies!!!

Cindy
Jenna

Dreaming Of A Farm

2010-08-23T06:46:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about Alpacas a lot lately. I can just see a small herd of them on my own land in the country. And what Texas ranch would be complete without some bluebonnets. A slice of heaven!

Polyphemus Moth

2010-08-15T17:10:00.001-05:00

It was opening night of a new exhibit in an art gallery downtown McKinney last night. A couple of my friends had pieces in the exhibit so Jess, Carter and I went to check it out. As we were about to go inside, Carter spotted this Polyphemus moth hanging out on the door facing. What a beauty! I've never seen such a huge moth. It's wingspan was close to 6 inches so it should have been easy to spot, but this photo is deceiving. Thanks to flash photography, the moth really stands out - but it was dark outside and the backdrop was pitch black so the moth was hard to see in person.

Polyphemus moths are interesting creatures. They only live a few days in the adult stage because they don't eat. In fact, they don't even have mouth parts as an adult. Their only job as an adult is to mate. Can you see the large feather looking antennae on this moth? This is a male and those large antennae can pick up the scent of a female for miles away. During the day, they rest and hide from predators in trees and shrubs. The underside of their wings look like dead leaves so it's perfect for blending in. When they are active at night, the spots on the back of their wings mimic owl eyes, which scares predators who try to eat them. It was a lovely omen - a precursor to a wonderful evening!

Texas Land Snail

2010-08-05T07:08:00.000-05:00

I love snails.

Insect Wing

2010-08-02T21:50:00.000-05:00

I heard some Cardinals making a lot of noise outside my front window this evening so I peeked out the window to see what was going on. Sitting on my sidewalk was a juvenile Cardinal begging for food from it's mother. Mom was plucking insects from my front garden and happily feeding her youngster. I tried to get a picture, but scared them away. I found this insect wing on the sidewalk where they were just a moment before. Isn't it beautiful? I have no idea what kind of insect it's from. It looks a lot like a dragonfly wing, but it's way too small to be from a dragonfly (it's only 1.25 inches). I tried to research it tonight and have ruled out damselfly, wasp, hornet and cicada. It's too colorful for a bee wing. Anyone else have an idea? Whatever it's from....it's beautiful in color and texture.

Dragonflies

2010-08-02T18:31:00.002-05:00

Early in the morning of my visit, I saw this female Checkered Setwing Dragonfly who had claimed her perch on my car antennae.

Later in the day, a male Checkered Setwing posed for me. This sexes of this dragonfly species are very similar except for the head - males are red and females are brown.

This last one is a male Slaty Skimmer. Dragonflies are everywhere at Jess & Carter's place. I tried several times to get pics of all the different varieties, but they only teased me. Whenever I was sure one was going to sit still long enough for me a get a good picture, it would fly away. Only these three allowed me to take their picture. Oh well. I guess it wouldn't be near as much fun to get these pictures if it was easy....would it? Now I have a good excuse to get out there and try again. Darn the luck! ;-)

Bird Sanctuary

2010-08-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

Jess has the most wonderful bird sanctuary. Carter built her a tiny cottage, tucked away in a stand of trees and just big enough to store bird seed and watch the birds that come to the feeders from the windows. After filling the feeders, we sat inside and waited for the birds to show up. We didn't have to wait long because they had been watching from the canopy as Jess put out fresh seed. This male Cardinal was the first to check out the feeders. He flew from branch to branch, making sure it was safe.

A Chickadee was the first to go to the feeders (just as Jess predicted) but it didn't take long for the female Cardinal to get some sunflower seeds after her mate had given her the "all clear" signal.

It was soon clear to us why the male had been so careful in making sure everything was safe - a juvenile Cardinal - probably their young - flew to the limb right next to the window where we sat watching. It was very curious and kept studying us. How funny it looked - all gangly with dull red feathers and a brownish beak.

A male Painted Bunting hung out at the feeders, too. What a rare treat to see one so close. I thought this picture was cute with the Cardinal and Painted Bunting looking at each other.

A Perfect Weekend

2010-08-01T18:52:00.001-05:00

I visited my very good friends, Jess & Carter this weekend. A much needed visit full of fun, nature, and catching up. I drove out there Friday night after work and, since it's been a couple of months since we've seen each other, we had a LOT of catching up to do. Jess and I sat out under the stars that night - telling each other about our summer nature adventures and discussing art techniques. While we chatted, we watched a meteor shower - one shooting star after another - with some of them so big and bright in the black sky that it seemed we could reach out and touch them! I spent the night in their guest house and when I woke early the next morning, this was the view that greeted me. A perfect transition from the beautiful night sky we had just witnessed to the amazing day we were about to experience......

The Swarm

2010-07-25T11:53:00.003-05:00

The Swarm

Encaustic and Oil Paints

18" x 18"

I worked in my studio all day yesterday...and into the late night. My inspiration was the tree bark I rediscovered in my stash of goodies I picked up in Arkansas. I wanted to recreate the colors, shapes and textures in a painting so I set to work. Here's the thing about working with wax....it's uncontrollable. It will do unexpected, yet wonderful things. That's one of the things that I love about it the most because I just let it takes me wherever it wants to go. When I first started working with wax, I tried to control it and make it do what I wanted. It's possible to do this, but my finished pieces looked very forced. When I decided to listen to the wax and let it tell me what it wanted to be, then my work started to become a little more "free".

So yesterday, I started out trying to duplicate the tree bark. I had no idea where the wax was going to lead me, but I wanted it to go in that direction. I had pretty good luck in creating the textures I was going for, but when it came time to apply the paint, I couldn't get it right. At one point I was semi-happy with the results but then I started tweaking it (putsy is what my Aunt Daisy calls it) and pretty soon it looked awful. By this time, I was about 8 hours into the painting and I needed to walk away from it. I couldn't leave it alone for long, though. It needed to be purged from my being...like giving birth. An hour later I went back into the studio and started to remove the ruined layer of paint. As I was doing this, I saw something emerging and I listened to what the wax was telling me. I left some of the "ruined" layer on and picked up my Shiva oil stick - Burnt Sienna - and began to go over the surface of the texture. Soon, a swarm of bees appeared on the canvas. It's not what I started out to paint....but I love the unexpected turn it took and am very happy with the end result. Painting is like that sometimes. Come to think of it....so is life.

Tree Bark

2010-07-24T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm working in my studio today - pulling out ideas that I've had tucked away in the back of my head for a while. One of the ideas involves using tree bark in a painting. I picked up this bark while I was in Arkansas last month. Some squirrels actually showed it to me. My mom and I were enjoying the early morning breezes while swinging on the front porch swing of the little log cabin we were staying in. We heard some squirrels playing in the tall pine trees just a few feet from us and, as I watched them run up and down the trees chasing each other, I noticed the bark was coming off and falling to the ground. I went over to the trees to get a closer look and saw that the bark came off in paper thin sheets...and in very interesting shapes. I immediately thought of using them in a painting and gathered up a bag full to take home.

Fast forward to today. I finally pulled out the tree bark and was sorting through it when I came across these two pieces. It looks like regular tree bark on one side, but when I turned it over I got a beautiful surprise. Just look at the colors and patterns. It took my breath away! The colors, shapes and textures all come together to create something unique, indeed. This, alone, has flooded me with inspiration.

Clematis pitcheri

2010-07-22T22:18:00.001-05:00

This native Texas wildflower, Clematis pitcheri, was blooming at Connemara Meadow last weekend. I couldn't resist taking a little "artistic license" to alter the color palette on this delicate beauty and add a quote from Monet, who was equally obsessed with capturing the essense of natural beauty in his art.

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

2010-07-21T22:16:00.001-05:00

This is a male Pearl Crescent Butterfly that landed on a bit of grass in front of me as I walked down a path. Males and females of this species are very simliar, however, the lower portion of the male's bottom wings, where the "cresents" (or half moons) appear, are very dark and are nearly invisible, whereas the female's crescents will be clearly visible and white. These butterflies are quite small with a wingspan of only 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Pearl Crescents are some of the most common butterflies - their range is across most of the United States - so you've probably seen one, but they are so small that it's difficult to see the detail. Check out that iridescent green patch on it's back....so beautiful! And take a close look at the antennae - it's striped! Simply amazing!!

Spider Lily

2010-07-18T18:27:00.001-05:00

I just noticed that the spider lily growing next to my picket fence is blooming. This plant came from my grandmother's garden. She loved walking around her yard and admiring all the heirloom plants she had growing there. When Mamaw could no longer live by herself and it was time to sell her house, my mother collected many specimens of the plants in her garden and this was one of them. My grandmother passed away in July 2001 and a few months later, in October, I purchased my first house. The next spring, my mother brought me a start of this plant, along with some others, so that I could start "Mamaw's Garden". The scientific name for this plant is Crinum pendunculatum. It normally is found growing near ponds and blooms in the spring, around April or May. However, my plant blooms every July.....a beautiful reminder of a very sweet lady.

Morning Messenger

2010-07-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

At 7:30 am this morning I was at Connemara Meadow to volunteer at a guided nature walk. Arriving before anyone else, I set up the registration table and got ready to greet the visitors that would soon arrive. Just as I was finishing up, I heard a shrill call above me. This Red Shouldered Hawk was watching me while I worked and clearly wanted to make its presence known. We studied each other for a moment and I couldn't help but feel that it was trying to tell me something.

It turned to see the first car arriving with visitors for the nature walk, then quickly flew away. Hawks are spirit messengers and I wonder what message this hawk was trying to convey to me.

Valley House Gallery

2010-07-11T15:28:00.002-05:00

I visited an art gallery and sculpture garden in Dallas yesterday. It's a wonderful surprise located on a busy street in Dallas - a magical place that is tucked behind trees and you would miss it altogether if you weren't looking for it. Once inside, the noise of the traffic disappears and you're transported to a place of peace and beauty. The art gallery is one of three mid-century modern buildings on the grounds. Leading up to the gallery is a veranda postioned under huge shade trees with wonderful sculptures that serve as an appetizer for the magnificent feast that your eyes will behold. Art and nature have been combined in this haven in such a way as I have not experienced in quite a while....if ever. This juvenile Praying Mantis was perched on the back of a chair just before I entered the gallery. It, too, was admiring the art this summer morning.

I'm envious of these figures whose home is under the dappled shade of a great old tree. I especially connected with the one in the foreground. Oh, how I wanted to sit beside it in the carpet of green grass and let the sun warm my face, too!

I love this piece. It is in a shady spot, just a few feet away from a dragonfly pond. Looking at it brought calmness to my spirit. There she lay, naked and exposed...yet she was not ashamed. Curled up in peaceful slumbers, the coolness of the stone felt good to her flesh on this hot, humid summer day. If you live anywhere close to Dallas, I encourage you to visit. This is a place of rest. Here, you can breathe and restore your soul.

A Parting Gift

2010-07-08T21:31:00.002-05:00

A pair of American Kestrels have claimed a territory at the building where I work. My first encounter with one of them happened a month ago when a coworker came in from the parking lot and told me there was a bird sitting on the sidewalk and not moving. Remembering the last time this happened (see my Woodpecker Medicine post) I ran outside to see what kind of bird it was. I was amazed to find an American Kestrel! It turned to look at me as I approached it and spoke a warning to keep my distance. I did, of course, knowing it was in the falcon family and could tear into my hand with it's sharp beak and claws if I tried to touch it. I watched it for a minute, in complete awe to see such a magnificent bird so close. I'm sure it flew into one of the very large windows on the side of the building and was stunned. It only took a few minutes for it to clear it's head and off it flew.

Kestrels enjoy a diet of large bugs - dragonflies, grasshoppers and beetles....and a small bird or mouse from time to time. They picked the perfect hunting grounds. Behind the building is a large pond with an abundance of dragonflies and the june bugs flock to the lights in the parking lot at night. There are lots of trees landscaping the grounds so a large variety of birds are attracted to the area. The building is four stories tall and has ornate decorations near the top - the perfect height to serve as lookout perches. In the weeks since I saw that Kestrel on the sidewalk, I have enjoyed watching them fly with calculated precision to catch a dragonfly in mid-air or skillfully pluck a june bug off the parking lot. They call to each other with a loud shrill that is easy to recognize. I always stop and look for them when I hear it.

Sadly, my company decided to move my department to a branch in another city a few miles down the road. Yesterday was my last day at this location and I was a little sad to leave knowing I wouldn't be able to see them anymore. However, my sadness turned to joy when my Kestrel friends left me a parting gift - a flight feather. I found it laying on the sidewalk near the place where I first saw the Kestrel a few weeks ago. I'll always keep it and remember their grace and beauty.

New Music Find

2010-07-06T23:05:00.001-05:00

Excellent music for thinking, creating, or escaping

View From The Top

2010-07-04T10:44:00.003-05:00

It was only 3 weeks ago that I woke up to this view from a mountaintop. Below us, a thick layer of clouds covered the valley making it look like snow blanketed the earth. Above us, wispy clouds allowed the morning sun to herald the coming day. And there I stood - between the two layers of clouds - marveling at the breathtaking scene before me.

The wind was playing in the gold and crimson tresses of these delicate flowers growing on the side of the mountain. My great grandmother grew up in the shadow of the very mountain I stood on this summer morning. How many times did she admire the very things I was marveling at this morning? I wonder.....

A Magical Evening

2010-06-28T21:12:00.001-05:00

It's raining here this evening - a good soaking rain. I turned off everything in the house and I'm just listening to the drops of rain fall outside. The little Mourning Dove is asleep on it's perch - all puffed out and cozy - and it's making the tiniest little squeaks. If I had music playing or the television on, I would have missed it altogether. Oh, what magic to listen to a wild dove while it slumbers peacefully on a rainy summer night here in Texas!

Tail Feathers

2010-06-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

See that little white feather poking out of it's hind end? Two weeks after it's encounter with my neighbor's dogs and my little rescued Mourning Dove has some tail feathers coming in. That was fast! I thought it would take a few months before they came in - with it's next molt - but it's not molting. I guess nature makes adjustments when creatures meet with mishaps. It doesn't take long for feathers to fully emerge once they are visible so I'll probably be able to release it this week.

I'm relieved that I'll be able to release it so soon. I've been afraid that my taking care of it would imprint it or make it used to humans - even though I've been careful to not have too much contact with it. Also, it's been getting antsy in that cage. I can't blame it. If I had wings, I'd want to fly, too. I've been keeping it outside when I'm home so that if it has a mate, they can still talk to each other. Doves mate for life and I wouldn't want either one to think that they had lost each other. Stay tuned for the release.....

The View From Inside

2010-06-21T21:19:00.001-05:00

Another snapshot from my recent trip to Arkansas. I was inside this giant rock formation - almost a cave. Thousands of years ago, Native Americans dwelled in this place and painted figures on the walls inside. The view from inside looking out was amazing! I felt like such a small creature in this big world....and to stand in the same place where ancient people lived was such a spiritual experience.

Blackberry Lily

2010-06-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have one lone Blackberry Lily in my garden that is blooming right now. Bless its heart....it's blooming in the middle of a drought and a heatwave....so it's a hardy little plant. It's called a Blackberry Lily because once the bloom is spent and it goes to seed, the seeds look exactly like small blackberries. Interesting because most lilies reproduce with tubers underground. So far this plant has not actually produced more plants. I'm not sure if birds eat the seeds or if the soil is so poor and dry that the seeds don't have a chance to sprout. Maybe this year I'll try collecting the seeds and planting them in fertile soil to see if I can grow some more.

A Quiet Place

2010-06-18T07:51:00.001-05:00

I just returned from a short trip to Arkansas where I saw the most amazing views. I arrived at my destination late in the afternoon and immediately hiked a trail. I'm so glad I did because the afternoon light creeping in between rock formations created such beautiful scenes!

The sun's rays peeked through a hole in between these rocks. The light was soft and quiet, creating a sense of peace...... and it refreshed my soul to see such rugged beauty.

Rescued Mourning Dove

2010-06-12T21:21:00.003-05:00

My neighbor just brought me a Mourning Dove that she rescued from her dogs. The poor thing lost its tail feathers and is pretty traumatized. I have it in a safe, clean cage with water and dove seed to help it recuperate from its terrible ordeal. I think it may be a juvenile because it's smaller than a full size dove, but it has all it's feathers. With their pretty coos and sweet demeanor, doves are my favorite birds. How blessed I've been today to rescue a butterfly and a dove!

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

2010-06-12T18:02:00.004-05:00

On my way to check on my bees this morning, I passed this butterfly lying in the road. I turned around to pick it up, excited at the chance to examine this beautiful creature up close. To my surprise, it was still alive. I'm not sure why it couldn't fly because it's wings were in good shape (except for one missing "tail"). Perhaps a bird had tried to eat it and maimed it in the process. In any event, I'm glad I stopped to pick it up because it was fluttering around on the blacktop road in 90 degree heat with cars zooming past. Poor thing. At least I could offer it a place to die in peace.

This is a male Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Butterfly wings are composed of millions of tiny scales that create the color. When I picked it up, it's wings felt like velvet and some of the scales came off on my fingers, leaving smears of yellow and charcoal gray. You can see the individual scales in this close up picture.

The light shining through it's wings is breath taking! You did not die in vain little friend, for your beauty brought me much happiness in your final hours.

A Walk In The Meadow

2010-06-06T12:43:00.001-05:00

I went bird watching at a local meadow this morning. It was hot and humid. So much that the birds just stayed in the trees so I didn't get any pictures of birds, but I got some great pictures of other things. This dragonfly landed on a low tree branch so I was able to get really close. Just look at the detail in those wings! What a beauty!

Milkweed is the food of choice for Monarch butterflies and this meadow has an abundance of it. This chrysalis was about a foot away from several clumps of milkweed. I've never seen a butterfly chrysalis in nature and this one was very low to the ground - just attached by a thread to a stalk of grass. Amazing!

This is Horsemint or it's also called Bee Balm. It was the most colorful thing blooming in the meadow this morning.

Queen Anne's Lace forms little bird nests as it dies and goes to seed. Simply beautiful.

A Favorite Artist

2010-06-04T20:54:00.001-05:00

I bought a miniature painting from a fellow Esty artist a few months ago. A tiny little treasure that measures just 2.75 inches square. It's called "Caravan" and is now at home sitting on a shelf next to my little bird in a cage and a robin's egg that I found this spring. I see it whenever I pass down the hall and it makes me smile. Maybe it's the diminutive size. Maybe it's the earthy colors and free flowing strokes in the piece. Maybe it's the knowledge that it's painted by a fellow piscean artist who longs to leave the dull corporate world and live in her studio....just like myself. Whatever the reason, it's admired daily.

Amanda has a blog and she is giving away one of her charming creations. For a chance to win, just go to her blog and leave a comment on today's post. You can see her post here. She has a wonderful way of painting a picture with words so be sure to read other posts. Also, take a look at her art on Etsy. You just might find something to make you smile! :)

Willow the Woodland Fairy

2010-05-31T21:39:00.001-05:00

I created "Willow" while in an art workshop earlier this year. I picked out this wood panel that had a knot hole in it and immediately saw her face. We had been given this beautiful rice paper to work with and I envisioned it would be her dress. The workshop participants had this amazing bin full of goodies that we could use and that's where I found the wonderful handcrafted paper that I turned into the bodice for her dress. Her arms and hands are made out of waxed string. When the workshop was over, I brought her home and wasn't really sure how I would finish her. She just didn't look complete by herself on that wood panel.

It took a few months of thinking about it, but I finally made a larger painting to mount her on. She just looked like she would be happy in a tree. I envision her sipping tea out of acorn caps and making dresses out of flower petals on warm summer nights so she can dance in the moonlight.

Bottled Up

2010-05-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

Three gallons of honey bottled up and ready for sale. So beautiful in the diamond cut canning jars!

Honey Harvest 2010

2010-05-29T15:50:00.002-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been two months since my last post. I guess that's a testament to how busy I've been lately. I finished up my Texas Master Naturalist classes last month and have been turned loose to help preserve the natural resources here in Texas. My first volunteer job was a couple of weeks ago. I helped out with a habitat walk at Connemara Meadow in Plano. It's a wonderful pocket of natural goodness hidden away in the city of Plano.

Last weekend, I moved a bee hive from my house out to my beeyard in the country. It was getting pretty big and I was afraid it might swarm (although it's a little late for that to happen) because the bees were hanging around outside of the hive. The temps haven't been too high lately and that hive was in the shade so there was no reason to see a few hundred bees clinging to the outside of the hive. It was extremely heavy when I moved it so I knew it was full of honey. After installing it in the beeyard I opened it up and took a peek inside. Sure enough it was full....nearly all 10 frames were full and capped off.

Today, I got up bright and early to prepare the honey harvest equipment. I washed and scrubbed everything down really well then headed out to the beeyard. I use a product that smells like almonds to stink the bees out of the hive and leave the frames. Bees don't like the smell of almonds, I guess.....because they all got out of there fast! Those girls weren't too happy about me taking their honey, either!! One particularly ticked off honeybee stung me on my bottom lip to let me know how she felt about it. :)

Back at the house, I began to harvest the golden goodness. The frame in the picture above was interesting. Check out the crazy honeycomb pattern the bees made to store honey. When it was all said and done I got 3 gallons of honey from that one hive. Way to go girls!!! The best part is, that it's early enough in the year that they'll have plenty of time to make more honey to store for winter.

Hope

2010-03-28T15:12:00.001-05:00

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.....

This is Woodstock and Violet, my Diamond Doves. I couldn't resist taking this picture when I saw them cuddling together, perched on this teacup....an image of a sweet, kind love.

Spring Snow

2010-03-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

Just when I thought spring was here, Old Man Winter gave us a surprise visit last night. All last week the temperatures have been in the 70's, everything is in bloom, and everywhere you looked spring was here to stay. So when it started snowing last night about 9 pm, I thought it would just be a few flurries and certainly didn't expect anything to stick. When I looked out my window this morning, I saw a thick blanket of snow covering everything. Even though I'm looking forward to warmer temperatures, I couldn't help but be grateful that I had the opportunity to visit the park and take some pictures....this being Sunday and all.

The robins have already arrived in North Texas....an indication of spring. It's funny to see them hopping around in the snow!

This little goldfinch was taking a break from playing in the snow.

The Cardinals were busy looking for worms.

This Robin found a fat worm!

Spring Comes Quietly

2010-03-06T13:42:00.000-06:00

Spring is creeping into North Texas....finally! The warm sunny days this past week have been a dead give away, but the signs have been visible for the past couple of weeks. Spring likes to quietly tip-toe in. She transforms bare branches in hushed tones and asks her children to keep the secret until she is ready to put on a showy display for all the world to admire. It's her gift to the world...a reassurance that the cold winds of winter are banished once again and a promise of sunshine and warm, gentle breezes.

There is a Japonica (or Flowering Quince) in a neighbor's yard down the street that has been blooming for the past week. Japonica's are the first to bloom every spring - red-orange blooms on bare branches - spectacular! Most people don't notice them, however, because they are an heirloom shrub that you hardly ever see anymore except in old neighborhoods....but my bees have noticed them! They are busy gathering up the first morsels of pollen from this early bloomer. Here's a picture of one my girls loaded down with pollen from that Japonica down the street. The pollen is red-orange (the same color as the blossoms). It's so cool how nature is quietly working behind the scenes....getting ready for the big show....and if you look closely, you can see the transformation taking place, too.

Playing With Beeswax

2010-02-28T18:09:00.002-06:00

I've been working in my studio a lot lately. The winter has been long, cold and wet here in North Texas. Not fit for many outdoor activities. So I've been creating my own natural oasis on canvas. I've been trying out some fun new techniques in wax. This piece is called "Water Dance" - encaustic on an 8x10 canvas substrate. I used alcohol inks on the wax and love the effects! I can envision all kinds of possibilities with this technique.

Homestead New Year

2010-01-01T14:38:00.001-06:00

There's a southern tradition that dictates you must eat black eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's Day. Black eyed peas are for good luck and cabbage is for prosperity. Normally I open up a can of black eyed peas and another of sauerkraut. However, this year I decided to make it all from scratch (well as scratch as I can pull off without a farm yet). I bought raw, frozen peas and salt pork and cooked them the old-fashioned way in a heavy pot I inherited from my Mamaw. She always used it to cook purple hull peas. While the peas were simmering, the old familiar smells of Mamaw's kitchen filled my own kitchen. It was like going back in time. For the first time, I made biscuits from scratch. I've been researching recipes and decided to go with the one on the bag of Martha White flour (an old southern standby). To my amazement, the biscuits turned out great! They were incredibly easy to make and the recipe made enough that I'll have biscuits for days. For desert, had another biscuit with honey from my own hives. Not bad for a greenhorn homesteader. Not bad at all. I think Mamaw would be proud!

I hope y'all have a happy and prosperous 2010. Get out there and try something new. Reach beyond your comfort zone and take a step towards your dream!

She Held It Down

2009-12-31T17:58:00.000-06:00

I've been making plans. Big plans. Plans for making the transistion from city girl to living off the land. I have to stop spinning my wheels and getting nowhere fast in the rat race to getting back to the earth. But how does one person transform her small house in the city into a mini farmstead.....and eventually move to a self-sustaining farm? Standing here at the beginning of the path, the task seems a little daunting. It'll take a lot of small changes - all strung together - to get to my destination. It'll take gumption and hard work. It'll take a stubborn woman to shoot down all the nay sayers along the way.

I ran across this picture while researching homesteads and it, along with the caption, speaks volumes. This is a woman with some sass. I imagine she can hold down whatever is thrown her way. She's a tough old gal that you wouldn't want to mess with. Life is full of twists and turns. Sometimes it doesn't turn out the way you thought it would, but that's no reason why you can't fulfill your dreams. Be bold, my sisters and brothers. Your future is in your hands. Grab life by the horns and wrestle it to the ground - then hold it down until it gives you what you want.

A Time To Reflect

2009-12-25T11:52:00.001-06:00

I've been so busy making Christmas presents over the past month that I haven't had time to post anything new. There's something about keeping my hands busy that allows me to think - really do some introspection and assess what's going on in my life. I usually make a few homemade gifts at Christmas, but this year I decided to make everything that I gave. That simple decision had an effect on me that I didn't anticipate. Working with my hands - seeing a something evolve from start to finish - gives me tremendous amounts of joy. I've lost that joy over the past few years chasing something that I thought would bring me happiness, but in the end has only whittled away little chunks of it. Funny how it happens so slowly that you don't even notice it until one day you wake up and wonder why you're feeling empty all the time.

The universe has been dropping hints lately - whispering in my ear - urging me to get back on the path of contentment. I've had a dream for years now to run my own small-scale self-sustaining farm. Been putting it off for one reason or another, but mostly because I didn't think I could handle it on my own. This past summer, a friend turned me onto Cold Antler Farm. This chick is amazing (and my own personal hero, I might add). If this 20 something gal can make her dream of owning a farm and living a simple life come true, then by golly so can I!

One day, in the not so distant future, I'll have my own chicken coop like the one pictured above. There will be sheep in my pasture, chickens feasting on grasshoppers and blades of grass in my yard, honeybees buzzing in my garden, a big, friendly dog watching over the place.....and I'll be sitting on the porch of my log cabin working at some handicraft...just taking it all in. In the meantime, I'm going to begin that journey here at my own house. There's no sense in waiting until "someday" to make that dream come true. Homesteading can take place in the city just as easy as in the country. If you're tired of spinning your wheels in the rat race, then feel free to join me. Jenna - this is all your fault! :)

To Everything There Is A Season

2009-11-22T14:37:00.005-06:00

This morning was quiet and cool. A perfect time to take a drive out the bee yard. On my way back, the sun shining through these leaves caught my eye. The radiance of the colors against the backdrop of bare tree limbs was breathtaking.

The sunshine also exposed the magnificent details - the tiny veins, the multiple colors. Simply stunning! As the weather turns cooler and the seasons slowly cycle from one to another, it's a small reminder that my life is constantly changing.

To every thing there is a season,
a time to every purpose under heaven.

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Autumn Leaves

2009-11-15T20:11:00.001-06:00

I took a drive in the country today to check on my bees and give them some yummy treats - pollen patties and sugar syrup. The wet fall here in North Texas has kept my girls indoors too long and they have depleted their stores of pollen and honey. To ensure they make it through the winter, I'm supplementing their reserves.

While I was meandering through the tree-lined road, I couldn't help but notice flashes of red, gold, and orange. The brilliance of the colors enticed me to stop and collect a few specimens. It's not often that we are able to enjoy the changing colors in this area. Cooler temperatures are necessary to produce the magnificent displays and our hot, dry summers usually turn the leaves brown long before the trees can show off their fall colors. The rain that caused my bees to retreat indoors and eat up their winter rations also gave the trees the refreshing water they needed to put on a beautiful show this autumn. It's funny how nature works that way - taking away from one and giving to another. So this year I'll take pleasure in this gift of color.... and I'm sure a few of these leaves will find their way into some of my beeswax projects.

Gifts from the Garden

2009-11-09T02:02:00.002-06:00

I'm getting ready for the holidays by making some beeswax tealight holders to sell at local craft shows. The tealight holder is made of pure beeswax and is decorated with rose petals picked from my garden.

Here is what it looks like with a tealight burning inside. It sort of glows like a pumpkin - giving a soft, romantic light.

The weather has been magnificent this past week - clear skies and warm sunshine - and my roses have put on a show this fall! I decided to pick a few and bring them inside to enjoy. My bees have helped to pollinate these roses, so how fitting to use their petals to adorn a handmade craft using wax that my bees produced. Bees and flowers....a true gift from the garden!

A Beekeeper's Legacy

2009-11-08T18:50:00.001-06:00

I've been busy working on a new painting lately - a donation to the Texas Beekeepers Association who will hold their annual convention next weekend in Tyler, TX. It will be in an auction to raise money that will be used for honeybee research/promotion/education - a cause near and dear to my heart!

This piece was painted using beeswax - a method called "encaustic". An explanation of encaustic can be found here. The "canvas" is a used bee hive cover. What a thrill to paint this piece - using products of the hive to help honeybees and beekeepers!

Here is a close up picture of the quote. This painting is titled "A Beekeeper's Legacy". The quote is from Jonathan Swift's essay "The Battle of the Books" written in 1704, which reads "We have chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest of things, which are sweetness and light". Can there be any greater good than to give the world sweetness and light?

A Love Like That

2009-10-30T21:18:00.015-05:00

Love and Bees. Enough said.

A Final Farewell To Summer Splendor

2009-10-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

As predicted, the rain has persisted this week and I am wishing for summer days once again....days filled with sun kissed blossoms. Over the past weekend this rosebush in my yard was in full bloom. It seemed that it wanted only to put on a display of it's finest adornments to bid a final farewell to summer before it retired for a winter nap.

This little visitor was behind the petals of a rose. I'd never seen an insect like this before. It was spotted like a ladybug, but that's where the similarities ended. I watched it for a while to see what drew it to the roses. Was it nectar or pollen? No, it scampered around the petals. Perhaps it was, like me, enjoying a late burst of color before winter winds sweep over North Texas and force the stems to shed their frail garments.

Nearby, a small grasshopper munched happily on the delicately scented petals. How amazing to peek closer at these petite roses and see tiny creatures hiding within the folds! I'm thankful for a last look back at summer. Oh, sacrament of summer days.....oh, last communion in the haze!

Here Comes The Sun

2009-10-27T19:31:00.001-05:00

The sun shone bright and beautiful today. It was a welcome sight....a respite after the storm clouds rolled away this morning. Fall this year has been especially wet with very few clear days. The forecast for the rest of the week is more rain so I was anxious to get outside and soak up the sunshine while I could on my lunch hour. The day was warm and the sky was a brilliant blue. It was one of those days where you roll down your window, play your favorite song and sing along....and that's exactly what I did. My choice of music this afternoon was "One" - the version with Mary J. Blige and U2. I was in a state of carefree joy when I pulled into the parking lot behind my office.....and that's when I spotted this happy little tree. It seemed to have gobbled up all the sunshine it could....so much sunshine that it just spilled out onto the leaves! What a magnificent image to have enblazened in my memory to sustain me through the rest of the workday.

The Road Not Taken

2009-10-25T16:23:00.004-05:00

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence;

Two roads diverges in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

I visited the nature preserve near my house early this Sunday morning while it was still quiet....before cyclists and people with dogs would spoil the tranquility. I don't mind sharing the preserve with others. It's just that sometimes I like to pretend that I'm lost in a wilderness instead of being stuck in the middle of the city....and it's hard to pretend when people are whizzing by you on bicycles or dogs are chasing squirrels and rabbits.

This morning was overcast and chilly. The trees had been shedding their summer tresses and leaves carpeted the path. Once I was just a few feet into the woods, the everyday world melted away and I felt like an intruder in this sanctuary. Blue Jays called from the branches that seemed to be woven together in a canopy overhead. Nearby, I heard an owl asking "Who?". "It is me", I answered, "a visitor who only wants to admire your home."

As I trod quietly down the trail, Robert Frost's poem kept running through my mind. Yes, I had taken the road less traveled this morning.....and it did, indeed, make all the difference.

Woodpecker Medicine

2009-10-23T23:25:00.007-05:00

I'm sorry that I forgot my camera when I left the house to go to work this morning, for Spirit gave me a most wondrous and unexpected gift as I was leaving the office to go to lunch this afternoon. Right outside the door, sitting on a concrete patio right in my path was a female Ladderback Woodpecker (this isn't the actual bird, but rather a picture of what she looked like). She was sitting so still that I walked past her. Then doing a double take, I squatted down to take a closer look. She just sat there and studied me, cocking her head as I spoke to her. I wondered if she was injured or sick and decided that I should try to place her in the grass near a tree where she would be out of the path of feet that might step on her. I reached out my hand and she was unafraid. Closer and ever so gently, I reached out and stroked her back. Still she sat there and peered at me. Just as I was about to pick her up, she opened her eyes wide, then fluttered up to the railing near the sidewalk. She sat there for a few moments longer, then flew to a nearby Crape Myrtle and began searching for bugs as she pecked the trunk of the tree.

She wasn't sick or injured, but rather Spirit wanted me to learn lessons from woodpecker. I have been going through some changes in my life....doing some introspection and working on my own personal metamorphosis, so to speak.

The wisdom of woodpecker includes:
Ability to find hidden layers
Understand rhythms, cycles, patterns
Pecks away at deception until the truth is revealed

Their flight patterns are unique. Woodpeckers fly up, coast down then fly upwards again. Those with this totem often find that their path in life will not always conform to society's standards and that their personal unique rhythm needs to be honored. Woodpeckers teach us to honor our personal truth and move through life with perseverance and inner strength. By staying grounded in our pursuits our goals can be obtained.

The woodpecker is able to find food hidden under layers of bark and wood and teaches us to dig deeply to find truth and deceptions. Woodpecker energy is associated with prophecy and the ability to see deeper than surface lies.

Woodpecker speaks of not being hard-headed because they are able to use their beak to peck at trees. Woodpecker is telling us that even if something seems difficult to do, not to give up. To do what works, even if it is unconventional. To set your own pace, your own rhythm.

The woodpecker is known as the Earth's drummer. Drumming is the heartbeat of mother earth and is associated with shamanism and the ability to move into other dimensions at will. For those with this totem the woodpecker represents self discovery. As they peck into and through trees and dead wood, hidden layers of ones psyche are revealed.

Thank you, Spirit, for giving me woodpecker medicine and revealing her wisdom to me.

Storms A Brewing

2009-10-06T19:52:00.003-05:00

The fall weather has ushered in cool rains the past few days. It's hard to find inspiration in these dreary days, but on my way home from work I saw these storm clouds over a pasture and it was breathtaking. The immensity of the clouds made the sky look huge....and made me feel so small in comparison. While I was standing there watching the storm approaching, I saw a Red Tail Hawk gliding effortlessly on the wind. I imagined that she, too, was admiring the unexpected beauty.....and I wished that I had wings so that I could join her.

Nature - The Gentlest Mother

2009-10-03T22:37:00.003-05:00

Autumn is settling over North Texas, bringing with her shorter days, soaking rains, and cooler temperatures. Mother Nature starts putting her children to bed this time of year and I feel like joining them. I start thinking of comfort food (chicken and dumplings, biscuits and gravy....you get the idea) and taking long winter naps. Thinking of naps, I was reminded of this poem by Emily Dickinson, one of my favorite poets....so I thought I'd share it with you.

Nature, the gentlest mother,

Impatient of no child,

The febblest or the waywardest,

Her admonition mild.

In forest and the hill,

By traveller is heard,

Restraining rampant squirrel,

Or too impetuous bird.

How fair her conversation,

A summer afternoon,--

Her household, her assembly;

And when the sun goes down

Her voice among the aisles,

Incites the timid prayer

Of the minutest cricket,

The most unworthy flower.

When all the children sleep

She turns as long away

As will suffice to light her lamps;

Then, bending from the sky

With infinite affection

And infiniter care,

Her golden finger on her lip,

Wills silence everywhere.

A Day at the Park

2009-10-02T18:15:00.002-05:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week so I decided to visit a park near my office this week on my lunch hour. It's situated in an urban setting, but there is a small pond that is surrounded by willow trees and is home to several bullfrogs that croak loud and deep. The summer heat kept me away from this restful place for a few months so I was anxious to see what gems awaited. I wasn't disappointed.

On the banks of the pond was a fountain of yellow blossoms.....Goldenrod. I had to take a closer look and as I approached this golden bounty I was excited to see honeybees! There were close to a hundred honeybees working the tiny flowers, harvesting the pollen.

Fall is here and soon the flowers will be gone so the bees were busy gathering pollen, which is the food of choice for baby bees - the developing larvae. It was a treat to have a front row seat at this small miracle of nature. I watched as the bees reached into each flower with her front legs, then mixed the microscopic grains with enzymes in her mouth, and finally deposited this protein rich delicacy in pollen baskets on her back legs.

The yellow flowers against the backdrop of the bright blue sky was spectacular!

This Gray Hairtail butterfly was feasting upon the nectar. What a yummy fall treat!

Witnessing this pagentry was bittersweet for these bees will die in a few days from sheer exhaustion of flying back and forth to the hive with such heavy loads. They literally work themselves to death in order to ensure that their little sisters - the next generation - will have enough food to sustain the hive through the winter.

Spending time with these feral bees made me miss my own hives so I trekked out to my beeyard after work and discovered this cunning garden spider had constructed her web directly in front of one of the hives. The bees had a hard time flying in or out of the hive without getting caught. You can see she's dining on a honeybee in this picture. I had my gloves off while taking this pic and hoped to get more shots, but the bees didn't like me standing in front of the hive and a couple of them stung my hands. I guess I would be grumpy, too, if a big old spider was sitting outside my house and gobbling up my sisters. After putting on my gloves, I got a stick and removed her to the ground and destroyed her web. Sorry old girl. You've had enough....time to move on. :)

New Beginnings

2009-10-02T17:22:00.001-05:00

Friends have been telling me that I need to write a book based on my writings and photos about nature. A book seems like a daunting task.....too time consuming and too much thought into it. I'm more of a "spur of the moment" kind of person. When something catches my attention and inspires me, I have to pour out the moment immediately....then let it fly away on a breeze so that perhaps someone else may enjoy it. A book would bog me down too much....but a blog, on the other hand, is spontaneous.

I work in the corporate world by day.....but in my free time I'm an artist, beekeeper, and naturalist. I look to nature and all it's beauty which influences my art. Plants, birds, animals, trees, water - they all speak to me and I give them a voice in my art. I seek out time in natural surroundings - camping in the woods, walking in a nature preserve, driving in the country. I often go to a park near my office during my lunch hour to soak up the sun and rest my eyes by looking at a pond and watching the birds catch dragonflies.

I hope you'll enjoy my little stories as much as I will enjoy sharing them with you. :)