Sharing

Bumblebee and lightning bug sharing the wealth of pollen available from a sunflower. (Photo taken the end of August.)

Scribble Picnic–Ladybug

Fly away home to this page of Scribble Picnic to link to ladybugs who are sure to be more creative and interesting than this one. She's not too exciting, just munching away on some aphids on a stem, but at least she's definitely a ladybug!

Scribble Picnic–Fox

     I didn't like missing last week's Scribble Picnic, but life was zipping along at too fast of a pace to fit it in. Think I would have preferred doing last week's jar, but at any rate, here's my attempt for adding to this week's "skulk", "leash", "earth", "lead", "troop", or "charm" of foxes!  I'll try to take a look at everyone's jars too when I visit your foxes!

     Now that you've had your first impression, I'm wondering what you think it looks like this fox is doing.  Personally, I'm seeing it as something other than I first intended.
     Have a good week full of God's blessings!

Scribble Picnic–Ladder

I keep thinking I'll get something posted between Scribble Picnic Wednesdays, then here it is time again to finish up a new sketch and get it posted. So, before I do that, here's a follow-up on the previous post. You'll be glad to know that it appears that "Little Bunny Foo Foo" has repented of his bad behavior and has been given another chance at being a good hare. I caught him hanging out in our yard this evening, looking quite contrite among our dandelions. (Oh dear, but those do need some serious attention!) No field mice in any apparent danger!

On to the picnic, where we've been thinking about ladders. My first thought was about a "ladder of life," but no, none of us know how tall or short that ladder would be. Maybe a ladder that goes on and on and on...., kind of like the never-ending to-do list that most of us have, but no, too depressing and how would I show that? Or maybe a crazy one that goes up, then over, then slants up, then..., but no, a bit too complicated. Ladders, hmmm... I've certainly been on my fair share of them. Sometimes to change lightbulbs, sometimes to try to clean accumulated grunge from ceilings, many times to hang wallpaper or borders, and numerous times to paint walls and ceilings! So here you have it. A rendition of the trusty folding stepladder, ready to hold a bucket of paint and a painter to add some color to that plain, white wall!

To view more ladders climb on over HERE!

D–is for Draw This

     Once upon a time (at least 2007-2012, but I don't know for sure when it began) there was a blog entitled "Draw This". It was a place where a few people who had an interest in art could share their artistic endeavors, whether painting or drawing or crafting or photography.  "Sticky", "animal", "sharp", "insect", and "bumpy" are just a few of the weekly topics posted by the moderator and left open to interpretation by the artists.

     I'm pretty sure that "insect" was the first topic I posted under.  I shared a photo I took of a baby praying mantis, one of dozens and dozens that had hatched out from our pasture-cut Christmas tree one year, after being in our warm living room for the season!

     I finally got up the nerve to post a pencil drawing.

     That whale, and many of the subsequent drawings, were rather coloring book style with their dark outlines and one-tone, if any, shading.  I kept trying, though, and in 2009 I took a drawing class, which helped quite a bit if I do say so!  I never got it posted on the "Draw This" blog, but here's one of the drawings I did for that class.

     Sadly, interest and time to keep up dwindled, so that eventually no one was posting, and finally the entire blog was removed.

     But, in addition to encouraging me to keep working at my hobby, another good thing about that blog was the connections from it.  I feel like I would know Wanda, Priscilla, Rachel and "New York Martha" if I saw them on the street, just from keeping up with their own blogs.  I only wish a few more (Oregon, Minnesota) had kept their blogs going.

     Time will tell if I ever get back to drawing on my own.  Here's hoping!

Meow!

Thought I would feature our indoor cats, Ching and K.C., since  I heard that today is National Cat Day. They are twelve and thirteen years old, with distinct habits and personalities.

K.C. is shy and soft-spoken. She has learned to "High five!" with me.  Almost every morning I find a toy she has brought from another room and left in or near my shoe as a present.

 

Ching is our socialite, curious if we have visitors, very vocal (as would be expected being Siamese), notices right away if something new shows up, and loves to jump up to our shoulders and snuggle.

It wouldn't be the same without them around!

Look Close!

If you watch closely on My First YouTube Video, keeping focused toward the top of the screen at the front of the boat, you'll see the dolphins that were having fun racing with our day cruise catamaran for awhile (while we were visiting Alaska last summer.) It's very short, so if you don't see the dolphins the first time through, just replay!

Alaskan Wildlife, Part 2

These are some of my favorites of the wildlife we saw on our trip to Alaska last summer.

-Tufted Puffin-

: )

 -contemplative Sea Otter-

In Seward there were rabbits of all colors hopping around the residential area.  I happened to see this greedy one.  Or, maybe he was just really hungry. Or, maybe he was headed somewhere to share!

I never dreamed I'd have the opportunity to see whales in my life! I don't remember for certain, but I think this was a beluga.

-Moose!-
They are quite common in Alaska, with signs all along the roads advising caution and to be alert for them along the roads. This family actually lives in Benny's sister's neighborhood. She said the twins were two years old, and would stay with their mother one more year.  But, they were something I had really, really hoped to see while we were there, so I was sure grateful that they made an appearance right toward the end of our visit!

"All things bright and beautiful, 
All creatures great and small, 
All things wise and wonderful, 
The Lord God made them all."

Alaskan Wildlife

On our first day in Alaska (last summer), this eagle and a gorgeous blue sky welcomed us.

 -A lone Harbor Seal swimming up the Kenai Bay-

I named him Murphy!

Murphy stopped to smile for the camera!

-Some of the birds on Gull Island-

I think these are mostly Common Murres and some Pelagic Cormorants off to the right, but do you see the two Tufted Puffins?

 

 Papa Eagle watches over his family (that was in another tree) at Homer.

This was a cute squirrel, but he was really a thief after the contents of Laura's bird feeder!

 

-Steller Sea Lions slipping and sliding, and soaking up some sun in (I think) Resurrection Bay-

Seeing these animals and birds was great, but in part 2 of Alaska Wildlife, I'll show the ones that were my favorites!

Chirp, Chirp! #1--Singing Sunshine

Caught this oriole swaying on a branch outside my kitchen window early one May.  Love its color!

November Notes

Sadly, though not unexpected, the middle of November brought the day of a longtime friend's funeral. That horrid cancer cut her life short, but it was a life full of love for the Lord and for her family. We were roommates my senior year in college.
Louise, 1978

B. and I took some time to go to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge.
On the way there, we crossed the bridge on the left to get from Kansas to Missouri, but it won't be used a lot longer, as a new one is being built. The railroad bridge on the right is still in use.

Those big brown blobs are muskrat mounds, which some of the birds apparently like to sit on.

These deer know they're safe here, even this close to the road.

I thought these reflections were neat.

It was good to have everyone home around Thanksgiving.
K and T fixing something yummy!

Some of the relatives enjoying dessert at B's sister's house.

Our dear Pastor C loves to travel, so in early November she planned a "mystery tour," which one other lady and I joined her for. I'll post about that next time!

: ) ?

God's Creatures--Chipmunk

This is my favorite photo from our Colorado trip.

This little guy was sitting perfectly still along the road on our way down from Pike's Peak. We drove past him, stopped, I got out of the car, approached with camera and took a couple of shots, and STILL he didn't move. Obviously, he didn't want to stop the feast he was having, but finally he decided I was just a little too close and disappeared into the berry-laden bush that was supplying his snack. I hope he came back out to finish what I interrupted!