Woodland Finds

Whatever could have caused this?

This is a solid rock with deep crevices in it, 

perhaps carved from water runoff over the years?

My husband and granddaughter say 

dinosaur print!

I think it's Big Foot !

Crazily enough, Google Earth used to report Big Foot sightings

and someone reported one right in our valley.

Personally, I think it was our hairy construction worker friend

scratching his back on a tree in the dark. LOL

Then, what's this?

A opossum paw print, perfectly made in the moss? 

What a shaggy tree-

one of our many shag bark hickory trees.

I wonder why the bark does this?

How about this tree root with rocks wedged inside.

Beautiful patterns.

Last but not least --

I really want to know what these two plants are.

It grows everywhere, even though snow,

so I am wondering if it would be a potential food source?

Any guesses?

The things you can find during a walk in the woods!

Woodland Cats

We took advantage between freezes,

Mother Nature's little hint of Spring

with a sunny Saturday-

just before the midnight icing.

I found some time to take a walk 

around the property to see what there was to see.

I spied some catnip, still growing beneath the rosebush.

Somebody was very happy about it!

See the little green leaf by Gimp's ear?

Gimps got her name when, as a kitten, she fell off the woodpile

and was gimpy for a few days.

It sort of stuck.

Spot came along for the walk.

He's the tough guy- loves the females but you'd better not be a tomcat!

Our other male keeps his distance.

Lizzie sleeping in her potato bin in the garage.

Rumbles wondering why I am taking a photo of her.

Specks

Currently, we have

1. Lizzie- Grey tabby.  Deaf and lives in the garage, hates other cats, loves people.
2. Rumbles- lives in a woodpile, gentle and tortoise shell colored.
3. Gimps- sweet, scared of everyone but me. Lives in the garage with Lizzie but keeps her distance.
4. Spot- black and white, thinks he is my baby but aggressive towards male cats
5. Specks- short for specter.  She is tortoise shell, loves people, drools on you when she's happy
6. Sugar Bear- male, tabby.  Loves my husband and I.  Husband can never remember the cat's name.  No photo, he doesn't care to have his picture taken.

None of them are inside cats.  After 30 years we are cat free indoors and it's helped my husband's migraines.  I can't have any more in the house but desperately want a kitty condo (I call it a cat house but get strange looks from people).  I want to try making one from pallets, but I need help with the tools--if some nice husband will help me make one!

Please?

Main Blog:

Moving On To The Past

Linking to Feline Friday

A Wild Turkey Sort of Day

It was a wild turkey sort of day.

No, not that Wild Turkey, the birds!

I sort of scared the little guys

as you can see from the flapping wings.

They mill about, 

hanging out with the chickens

and hoping to get a bit of grain here and there.

I've gotten pretty good at calling them

using a Baak, Baak noise, very clipped

almost like a pop.

I don't know if they think I'm a turkey,

or a chicken but either way

they seem interested.

Our chicks think it's ok too,

gives them something to look at.

We have two groups that visit:

One is all male, all gobblers.

The other group of about 13 or so is a mix.

They have a particular path.

They start over at the neighbor's place

walk across the street and down by the garden

then circle round the back of our house

and up to the chicks.

Then they either continue on through the brush piles

or wander downhill scratching around in the leaves.

Then, in Spring,

when a young turkey's fancy turns to love,

the guys go into a beautiful full display, 

dancing and strutting around the gals, 

gobbling here and there.

I hope to get some photos to share later in the year.

BOM Progress

This was copied from my 

Moving on to the Past blog

which is probably where it should be 

since it's quilt related- however- now it's on both.

Block of the Month- Amish with a Twist

using fabric from Marcus Brothers 

designed by Judie Rothermel.

This week it will be block 9 and maybe 10

depending on how my quilt shop structures it.

( quilt photo credit on Sew Susie Q site link.)

You pay for the pattern up front

then each month you get the fabric for that block free

and whichever installment of the pattern you are on

This one is broken down into several installments.

It's a basic quilt but I've never done a black quilt before.

Once we have completed the 12 main blocks 

you can choose to purchase the finishing kit

plus she is having an applique class for the border.

There will be an optional border if you don't like applique.

I'll see if I want to complete it or not when the time comes.

But for now, I'm just practicing blocks and meeting up with 

the quilters each month to see what everyone has made.

I see optional background fabrics on the Marcus Brothers BOM site 

that might be interesting plus an Amish with a Twist II

that is much more intricate.