Friday, May 8, 2009

Almost Forgot...







Debie Lyons of 'Piskies and Poppets' left a post about our quail eggs and how she raised them from time to time from eggs... and it got me to thinking (and I am ashamed to admit I almost forgot) to mention that back in 2004 while standing out in our driveway saying goodbye to my cousin...a tiny tiny little furry ball ran across the driveway...it actually looked the a furry tumbleweed the size of a walnut....had not a clue what it was. Then it came back to the edge of the driveway and stared at us...it was a baby quail...no older than an hour or two. With no parents in sight and the sun going down...this little creature...(who obviously was last to hatch...and the others moved on) was totally defenceless against what the night offered it.... so we gathered her up and made a comfortable place for her inside...complete with heated box and various gathered bugs. Our plan was to find a home the next morning for this little fellow...but over night between spelling one another in our all night vigil a bonding occurred ....between all 3 of us... So for the next week we cared for this little baby and loved every second of it. It seemed to really respond to us and our voices. We got little done over the next week...except watch this baby grow and gather bugs. When I finally called to see what else we were to feed the baby...we were promptly told that it is against the law to house a Wild Game Bird... and that we must turn it over to the Arizona Game and Fish Dept. of risk heavy fines and jail time.... WHAT!!!!! They even said if you don't..we will trace your call and come to your house... all of a sudden I felt like we were housing John Dillinger!! So sadly and reluctantly... we took our baby to the AZ G&F Dept... where they release into the wild after it has grown...sniff sniff....



So every quail I see ...I think it may be an offspring from our little Peep!






Just thought I would share....






Jodi






Thank You SOOOO Much!



I am so happy and proud to say that I have been gifted again with a couple of Blog Awards from friends...

Kate and John from Whittaker's Miniatures



Chris from Designs by CK



Wendie from WendiesMiniWorld



Three Lovely people (John I joined you at the hip with Kate... like Richard and I are joined...LOL...)



Please visit their Wonderful Blogs and enjoy.



My mantel continues to fill with these gifts from friends and I am always on a quest to find ways of making them all fit...it is a fun challenge.



Hugs to you ALL....



Jodi

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Been a Busy Busy Day









Been up since 4:00 am...(in the hot desert you try to get as much as you can done before the heat makes you melt into a small puddle...in my case not such a small puddle and it's shape resembles a rather large ass...but I digress)...
So after a pot of coffee Richard and I set to task of finishing off 'jobs around the house' that have been lingering for some time and driving us both a little nutso...
So he clean the pool, and pruned bushes....I brushed oil onto our wooden fence surrounding the pool. Then I repaired a lighting display that I made a few years back...by repair I mean striped and repainted and set up again, Richard went to the front yard to prune some more...and quickly...yet quietly called me to the front yard....and what he had to show me was amazing...there hiding behind our pond was a little nest filled to the brim with Quail eggs...seems he was spraying off the pond with the hose and scared her away (but not to worry she returned in about 5 minutes) just long enough for me to get the camera a pop a few photos...I do love eggs...and this one is exciting as it is the closest to our house yet... You can see them nestled deep in the bushes...all safe and sound...soon we will have a batch of brown fuzzy little 'walnuts' running about with Mom and Dad close by... the dad roosts in the palm tree right about her.... Just wanted to share more egg pics...told ya...I love em!
Then as the first light of the morning sun hit our patio cactus garden the blooms of our Noto Cactus opened up...all 5 of them at once...so of course I had to pop pics.... I must tell you...this is Not an altered picture...this is the true color of these blooms...they almost appear to glow from within..and almost pulses with vibrancy.
Each and every year this little Noto amazes us... and it did not disappoint this year...
Just wanted to share some more Arizona Desert Nature Stuff...
Dog tired now...off to bed for me.....
See you all tomorrow
Jodi


Newest Commission...Professor Remus Lupin




Happy Thursday Everyone. We at last finished our latest commission...Professor Remus Lupin from Harry Potter. He is another 1:12th scale miniature doll. Stand at just slightly under 6 inches as our collector needed him just a tad smaller so that she could place him in a series of 'Floo Network' Fireplaces that she had built...how cool is that!!
He is sculpted in polymer clay, has a complete wire armature, hand made leather briefcase and he holds Books for his next classes at Hogwarts where he will be teaching an extensive lesson on Grindylows.
Next up.... Belatrix LaStrange.
Have a Great Thursday
Jodi