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

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

Those Crazy Victorians!!

Did ya ever wonder just how nutty crazy those Victorians might have REALLY been? Many say they were not...but in researching family history...like I have been doing lately with my own ...I am beginning to think that those seemingly peaceful, relaxed normal appearing individuals that called themselves our relations might have been a little more 'Round the bend' than many originally thought. I am now thinking that more than a few might have had this wickedly kooky side to them that if given half the chance could have proved that many today pale in comparison to those delightful Wackies of the 1890's ...Gosh I hope so!!! It is wonderful to think they were closeted goof balls with outlandish notions ... stuffy on the outside yet true unabashed Wacky Doodles on the inside looking for a way out!!!...and that many did find the door to escape through.

Isn't it fun to think that a few in the old Victorian Bloodline of our Family Ties could have resided quite well in the 'Sunnyside Rest Home for the Incurably Nervous' (in other words their Nuts 'O' Meter is at full tilt)... "I'm not Crazy...I'm Gifted!!!"

Now I am sure these relations were actually nuts (well, maybe...a few of mine were) ... but to live in a time where these things were NOT normal ...by a long shot... and to still push forward with those interesting thoughts and deeds...would have most certainly been seen as a "Get the Cod Liver Oil and Mustard Packs Henry...she acting out again" event!

I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have that all in you..I guess you could call it 'forward thinking'.... but to continually have to push it down deep inside....WOW!!! Heavy stuff.

I look at pictures of my family from that period... and they to me always look like they might be hiding something ... (like where they hid the family jewels perhaps... yeah right!!) So it is always fun to imagine all kinds of stuff about them...then do some digging to see how close I am ....often not, but I am continually surprised at what I do find out about my bloodline... see, this is what happens when you can't sleep!! Toooooooo much thinking...

Lets see...in my family there were Millers,Writers, Spongers, Painters, Gamblers, Doctors, smugglers,Teachers, Barbers, Musicians ,Travelers and Pirates (yes...a Pirate)!! Now I am pretty sure there are others I am not familiar with hiding out high in the Family Tree with interesting occupations but I have yet to climb that high. I guess my whole point is what a wonderful time we live in ...the 'Here and Now' of life... where we can wave our little freak flags as high and fast as we wish with few even taking a second look... Never holding back...never closeted or restricted. But so many of those Vivacious Victorians who might have been inwardly screaming to run amuck ...did not...could not! Think how different our times would be today if more had!

I tip my hat to all those who went before us .... Those that wanted to paint with vibrant colors, wear purple under ware and drink beer from a bottle, make cookies in the nude at 2:00 am , flip off a boss or travel great distances for no particular reason.... Thank Goodness the 'Desire Gene' is passed down through the generations...

So Paint that Painting, Make those cookies and 'flip' whomever you wish .... future generations are counting on you...don't disappoint!

Jodi (waving her flag high)!!!

It's Official.... 100!!!!

It is the small things in life that curl my toes and make me say WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!..... and hitting 100 is one of those things. 99 was my 'almost' thrill...now 100 is hitting the mark!

If I had a Great Big Cake ....I would pass each of my friends in Blog Land a slice...and wash it down with a little 'bubbly' ... so lets pretend...OK!

I know I know...this all seems so silly ... but it really means a lot to me..if I was not afraid of 'throwing something out'...I would do a back flip!

So I will just be content to go back to my work table... finish working on Lupin ... and smile ear to ear till it hurts... I am sure I will resemble The Joker by days end...

Hugs Hugs Hugs to all

Jodi

P.S. Thank You Leo Furtado for being the 100th....

WOW.....99!!!!!!!

OK....this is VERY exciting to me.... officially this morning...I have 99 Followers of my blog!! 99...can you believe it....seems like only yesterday that I was asking my friend Debbie from Tiny Treasures "So what the heck is this 'Followers Thing' and how does one go about getting started with it"?? I never in my wildest dreams (and I have some doozies) did I dream I would ever have this many people joining the Crazy Train called the Creager Studios Blog!! What...are you all INSANE!!!! KIDDING...... I love each and everyone of you ...you mean the world to me and it is YOU who keep me moving forward with this wacky Blog...
You inspire me, you enchant me, you help fill my daily life with interesting tales of wondrous things from near and far.... You are all my motivational team of friends that make Blogging a true Joy in my Life. It was Chris from Designs by CK that really gave me the cyber 'push' to start this journey...thank you Chris!

Now you may say 99...why the heck are you celebrating 99 and not 100!! Well ...first off...I celebrate each of the numbers and 100 will have it's 'WOOO-HOOOS' ... but 99 seems the cusp of a landmark number ...the, 'just before the biggie' number guy ...and I have always been one to celebrate the 'Almosts' in life ...the sit on the edge and wait for it...wait for it...(you should see me at 11:59 on New Years Eve) ...there is always the Almosts in life... and right now it's ...number 99!!

Thank You One and All.....

for being my Blog Buddies and sharing your friendship with me.

Jodi