Année du Lapin

My sweet cousin Jenni fell in love with a Frenchman, married him last November, and now lives in Paris.  She sent me some stamps. These are pretty fancy. This is a sheet that you can frame and it is sealed in plastic. These are for The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit (lapin). Click on the photo to make it bigger if you want to get a better look.

Self Portrait

This is one of Elisha's final projects for her art class last quarter. It's self portrait-mixed media-meaning use lots of different materials to make a portrait of yourself. This is her at the beach. She used a couple different types of paper, sand, some fuzzy stuff and dried flowers.  She is very creative but has decided she doesn't want to do art on a daily basis as a job (kind of like me and photography) so she is changing to Environmental Science -following in the footsteps of her dad and me.

I'm Hungry...

...said the swamp darner larva before eating the ferry shrimp*.

*Note-the ferry shrimp (a fresh water version of the popular 1970's novelty the Sea Monkey) in this video is about 1 cm long.

Spring Picnic

It was so sunny today but the outside temperature was brutal and the wind was blowing!  Around noon we decided it was just too sunny to stay inside so we bundled up, packed a lunch and headed to Darby Creek. Andrew needed to check a stand of trees he had planted and I wanted to do some photography.  Signs of spring were everywhere and of particular interest were the snow trillium and the hepatica flowers.  We got in a pretty good hike too and once we got moving the cold wasn't as bothersome. We ate on creekside (the water was ice cold) and then made our way home. Hope you enjoy the photos we took along the way...

All that glitters is not gold...

swelled terminal bud of a buckeye tree

relaxing on the beach

snow trillium

hepatica also called liverwort

 

coyote track

Recommended Read

Here's a good one if you like autobiographical romance stories: The Pioneer Woman. From High Heels to Tractor Wheels.  In this book she tells the story of meeting her husband to be whom she has affectionately dubbed "Marlboro Man" (and he doesn't even smoke-he's just a hot cowboy dude). The author, you've probably heard of her-Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman, is maybe the most famous female blogger in America at this moment.  The book is entertaining and funny and she certainly has the knack for taking the ordinary and turning it into the extraordinary in a way that leaves you wanting more. They seem like likable folks too-the kind you wouldn't mind having as your neighbor.  She has a cookbook out; I'll probably have to get it.

Mac & Cheese

Forget everything you know about mac & cheese.  This decadent mac & cheese is nothing like the yellow cheesy noodles you ate as a kid and it's a definite crowd pleaser. I know because I was at a party once where it was served and have been a fan ever since.  Made with guyere cheese and two kinds of mushrooms, this rich mac and cheese, served with a simple salad makes a fantastic supper on a cold night (like tonight). Andrew and Elisha love it!  Here's the recipe. Hope you try it and enjoy!

Change is Good!

Our bedroom has needed to be cleaned and repainted for some time now; a project I was totally dreading.  I picked up a new bedspread earlier this week and have been agonizing over paint colors since then-finally choosing "North Beach" after consulting with my stepdaughter.  We picked it because we liked the name.  Anyway this evening Andrew and I went to the hardware store for the paint and started the overhaul at 6 pm. For some reason we both got a second wind after seeing The Lincoln Lawyer movie, which was awesome by the way, and picking Daisy up from her annual checkup at the vet after which she stayed to day to get her teeth cleaned. But I digress-we moved the furniture out, vacuumed, washed walls and taped up the room and then I blocked while he rolled. Took us an entire hour and a half and we had everything moved back in a mere fours hours later. I bought some of that low odor paint and you can't even smell it in the house.  I can't post a before picture because the room was so hideous that even I can't believe we didn't do something about it before now but here is it is now. Careful bargain shopping allowed me to complete this entire project for around $125.

Not Far Off

Even though it is spring according to the calendar it sure didn't feel like it for most of the day and the weather forecast for the upcoming week is pretty dismal.  But look how green the grass is in this photo taken this evening! 

 Enjoying the evening sunset

Red Flat Bark Beetle

This red flat bark beetle is a predacious beetle that feeds on other bark boring insects.  This one was found under the bark of a dead white oak at a nearby park. I love the color!

Spring Fever

I took last Friday off work. It's spring break and the students are, for the most part, gone.  Andrew had a hankering for a perch sandwich so off we went with Daisy in tow. We ended up in Huron and stopped in to visit Andrew's grandpa in the nursing home.  He was happy to see us and gifted me with a pink iridescent Fenton cat.  Said he was tired of looking at it. We collected the rest of the family (MIL, FIL, SIL, BIL, nephew) and headed to Vermillion to Salvatores for dinner.  I had eggplant Parmesan and two margaritas and it was superb! We got up early Saturday morning and Andrew and his dad and I went for a hike.  The bluebirds were out in numbers. They were a sight for sore eyes after this long a-- winter we have had. Mid morning I went over to Great Lakes Fibers which is owned by Andrew's sister. She gave me a fawn and a chocolate alpaca fleece. Daisy got to meet Amy's new dog Draille, a two year old adopted Pyrenean Shepard. While we were up north we visited the Huron Lighthouse, now sans ice, but still a cold walk to get there. We talked our nephew into going out onto the lighhouse even though he said the steep drop to the water is creepy. I've spent the past two days skirting and washing fleece.  They are probably both competition worthy as the are both top quality and have no vegetable matter in them.  The fawn will be blended with red and chocolate agouti Satin Angora and the chocolate will be blended with black French and Satin Angora 60/40 and sent to the mill to be spun into yarn. I also have a beautiful BLF fleece that I washed and skirted last fall prior to finding out that I am allergic to sheep wool. It will be blended with white and black French Angora 60/40 and hopefully I will get a gray yarn. It will make beautiful hats.  Oh and the perch sandwich that started it all? Andrew got perch and I got walleye. It was fabulous! We all had lunch on Saturday at the New Sandusky Fish Company which is where we were headed to begin with.  It was worth the trip as always. :-) On warm days you can sit at the picnic table and watch boats out on Lake Erie.

Male bluebird perching in the sun

 Draille-isn't she beautiful?

 Fawn alpaca

 Chocolate alpaca

 Blue Faced Leicester

 Andrew, James and me on the lighthouse platform

 James walking on the rocks with uncle supervising

 New Sandusky Fish Co.

And a yummy walleye sandwich

Paddy O Bunny

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  I found this card at the Scott Antique market, held monthly in Columbus, and since it is unusual to see a rabbit representing SPD I couldn't resist this circa 1950's bit of holiday history.  Wear some green today so you don't get pinched and have a good one!

 

card front

card inside

It Really Is True!

Ever doubted the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes? I have been a naysayer for years. Not anymore. My aunt Ginnie won $229. Here she is with her check! So it's not a million. I won't sniff at any money anyone wants to give me.

Wood Frogs 2011

Last year the wood frogs were doin' their thing on March 12th. It was warmer this year and today they were at it again. This afternoon we actually sat quietly in the vernal pool and after a period of time they decided we weren't out to get them and they swam in all around us and vocalized and mated. Their calls, which sound like a quack, were amazing. Be sure to view the short video at the end of this post, that Andrew filmed, so you can hear the sound we heard; it went on for hours.

Wood frog in hand

There were dozens frogs in the vernal pool

A short video of a wood frog "quacking".

New Kid in Town

This morning I spotted a small eastern cottontail in the yard near the rabbitry. Tonight he/she was hanging out with Zorro. The newcomer is in the foreground of the photo below of the two of them. Zorro was content to accept a dinner handout from me. The newbie hung around on the fringe of the bushes cautiously observing. At this point we aren't sure Zorro is he. Seems that the female would be the one with a designated territory and the male would be a transient visitor. This will be year 6 or 7 for Pip. The average lifespan of a cottontail in the wild is 1 year due to predation. We haven't seen her yet this spring.

Special Delivery

My wonderful friend Jane, who I've been internet pals with for eons, but have never met in person, sent me a note today. It has beautiful embossed Year of the Rabbit (Rabbit Lievre) stamps on it! The United States issued a stamp that has a kumquat on it for year of the rabbit. Now that makes sense....I'm holding my breath that someone sends me one of those.

Vintage Primitive Doll

My grandma made this doll for my dad's cousin Judy in the early 1940's. Judy was only 6 weeks old. It is completely hand sewn and aside from some darkening of the fabric it is in very good condition. The stitching is perfect. I am happy that it was recently entrusted to me by my great aunt.

Piled High!

I accomplished a lot this winter in regard to using up my yarn stash. All that remains are a few random odds and ends (that will likely be made into hats) and some cream angora/BFL skeins that I am saving for a big project. I have spun roving this winter until my hands have ached. Just when I thought I had everything under control I discovered that somehow another pile of fiber had accumulated since summer (and it is just random combings). This is in addition to the 3 pounds of prime that are going out to the mill soon. I have learned my lesson though and this time around I am having the stuff that I send to the mill spun. The pile you see below I plan to spin this week. It's suppose to rain so what the heck right?

Schleich Lop

A couple years ago I purchased the Schleich rabbit hutch toy set. In my opinion Schleich makes some of the highest quality toys in existence today. I was at TRU with my nephew a few weeks ago and found a newly released lop rabbit and of course at a whopping $2.98 I had to have it. Very cute don't you think? It looks like our rescued lop Duke who is about 10 years old this year. In May they are releasing another hutch playset with two more new rabbits!!

Duke

Duke in 2003

Vintage Muffy

Great Aunt Thelma who lives in Arizona and who is 84 and spry as a green willow sent me a surprise in the mail. She is finally moving from her house to a retirement community and is dispersing her possessions. This lovely doll which belonged to Thelma's daughter and my Dad's cousin Judy, who died of cancer in the 90's, is now a part of my doll collection and I am just thrilled to have it. Judy was Dad's favorite cousin and she was one of the nicest people I have ever known. She was also very pretty and I have a vivid memory of her visiting us at our house in the 70's. Anyway-this is a basic blond Muffy doll. She came naked in the box (which is still in good condition) with just her pink underwear (in the photo with the clothes). The outfits and accessories were purchased separately. The outfit she is wearing is an Alexanderkins outfit. That was probably a generic outfit that fit Muffy, Ginny and other dolls of that size made by Madame Alexander doll company in the 40's. The green outfit isn't tagged. The roller skates and red socks might have come together. Someone may have made the hat. It's not tagged. My Grandma H (sister of Judy's dad) gave the doll to Judy for St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6th) one year. Grandma must have really liked these dolls. In my "stuff" I have a couple of brochures like the one that was in the box (below) showing other available Alexander dolls. I have decided that I must have gotten my affinity for dolls from her.

Muffy - not a bad looking gal for being 60!

Clothing - the tiny roller skates and knit cap are so cute.

Advertising brochure

"Pee-eww"

Our resident skunk, whom we've fondly named Petunia, has been active this past week; probably due to the milder weather. We can smell her early in the morning and now know the route she travels. Andrew got an opportunity to follow her tracks and get photos thanks to the fresh snow that lingered from Friday to Saturday.