PinFeathers

The importance of Pollination.

2012-01-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

Just a little info about pollination and how humans rely on it for food.
Pollination is important to our very existence. Without pollination, we haven't food. That means no beer or chocolate people! But seriously, we do need the pollinators to exist.
If you want to help mankind, you can plant flowers and plants to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and the best plants to accomplish this goal are nectar producing plants. There are many good resources on the internet that can provide you the information you need to know what kinds of plants to grow in your area.

Here are a few tips.

Your growing zone is key to determining what plants will grow well. BUT you also need to consider local soil type, growing conditions, etc. Visiting a local nursery will give you a good start on what grows well in your area. You can purchase plants there, or purchase seeds and grow your garden from scratch. This is what we plan on doing this Spring. We've moved to a new area, an old house but there's lots of room for gardening. We are considering container gardening as it seems easier :P

Now, what kinds of plants attract pollinators? Bees especially like legume plant blossoms like clover but will collect any pollen they can find. To attract bees, other plants to consider are, fireweed, monkshood (WARNING: this plant is poisonous), red clover, asters, goldenrod, foxglove, germander, Joe pye weed, sedum Autumn joy, oregano, thyme, globe-thistle, hyssop, lavender, chives, penstemons, rosemary, and of course, sunflowers.
Pollinators also included hummingbirds and butterflies, so don't forget those feeders. Yes, there is such a thing as a butterfly feeder! Go the extra step and hang houses for birds, bees, and butterflies too.

To attract butterflies, choose a variety of plants so that flowers are always blooming. If you only plant flowers that bloom at the same time, the butterflies will leave when those flowers die. Butterflies like color so remember that too.
Flowers that attract butterflies include, day lily, iris, lavender, Asters, Butterfly bush, Heliotrope, Cosmos, Clover, Zinnia. As you can see, many of the flowers that attract butterflies also attract bees. Remember to use lots of color.

Ever considered creating a nesting site for bees? Farmers do it. Some of the non-stinging bees, like the Mason bee are inhabitants of gardens that provide nesting sites. They need these sites in order to reproduce. Alfalfa farmers, for example, set up nesting sites for leaf-cutter bees because they are the main pollinators in their fields. Large orchards usually set up bee hives to pollinate their crops during the blooming season. If you are interested in setting up a nesting site, you can find a Mason bee lodge at our shop, or you can make one, they're easy. All you need is a block of wood and a drill. There are instructions online for the varying kinds of bee lodges and houses.

Now that you have your information on what kinds of flowers to plant and what kind of nesting area to create (if you choose to) you are ready to get out there and get the seeds you need before Spring arrives. If you aren't into seeding plants, visit your local nursery in the Spring to purchase budding plants.

Good luck! And remember, by feeding and sheltering the pollinators, you are helping to feed the world.

Please visit Pinfeathers.us for your birding, bee, and butterfly needs.

For Bat Lovers - Baby Bat Rescued

2011-12-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

The cutest little bat! this little guy was abandoned by his mother who was traumatized when a zoo she was living in closed and she had to be moved.

Because he's not being raised by his mother, the volunteers stroke his stomach with a cotton swab to simulate the feeling of a mother's tongue. And as you'll see in the video below, he's learned to suck milk through a small piece of foam.

Feeding Wintering Birds

2011-10-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Bird Feeding in Winter (with Recipes)

Attract the wintering birds to your yard by offering them suet nourishment during cold weather. Not only will you be doing a great service to birds, but you will learn from watching the birds that frequent your feeding area. Establishing a bird feeder that offers a diversity of food is the best choice. A suet cage or feeder is perfect for wintering birds. I know, suet? yuck! BUT, it is the best choice for birds. You can still offer the traditional sunflower seed mix which is a great source of food year round, but consider purchasing a suet feeder and suet...or make your own suet for the birds (see recipes at the bottom the this article).
Suets may contain berries, peanut butter, insects, fat, nuts, cormeal, oatmeal, flour and of course seeds of any combination - all packed into a cake, log, ball or bell. Suet mixes will even attract birds that normally only eat bugs. Nuthatches, woodpeckers, starlings and chickadees love suet mixes!
IF you choose a traditional feeder and seed alone, just be sure the feeder is weatherproof and can hang where it is safe from rain and snow.
This is a good tip for any kind of feeder, including a suet cage or basket.
It is also best to place food in a feeder which protects seed from bird droppings. As well, the birds should not be made vulnerable to predation or other hazards by careless placement of the bird feeder or suet feeder.
Did you know some kinds of leftovers or kitchen scraps can be given to birds? Breads, baked goods, fat - melt fat and add the dried bread or other baked goods to create your own suet ball or log. If you use PEANUTBUTTER, be sure to mix it with other fats and seeds to prevent CHOKING.
Have you thought about a heated birdbath in winter? birds will appreciate water to drink as well. Birds also use grit for digestion aid, so consider having dirt, sand, bits of salt or ground up eggshells near your bath. Please see the Suet Recipes at the bottom of this article.
Did you know that some species have actually changed their winter habits and range because of bird feeding? In the Pacific Northwest you may notice Robins sticking around all year. That's because of the abundance of food. As well, Evening Grosbeaks,Cardinals and other species have changed their wintering habits in areas around the United States and Canada.
Now, there are other issues to consider when feeding wintering birds. Squirrels, Cats, dogs and other animals that steal food or kill birds. Cats kill more birds than any predator but dogs can also be dangerous to birds so try not to place your feeder near where these animals frequent or where these animals can hide.
Be sure the feeders are close to natural hiding places for the birds but not other animals. Squirrel proof feeders that are set high on a feeding pole are a good choice.
Don't place your feeder too close to the windows as birds are known to fly into windows and kill or injure themselves. Keep checking the feeder and watching for issues. If you see a particular food or seed being ignored then you know not to keep including it.
When you establish a feeder (try keeping it in the same place so birds get used to travelling to it) you will get to know the birds that frequent your feeder. If you enjoy watching the birds, consider setting up a webcam or taking photographs of the birds to share with others.
Pinfeathers Bluebird Suet
Mix in a food processor or vigorously by hand:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup lard
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
Chopped raisins, currants, nuts, dried fruit, eggshell (fine)
(you can use any or all of these last ingredients)
Place in a pan and cool. this can be cut up and placed in a suet cage or feeder.
Pinfeathers Suet Feed
1 cup vegetable shortening or lard
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 cups regular unbleached or bleached flour
• 3 cups yellow cornmeal
You can add chopped nuts and fruits of your choice. Currants & raisins are popular.

Happy feeding!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6622195

Waxwings

2011-09-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

The waxwings seem to like the fragrance of the Black Walnut tree. The shade too, I'm sure. 

The tree does smell wonderful...like limes.  

I go out to it and rub my hands on the fruits and the leaves just to keep some of the fragrance with me indoors.  It is intoxicating. 

The waxwings plumage (adult) is so smooth it looks painted on, doesn't it? It's gorgeous.

If you've ever been able to see the Cedar or Bohemian waxwing up close you'll probably have noticed the red tips on some of the feathers where the shaft extends....these tips look like they have been dipped in wax, hence the name, Waxwing.

Now, we're off to photograph more flora and fauna.  

Have a wonderful September!

pics :)

2011-08-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a some images of our travels. See if you can make out where we landed : )

Hope your summers are filled with wonderfulness!

the beautiful sunset 2 nights ago

It's It's a finch :)

A Kingbird

Osprey nest on power pole at the side of the road. These nests are everywhere!

Gorgeous sunset.

Interesting affect while taking the pic directly into the sunlight. I like it :)

Do you know what these are? They smell like limes but they are not, nor are they a fruit.

Beautiful waxwing.

The winding road into town.....can you guess what State?

Website of Interest for Birders

2011-05-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

National Audubon Society
http://www.audubon.org/

Project Feeder Watch
http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/

American Birding Association
http://www.americanbirding.org/

American Bird Conservancy
http://www.abcbirds.org/

Partners In Flight
http://www.americanbirding.org/partpif.htm

Bird Watcher's Digest
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/

Top 10 Birding Websites (I've not checked all the links)
http://www.birding.com/bestwebsites.asp

Taking a Trip - Find a Birding Pal
http://www.birdingpal.com/

Bird Watching in Florida
www.CrescentSilverSands.com

Bird Watching in Washington State
http://wa.audubon.org/birdwatch.htm

Electronic Resources on Ornithology
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/bird.html

All about Hummingbirds
http://www.hummingbirds.net/

American Bird Center
http://www.comexplore.net/americanbirdcenter.html

Bird Watching and Hiking in Italy
www.walkinginetruria.com

Beautiful dusk....

2011-05-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous day today.....like summer!

We were out at the Glacier and Auck bay yesterday. Lots of sea lions, a whale or two and plenty of birds, Eagles, dippers, thrush, robin, and sea birds.
Caught a shot or 3 of an American Dipper in the creek near the glacier. They are really comical because they do that dipping dance, non stop.

We have not been on much here as we are making a move and so are packing and such but just wanted to check in and say "hi" to everyone and post a few pics.
Have a wonderful May! So far, ours has been beautiful :0)

1-Sunset over the Chilcot or Chilkat Mountains. 2- A very large group of Scoters on the ocean (they are a sea duck) 3- American Dipper. 4- the highway to Juneau. 5- A Thrush.

JoMo is the winner :)

2011-04-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

JoMo is the winner of the Give A Way and I just wanted to add an extra note. If you haven't visited her website, please do, and check out her wonderful paintings!

It's awful with rain here today so I don't know if we'll get out to take some photo's.

Movie news....
"An American in Paris" is on TCM today. One of my daughters fave flicks.

Talk soon :0)
Bab

The winner.....

2011-04-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

JoMo will be getting the Bird House Kit, a special Book and some other snifty goody ;)

Thanks again for all the notes, mentions on twitter and such, and to the new followers. We truly appreciate your participation! There will be another Give A Way soon, so stay tuned :)

photos

2011-04-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

What are they?

Don't forget our Give A Way coming up. Be sure to follow us or mention us and let us know and you'll be entered to win!

The draw is coming up!

2011-04-17T05:03:00.000-07:00

We'll be doing the Give A Way draw soon. Thanks to those that have commented, mentioned us or followed! We appreciate it immensely. We've been busy packing for the move so have been neglectful of the blog....yes, I know....we're terrible! But, we managed to get out and about some, so took a few photo's...
Eagles and such.
Hope you enjoy!

A wee bit of the beautiful Chilkat Mtn Range. IT's too bad there was haze on the mountains. We're hoping the sky will be clear tomorrow so we can snap more pics.

We stopped by the an area where the car ferry takes passengers to Haines etc., and noticed a Bald eagle sitting on an old stump at the edge of the water. Didn't bother to move though we got pretty close. Strange....they always take off if you get too close.

Soon after, another bald eagle joined the first. He was young, as you can tell from his feathers and coloring.
 They apparently enjoyed bathing in the small pools of water near the shore.  My hubby realized after we had downloaded the pics that the first eagle didn't take off when we got too close because he was soaking wet! 

Have a wonderful Sunday...and don't forget about the Give A Way!

Don't forget

2011-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, don't forget to follow or mention our Give A Way and be entered to win the Bird House kit! No strings, no costs attached. Just become a follower or mention this in your blog or forum and send us a note. We will include other surprise gifts :)

We're moving....

2011-03-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

That's right! So, we won't be on regularly until after we move and the packing is finished and the internet is hooked up. We'll send you pics from our new location.

In the meantime, a couple of pics from last week.

(no, that's not our new home below ;P) It's a remnant of the Treadwell Gold Mine on Douglas Island.

He sat there forever! I waited for him to take flight so I could snap a photo of all his gorgeous plumage in flight ....
and I suspect if I go back there (a week later) he'll still be sitting there :P

Have a beautiful, happy weekend!

Bab

GIVE A WAY

2011-03-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

We've got a Give A Way for April!

this is a "build it" kit which comes with everything you need (except the hammer)
it also includes paints. You artists out there can go to town! We would love it if the winner sends us a pic of the finished product. Don't be afraid to use added embellishments or go crazy with your painted design :)

Become a follower and be entered to win! Just click on the follow link at the top of the page if you already have a google account. If you don't, you can scroll down and in the right hand column, use the follow link there. If you mention us in your blog, you get extra entries.
We lost some followers icons when we switched to the new design so make a comment if you don't see your icon and you'll be entered.
If you do mention us in your blog or on your website,be sure to let us know so we can give you extra entries :)

Don't worry, by becoming a follower, you won't be pestered in any way.
Good Luck!

How's the weather out there?

2011-03-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Did you enjoy the big moon lastnight? Do you think it has affected the tides or the weather? Saturday night's moon was the super "perigee moon" and the biggest in almost 20 years.
My hubby wasn't feeling too up to snuff, poor guy but for me, he ventured out to the Skaters Cabin area and snapped photo's of the moon with me. This is his photo. None of my photo's turned out - Learning a new camera and not too skilled with it yet!

We were hoping the moon shine would illuminate the mountains and glacier enough to get a really cool night pic and I should have read the camera's manual - I might have been prepared enough to get that type of picture. It really was beautiful (though cold)

"Tides are created because the Earth and the moon are attracted to each other, just like magnets are attracted to each other. The moon tries to pull at anything on the Earth to bring it closer. But, the Earth is able to hold onto everything except the water. Since the water is always moving, the Earth cannot hold onto it, and the moon is able to pull at it. Each day, there are two high tides and two low tides. The ocean is constantly moving from high tide to low tide, and then back to high tide. There is about 12 hours and 25 minutes between the two high tides."
from http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moontides/

More pics of the weekend....

The sea churned even more after this photo was taken.

Below, a photo of a Church amongst the trees, sitting on a cliff above the sea (previous photo) It's called the Shrine of St Therese and there are cabins along the shore - the Shrine offers a place of refuge and retreat. It's used a lot and is a tourist attraction because not only is the Church really cool architecture, the view from the cliff is incredible because of the constant action from the sea life below. Whales, sea lions, seals, eagles, ravens, songbirds, oystercatchers, and critters on the rocks, like marmots. Doesn't cost anything to hang around there. It's pretty much a wild area - the forest and beach offer long walks or hikes. It's usually windy there though.
Honestly, it doesn't matter if you are religious or an athiest - it's a beautiful place to visit and even stay for as little as 40 dollars a night if you're interested or needing a beautiful retreat/reflection place - that's not to say you can't laugh and have a great time there, but rocking-drinking parties? nope.

Etsy destroys buyers privacy - lawsuits coming?

2011-03-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

 ETSY, what have you done?

"During the rollout of its new People Search tool, Etsy — a site which encourages people to buy and sell handcrafted or vintage merchandise — made some changes to what private information is publicly displayed by default.

As a result, Etsy users' real names and shopping histories are now public, easily searchable via Etsy, and being indexed by search engines such as Google:

Even if users haven't entered their full names, their profiles are still searchable by username. Even better, people's Etsy profiles and their purchase histories (via the feedback they leave) are beginning to show up under Google results for their names. Even if the buyer didn't leave feedback, a seller could leave feedback for the buyer and still expose what that person purchased.

Etsy users were not notified or warned about these privacy setting changes, so we imagine that many are currently rushing to conduct some damage control and prevent scenarios such as the one described by a commenter on the Penny Arcade Forums:

I just found a woman who's [sic] Etsy profile comes up on Google as the 5th link. I was expecting 6 or 7 pages down, but it's on the very first page, right after her online resumes (four of 'em - so I guess she's looking for work and this cannot be helping). She signed up a year ago, under the old privacy policy, and hasn't logged in since 2010.

And now I know what (Personal pleasure device) she uses. Right down to the curvature and coloring. 

The way to prevent potential embarrassment or scenarios like that is to log into your Etsy account, head to your profile page and remove your real name. After that, find the "Your Account" link, click on "Settings" and make your purchase history private in the "Privacy" section."
(pulled from an article posted at etsy)

I smell lawsuits coming.... 

Old Album Covers.....

2011-03-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

Primeval sea monster?

2011-02-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

"Nothing puts a damper on a serene afternoon's kayaking like the sight of a primeval sea monster.

That was the rude lesson for Tom Pickles and Sarah Harrington.... who'd taken their watercraft out on the foggy waters of Lake Windermere, only to encounter what appeared to be "an enormous snake" swimming by."

I don't know. The pic could be of weird waves, or rocks sticking out of the water. We see weird looking wave action on the ocean all the time - well, like the time I went running up the big cliff to get my camera to take pics of the pod of orcas or dolphins - we weren't sure - there were lots of people on the beach and hubby and I were "oooing" and "aaahing" loudly. "Wow, what are they? ORCAS?!" "DOLPHINS!?

When I got back down the hill to the beach with the camera, my hubby had moved further away from the people and the direct line of site to the large fishies. I ran up to him all out of breath and asked why he moved and he said, "canaries"
huh?
ok, I'll explain.....
Canaries refers to the time, years ago (at our home in Colorado) when we first became very passionate about birds. Yep, bird watching! I know, sounds lame but honestly, once you get into chasing them down and photographing them, it's a lot of fun. anywhooo, back to the canary comment - well, one day, we heard the most beautiful bird song out in the front yard. We looked up and around and it seemed as though the sound was coming from up the culdesac a little ways so we went running in bare feet past all the neighbors houses, all excited, yaddering on about the beautiful bird song - "where's the bird?" "Sounds nothing like we've heard around here...oooo, something exotic?" we kept talking while we scanned the trees in every yard.

Meanwhile, a neighbor was moving about in his front yard doing some work - I noticed he'd looked at us funny a couple of times while we were scanning the trees - he eventually went back into his house. I didn't think anything of his funny looks until I saw the birds.
A cage of canaries sitting on the guys sidewalk, getting sunshine...

man, were our faces red....we ran back into our house and laughed until our sides hurt. So embarrassed!

so, ya....back to the beach....the orcas or dolphins were actually a group of large rocks sticking out of the ocean.

We're sure anyone who sees us now just takes pity on us, probably calls us the "mental couple"
At least they get a good laugh, right? laughter is the best medicine and we get plenty of that too.

Have a wonderful holiday Monday!

Animal tracks

2011-02-18T00:26:00.000-08:00

Hmmm....what animal do these tracks belong to?

I'll post the answer tomorrow : )

Remember, you can click on the image to see a larger view.

OK, so the only person that made a guess online, got it right! Jeanne, you're a smart one, they are Racoon tracks :)

My niece thought it was bear tracks and her friends thought they could be anything from possum or penguin tracks :P which is a joke I always get since there aren't any penguins in Alaska THOUGH there is a bird that looks much like a penguin.

The one that looks like a penguin - The thick Billed Murre.

Have a great week-end everyone!

Icebergs

2011-02-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Amazing striped icebergs! I've found out that these are older pics and not taken in Lake Michigan ;)

Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with melt water and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

When an iceberg falls into water, a layer of water can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe.

Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill.

Look what I found....so cute!

2011-02-12T01:29:00.000-08:00

I just love these miniature stoves. I may list a couple at the website if they last! If you're interested, convo me.

10% OFF

2011-02-09T04:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in Time Lapse photography. 10% Off the TimeLapse Project Cam! Just head on over HERE and check them out. The price is $81.00 plus shipping.

Quickly Shows Work on Projects

This timelapse camera is great for showing off all kinds of projects around the home, like painting rooms or building a deck. It's super for more ambitious projects such as restoring a classic car or boat, or putting up a fence. And it lets you keep the camera's unblinking eye on professional projects like building a house or erecting a building. The Timelapse ProjectCam is the only equipment you will need to develop a short time lapse video of any project.

Picture set

2011-02-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends - I haven't posted in a while but really wanted to! We've been busy plus I've gotten all turned around. Can't seem to get to sleep before the wee hours and then waking up late which is terrible!

I know some of you are suffering through horrid weather - Hugs to you, and stay warm! We've had a mixed bag of weather here. Rain, snow, sunshine, and the northern lights have been visible apparently but we've missed them.

Anywho, these are the latest pictures below. I really wanted to get out on that frozen lake but the ice just didn't look thick enough : P

That last photo deserves a warning, I guess. We went to the beach and soaked in what little sunshine we could. Here in Alaska, Vitamin D deficiency is a prob, but anyway, back to the last pic. Whatever it was laying there - what animal do you think it was? I think a sea lion or seal.
So, it died there, or perhaps the bones floated ashore? hmm...would a skeleton stay together long enough in the water to float ashore in one piece? My thoughts are that it was attacked by Orca's and left to die near the shore and floated in, but who knows? Taking a pic was prolly morbid in some eyes, but just about everything interests me so I snapped away.

Wishing you all warmth and sunshine.
Have a great week, everyone :)

Give A Way at PoetryDolls.blogspot . com

2011-01-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

Head on over to PoetryDolls.blogspot.com and become a follower and there's a good chance you will win the Give A Way!

POETRYDOLLS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Another GiveAWay from Johanna Parker!

2011-01-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.johannaparkerdesign.blogspot.com/

Be sure to click on the link, or copy paste it in a new tab to be taken to Johanna Parker's blog where she is giving away this beautiful pair of lovely lovers :) Aren't they sweet? Johanna certainly has a talent for whimsy and uniqueness. Click on the comments section below her post and make a comment to be entered. Good Luck.......but not too good, I would love to win them too ; )

The Cross Eyed Opposum....

2011-01-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

http://thebcast.com/2011/01/12/say-guten-morgen-to-the-cross-eyed-opossum-thats-melting-german-hearts/

Zoo officials believe that Heidi’s crossed eyes could be the result of a poor diet when she was young, causing fat deposits to develop behind her eyes — neither of which causes her pain or poses a health risk.

Have a great night!

Great article

2011-01-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

By Klas Stolpe | JUNEAU EMPIRE

"The majestic beauty of the Mendenhall Glacier is a popular attraction for tourists in the summer and locals in the winter, but that beauty masks the incredible danger for those who venture out onto the frozen Mendenhall Lake.
“Every year I think it is really important to remind the public how dangerous it is to walk on the ice and what the potential for trouble is,” Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center interpreter Laurie Craig said on Sunday as she looked out over a virtual winter wonderland of ice and snow. “On a cold sunny day it is just so enticing.”
The rest of the article HERE

Big Ice...

2010-12-26T02:11:00.000-08:00

We posted a few pics at our doll blog and thought we'd better post some here too - for all those nature lovers out there:)

We had a wonderful day. We opened our presents this morning and before making pie and Christmas dinner, we decided to go out to the Glacier. We're so happy we did. It was splendidly beautiful. A lot of the icebergs that fell from the Glacier last month are frozen in place and you can easily walk up to them.

How thick the ice is on the lake, I'm not sure but it's pretty thick. Some of the bergs were huge!
See pics below.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone. Time for rum and eggnog!

Tunnels through the ice created by rushing water. We touched history today as these great bergs could be hundreds of thousands of years old since the whole area was once miles deep in ice.

Merry Merry....

2010-12-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

Pictures

2010-12-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post some pics from the weekend. For some reason all the pics are bluish. Now, it was a rather bluish light that day, even the mist was a little blue, but not that blue. Feel free to use these. I have used some of them to create Christmas cards - added a little sparkle and ribbon on the side - lots of ideas for cards!
Isn't it great that we can pretty much make Christmas cards as beautiful as anything you could buy? and so much cheaper!

Click on the images to see larger versions to download.
Anyway...enjoy :)

burrrr.........freeeeeze.........

2010-12-06T00:08:00.000-08:00

It was so cold this weekend! We managed to get out to the glacier and Skaters cabin area. I nearly fell a zillion times on the ice. Hubby and I went to see the snowy mountains with the sun shinig on them - always a good time to take a pic or two and to see if the lake was frozen enough to walk on -
not yet. When it is, we are going to get right up close to the glacier this year - maybe even touch it! But first we'll have to get ourselves some of those spike soles for the bottom of our boots. It's sad we won't see Romeo this year but perhaps some new wolf or wolves will take up space in the area. There have been sightings over at Skaters cabin - the second stop we made today but we didn't see any wolves. Just happy dogs out and about with their owners :)

The pics are from Mendenhall and the long shots from Skaters cabin area. And a soggy cone!
It was a Beautiful day!

Also, a video below, of Romeo, the lone wolf. Unfortunately, he was killed last year. The culprits have been charged.

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

And the winner is.....

2010-12-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

ANDREWS RECLAIMED!

CONGRATULATIONS, you are the winner of the Poetry Doll!

Stay tuned for the next give a way!

Long time...

2010-11-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Hello folks. I've been busy and not been able to post as often as I'd like to. I've been making decorations and dolls and creating websites. Can't believe it's almost December! It's snowed finally so that we got a few inches and it's supposed to snow more today and during the week but right now, not much happening :( I want ginormous fluffy flakes!!

We managed to get out yesterday though hubby has not been able to walk much without running out of steam, but we have the wheelchair so it's cool - fresh air at least but, dang, that thing is hard to push through ice! The footpaths are covered in layers of deeply molded ice footprints so that it's very hilly and I almost sent hubby flying through the air a couple of times - of course the joke is that, I look forward to that and love 'pushing him around' lol. NOT. So we managed to snap a few pics but the color is off - the glacier was a gorgeous aqua under the fresh snow.

Drawing for the pincushion doll coming up!!! so be sure to sign up as a follower to be entered to win.

I wish I could make dolls for everyone in my family for Christmas but unfortunately, my sons wouldn't appreciate that I'm sure :P I did find a really cool book for my oldest son - he's a fantastic artist. Found a Gustave Dore book filled with prints of his art work. Very cool. What to get everyone? sigh....so difficult sometimes. There are a lot of cool items on Etsy. If you never go there, check it out :)

Here's some pics. Guess what kind of animal made those prints in the second picture?
(nope, not a duck or a bear ;)

You can click on the pics to see larger versions.

Have a fabulous week, everyone! I'll post the winner soon :)

Another Give A Away....

2010-11-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hello folks. I have the Give A Way ready for this month. We will be sending off a Poetry Doll (A pincushion doll to be exact) to the lucky follower whose name is drawn at the end of the month so please, become a follower!
She's a cute little princess that happily works as a pincushion or brooch doll as well. Perfect for the seamstress, the doll collector or the shabby chic gal.
She is very small, measuring only 5 1/2 inches to the top of her sparkle blue and silver crown. She has a hand painted and aged face which has been varathaned for easy cleaning. Her hair is pure angora mohair in blonde. She wears a dress in polka dots and pale blue with cream pleats - and hand twisted, fabric buttons. Her collar is made from creamy white binding, as is her skirt ruffle.
Her tag has her number and is signed - the doll is also signed, dated and numbered on the base. She comes with a secret Holiday gift as well.
Good luck to the followers!

PLEASE go check out poetrydolls.blogspot.com too!

This months Give A Way!

2010-11-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, we've finally got this months Give A Way set. Become a follower and be entered to win a Poetry Doll, a "Penny Pin-Cushion doll" to be exact. The pic is just an example and not the actual doll. These Pin-Cushion dolls measure between 5 and 8 inches tall. We'll post pics during the week but just wanted to give a heads up. Please spread the word. We hope you will put a note in your blog or mention it on twitter or facebook. We'll be drawing from our follower list at the end of the month so please click on that follow button. Don't worry, we won't spam anyone with emails! The winner will be notified by email or message through blogger.

Good luck to all!!

Camelot, anyone?

2010-11-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

There's going to be a new epic period drama on Starz and channel 4 (UK) about King Arthur, Guinevere and such, called "Camelot"

For those of you who love period pieces, this should be right up your alley.

A 10 episode approach to the powerful story of the legendary King Arthur, weaving it with the authenticity of the most classic medieval tale of all time.

Here's an interview with some of the stars.

I'll be watching but prolly not on tv - I'll have to look for the shows online.

Models

2010-11-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

No, not the fleshy kind but the small scale kind of cars, planes, trains etc., that you create with your hands. I ran across a link and thought this fellas work was fantastic. See what you think....to view a slideshow of Michael Paul Smith's work,
GO HERE

Remembering

2010-11-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

November 11 is Veterans Day. The day when those who served know what it means and those of us who didn't, to remember and be grateful for those that did. My father served, my hubbie served, and as a woman, I can't imagine leaving my family.

Growing up we learned this poem....

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae is popularly believed to have written it on 3 May 1915.

And later on, I leared this beautiful poem...

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF

Wishing you all a beautiful day.

Hello....

2010-11-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

I've been away from the blog for a couple of weeks. Busy making dolls and Christmas decorations :) Just finished reading about that supposed missile launch off Calif. Was it a missile or is it just a contrail? hmm....

found this article on deformities - poor birds! At first I though the bird was holding a worm.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/alaskan-bird-deformities/

We our out and about in the forest and at the Glacier and we've never seen a bird with this deformity. I love watching the Ravens! They are very smart and quite comical. We didn't see any bears this weekend but the Eagles were out full force at the creek, watching for fish. We saw the cutest baby porcupine along the road (seems to be their favorite place to graze) See our pics below!

We'll be adding new products to pinfeathers.us shop soon so watch for some great family Christmas items :)

And please, if you are reading and haven't become a follower yet, please do as we'll be having a giveaway soon . All you have to do is become a follower!

Have a wonderful week, folks! I'll write again soon.

Here's my skeery story for the week....

2010-10-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the upcoming holiday, I wanted to post this skeery story - it's not my story but similar to one I read ages ago. Anywho, I posted it at another blog but thought I'd post it here too.

The legend goes like this - In the dark ages, in an area of England, on the moors, it is said there were hundreds of vampires luring young folk in and killing them - so many, that the people of the local town feared the vampires would take over and humans would cease to exist.
So, they got together and devised a plan to kill the vampires. Over a three day period, they made hundreds of stakes and only the strongest of the men set out for the moors to wage war on these creatures.
The battle was fought hard and many men were bitten and killed (and had to be staked before they awoke as vampires) but the rest of them succeeded in killing all the vampires.
At that time, it was known that you had to leave the dead vampires where they lay and allow the earth to bury them, no matter how long it took or how terrifying it was to see these staked corpses strewn all over the ground. You were never to pull the stakes out of the ground because it would release the vampires from death and they would become more menacing than ever before.

Well, hundreds of years later, people from outside ask why there are so many stakes protruding from the earth in this area - and they are told the story to be made aware of the consequences of removal.
Just recently, someone who had wandered through there one night became so terrified, they ran screaming into the local Church and could not be calmed down for quite some time and when the Priest was finally able to ask the young man what scared him so, with a voice still shaking with fear, he told the Priest he was wandering the moors when a thick mist came up - so thick, he could not see at all and ended up stumbling and nearly knocking one of the stakes from its hold - and as he lay there, his heart pounding, he heard a whisper that seemed to come from deep within the ground......
"You pull, I'll push"

8-0

Pics

2010-10-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Rather gloomy looking pics from yesterday but the air was fresh and invigorating:) The wind and rain has been tireless - though there have been a few minutes of shine through patches occasionally but only for moments this week.

The beginnings of snow on the mountain and a lot of glacier ice in the water - plus the low laying clouds. Not so many people about - the cruise ships have stopped coming in - but the wild life is still around of course.

More to come! Have a great week.

Bab

The Winner is....

2010-10-17T02:52:00.000-07:00

Jeanne!

You have won your choice of the perfumes listed in our Give A Way :) I will contact you via email.

Good luck to everyone next month! We will be Giving away a small Poetry Doll so stay tuned and if you are not a follower, please sign up to be entered.

Another Give A Way - elsewhere

2010-10-11T03:10:00.000-07:00

3 chances. 3 winners. 3 skellies.
Just leave a comment for a chance
to win the skeleton of your choice

at Cart Before The Horse!

They create the most wondrous

quilts and dolls that are truly unique!

Give A Way Next Week

2010-10-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Next week we'll draw the name for the Give A Way so hurry and become a follower!

Well, we didn't get out much this weekend but I did manage to snap a photo of the tide on the Mendenhall River.
The first pic below, is from last week - the second is from a slightly different angle from yesterday. All that grass is covered in salty water now. The highest tides of the year.
The pic to the right goes with the other part of our weekend below :)

So, last night we went to hear a speaker and view a slide show about the Kensington Runestone. It was discovered in 1898 clutched in the roots of an aspen tree on the Olaf Ohman farm near Kensington (15 miles west of Alexandria). The Kensington Runestone has led researchers from around the world and across the centuries on an exhaustive quest to explain how a runic Viking artifact, dated 1362, could show up in North America.

A series of 15 Viking campsites have been found, running from Hudson Bay to Sauk Centre, Minnesota. The Vikings, as is still the case in Norway, cut triangular holes in convenient rock ledges to which to fasten anchor pins for their boats and these are found in the areas.

It was a pretty interesting talk, so of course, I am now looking up more of the history of Vikings in North America.

Could you be a descendant of the Vikings?

Have a wonderful week, my friends! Bab

OOOooooo another Queen Anne style Doll....

2010-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

She can be found HERE

DON:T FORGET about our GIVE A WAY. Become a follower and be entered to win designer perfume!

Give A Way....

2010-10-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am letting you know the other perfume choices in the give a way. We have a Givenchy set - this includes:

Absolute Givenchy mini and Amarige Mariage mini.

Both of these are one of the choices offered. Absolutely Givenchy has a lovely fresh scent. To me it has a note of cucumber but the fragrances listed are apple, sweet pea, passion fruit, and musky woods.

The fourth and final offering is a set of Jean Patou fragrances and 1 Halston. A mini of Sublime and a sample of Joy - with a sample of Halston, Unbound.

Of course, we will throw in some freebies as well :)

Good luck to all followers!

NEXT MONTH, we will be Giving Away a Christmas Ornie! so even if you miss out on this give a way, you will be entered to win next month if you are a follower. Previous winners are not included again for 12 months. By winners, we mean Blogger Follower ID's.

Don't forget...

2010-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Tell others about our Give a way!

Yep. Become a follower and be entered to win authentic designer perfume (and a couple other freebies) Do it quick! you have til the 2nd week of October. We've posted 2 of the choices of perfume and will post 2 more during the week. We'll announce the winner 2nd week of October.

oh, and this pic....
Rocky, the Stone Man, was a jolly, happy stone....

Perfume and weekend stuff

2010-10-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Image by ice.bluess via Flickr

Hello everyone :) As promised, I said I would post the choices for the perfume give a way.
There are 4 choices. We've posted 2 of them below and will post the other 2 choices during the week along with the artists perfume descriptions that we'll be including in the Give a way.

We have "Gardenia" by Elizabeth Taylor - this one is clean and fresh, unlike some of her heavier perfumes. Gardenia is just about the most beautiful floral scent in the world (besides frangipani). This perfume is strong with good staying power. This comes on a beautiful green glass art deco bottle. IT is 1 ounce.

Secondly, we have "Hanae Mori, Magical Moon Shower Gel" and 3 "Hanae Mori" Perfume Samples.

Magical Moon: It was created as an 'ode to the white star' and unites notes of pink pepper, litchi, guava and pineapple, that are followed by floral heart notes of luscious rose, orange blossom and osmanthus, with traces of ginger.The base brings notes of sugar cane, vanilla, coconut, sandal wood and patchouli.

The Hane Mori perfume sample (EDT) is a really beautiful scent - feminine. I detect notes of strawberry and vanilla cake, sandalwood, but not sickly sweet at all - very smooth, upscale and sexy. Warm, and perfect for fall. 3 Spray vials.
We will post the other 2 choices during the week.

We'll also include some artists perfume samples. Many of them are Fall and Winter fragrances - Gourmand. We will post images and descriptions during the week :)
SO HURRY! Become a follower.
OK, back to our regularly scheduled program....

We went out for dinner on Friday and had Kung Pao Chicken - whoa, that is hot stuff but really delicious too. Love the nuts in with the veggies. The chicken? oy, what is up with the chicken in these kinds of dishes? I always wonder if it really is chicken ;) I also received a gorgeous bouquet of roses and other flowers from my hubbie. And the scent......aahhh.....

We did get out to the glacier this weekend. The weather was rainy but we noticed the first signed of snow on the mountains - and the Coho have arrived. I saw a Magpie too - they are making their way back down south. I wonder if the porcupines are already hanging close to their dens - they were nowhere to be seen. They don't hibernate, but we do not see them much in Fall and Winter.

Here are some pics from this weekend.

Through the trees, you can see the glacier. It calved a couple of days ago across 85 percent of the front.

The colors of fall. We don't have the colors here that you can see in the lower 48. Mostly yellows but occasional oranges and reds.

If you look at the last picture before reading this. The last picture is of glacier worn rocks. Can you imagine so much weight that it carves chanels out of the rock? If you click on this image, it will be easier to read.

Just waiting for a Coho to show up. The eagle and the magpie were sitting very near eachother.

This is part of the chanel between Juneau and Douglas Island. That is sea grass and in these smaller channels you will find fish trying to come home to spawn - though by the time this pic was taken, the fish were long gone.

A Heron sitting on an old pier pillar, watching all the cars go by (not really - more likely looking for fish in the stream below)

The Magpie

Glacier carved rock.

Have a beautiful week!

Bab

Don't forget about our Give Away!

2010-09-29T19:22:00.001-07:00

Yep. Become a follower and be entered to win authentic designer perfume (and a couple other freebies) Do it quick! you have til the 2nd week of October. We'll post the choices of perfume next week. We'll announce the winner 2nd week of October.

A little humor :)

2010-09-28T00:26:00.001-07:00

You'll have to turn off the music first.....

A Zorse, of course...

2010-09-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

And more hybrid animals can be found by doing a search on Google or Yahoo or your search engine of choice. I do love the Groler or Pizzly bear.....

this image is from http://www.virginmedia.com/digital/features/hybrid-animals.php

Interesting artists....

2010-09-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

There are so many great artists popping up on the net. It's fantastic. I like to point them out once in a while. Here is one that creates weird and wonderful, sometimes eerie paintings....

Wondertoonel

GIVE A WAY!

2010-09-26T02:46:00.000-07:00

Waves

2010-09-26T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, my wonderful friends! Yes, I'm posting in the wee hours here - already morning in the eastern part of the USA so maybe you are up already.

We went out to the beach today (didn't plan to) But as we were driving to Costco, we saw beautiful waves with little white caps on the shallow water in the narrow inlet between Juneau and Douglas Island - which means, perhaps big waves further out, so we headed out to the wider part of the inlet but....darn.....no huge waves :( It was so disappointing....like the time we went out to see the small tsunami that was supposed to hit Juneau area a few months ago and it was all of an extra 4 inches of water....not kidding. Not that we think tsunami's are great or anything but the chance to maybe view the water rising as it heads toward land was a 'must see'

We did see a multitude of eagles and sea gulls at Sheep creek - and the ever so stinky array of dead salmon all over the sides of the creek. Gulls and Eagles fighting over putrid flesh - not very becoming of them but since the food train has slowed, I guess they have to get some while they can. The CoHo are not in yet and I suspect they will not be in great numbers either.

Here's some pics....I do have to apologize for the carpyness of them. Battery died shortly after I took them.

Look, I found the SS Minnow! Gilligan will be bummed, I'm sure....

Will post more later....

Have a fabulous week!

Bab

What the h??

2010-09-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Did it used to belong to Liberace?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jk1971/3820699486/

To the Lake

2010-09-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of our day today. We decided to walk around the lake for a change - no pics of the glacier today.

So....my hubby has a condition where he gets dizzy and could fall without notice and I've got a problem arm so I try to remember to have him on my good side so that in-case he falls, it isn't on my bad left arm - coz the pain would be so incredible, I don't know that I wouldn't scare every animal out of Alaska with my screams of agony :P
gawd, we're a pair!
Anywhooooo.....
he was pretty dizzy but we managed to walk quite a way around the lake without falling into it :P
And it was a gorgeous day again. Very weird weather for here - it should be cold and there should be snow on the mountaintops. Not complaining though :)

I think it's an alien pod..........I mean, it's so obvious, isn't it? but my hubby says, it's a shroom. You decide ;)

A giant....beautiful tree.

The lake....some trees in the water, near the edge....which I always find kinda spooky because you know there's dead trees lurking under the water too, just waiting to snag you with their creepy limbs.

And this next picture. A warning....and Please, if you are sensitive,

DO NOT LOOK at the picture below....

the horror,

the horror!!!!

Weird, eh? looks like something just ate it's way in.....

I wonder if it's still in there?? 8-0

or maybe....

something

ate its way out???

gawd

it could have followed us home!

shhhh, did you hear that?

ok, it was just the fridge kicking in....

whew....

ok, where was I?

oh ya.....

a few more pics...

The path around the lake.

People just park their planes there - so trusting! I wouldn't park my plane there. I mean, I don't have a plane but if I did, I wouldn't.......

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

bab

The Treadwell Gold Mine Ruins

2010-09-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

click image to enlarge

I took pictures this weekend of the abandoned mine area, Treadwell.

Treadwell is in Alaska, on Douglas Island. Below are State archive pics of people, the mine and the community - and below that, my pics of the area today.
Treadwell was a thriving community, filled with miners and their families and company folk. No-one got rich but the company, it seems. And as typical, the company sold the workers the goods they lived off from the company store so, the workers were certainly dependent on the comany for every need. BUT - they made a decent living, I suspect and probably most fished and hunted and enjoyed the wild of the area.

The mine was loud! This was a stamping mine - which means they crushed the boulders and rocks 24 hours, day and night. I don't know how anyone slept. It was said, you could hear it thundering for miles.

I've posted pictures from this area before but thought I'd post these new ones I took yesterday.

The Treadwell gold mine was one mine among many in the area which employed 2000 people or so.

It was the largest Gold Mine in the world at the time. It was begat by John Treadwell,a carpenter from San Francisco. He was paid to go survey the area for gold and ended up

purchasing a claim in 1881, on Douglas Island. It produced more gold than imaginable! 3 million troy ounces were extracted from the area.

Eventually the mine, with floods, cave ins, and depletion of gold, was abandoned sometime around 1922. Though some families stayed in there area, it's apparent the mine, and the community went to ruin.

When you walk around Treadwell, you see the evidence of the mine and the community. Whole areas on the beach with broken heavy china from the mess hall, engine blocks, pipelines, remnants of piers and buildings on the beach - and in the forest where buildings are overgrown with trees and brush, are large barrels, cog wheels, more remnants of pipelines, mills, offices, and other living and work areas.

Please click on each image to see larger versions.

These first photo's are courtesy of Alaska State Library, to give you an idea of what it looked like in the day.

In the back you see just dirt where there was an implosion. This is where the earth fell in on itself - on work areas that were beneath the ground. Treadwell's "Glory Hole" was a familiar sight to the people of Douglas and Juneau. from Alaska State Library

A close up of the Treadwell Glory Hole, ca. 1910.

This Winter & Pond image shows two hoisting works in background.

Click on images to enlarge.

Men in the Treadwell Gold Mine, hundreds of feet under the ocean.

John Treadwell is identified as the man seated second from right in this Edward DeGroff photograph. Alaska State Library.

Click on images to enlarge, then hit the back button to come back.

Treadwell, Alaska July 4, l908

Juliane Nick Dexter Photograph Collection, 1908. ASL-PCA-40
"Well dressed men and women standing in front of Assay Office, a sign on which reads, Assay Office -- Posively No Admittance" Creator - Case, W. H. (William Howard), 1868-1920

As a side note - Timothy Treadwell took his name from this area. I don't know if any of you have heard of him (watched the Grizzly Diaries on tv?) but he studied grizzlies for several years in Alaska - but came to an unfortunate end when he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, were eaten by a Grizzly in 2003.

The building above was part of a pump house near where they made bricks.

Remnants of one of the warfs.

The large piece of metal is probably 7 or 8 inches across on each side and was many feet long. There are remnants all over the ground, growing out of the ground and even growing out of trees. Some of the trees with metal coming out of them were obviously just saplings when the equipment was left to rot.

An office building.

Engine block on the beach. There are several of these scattered on the beach and throughout the area. A lot of abandoned vehicles here and throughout the Douglas Island/Juneau area.

Office building - there is an old stove inside and the walls/roof is dripping with calcium deposits.

Many more images can be found here.

http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=exact&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOBOX1=Alaska+Treadwell+Gold+Mining+Company

Will post more later :) Have a wonderful evening!

Bab

If you're ever in Alaska....

2010-09-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

please visit the Alaska Raptor Center or make a donation. These folks take care of birds in need. We have seen them in action and are very impressed!

"Growing from a backyard, volunteer-run operation, the Alaska Raptor Center has become Alaska's foremost bald eagle hospital and educational center, as well as one of the state's premier visitor attractions."
https://www.alaskaraptor.org/

a mish mash Monday...

2010-09-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Just when I believe that Autumn has really and truly arrived, we go and get summer days over the weekend... and today! It is a gorgeous day here in the Mendenhall Valley. (even though we've had some good weather this summer, I think I blinded the neighbor dog with my bare arms yesterday) Ya, I'm one of those "ew, you can see all her veins through her skin!" people.

There were a lot of people enjoying the weather at the glacier...they were coming and going most of the day I imagine.

Of course I have to post a picture of mushrooms - my hubby called these, Pumpkin mushrooms because of the color - they're almost velvety looking or powdery looking too. They were growing along a path by the sea shore where I thought I'd spotted a school of dolphins but turned out to be a pod of rocks instead :P
(note to self - get stronger glasses)

"sea shore, sea shore, sea shore, sea shore" say that 10 times, fast! ;)

The next pic is of a fungi in the mushroom family I'm sure. They look similar to cups but they are soft and rounder. I have been lazy about looking up the genus of these mushrooms but my excuse is, I don't have a reference book and looking on the internet is tedious as no sites have all species listed so I have to go through several sites sometimes to find a given shroom - but YES, it's worth it in the end. So, I promise to do that :)

They're not very purdy, are they?

"Swimming, swimming, in the swimming hole, when days are hot, when days are cold...."

This was a very large Beaver - he kept in the same spot for a long time....it was apparent that he was finding something good to nibble on. He kept dunking under, and coming up chewing on something we couldn't see. Small and very chewy I guess. Do Beavers eat anything but trees and leaves? why yes! They also eat vegetation found in the water, berries and water lilies :)

What a beautiful Wild Rose Hip, eh?
Rose hips are a valuable source of Vitamin C - Rose hip oil is also good for the skin - especially aging skin. "The anti-inflammatory properties of rose hips have recently been shown to be useful in the treatment of patients suffering from knee or hip osteoarthritis:"

So, not only is the Rose beautiful, but it has properties conducive to good heart health, skin care and the most expensive perfume at one time was created from roses and jasmine. Created by Jean Patou, "JOY" perfume contains 10,000 jasmine flowers and 28 dozen roses in a 30ml bottle of the parfum.

Have a beautiful week!

bab
p.s. posted at twitter was this pic - what is it on the road?
see below

A SNOOZING BEAR in the middle of the road!

only in Alaska.....

It was a dark and dreary day....

2010-09-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

BUT, also a fun day :)
When it's dark and dreary like today, the glacier shows color - and it's the most beautiful shade of blue - it's hard to get the real picture from a photo but you know how ice has that depth to it?
Here's a few pics. You can click on them to make them larger.

We also hiked up the hill behind the viewing center in hope of seeing bears or porcupines - or an elusive wolf pack but didn't see anything but a Harrier flying in the distance, and a porcupine hidden in the tall grass.

We also saw some intersting mushrooms. Ever see a green mushroom? Now you have :)

Please click on images for larger view.
The leaves are turning.....
2 tiny mushrooms - you can see they are smaller than a blade of grass.

and some pics of the "cinnamon-brown sugar" biscuits I made.....(don't drool on the puter, k?)

HAVE A WONDERFUL LABOR DAY!

Pics from the weekend

2010-08-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

COWEE CREEK

Hello all.

Nights here have been filled with shooting stars and aurora borealis (northern lights) I wish the movie I took of the aurora turned out so I could have shared the ribbons of light with you, but alas.........

The last couple of days have been filled with sunshine and rainbows. We were out at the Cowee Creek yesterday - my hubby was fishing. I took pics and stayed near the road because I am deathly afraid of grizzlies who frequent the area. We see guys with rifles walking past us - and though we've got bear spray - which I thought would calm me but boy, It didn't and I was scared. Anyway, I took these pics below near where the bridge crosses Cowee Creek.

This once was a Devils Club leaf measuring about 16 inches across - it's been eaten alive - the horror! 8-0

Below are very white fungi growing on the side of the tree trunk. Not sure what they are yet.

Sitka Black Tailed deer. Look at those ears? Later on, when you could just see only her head peaking out from behind the tall grass, she could have been mistaken for the elusive Alaskan Kangaroo ;)

This is Cowee Creek. We could easily see the Pink Salmon or "humpies" as they are called when they turn. The water is a very pretty aqua color here. Sometimes rather moonstone milky looking.

Movie Recommendation...

2010-08-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

"Through his rear window and the eye of his powerful camera he watched a great city tell on itself, expose its cheating ways" ...was the woman across the way murdered? or is L B Jeffries a victim of his own imagination?

If you love Hitchcock or James Stewart and haven't seen "Rear Window"

do so. You won't be disappointed. It's my fave Hitchcock movie along with "Shadow of a Doubt".

View a trailer at IMDB.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2157838617/

The boggy walk at Eaglecrest

2010-08-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went for a walk around the boggy area near the ski slopes at Eaglecrest.

Alaska trails offer superb areas for hiking, biking and walking. The scenery and opportunity to observe wildlife are superior. Great mountains for steep hikes and alpine views or hidden coves and lakes for leisurely strolls and the ability to see wildlife no matter where you go. this weekend we saw a bear, a great blue Heron perched in a tree, fish, porcupine, eagles and a red tailed hawk up close and personal - not to mention the fabulous scenery, flora and fauna.

This pretty little flower above, is no bigger than a pinky fingernail and is called Swamp Gentian or Gentiana Douglasiana. It loves wet medows, boggy areas and sub alpine heights.

Don't forget you can click on the images to see larger views.

In the subalpine areas where it's very wet, we often see these trees with twisted trunks. I hope you can see it when you click on the image. I'll have to look into why this happens.

What are these? there are several red berry plants and bushes in the area. This one is bunchberry or Dwarf Dogwood. The plants start our with small dogwood flowers then the berries burst out - these also love wet medow and boggy areas. The berries are sweet tasting but pulpy so they are not prized for the fruit.
They grow in bunches - you might see them around the trees or up the trunk. Really pretty.

This is a type of sedge - probably a many flower sedge or sharp sedge. Very interesting looking. the bulbous heads are harder than I thought. We always see something new on our walks and hikes :)

Enjoy the week! and don't forget to follow our tweets.

Forgot the pics....

2010-08-09T02:53:00.000-07:00

I was so excited about posting my new bread recipe (below) that I forgot to post pics from our outing today.
One is a Stink Current, which are edible. Sometimes delicious, sometimes gross....
and the other is a High Bush cranberry (also known as Mooseberry or Squashberry) not quite ripe.
The 3rd photo is of a nearby lake - Auke Lake:)

Just a little outlet of the lake.

HAVE a HAPPY Week :)

Delicious Artisan Bread Recipe....

2010-08-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not really an artist by trade or anything but I did use some imagination in creating this recipe! which turned out great...according to the gobblers, I mean "consumers" in this house - I've already eaten half a small round bread! :P

Here's a picture..... or 2. This is a soft bread, not a dry bread. See recipe below.

The basic recipe is an Amish bread recipe which is as follows.

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoons salt (I use less than most recipes so if you want more salt, up to 1/2 t more is ok)
1/8 cup vegetable oil, 1/8 Cup melted butter (or use 1/4 oil if no butter available)
6 cups bread flour

VEGGIES & CHEESE TO ADD
1 Tablespoon hot Red pepper diced very fine
1 Tablespoon Jalepeno pepper sliced thinly
1 large bud garlic, diced fine... or chunky if that's your thang :)
(I used 4 small garlic buds to make about a large Tablespoon of garlic)

4 sliced black olives - green olives are ok too.
2 Tablespoons finely diced onion
very finely chopped Cilantro (to taste - I used about a 1/2 teaspoon)
diced tomato
finely shredded Asiago cheese or whatever you've got
sharp cheddar slices to place ontop of the bread

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Mix salt, butter and oil into the yeast and water then add your asiago and vegetables - stir.
Let this sit for a minute.
Mix in flour one cup at a time until you have formed a good dough that isn't sticky.
Flour your counter or bread board, place the dough on the board and knead dough until smooth. I do this between 5 - 8 minutes. Grab your large bowl - oil or butter it up and place your dough in the bowl - put it in a very warm place to rise.
I usually heat the oven for a half minute or so, just to get it warm, then place the bowl in the oven. When it looks about double its size (1/2 to 1 hour later) you can take the bowl out of the oven and punch the dough down lightly - seperate it and place it in buttered and floured bread pans or whatever kind of pans you will be using.
Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen about 1 inch above pans. Place the slices of sharp cheddar cheese on top - and add any other garnish to beautify. I used some extra olive, tomato and a couple of leaves of Cilantro. I also put a few slices in the dough with a sharp knife.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until it is perfectly browned. I then remove the bread from the oven and brush with whole egg.

Enjoy!

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

John Muir

A Black wolf killed; Was it our Romeo?

2010-08-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

To listen to the Romeo video, you can turn off the music player at the bottom by hitting the round button.

MY hubbie and I would watch for Romeo every time we went out to the Mendenhall Glacier - spotting him crossing the frozen lake - my hubbie has seen him more than I have. There have been many pictures of Romeo posted in the paper - pics of him playing with family dogs and romping around near the groups of people out to visit the glacier. He was a friendly beauty and we hoped that it wasn't him when we found out that someone had killed a black wolf. .

First published May 25th, 2010 03:47 PM by the Associated press.

JUNEAU -- Juneau residents are wondering if a black wolf killed last fall is Romeo -- an unusually sociable black wolf that disappeared last September. Alaska State Troopers say 46-year-old Jeffrey Peacock of Lebanon, Pa., and 40-year-old Park Myers of Juneau are charged with the unlawful taking of big game animals.

Troopers say they found the wolf's hide in their investigation. Trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen says they do not know if it is Romeo.

Troopers say the men also were found to be operating an unlawful bear bait site north of Juneau along the road system.
Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/05/25/1293875/black-wolf-killed-is-it-romeo.html#ixzz0vVZZ4GvY

Photo is courtesy of Steve Quinn / the Associated Press.

The week-end

2010-08-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to check out houseopym.blogpost.com to be entered to win a free designer perfume this month. You'll also receive other fantastic freebies! Just become a follower.

Now....some pics from the weekend. We saw a very young mother Black bear with her brand new cubs....3 of them! One of the cubs is very vocal - The mother seems to allow them to get into precarious situations too as they were left back when the Mom went further down the creek with my hubbie in-between them! My hubbie backed off so the Momma bear knew he wasn't a threat. He's been around her before and she's been calm - no jaw smacking or huffing but a few minutes later she did chase off another bear that happened to get near her territory.

She then ventured further down the creek with cubs in tow, crossed the road and met the creek on the other side. She was looking for salmon I suspect but bears are funny - Salmon can be right infront of them but they won't even try for them but if they hear a salmon splash further down, they are off chasing that noisy salmon down. Anyway, she bypassed at least 7 salmon in the creek and took her cubs up a tree instead. We couldn't see what she was doing but could see the cubs up the tree :)
It's a lousy pic but you can see one cub up the tree - the others are obscured by foliage.

People have been busy near the glacier, building Cairns.

It's really wonderful to see :)

And these yellow flowers that look like snap dragons are called Monkey Flowers :)

Week-end Pics

2010-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

This old tub floated up to shore recently. Could have come from around here as there are many islands and when some of the mines shut down at the beginning of the last century, they left things where they were - to slowly decompose or rot, or litter.....

These small mushroom were growing about 4 feet up a tree! I guess the spores or whatever were dropped there by a bird?

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

Within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, the borders of the cap begin to liquefy, and the entire cap is converted into a pool of inky black fluid, the origin of the common name "inky cap." Liquefied Coprinus comatus was used as writing ink in George Washington's day.

These shaggy mushrooms are beautiful until they start to turn black.....and slimey....

ew....

That is what they look like when they decompose. This mushroom is edible believe it or not. Eat before it looks like that though!
It will contribute a unique robust flavor to some of the tastiest wild-mushroom dishes, such as chicken Tetrazzini and shaggy mane cream soup. For the finest flavor it must be consumed before it begins to liquefy. Eating the dissolving mushroom is not harmful, but the cooked remnants will be slimy and less flavorful than those with solid flesh.

Don't forget about the Freebie Draw at House of Pym!

2010-06-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Go HERE and become a follower!

Draw is last day of the month - winner will be notified

within the week.

ALSO, check out Noshings this week and see her fab recipe for "hot Momma Refrigerator Pickles!"

Pics

2010-06-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is FireWeed. Named so, not because of the color, which is pinkish purple, but name so because it is the first thing to grow after a forest fire. It's very pretty :)

The Mendenhall Glacier. It is calving..........

There are chunks of ice out in the lake that are 2 stories tall....like the dirty chunk of ice below.

Pink Wintergreen and a red Columbine :)

pics....

2010-06-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

Strawberries budding...

Blueberries just starting....

Eagle river in the background. Lupine and Cow Parsnip in the foreground.

How to build a Mason Bee Lodge

2010-06-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Attract the pollinators if you can. We need them for our own food sources. A good way to do this is to build a Mason Bee house. Here is an instructional video :)
You can also find these lodges HERE and click on the link at the left "BATS & BEES & BUGS"

pics :)

2010-05-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is an old water pipe (now defunct) that is incredibly big. It goes forever up the mountain. It used to bring water to the gold mill and miners. There are a lot

of old mining relics around the area of Juneau.

Spruce cone?

2010-05-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Not sure what kind of tree this was. I think, a Sitka Spruce....
the cones are gorgeous aren't they?

More Birds at Nat Geo....

2010-05-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Click here for more Birds at Nat Geo

Photograph by Tim Laman

There are lots of videos and images at Nat Geo. IF you've got kids, it's a great website to spend some time at. Fun learning for kids :)

New frogs and geckos and pigeons, oh my...

2010-05-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

from Yahoo news:

New frogs and geckos and pigeons, oh my!

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Randolph E. Schmid, Ap Science Writer – 54 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Finding a new animal species is a special moment for scientists and even better when one hops into their mountain camp and volunteers to be discovered.
An international team of researchers was camping in the Foja mountains of Indonesia when herpetologist Paul Oliver spied a frog sitting on a bag of rice in the campsite.
On closer look it turned out to be a previously unknown type of long-nosed frog. The scientists dubbed it Pinocchio. MORE HERE
Click on the picture there to see more images.

Birds!

2010-05-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post some beautiful pictures of wild birds.

A couple of Mandarin Ducks.

Black Crowned Heron

Falcon (New Zealand)

About the Music

2010-05-05T16:09:00.001-07:00

You can scroll down and turn off the music player. It also has the ability to be popped out to it's own page if you want to listen to the music but move on to other sites. Happy listening!

Check out Cart Before the Horse!

2010-04-26T15:25:00.001-07:00

We love....Cart Before the Horse!

IF you love creativity and need a little inspiration, check out Cart Before the Horse. They also have shops at Ebay and Etsy as well as their own website.
Great stuff!

Time for fishing.....

2010-04-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

The boats were out on Sunday - fishing at the north end of Douglas Island. You can see the Glacier in the background. It was a gorgeous day.

Click on images to enlarge.

More April photos

2010-04-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Across the water - the Chilkoot Mountains

SPRING!

Beautiful new Clay and Bamboo items!

2010-04-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and it's the perfect time to set up a bird bath, a feeding area or bird house for your feathered pals. Whether you make your own, or purchase one, it's just a good idea to contribute to the well being of the critters around you.

We have also been promoting bat houses to those who suffer mosquito's in the summer. Bats will eat millions of mosquitos over the summer - that's a big plus!

New this past year too are the bug and bee houses. Bees are needed in order for us to survive as they help pollinate food sources. A Bee lodge is a great addition and a bug house keeps food around for the other critters PLUS, it's just interesting and cool :)
Below are various pictures of items you can find at the links on the upper left or here
Click on Photos to see larger images.

The newest style feeders - make your own bird feed or purchase it, this is an easy and attractive feeder. Cleans out with a bottle brush or hose.
An example of this feeder can be found here

Innovative Bug House to attract ladybugs for the garden or simply to attract bugs for the birds and critters that frequent your garden or yard. An example of this bug house can be found here

Bamboo and Clay nest boxes to encourage wildlife to visit and make a home for themselves in your garden. Make your own if your a potter! otherwise an example of this nesting house can be found here

Picture in Juneau, from April

2010-04-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Click on images to see a larger view!

Pictures

2010-04-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

A view of the Chilkoot mountain range from the shore near Juneau

A large tree that has been worked on by a beaver. Obviously, this tree was a little too large to drag to the water! It measured about 2 ft across.

Bluebirds - Eastern and Western

2010-04-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a medium-sized thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of NewYork and Missouri.

Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright blue on top and have a reddish brown throat and breast. Adult females have lighter blue wings and tail, a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua.

The bright blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, fluttering down to the mowed grass to capture a grasshopper, cricket or beetle makes this species a favorite of birders. The male's call includes sometimes soft warbles of jeew or chir-wi or the melodious song chiti WEEW wewidoo (Sibley, 2000).

2010-04-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

Use of this photo requires following the license at wiki. license

Birds 'n Berries

"What is the connection between wine and bluebirds? According to a recently published study, Western Bluebirds, Sialia mexicana (pictured at top), are increasingly falling on hard times along the Central Coast in California, in part, at least, because these are good times for grape growers. If bluebird families don't have enough mistletoe berries to eat during the winter, their sons are apt to up and leave, the study showed. But mistletoe grows in oak trees, and oak trees are disappearing all too rapidly as land is cleared for agriculture -- especially vineyards. The interesting study, was co-written by Andrew McGowan of the United Kingdom and published online in The Proceedings of the Royal Society B . The study was conducted at the Hastings Reserve in upper Carmel Valley while Dickinson was an associate research zoologist there."
from here

Pictures from March

2010-04-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Please click on photo's for a larger view.

1 - I believe these are called cups. They grow on debris, on the forest floor. They are tiny - maybe 1/3 in wide at the opening.
2 - Fungi - I don't know the type yet. I'll have to look it up :)

3 - Bottom photo, is my favorite tree which lives up on the Flume in Juneau. The tree is a Sitka Spruce. It is more than 6 feet across at the base and has an L shaped branch that's huge!

Hello

2010-03-20T01:16:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to stop in and say Hi! Have been away due to health issues and time constraints. We have the new website up and running - please check out Pinpoint Company for any wild bird or garden decor needs :)
Pin-Feathers.com is where we are creating an information site about Wild Birds and Wild life in general. I'ts just getting started but check it out too pin-feathers.com :)

some pics....

willows peaking out....

We will be away for a while

2010-01-21T22:46:00.001-08:00

We will be taking a break from Pin-feathers for a while. Check back in the Spring :)

Happy New Year to everyone - may it be healthy, prosperous and beautiful!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic from today. Click on it for a larger view. Lots of folks out skating on the frozen Glacial lake and people walking way out to the glacier to touch it (it's further than it looks from the edge) Everyone we saw was smiling and having fun! A nice man volunteered to take a photo of my hubby and I - which I will post down the line :)

I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone by! and generally January goes by in a flash and before you know it, it's Spring! Well, i just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

May you be healthy and happy and successful :)

I will have new items at the shop soon, and some great items coming this Spring so check out the shop in the next couple of weeks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Site with a GIVE A WAY!

2009-12-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

Starting December 1st and continuing until December 16th at midnight (MST), "Where Women Create" will feature a fabulous prize each day. These wonderful items have been generously donated by twelve talented artists and companies (you won't believe the beautiful items they have given to share with you!). You can enter each day by simply leaving a comment on the daily post. You can comment on any of the posts throughout the contest until the last day at midnight (MST). Please make sure to post only once. Click on the picture above :)

top Ten Archaeology Finds of 2009

2009-12-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

number 4 is the King of Bling

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091207-top-ten-archaeology-finds-2009.html

Snow.....

2009-11-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

More snow this weekend. This is a view from the other side of the glacier. It's just over to the right.
Click on the image for a larger view.

And this fella.....a gull. We have to post a pic of a bird!

We don't often see these gulls floating so near the shore but this guy may have been enjoying the slightly warmer temperature there. Sometimes we see them walking near the shore, scouting out whatever small goodies are caught in the seaweed.
Speaking of seaweed. Have you ever had seaweed soap? it's really nice on the skin.

I've brought home seaweed and used it in my homemade soap. I washed it thoroughly of course and cooked it in the nuker (microwave) before crushing it & adding it to the soap. The soap turned out really well but needed a longer time to cure. I'll be getting back to soap making soon and will offer up a freebie soap in December! so watch for that. Seaweed? no, but perhaps a holiday scent.....

Have a beautiful day :)

The beach yesterday....

2009-11-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

Went to the beach yesterday....it was snowing fairly hard so we didn't stay long but we enjoyed the short time we stayed. There's a few giant dead trees laying near the beach. It's hard to tell from the picture, but this one is enormous. Click on the picture to get a better idea.

The light was muted, but very beautiful. There were ducks and seagulls in the water - they seemed to be enjoying themselves too :)

What an Odd Painting....

2009-11-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

What an Odd Painting! I found it at Freakingnews.com

I like it :)

The First Thanksgiving. What Was Actually on the Menu at the first harvest feast?

Well, historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes ( or undoing their pants and watching football highlights after the first meal;)
Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast...However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors.

They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others.

And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

from here....Check this out :)

Porcupines.....

2009-11-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

"Although the species of porcupine found in North America always lives among trees, it does not always live in mature forests and may be found in alder thickets along rivers and in dwarfed pine scrub along ridge crests. It is most common where there are rocky ledges and rock piles suitable for dens and stands of aspen, hemlock, and other trees.

Being shortsighted and slow moving, the porcupine is not too difficult to approach once found.

The defensive behaviour of the porcupine is well known though sometimes misinterpreted. If on the ground when danger threatens, the porcupine will make for the nearest shelter, under a rock or log or up a tree, even forsaking its slow walk for a clumsy gallop. If thwarted in such a retreat, it will hump its back, tucking its unprotected head between its shoulders. With all the quills erected, the porcupine will pivot on its front feet and keep its back to the enemy. As it stomps its back feet, it also lashes its tail threateningly. The momentum of the tail may detach loose quills, which fly through the air, giving the impression that they were thrown. " From hww.ca.

New Pics....

2009-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Pictures from the weekend. I hope this baby porcupine makes it through the winter. He eats constantly but he's small and looks not to have many quills for protection. Another shot of the Mendenhall Glacier and the new Beaver Dam in the Mendenhall Glacier area.

Folk Art, Spooky Christmas Orny

2009-11-03T20:46:00.000-08:00

Birdie is at Etsy....

2009-10-29T17:35:00.000-07:00