The End: Alphabet Soup

The end of yet another odyssey with Alphabe-Thursday has been reached!  What a challenge it had been at times to come up with a creative post for the current letter of the alphabet!    I've enjoyed this journey with you, my readers and fellow Alphabe-Thursdayers, sharing our posts and lives.   Thanks, Jenny! 
(You can click on any of the following links to go to that post.)

A  Angels Landing an incredible hike in Zion National Park

B Zion Beauty: Views from Angels Landing

C Colorado

D Desert Scenes: Fish Creek Canyon a road trip near Phoenix, Arizona, USA

E Eager Earnest in which Earnest Elucidates some of his favorite Es

F fog in the mountains of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

G Greens scenes from Utah and Arizona, USA

 

H memories of an Hawaiian vacation random photos and an additional POST on how to pronounce humuhumunukunukuapuaha

I Idaho scenes random photos from a trip to Northern Idaho in 2008.

J  jagged photos of Glacier National Park, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, and a "drive by shooting"

K  the heart of Knoxville photos and commentary about Krutch Park and Market Square

L  LOVE: a Challenge!  love themed items I created for my team Business Blogging Artisans February Creative Challenge

M   Randomly Favorite Ms 5 photos of things that start with M 

N  napping Tigra, Oliver, and Earnest

O  Oregon coast   a few photos from a 2006 trip

P  Pond a few photos from Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC

Q  Quiet  3 photos + 3 haikus

R  Random Reds  photos

S  Saba   a wonderful, charming, beautiful island in the Caribbean

T  Ten Ts photos of tulips, tie dye, travel (Kauai), tree, treat (sunset), turquoise (bicycle), turtle, Lake Tahoe, taste, kitties (two)

U  U  photos of umbrella, under (palm tree), unequaled cuteness (Oliver), unripe, undertow, Utah, uprooted

V  Violets photos of 4 items that have violet color

W  wine  photos of a Winter Wine Weekend of wine tasting fun and antics as well as this corkboard made by my daughter and her boyfriend.

X  xerophytic in xeric  click on the link to find out what that means!

Y  Do You Like My Hat? adventures in yarn  Laurie Fortier and her luscious yarn; how I won a beautiful scarf; the Knit-a-Squillion project accepting donations of knitted or crocheted or felted (recycled sweaters) squares to make blankets for poor children in Africa

Z  ZOOM!  a Carolina wrens' nest found in a pot of parsley on my deck

 Whew!

THE END

Well, not quite.  There was Fall Break.

simple autumn beauty  theme was Autumn Colors

 

delicious Autumn theme was Anything Autumn

LINKS:

POST  last Alphabet Soup 

Dear Ms.Jenny, I LOVE Alphabe-Thursday!  Thank you so much for hostessing this awesome meme AND visiting EVERY single post! 
So begins Round 5 in which we start with the Letter "A."  This is my offering, "Alphabet Soup."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!

photos by me © 2006-2012   one photo by Laurie Fortier © 2011   all rights reserved

ZOOM!

I've walked out on my deck a few times the past couple of days, and whoosh! something zooms by!  What IS that??!
 
Oh I see!  It's a bird!  Where indeed is it coming from?  After several of these zestful zoomings, I decide to search the deck for a bird's nest, and I almost miss it.  There it is!  in a pot of parsley, oh so camouflaged.

Why are there 5 eggs in the nest and one out?  I have no idea.  (Yes, I CAN count.  There really are 5!)

(I will no longer traumatize this bird trying to get a better photo.)

I spent some time searching online and this is what I think the bird is --a Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus).  It has the markings, the slightly buff-colored chest, and the downward curved beak.

I found information about them fascinating.

a few facts:

► A Carolina wren pair mates for life.

► live in open woodland or brushy suburbia. 

► stay together on their territory year round.

► mostly forage the ground for insects and move around together.  They do climb vines and trees poking around for insects.

► DIET:  mostly insects and spiders; occasionally eat lizards, frogs, and snakes. They also consume a small amount of plant matter, such as fruit pulp and seeds from bayberry, sweetgum, or poison ivy.

► NESTING:  female and male build their nest together, sometimes making more than one before choosing the perfect one.  The nest itself is usually cup shaped, domed and with a side entrance.  The nest is loosely constructed of a great variety of materials such as bark strips, dried grasses, dead leaves, pine needles, hair, feathers, straw, shed snakeskin, paper, plastic, or string.  Nest material may be added after incubation has begun. 
Carolina wrens usually build their nest about 3-6 feet off the ground in cavities.  Near homes they make use of a variety of cavity-like spaces, such as pots and boots.

► sounds:  Only the male sings with a repertoire of about 15 different songs.  Both male and female have many different calls.  Hear it!  (Scroll down to "calls" and click on the ►)

LINK:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds  --I found this site to be the most helpful.

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock!  See others' completed homework assignments HERE.  Come join in!  This week our letter is "Z."  I am proud to say that I posted for every letter this round!  A new round starts next week!  Letter A.  So get your thinking caps on!  

 

photos by me © 2011  all rights reserved

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and anyone who has a mother!

If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been.  

~Robert Brault

Mother, the ribbons of your love are woven around my heart.  

~Author Unknown

Children are a great comfort in your old age - and they help you reach it faster, too.  

~Lionel Kauffman
 
 

photo by me © 2011  all rights reserved

Do You Like My Hat? adventures in yarn

I met Laurie of Do You Like My Hat? on etsy last November when I entered her most fabulous giveaway sponsored by Kanelstrand!  Oh how I longed to win this most beautiful hand knitted scarf!

See what I mean?  Isn't this gorgeous?!  more beautiful in person.  I know, because I won it!!

It is knit out of hand-painted silk and beaded mohair yarn.  Wow!

Thank you so much, Laurie! 

 

Laurie's lovely SHOP is filled with her hand knit goodness--scarves, hats, and even a bookmark--all made from natural fibers as well as lovely natural fiber yarns.  (She is in the process of stocking up now.)

In her BLOG Kitty's fiber journey, Laurie speaks of knitting adventures as well as personal stories.  This is a place where she discusses her "passions, all things fiber, sustainable living, and making a difference in the world around us."

The first Friday of every month you can find Laurie guest posting on Kanelstrand Blog.  That link will take you to a fascinating discussion of fibers.

One of Laurie's passions is helping orphans.  "I have become actively involved in the Knit-a-Square Charity whose goal is to warm over 2 million aids orphans in South Africa and Zimbabwe."  To learn how you can play a part and even knit a square, go to this LINK on Laurie's blog.

Very exciting for Laurie, she opened her very own online yarn shop earlier this year!  In this shop you will find beautiful yarn, of course! as well as wooden needles and patterns.  She even has a section of yarn for the Knit-a-Square Challenge with all profits going to the charity.
She has been dreaming for years of owning her own brick and mortar yarn shop and she may still!  Her reason for the online shop now?  "I am a knitter and fiber fanatic in addition to being a teacher (psychology), wife and mother, and that, in no particular order! I want to make a difference in the world around me while doing something I love. This is the reason that Hands with Hearts has come to be."
(Sign up for the newsletter and receive 15% off all purchases, plus free world wide shipping!)



a little more about Laurie:

1.  First, why did Laurie name her etsy shop Do You Like My Hat?  This was a trademark question her father would ask, putting most anything on his head, trying to be funny.  This phrase comes from Go, Dog, Go!  by P. D. Eastman.

2.  Laurie learned to knit early in life around age 5 or 6, but didn't become passionate until her 30s.  She wanted to carry on the tradition of her mother who was a master knitter, and to have special items to pass on to her children.

3.  Inspiration comes from people, the world around her, and beautiful natural fibers.  "I spend a lot of time listening and looking at the people and the things around me and many different ideas for designs, colors and projects end up in my precious notebook!"

4.  why natural fibers?  "Natural fibers provide better insulation from the heat and the cold and water and snow than any synthetic fiber (we forget that this is the purpose of the animal’s coat!) Clothing made from these fibers is very long lasting and 100% recyclable and biodegradable."

5.  What is important to Laurie when fiber shopping?  "Buying socially and environmentally responsible is also very important to me. On my search for natural fibers I discover wonderful companies, big and small, who are working hard to empower women. Any small thing we can do to reduce poverty and illness particularly for the children of the world is very important to me. People who produce natural fibers are also concerned with the environment, how to properly treat the animals, how to produce and dye wool with fewer or no chemicals, using plants to create yarns. These are the topics that I discuss on my blog." 

LINKS:
interview on Kanelstrand blog
Knit-a-Squillion Challenge
Do You Like My Hat?  etsy shop
Hands with Hearts yarn shop
Kitty's fiber journey BLOG  
facebook 
twitter 

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock!  See others' completed homework assignments HERE.  Come join in!  This week our letter is "Y."  Y is for Yarn!





photos © 2011  all rights reserved

xerophytic in xeric

Huh?

"I thought this was supposed to be a xenial blog!"  you say.

"It is!  It is!"  I retort.

You see, this week us Alphabe-Thursdayers are faced with the most difficult letter X.  I will explain my post title with just one photo below.   No, no need to be xenophobic.

a xerophytic pine grows in xeric conditions in Bryce National Park

Xeric shrublands receive an annual average rainfall of ten inches or less, and have an arid climate which is characterized by a strong moisture deficit.  Actually, annual potential loss of moisture from evapotranspiration can exceed the moisture received as rainfall. 

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock!  See others' completed homework assignments HERE.  Come join in!  This week our letter is "X."

I'm also linking up with SkyWatch Friday as well.  This awesome meme is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.  For beautiful skies all over the world, go HERE.




photo by me © 2010  all rights reserved   

tuckered out!

Earnest and Oliver amid a field of toys

Wordless Wednesday--where I linked up:

The Art and Tree Chatter of Aquariann 

Create with Joy

Sarah Halstead of the Naptime Montog

photo by me © 2012  all rights reserved