My Yard and Mini Wildlife Preserve

Yesterday was a beautiful April day. The sun shone warm and the wind blew cold. With pocket camera in hand, I took inventory of Spring's progress.

I hung my giant hummingbird wind sock. A most appreciated and enjoyable gift that I received last year from friends, Dorrie and Dave.

Jerry keeps the wild bird feeders coming and filled. He's been making these flat plate feeders that the Cardinals and other finches just adore.

He purchased this Thistle feeder last week. It looks like an alien and took the birds a few days to get used to. It holds ten pounds of seed and even came with spare socks! We figure it will accommodate about 30 Goldfinches at a time.

My Lily Of The Valley have sprung up over night after our 80 degree day here on Wednesday! Oh, don't you just love how they smell?

The Butterfly Bushes are starting to grow like weeds.

Jerry brought me a couple of hanging Begonia so I now have some color at my studio entrance.

The hens and chicks that my mom and I transplanted last summer look strong and healthy! I moved them under the eave of the house in mid winter as they were looking really peaked.

A late blooming tulip amongst the LOV.

The Daffodils and other early perennials in the South facing front yard are past peak.

My beds need weeding and mulching. The Pampas Grass is starting to get new stalks.

Today the first female hummers have arrived! I am so pleased to see that they look plump and healthy. Perhaps almost ready to start laying eggs!

I hope you enjoyed this early spring stroll around my yard here at The Sandarosa. It's not Birds And Blooms material, but it is our little slice of heaven and we love it here.

A Hummingbird for Every Home!

I have not heard any reports from my friends of hummingbird sightings, although they should be coming in any day now! I saw my first a week ago. I've got several here now, so that means I probably have six or eight individuals so far. The rule of thumb is that however many you can see at one time, multiply the number times four and that's the approximate number of birds you have. Like I mentioned on FB, they are more interested in setting up their territory and catching bugs than in drinking sugar water right now.


Oh, hummingbird, most magical and mysterious creature! Last year with so many here (well over 100), for the first time in my many years of hummer watching, I got a real taste of what I call the "flocking nature" of the hummingbirds. One group would zoom in, hang out for twenty minutes or so, then they were off. Shortly thereafter another totally different group would come in, rest, drink up and catch a few snacks before taking off again like a flock of blackbirds. The flocking behavior became very evident late in the season when all the birds were getting ready to head back south for the winter. I am excited to imagine what mysteries and discoveries might present themselves this year!

Viking Cooking School At Harrah's Resort

Last night I did something completely different! Meet our new friend, Chef Amanda.

My riding buddy, Betsy and I took a three hour cooking class at The Viking Cooking School at Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.


Betsy is always so much fun to be with, needless to say, WE HAD A BLAST!!


There were fifteen in the class and we cooked four different courses.

We were grouped into teams of four cooks each. We were team #1 and only had three. Betsy and I REALLY lucked out when accomplished chef, Davyd joined up with us.


We ended up being Davyd's sous chefs which we throughly enjoyed. (The sous chef is the head chef's assistant, and he/she does all the 'dirty work' for the chef, however, in the Viking kitchen, there was absolutely no dirty work since everything was pre-portioned and ready for each station.) And no clean up what so ever!!


Davyd was very diplomatic and made sure Betsy and I got plenty of turns to contribute.


We learned the proper way to chop with a big sharp knife. (I have no idea who the guy in the background giving the peace sign is.) The school is all glass enclosed and people often stop and watch, as we had done many times in the past.


We didn't take much notice of the spectators. Our husbands said they came by and stood there for a while, but we were having such a good time and laughing so much we never saw them.


Did I mention that I only had a piece of pizza to eat all day? Boy was my mouth watering!

The evening went by so fast, that before we knew it, it was time for us to enjoy the fruits of our labors. What a wonderful time and a delicious gourmet meal we all enjoyed!


Our charming instructor, Chef Amanda, served us graciously, entertained us and taught us well. Betsy and I are already talking about making this a regular thing. Since they have a wide variety of class offerings and menus that are always changing, I'm sure we'll be back in class again real soon!

The Hummingbirds Are Here ! !

Now license this image here.

O.M.G. - I JUST SAW MY FIRST HUMMINGBIRD!! A tall handsome male was just seen taking a long drink at the feeder. Once again friends, I am in Hummer Heaven!!

This image available for license.

The Hummingbirds Are Coming!

I awoke last night from a vivid dream. The hummingbirds just kept coming to me. At first just one, then another, and another, and another. Where were the feeders? They were buzzing all around my house and all around the shepherd's hooks where I hang the feeders. Little dark flashes of green with a splash of bright red kept streaking past my immediate and peripheral vision. They were flying back and forth in front of my windows. They were hitting the glass with their bodies and making loud squeaking noises with their tails like they do when they are courting the ladies. I know they have been spotted in our area by the Hummingbirds.net Migration Map, so I took the dream seriously and got my first feeder up this afternoon.

It looks kinda lonely, but in a month, the whole yard will be alive. Look at the Butterfly Bushes now, just starting to bud in the background here. I cut them back about a month ago.



If anyone would like more information on attracting, caring for and feeding hummingbirds, go to my Squidoo Lens; Five Steps To Happy Hummers. Don't delay! Now is the time to get your Hummingbird Haven set up!

Body Clipping By SnapDragon Stables

My 31 year TB/Paint, Rudy, is one of those horses that looks like a Shetland Pony even after wearing a heavy blanket all winter long. Each year, his coat gets longer and thicker and it takes forever to shed out, despite his daily medication for Cushing's Disease. The past few years, he suffered with near heat stroke during those heat waves we experienced here on the East Coast. Two weeks ago, I decided to Google "body clipping in Southern NJ". Boy, we really lucked out when SnapDragon Stables came up in the search! Their prices are very reasonable, they are experienced horse owners and are only a few miles from my place!
Here's a photo of my good friend Betsy (his 2nd rider) and Rudy a month ago. He looks like a big fuzzy bear. Look at those stumpy legs!

The 16H Shetland, before the makeover.

Ginger and Lauren went right to work uncovering the horse beneath the hair.



OMG - His legs still have a shape! It was like getting a brand new horse.

The time goes quickly as the transformation continues.

If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I'd swear it was a different animal!!

Here's a photo of the horse I used to know! Just look at that big bucket of hair he was hiding under!

We've had some wintery weather since the clipping, but rest assured, he is kept warm. He's got three blankets on in this photo.


I was so happy with the great job the girls did, the next day they came back and I got Rita body clipped too. Not nearly as dramatic, but will save me a lot of work.

Lauren and Ginger, thank you for a GREAT job and for a shed-free, allergy and maintenance reduced riding season!!! We all give you a stellar recommendation!

Here's a photo of Betsy and Rudy last week with the new spring/summer look.

Happy Happy Shed-Free Spring!!

P.S. SnapDragon Stables also offers riding lessons and "Affordable Horseplay" for children and beginners in a fun, stress free environment. ♡

April Fool's Day Weather

Ah Ha! April Fools,

I will show you that Spring is not here today!

"It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor." ~ Max Eastman

Even the gods love jokes. ~Plato

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance." ~ Japanese Proverb

The Power Of Love

For the past month, I have been listening to Rhonda Byrne's Audio Book, The Power. I recommend it highly for those who are open to changing the way they think and deal with life. Through easy to grasp stories and lessons, it teaches how to harness the greatest force in the universe; love. Tuning into the highest frequency of love and gratitude will change your entire life! All you have to do is be happy 51% of the time and it can and will change your attitude and your life. Just try it for a week or so. Think more about what you love than what you don't love. If something is irritating or frustrating, think of things that make you happy; things you love. This attitude shift not only makes you feel better, your feelings, whether good or bad, like a magnet, will attract like situations, people and events into your life. If you are feeling good, you are giving love, if you feel bad, you are not.

Negative feelings come from a lack of love:

boredom, irritation, disappointment, worry, criticism, anger, hate, envy, guilt, despair, fear

Positive feelings come from love:

love, gratitude, peace, joy, passion, excitement, enthusiasm, hope, satisfaction

Spring Equinox, March 20th, 2011

FYI - This Sunday marks the Spring (or Vernal) Equinox. It officially brings the "First Day Of Spring" here in the northern hemisphere. Day and night will be about equal in length on March 2oth because the sun will be positioned above the equator all over the world.

Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

Spring is Coming!

Here comes Kokopelli, the hunch backed, flute playing, Native American cultural spirit of Spring! He chases away Winter with song and dance and ushers in Spring and fertility. ☺ YAY!

I'm currently putting together a collection of illustrated design elements for iStock. Isolated on white, these "spot illustrations" will be easily arranged by designers. Colorful and hand painted, my Kokopellis are intended to show off the granulation of pigments with the contrast of rough, hard and soft edges. In transparent watercolor, there is often magic in translucent color transitions. High resolution photos of them can really show that off. Here's a small area of the image above. The possibilities are endless.

A Winter Visit To Longwood Gardens

The day after we visited Old Philadelphia, we Sandy sisters headed off to Longwood Gardens. It was a cold and very windy day, quite a big difference from the day before! Fortunately we didn't have to do much walking outside.

Inside the greenhouses, it was warm, fragrant and colorful. The feeling of spring immediately lifted our spirits.

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." ~ Gertrude S. Wister

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom." ~ Terri Guillemets


"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." ~ Iris Murdoch


"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden." ~ Author Unknown

A Visit To Old Philadelphia

For my birthday ( week ☺), I suggested that my younger sister, Gaile, fly up from Florida for a visit. It didn't take a whole lot of coaxing since she really wanted to see some snow and had a "free" flight from Spirit Airlines. (Which ended up costing her around $100. round trip, but that's another story. Is anything ever really FREE?)

I picked Gaile up at the Atlantic City Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 15th. Boy how the time flew. Local sister, Denise Bush and I were wondering what we were going to do for entertainment while Gaile was visiting. Ha Ha, not to worry, we were busy non-stop the whole week!

With temperatures up in the high sixties during the day and no chance of snow for most of the week, Gaile had to make due with dirty snow piles and the little bit of virgin snow still covering my horse pasture.

Here are a few snapshots and highlights of a trip via the High Speedline to Philadelphia on Friday, February 18th. It was a wonderful day to tour the city as the temperatures climbed to almost 70 degrees in the afternoon! We started off with lunch at the historic and award winning, Old City Tavern.

We enjoyed delicious recipes passed down for centuries by famous colonists. I especially loved their custom brewed beer, homestyle biscuits and my crusty chicken pot pie. YUMM! I must go back again soon! This place is too good to be just for tourists!

After lunch we visited The Betsy Ross House, Elfreth's Alley and the National Liberty Museum.

Denise on left and Gaile on right in front of historic 18th century buildings.

We had an amazing day followed by a gourmet Lasagna dinner cooked at my house by Gaile. Having visitors always involves more cooking and eating, but it also gets you out exercising! Company gives us a break from our daily routines and makes us get out and enjoy life and take advantage of the local attractions!

The following Day was windy and cold, so we took a trip out to Longwood Gardens for some indoor Springtime pleasures. I'll post some highlights and photos from that trip here real soon!

Ancient Aliens and Earth's Most Mysterious Places

I love "Ancient Aliens" on the History channel on TV. This full length introduction gives you an overview of the entire 2010 series.



Episodes are based on ancient ruins, mysterious electromagnetic energy fields, and advanced technologies that date back over 14,000 years. Evidence indicates that more advanced than that of ancient Egypt, these cultures are much older than any scientists previously thought possible. This fascinating and powerful series has changed my view of Creator, angels, aliens, religion, celestial events and spirituality.

Here's a fifteen minute segment from the one I just saw this past week, Ancient Aliens - Underwater Worlds HD part 1.

FREE HUGS AROUND THE WORLD

I just watched this video again. I posted it to my facebook page last week because it made me cry when I watched it. This Italian account has 2,742,411 views and was uploaded in May of 2010. This leads me to believe that a lot of other people like hugging too! There are many versions of this, done over the years in different locations around the world which can be seen on YouTube. I'd love to try this sometime.

This second video is from September of 2006 and has 67,013,976 views. I think it is pretty good too. Which one do you like better and why?

More Wolf Killing Planned In Alaska

I just got a letter and petition from the Wilderness Society today that had an enormous amount of thought provoking replies. If you are concerned about wildlife protection and the connection between man vs. nature, I think it is worth the read.

This quoted passage showed up twice, so I thought I'd post it here.

"We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals.

Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth."

This is taken From the Outermost House by Henry Beston.