Ducks in a row....

My goal for 2012 was to post 100 posts. This is my 100th post. So, next year will be....well more than that. So what are your goals? Do you want to try something new? End something? 

A new year a new look!

It's a new year and we are going for a new look. Soooooo what do you think?

Snow and oaks

The snow lingers in the shadow of the oaks.

Carolina Chickadee, your go to bird

 This Chickadee is 4.75"-5".  In Oklahoma they are here year round.

 

Where there are Chickadees you will often see the Tufted Titmouse. On the day this photo was taken....yesterday...there were Tufted Titmice hang with them.

 So what do Chickadees eat? They eat a variety of food including seeds (they love black oil sunflower seeds), nuts, fruits, insects and will even visit your suet feeders.

So when it comes to cute birds....Chickadees are your go to bird!

Photographing snowflakes, it's a beautiful thing.

 

 

 

It snowed today. I did not even know it was going to snow. I always carry my camera with me sooooooo I went outside and started taking photos. As you see I caught some snowflakes.

 

 

The snowflake near the center is melting. 

Christmas bird count

We are so excited! We got our quad assignment for the Christmas bird count. We will do the count then turn in our bird count numbers. This info along with all the other bird counts are passed on to the scientists...ornithologist...They track populations and distribution of birds. Anyway...this means more photos for me! Oh yes!

Edward Harris

Here is a photo of Edward Harris.

The Harris’s Sparrow was named after him.

A cute Harris's Sparrow.

Here in Oklahoma we are lucky to get the Harris's Sparrow during the winter. This little guy is hunkered down to stay warm.

The Harris's Sparrow is the largest and heaviest of the sparrows. They do not nest here; they travel to Canada for that. Another tidbit....they get their name from Edward Harris. He was one of John James Audubon’s best friends and most ardent financial supporter. They went on a couple of birding trips together. Harris's bird collection is now on display at the Smith-Cadbury Mansion by the Historical Society of Moorestown, NJ. The collection (on loan from the Academy of Natural Sciences) went on display this past October and will be there until Feb. It would be soooooo awesome to go see that collection!



Merry Christmas

 We had a white Christmas this year. It was fantastic!

This was actually the best Christmas in a few years....Why?

I did not have to work the night before (until 4 am) or the night of Christmas.

 



On my way to 100

Snowy Egret

 

 

We are headed towards our goal of 100 posts for the year. After this post we have nine more to hit the goal. Our original goal was to beat last year’s total, so we already are ahead.

Small town (lucky) charms

My mother and I went on a little day trip. Our mission was to explore a small town and find what treasures it may hold. Needless to say we hit the Mother-load! Ending up in Minco, Oklahoma, we explored downtown, the armory, and a great hardware store named Woodworth's.

 Minco is a small town with a lot of charm. Woodworth's, rumor has it, will be closing their doors for good. I do not know any details about when they will be closing. Walking inside the store you are instantly transported to the past. You can find so many things there. I bought a rolling pin, copper wire, some brass washers, a box of flies (for fly fishing) and other wonderful things.

 

After we were done at the hardware store we traveled to the Armory.

It is a wonderful old building, kind of spooky but I can not tell you why.

 

 

If you get a chance to get out and about think about a trip to Minco. They have a honey fest and craft show every November. During the honey fest they let people go through the honey processing company. There is even a cotton gin that was giving tours the day we were there.

Bewick's Wren...one cute bird!

Oh, check out this cute little guy. He was hopping about as I was filling the feeders this morning. The Bewick's Wrens wait for the peanuts and tree nuts that I put out for them. On tomorrow's menu are a bunch of mealworms! Oh joy, what a tasty treat!

Garden plans for 2013

 So I've started making plans for my 2013 garden and backyard renovation. Having re-pinned a lot of ideas on pinterest I can start mapping out these plans. I figure it will take around five years to make it look the way I want it to. By having this five year plan I can work on it a little at a time..... and not go broke in the process. This planning process is the hardest part!

My first love, of the bird variety.

It's a bit funny to think about my first favorite bird.

It is a tossup between the American Robin and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

My grandmother really enjoyed feeding and watching birds. Working at OU she would often see George M. Sutton around campus and they would talk about birds. Growing up we would spend a lot of time at her house. She fed birds and we were in charge of filling the feeders and washing the bird bath. She lived outside of town. Having had many acres, we spent hours upon hours playing outside. We made forts, tree houses and generally getting very dirty and having a wonderful time. We filled the hummingbird feeders and watched as a lot of hummingbirds consumed the nectar that she had made. My grandmother died several years ago. Her house has been sold twice since her death. The new owners have changed not only the inside but outside of the house as well. My mother has her bird book that she had recorded her sighting and dates. I have her bird bath. When I think of my grandmother (which is everyday) I think of the birds and most often, the hummingbirds.

American Robin

There was a song about a Robin we would sing in elementary school, I don't remember how the song goes. The Robin is easily identifiable and is often associated with spring. Robins, in Oklahoma, are here year round. In the fall and winter I often see Robins with the Cedar Waxwings. Both types of birds are looking for the same kind of food, fruits and invertebrates. I have also seen them at the same water source. When I used to work in my grandmother's garden there would be a Robin sit near and watch the happening.

So what bird is my favorite now?

There is no way to answer that question.

I spend at least 7 hours a day talking about birds and wildlife. I help people decide what feeders, seeds/ food, and nesting boxes will meet their birding needs. Yes it is the best job in the world. I blog, facebook, and tweet about birds and get paid to do so. Sweet! Most Sundays I am out in the field birding....and taking photos.There is no way to pick my favorite bird. It is usually the bird I am seeing through my lense.

Do you know what this is?

Bodark, Horse apple, Osage orange

 

If you know what this is you probably grew up in or around Texas or Oklahoma.We grew up seeing these odd shaped fruits. When you cut this fruit open there are seeds inside. The squirrels LOVE the seeds.

The tree is thorny.

It is used as a wind block.

Bows are made from this tree.

It reminds me of growing up here in Oklahoma



Spring is only months away......

It's kind of wrong for me to say this, but I already miss warmer weather and can't wait until spring. I have so many plans for the garden and re-doing the backyard. But I will wait and keep making my plans.

A Lesser Yellowlegs

Here is a Lesser Yellowleg.

 

 

Now for something completely different:

 

We are working on new rubber stamp samples and should be posting them soon. Our new catalog will be finished early spring. Stores will get our fresh catalog in March/early April. We have a few new tricks up our sleeves...we have been thinking outside the box. We, of course, welcome samples at any time. Monica sent us some great Valentine cards that we will post starting next month. Thank you to everyone for your support this year! You all rock!

Hangin' with the Homies

This Photo was taken at the Great Salt Plains.

Checkered White Butterfly

Here is a Checkered White Butterfly (Pontia protodice). I took this photo this morning....well...it's 2am so I actually took it yesterday morning. It was Dec. 2nd....75 degrees. Wow....I also saw dragonflies. Usually it is a bit chillier this time of year. I do not ever remember seeing butterflies this late in the season.....or maybe I just never noticed.....
Oh, and yes I do need hand cream.