Night Visitors

Can you see the glowing eye? This little owl and its friend landed on our steps the other night. My hubby came running in saying, "Get the camera!" Sorry the picture is a little blurry. I'm just getting used the my new camera, but I did manage to capture one of them on it. We've also been having flocks of little wood ducks fly in every evening to roost by our pond. It's funny to sit out at night and listen to them squeek; they don't quack like other ducks. They are too far away for me to get a good picture of them though. It's always a nature adventure around here.

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been working on the big mosaic project and just finished the main pieces and started installing them. I then have to tile the whole bathroom around them and paint the walls. I will definitely post pictures of it when I'm done.

Meanwhile, I have managed to make a little jewelry. Shawn at Silo Studios has requested that I make some colorful, funky pieces for the next show so that's what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm using some vintage junk as the focal pieces with some glass and fabric beads in some of the necklaces. I've been neglecting earrings...next I need to focus on that, and maybe some bracelets. Here are a few of the new ones.

Evading Gustav

I just got back from a family reunion at Gulf Shores, Alabama at 1:00 this morning. There was a mandatory evacuation because of Hurricane Gustav. We were supposed to leave today but had to cut it short. The trip was a blast in spite of the evacuation. There were 45 of us in one huge house! What an amazing gathering of people! I will post more later, but I wanted to tell about the coolest thing that happened there. On Saturday night the ocean was glowing! There is a phenomenon called bioluminescence.Here is an explanation taken from http://mips.stanford.edu/public/abstracts/hastings.pdf

“Ocean “phosphorescence”, commonly seen at night when the water is disturbed, is largely due to the dinoflagellates; they occur ubiquitously in the oceans as planktonic forms, responding to mechanical stimulation when the water is disturbed by emitting brief bright light. Light emission may be seen in the wake of a large ship for some 20 miles. About 20% of marine species are bioluminescent and many are photosynthetic. “ Red tides” are transient blooms of individual dinoflagellate species. Phosphorescent bays (e.g., in Puerto Rico, Jamaica) are persistent blooms of this type.

Since dinoflagellates are stimulated to emit light when predators (e.g., crustaceans) are active, predators on the crustaceans might thereby be alerted to feed on crustaceans, resulting in a reduced predation on dinoflagellates generally. Predation on dinoflagellates may also be impeded more directly; the flash could startle or divert a predator, allowing that cell to escape predation. The response time to stimulation (msec) is certainly fast enough to have this effect.”

I tried to take pictures of it but couldn't capture it, but I did find a Youtube video that shows what happens when you splash in the water. All of us ran down to the ocean and started swimming and splashing with the kids. I have always wanted to see this phenomenon but thought it only happened in tropical places but apparently it is fairly common.
I was so thrilled to finally experience it. That was one of those "bucket list" experiences.

Leaves

Even though summer isn't over, the leaves are starting to fall and make me think of autumn. I think I'll call this my autumn leaves collection.
Materials: copper, brass, and jasper

Etsy Treasury

Hurray! I got in my first Etsy Treasury! I'd put a picture of it but I'm not sure how.
Thanks to NewHopeBeads for featuring me. A portion of her proceeds goes to benefit the In Partners With God Food Pantry.

City, Stream, and Stones

Our family excursion last weekend to East Tennessee was a blast! Fun was had by all. Our first stop was Chattanooga on Saturday where we went on a walking tour of the riverfront area. If you haven't been , you should consider a trip there. It is a beautiful area with plenty to do for all types of interests. My main interest, of course, was the arts district. We began our walk near the Hunter Museum of American Art. We didn't go in this time, I'll save that for the next visit. They have recently opened a walking bridge across the Tennessee River and that was our route to the arts district...amazing views all the way across.

This is the path coming down from the Hunter Museum

This is part of the Renaissance Park on the NorthShore. There is much more to it, such as a huge carousel and a fountain that has animals that spout water and water that comes from the ground and children and grown-ups play in it.

Hubby and meAll along the street, there are brass footprints with dance steps labeled.
The next one is called "The Kiss."

Hubby and I had to try it out.

This is a small art market that is a part of Art 'til Dark which is on every first and third Saturday, March through November.

This is the Winder-Binder Folk Art-Outsider Art Gallery


We spent the night in Etowah and then the next day we went to the Hiwassee River to go kayaking. It was a three and a half hour trip and the rapids are up to a class 2, which is not too dangerous but just challenging enough to be exciting.

Windsor in the rapids

Hubby in a calm part

Christina coming through the white water

Me, taking a break to look for stones, which I promptly brought home and made into jewelry.

Stones and textured copper

The rocks will cry out.

Sticks and stones

Here is a little finale...Windsor taking the hard way down into the water.

New Series

I have been working on some new necklaces based around some gemstone cabochons that I have had for several years. I didn't want to use bezels so I got an idea from a necklace that I made in college, to attach them with tabs cut from the surrounding metal. Here is what I've come up with.

I just listed the one above in my Etsy shop.

The one below was inspired by Steph, who sent me a beautiful Egyptian coil bracelet.

Trees

Trees

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Alfred Joyce Kilmer. 1886–1918