October 24 work in progress

A lack of work-in-progress pics doesn't always indicate a lack of work in progress.  Unfortunately, lately that has been the case, I've hardly had any time.  Not good!  It's feeling like a mad rush to get that danged chicken house finished before winter weather sets in permanently, and before show season start.  I'm just so slow!  I've been spending lots of whole days out there and then I stand back and think "that's all I got done?!"  It's already been rainy, so I'm sincerely hoping that all my nice young cockerels (still down in Wilton) are still going to be in show condition, because the first show is coming up in just a few weeks.  I'm hoping to bring up some of the birds next week so I can show, we'll see how it goes.  I so badly just want the whole thing to be finished!!!  It's getting there, and looking good!

Anyway, I finally am getting in a pretty good day in the studio today and finished up the bird and fence rail.  Next up is the background.  This is shaping up to be quite pretty!  :-)

not yet titled (I need to think of something!  Dale, got any ideas?)
colored pencil and graphite on gray Stonehenge paper
8 by 11 inches
sold, custom

saw the hawk again!!!!

I was walking back to the barn to eat lunch and there it was, soaring overhead!  So I ran for my camera!  (This is the only time I ever run, by the way, to get my camera).  ;-)

Again, it was really high, so these are NOT great pics, but this is enough to say absolutely yes it's a leucistic red-tailed hawk.  COOL!  Now if it would just come perch on the dead tree outside my bedroom window...

back to captcha

I'm fed up with comment spam.  I'm going back to the word verification.  I know one of you out there hates it.  Sorry.  Can't please everyone all the time but I am OVERWHELMED with comment spam ever since I took away the word verification.  Blogger is really good about not publishing it on the blog, but for some reason they still email every single one, and it's a lot, every day.

For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, it just means you have to type in that nonsense word when you comment.  Since hardly anyone comments, this shouldn't be a big deal, and most people find it to be a minor annoyance at the worst.

Apologies to whoever it annoys, but I'm tired of being the annoyed one.

[grumpy]

bird nerd alert!

So I'd just gotten back from the post office this afternoon, parked the car, and happened to catch a glimpse of a mostly-white bird of prey flying high over the pasture.  I immediately thought "white tailed kite" but when I actually turned and looked at it, OMG that was no kite.  It was big, soaring, and not marked correctly.  I got out and stared at it.  And stared some more, and was absolutely totally stumped.  Nearly white, some dark markings, but no recognizable pattern.  Soaring, and at least the size of a red tailed hawk.  I'm pretty good at bird ID but this didn't fit any description.  Pale ferruginous hawk maybe?  But even the back looked nearly white, which didn't seem right...  I figured my only hope, lacking any sort of "photographic memory" was to get my camera and try to get a pic.

I ran to the barn, had to change lenses, had to change the battery, and by the time I got downstairs again it was nowhere to be seen.  Dang it!  Oh, but there it was!  Waaaaayyyy up there in the sky, just a little white dot.  I shot a bunch of photos, most of which are blurry white specks, but even as crappy as they are, it's enough to see random dark feathers, asymmetrical markings, and a lack of any normal ID marks.

Best guess is that this is a partial-albino red tailed hawk.  I sent the pics to a friend whose judgement I trust when it comes to birds of prey.  Doing a little more research this evening, I've read that albinism is found in red tails.  I really hope to see this bird again, when I happen to have The Beast camera in hand!  Whatever it is, it's totally unlike anything I've ever seen.

October 12 work in progress

not yet titled (Buff Laced Polish)

colored pencil and graphite on gray Stonehenge paper

8 by 11 inches

sold, custom commission

October 10 work in progress

not yet titled (Buff Laced Polish)
colored pencil and graphite on gray Stonehenge paper
8 by 11 inches
sold, custom commission

scenes from lately

I heard this rumor that it's fall.  At least, that's what the calendar was talking about.  The weather didn't get the memo yet, we are having the last blast of summer, highs in the upper 90s lately.  It's not much fun, I really ready to be done with that.  There's all these lovely horses here, it's time for some riding weather!

I know you're probably wondering if my chickens are here yet.  Ummm, no.  I am the slowest most unskilled construction person EVER, so it's taking a long time.  That hot weather doesn't help, I need a long cool weekend!

I have a whole pile of photos that I've been meaning to post here, so let me go ahead and do that.  As you probably saw in the previous post, I've been questioning the blog a bit.  It's easy to fall off the blogging bandwagon, and it's easier to post quick little things on Facebook.  Ah, the lure of the quick and easy, right?  I'll really try hard to be better about posting stuff here too, but if there really are more than maybe five of you reading this, maybe say something now and then?  ;-)

I've gotten into the good habit of hiking around this place.  It's extremely pretty.  And extremely steep!  These are pics taken in the last 6 weeks or so.

I think there are enough bones scattered around to assemble a few cows...

It's been a hot and smokey summer.  Way to welcome me to the area, right?

When the trees start to turn brown it happens fast!

Down by the creek.

The creek, one of my favorite places.

Inside the smaller mine shaft.  This one's not too scary, it just goes straight back and it's not very deep.

The bigger mine shaft, which is super creepy.  It goes in and turns a corner, and there's definitely some animal living in there!  No thanks, yikes!

The bigger mine shaft.

That big oak tree in the middle is my favorite tree... so far.

Wouldn't it be a great picnic spot?  Who's gonna come visit me?  :-)

Same place as previous pic, but looking up the hill.

Pretty...

chicken versus egg

Do I not write much because I feel like hardly anyone reads it?

Or does hardly anyone read this blog because I don't write as often as I used to?

It's like asking whether the chicken or the egg came first...

(The egg, by the way.)  ;-)