Birds (Bentsen Park)

Hello, everyone.

Now that we have an annual pass, we're going to Bentsen Park quite a bit. It's allowing us to see how things change over time...mostly, how the birds react to the conditions of the day.

Yesterday we saw quite a few birds early on, but then they took to cover and stayed there. A hawk flew over--possible explanation. The border helicopter flew over from time to time--the birds at the feeders don't like heli motors, it looks like. They got all jumpy when they heard it, but kept eating anyway.

Anhinga (also called "snake bird")

 We almost got to the resaca too late for all the action!

This n That

Hello, everyone.

We are somewhat behind in our training at this point. The weather was soupy and foggy and misty on Friday, too, so we didn't get out then either.

On the plus side, I'm using up fabric stash a little bit faster right now.

This is another apron. Aprons use up fabric faster than fidget mats--but there is still one of those in progress too. (I'm in the midst of hand stitching the back of the binding down and then it will be done.) This apron is using up some metallic-printed fabric, the eggs and chicks print, and also a big chunk of polka-dotted light green. The next green polka-dotted apron, about half done now, will use a green and yellow and purple violas on white print for the pocket and waist tie.

After that, it might be time to make a quilt that has been requested by DD2. Elephants? Grays, blacks, reds? We'll see.

DH has been working on a project of his own: peanut stick bird feeders. It started when he measured the ones at Bentsen State Park last week.

The feeder was empty and we took the opportunity to see how big it is and how it's hung from the holder. That is one fat eye-bolt.

We do, as it happens, have some pieces of wood around that would do nicely for this project. If it comes out, there will be updates!

More at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Hello, everyone.

We went back to Bentsen Park for some walking the other day--it's close by, and it's interesting--and discovered that even peanut butter sticks can't get birds to come out if something has them skittish.

When we got there, there were no chachalacas at the feeding station by the entrance, but there was a small herd of javelinas.

This was right by the entrance gate. Javelinas were the only creatures in sight.

There were some chachalacas at the bird blind. They were skittish, too, and left in a very few minutes.

On our way out, we chatted with the volunteer and she told us that few minutes earlier a hawk had emerged from a nearby shrub. That does explain why there were so few birds to be seen.

(We walked about 3 miles that day.)

Return to theYturria Tract

Hello, everyone.

As y'all know, we've begun our walking training. On Monday we drove over to the Yturria tract again. The previous time we had been there, it had recently rained. The main trail/road into the area was swamped pretty close to the front. We hadn't brought wading boots that day, so we headed for home. On Monday the weather had been dry for a while.

Things at the west end of the county were really dry. And there were almost no butterflies.

One of the few butterflies. Notice how the leaves on his twig are all folded in against the wood. That's one of the native shrubs' drought adaptation at work.

 This cardinal was the only bird that was willing to hold still in the open. There were a lot of really skittish birds, though, hiding in tree foliage and shrubs while they ate berries. We couldn't figure out why they wouldn't hold still for the camera.

Block Play, and Layout Play

Hello, everyone.

I was looking at Pinterest and saw an interesting block, one that is new to me. It was called Greek Key. The link led to Marcia Hohn’sQuilters’ Cache. In following it, I learned some new things about an old standard block: Log Cabin.

 I knew that Ms. Hohn had a Log Cabin pattern on her site, but I'd never looked at it in any detail. That was a mistake.

I have in the past used Log Cabin blocks to form larger patterns, treating the squares as a form of half-square triangle optically speaking. It gives the look of many triangles, but all the seams are either straight of grain or straight cross-grain, and while the pressing can become a mass of little things, everything does eventually. Also, and for my personality this is key, you can freely get scrappy! All you need to do is to sort your scraps by the key value that you are varying: Blues-dark, blues, medium, Blues-light, whites was one set of groupings I used.

There were the diagonal lines marching down the quilt face. There was the Christmas tree wall hanging. 

Wall hanging for Christmas season.
Center of the tree was plain blocks. Shape was created by Log Cabin blocks.
Also an applique of a pieced star for the top!

A bird in town this morning

Hello, everyone.

I looked out the back window today around 7 a.m. and, just behind the carport, I saw this bird:

He's perching in the neighbor's live oak tree. He was studying the whole field carefully. I guess he wanted to find some breakfast!

A Project Completed

Hello, everyone.

The newest Stash Fidget Mat is done.

This should take washing okay--that is, the ribbons might get a little rumpled, but the bird is fleece and should be fine. The 1-decade rosary hanging from the hanger strip is removable (has a catch) as it was originally made to be a bracelet type of rosary. The beads are golden-toned wood with brown decorations, and a pressed glass cross at the end.

The bird is stuffed by the method shown at Needle n Thread by Ms. Corbet. It should be completely resistant to shifting, as the lift is provided by pieces of fleece under the outer bird. (The bead eye is held by three stitches for security.)