Kevin Hill-www.diy.fyi.com
Walt Curlee-oilpaintingideas.blogspot.com
Monthly Archives: November 2017
Update to Amber’s Thumbs Up Dog Toy List
kong-wubba-classic-toy
Amber asked me to put this toy on her first “Thumbs Up” Aggressive Chewer Dog Toy List several weeks ago. We bought it online at Chewy.com.
The life of this toy has been interesting. The first thing Amber did was chew the strap off that separates the top from the main squeaking ball. I thought this might be the end of this toy, but was I wrong!
She has squeaked this toy like mad for as long as we can stand it from time to time ever since, offering it for tug-of-war, trying to ‘break its neck’ by shaking it fiercely, and just chewing hard on it. It has lasted and lasted.
Today she finally got the big squeaky ball out. Is that the end of the toy? No!
She is still offering the tattered, sturdy purple part for tug of war, and is happily carrying the ball around squeaking it until we finally put it up for a bit.
Since nothing lasts forever, though. we just ordered another one as one of her ‘Christmas presents,’ to be presented when this one finally breathes its last.
GREAT toy for a dog who is really hard on toys, usually tearing one apart in just a few minutes.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Dog Products - Thumbs Up List, Family
When Wood Comes Alive- Take 17
“Tailing-Reds” – Chad Turner
sculptures-by-Fred-Cogelow-woodworkessence.com
Filed under Creativity, When Wood Comes Alive
“Wind River” – Movie Recommendation
country10.com
“Wind River is a 2017 American neo-Western murder mystery thriller film written and directed by Taylor Sheridan. The film stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker and an FBI agent, respectively, who try to solve a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Gil Birmingham and Graham Greene also star. According to Sheridan, the opening “inspired by true events” card[5] was a reference to the “thousands of actual stories just like it” involving sexual assault of women on reservations, his primary motivation for writing the film.[6]” ~ Wikipedia
This isn’t our usual type of movie, but we rented it because Jeremy Renner was starring.
This is a movie we feel is well worth watching. The story is strong, with strong women characters. The acting is first-rate. The scenery is incredible.
Filed under Book - Movie - TV Reviews
Time in My Art Room
Since working outside today wouldn’t be pleasant, I’m switching to indoor things, happy to have a warm, dry home.
I’m going to make a beef stew in the crock pot for tonight, serving it with low-carb garlic bread. THEN I’m looking forward to playing in my art room this afternoon. I’m still working on Christmas presents for friends, plus I have a couple of ideas rattling around in my head I’d like to try.
I hope that you are doing something fun today.
Filed under Bright Ideas, Childlike Fun
Oil Landscapes I Like – Take 4
A189-Linda Voorhees-pinterest.com
Walt Curlee-cool-oil-paintings.blogspot.com
Filed under Creativity, Landscapes I Like
Breakthrough
Amber is our 70+ pound yellow Labrador Retriever who was 8 months old on November 7th.
We are delighted that our animals are accepting each other more and more each day. Although Amber still makes the cats, Abby and Smoke, hiss and spit when she steps on them, or picks them up off the floor with her nose, mostly they no longer freak out when they’re all in the same room now. Molly, our Cocker Spaniel/Schnauzer cross, doesn’t try to vanish into thin air when Amber comes in, and they are actually having mock fights now, with a lot of dancing around and fierce growling.
This morning at breakfast, I was able to have Molly lick my bowl without Amber leaping up and taking over. This is a huge milestone. (Yes, I know that we shouldn’t feed the animals at the table, but this is a long-standing tradition.) We have Amber ‘get down’ on the floor between my husband and me, waiting for her turn. (Sometimes it’s as if she were on a trampoline, but she knows what we want her to do. If we ‘warn’ her with only the noise of the shock collar, she immediately gets down again.
My husband has cereal, and he gives each cat a chance to lap leftover milk when he is finished. This morning Amber stayed down while Molly was licking my bowl on her right,and both Abby and Smoke lapped milk on her left. My husband added a bit more milk to give to Amber because the cats finished the leftover. He started to put the bowl down for Amber and Smoke ran under his chair, straight to the bowl, wanting more. She was actually lapping milk from the bowl when my husband told Amber, “okay.” She looked down and saw Smoke. She seemed to think about it a second, and then very carefully eased down and started lapping right next to Smoke, not bothering her! As she is a big dog with a humongous tongue, Smoke finally eased away from the bowl, ceding it to Amber.
We were both relieved/amazed/impressed with Amber’s delicacy in not growling, snapping at the cat, or otherwise causing a bad event.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
What are You Thankful For? – Take
Colourbox
“I’m thankful for the doctor who fixed my heart.” — Jillian, age 12
Source: “Kids respond: What are you thankful for?” by Christina Holt
Filed under holidays
Iris in November
With all the iffy weather we’re having lately, I cut these iris and brought them in for us to enjoy. I just couldn’t stand them to be beaten up by wind and rain and cold. They make me smile every time I go into the kitchen.
Filed under Gardening
November 14, 2017 Harvest
Isn’t this carrot cute? It’s about an inch and a half long. I pulled it up to see what the status was of the carrot seeds I sprinkled in the garden several weeks ago. I don’t know if I can keep the garden alive long enough to grow reasonable sized carrots, but these are the first I’ve tried to grow in a long time. I’ll definitely try to get some started in the greenhouse in February or so.
I have so much lettuce We probably won’t be able to eat it all. I’ll give some to my friends as I can. This is Simpson lettuce. The Bibb lettuce is also doing really well, but I’ll wait a bit longer to harvest some of that.
This is from the sole spinach plant I have in the garden. It makes a nice addition to salads. I’m looking forward to trying to get a bunch of spinach started in the greenhouse in late winter, along with lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions.
I have one tomato plant still alive on the window sill in the house. I don’t know if it will live or not, but I’m hopeful.
Filed under Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Fog
I took these pictures early this morning, but it still looks mostly the same out there now. It's 57 degrees, foggy and rainy today. As you look at the valley below our house, this is the leftmost part. Farther to the left is my husband's ham radio tower and my greenhouse.This is the center of the back. I love the other-worldliness the fog creates.
This is the rightmost part of the view. Beyond this, is our propane tank, the shop, and finally, my garden. Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Carl Sandburg
Filed under Arkansas, Greenwood, Mother Nature
Oil Landscapes I Like – Take 3
khmerpainting.wordpress.com
pictify.saatchigallery.com
Filed under Creativity, Landscapes I Like
Nature’s Bounty
“Ducks” – Paul Militaru Photography
“In Flight” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
“Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain…”
funny-quotes.picphotos.net
We awoke to an easy, quiet rain this morning, just as our weather forecasters said we would. They are saying we’ll have rain off and on through Friday. It’s a very good thing I pushed myself to do leaf blowing and mulching yesterday. I spent 4 hours, filling TWO 39-gallon bags with mulch. So many more leaves have fallen since I cleaned up that it’s hard to tell where I worked!
I’ll wait until the leaves dry again and try to do at least one more good session of mulching. Meanwhile, if the weather will cooperate, I’ll concentrate on cleaning out the flower planters and filling them up to the brim with mulch for the winter. Happily, I have more and more perennials each year. The mulch helps them get through the winter here and happy to bloom again in the spring.
Later today I will try to harvest some lettuce. I’ll plan to show you pictures.
Life is full of beauty. Notice it.
Notice the bumble bee, the small child,
and the smiling faces.
Smell the rain, and feel the wind.
Live your life to the fullest potential,
and fight for your dreams.
– Ashley Smith
Filed under Arkansas, favorite poems, Greenwood, Mother Nature
Good Workout
If anyone asks you, blowing leaves into piles, then picking them up and putting them in the mulcher is a really good workout. I’ve only been working an hour and I’m pooped.
I have to say that this is a perfect day for leaf gathering and mulching. The temperature is 62 degrees F. with a slight breeze, and mostly overcast. If you’re just sitting out there, it’s chilly. If you’re working like a stevedore, like I am, you’re still sweating, but the breeze cools you off when you stop.
I have half a 39 gallon bag of usable mulch so far. This has been through the mulcher twice and is ready to put into the flower planters. I’ve used the leaf blower to make another humongous pile of leaves, but I’m resting and drinking lots of water before going out again. The task is endless, but I’m going to TRY to clean up the civilized part of the front yard today. Since it’s supposed to be rainy Tuesday through Friday, that’ll probably be it for the week.
I can’t begin to tell you how filthy I am. I sat down in my computer chair and there was a ‘huff’ with fine leaf powder that poofed out. I’m like that all over. Needless to say, I’ll hit the shower when my energy is sapped and work outside for the day is finished.
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, exercise, Gardening
“Wild Fruits”
“Wild Fruits 1” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Wild Fruits 2” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Oil Landscapes I Like – Take 2
hagermanart.com
Simon Kenny’s Paintings-www.etsy.com
Filed under Creativity, Landscapes I Like
Maniac Mulcher
I THINK the leaves are dry enough today that I can blow them into piles and put them through our leaf mulcher. If they aren’t, I’ll have to wait until NEXT week, since the rest of the week here is supposed to be rainy.
I just finished unhooking and gathering the extension cord we’ve been using for the greenhouse. This was a job, because we had TWO 75 foot HEAVY extension cords linked together to get from the house to the greenhouse. I THINK I have the greenhouse ready for winter now. My basic book for using a greenhouse says that I can extend my growing season in the spring by starting seeds for hardy plants, such as broccoli and cauliflower, in mid February, and most other early spring plants, such as lettuces, spinach and such at the beginning of March. Until then, things will be idle out there, though I’ll get out and try to organize for seed planting soon.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to do things like final weed whacking, clean up, mulching, pruning, etc. to get ready for winter. I’ll also harvest lettuce from the raised bed, square foot garden. I have two kinds of lettuce, Bibb and Simpson, carrots and celery left.
Right now, we have so many leaves in the front yard, you can hardly tell there is any grass under there.
This is our mulcher.
We attach a 39 gallon trash bag to the bottom part (orange). We dump the leaves in the top and run the mulcher to put the mulched leaves into the bag. Then I run the bag full again, because the first time doesn’t get nearly as small as I would like. Then the bags go into the garage until I have the flower planters cleaned out, and then I’ll fill them up with the mulch we’ve made.
This time of the year, it’s all I can do to try to get everything outside done, so I’m not doing yoga or my elliptical trainer until things are under control.
I hope the weather where you are is cooperating with your plans today.
Filed under Arkansas, Gardening, Greenwood, Mother Nature, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
What are You Thankful For? – Take 6
“I’m thankful for the USA, family and summer.” — Ava, age 9
Source: “Kids respond: What are you thankful for?” by Christina Holt
Filed under holidays
Oil Landscapes I Like – Take 1
blog.orangecarton.com
joedonaghy65.blogspot.com
Filed under Creativity, Landscapes I Like
What are You Thankful For? – Take 5
new-hdwallpaperz.blogspot.com
“I’m thankful for my mommy, my daddy, my sister, my brothers and horses.” — Emily, age 9
Source: “Kids respond: What are you thankful for?” by Christina Holt
Filed under holidays
creativeartworksblog 