Shrunken Heads ~ Hours Of Fun

Me an' me maties be finishin' up ar shrivaled up shrunken heads last night.

Truth be told, me mutter, sis an' this scallywag wench be gittin' mighty silly w' it thar .

 We be makin' it dark except fer ar wee handy flashlanterns

Then we cleaver hags be makin' up dancin' routines an puttin' on shows with 'em

ta spooky Halloween tunes of course . . . 

And we be hysterical

All ye buccaneers be serious an' watching th' game

but broke free long enough to judge our heads fer us

Each chose different favrites 'n we was all winners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was my parents last night with us, so it was nice to share

our last dinner together and so many laughs. 

They left  this morning.

I was hoping they'd stay through Halloween,

but with the cold snap and dusting of snow here, 

the warmer climate beckons them.

It was a wonderful three weeks.

I am very grateful for

them and their visit.

Love you Mom & Dad!

Time for me to stay busy and get some work done here.

Tomorrow I will hang 19 of my watercolor paintings

in a three month solo show at The Samaritan Hospice Gallery

at the Virtua Hospital in Mt. Holly, NJ..

I haven't been posting much since my folks were here. We were Busy Busy Busy!

I just want to thank everyone who came out to my Apple Festival and Cranberry Festival shows. They were both very successful and I was able to significantly lighten my load. This was due in large part to you friends and collectors who showed your support by continuing to believe in me and my work.

Thank you, thank you very much!!

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."  ~ G.K. Chesterton

ARRRRRRGH ! ! !

Wishin' Ya a Hauntingly Happy Halloween!!

Shiver me timbers and blow me down! Autumn leaves ar a flyin' round here, matey! An' so is th' time!! ERARRRR! Me be stoppin' by just a wishin' all ye witches, wenches, zombies, ghouls, ghosts, monsters and scallywags a weekend o' Halloween Hauntings and Frightnin', Fall Festivities!

And avast, if ye could muster just a wee bit o' extra Hell Raisin' while yer out there, it'd be greatly pleasin' to this ole' salty sea hag, ARRRAGH !! Have yerself a fun-filled Halloween, me Hearties!

Happy Halloween Me Hearty

"Ahoy, me folks now be at port with ther' great grand landfarin' furner ship! Me buccaneer pappy turns 81 today and me sweet swashbucklin' ma be turnin' 79 in th' week." 

"Aye, what fun lovin' landlubbers, the 'ole farts be too! Blow me down me hearty, it be an excitin' Countdown to Halloween filled w' plenty hearty piratude cheer 'round here!" 

"An' here' be a special shot fer me Witchy Wiccan friends . . ." 

"And fer all ya cat lovers out yonder too . . . "

"ERRR, me an' me mates be a makin' some freaky fruity shrunk'n heads 'ere . . . "

"Aye. . .  but maybe me sprogs be leavin' 'em in me oven a bit too long thar! Ya think? oh 'ell. . . "

"Avast, an' shiver me timbers ya scallywags! Th' Countdown to Halloween still be continuin' all th' while 'ere, ERRRR!! Jus' checkin' in w' a big AHOY THERE MATEY from me playfully, piratey piney woods port, ARRRGH. . . "

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"There comes a time in every rightly constructed kid's life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure."  ~ Mark Twain

"It is never too late to have a happy childhood."  ~ Tom Robbins

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older."  ~ Tom Stoppard 

Kirby's Mill Apple Festival ~ Saturday, October 8th 2011

I've spent the week sorting, shooting, matting, framing, planning, packing and getting ready for my first art show of the season .  . . AND . . . . Y A Y . . .  No rain in the forecast!! I am thrilled and very thankful! Last year it was cold and damp with some drizzle in the afternoon. The year before was the same, but in 2008, what a fine day it was!! People were out enjoying the beautiful Fall weather and the work of artists and craftspeople selling Handmade In America, one- of-a-kind works.

Of course, the Apple Festival is also about the apples too.  It doesn't have a whole lot of variety, food wise, except for the apples. It's apples galore, from cider donuts and apple pies, to cider and apple ice cream. It's a Mecca for apple lovers of all ages.

License This Image From My iStock Portfolio

On a nice day, I've seen people come out in droves to the Kirby's Mill Apple Festival. There's live entertainment, demonstrations and tours of the mill.  It's unique, meandering, country setting gives the festival a nice relaxed vibe. I really need to lighten my load, especially since I only had one show last year.  I'm doing some sales and specials. If you need art, now's the best time to get the best selection and price from me. My print special , Buy Two, Get One Free, is a darn good deal. Christmas is creeping up on us pretty fast this year. I always feel better if I start thinking about it before Thanksgiving. So get out of the house tomorrow, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air! Come to Kirby's Mill, in Medford, NJ. Walk, relax, eat and do a little shopping. If you mention that you saw this blog post or you read about it on Facebook, I will give you 20% off any originals' price.

Kirby's Mill Apple Festival - 2008

This could be my first and last show of 2011, as it was in 2010. You never know what the weather's going to do this time of year, or any time of the year these days.

Cranberry Festival - 2008

Now,  two days of warm, sunny beautiful weather for next weekend's show, the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival would be another truly amazing blessing.

R. I. P. Steve Jobs

"Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011, was an American computer entrepreneur and inventor. He was co-founder,chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc."

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, May 31, 2007

"The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come." ~ Bill Gates

 "Steve Jobs was the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison. He put the world at our fingertips." ~ Steven Spielberg

"Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world." ~ Barack Obama

Jobs at the 2008 Macworld Conference & Expo

Rufous Hummingbirds Still Here in NJ

As of this morning, there was still at least one Rufous Hummingbird here at The Sandarosa in Southern NJ. I estimate that there are (or were) at least four individuals that have had a few days lay over here in Hummer Land. I tried to get some shots of the buggers, but they are so fast, they put the Ruby-Throats to shame.  They are very shy and only seem to come to the feeders in low light; very early morning or dusk. They barely hover. They zip into the feeder, sit and rest, drink for a few minutes and then lickety-split, they are gone again! I bet that there are a lot of them coming this far East these days, it's just that people haven't noticed them yet. They are just so secretive!

According to the map,  they now are "infrequently" wintering in the South-Eastern US. See a map here. With lots of folks getting into the hummingbird habit, there's a lot more food sources out there for the little cuties than there used to be. So all you Eastern Hummer Lovers, beware! Keep your feeders filled, your binoculars and cameras handy and eyes peeled! Those travelers at your feeders may be juvenile Rufous Hummingbirds that have just flown in from as far away as British Columbia or the Rocky Mountains! You peeps in the Southern States may just get some resident winter snowbirds if you treat them right!! Here's another article on the newly discovered Eastern  distribution of the Rufous Hummingbird. I am posting a few of my terrible photos here, taken through my window, just to prove that I am not making this up.

A Rufous Hummingbird in NJ

OMG! Just had to tell someone . . . I'm so excited because I just saw a Rufous Hummingbird here in Southern NJ!! Normally, east of the Mississippi, only Ruby -Throated Hummingbirds are seen. He looked just like this little guy I found on Wikimedia Commons! Some other unusual looking ones are zooming around here today but I haven't gotten a chance to get a close-up look at any.  They really are a bunch of wild ones!! They are not coming to my feeders or plants very much but I can see and hear them in the trees, bushes, flowers and on the edge of the woods. It's obvious that they are gorging themselves on tiny bugs! I hope they eat mosquitos!

October First ~ Let The Fall Fun Begin!

Most of my flowers and hummingbirds of summer have come and gone.

There are a few hearty souls in my yard that are thriving.

Bubba bird has departed, yet there are several others still lingering.

Cooler weather has seemingly given some plants revived strength.

And the flowers and decorations of the new season are starting to appear.

October is the time for me to go into soup making mode.

We love soup, salad and a good crusty bread for delicious hearty meal and so do my friends and family. I just made a big pot of this Ham and Broccoli Soup yesterday and served it to my hubby and sister-in-law, Patty, who is visiting us from California. They both loved it. She asked for the recipe, so here it is. I always follow soup recipes VERY loosely and rarely measure the ingredients. Instead of a recipe, it is more like a suggestive guide. This is a very tasty and easy one to start with. I always make a huge amount and and freeze some in plastic quart containers. (I use the ones that take-out Chinese soup comes in.) You can write the date and description on the lid with a sharpie marker. That way, I always have a nice variety of quick meals in the freezer. Just put a little water in a pot with the soup block and simmer slowly until it's hot.YUMMM! I do not add the noodles to the soup as suggested in this recipe, but cook them separately and add them to individual bowls before serving. This way, the soup doesn't get all starchy and mushy. Also, if you freeze the soup, do it without the starch! You can add potatoes, noodles or rice for more variety when you defrost it.

And aye, ahoy me hearties, blow me down, me ol' pal Cap'n Hook has come to spend October with meself and me whole scurvy scallywaggin' crew!

So, Yo Ho-Ho, and a bottle of rum, hope yer plannin' to be joinin' this sea wench here and all the fun-lovin' sea fairin' and landlubbin' witches, goblins and buccaneers who'll be celebratin' the Countdown to Halloween 2011. Have yerself a fun filled fall day matey! ARRRRR!!