BACK YARD SENTINELS

I include the small painting of

the French Guinea Hens

that have patrolled my yard

from their neighboring home for

a few years now---the flock has

dwindled and they come not so frequently

now---I hope this summer to catch some

shots of them, but they remain skittish

and do their job of squawking and

letting all know of danger in the area---I

guess that would be me and my camera,

they figure is quite threatening.

Loyal Waiting

When I see dogs waiting for their

owners to return, it always promotes

a reaction of admiration for the dog's

loyalty-----the very fiber of their being,

seems to be intent on the "return" Their eyes

dart around, their paws dance a bit, no wind

can deter the stance.....

BACK DOOR FLOWERS

One of my favorite things to

photo are doorways and that

catagory has a lot of variety, which

is what interests me, even if I

don't find the shadows I love

NEVERWAS BOOK COVER

Now here's another idea for a book

waiting to be written----I am, like the rest

of you, anxious for a weather change to

sunny Spring rebirth inspiring days---

dusting off the bloomin' cobwebs of my

winter mind and just smiling a whole lot.

This photo started out as one bird in a tree

and sort of branched out.

JUSTIFIABLY JILLY

I want this favorite trompe set up of mine

included in the 1 year journal because I love

it so much. Just gathering the jointed ceramic

doll, my mother's handkerchief, the bee pin

my grandson found for me, the touch of red old bird

card, the red ribbon used in a trompe with my Dad

and the handwritten note from a lost friend---all

combine to exude emotions. I must

admit, I do not know where this painting

is right now,

and hope some day in the future it delights

another's imagination.

Barrel Bird Bake

A poster composed on the

scanner for the Barrel Bird Bake Band

or the B&B's from southern Ireland.

Their latest CD, "Hedgerow"

is jumping off the charts and this is

all, entirely made up for today's blog.

I wanted to do something creative

and love to design things like this.

The Reclusive Ram

My first ram sighting was way back on the neighbor's

wall, where I thought he looked like

one great model for me

Then months later, out by the roadside,

I got another photo as I just happened to have the camera

in the car, then, he turned around and went back

over the stone wall never to be seen there again

by me. He could be in Timbucktoo by now, lolling

in an elaborate tent, nibbling on grapes amongst

his harem of goat beauties with no qualms about

going AWOL from me. Men !

The Connection

I 'm wondering how many other people still use an

old Princess style phone. This one was made

by Sears Roebuck maybe in mid '70s.

They started out being too lightweight so

they flopped around on table tops, they

lit up and came in colors. When JFK

was shot they made some Black ones.

I use this one in the computer room, unless

it's some sort of tech call, then I'll have to go out and

find my portable one for hands free work. It was my fathers

and I see he had his children's numbers written on the

receiver handle--

(back then, that must have been a selling feature)---

Honey Bunny

A Touch of Red

Saturday March 22 2008

This is the first time in all these years when

I pulled the car over to take a photo of the Hollow

Pond, that a person was there to be part of the

scene--the traffic got busy so the shots I

took depended on if a car was comming

or not. In this really cold wet Spring time

you can still see the second red barn ( I like to get

that touch of red in the scene a lot) that will

be hidden by trees later--I feel fortunte

to live near this place as it presents itself,

in my mind as one of

Mother Nature's paintings of

a New England rural pond

that is one of the best. Too bad it

won't be there forever---like

the way of all things---

The Orange Bowl

To get something up for today, when

I am laid up with a back problem, I found this

diced fresh orange rind that'll have to do for

color themewise---I always like adding this

to yeast bread--with such a heavely aroma baking.

I froze this and hope it works in some future

bread making frenzy.

Peachy Dream

Soft peachy roses just melt my heart. I believe I

bought these for myself as the attraction was

so strong. It's 'my flower' along with all the

other Gemini born . 'Peachy Keen' is a

1953 version of 2008's 'hot'----also in

some areas, 'shrewd ! ' was used to

describe something 'cool'

Dried Leaf Browns

Wednesday March 19 2008

***********

Below is a shot of leaves

near my front porch I took

for it's value as background

interest in some project----I like

the looks of them, too as they

have lots of texture and

shadowed depth.

You can see below, how the background

leaves worked for a new sketch book

cover hiding the old stamp ink blotches

it had accumulated. I should do

some fresh sketches soon as I have

been lax in that department

Wednesday March 19 200

Captured Colors

TUESDAY MARCH 18 2008

Hanging in the kitchen window

is a crystal dangle where

all the colors are crisply captured

except the green, which

seems pretty subdued. Thank

you Nancy Schwanda for this

gift that keeps on giving.

Green Growing

The emerald greens by this

fence next to a castle had

me wondering what they were

and perhaps who they were

peeking out

Above, taken up close to a Listowel, Ireland

hedgerow---all manner of things growing

and surely some very tiny people

are keeping watch about the place.

LAVENDER BLUE

Sunday March 16 2008

Jillyanna would sit staring out of the

school house window hoping to catch a

glimpse of Jeremiah's ship returning

She was one of many

village waiters. At last,

early one chilly morn, it appeared in

the fog shrouded bay, with tattered sails

and no crew aboard.

A life shared was not to be for her,

but, never the less, hope lived

on in her heart.

Sea Blue

A page in a book I am altering has vibrant

blue textured background, my ship's figurehead,

skeltered stampings, ship, maps and part of the

original page showing. I will be taking

a class where many different kinds of

techniques will be explored. Forcing me to

try these looser things is how I learn and

explore my mind-----I hope :-)

BLACK IS THE COLOR

An ArtZine photo shows Goth must

have been around way back in the Victorian

era. However, only 1 in 14 outed herself

for the class photo.

Red Heads

Discovered in Vermont, waiting to warm

up the cabin---they just looked so

jaunty to me. Delights often are

small in size but big in impact.

GREY PIGEONS

On the chimney top across the street, there are

usually a flock of pigeons sitting, visiting, coming or

going. So to see just one made me wonder

how lonesome he might be or perhaps happy to

rule the roost if only momentarily...........

HINT FOR TODAY:

When trying to separate paper coffee

filters---blow on the edge

This really works !

In A Yellow Springtime Scene

This is the very first Forsythia flower

that bloomed in the living room !

I took the photo yesterday, and

one today, with so many

more flowers.

---I am amazed at how well

the project worked and it truly

does bring Spring to mind each

time I glace at them. I used a rubber

head hammer to flatten the ends

really well and that may be a

reason they bloomed even if

they didn't have the best of

light---

Red Eye Dancing

I bought this red onion to make a stew, for two reasons--

one being it was the best price and two, because

I liked how it looked. The stew had to wait

for me to photo the onion, taking several

shots and the stew would have had a

stronger onion flavor if I had not used

this kind---I believe it is milder for salads.

But WOW ! what a subject to photo.

More wind damage

As you can plainly see, the Ron Paul

sign got slightly tipped over by the winds

last night. Sure cleaned all yards of any

excess leaves and branches. The

long howls sound so appropriate

being near a cemetery. They are still

constant and make you feel safe

to be inside drinking coffee.

Barrel View

Taken five minutes ago off

the back porch

when I went to see

what the wind did

out there last night

Not too bad for all

the strange weird howlings

that went on---I see

two (of out 6, not bad, for me)

of my waste barrels

across the street---hope they

stay there till I get them...

only one shows in the photo.

Memo, if you walk by barefoot

today, beware of the

curled back sardine tin

near my lawn's edge.

FRIENDS

I love this little cross stitch for

it's vintage look. It's colors

have mellowed with age,

it has been done by a hand

stilled by time, and its

message teaches truth.

This simple statement

can shake and shape

our lives for the better.

SWEET VIOLETS

I sure never saw anything blossom
so fast ! ( and still haven't.) This is

last year's crop and such a favorite
of mine to look at and think of my

mother, Mary and her mother, Letitia.

Listen to them:

Letitia: "May-ree, go out side
n' pick a bunch of those sweet violets

for the center of this angel cake for

Aunt Cora. She's coming up from

the island for a visit"

----then in later years,

Mary: "Jill, go out and see

if there's any violets for Nana's

place at the supper table."

and now

Jill: "Kimberly, don't drive

over the violets with the mower !"

Coming Soon !

Coming very soon, to this very spot---

many violets will surround the base

of the birch clump on the front lawn

---today I saw some teeny weeny green

leaves that don't look violety---and

bits of moss brushed with the color

of Ireland---since the temperature was

up to 50 degrees I went out to

capture some promise of Spring---

this morsel of new growth gave me

hope! I don't think it exists anymore,

but there used to be a perfume

called Violettes, (I think)-----

a striking white haired woman used to walk
by my house wearing it and often

wore lavender colors too....

making her a Queen in my eyes.

A Pitcher of Vermont

Actually, this is on a hilly, back road

in Chester, Vt. and I thought at the

time, how wondrous this spot would

look in the Winter. Since I am doing

the blog for a full year, to leave as a

legacy for my family, I am

posting photos I love

and this is one of them.

****************

Project hint:

1. Make print of the

pitcher any size you want.

2. Cut out carefully...

3. Write message on back

4. Laminate (I take to

Staples, as they do it

heavy duty) several at once.

You might as well fill the

whole laminating sheet with

whatever you want.

5. Cut out, leaving edge to

have good seal.

6. Punch hole.

7. Add key chain or ribbon

for attachment to gift or

key use.

Using Force

Since Mary/Martha was such a help

and gathered the Forsythia branches

for me, I have them in water, with the stems

crushed. They are in the living room which

is not sunny but will get some light, so

we'll see if they force bloom for

a Spring in the house joyfest.

I have one small branch in a kitchen window

and I rather think that might

bloom better.

Going to Maine

This am, I made a print of this Pretty Peonies
photo for a true Maine woman. I so like the
idea of something I made, going to the
homeland--it's like a piece of me will be
present in the gull's cry, a pine tree or
on the sea breeze air of
the place I love the best..... for a long time.

Soon after arriving at the party, someone was pressing something on my back which puzzled me, till I turned to ask what was this all about and then knew it was a game to play---goodie, I LOVE games. We all had to guess who we were by asking questions throughout the evening. I got it down to: I was a now deceased blond actress, that might sing occasionally, and was notorious. Of course, you see the photo so it's no biggie to have the answer right off. I did guess it by then, too and could hear her saying, "Why don'tcha come on up and see me sometime"--- but could I come up with the actual name? No way....time passed and a friend finally took pity on me and remarked she may have come from the West---so then I got to thinking of Dale Evans and how she wasn't a blond---and Annie Oakley wasn't either---so, it took Anne repeating it to me to "get" the clue and then the name came it came "tumbling" out.....which is what often happens, with my name being Jill.

Creative Paths Party

Last night at a Creative Minds Gala in a

lovely old Broadbrook home, a gathering

of 18 people with varied lives,

interests ......each with their own special take

on whatever part of the creative

journey their lives are on. With my fluttering

mind and three glasses of wine, its a wonder

I can recall my own name. let alone theirs.

Also a marvel is, that any photo I took was worth

posting. I chose this one because you are

seeing two excellent writers---

one is Russian and a skater and the other

you may read her work frequently.

How Does This Work?

On a window sill, a sea star reflects its underside

two times and that almost seems impossible --how

can the further away one even be there?