Bees in my hummingbird feeder

I was going to clean out and re-fill my hummingbird feeder, but the honeybees were there getting the last drop of sweet liquid.

 There is always someone who is a little bit more greedy than the rest...

He was stuck...I had to get a twig and ease him out.   When he popped out, his antenna was stuck to his head.  It was the funniest thing I have ever seen.  I wish I could have snapped a picture, but I was laughing to hard and he flew away in shame....

Busy day in the studio

I was furloughed this week, so until  Washington can come to an agreement...(insert comments here)...I will take advantage of my time in the studio.

silver spoon handle earrings

Vintage silver spoon and handle, silver  tree charm

I love this old key, (not a good picture), but it has beautiful scrolling on it.
I had this brass envelope.  I decided to put a love letter in it...

The back of the letter has a copy of an old photograph of a young couple.

Silver spoon WISH with an unusual silver spoon handle and
cute key

Large old skelton key and brass feather

These are my favorite ones to make.  Vintage pearl button and old lace.
Chain is from an old necklace.  Sweet silver bird.  On the back, I have stamped  FLY.

(Pray for rain!   The tropical depression that is hitting the Texas coast will probably miss us, but there is always hope!)

It was inevitable....

This is  the line for a cattle sale in central Texas.

It is hot, over 100 degrees.  

Dry, one of the worse droughts on record.

Ranchers are having to sell their cattle by the trailer full.

 There are usually only a few cattle trailers in line for the drop off at any given time the day of the sale. This day there was a wait line for over an hour.  The barn, on the average, sell about 800 head a week. The sale starts at noon and goes to around 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

 This week there were over 3000 head of cattle.  The sale started at noon and went to 8:00 the NEXT morning!

 Buyers from the northern regions of Texas and Oklahoma have had more rain.  They can provide greener pastures for the cattle.

With hay selling for $100.00 a round bale,  no rain in sight and the grass literally frying on the ground, more of the ranchers will have little choice than to sell their herd.  

I saw an elderly man selling a few fat cows.   His face was sad when he unloaded his girls and drove away.  I am praying his cows are fat and happy in a greener pasture in Oklahoma.

$1.00

These sweet little flowers were on the sale table, one step away from being throw in the trash.

I could not let that happen!  They were just a pretty as the "fresh that day"  $25.00 flowers. 

 Maybe the leaves were a little dry and the edges on a few petals were beginning to brown...

But a pretty vase, some TLC and the morning light

 

made my $1.00 flowers more beautiful than the $25.00 bouquet.

This just reminds me that simple really is better...



Thanks Kim Klassen for the textures!

SUMMER

It is summer....in Texas 

It is going to be hot...REALLY hot..

This is to be expected and is the norm.

 This year the weather is a little more challenging,  our rivers and grasslands are drying up..

But there are many things that I love about summer..

My friend's donkey-Jack

My dog, Tess, constantly wanting to play frisbee

Straw boss Steve and our dog Red

Huge sunflowers in my garden

Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes out of my garden

A dove on the fence row

...and Heidi, one of my favorite girls..

I hope everyone is having a great summer!  Cooler temps will be here before we know it
(and I, for one, can't wait!)

(Pray for rain!)


I used several different iphone apps when making these pictures...



giving me the stinkeye...

This "thing" (grasshopper...huge grasshopper) hopped a ride down my driveway and gave me the stinkeye the whole way!

We have extreme drought and now very intimating grasshoppers.  I am in need of some chickens!

(I did use my macro lens, so he isn't as big as he appears..about 3")

Buttons, bees, clocks and trees

It is still too hot to be outside, so I stayed in the studio and put together a few things.   I get carried away sometimes...

Vintage silver spoon, pearls and brass bee necklace

old folding ruler, buttons and beads bracelet

old folding ruler, vintage clock faces and button bracelet

silver spoon, old key and silver tree charm necklace

silver spoon, vintage key and heart charm necklace

The girls are hot....

(used pic grunger app on iphone)

It is still blazing hot here in Central Texas with not a chance of rain in sight.  

We still have some good grass and the stock tanks have water....for now...

(My favorite instagram app)

Many of you are in the same boat with very high temperatures and drought OR raining like crazy.  Hopefully this weather will spread itself out and we can have a happy medium!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has a wonderful fourth of July!