IN WHICH SOME BIRDS AND BLOCKS ARE FINISHED AND WE WONDER IF WE HAVE SEEN THE END OF OUR WILD AND WONDERFUL INTERNET

 But first the birds:

These are Gullahs, an Australian bird who apparently is a bit of a silly bird.  This is the fifth bird in Helen Godden's Feathered Friends series.  We have only 4 more to go.  Painting these has been so much fun but mostly I use this as an opportunity to practice free motion quilting.  Some of the quilting on this piece is good and some is just okay. 

Here is what we have so far:

Pretty wild with their brilliant colors. 

My other project is the Morning Glory Designs BOM.  We are halfway thru the year now having completed six blocks.

Here is a close up of May and June:

I think this one has a stained glass feel to it. I love the ways the stems twist and turn.

So now......back to Sandra Liechner's Naturalist's Notebook and block three "The Purple Finch".  Progress will be revealed on next post. 

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Today is June 11.  No one is sure what the impact of the end of net neutrality will be.  Probably nothing good and we will all look back at this time as the "wild west" days 

 of internet usage before the telecom corporations took control and determined in their infinite wisdom the flow and content of information thru their new ability to vary cost to those providers of information. The telecorps do say that they will now be able to afford to increase services to under-served rural areas.  As I say...we shall see...it may not be all bad (yeah right).

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Speaking of the internet, I have mentioned before that Blossom the wonder kitty is a hacking genius with her petty paws and her fanny.  Her latest hack took me 3 hours to un-hack.  She locked my computer in airplane mode which could not be undone (before you even say it) by clicking the airplane icon.  NO.........after much toil and research on line on my husband's computer, I got enough onfo to make a leap into success.  And here is a hint for all of you who have special kitties like mine-check out the blue Fn button on the bottom row of your keyboard.  This is a useful key.  Press Fn and the function key (F2 for me) with the "tower" icon and voila...your troubles are over.  I was pretty annoyed with her the rest of the day.  A person has only X amount of energy and this is NOT how I want to spend (waste) mine.

Here is kitty sharpening her claws planning her next attack.

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FROM OUR WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

A pretty wooden bridge deep in the woods.

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And last...your moment of Zen 

to bring calm and peace to you

in this increasingly 

worrisome world

"Wood stumps and logs" from artist Tamara Kostianovsky. Tamara breathes life into discarded materials to create different objects  and here she layers discarded fabric to create her wood.  I think it is a wonderfully beautiful and evocative use of fabric.

Do you like her ideas?

Happy quilting until we meet again!

I am linking up with:

Slow Stitching Sunday, Bambi's Blog, Making Monday,  Em's Scrapbag, Esther's Wow, 
Midweek Makers, Whoop Whoop, Finish or Not!, and Off the Wall Friday.

Rest now Anthony Bourdain.  We will miss you.

IN WHICH MY GOLDFINCH SPRINGS TO LIFE AND I THINK ABOUT NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOKS.

Block 2 of Sandra Liechner's Naturalist's Notebook is completed.  Here are some detail shots.

The only method to complete these blocks is to break them down into the individual elements of each block and look at that alone and complete it-they are not so difficult and then, presto, before you know it, you have a lovely Goldfinch.

I searched high and low for some time to find the right background.  The original background was similar fabric and I felt this was an important design element for these birds as the series is a "Naturalist's Notebook" which of course is a written record.  It reminds me also that I have my own Naturalist's Notebook which I began in 1975 when we lived on our zen farm. 

 My notebook and a couple of my favorite bird books

I am not sure if Missouri just has many many wonderful birds and I just never noticed the California birds when I was growing up. Maybe our farm was quiet and serene so one noticed more.  Whatever the reason, Missouri is filled with wonderful birds.  In my Naturalist Notebook, I began recording all the birds I saw, when I saw them, and what they were up to.  I have a page for each bird so I can record sightings made at different times and places and seasons.  A record of my life for over 40 years.

I have begun the next block in this series-the Purple Finch.  We have these all year as well as the pretty shrub the bird is pictured on.  

I believe 

these are the same flowers as in the block.  My purple finches love this shrub but no matter how long I sat there with my camera, I only came up with a female finch.  It is also a favorite of the bumblebee  who also has a place on this block. 

We have had a special year for bird sighting at our bird feeder this year.  In spring we always have some transients on their way to greener pastures.  This year for the first time (I saw anyway) we had a blue grosbeak and a pine siskin.

Isn't this a lovely bird?!!!

He was scuffling along the ground looking for fallen sunflower seeds.  It was thrilling to see him.  I took lots of photos.

On the right is a pine siskin.  They are about the size of a goldfinch.  I did not take this photo-just cloned it off google images.

Above is a Rose breasted grosbeak.  Sorry I chopped of his head.  He has been a spring visitor for several years now.  He is a cousin to the blue grosbeck and a lovely bird with the most perfect coloration.

AND NOW.......YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN!

This is an airplane bone yard where old, unloved planes go to wait for their fate. While they wait, they make a very pleasing image for us to see.  At first glance this looks like an ancient hieroglyphic. This image has rhythm, great color combo, structure and depth.  I love accidental beauty in the world.  It is so reassuring.

Happy quilting until we meet again!

I am linking up with:

Slow Stitching Sunday, Bambi's Blog, Making Monday,  Em's Scrapbag, Esther's Wow, 
Midweek Makers, Whoop Whoop, Finish or Not!, and Off the Wall Friday.