Hot Weather and building stick houses

The weather for this Sunday is going to be very steamy and dangerously hot again through Monday.  

I've scrubbed water tanks and refilled them along with making sure the mules and pony have access to good shade already along with an area where they can stand under trees and catch any breeze that might come through.

I'm bummed. I was hoping to go camping in our woods for the weekend.

I got all my work done by 10am yesterday and then worked in the gardens. 

I decided to return to the stick house and see what I could come up with.

My helpers were all ready and raring to go.

The roofing is supposed to look haphazard and rough with bits of bark and moss. 

The next part was to paint and decorate the cardboard it is on. I'll 'make' it into a diorama I can use indoors or outdoors. [Not weather proof!]

This is my version of 'Free' building. Otherwise I'd want to purchase a set of Legos to build. If I had room, I'd build a whole set of these 'forest' huts and lay it out on my 5 foot craft table as a tiny forest town.

So as it turned steamy in the afternoon, I decided to finish my project.

I painted the cardboard to look like dirt.

Then I added chunks of decorated bark and roots that I had made last year. 

The bark chunks came from a downed tree and the pine cones came from our pine trees.

I don't glue down the other bits of roots and bark I am using so I can change the look as I need to. 

I also don't draw out plans or think much of what I am doing. I just punt it because that's how my creative juices flow.

If I add something and it looks neat, I keep it. If it doesn't, I toss it.

Cardboard. Moss. Bark. Glue. Craft Paint. Fake Mushrooms. Some fake moss.

Railroad model flowers. 

Imagination.

I added two of my favorite minifigures who are very much at home in the their magical forest.

...and then,

I set up my first scene to photograph.

I can use this stick building for so many things. The structure will fit a number of toys I have. The sides of the building can provide an interesting back drop for all sorts of scenes.

The best part about the whole thing is that it was built mostly from things I picked up in the yard at no cost!

Other Stick houses I've made:

Here is an old stick village I made and used for some scenes out in the woods. It was fun and when I left parts of it out in the forest to use again, some wild animal thought it would be great to pull it apart.

No harm done, I can always find more sticks to build with!

Today looks like a good day to beat the heat and enjoy some time reading and doing some Still Life Photography.

Just fun stuff ~ Rains!

This past week....

We got so dry once more. But that was good in a way as the farmers got most of their crops planted and I put off mowing the yard a few extra days.

I decided that a shaggy yard was okay since the price of gas was so high, I could mow it a bit less and not worry about how pretty it looked.

Now we are in a cycle of rain and rain and rain. 

Friday night we had close to an inch of rain with some incredible lightening.

Saturday was supposed to get up to 83 F and be hot and icky. So after sunrise, the dogs and I took a 'field trip' to our creek. There was a dual purpose to it. I could do my daily check on the mules and get the dogs some exercise before it got hot.

I made one more discovery. Hannah loves, loves, loves water. She paws it, walks in it, jumps into it, and plays in it. If I toss a rock into the creek and it splashes, she pounces on the splash.

Our creek is not deep in places there might be pools of water about 6 inches deep, but that it is mostly about 3 inches of water that tumbles over the rocks.

Alas, the creek is full of weeds and grasses from years of dry summers. It used to be a nice rock bed that one could pick their way through. Not any longer.

This is a photo of the creek in 2019 before years of drought.

And what the area looks like now.

I've watched the valley change over the years. 

I now fight through thigh high garlic mustard and in June, I stop going through the bottoms because of 5 foot tall parsnip plants. I have spent hours and hours clearing paths along the creek in my favorite spot.

The runoff from the fields around us drains into our valley and we get all the nasty weeds from our neighbor. The deer and other wild animals spread the seeds simply by walking through these patches.

Garlic mustard

The cattle from the two farms on either side of me are gone now and the lands around us have turned into 'wildness' and weeds. 

However, I still go out and enjoy finding amazing plants and scenery. The dogs don't care about trails, weeds, or flowers. They enjoy the smells and adventure.

I have to assist Charlie through some of the places now as the plants are up knee high to me or thigh high. I used to take a corn knife and cut a trail through the difficult parts. I may have to do that again this summer. 

This is part of the reason why I go to the Reserve or our county parks. The trails are mowed and we can walk on them.

But I do love our forest.

I'll keep exploring it as long as I can. The hillsides and upper forest have so many amazing things to see all year.

Maidenhair Fern

Golden Oyster Mushrooms

Reflections of the tree above in a small creek pond.

Mini-me and my backpack and camera

always searching for the next

shot.

This week we are predicted to have accumulated at least 4 inches of rain since Friday evening. Perhaps the creek will have plenty of water for Hannah to play in.

3 weeks with Hannah....and flowers

I found this brave crocus pushing up through the grass just before the blizzard hit. I figured it would be crushed by the ice and snow. We had 6 to 10 inches depending on where the winds blew.

Three days after the blizzard I found one crocus blossoming and more pushing up through the yard.

By Saturday we had a record breaking 83 degrees and the crocuses decided to celebrate the warm day.

But having a pup and an older dog do require nearly 24 hour supervision.

I've been taking the 'kids' for walks and looking for interesting small things before spring bursts forth with all the amazing wildflowers.

I've been searching out Lichen and Mosses as they are so colorful right now.

The mosses are sending out new sporophytes right now. I think of it as flowering.

I took my charges with me for a morning hike to look for pretty things. It was also a good opportunity to start showing Hannah what to do when I stop and take pictures.

She did pretty well. Of course the hazards of having dogs along while doing macro photography can have its consequences. 

Just as I snapped this, Charlie went through behind the Lego Rabbit and Hannah followed. 

Patience pays off and I finally got the shot I wanted.

When we got back I got a nice surprise.

Things went from this....

to this with no hassle. Warm sunshine is such an equalizer!

By evening after a lot of yard work and a few walks to find more cool mosses....

the unthinkable happened. 

Hannah crept up next to Charlie and slowly eased next to him [on HIS sacred couch!]. 

Curiously both dogs had to be touching me in some way too. 

Hannah can still be a sharp toothed Terror but she has figured out who is boss and how far she can push him before he gives her a warning.

This was just too sweet. What a great way to end my day.

Land of snow and ice and whatnot

The other day we had a little bit of snow, just enough to cover moss and areas of grasses. Charlie and I took a quick morning walk to double check the gates to make sure that the deer didn't knock them down.

I stopped and sat in the snow to take some shots of snow crystals and moss in the bright sunlight.

I found some more beautiful lichen on an oak branch. It was a challenge to get the shot as the branch was swaying in the wind. Challenges are fun though.

This shot of Yarrow was even harder. I had one still shot and tried again when a gust of wind blew it around. I combined the photos for fun. 

The fences were all intact and the gates were still up.

Black Friday was spent getting ready for the large snowstorm that was being predicted. I ordered some things on line so I wouldn't have to fight crowds. When I picked up my order, I realized I needed a couple of other things and had to go in the store.

It was only 8:30 and the place was dead as a doornail. Associates were standing around all over the store. I was surprised, although I have never set foot in a store on a Black Friday. I suppose things have changed so much with online ordering.

I grabbed my items and was on my way home. The weather service put out a Winter Storm Warning for most of the state, so I asked my youngest son to reschedule a visit. No use in having them get stuck here for days.

The storm came in quietly early this morning and has been piling up. I don't know what it is like up on the ridge, but it is rather peaceful here. The birds are enjoying  the feeders and I am enjoying the quiet while watching them.

Chores weren't bad at all. I used the large sled to haul the hay to the mules.  I give the sled a shove with its pile of hay and the mules part ways so it can slide past them. I go in and dump the pile. Since these three get along so well, I don't have to put hay in separate areas anymore.

Everyone is wearing a snow coat. Little Richard thought he check to see if I had brought his sweet feed.

This pony is in his mid thirties and still has quite a bit of energy. He is the only equine I have that will go indoors. I'll probably put him in tonight when the winds start up and the temps drop.

Everyone has plenty of hay and heated water. This morning they were giving themselves snow baths. 

We are pleased not to have to travel today.

The snow will fall, we'll watch the birds, and take short walks to check on things.

Here is to enjoying a peaceful winter storm day.
 

Hot Hot!

Things to do when it is unbearable outside. Bring some outside into the house. Since I was having fun with the candle holders, I thought I'd expand to sticks and bark. Using glue, moss, and some funky crafty items, I got busy.

and then of course I had to imagine what would take place on this piece of bark.

and I took it a step further. 
Since my 'photo table' had to be moved out, I haven't had a good place to do indoor dioramas are creations. However I muddled through and had to avoid the concentrator and avoid stepping on the 02 lines...
but I made it work.

I ended up putting the items on a box and using a cutting board that was made from an Italian Olive Tree for the backdrop.

I kept messing around and finding more interesting ways of using my decorated sticks and roots.

I went out after the sun went down and decided to watch Fireflies. On the forest edge, they were abundant in the tall grasses.

You may have to click on the photo to see
the driveway...4 minute Livecomp
exposure.

...and on to the week of somewhat cooler temps but a lot of predicted rain....