When the winds blow!

April fools!  We awakened to 30 mph winds and gust of winds up to 45 mph!

It was snowing and sleeting at the same time and looked like a whiteout.  When we did chores we gave our slices of hay in strategic positions so the hay wouldn't blow away.

Whew was it cold.  Just a few days ago it was 50 some degrees.  I just can't get with these wild temperature changes.

The girls were doing there thing with their butts to the wind and gathered together like the little herd they are.  Every once in a while someone would jostle another and they'd resort themselves in some predestined order that only equine can understand.

Sunday we are supposed to start out the morning in the 20's and reach 65 by mid afternoon.

I tell you, the weather is crazy!

The cold temperatures and winds kept me inside most of the day.  Outside it would snow, sleet, rain, and then the sun would come out.  And the winds kept the trees shaking and the pines did the hula dance.

I got out some of the skulls I'd been working on.  There was an old deer skull that I'd found.  It was in poor shape and had been chewed on by mice and other animals.  I looked at it as a challenge and wondered if I could paint it up to put on the garage or the outhouse as a 'country' decoration.

I had spent the morning cleaning out the back room shelving and packing it away.  The back room will be one room that will be completely replaced when the remodel starts.

Anyway I thought a bit of quiet time was in order.

I took some Antique stain and began to stain the skull.

I wasn't sure I was even going to like what I'd done, but it was such an old skull I thought I'd just mess around with it and see what happens.  

I sort of like the color and the way the staining brought out the age in the skull. The areas that had been gnawed on were slightly highlighted.  I set it on a rack to dry.

Then I turned to my new find.  A 'possum skull.

After it dries, I will retrieve the rest of the teeth that I have and put glue them into their places.  

The 'possum has such a flat head compared to that of a raccoon.  

I also had two ground hog skulls.  One with teeth and one without.

I used a 50/50 mix of Elmers Glue to seal and preserve the skulls.

'Possum skull in the middle, ground hogs on each side and raccoon for reference on the wood.

I'm thinking that someone reading this is really curious as to why I collect skulls and paint them or seal them.  My veterinarian and I are huge fans of skulls.  He has a huge display in his waiting room.  Frankly I am quite jealous of his amazing collection.  Of course his skulls are animals from around the world.

All skulls are the result of what I find while hiking in the woods and...

I do it for art.

Some painted skulls can sell for quite a bit of money.  The one with the red dots on it sold for $200.  I've given two others away as gifts. I collect antler sheds also and hope to have enough to make a lamp or something very artistic one day.

This is another old doe skull that had seen better days before I stained it and finished it off.

The really fresh bones are left alone to show off their natural color.  
I can't wait until Spring gets itself sorted out.  I have a garden to plant and outdoor things to do.

Oh yes, and the remodel.  The start date is getting closer!