Happy Independence Day!

This year, there won't be any fireworks or air shows in my Independence Day celebration post (or any of my Independence Day celebrations, for that matter). 

 

This year, there will be much quieter celebrations with little Piper, who thinks loud noises are very, very scary.

Piper will get to gnaw on a new marrow bone to distract her from all the booms and we'll be listening to music down in the relatively sound-deadened basement while I tackle a few chores (like slicing up some Tan-Z Kut and breaking down boxes). 

We'll take some nice walks early in the day - before the lights and explosions begin, making it a good day all the way around. 

But, America's birthday simply couldn't be allowed to pass without at least a small commemoration here on the blog!  We have a wonderful country filled with amazing beauty and founded on excellent principles. We're very fortunate. 

Happy Independence Day! She's a grand old flag - forever in peace may she wave.

It's Draw a Bird Day!

 

Once again, it's Draw a Bird Day! On April 8 we celebrate the birthday of Dorie Cooper, who in 1943, visited her uncle in the hospital, as he was recovering from a land mine injury during World War II. He was understandably upset and depressed at the loss of a leg and, in an effort to cheer him up, Dorie asked him to draw her a bird.

He complied with her request and they laughed at his poor artistic skills, but she promised to display his bird in her room, anyway. After this first visit, every time she would come to see her uncle, the soldiers on the ward would hold bird drawing contests to see who could come up with the best picture. It always seemed to lift everyone's spirits.

Sadly, about three years later, Dorie perished in an automobile accident. At her funeral, the soldiers, nurses and doctors from her uncle's ward filled her coffin with bird drawings in her honor and her birthday has become an unofficial celebration of Dorie's bright and indomitable spirit and an excellent reminder to find joy in life's simple delights.

Here's an invitation to draw a bird for Dorie's birthday. Your drawing doesn't have to be fancy or accurate – remember, her uncle's was pretty bad. But if you're great at drawing birds, show off your skills! This year, I drew a playful bluebird of happiness, thinking of the 8 year old Dorie.

Don't forget to share your drawing with someone to spread the joy and honor Dorie's memory. 

 

Happy Draw a Bird Day!

Inspiration and Outcome

I thought it might be fun to do another blog post with an inspiration and outcome theme. The last one of these I did was the Queen Anne's Lace carving. 

Situated at the 45th parallel out at the end of the peninsula is a beautiful, historic lighthouse. It was built after a large ship hit a shallow reef sometime in the 1860s and was first lit on September 10, 1870. It functioned until 1933, when it was decommissioned and its function replaced by a buoy located a little way offshore. 

 

Happily, this historic landmark has been preserved and restored by dedicated conservationists in the area and, since it's surrounded by state park land, it's a wonderful place to wander around in the woods (it was a favorite with Baloo), lounge on the beach and swim in the bay, or watch a spectacular sunset. 

I carved a full (and very detailed) version of this lighthouse when I first moved back to the area and some of you may have seen it somewhere along the way. Recently, I thought it might be fun to do another, simpler design using just the watch and lantern rooms.

So, here's the carving.

And here's the print. 

I hope there's a little inspiration to carve (or simply visit) a favorite landmark in your area. 

Happy Independence Day!

On my morning walk yesterday, I saw one of my neighbors' houses draped with bunting and flying the flag. I thought it would be a cheerful salute to the day. (I also saw three baby bunnies, but they were quick to take cover.)

Happy Independence Day!

Thanks and Remembrance

I was casting about for an image to post for Memorial Day.  I always like to pay my respects in some small way and remember in gratitude the sacrifices made by those who have died to protect the freedoms I hold so dear. 

The poppies aren't blooming yet and there was no breeze to set a flag fluttering, but then I remembered a few eagle pictures that were captured by the trail camera a couple weeks ago.  I believe this is a nesting pair - and we have seen a juvenile that is probably about three years old, with its head and tail feathers starting to turn white, though it eluded the camera's eye.

The majestic beauty of our national bird seemed like it might be appropriate to mark the day.  The one above tripped the camera as the sun was coming up over the trees in the east. These amazing creatures always fill me with awe and gratitude, too. 

I just couldn't let the day pass without a word of appreciation. Far braver people than I have made it possible for me to live this wonderful life I cherish every single day. 

Thank you.

Draw a Bird Day

Once again, it is Draw a Bird Day! If you haven't read the story of Dorie Cooper and the origin of this day, it's well worth the effort (https://www.dabday.com/). I like to celebrate the anniversary of her birthday and this year I have chosen the plucky chickadee to honor a plucky little girl.

Don't worry! Your picture doesn't need to be perfect! Just pick up a pencil and draw a bird. Who knows? You may even come up with something to carve along the way. I'm thinking of carving this pert fellow (carving improves almost everything!). :-)

Formal Introductions - Or - The Honest Stork's Fringed Slipper

While on the lookout for new friends (and favorite old acquaintances) during springtime rambles in the woods, I met a couple of unknown beauties. So, focusing on the purplish-pink petaled people, I did some research on my new bosom buds.

This plant is called storksbill, a name that has to do with its seed pods that apparently look like bills and can jettison their seeds up to 500 yards away using a mechanism known, appropriately enough, as "ballistic dispersal". The seeds also have an amazing ability to drill themselves into the ground like a corkscrew, digging back and forth clockwise or counter clockwise, depending on humidity. Clever seeds!

 

It also has quite an impressive  list of medicinal uses, but must be gathered with care because the first year's growth of this biennial plant can resemble the leaves of deadly hemlock. I think I'll just wait until blossoms are attached, so it's easy to identify!!

This next bright blossom is called Honesty. It's also known as a money plant, silver dollar plant, moon plant because of the round, papery seed pods it creates. I've seen the seed pods many times, but never associated them with this flower. This isn't a native plant, so it must have escaped from someone's garden to set up housekeeping along a woodland trail.

These last two beauties have been friends since childhood. They were two of my mother's favorite spring ephemerals. First, the fringed polygala is a member of the milkwort family and was used in herbal medicine to treat skin inflammations. The really interesting thing that I learned about this plant today is that it not only has the showy flowers above ground that are pollinated by insects, they also have flowers underground that self pollinate, without ever opening. Very resourceful!

And sort of saving the best for last, the pink lady slipper orchid obviously gets its common name from its resemblance to a formal dancing slipper. It's an unusual plant, since its seeds have no nutrients in them to aid in sprouting and growing. They rely on fungus in the soil to break them open and feed them as they grow. Once the plant matures, it returns the favor by feeding the fungus. The roots of the pink lady slipper were once used to treat anxiety, but they are a protected plant and illegal to harvest or transplant (they wouldn't do well away from their fungal friends). Also, bees find themselves trapped when they enter the front slit of the slipper and can only escape by one of two routes, forcing bees to deposit any pollen they picked up from another flower before passing the pollen mass to load them up for their trip to the next bloom. Forced pollination.

I know I'm a little odd, but I enjoy learning unusual tidbits about new and old friends. I hope there's some entertainment value for those of you who choose to read the ramblings of the hopelessly curious...

Flag Day

I did a little research about today's holiday. It seems I've known and remembered Flag Day forever, but I realized this morning that I wanted a refresher on its history.  In case someone else might be in the same position, I thought I would share a little about what I learned. 

 

At the beginning of the American Revolution, colonists were fighting under multiple flags, depending on their region and regiment. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress met to create the Continental Army in the hope of unifying and organizing the fighting force, under "Continental Colors". Different possibilities were suggested, but rejected for things like having the Union Jack as part of the design, which seemed like the wrong message.

On June 14, 1777, in the midst of drafting the Articles of Confederation, the Second Continental Congress resolved, "That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." I really like the "new constellation" idea - brilliant phrase.

It wasn't until 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson officially established June 14 as Flag Day, celebrating the anniversary of the 1777 creation of a new symbol of freedom for a new nation. 

This is also the day that the United States Army celebrates its birthday, as that fighting force united under its colors. So, Happy Birthday!

A history refresher is never a bad thing, in my book.

I Have Often Walked down this Street Before....

While visiting the town of my birth a few weeks ago, we took a quick tour past the old house in the old neighborhood. 

It's hard to believe that five of us squeezed into this little house (we didn't have a garage back then and the front gardens weren't nearly as spectacular, but otherwise it's much as I remember it). We did, however have a magnificent lilac bush in the back yard that had a child-sized opening I often crawled into. It acted as a grand house for tea parties and other creative play.  

The upstairs window that you can see in this picture was at the top of the stairs and my "bedroom" was the hall/landing right there. I remember that the head of my bed was up against the door to the attic - and if you don't think that gave a small child nightmares thinking about what could be hiding in that attic space, you clearly didn't have the fertile imagination I had! 

It was fun to see the old street and we remembered many of the families that had lived along it with us. Also, the park was still there, where there used to be a working May pole and they held various art classes and activities for children during the summer. 

Our house was at the bottom of the hill, sort of in the "hollow" and I loved walking up the hill through the fog on my way to the school bus. It was a magical start to the day. 

Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse

As part of our tour of the thumb, we stopped at Pointe aux Barques lighthouse, which I learned is one of the ten oldest lighthouses in Michigan. 

Not only that, it's still active today, making it one of the oldest continually working lighthouses on the Great Lakes. Pretty impressive. 

The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society has been doing some amazing restoration work and, if you're in the area and like lighthouses at all, it's well worth the visit. Besides, there's a nice park right on the lake. 

(Did you notice that I managed to capture a seagull in flight when I snapped this photo? I didn't want you to miss that little bit of serendipity.)