Another "Two-fer"

This doe was out front this morning right along the edge of our pecan grove. She stood still while I got several photos of her and, while this isn't the best shot of her, I was surprised to find a bonus in it when I downloaded it from my camera!

If you'll look at the bottom right of the photo (click to enlarge), you'll see one of the pesky bandits we have to combat in our quest to harvest ripe pecans! You might say that we could surely spare a few for the squirrels but they come in hordes from the woods surrounding us and can literally strip the trees of nuts in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Plus, they aren't the only thieves we have among us! The crows are very clever and will drop the pecans into the driveway in hopes that we'll run over them with the cars! That way they can just dig in and feast on the already cracked pecans!

Then there are the raccoons and possums and even our neighbor down the road has confessed to picking up a pocketfull from near the road while he was supposed to be picking up trash along the shoulders of the road!

So, maybe the pecans that the squirrels get don't sound like a big deal but I'm thinking that we'd better blast some rock music (or maybe a 410) or there won't be any nuts for us to collect! After all, we're the ones who planted the trees, watered and fertilized them and who have waited patiently for over 20 years for the trees to bear a nice crop - I'd sure like to be the one to reap the harvest!

A Photo in a Million

I looked out the kitchen door this morning to see a hawk sitting on a fence post in Bonnie's pasture. I ran for my camera and it stayed still long enough to get a couple of shots with him and Bonnie alongside one another! This one is the best of them both together.

I think this is a Cooper's hawk but am not 100% sure. If anyone can verify, I'd appreciate it. The reason I'm unsure is because we have several varieties of hawks around here with the most common being the red-tailed hawk.

Anyway, I'm not a great birder and we so seldom see these magnificent creatures this close. He was eating a grub on that fence post. We've been exceedingly dry up until a few days ago and then have had rain nearly every day since. I guess the grubs are coming to the surface to keep from drowning and we have birds everywhere right now! BTW, that's why my Bon looks so dirty - she loves to be out in the rain and mud!

Update on Ferret Painting WIP

Ferret painting by Jan Gibson
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I had a post almost ready to publish then hit a wrong key & it was long gone! I hate when that happens!

I've worked for several hours this morning trying to get this pretty little ferret out of the "ugly" stage and I think it's beginning to emerge! Most of the time, I get to that stage then start over because it appears that it will never become the painting that I had in mind. This time I was determined to work through the uglies and, while I still have much more to do, I think I may be able to pull it off. If not, then I certainly will start over!

I got the nicest email from "Mrs_Center", the photographer who posted the photograph of their family pet ferret on the Stock.XCHNG. The Stock.XCHNG requires that the photographer be notified whenever their photos are being downloaded and used and I'm always happy to do that. Artists in every field, including photography, want to know where their creative "children" end up.

Anyway, I had emailed Mrs. Center and directed her to my blog here when she requested to see the painting from her photo. She replied with praise for the first posting of the WIP and I certainly don't want to let her down with the finished painting. It is both intimidating and an incentive when someone with a vested interest is watching you work!