"Tourist" Saturday

After a trip to visit the oratory and town of Ave Maria (which I promise to blog about later), I was on an alligator hunt.  I needed my critter fix!  It was a great opportunity for me to try to learn to  use my 300x lens, also.  Because I wear one contact for distance, my right eye contact, it was a challenge to try to use that eye to look through the viewfinder.  Usually I look through my left.  Try that sometime - it's trickier than it sounds!  Of course, there is no "auto focus" when using this lense!  Therefore, I apologize for any blurriness in the images, but they are worth sharing, nonetheless.

At Ave Maria, the magnolia were beginning to bloom, so I couldn't resist a close-up.  See the bee tucked under the petals on the left?

Our second stop was Billy's Swamp Safari, where this guy stood at the fence questioning my motives.

And when making a very wide loop through our sun-kissed peninsula, we finally spotted gators in the wild.  Here's a small guy taking advantage of the rays.

And a bigger guy floating along, keeping an eye on the crazy lady at the side of the road.

Don't forget - you can click on any picture to see it larger!

Favorite places

Suze Weinberg inspired this post today.....thanks, Suze!

What a wonderful weekend - art walk on Friday, shelling, biking and sunning on the beach (with brunch and a treat squeezed in), creating, and shopping on Saturday, brunch and a game of dominos on Sunday with the in-laws.  How wonderful to play!  

Our bikes parked in the Bailey Tract on Sanibel - wonderful, wild place - an alligator habitat.  No alligators were seen, though, which only warrants a trip back during mating season (which begins in May), at which time they are more actively moving around.  :)  Can't wait!

The ticking clock....

It's not what you think!  That clock has long since stopped ticking!  But the clock in my studio keeps a steady rhythm, tic-tock, tic-tock, while I work, which served as inspiration for this week's inchie!

Endless

....today's inchie word!  And immediately I thought of the sand, sea, and sky......so here it is!

Finished!

The final finishing touches are on my Tribute to Great Danes mixed media piece.  My last post described my feelings about Danes, and told you a little about the illustration I used in the image transfer.  I added some final bling and rusty things to make it just right.....so here it is, along with my third and current Dane, the big baby, Sophia!  Remember to click on an image to show it larger.

Sophia!

The total mixed media piece.

The upper portion showing detail of some of the doodling and stamping.

Brass charms with patina layered over some tin pieces I found in the garage, 

wired and beaded.  The eye screws were silver, but the blue patina instantly turned them black. 

 Happy accident!

How much is that doggy?

About a year ago I picked up a wonderful book filled with dog stories and illustrations at a garage sale for - wait for it - fifty cents!  The Dog Book was illustrated by Diana Thorne, whom, I found upon research, led a very interesting life.  The image transfer collage above is my tribute to the three Great Danes I have owned and loved.  Here it is almost done, but there are several small mixed media elements left to add.

Teak was my first Great Dane.  He was up for "adoption" from a previous owner who couldn't keep him, and he was a two year old brindle, quite tall, about 150 pounds.  We instantly bonded, and he served as a dear companion and great guard dog.  Although he would never actually attack anyone, he would place himself between a stranger and me until I shook their hand or assured him it was okay.  How amazing that a dog would so readily do this for a new owner.

Bella,  my second Dane, was the most gentle, people-loving, devoted friend one could imagine.  She was a shorter, stockier merle.  One weekend when she was in her fourth year, she began acting as though she didn't feel well, and by Monday we had to let her go......one of the lobes of her lung twisted and burst before the doctor was even sure of what had happened.  A heart wrenching experience, I lay on the floor of the vet's office, spooning her until she stopped breathing.  My husband and daughter sat crying on the bench in that room, as the vet knelt,  in tears as well.  A piece of my heart died that day, too.

Yet the presence of such a large pet, one who is so human-like, was sorely missed, and two weeks later I began looking for another.   Her birth  owner named her Princess - she was one of a litter of 15 "oops" babies.  We changed her name to Sophia.  Sophia came home with us at the sweet age of 5 weeks.  I remember that she could walk underneath Wags' (part boxer) belly then.  HA!  She  is now a tall, beautifully sculpted Great Dane, with shiny black fir and long legs.  Sophia is the biggest scaredy-cat you've ever met, and still has so much puppy in her at two and a half years old.    She's also the biggest baby, and will sit right up in your lap.

I have owned and do own other breeds of dogs, but have found none like a Great Dane.  When I have added a few small embellishments to the canvas, I will hang 3 charms naming  my pets from the bottom, and repost the finished product.   If you enjoyed this, I hope you will come back to visit.

Signs of spring.....

About two years ago I took a cutting of a friend's ground orchid...and it is finally blooming for the first time!  The picture above shows the entire plant, and the close up shows the elegant little flower.  Each flower is only about 3/4 of an inch in diameter!

Click on the picture to see them full sized.

I don't know the name of these, but they have a succulent looking leaf, and their bright flowers are so cheerful!

Today was a gorgeous beach day.  Unfortunately, I had uploaded pictures to my computer last night and failed to put the memory card back into my good camera, so this was taken with my phone....and heavily  adjusted on IPhoto!   

Next weekend we'll head back to the beach with the good camera - there were two baby (only a few days old) osprey in a nest right next to the sidewalk and quite low.  I spent a lot of time watching mom feed them.  I also noticed the mockingbirds chasing other birds around - obviously protecting their nests, which they do with a fierceness that is frightening.  They will fly right at you if you get too close!  If I'm lucky, the three pelicans perched on the "No wake" sign will be there for church services again.....as will the red heron (rare to see), the snowy egrets, and the fishing osprey.