Hi Every Body!
I hope you are doing well and that signs of spring are budding forth where you are. Or perhaps you live where things are cooling off and fall is peeking around the corner. Wherever you are, I hope you're safe and snug. Or better yet, snuggling.
I'm feeling better and able to spend a bit more time on the computer. I can tell you that if you want to take a bloggie break, you really need to take a
computer break. Otherwise . . .
I've been slowly visiting all the marvelous NBUS partypants and as I drove around Blogland, I couldn't help but see the challenges you all are playing in. I don't get too distracted if I sneak on the computer while the hamsters are sleeping, but if they are up and peaking over my shoulder, well, all kinds of creative chaos ensueciates and the next thing I know we all want to
play!
So what happened was we happened to see the current challenge at
Less is More is, "What's Outside Your Window?" First of all, what a fun idea for a challenge! Second of all, I just happened to have something worth sharing right outside my window this very week, so how could I not NOT join in!
Those of you who are long-time friends will not be surprised that this is my card representing my view:
We are so fortunate to have these delightful little creatures visit all year long! For my card I used a very old piece of twinkly light blue card for the sky. The watercolored hummingbird is made using a die from Taylored Expressions called "Hovering By." The sediment is from "Compact Sentiments" by Waltzingmouse. (I'm so sorry she is going out of business.)
I used a snippet of textured red paper for the feeder top and a snippet of yellow for the little tiny die-cut flowers. The holder is a snippet of mirri paper and the base of the feeder was cut from a piece of vellum using an oval die from The Stamps of Life.
I have to say that feeder base of vellum to represent water is pretty genius. You've got Hannahbelle to thank for that. She finished her dinner before the others and rode on my head over to where I keep my speshellity paper.
She ran down my arm and was bouncing up and down on my hand as I was flicking through the vellum. When I pulled out this one, thinking it was clear, she made that funny little barking sound she makes when she wants me to focus.
I mean, seriously, these hamsters are worth their trouble! I've got too many of them and I really should give some away, but the older I'm getting, the more of them I need!
Challenges
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And now let's get to what's outside my winder . . .
What happened was, the day before yesterday's day before, I was at the patio door to go out to the Playhouse and I had to stop and wait because a hummer was at the feeder. The Mister was sitting there on the couch so we both watched. We were particularly enchanted because this little dude had a patch of white on him, unlike any of the usual hummers we see.
So we watched. And we watched. And we watched. And he never moved. Well, you don't have to tell me three times. I scootched off and got the camera.
I quietly opened the patio door and walked a couple of steps out and took a coupla photos and then a coupla more steps and a coupla more photos. As I got closer and I'm talking to him, I could see that he was just a tiny baby and the white we were seeing was a fluffy baby feather.
Isn't he sweet? I was so tickled because once again ~ for the third straight time ~ I recently had a mama hummingbird build a nest where I could see it and once again ~ for the third straight time ~ a blue scrub jay came and took the eggs for breakfast. I know it's nature, but it's still upsetting to see it happen. So I don't know where this little guy came from, but we were delighted to know at least one nest had survived somewhere in the neighborhood.
Anywiddle, by now a few minutes had gone by and I'm thinking I'm the world's best hummingbird whisperer. I am close enough to reach out and touch him and you can see from the photo that he had his eyes tightly closed as if I were hypnotizing him.
(If only my brain wasn't made of hamster food, I would have been smart enough to be recording all this on camera for you. But I wasn't and so you will have to just imagine what happened next.)
All of a sudden out of right field, here came a male hummingbird. He flapped and fluttered right next to me and the baby. I involuntarily stepped back when he swooped in and then I watched mesmerized as the male hummingbird quite literally kicked the baby in the head! The baby hummer woke up with a startle and they both darted off!
It was the darnedest thing. At first I thought it was an attack, but once I saw the photos, I'm pretty sure that the tiny newling really did fall asleep and that was his daddy who swooped in. He could see that I was getting way too close for comfort so he had to get him out of there, even if he had to kick him to do it!
And that's what's been happening outside my window!
RIP Karendipity
I'm so very grateful for moments like the above that can take us to a happy place where bombs don't go off and friends don't die before their time. This is my second such loss this year and it's only March.
Yesterday, I received the very sad news that my dear bloggie friend Karen Bourke of
Serendipity Dragonfly lost her long battle with cancer in the early hours of the morning. She and I hit it off when I first moved to Blogland four years ago. I called her Karendipity in that way I do and, not to be outdone, she immediately started calling me Dippy!
The news of her passing is especially sad because we were so looking forward to meeting each other in July during my trip to England and I was planning to spend two days with Karen and her husband Tony. My heart goes out to him and to her family, especially to her sister Val Nolan, who also lives in our community, over at
Canonbury Creations.
I think it is so serendipitious that my post today was already written about the baby hummer because Karen loved it when I shared about them. This was what she said in a comment on a
post of mine a year ago April:
"I am so jealous of your hummers - I think they are the most amazing birds but don't see any down here in Somerset!"
Rest in peace, my friend, and free of pain. I like to think that The Craft Room in heaven just got a whole lot more talented and filled with a whole lot more laughter! And I like to think you have hummingbirds perched on your shoulders!
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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS ~ life is too short!
As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!
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