Pinterest Addiction

I'm addicting to Pinterest.  Thanks Lindy!  Pinterest is a virtual pinboard.  It lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To start your own pinboards you might need an invite.  Let me know if you want one. 

Here are some neat things I'm finding.  Come join us!

So many neat ideas!

Cuties that make me smile.

I love windows.

Pinterest

Invite me please!

Ringtones Gone Wild

A Gray Treefrog was hiding under a feeder yesterday.  This is the first one I've seen, so I went online to identify it.

Did you know you can download nature ringtones?  The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife have a site for that called Ringtones Gone Wild.  You can get everything from an angry bear to a bluebird, and they have the Gray Treefrog, too.

Now I have a little surprise for you.  Here is an alpaca ringtone I made.  It is Mystery humming!

Listen to the Alpaca Hum Ringtone
(might take a few seconds to load)



Free for your personal use.

mp3 - DOWNLOAD

iPod or iPhone - DOWNLOAD

Please link back to this site or give credit
if you use these files on your own site.  Thanks! :)

Here is a great website to upload the ringtone from your computer and send it to your phone.  It will also let you convert the mp3 to another format compatible with your phone.   Make Your Own Ringtone

What is it?

 Handsome Hubby found this little guy in the catch pen when we 

were giving the alpacas their monthly shots. 

I think it is a salamander.  I've never seen one before.  Have you?

Thanks to Little Man for taking the pictures.

Wordless Wednesday - Drying My New Wings

Is it Trying to Tell Me Something?

Tawny Emperor Butterfly

We are working on our Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification.  A fun summer project with the kids and very educational.  Our first step is to document what we already have like nesting areas, native plants, water sources, and trees.  While taking a photo of a bat house that is on the back of our barn this lovely butterfly landed on me.

I got a close-up view! 

When I got back in the house I grabbed our Backyard Wildlife Habitat notebook and looked up the butterfly.  Aha! It is a Tawny Emperor...attracted to rotting fruit and dung.  I'm not sure what this says about me! I WAS in the area where we compost the alpaca manure.

 

It would not fly away. Here it is crawling on my arm.  

I thought I was so special.

There are many links in mythology between butterflies and the human soul. Butterflies also represent love, long life, and marital bliss in other cultures. I think I'll spend time on that thought instead!

I did get a picture of the old bat house.

Tree Swallows Find a Home

Tree Swallow Waiting for Partner

We have a pair of tree swallows nesting in one of our birdhouses.  We first noticed them when they were competing with bluebirds for a nest box. Bluebirds and tree swallows nest in cavities they find.  They are unable to make their own. The bluebirds won the first box and the swallows moved into the second.

Back with Food

A couple of days ago we saw a little head peaking out and both parents chirping encouragement.  Finally the fledgling took flight and floated to the ground.  Mom and Dad swooped down and helped it find its way into the tree. The kids had so much fun watching as the birdhouses are the ones they made me for Christmas.

Parents Ready to Help Fledglings 

If you have a bluebird nest box and get frustrated by swallows taking up residence just put up a second home.  Bluebirds defend a larger area from other bluebirds but will live close to other species of birds. Tree Swallows are great to have around for insect control.

Can You Tell Me What This Flower Is?

I'm trying to identify this flower. It grows along the side of the house and comes back each year. It spreads like crazy, blooms in May and June and then it is done for the year. Can you help me?

Wordless Wednesday - Raindrop

Hummingbird Feeder Recipe

My mom asked me for the hummingbird feeder solution I make and it occurred to me that you might want it, too. I boil 2 cups of water for a few minutes and then add 1/2 cup of sugar.  Let it cool and fill the feeder.

Basically: 4 parts water / 1 part sugar

I love the Stokes Birding Blog and they have a nice post about it. You can see it by clicking here.  The Stokes have wonderful field guides and bird identification books which helped me to identify my first Blue Grosbeak earlier this month.  I, also, took a tip from another one of their posts about filling a suet feeder with fiber for birds to use for nesting material.  Lovebug and I did that together this morning.  It was fun mother/daughter time.  She took a couple of pictures for you...

Maybe I should make up some nesting balls using alpaca fiber for the Etsy shop.  Or maybe kits for families to do together... hmmm... off to think...

Wordless Wednesday - BIG Moth

Rain, Rain, Rain

Many across the region have had a tough time with a flooding emergency here in Kentucky. We have been very fortunate to only have a bit of a mucky mess. The creek we couldn't cross yesterday has receded.

My neighbor has a pond where there wasn't one before and there are some pretty big ruts we'll have to repair in the driveway.

My friend Tami teased that perhaps ShamWows might come in handy to dry the alpacas.

Eight inches of rain is a lot for one weekend. However, the sun is shining on our house this morning.

The irises are about to bloom.

The water buckets are full.

And I had plenty of time to work on my alpaca bowls and pouches for my new Etsy shop - to be open soon.

Oh, and note to myself: Don't wear garden clogs when the mud is a few inches deep in the pastures. I think I'll have to throw those socks away!