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Friday, July 29, 2011

Geometric Rainbow Box and Coloring Page

Because it seemed like a rainbow-y day and in theory, simple geometric designs are easy. I started this one thinking "Okay, I'll have it done in an hour or two" and well.. that was a few hours ago. Click on the images for the full sized versions. The coloring page is only 100 dpi. Hope you enjoy them!



In other news, on other sites. I posted a new beadwork project on BellaOnline Beadwork

Monday, July 25, 2011

Pretty Cauliflower Fractals

This weekend we went to one of the local farmer's markets and the hardware store. At the market we found these gorgeous fractal cauliflowers. Click on images to see larger versions.


Resized, but otherwise unretouched. They are just that gorgeous. Then I did retouch some, increased the contrast, greyscaled then added color layers.



Here's a box I made with one of the psychedelic recolored versions.

At the hardware store, I needed bolt cutters for my thick copper wire. So I picked up a pair of bolt cutters. Turnip Girl made herself a very pretty scarf on big needles, and wanted to make herself a pair of big hardwood needles so we also got her some oak dowels 3/8 inch. Then we found out that 1/4 inch copper couplers fit perfectly on them. So she got those for the ends. She'll be making herself a pair of needles this week.
This is the scarf she made, the glove/mitts were made by Shelane Adu who was selling at the market. I swear, that snow cone is NOT poison and that she actually really enjoyed it. It was lime and mango, and she ate the whole thing. 

The shirt is from Threadless.

Book Review - Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It and Other Kitchen Projects

Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It and Other Kitchen Projects is a new book by freelance food author Karen Solomon.

This is just a lovely primer on making things from scratch that are normally convenience or grocery store purchases. Because they are made from scratch, they combine unexpected flavors for gourmet goodies that would make wonderful gifts.

The photography of the colorful food is gorgeously photographed. The recipes and techniques are well explained.  It's separated into clear chapters by type of food and well indexed at the back as well the table of contents in the beginning.

I was going to do a chapter by chapter breakdown, but there are a lot of chapters with a few recipes in each one. This book covers a lot of cook-ahead things for stocking your fridge, freezer and pantry.

Highlights for me include instructions for making your own masa harina and your own hot dogs with more information on how to turn those two things into corn dogs completely made from scratch.  A wonderful curry powder recipe, corned beef and how to smoke your homemade corned beef to make pastrami, how to roast coffee beans in a heavy skillet, homemade chocolate/hazelnut spread, and how to make different kinds of non-dairy milk including a recipe for horchata.  With some homemade sodas and icy sweet treats this book is just great. The sodas are yeast carbonated which is one of my favorite ways to make soda pop.

It's easy and inspiring. My daughter has pages marked for recipes she wants to try.  A wonderful cookbook for people who are really getting into making things themselves and the DIY lifestyle.




You can get more information about my review policy here.

Lamar's Scrubbie- crochet pattern

My family loves the soft cotton crocheted scrubbies and they are one of my favorite television watching projects. But I make them in different ways. You can find other patterns here and here for this style scrubbie using different stitch patterns. This one is big, dense and fairly hefty. It would probably also make a good soft ball.
I made this one for my Uncle Lamar. He says he likes it a lot.

The basic idea behind any of them is regular increases in each round to make a single plane ruffle up into something big and fluffy. This one, I decide to make the hanging string separately.
You'll need:
Cotton worsted weight yarn (still working off my stash of garage sale balls and cones!)
Size F hook (3.75 mm)
Yarn needle
scissors

American terminology
ch=chain
dc= double crochet
sl st= slip stitch
st or sts= stitch or stitches
Repeat ** means repeat the instructions between the * 

Start by making the hanging string.
Ch 6, sl st to join
Round 1: ch 3, work 8 dc in ring, sl st to join
Ch 80, sl st to join on next dc on the ring. Break off and weave in ends.

Scrubbie:
 Chain 8, sl st to join
Round 1: Ch 4(counts as first dc and ch 1), dc in ring, ch 1, *dc in ring, ch 1*, repeat ** 5 times. Sl st to join in 3rd st of ch 4. (8 spaces)
Round 2: Ch 4 c(counts as first dc and ch 1), dc in space, ch 1, *dc in next dc, ch 1, dc in next space, ch 1*, repeat **, sl st to join in 3rd st of chain 4 (16 spaces)
Round 3-5: repeat round 2. Number of spaces doubles each time.  You may be happy with the fullness and size at 4 rounds, if you are, break off and weave in ends. If you want that extra round of fullness, add the 5 round and break off and weave in ends.

Pull away the ruffles to see the ch 8 hole in the middle, thread the long loop from the hanging string through that and pull until it stops on the crocheted disk at the bottom. Tie the loop in an overhand knot, sliding the knot down until it's on top of the hole.

Makes a great gift. I included an Essential Shampoo bar from Gladheart Acres. The shampoo bars work on hair and body, and these are what I use at the gym.
Uncle Lamar- summer 2010
He says he loves the scrubbie and the shampoo bar. We have totally different hair types, so I was curious what he would think. He loves math and science so the fact it was a single plane was interesting to him.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Sunflower coloring page


Yesterday morning I woke up with a flower mandala in mind after laying it out in my dreams. This isn't it. I'm still working on that one. This one side tracked me. Sunflowers are Fibonacci number flowers with 34 petals. I thought about adding some leaves, but I really like how it looks without them. 
Click on the image for the big version.

Next week I should be getting a shiny new high capacity stapler, so I was planning to put together a few side stapled coloring books of my mandalas as presents for non-internet friends. So I'll be posting a tutorial for that when it gets here. Tomorrow, the hardware store and farmers market. Michael and William were discussing 3rd hands and magnifiers and other things for the things he paints. He paints miniatures and squirt guns. The squirt guns turn out pretty neat looking. It's amazing how some metallic paints turn a bright, plastic cheap squirt gun into something very steampunk looking.
I'm planning to pick up a bolt cutter for my 12 gauge copper wire, and hopefully some pickling cukes for the dill that's growing like crazy in my herb garden. The herbs are doing so well. The basil didn't come up at all, but I'm set for cilantro, dill and parsley! Actually, since my husband has herbs growing in his office, we have too much cilantro. 

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Christmas Advent Calendar

Rachel at One Pretty Thing has been doing a bunch of Christmas themed round-ups, pulling together nifty projects she's posted for past Christmases as inspiration for getting started now. It did inspire to draw a Santa head and make an advent calendar.
The calendar works like those fliers you see posted on community bulletin boards. Print it out at 8x10 on a sheet of paper, trim the edges, cut up the lines. If you pre-fold each tab, they will be easier to pull off.
I also included a transparent PNG with the numbers and words that can be used for your own designs, so if you're an avid digital scrapper, you could make a personalized version using your digital scrap sets and photos from previous Christmases. Click on the images for larger versions.
The font used is Bolton by Paul Lloyd.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Owl coloring page


Because I really like this owl. So I decided it needed to be a coloring page/embroidery pattern as well as a box.
Click on the image for the full sized version.

ETA: If you love owls and Doctor Who, check out this great shirt at Threadless. Doctor-Hoo, they just reprinted it. I got one of these for my daughter the first time they had them and she loves it. 

Monday, July 18, 2011

Quick advertisement and moment of self-promotion

So, the Kindle 3G is available now in a sponsored version. What that means is that you can have the wonderful-ness that is a Kindle for a bit less because there will be screensaver ads. Some of those ads have great deals on them, and if it's the cost of the Kindle that's been the reason you haven't gotten one, now they cost a whole lot less for the 3G version.
What does the 3G version do that the wireless doesn't? It downloads books almost anywhere in the US, and in many places around the world. As long as their is cell service, you can probably connect to download.

I love my Kindle. Really truly. Actually, everyone in my family loves their Kindles. Turnip Girl and Michael share my K2, and we got William a Kindle last year for Christmas. He carries it with him on the bus (and nearly everywhere else!) and is devouring the classics (most of which are public domain and free). All 3 Kindles are on my account, so we can read the same books.

If you are planning to buy it, using the affiliate link below will help pay for my book habit. It's an expensive habit that I started too young and can't seem to stop.

I have a few e-books available for Kindle. One is about how to bake bread,  a short collection of Turnip Girl's favorite recipes, and one about brick stitched earrings. Turnip Girl also wants for she and I to write another cooking collection soon, and she's making a list of recipes. You can find my e-books on my author page.

You can find my tutorial for writing Kindle e-book absolutely free here.


Owl box

After going to see Harry Potter, I was thinking about doing some wizardly boxes. I probably will soon, but decided to first do a retro-y owl. I hope you like it. This one comes in 2 versions, colored and black and white. Click on the images for the full sized versions.



Instructions for the crocheted bracelet I showed in my last post are located HERE.
ETA: If you love owls and Doctor Who, check out this great shirt at Threadless. Doctor-Hoo, they just reprinted it. I got one of these for my daughter the first time they had them and she loves it. 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Potter's Marsh July 16

We went out to Potter's Marsh to try my new camera recently, I'm going to have to learn a lot more about it, at this point, the colors turn a little weird on some shots. Like this one of a seagull harassing a bald eagle.
I liked this photo of an eagle coming in to land a lot better.

Fortunately, Michael was with me and he was taking photos with my HS10. A lot of his photos didn't turn out either because it's unfamiliar to him, but some turned out lovely.




In order, a sandhill crane, moose (cow), red necked grebe and a bald eagle.

Yesterday we also picked up a cake at my favorite local bakery for the Turnip Girl and my b-day (since we skipped birthday cake in May with everything else going on) and dad came over for cake. The rest of the day, the part we weren't having cake or being at Potter's Marsh, we spent outside. The kids worked on the garden and I crocheted a bracelet.
For her actual birthday, she asked for, and got, a shopping trip at a local thrift store. She got a big bag of cheap acrylic yarn to use in her knitting, fabric for her doll making, and some clothes. We also found a bag full of shell necklaces, you know the sort? Super touristy, strung on plastic long shell necklaces. The bag was 1.99 and I also picked up a bag full of ball ends of size 30 cottons. One of the balls was blue, and in my button box I found a button that matched the blue. So I made her this bracelet while sitting in the sun.
I'll be posting the pattern on Beadwork at BellaOnline.

Today, after a very busy week, we are just relaxing. And planning what we are going to make next!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Swirl Top Box


The vases are in the shot because that's what I've been making in my tv time recently. The yellow one is worked around a small amber empty pill bottle so it can hold water/cut flowers. I'm debating if I should post the patterns or not. They are sort of silly but a lot of fun to make! The flowers in the bud vase are tissue paper flowers we made for fun this week.
The box was inspired by my son, who was messing around with my sequins and overlapped 3 to make a circle. I liked how it looked and decided "I need to make a box that closes like that!" so here it is.
I hope you like it. Click on the picture for the large version. I'll post the template in my Etsy shop later today.


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Canning Salsa

Every so often, there is a product that I just know is a brilliant idea that I want to try then tell everyone else about it. The Ball® Canning Discovery™ Kit is one of those things.

The idea behind it is simple, a compact, easy, inexpensive way for people to discover how easy canning can be. A plastic rack with a handle that will fit into a nice big stock pot for small batch canning. The rack will accommodate 3 jars at a time.
The kit comes with the rack, 3 1 pint jars and very basic, easy to understand instructions.
You supply your own stock pot, and it needs to be at least 7.5 inches deep and 9.5 inches in diameter. A canning funnel and a small non-metallic spatula are also helpful.
If you have the spatula and stock pot, as well as ingredients for the small batch recipe you want to try, you can start immediately. The canning funnel is very helpful for filling jars, but if you don't have one, you can ladle things in the jars carefully.
If you're worried about using a plastic rack, polypropylene is a thermoplastic that melts at around 300 degrees F. Water boils at 212 degrees F. I have a gas stove, and the first recipe I did needed boiling for 35 minutes. The plastic held up just fine.

Our experience with it:
I haven't done any canning since my mom passed away, and the Turnip Girl had never canned before. So if you've never canned before, trust me, you can follow the instructions in the booklet.
Since it was her first time canning and I wanted her to be enthused about it, I let her choose the recipe. She chose a very simple salsa recipe using Ball Fiesta Salsa Mix, 2 lbs of tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons of vinegar. We chopped and cooked, and followed the recipe and canning instructions. We decided to stick to the instructions for the salsa without adding pepper or cilantro. We had a lot of fun. Then we ladled it into the jars, and processed. The basket has a handle so you don't need a jar lifter. Since we did it in the afternoon, we couldn't check to make sure they sealed properly until morning but we heard the *pop* of the lids being vacuumed as the hot air in them cooled and contracted. When we checked them in the morning by pressing lightly on the lids to see if they seal, they had sealed perfectly.
So now we had two very pretty jars of homemade salsa ready to set in our pantry. Except Turnip Girl wanted to open one immediately to try it. So she did that.
She loves it. She loved the whole process, and it's something she wants to do again. She has been going through recipes and planning gifts for friends. Next time she wants to try the Salsa Verde recipe that's on FreshPreserving.com.
As far as the salsa mix goes? Half of that first jar is gone already, and I'm not going to complain about her eating lots of tomatoes. So it's a great way to add vegetables to your menu. She likes salsa in omelets.

If you haven't canned before, but you've considered it, looking at the wonderful availability of vegetables, fruits and berries at the farmer's markets or from your own garden, this is a nice way to get into small batch canning. It's doesn't take up much space if space is a consideration.

You can get the kit, the salsa mix and lots of information and recipes from FreshPreserving.com. The kit is 11.99, and the Fiesta Salsa mix is 5.99 for enough for 8 pints, or 1.49 for a packet that will make 2 pints.

You can get more information about my review policy here.
None of these links are affiliate links.

Alien mandala coloring page

This one was a lot of fun to make. The reason I based it on 3 was because after trying prime and Fibonacci number sequences, I wasn't happy with how the looked. So a little more research popped up that a lot of close encounters involved the number 3.
Do I believe? I try to keep an open mind. I listen to Coast to Coast AM every night while I'm going to sleep. Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe.
The crop circle designs aren't an exact copy of any crop circle that I know of, but they are inspired by the elegance of the crescent designs that have popped up.
The friendly alien is because it's seems rude to assume a threat. Maybe they just want to borrow a cup of sugar?
It's whimsy. Not a statement of my beliefs, or meant to insult anyone else's beliefs. It's fun, and I hope you like it!
Click on the image to download the full sized version. You can also use this design for embroidery, pyrography or any other crafty uses. I think it would look wonderful embroidered using glow in the dark flosses and I'm thinking of doing that myself.

Font used is Street Expanded by Graham Meade. 

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Butterfly box


300 dpi, click on the image to get the full sized version.
The Spoonflower limited palette butterfly contest is voting now! Make sure you're signed in to Spoonflower to vote. Obviously, I'd love your votes, love the chance to win 5 yards of custom printed fabric. There are a lot of great entries in this contest. 
There are coloring pages with the butterfly from this design here.

ETA: Thank you Kai and Liberty!
I'm getting a new camera that SHOULD be delivered tomorrow, this weekend we are driving out of town in the opposite direction, and if I'm not absolutely knackered from Bear Paw Festival, we might go a little further out so I can get coffee and photos. The coffee from the Coffee Roastery, Ron does an amazing job with his coffees and they are my current favorite roasts. Hopefully at some point this summer I'll be able to go out and do some custom roasting with him.  I'm just not sure what to name it! Whatever it is, it will be a dark roast. Those dark, oily roasts are my favorite. Any suggestions for names?

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Dea's Rhubarb Lemonade


The Turnip Girl, who is also the artist known as Dea, at least in her family, gave me permission to share her rhubarb-lemonade recipe. She's 15 now, and has been collecting recipes and making up recipes to fill her recipe box for years. Some of them the rest of the family is fairly skeptical about. She can say as much as she likes that peanut butter tacos with lots of hot sauce are awesome. I'm not eating them.
Her rhubarb lemonade is really good though. Sometimes I do have to add extra sugar. She loves the sour.
8x10 300 dpi jpgs. Blank and with her recipe. Click on the images for the full sized version. Recipe by the Turnip Girl, illustrations by me.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Skull and Cross Bone Cupcake Toppers

When I made the prototype for these, I asked the Turnip Girl "What kind of design should I use for my blog?" I really expected an answer like peace symbols or maybe something Gallifreyan. Instead she surprised me by saying "SKULLS!" I said "Cute skulls?" and she said yes.
To make these, you print the circles on card stock and the fan strips on paper. Cut out and accordion fold the paper strips following the lines, overlap the ends and glue them together to make an accordion folded tube. Cut out the circles. I use my handy dandy 1 inch circle punch to cut out the circles, but scissors work fine as well. Gently flatten the tube into a circle and glue a toothpick into one of the folds. Then glue a circle to the back, oriented so the top of the skull is in the opposite direction of the toothpick. You can use something that's just a bit heavy to weigh it down so it dries flat. I used a bottle of hair beads. Then glue the second circle to the front.
2 sheets of fan strips and 1 sheet of circles makes 14 cupcake toppers with 2 circles to spare.
Click on the images for the full  sized 300 dpi versions.


Monday, July 4, 2011

Crochet Little Kitty Pattern


I like this style of doll because they are sort of like chibi figures. Very simple and quick to make and the details make the doll.

 In this case, one of the details are the eyes which I won from Suncatcher Eyes. If you don't know about Suncatcher Eyes, they are gorgeously hand-safety eyes that are like sparkling jewels. She has a bunch of variations. These are 9 mm cat eyes in pink. The eyes come with the washers to attach them. You insert the post of the eye into your project. With crochet projects, they fit easily between 2 single crochet stitches done using a size F hook. Slide the washer on the post on the inside of your project to lock the eye in place. Make sure you have them set just how you want them before sliding the washers on.

The other detail is a short length of ball chain with a bell attached. I got a whole bunch of short ball chains from American Science and Surplus, search for chainettes on the website. 100 6 1/4 inch lengths with connectors for 1.45. I use them for hanging my measuring cups and spoons as well as for craft projects. The bell is from my stash. A ribbon with a bell will work just as well.

As most my patterns, this is not worked in spirals, and the first ch doesn't count as the first stitch. Feel free to modify to fit your style. I don't mind the seam up the back, and prefer how tidy it looks when I chain 1 tightly, then work my sc in that space.

Supplies:
Size F hook (4mm)
Worsted weight yarn- I used Peaches and Cream (I think, unlabeled cone)
Yarn needle
Eyes, buttons, beads or safety eyes
ribbon or chain for a collar
stuffing
plastic pellets or plastic BB type ammo*

American terminology
ch= Chain stitch
sc= single crochet
dc= double crochet
hdc= half double crochet
sl st= slip stitch
st= stitch
sts= stitches
dec= decrease crochet, in this case it means to work 1 single crochet across two spaces. Insert hook in first stitch of dec and yarn over, pull loop through stitch, (2 loops on hook) insert hook in next st and yarn over, pull through stitch(3 loops on hook), yarn over, and pull through all 3 loops on hook.

When it says repeat ** that means to repeat the instructions between the asterisks.

Pattern is worked from the top down, and 3 pieces total. The head/body and the 2 ears. 

Ch 1 or magic ring.
Rnd 1: ch 1 (does not count as first sc here or through out) 6 sc in ring or first ch, sl st in first sc to join. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in same st, 2 sc in each stitch around, sl st to first sc to join (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next st,*sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *repeat ** twice more, sl st to first sc to join (16 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, * sc in next stitch, sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st,* repeat ** twice more, sl st to first sc to join (20 sts)
Rnd 5-8: ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each stitch around, sl st to first sc to join (20 sts)
I placed my eyes in Rnd: 7. 
Rnd 9: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next st, sc in next st, dec in next 2 sts,* sc in next st, sc in next st, sc in next st, dec in next 2 sts, * repeat ** twice more. Sl st in first sc to join. (16 sts)
Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next st, dec in next 2 sts, *sc in next sti, sc in next st, dec in next 2 sts, * repeat ** twice more, sl st to first sc to join (12 sts)
Stuff head firmly with stuffing
Rnd 11: Ch 1, dec across next 2 sts, dec across next stitches, repeat around.  Sl st to first sc to join(6 sts)
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st around. Sl st to first sc to join (6 sts)
Rnd 13: ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to join (12 sts)
Rnd 14: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to join (12 sts)
Rnd 15: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next st,*sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *repeat ** twice more, sl st to first sc to join (16 sts)
Rnd 16-20: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to join (16 sts)

Stuff about halfway to 2/3 with stuffing, using a hook or pencil to stuff in the neck. Pour in the plastic pellets or plastic BBs. I use high density plastic bbs because they are fairly heavy and come in a bottle with a nice pouring spout for these. The extra weight at the bottom is what makes these stand nicely. Put a bit more stuffing over the pellets, and start doing the decreasing for the bottom, hold the pellets in place with your thumb while you are working, or add a scrap of fabric and tuck the edges to hold them in place.

Rnd 21: Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next st, dec in next 2 sts, *sc in next sti, sc in next st, dec in next 2 sts, * repeat ** twice more, sl st to first sc to join (12 sts)
Rnd 22: Ch 1, dec across next 2 sts, dec across next stitches, repeat around.  Sl st to first sc to join(6 sts)
Break off yarn and put the tail on the needle and stitch through all 6 stitches, and pull tight. Knot securely and weave in end.

Ears: (make 2) 
Ch 6- counts as ch 3 and first dc. 
In 5th ch from hook, work a hdc, in next ch, a sc, ch 2, and down the other side of the chain do a sc in the same st as last sc, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch. 
Ch 1 (doesn't count as sc) sc in same st, sc in hdc, sc in sc, 3 sc in ch 2 space, sc in sc on other side, sc in next hdc, sc in top of the ch 3. Break off leaving a long enough tail to stitch the ears in place.

Refer to the photo, I cupped the ears slightly and stitched them on the sides of the head starting in the second round of the head. 

Add collar.


Alaska- I love living here (photos)

a sign at the fair
Saturday, our family went out to the Forest Fair in Girdwood. Girdwood is a tiny resort town with a strong art community that's about 36 miles away from Anchorage. The drive is incredible with the inlet on one side, and mountains on the other for most of it. Then when you get there, you're in a valley between mountains.
Forest Fair takes place in the woods of course, a trail in a wooded area lined with local artists, food and with 2 stages. It's very crowded with people dressed in tie dye, handmade colorful skirts, kilts and lots of embroidered details. I'm afraid I didn't get photos in the fair because well.. I was busy! Enjoying food, art and music.
Kids play area right outside the fair grounds.
The fair has few rules to remember.
We wandered the paths, looking at things and sharing snacks so we all got a taste of the various foods. The family favorite was Talkeetna Spinach Bread. A nice crusty bread spread with a garlic-y spinach spread and cheese and roasted until hot and melty.

 Rogues and Wenches were on the main stage, much to the delight of William. Most of the performances we catch by them are happenstance. They are at a fair or show we go to. I think it's time to start paying attention to where they play. Both Turnip Girl and William enjoy them a lot.

William and the Turnip looked carefully for something to bring home. William was fascinated by an artist who made things out of scraps of hardware, pipes and other salvaged materials. He picked a little dog statue that was made with pipe, a faucet and other pieces and parts.

The Turnip checked out every tie dye booth in the place. She loves tie dye, hers, other peoples, tie dye just makes her happy. She found a thermal long sleeved shirt in various shades of blue, standard spiral design that she loved.

I got a cup from Silverbear Sundries that you know will wind up being a prop in earring photos later this year. I also got a couple bars of soap from her. She had a FB special, if you mentioned you saw her announcement she would be at the fair, she gave you a lip balm. Since my family all loves her lip balm, we mentioned.

Remember that part of the road that I said looked like the path to fairyland when I was a kid? Click on these photos for larger views.

On the way back we stopped at Bird Point, which is a viewing area on the highway. It's one of the places you can view whales if you're there at the right time. There were sparrows darting around, and we spotted this nesting pair of ravens. This is taken at max zoom, they were pretty far away. I used Michael as my tripod.

Lichen! I asked a friend who really enjoys some of the detail in the macro shots I take if she liked lichen. She said "Lich'en? I love'en!"


This photo hasn't been resized or cropped. So if you click, it's huge. I hope you like it. It really is that beautiful.