Fauna Finds Flora

A Watery City

2012-02-17T20:48:00.000-08:00

I like living in a city with a lot of water.

Glowing Lights in the Night

2012-02-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

My bus stopped running fairly early in the evening, so I walked home from my friends house after their Superbowl party. I took pictures of street lights and dim and dingy corners. It was very quiet.

A Comforting Home For Old and Weary Sailors

2012-02-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

I love the marinas that are rundown and slightly rickety looking. They have more character! I imagine that these old marinas are full of retried sailors. They spent years at sea, living a tiresome yet adventurous life being beaten about by the sea. Now they want a comforting place to moor their tattered, weather beaten boats. These worn down marinas offer a refuge that their more glitzy counterparts cannot.

Crocodile Heads and Cranes

2012-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

The heads of reptiles, slayed before their day.

Paper folded to mimic small birds:

Today on my drive home from work, I saw lot's of rainbows in the sky and heart balloons bobbing in the backs of peoples car. It was almost like I was living in a kids cartoon where everything's always cheerful and cute.

Animals at the Pet Shop.

2012-02-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

The animals were mundanely lounging in their cages contemplating nothing much at all until one little mouse squeaked 'revolt!' The animals were stirred to life, tired of the oppressive life they were living in side small glass enclosures. They wanted to see the world! They wanted to feel their small paws press against the earthy ground. These photo's, of course, were taken before the revolt started. The fury of the furry (and scaly and feathered) animals was complete mayhem, and I was just too distracted to take photos.

Actually, these are just some photo's I took at the pet store while D was looking for ghost shrimps for one of our tanks. We have on ghost shrimp now, named Ivan. The best ghost shrimp we had was Evelyn. Who knew a shrimp could have so much personality?! That Evelyn was always dancing around the tank and befriending the fish. She swam in arcs from one side of the tank to the other, and I would always imagine a rainbow appearing behind her as she moved.
The last photo in this set features a variety of fish that look like they have bird heads! I would love to have a fish with a bird head. Would it chirp or gurgle bubbles?

A Day Trip to the Mountains!

2012-02-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of mountains in Washington. When I fly back in from California or the South, I see them poking up from between the clouds. But I haven't visited very many of these mountains! Luckily I had a chance to see the mountains recently. They were covered with snow and trees and it felt refreshing to just breath in the mountain air. I breathed in a bunch of it while tubing down icy slopes! It was a blast. Here are some photographs of the mountains:

Autumn Trees, Construction and Songs for a Winter Walk.

2012-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photo's I had on my cell phone from walks and wanderings around Seattle.

I also made a new mixed CD that I am excited about. It's called 'The Apple Grows it's Own Orchard Using the Tiniest Seeds in the World.' Here is the tracklist:

Trav'lin' All Alone (Nickodemus & Zeb Remix)- Billie Holiday
Greyest Love of All- Taken by Trees
Sentimental Heart- She & Him
How Do You Love Someone Like- Christina Antipa
Are You Leaving for the Country- Karen Dalton
Fear Of The South- Tin Hat Trio
Black Leaf Falls- Sea Wolf
Los Angeles- Phospherescent
Head Home- Midlake
Incomplete And Insecure- The Avett Brothers
Ghost Life- Bowerbirds
Changing- The Moondoggies
Ghosts- The Head and The Heart
We Both Go Down Together- The Decemberists
Riptide- Beirut
I Became Awake- Great Lake Swimmers
The Sea And The Rhythm- Iron and Wine
My Door Is Always Open- Noah and The Whale

It is the perfect mix for wandering around the chilly winter streets while looking for signs of spring!

Discovery Park

2012-02-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

D and I went to Discovery Park this weekend. It was so nice to be out and about on a sunny, relatively warm day. We wandered thoguh the woods and enjoyed the view of the sound from the bluffs. One thing about Seattle is that everyone has the same idea on sunny days, so it was packed. At the risk of sounding like a misanthrope, I will admit I really do enjoy these parks more when they are a bit less crowded. But one good thing about all the people were that there were also tons of dogs. David and I befriended a couple of them.

Becoming an Old Maid Vs. Running Away to Join the Circus.

2012-02-09T18:12:00.001-08:00

When I was young, my old maid card set included the dreaded old maid card along with pairs of occupational cards. These cards included ordinary but respectable jobs such as firemen, librarians and doctors. Probably the zaniest job card my set included was the zoo keeper. This awesome set (given to me by David's Mom. This was her set growing up) includes circus professions! Of course some of these proffessions no child could truely become even if they had the greatest of aspirations (such as dancing bear or laughing lion.) My favorite card is the agile acrobats. I also really like the fat lady. She's really pretty with her rosy cheeks and red bow. Oh, and all the animal cards are my favorites also! But if I was going to join the circus, I would want to be the flying lady. This card set is from the fifties or sixties, so some of the cards are a bit offensive.

Pictures of My Family From a Long Time Ago

2012-02-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

I love seeing pictures of my family before I knew them.

Here is a picture of my mom and my dad when they were young. They are with their dog, Wind. I like this picture because it looks like they are posing for the cover of a folk album. Really they were just having fun exploring nature!

Here is my dad when he was a round faced baby with my grandma with her stylish 1940's hairdo. My grandma is a talented seamstress and use to sew her own clothes when she was young. I wish I still had some of the clothes she made. My grandma is quite petite so I don't think they would fit me, but it would be fun to see some of her hand sewn creations from the 1940's.

The Great Seattle Snow Stom of 2012

2012-02-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some photo's from around my house taken during the snow storm Seattle had a couple of weeks ago. On one of the days, the weather forecasters predicted up to 14 inches of snow. Instead there were only four or five inches. It was still a very snowy day, but not quite up to the hyperbolic predictions.

Making Jewelry!

2012-02-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

About six months ago I go the urge to learn how to make bead bracelets using a bead loom. They are really cheap... only six or seven dollars. Well, bead looming is more tedious than I first anticipated, so I gave up after two failed bracelet attempts and did not try it again until recently.

Finally, I made a mostly successful bracelet! It's actually really fun, one I got the knack of it!

I posted earlier about my rocks I polished. With one of them I made a necklace:

It reminds me of an eggplant because of its shape and the purple color. I want to make more rock necklaces but I do not know where to get more of the silver thingy attached on top. I got the one on the necklace with the rock tumbler.

Winter Soup

2012-02-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

Winter is the perfect time for soup. I recently made two batches of delicous and hardy winter soup.

Mushroom Soup:

Full of cream, sherry, veggie broth, mushrooms, celery, onions, herbs, and garlic.

Acorn Squash Soup:

Full of acorn squash, vegetable broth, carrots, onion, pesto, parmesan, garlic, potato, spinach, and white beans.

I also made molasses caraway bread.

The Rocks go Round and Round and Round

2012-01-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

D got me a rock tumbler for Christmas! He shortly regretted it because our house was filled with the constant sound of rocks rattling around and around. I, however, am quite fond of it! I set up a way to muffle the sound by putting it in a cardboard box and then putting a bunch of towels on top of it. There is still a constant clattering sound, but much reduced. Here are my rocks, before and after the polishing.

(Before!)

(After!)

I love searching for rocks on the beach or on hikes. It's like finding treasures!

The City and The Snow.

2012-01-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

Ces and I explored the snowy city on the first day of the snow storm. We wandered through the streets as snowflakes sprinkled the the world.

A Winter Scarf For A Snowy Day...or, My Board Game Scarf.

2012-01-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

I made this scarf mostly while playing board games with friends. Sometimes I will get antsy during board games. If I have a strategy, it is nerve wracking waiting through everyone else's turn. Who knows if they are going to make a move that destroys my my careful planning? That is why knitting is perfect for for board games. It is nice to have a way to occupy yourself between turns. I started this scarf in the summer while playing 'Power Grid' after a BBQ. I finished it while playing 'Puerto Rico' on the last day of the 'Great Seattle Snow Storm of 2012'.

Scarf in the Snow.

Warm Kitty!

Mue Mue, my little model cat!

Speaking of scarves, look at this one that Kay Francis is wearing.

I don't know if this quite counts as a scarf, but close enough. It looks like it is basically just two dead foxes hanging off of her. Kay Francis is quite beautiful and glamorous but she pulls this off despite the fox scarf not because of it. I love almost all fashion between the 1920's and 1940's, but I just don't get how the whole dead animal thing ever became a trend. It just reminds me of road kill. I realize I am slightly biased because I am a huge live animal fan, but it just seems strange!
These movie stills are from the movie 'Trouble in Paradise.' It is a romantic comedy from 1932. In the 'olden days,' directors really knew how to do romantic comedy's right.

Birdhouse and Sweater, Before and After.

2012-01-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

I came home on a windy day and found my birdhouse had been blown to the ground. As it crashed against the hard dirt below, it broke. It was easy to fix with a bit of wood glue. While I was at it, I decided to repaint it too. I hung it up last year in hopes a bird would make a home for it's fledglings within. No such luck. It may have been hanging too close to the bird feeder. No mother bird wants a whole bunch of other birds swooping so close to her little ones.

I fixed my sweater recently too. I got this mustard colored sweater at the thrift store. I loved everything about it except it's gold button clasps. They seemed far too 'old lady' for me. So I snazzed it up with simple brown buttons. Now it reminds me of the type of sweater that a daughter of a fisherman in Maine would wear in the 1940's.

Carolina Pt. 4: Carriage Rides Through an Old City Full of Sea Breeze and Palm Trees

2012-01-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

On my last day in Charleston, I got to go on a carriage ride through the city! It was a great way to see the city. Moving through the open air while traversing the city was far more refreshing then seeing the city via a bus tour. The stage coach driver gave us a guided tour and we were all able to learn about the history of the city. Our horse was named Bill and everyone was instantly charmed by by him and his equine ways. When the tour was almost ready and we were near to his barn, Bill started trotting. He was eager to get to his food! I wish I could go to Charleston all the time. It is a beautiful city!

I came up with a Popsicle stick joke recently:
Q. What is a book worms favorite food-
A. A Li-Berry.

....(cue laugh track.)

Carolina Trip Pt. 3: Imporant Places in United States History

2012-01-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

While in Charleston, I went to explore Fort Moultrie. Fort Moultrie is on Sullivan Island was set up to protect Charleston. On June 28, 1776 For Moultrie was attacked by British troops led by Commodore Sir Peter Parker. The British attacked while at sea, floating on their massive warships. After a nine hour battle, the Commodore and his troops were defeated and forced to retreat. Charleston was saved from the clutches of the British! At least for a while. (info found here)

Apparently, like many old places, the fort is thought to be haunted. However, I did not spot one ghost. I was hoping that an unnoticed ghost would appear in my pictures (like often happens in scary movies) but no such luck!

Carolina Trip Pt. 2: Explorations at the Seashore.

2012-01-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

I love wandering along the seashore while taking pictures and collecting sea treasures. Below are pictures from beach I wandered on Isles of Palms. On the West Coast beaches I find a lot more rocks than shells, but on every beach I've been to on the East Coast, I have found more shells. Also, the crabs are different!

Later on this day David, Debbie and I went to a local bar on the beach. We met all sorts of characters: a surely fisherman, a stoic construction manager, and a really drunk guy named Larry. In a drunken fit of inspiration, Larry described David as looking like "that superman guy, when he isn't wearing his 'S'." Hahahah!

Carolina Trip, Pt. 1: Cemeteries and Animals

2012-01-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

Earlier this Winter I went to North and South Carolina. They both are beautiful states! Here are some photo's from the trip. A lot of these were taken from the car. While looking at the scenery as a car passenger, David taught me a road game that he use to play with his sisters called 'Cemeteries and Animals.' I like the name of it and think it would make a good band name... probably for an indie folk band. Basically, to play you count the number of animals you see on your side of the road. But if your competitor spots a cemetery on your side of the road, all your animals 'die.' But if you spot a cemetery on their side of the road their animals die. Kind of a morbid game, but we were in the South and Southern Gothics are one of my favorite genres. What I like about the game is that it is something that is not easily played on the west coast. Driving through California on road trips growing up, I'd see a lot of cows grazing on grassy hills, but cemeteries certainly are not prevalent. In the South, there are so many rickety cemeteries in front of beautiful churches. It makes the lonely roadsides feel alive with ghosts and history.

Some of the things we saw while in the car:

*South of the Border, which is a 'Mexico' themed amusement park, right in between North and South Carolina. All along the freeway are billboards featuring 'Padro' who eagerly encourages drivers to stop at South of the Border.
*Beautiful old houses and churches. I feel like I've been transplanted back in time!

We stopped for lunch at a diner called 'Huddle House.' There was not much for vegetarians there so I settled on a garden salad, boasting a variety of vegetables. When it came, it was basically a bed of withered iceberg lettuce with an exorbitant amount of chopped tomatoes plopped on top. Yuck! But it was worth going to 'Huddle House' because the diner seemed like a setting for a short story. There were three or four lonely people, sitting at booths or bar stools, just staring off into space. There were two tough looking truckers with hairy arms and tanned cheeks. They were eating lunch together, probably exchanging stories of the road. There were men with pot bellies and rough hands and an old woman with sad eyes and colorful clothes. Plus, our waitress had a super thick Southern accent. I am surprised how few people in the South have actual accents. I am a fan of almost all accents.

Fauna, Flora, and Natural Specimen Sketchbook Pt. 3

2012-01-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Here are more sketches from my Nature Sketchbook.

I listen to quite a few Mystery Novels, often while drawing or working on other projects. Here are two thing's I've noticed recently about the genre:

1. There are quite a few mystery writers named Lisa. I've only read works by some of the Lisa's out there but I often find my next Mystery via Library Thing. In their 'Recommendation' section, I constantly see mystery titles by 'Lisa's.' Here are examples: Lisa Unger, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Scottoline, and Lisa Jackson. Once I read a book called Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Life by Richard Wiseman. I don't read nonfiction very often but this book was very interesting! One of the chapters was about how people's names affect who they become later in life, specifically regarding jobs. It's been a while since I've read this book but the gist of the claim is that there are an abundance of marine biologists named 'Mr. Fish' and dentists named 'Ms. Smiley.' (these examples are not necessarily accurate.) Basically, researchers have found a correlation between name and chosen profession. So this made me wonder if there was a famous detective/mystery solver named Lisa, thus inspiring some of the Lisa's of the world to become a part of the mystery profession. Upon conducting a Google search, I found no evidence supporting my theory.

2. There is a prevalence of women detectives/ mystery solvers in novels who share the characteristic of having a large appetites. These are not the type of appetites satiated by a salad or a bowl of soup. These women want greasy, fattening junk food. Sue Grafton's heroine Kinsey Millhone loves her Mcdonalds. I swear, I was fairly convinced after reading one of her passages that McDonald's must be paying Sue Grafton to advertise in her books. Kinsey went on a verbal tirade about how much she loved juicy and delicious McDonalds Hamburgers. The woman seemed positively obsessed with McDonalds. Lisa Gardner's detective D.D. Warren also shares a tendency toward the jubilant consumption of high caloric, greased infused food. The reader's are first introduced to her while she chows down on a midnight breakfast of gigantic proportions. In later books, a dounut is always near. In Laura Lippmans biography of her character P.I. Tess Monaghan, she says 'Tess has been called the hungriest PI in fiction.' And in the Tess Monaghan mysteries I have listened to, Tess does have a hardy enthusiasm for food. What is it about these women mystery solvers and their appetites? Partially, I think it is a way to show that these characters aren't too girlish. We are made to think that all three women are traditionally attractive (although at least two of these series are written in first person so their relative attractiveness is only implied rather than explicitly stated, because that would make them look egotistical. Their traditional female attractiveness serves as a way to display these characters natural femininity. Beautiful women are automatically thought of as feminine. But being a P.I. or Detective is traditionally a masculine job. So their large appetites serve to show that these women are not to dainty, as ravenous eating of greasy junk food is seen as more of a masculine trait. So having women characters with both traditional female traits juxtaposed against male traits makes the characters 'one of the guys' while still being relatable to the female readers. Or maybe I am reading far to much into this and the truth is that these characters have huge appetites because most people love food. I know I do!

Felix, Viola and Leander Leaf Person

2011-12-26T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here are three more leaf people: Felix, Viola and Leander

Here is Felix.

Felix is an avid bird watcher. His favorite bird is the red winged black bird. He thinks they are the perfect combination of simple and flashy. It is common to see Felix with his face toward the sky, whistling at a nearby bird in an admirable intimation of the bird's own song.

Here is Viola.

Viola love's steamy cups of tea sweetened with heaping spoonfuls of honey. Her love for honey inspired her to try her hand at bee keeping. It started as an idle hobby, but it soon was obvious that Viola had a knack for bee keeping. She thinks of all her bee's as her little friends. She sings songs to them as they buzz around her.

Here is Leander.

Leander has a love for travel. He has been to one hundred different countries and hopes to eventually travel to all the countries of the world. Wherever he goes he takes pictures of the people and the landscapes and the monuments. The more places he travels, the more amazing he thinks the world is.

Martha is Concerned About the Tree Monster Lurking Behind Her

2011-12-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

Martha senses something is amiss in the forest. The tree's around her seem oddly alive and moveable. She thinks she hears rustling behind her. Is it just another deer or squirrel? Or maybe it is one of the tree monsters of legend! Hundreds of years ago, the forest was known to harbor many a tree monster. In old legend they were described as mopey creatures that sluggishly waddled through the woods. They practically blended in with the woods themselves because their tails were shaped like a trees thick trunk. As legend has it, despite their apathetic appearance, the tree monsters could be quite sinister. They often swallowed humans whole! As Martha walks through the woods, she thinks of the tree monster legend. She tries to convince herself that it is just a legend.
Martha is right to believe a tree monster may be near, but she is wrong to completely believe the old legend. Even in the day's of abundant tree monsters, the creatures were never blood thirsty. They are omnivores who enjoy munching on moss and leaves. The tree monster would never dream of devouring Martha.

This painting was done with acrylic on a canvas I bought at a thrift store. I rarely use acrylic and one of these days I want to get really good at it. They are really fun to use. Blending acrylic paints is more fun then blending of other types of paints.

Succulents, The Strangest of All Plants

2011-12-11T20:52:00.001-08:00

I love succulents. They are such strange plants. They remind me of what artists from the 1960's would paint while imaging what plants look like on other planets. But instead they actually exist on our planet. They are just so unlike any other plants.

Tiny Apples, Glowing Insects.

2011-11-29T18:39:00.001-08:00

Here are some things I found on a walk. The apples are quite cute. They are a quarter the size of a real apple.

For my birthday a month ago David got me this:

It's a fake firefly! If you tap the lid it lights up and flies about. He got it from ThinkGeek. I've never seen a real firefly. One of these day's I'd like to see a real one, or preferably a whole bunch of them at one time. I learned something interesting about fireflies. Glow worms aren't actually a separate species, they are firefly larva. Although, glowworms can also refer to the larva of the glow beetle.

Fauna, Flora, and Natural Specimen Sketchbook Pt. 2

2011-11-28T17:48:00.001-08:00

Here are more natural specimen sketches from my sketchbook.

Yesterday I was outside and the rain was splattering on top my head and the wind was whipping the fallen leaves around and that's when I noticed it... most of the trees are bare. What... already? It feels like Autumn has just begun but now it's almost Winter. I've been listening to Beirut's new CD 'Rip Tide.' I love the album and Beirut in general but the music seems especially fit for this time of year. The music is tinged with a feeling of sadness in a introspective and almost celebratory way rather than a self indulgently melancholy way. This mirrors how I usually feel as I see Autumn being swept away by Winter. Beirut makes the perfect soundtrack for a late Fall walk. I'm looking forward to the first snow storm. I'll have to figure out what band makes the perfect snow storm soundtrack.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

2011-11-27T21:08:00.001-08:00

I tried to make these muffins at the end of last Winter but I could not find fresh cranberries and I did not want to compromise and use dried cranberries. They make a better fall seasonal treat anyhow. Here is where I got the recipe.

About a year ago, I heard on the radio that pie is going to be the new cupcakes. When I moved to Seattle I noticed that there was an abundance of cupcake enthusiasm and shops devoted to the mini cakes. I thought it was a Seattle 'thing', but it must have just been a coincidence that I moved up here right around the start of the cupcake trend. Since the radio article, I have noticed more enthusiasm for pie. I've seen a pie shop in Fremont (a neighborhood in Seattle) but I haven't yet tried it out. I like pie and will be happy if it gains the popularity that cupcakes currently enjoy, but so far, the prediction of pie's new prevalence hasn't panned out. At least in Seattle, cupcakes still remain the preferred sweet. What I like about the idea of 'pie' vs. the idea of 'cupcakes' is that there is something old fashioned about pies. They make me think of the 1930's. A kindly woman living on a farmstead bakes a pie and leaves it on an open windowsill to cool down. The steam billows out the window and carries the scent to a hobo with a grumbling stomach. When her back is turned the hobo, shamefaced but hungry, steals it. But the kind old woman doesn't really care, she loves baking pies and she knows the hobo is hungry. She knows the hobo use to be someone different who didn't need to beg or steal. She doesn't dare remind him of his loss by chasing after him or reprimanding him. Pie also reminds me of truck stop diners on lonely country roads. The trucker comes in after a long day on the road and orders a slice of cherry pie from a sweet faced waitress. Business is slow and the trucker and waitress chit chat while the trucker eats. They become friends over the piece of pie and the world seems less lonely. There are more cultural archetypes involving pie then cupcakes, which makes pie seem more rich with a back story and also more romantic.
Anyway, all this leads me to muffins! Why can't muffins be the new cupcakes? They are delightful, miniature treats and are great for breakfast or for a sweet snack with tea. They share the whole 'cute food' quality that cupcakes have. I think part of what makes cupcakes so popular is the nostalgia wrapped up in the idea of them. Cupcakes remind people of childhood in a way pie doesn't (at least for most people.) Remember bringing cupcakes to school to share with your school chums on your birthday? Or helping your mom make cupcakes for a bake sale? But there is something nostalgic about muffins too, but in a different way. When I think of muffins, I think of that old nursery rhyme 'Do You Know The Muffin Man?' I specifically remember an illustration of the muffin man from some old book. He looked quite jolly. So I associate muffins with jolly bakers. Although, I guess this is less universal than the idea of bringing cupcakes to school on your birthday.

Things I've Seen On Dreary Days, Things I've Seen When the Sun is Out

2011-11-26T17:36:00.001-08:00

Here are a bunch of photo's I've taken with my cell phone camera over the past couple of weeks. After audio books, camera's attached to cell phones is one of my favorite modern inventions. I only recently got a cell phone with a camera. I don't know how many times I've said to myself "I should have brought my camera!" And although I do prefer my actual camera, it is nice to always have a camera on hand. A person can really never predict when they will see something amazing.

More From The Flora Files

2011-11-25T23:39:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! Here are some fall decorations to celebrate the day.

Through the Woods and to the Salty Shore

2011-11-23T21:37:00.001-08:00

At the end of October D and I went on a hike on my birthday. We wandered through the woods and ended up on the shore. I took lot's of pictures and collected sea shells, stones and sea glass. We read on logs and watched the birds and water. The train came rattling by behind us as we read.

Things to do in Seattle

2011-11-21T17:57:00.001-08:00

Here are some things to do in downtown Seattle when you are by yourself and have a couple of hours to kill.
*Enjoy a delicious Piroshky. There are two places in downtown Seattle that serve Piroshky's: Piroshky Piroshky by the market and Piroshky's on Third. I went to the latter on the particular day that I took these photo's.
*Walk along the waterfront and take pictures of strangers and birds and buildings. Also, take pictures of the sky, because clouds are not the only thing that are up there.
*Go to the Library and wander through the aisles in search of something interesting to read or look at. Also, go to the magazine collection and read magazines you are too cheap to actually buy.
*Go to Seattle Antiques Market on the waterfront. It is large and fun to explore. There is an old gramophone and a startled looking taxidermied goats head. There's a collection of dainty teacups and globes of the world even though the world's boundaries have changed sense the hay-day of these globes. But my favorite thing to look at in the Antique Market is a pale yellow dresser. It looks ordinary but within each drawer are a slew of black and white photo's of other peoples families from years before I was born.

Curious Curiosities.

2011-11-18T09:59:00.001-08:00

Here are more natural specimens I have collected over the years from forests and seashores. My family and I had a rock polisher, and we use to polish batches of rocks we collected.
If I was a wealthy eccentric from the Victorian era, I would dedicate one wing of my manor to natural history specimens and curiosities.

Lizette, Augustus, and Dorthea Leaf Person

2011-11-17T21:51:00.001-08:00

Here is Lizette.

Lizette likes telling ghost stories on rainy days. She once lived near a dreary old grave yard full of skeletons from the 1700's. At night time, when she looked out her window, she saw ghosts seep from the ground and float above their gravestones. The first time she saw a ghost she thought it was terrifying. But soon she only felt sorry for the disembodied spirits. She could tell by their hazy but wistful expressions that they were all hoping for something. During the day, she would walk through the graveyard. In a notebook she wrote down the names and date of birth and death of all the ghosts she'd seen the previous night. She would research these lost souls, these long dead strangers. She realized everyone of them had a story. And even though she no longer lived near the graveyard, she liked to tell their stories to all her friends.

Here is Augustus.

Augustus has a passion for history and in his quiet moments he reads thick history novels. But his favorite history related hobby is civil war reenactment. He finds it to be a most poignant of wars. Brothers against brothers on the very soil that nurtured them into the men they were. Augustus' hero was Abraham Lincoln. He had a giant portrait of the noble man hanging in his dinning room. Before he went to sleep at night he always whispered 'Thank you Abraham Lincoln, and God bless you.'

Here is Dorthea.

Dorthea is an amateur geologist. She likes to walk through the forests and mountain trails near her house where she collects rocks. She slips them into her pockets or she brings a basket to carry them in. When she is home, she examines each rock closely. She uses a magnifying glass to view the small holes and crevices that aren't so easily discernible with the naked eye. She looks through all her geology books to identify what type of rocks she has discovered. She likes the beauty of rocks, and how they are all so unique from each other. Dorthea likes the ancientness of rocks and how each rock has existed on earth long before she came along and will still exist long after.

Plant Specimens

2011-11-16T21:00:00.001-08:00

Flower bouquets during the spring, leaf bouquets during the fall.

The other day I was thinking about the phrase 'Cup O' Joe.' Why would coffee be refereed to as joe? I found out from this Wikitionary Entry that the nickname probably derives from the word jamoke, which I guess at some point in history people used to refer to coffee. Supposedly it is a combination of Java and Mocha. I like the word jamoke. I think it needs to be brought back into popular lexicon. It reminds me of the word Karaoke. Someone could start a business called Jamoke Karaoke in which the customer gets private karaoke rooms and instead of serving booze they serve coffee. Although Karaoke with out booze might not be such a good idea... so maybe they'll serve alcoholic coffee beverages like Irish coffees.

Railroad Tracks, Chainlink Fences and Blue Skies.

2011-11-13T13:08:00.001-08:00

I was in Georgetown the other day for breakfast with friends. We went to 'Georgetown Liquor Company.' I love this place. The whole menu is vegetarian. Most of the food is comprised of meat substitutes. The fake ham sandwich is so good! Even my meat eating friends like it. Also, I always find interesting things to take pictures of in Georgetown, so I was glad to be there for that reason too.

Last Wednesday I went to go see 'They Might Be Giants' play at the Sodo Showbox. Unfortantly I forgot my camera, and the pictures I tried to take on my phone turned out blurry. They were fun to see live. The band members seem to enjoy playing with each other and they have funny banter in between songs. Their songs are so clever and playful, and are witty without being smug. The first Cd of theirs I ever got was 'Factory Showroom.' I got it when I was a teenager and listening to it still reminds me of learning how to drive. I remember listening to 'Bells are Ringing' while driving around a parking lot, trying to muster the grace needed to properly drive a stick shift without stalling.

Pumpkin Muffins

2011-11-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

I recently made pumpkin muffins! It is baking season. I usually only feel like baking during fall and winter. I love fall flavors such as pumpkin, ginger and molassas.

Here is where I got the recipe... but I changed a couple of things.

1. Instead of three cups of white sugar, I used two cups white sugar and one cup of brown sugar
2. I added 1/2 teaspoon of cloves.
3. Instead of using a cup of oil, I used a cup of melted Natural Balance butter spread.
4. I added chocolate chips to half of the batter so I had one batch of plain pumpkin muffins and one batch of chocloate chip pumpkin muffins. I prefered the choclate chip version.

They turned out very tasty, but next time I would add a bit more pumpkin. On the recipes site, someone suggested adding cranberries and pecans which sounds pretty delicious too.

More Collected Flora

2011-11-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here's some more pressed flora from my collection.

I've been listening to a new podcast lately called 'Filmspotting' in which two hosts rant and rave about various movies. The two hosts are are opinionated and passionate about movies, which are two very important qualifications when talking about any subject. They don't always agree with each other (or me) but they are always articulate and convincing with their opinion. The format is that the hosts talk about two different movies in the beginning of the podcast and then at the end they give a top five list on a various subject such as 'heist films' or 'revenge films.' I really like it but it makes me wish that someone would make a 'bookspotting' podcast, following the same format except, as the name suggests, the hosts would talk about books. I love podcasts and am so glad they were invented. It is especially exciting finding out about a new (to me) and interesting podcast. I like to listen to a bunch of podcast episodes in a row. Another thing that I like about 'Filmspotting' is that I have been learning about new movies to watch. I just watched the movie 'His Girl Friday' because it was mentioned on filmspotting. There is a certain clever charm that is more prevalent in old black and white movies, including 'His Girl Friday.' And that Carey Grant is always so dapper!

Gertrude Rides Upon the Whale as He Speaks Of All the Shells He's Seen

2011-11-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Gertrude spends much of her time swimming through the ocean. She meets all sorts of ocean animals. You'd be surprised to learn, but most octopi are quite stuffy. She can never have a good conversation with them. The fish are sweet, but they often talk about trivial matters. But the whales she meets are always interesting. They like to talk about all the things they've seen. Whales often have a vast knowledge about every aspect of the ocean. Wheter it be intimate knowledge about different types of shells or why the ocean is made of salt water, the whale knows. Gertrude could never get a better education than on top of a whale.

Eloise Turns Into A Bear; or Return Of An Imposter

2011-11-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a short comic I made recently.......

Introducing Horatio, Scarlet, and Sebastian.

2011-11-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Introducing... more leaf people!

Here is Horatio.

Horatio spends all of his time on mountain tops making up songs on his guitar. He writes songs about his long lost loves and about his adventures on the sea when he was a sailor, and a younger leaf man. Leaf people are more susceptible to the dangers of a great gust of wind than most people, so sailing at sea is an especially dangerous job for a gent like Horatio. After spending so much time at sea he decided he wanted to be far from the ocean and closer to the sky, so he moved to the mountains.

Here is Scarlet.

Scarlet lives on a rabbit farm where she raises Angora's. Her favorite thing in the world to do is knit and crochet. She spins her own yarn from the fur of her pet Angoras. She makes the softest sweaters and blankets. When she is not working on her yarn projects, she likes to host tea parties. She makes fresh baked scones and serves cinnamon tea, which is her favorite.

Here is Sebastian.

Sebastian is a very curious young fellow and he likes to satiate his curiosity with stacks of books. His favorite outing is to the library where he checks out books on many subjects but his favorite books are botanical books. He especially likes to read about plants from far corners of the world. Sebastian has never had the chance to travel himself and wants to learn about how plants in other countries live.

Black Cats and Pumpkins.

2011-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

I went to a pumpkin carving party at my friend cesar's house. My pumpkin started molding two days after I carved it. What the heck?? I had to throw it away. I think it is the fault of the moist Seattle climate.

Delicious Chocolate Skulls Made From Scratch By Cesar.

Spooky Plants

Jen's Clever Pumpkins

Myrtle, a Black Cat

Cesar's Creepy Toothed Pumpkin

Cobwebs, Oh My!

Cesar and His Halloween Cat


My Pumpkin (its a bat!)

I wanted to make two pumpkins, a bat and an owl face. But I couldn't find any smaller sized pumpkins and I didn't want to cart to big pumpkins on the bus so I just carved a bat. I'm saving the owl face for next year. Happy Halloween!

Fauna, Flora, and Natural Specimen Sketchbook Pt. 1

2011-10-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some drawings from my 'fauna, flora and natural specimen sketchbook.'

For my birthday this year David got me a kindle! I opened my present early, on the same day that the new Haruki Murakami book came out (in America). 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' and 'Kafka on the Shore' are two of my favorite books and I have been eagerly looking forward to Murakami's latest book. The new book is called 1Q84, and I downloaded it promptly after opening the kindle. So far, it is living up to my high expectations. It has a lot of the qualities I love in Murakami books- realistic and well developed characters, an odd sense of surrealism, an air of mystery and an enthralling plot. Many of Murakami's books are strange and surreal but his characters always feel so alive that it is easy to suspend disbelief. After reading ' Wind up Bird Chronicle,' I remember riding my bike and thinking how I missed Toru Okada (the main character) and wondering what he was up too. I use to belong to a fantasy/sci-fi book club where we took turn's choosing books for the club to read. I always wanted to chose a Murakami book during my turn, but hesitated because he doesn't write straight out fantasy. His books take place in a slightly more fantastical version of our world. Although I love traditional fantasy, there is something more gripping to me about these familiar but bizarre worlds that Murakami creates. After reading his books, it makes me feel like the world I live in could suddenly take a fantastical twist.

A Whale in a Bed of Green Foilage.

2011-10-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here is another animal diorama I made with a painting of a whale and a real life crab.

All of the 'animal curiosity specimen diorama's' that i have posted recently I made this summer. I set up a card table outdoors and worked out in the sunshine while listening to mystery novels on my mp3 player. It was nice having an outdoor studio for a couple of months.

An Alley Way in Fremont and Two Incidents of Mind Reading

2011-10-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

While in Fremont I took an alley way as a short cut from one place to another. Who knew it would provide such an abundant amount of subject matter from photographs! Including these two humping dogs. Ha!

The other day while walking outside I was thinking about...shoes! Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it. I sound like a character from a chick lit novel about a girl obsessed with shoes and shopping. I was thinking about how I want to buy a pair of high heels because I don't own a pair. Women really do look classy when they wear heels and they make such a satisfying clicking sound. I can wear them to the next wedding I attend. (Lately I've been going to quite a few weddings, but I'm not complaining. I love going to weddings!) The only problem is what about the dancing? Dancing is integral part of weddings, and I can hardly walk in high heels let alone dance. Maybe I should bring another pair of more reasonable shoes to change into when the dancing starts. It would be funny if some one brought a pair of sneakers to change into for the dancing. Although practical, it would be completely incongruous with a wedding atmosphere. Just as I was thinking all these shoe filled thoughts, a man walked by me and said "Nice Shoes!" Weird! It was like he knew I was thinking about shoes. It was especially strange because the shoes I was wearing were an ordinary pair of blue rubber boots. I like them, but they are not snazzy and hardly worth comment. Also, the man did not look like a shoe enthusiast. He was a fifty to sixty year old man wearing plain clothes and shoes.
Today, I had another incident of mind reading. While at a marina, I spied an elderly gentlemen relaxing on his boat. It was not a huge motor yacht, but a modest sized boat and slightly worn down. In his lap he had a large bag of potato chips that he was merrily crunching. His eyes were closed and the sunshine was warming his face. He was sitting toward the direction the wind was blowing so he could enjoy the light breeze though his hair. The man looked so content with just the simple act of enjoying chips on his boat on a sunny day. I thought to myself that there was something beautiful about the man or the scene. The moment after I thought this, the man looked my way and smiled at me. It was like he had read my mind too!
Of course I do not really believe either of these men read my mind, but it did give me a good idea for a movie plot! A woman comes from a family with a long line of people with latent magical abilities. Each family member gets a different ability, so it is like a genetic grab bag of magic. The abilities do not manifest themselves until the person turns thirty. Centuries ago, the family was very proud of their magic, but the turning tide of social norms eventually made the family feel ashamed. The social stigma of being 'different' or 'odd' compelled the family to keep their abilities secret. They did not even tell their children that on the morning of their thirtieth birthday, they would wake up irreversibly altered by magic.
So the woman had no idea she would some day be the possessor of a magical power. Her parents encouraged her to live an ordinary life. But despite this, the woman was still drawn toward a life far from ordinary. She became a top secret spy. The government entrusted her with the most sensitive and secretive missions, because she was a quite talented at being a spy. That is until her thirtieth birthday.
Her talent is not that of a mind reader, but of an anti mind reader or a mind book. Everyone around her can read her thoughts! This would be both embarrassing and uncomfortable for an ordinary person, but it is the sort of thing that can be fatal if you are the possessor of top secret information. The woman is confused about what is going on and the government is suspicious. Trouble ensues! It is the type of story that can be a straight forward thriller or a comedy. It can also be a social commentary on wikileaks or the freedom on information in the age of internet.

Ruby, Sherwood, and Sylvan Leaf Person.

2011-10-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

I made a new batch of leaf people. Their heads are made from real pressed autumn leaves. I painted their faces with acrylic paint.

Here is Ruby.

Ruby grew up in an old tree with a thick trunk and withered bark. She spent her early Autumn rustling in the wind. Life was like a constant dance party as she rustled and jived with the leaves around her. When she fell from the comfort of her tree, she felt both sad and excited. She drifted toward the ground and landed on the mud soaked earth. It was the first time she had felt earth beneath her. She did not like the disconcerting solidness of the ground. She misses the wind beneath her toes. She is constantly haunted by her nostalgia for life as a young leaf in the tree. As an adult leaf, she spends much time alone. She likes to read Victorian ghost stories or paint landscapes using dreary grays and muted blues.

Here is Sherwood.

Everyday for breakfast Sherwood has a pumpkin muffin and a mug of orange spice tea. While nibbling on his muffin and sipping on his tea, he enjoys the morning crossword. When he is done with breakfast, he likes to take long walks in the woods where he listens to the birds chirp and the insects buzz. He often looks for the tree he grew up in, but he can never find it. He heard a rumor that the tree was cut down by flannel clad lumber jacks with wooly beards and axes slung over their hefty shoulders. The notion of his tree being just a stump makes Sherwood feel disconnected and wistful. He hopes that one day he will find one of the leaves he grew up with. Maybe together they will find the long lost tree.

Here is Sylvan.

Sylvan is a widower who now lives alone in a woodland cabin. He still misses his wife and talks to her as if she were still alive and by his side. He looks out his window and see's a deer frolic by, and he instinctively reaches for his wives hands, in order to show her the graceful creature. But all he grasps is cold air. But he still tells her of the deer, just as if she were there by his side. In his spare time he plays the banjo. He makes up songs about his beloved wife and about all the things he meant to do in life but for whatever reason, never did.

Things I've Seen Lately.

2011-10-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

The willow tree captures the soft glow of a street light.

The diminishing sunlight outlines the houseplants before slipping away until morning.

The sky at sunset is the color of Autumn and tangerines.

I befriend a moth with wings the color of old lace and legs like flower filaments.

The sunflower's heavy heads droop toward a ground covered with fallen leaves.

Runaway Shadow

2011-10-17T09:52:00.001-07:00

Bats! The Amazing Flying Mammal.

2011-10-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

Flying has evolved four times: In Birds, Insects, pterodactyl and the bat. How did the bat manage to be the only mammal evolving the much coveted ability to fly?

This diorama is factually accurate! 70 percent of bats eat only insects. Deeeee-licious!

Some Flora I've Collected

2011-10-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

When I'm Ninety, I will have stacks and stacks of pressed flora.

The Salty Sound, The Aquatic Blue Glow

2011-10-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some photo's I took with my phone's camera. Some of them are from Edmonds and some are from the fish store.

Lately I have been listening to even more mystery audio books then usual. I'm in the middle of the Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman. Tess is a tough and sassy detective solving mysteries and having misadventures a long the way. They are fun books to listen too, and I am disappointed because I am number 5 on the libraries waiting list for the next book. But one thing that I notice the characters sometimes do is repeat themselves for emphasis. I can't think of actual examples from the books, but it would be like if someone said "keep on trekking little fellow, keep on trekking." or "You never know what your going to get, you just never know." The part of the statement that is repeated is always said in a far-off, wistful tone. If anyone spoke this way in actual conversation, it would be difficult not to chuckle. It would sound artificial. Most of the important thing's people say in life, they say without realizing the import. In real life, we can't use dialogue to foreshadow upcoming events. Another inaccuracy of dialogue in books is that books never include the filler words that most people use in daily conversations. The 'umms and ahhs and likes' are never recorded in books. Thankfully! It would be tedious to read. But if aliens used novels to learn about human culture, it would be these subtleties in dialogue that would confuse them. They would be even more confused about human etiquette if they used TV or movies for reference. On the screen, people are constantly hanging up phone calls without saying farewell. Imagine if someone did this in real life? It would be hard not to perceive them as rude.

Sharp Shooters at Magnuson Park

2011-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Our last Sharp Shooters Meeting was at the lovely Magnuson Park on Lake Washington. We wandered in the marsh area and along the lake. It was windy so the lake was full of angrily lapping waves. We watched people doing this amazing sport involving wind and water. It was like wind sailing except they had parachute's attached to long strings. The people were on boards and the parachutes would lift them high into the air and then they would plummet back to the water, sometimes with a splash. It looked soooo much fun. Their was a book sale at Magnuson that I went to also. It was the library's book sale of unwanted books. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of books were stacked on rickety tables in a giant cafeteria sized room. It smelled musty like old basements or small town thrift stores. The wind rushed through the open door and rustled the pages of the nearest paperbacks.

The Forest Dweller

2011-10-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here is an original illustration about a mysterious forest dweller.

Whales Breathe Oxygen

2011-10-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

When I was young and first learned that whale's breath oxygen, I remember being worried for them. I worried they would realize they need another deep breath of air when they were to deep into the sea to make it up toward the surface in time. I worried they spent most of their life with that ache in their lungs that holding your breath causes.
After a sperm whale takes a breath of air, she can stay under water for up to two hours. I actually thought it was longer than that. I imagined whales taking breaths and not returning to the surface until the next day. The reason the whale can open it's large whale mouth while still breathing underwater is because it's trachea is not connected to it's mouth. Instead, it is only connected to the whale's mighty blow hole. (Thanks to this ehow article for the whale info.)
Here is a new whale diorama I recently finished. She is in the midst of using her blow hole.

The Bottomless Lake

2011-10-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a miniature story about a strange lake.

The Fox Remembers the Past

2011-10-02T12:56:00.001-07:00

Here is another miniature story I finished recently.

Guemes Island and Pomplamousse Girls

2011-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

This summer, one of my favorite thing I did was went to my friends Cabin on Guemes island. To get to the cabin, I traveled through Anacortes and the surrounding farmlands. On the main street of Anacortes are fruit stands all over the place selling fresh fruits and vegies from the nearby farms. From Anacortes there is a small ferry that takes passengers to Guemes. The cabin was on a slight cliff but it had a short trail through a wooded area that led to the shore. During the day while at the shore we saw baby deer and an eagle. At night, we had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows for smores. When I was little and my family went camping, we would build fires and tell ghost stories around the fire. At the Guemes fire, no one told a ghost story but I did hear a story about aliens and a story about sea monsters. The next morning I woke up early and walked back down the shore. Everything was gray, the rocky shore, the water and the sky. All along the shore were the tiniest of grayish green crabs scuttling about. At first I did not notice them because they blended in with the landscape. But if I stood still and looked down, they were easy to spot. If i lifted up rocks, there were always two or three underneath. When I see children book illustrations depicting the seashore there is often one or two of these greenish gray crabs featured in the illustration alongside a child lapping in the waves or building a sand castle. Usually they are book illustrations from the Victorian era to the 1920's.

One of the people who went to the cabin was a fellow who is a high school French teacher. I took French in high school but have forgotten most of it. I do remember my favorite french word, which is 'pamplemousse.' It means grapefruit. It is a beautiful word and it is fun to say. I told the French teacher about my love for 'pamplemousse' and he said that it is funny because every year one person falls in love with the word 'pamplemouse' and it is almost always a girl. I wish I had asked him if all the pamplemousse girls had something in common. But I like the idea that out there in the world are French class graduates who share a love for the word 'pamplemousse.' It is like we are all in a club together.

Ahoy, Lonely Sailors!

2011-09-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a new book diorama I recently finished. It features two shells and a ship weathering rocky seas. The sky is rosy, because, you know.... 'A red sky at night is a sailors delight!'

A Glimpse into Prehistoric Times

2011-09-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

In the era of the dinosaur their were dragonflies with a wingspan of two and a half feet! Sometimes I'll see large dragonflies zipping about that look as big as a humming bird, but two and a half feet! That's more like a seagull sized dragonfly. Often when people bemoan the loss of prehistoric animals, they have the mighty dinosaur in mind. But when I went to the natural history museum in D.C., it was the prehistoric mammals that were really interesting! Although I do have a great love of dinosaurs, they are more iconic and therefore recognizable to a point where they seem normal. But there are far less books and posters and t shirts featureing prehistoic mammals, so I am less familiar with their forms. When I do see images of prehistoric mammals, they look strange and amazing.
But my love of the dinosaur will never wane! Despite the ferocity and monstrous reputation of the dinosaur, there is something kind of cute about many of them. Including the debunked brontosaurus. This diorama I made features a brontosaurus with one of those dragonflies with a two an a half wingspan.

I learned from this website that there were all sorts of large insects in prehistoric times. This is because there was more oxygen in the air back then. Lot's of oxygen help insects grow large!

The Shape Shifter

2011-09-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

I started a new series of art recently called 'Miniature Stories.' Here is one of them:

I've recently checked out several books on calligraphy from the library. I've been practicing while watching television and movies. I wanted to learn calligraphy because on some of my pictures I want to start writing the title on the picture so the title is part of the picture. But I have messy writing so this is why I thought calligraphy would be handy. This eventually led to the 'miniature story' idea.

While Immersed in a Good Book, Darcy Never Notices Rocky Seas.

2011-09-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

Darcy prefers spending time under water. While on top of the sea, a windy day can feel quite treacherous. But underneath the waves, the swish and swirl of rocky seas is relaxing and fun. But Darcy discovered the thrill of a good novel. She has tried to enjoy the novels undersea, but the ink runs and the pages tear into tiny unreadable pieces. So with the help of a thirsty sea monster, Darcy can read her books above the water. While submerged in the plots of especially juicy or exciting novels, she does not even notice rocky seas.

Arabella Awaits Her Squirrel Carriage to Whisk Her Off To Amazing Lands

2011-09-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Arabella lives a rather luxurious life for a forest dweller. Her posse of forest animals treats her as if she were royalty. When the birds are done constructing their nests, they make her gowns from lost feathers and green leaves. The fox, usually surly, lets her ride upon it's silky red back. The bears pick her berries and catches her fish so she can eat fancy meals every evening. And the squirrel, the most loyal of her animal companions, whisks her away in the acorn carriage to wherever her heart desires. Whether she want to travel to far off lands or stay within the forests boundary, the squirrel is always eager to please.

Inside the Dinosaur, Phoebe Can Hear Nothing Except the Gentle Bleat of Color

2011-09-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Comfortably nestled in the spare room of the dinosaur's interior, Phoebe sleeps soundly. She has turned on the color exploding phonograph and can hear the colors as they move and bump against each other. They gently chime like bells in the wind or bleat like birds on mountain tops. Nothing can disturb Phoebe's sleep. Not even her friend Ruby calling down to her. Ruby is concerned that her friend has lost all touch with the real world. She wants to spend all her time within the dinosaur, dreaming soft and colorful dreams. Ruby is beginning to resent the dinosaur and his friendly yet slightly smug grin. She remembers when Phoebe first found the dinosaur. The two were exploring the forest together when the dinosaur came lumbering through the trees. Ruby was fearful of the prehistoric beast, but Phoebe took an immediate shining to the dinosaur. She climbed it's scaled neck and slipped down the hole in it's back. She came reemerged with her hair disheveled and a dreamy look in her eyes. She said she had just heard the most wonderful sounds in the world. Now, Phoebe moves like a pale shadow through her life, returning more and more frequently to the comforts of the dinosaur and his strange and distant sounds.

Holly and Elsa Find a Botanical Squid

2011-09-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

Holly and Elsa take day trips to the seashore when ever they can. They like to swim in the lapping waves or read books under the warm sun while stretched upon the sand. Most of all, they like to explore the shore in search of treasures. Weather that treasure be a broken but beautiful seashell, or a long lost emerald ring, the two friends are always delighted by what they find. One day while wondering the shore, they found a beached squid growing the most wondrous of flowers. The squid reached out it's long tentacles to them as if to say hello. They had an urge to pluck a flower from the squid, but they were concerned it would hurt the strange creature. Elsa, and entrepreneur at heart, wanted to start a traveling circus staring the strange squid. Holly was always so weighed down by her own compassion that she feared walking across a patch of lawn less she crush an insect living beneath the blades of grass. She insisted that they aid the poor botanical creature back to the sea, where it can wander the ocean currents in peace with it's flowers trailing behind it, slowly wavering in the slow motion of slightly moving water.

My Modest Herb Garden

2011-09-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

In my yard, I've grown a modest herb (and flower and berry) garden.

Here are the herbs my garden contains:

Lavender!

Peppermint!

Dill!

Italian Oregano!

Strawberries!

Thyme!

Rosemary!

Greek Oregano!

I started my herb garden rather late this year because it did not feel like summer until August in Seattle. The rosemary is from my garden last year.... the only one to survive the frigid winter. I have not even used that many of my herbs. But I have used some!

Basil in a delicious bowl of tomato soup.

Lavender in my suitcase to make all my clothes smell nice.


Peppermint in my recently invented drink concoction.

I haven't named my drink concotion yet, but it is quite delicous and refreshing. Here is how to make it:

Mix brewed peach tea (when cooled) with berry sparkling water. The ratio should be 1/4 peach tea to 3/4 sparkling water.
Add cinnamon, about a teaspoon.
Add fresh peppermint leaves.
Enjoy this refreshing beverage!

It sounds strange, but it really is good.

There is also a giant, thorny blackberry bush in my yard.

A Couple of Photo's from Sunny California

2011-09-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost over but here are some sunny photo's from July in California.

The Perks of Being a Passenger

2011-09-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

It is not so easy to sight see and day dream while driving. I much before being a passenger. Someday I want to take a train trip across the country. I'll bring my camera and take pictures from my window. While zipping through parts of the country with particularly boring landscapes, I'll be saved by a good book and music from my i pod. I'll go to the food cart and drink tea and maybe talk to fellow passengers with interesting stories. I'll seek out the passengers with the distictly weary expressions on their faces. Those will be the ones with interesting stories. All of this talk about trains has reminds me of one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies. It is called 'The Lady Vanishes.' It's a comedy/mystery/romance. The movie takes place on a train, in a make believe country, right before World War II starts. It stars Dame May Whitty who is quite charming, and just the sort of person I would want to meet on a train. Here are some pictures I took in California while enjoying myself as a passenger in a car.

The Naturalists Sketchbook

2011-09-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some illustrations from my 'Naturalists Sketchbook' series. Most of them I did a while ago and for some reason forgot to include them in my blog. But I completed four new one's recently.

The naturalist has immense curiosity about the natural world. Ever since she was a child, she has noticed peculiarities from the natural world. All of these peculiarities have intrigued her. Now in her spare time she wanders around the country side or in forests or by the sea shore with her sketchbook safely tucked under her arm. She looks in the hollows of trees or underneath rocks to see what strange creatures she will discover. She stays completely still for hours in the branches of trees waiting for interesting birds or bats to flutter by. Because of her patience and perseverance, she has seen animals that most people do not even believe exist! She draws pictures of these creatures in the pages of her sketchbook.

The Rain Monster Follows Lucy Home

2011-09-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

It was a day in mid march when Lucy looked out her window and saw the rain pouring from a cloudy sky. It was the same view she woke up to everyday, for what seemed like an eternity. She wondered if she would ever see sunlight again. She wanted to look out her window and feel the kind burn to her eyes from the pure golden orb of the sun. She wanted to crawl in to a warm and musty cave and curl up with the bears. She would hibernate until spring and wake up to wildflowers and the sun evaporating the last remaining rain puddles. Everything she looked at seemed to be a dreary shade of gray. Lucy refuses to let the rain force her into the seclusion of indoors. She makes sure to take a walk every day even if it is raining. For all of March, unknown to Lucy, she's had a companion on her walks. Each day, a cheerful rain monster closely follows her. Rain monsters are shy, timid creatures. But often their curiosity surpass their bashful natures. Lucy's rain monster is a particularly feisty fellow. He saw Lucy, and knew that he wanted to know her. It may have been her determination to venture the rain, or it may have been the red rain boots, but the rain monster is quite interested in Lucy. Hopefully he will gather the nerve to introduce himself before the sunny days begin.

The Hawthorne Sisters Endeavor to Grow Their Own Forest

2011-09-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Hawthorne sisters grew up like wood nymphs among trees. Instead of a pet dog, they ran free with the forest foxes. They spent their days climbing the trees and exploring the woods. For lunch they ate the berries growing in the bushes. In the summer they splashed in the refreshing waters of the river. Every night they returned to their parents and their small cottage nestled in the woods. The two sisters came home with moss and leaves tangled in their hair and clinging to their clothing. At night, they would sneak out of their bedrooms and sleep in the woods, watching the stars shining in between the branches.
The Hawthorne family had always heard rumors about the lumberjacks. They came to the forest with axes heaved over their muscled shoulders and chopped down every tree they passed. But it was always whispered more as a 'scary story' rather than the truth. But one night the lumberjacks came like a pack of termites. The Hawthornes woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of axes against wood. The Hawthornes tried to rescue their forest, but it was turned into a baron landscape in a matter of hours.
The Hawthorne sisters would not let the brutality of their forests demise deter them. They set out immediately to grown another forest. It could not take the place of their old and beloved forest, but it was a start.