Mouton Magique

Or, The Magic Sheep

Le Mouton Magique was Aunt Dorothy's Christmas gift to Hugh. Tonight after dinner we put it together and stood it in its little bath of potassium phosphate. Woolly crystals will start to form within 2-3 hours and continue growing for 2 days!!

Safety Rules:
Wash hands after carrying out the activities
Do not eat, drink or smoke in the activity area
Do not place the material in the mouth
Do not inhale dust or powder
Do not apply to the body
Do not allow material to come into contact with eyes
Do not inhale vapours
If swallowed, DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Seek immediate medical advice.

Still Life with Cat

Winter Rose Hip

Hamilton's Bird-Proofing Devices for Birds

Our newly-mounted defences against birds smashing to their death on our front windows. It's amazing what can be done with ball chain, paper clips and tiny disco balls!

The Spider

So translucent and glowing!

The Ant Husk

I just went to the sink to see if there was a tiny wrapped-up bundle there. I found this little body on the sill just above the site of last night's photos. RIP, little ant.

Spider Trumps Ant

The spider overcame the ant and commenced going around and around and around its little body (well, "little" to us—obviously the two are of comparabe size), wrapping him up.




I like this last one, even though it's so dark. (I thought the flash wasn't working properly but Hugh noticed that it was just blocked by the kitchen faucet.) It could be a still from Antvasion!, my very own great idea for an old, bad horror movie, spawned by merciless antvasions time after time here in our very own sink.

Ant and Spider, Spider and Ant

Spider and Ant met on kitchen windowsill. Who won?

Bee Sting

I saved three bees today from inside the house. The first two I trapped with a glass and cardboard from the front windows. The third was flying around the dining table and actually lit on my finger when I held it out for that purpose; I then carried him outside where he flew around and then landed on my head for a moment before flying away. About 15 minutes later as I was sitting on the patio I felt something on me near my left shoulder and put my hand there absent-mindedly. A bee flew off and my finger came away from my skin with this stinger. Poor bee!

Fogbound!

Or, Commuting is Hell

It's been like this for days. I love the fog, except that it takes almost twice as long to get to work and even longer to get home, because it's dark by then and I can see all of twenty feet in front of me for the last 6 miles to the house. Maybe I'll get sleeted in one of these mornings...one can hope...

Walking Cat

And standing cat

Running Dog

January Moon

As seen at the beginning and end of this evening's walk

(It was kind of a short walk)

Finch

In my favorite tree

The Giant Grasshopper

This grasshopper was in the shade of the arch on Sunday, apparently completely dormant, or at least oblivious to everything around him, including my hand there for scale. That left index finger is 3.5 inches from tip to mid-knuckle, and so therefore is he. She. Whatever.

Detail of thigh and wing

My Tree

My beautiful tree with its long, lovely, fingery branches...I love it so! I do, I do!

I love it so much that I care not if three photos are superfluous. Bah! I say, Bah!

Chair and Cat

Yucca Blossom Skeleton

Indian Spring

Rosemary and Carolina jessamine

Somebody's Pet

While clearing out some old blog drafts, I found this from July 2006:

The dogs are always finding bones and dead deer and skulls and the like down the hill. The other day I took a little bit of bone away from one of them (the gnawing grates on the nerves after a time) and found a little metal plate screwed into it. It was once somebody's pet. How very sad! We hope it died a natural death of very old age. And I'm very sorry that our dog found it and gnawed it.

Fire Time

As usual, I am taking every opportunity this winter for making fires. Hugh took the photo a night or two ago.

Buzzard over Reimers Ranch

The Creature of Hamilton Pool

Hello? Bueller? Anyone?

Or, A Visit to Hamilton Pool

I really am still alive...I just slow down with winter. That is, "winter" as we know it here in Texas. Whatever. I still slow down. It was a wintery 65 degrees or so when I went to Hamilton Pool a few days ago. I didn't go to the pool itself, but took the trail down to the river instead. What a gorgeous day!


An addition to the "Things on Leaves" category

My Favorite Tree

This is another Sunday Evening Sky shot, but one that I felt warranted its own entry because of this tree. I so love this tree, which I have yet to identify. It has the most beautiful, slender, sort of wavy branches, which is more evident when it's losing its leaves in the fall, and most evident in winter when it's bare. Look forward to seeing its long, many tree-fingers sometime in the next few weeks as more leaves drop off.

Sunday Evening Sky

It's been uncomfortably muggy all weekend. There is a cold front supposed to arrive tonight and already one can feel a wee nip in the air and see the change coming in the sky, which was gorgeous this evening.

Is It a Sculpture if One Did Not Actually Sculpt It?

Or, Bird

But I did (finally) wire it and weight it and hang it. I found this piece of wood many weeks ago down the hill on a walk. I call it "Bird."

In the Cabin

I have had a very busy week and have been sort of half-sick all week, as well, so that combined with getting home very late each night has prevented me from photographing anything, much less blogging about anything. I'll try to get back in shape this week—feeling better will help a lot.

In the meantime, here are photos from IN the cabin. I just hung the new curtain I got for the bathroom. The one window in our house that is in direct and close view from any house is of course the one that is over the tub. I LOVE this curtain and it is so very cabiny, as well! It fits right in. It's by Tord Boontje.