Foovay’s Cauldron

Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

Indeed, spring has sprung. I offer as evidence the ground squirrel we saw on the ranch yesterday. They are so small and so fast that to get a photo to share with you I’m going to have to spend a sunny day lurking near a burrow. This is also probably true about getting a photo of one of our fascinating little rock squirrels that have begun scampering around the rocks near the lake. Certain populations of these Rock Squirrels have a genetic anomaly that, once they shed into the summer coat, causes them to be half black, and half the silvery gold agouti that is the normal color. They look as if their head and shoulders have been dipped into an inkwell! I heard a Red-winged Blackbird in town just yesterday. They don’t usually visit us at the ranch – not enough water here – but we may be treated to a fly-by visit from their cousins the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Earlier this week a huge flock of Sandhill Cranes flew over, circled a while, and left. I suspect they had hoped to stop at Jornada Lake for a snack and a rest. However, thanks to the road building and spaceport crews, this year we have no lake, even though we have had some rain and even snow.

My friend the juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk has posed for some more photos – this time sitting on top of the brush pile waiting for something small enough to eat to dash out. Now THAT’s lurking! I’ll share the full photo first so you can see how thoroughly he blends into his background when he is being still. He’s right on top of the brush pile.

And now cropped just to show the hawk:

He really outdid himself yesterday though. I went out to feed the chickens for the evening. My eyes were on the rooster – who is feeling rather crabby as I don’t let them out to free range on cloudy days so they haven’t been out for a day or two. So I didn’t even notice the young hawk was on top of the chicken pen until he took off from right above my head. I was about to say something to him about not eating my chickens when another visitor flew up from under my feet. A cottontop (Texas Scaled) Quail had been inside with the chickens. When I came in, the quail flushed out through the side of the pen – and the hawk was instantly in hot pursuit. Great – now not only does he think we are pals, he thinks I’m going to flush game for him! Glad to be of use

Speaking of cloudy days, which means a bit of spring rain now and then out here on the high desert – hubby got lucky and caught a picture of this magnificent double rainbow that arched over the far end of our ranch this week. It was a perfect complete arch, both ends touching the ground on the inner rainbow, right at sunset. It was so pretty when I went outside the horses and mule had even turned to look at it. Probably watching the fairies dancing around the end of the rainbow.

Of course, traditionally there should be a leprechaun and a pot of gold down there. Maybe I should have hopped on Moses and galloped down to see!We could use a pot of gold around here!

Dover sent me their sample this week and it was all about the Irish – irish folklore and fairy tales and leprechauns and celtic coloring stuff. Drool. I was so inspired I did a new Squidoo lens about Irish Fairy Tales and Folklore, and updated the St. Patricks Day Coloring Pages and Coloring Books, Leprechauns, and Fairy Tales.

I’ve been taking pictures of our beautiful storms and sunsets, trying to get a nice collection to chose from for my Squidoo lens devoted to the New Mexico Sky, and also Maxfield Parrish. Now they aren’t done, so those links probably don’t work right this minute – but try them later today, okay? LOL. Here’s one of the photos though:

The hubby had his surgery Thursday to install the fistula in his arm for dialysis. Everything went just great and we were even home early. They did tell him not to use the arm until it heals – and of course when it heals they’ll begin dialysis. So it is quite unlikely he is going to be able to return to work as a cook. Despite the fact he cannot work, Disability says he isn’t disabled, call AFTER he starts dialysis. *rolling eyes*

Luckily, I had already started job hunting and have gotten a call from one job already which would be only two days a week – the weekend. Actually, that is ideal since I have to drive hubby to Dr.s appointments and so forth and they’re all during the week. I also took the test to work for the Census and did well, so they are supposed to call me Monday. Until he begins dialysis I can work both – and will. We need every penny we can get.

Up until I am working, I will do my best to hang in there with the Get Cracking Lens a Day Challenge – so even if I don’t get here to the blog, you might want to check in on my New Lenses for the Get Cracking Challenge list.

Yesterday we had to drive to town for a errand, and did we luck out on the way home! A small herd of mule deer were grazing right next to the road. We got some great photos. Here’s my favorite:

When we got home and got them on the computer, we saw a deer BEHIND that mesquite bush that we had not even noticed while taking the photos – LOL!

You can click on any of these BTW and go to the Flickr page and see the bigger ones – this new camera takes huge photos. When I get time I’m going to mosey through, tag things better and license them for use.

It’s been a good week since I added any new coloring pages. Job hunting, Doctors, stress… but all things considered we are doing well. I will do my best to keep my little online empire going and growing, but it doesn’t earn enough to support us and I can no longer depend on the husbands income.

Oh! I was so gobsmacked – someone sent me a donation for the artist for use of my free public domain clipart! Not only did it make me jump up and down with joy, it made it possible for me to pay for another month of the downloadable digital coloring book shop. Thank you!!

I also updated my homepage/business card at Summer Fey Foovay.com and added a new binder at my Zazzle store. Don’t forget that the Pagan holiday ecards I used to have up at fre-ecards.com are now at my Zazzle store as paper greeting cards and stamps. Ostara is coming!

And I wanted to share my hubby’s idea of a day of “take it easy, don’t use that arm for anything” – he fixed the kitchen faucet, did the dishes, cooked dinner, trimmed some mesquite bushes that had grown into the driveway, and took those photos of the deer. All one-handed. He’s a pretty great guy, huh?

Thanks for hanging in with me. I have a lot I hope to get done today so I gotta go.

Summer Fey Foovay

The hubby has been busy this week getting some great photos like this one of a house finch. What I love about this is if you look, you can see how those streaky breast feathers blend right in with the brushy mess on the ground to provide the perfect camoflage.

He also got our best photo yet of that pretty pale Eurasian Ring-Necked Dove. I’ve begun to feel quite sorry for her as the rest of the flock clearly ostracizes her. Of course, she may as well have a target painted on her as be this pale color here in the desert. We have at least two hawks who pay daily visits to the ranch. I wonder how long she will last?

And our best photo yet of the buffalo. We always consider it a sign of good luck when we see them on the way to town.

Speaking of luck, in the last few weeks I have won five times in a row on the Lottery. Only a dollar each time – just enough to buy the next ticket – but I’m feeling pretty special! I’ve concluded that I probably ought to spend more time and effort playing the lottery since my chances of winning a big jackpot are somewhat better than the odds of getting a book published that actually makes any money! (No, really, look at the figures someday – it’s pretty unlikely that even a GOOD novel will make anything)

Never mind the odds of making money on the Internet. I had to laugh the other day at a comment on a money making article about “why isn’t my article making money?” and the writer said “Oh, you have to let them mature”. Yeah. I’ve got articles that have been maturing for almost 10 years and they are up to a few pennies a month now! LOL.

Yeah, playing the lottery is looking good.

But until I win “the big one” I’m working on some Squidoo lenses for the Get Cracking with Robin and Bonnie Challenge. The idea is to do a lens a day for…however long you can take it, I guess. Although their main thing seems to be giving prompts for ideas – and the last thing I need is more ideas since I have half a notebook full of them – I’m using it as a motivation to get all those Work In Progress lenses I have finished up and published. So far, so good – I’m four for four. Here’s my list of the new additions – everything from “I love my iPod shuffle” to “Dragonfly Watching”. Keep your eye on this space, folks!

Yesterday I got a nice surprise check from the sponsors of one of my adult sites. It’s even nicer when you think that I don’t even have a link up to them right now! Gotta love the adult biz – repeat customers rule. So I have put that on my todo list – really got to get a real website up there again someday! Besides, it’s fun. I guess you’d have to say it’s MATURED. *snicker*

Blessedbe

Summer

I haven’t gotten a whole lot done this week it seems, other than coloring pages. Yesterday was spent in Las Cruces. We got a lot done, met the husbands surgeon, set up his surgery to install the fistula, started the process to apply for his disability and then took a nice, leisurely drive home up “the old highway” – taking photos all the way, of course.

This photo of the Organ Mountains was taken in Las Cruces. We have been chuckling for a few weeks over some directions we got from one office which stated “turn left, towards the Organ Mountains”. You would think that was a pretty safe landmark, but on the day we went to that place it was overcast and foggy, and you actually could NOT see the mountains. LOL.

Meanwhile, the signs of spring at the ranch are growing. This little fellow showed up Wednesday morning while we were out on the porch enjoying Mr. Sunbeam with our coffee.

The juvenile Sharp-Shinned Hawk has decided he is a member of the family and almost always joins us in the mornings now. Hubby snuck up for this pic:

I did get a lot of sewing done this week, and have just a bit more to do before I pack up the sewing machine for the warm months. Once it gets warm and the days are long I happily trade the sewing machine for the kayak in the storage space. My art supplies will stay out though, as I will start spending part of the day sitting outside to sketch. Now that my scanner is here and hooked up I may even share the sketches with you as they happen. We just might be without Internet for a few days towards the end of the month (can’t afford it – decided we would enjoy eating more than having Internet now that I have quit pretending I will ever make a living here) and I am thinking I may get together with a writing friend for a little marathon writing to finish Book Two of the Hunter series.

We have two whole weeks before we have to go out of town again – WHEEEE. We’re talking about perhaps doing a bit of exploring, checking out some nearby birding areas so hubby can take more photos, etc. Just depends on what he feels up to. One day at a time.

If you wanted one of my coloring books, the shop will be open about another ten days.

Sunny says “the end”

Blessedbe

Summer Fey Foovay

I just sat down at the computer to try and kill a few minutes before I go feed when I noticed this outside my window:

The bird on the right is a Eurasian Ring Necked Dove of which we have so many here that they are shoving the native White Winged Dove right out of their habitat. The bird on the left…well my guess is she is either a dilute color variation of the Eurasian Ring Necked Dove, or some sort of hybrid. Here’s a better look at her:

Sorry the pix are so bad – we have a storm rolling in and I was taking them through the back bedroom window at a weird angle to avoid the window frame, which included me standing on the desk. I keep getting knocked off line as I try to post this, too. Yeppers – storm coming in.

I got a great Squidoo payday today and was really excited until I discovered that everything I wanted to buy would not accept PayPal. I no longer allow PayPal to associate with my bank account – since the $300 fiasco over a $10 bill where they refused to use the PayPal balance but instead kept dunning my empty checking account until they cost me about $300 for a $10 payment, no matter how many times I called them OR the bank. So I’ve got money – yay – I just can’t touch it – LOL. Well, I could spend it shopping but I wanted to invest it in advertising (no one accepts PayPal) or go shopping at my adult toy store (PayPal closed their account since they don’t allow any adult businesses).

Speaking of being an adult, a twitter follower “threatened” me that if I did not watch what I said on Twitter she would HAVE to BLOCK me as she is a homeschooler. Well, I’m sorry, but I am an adult – and I am a Pagan – and I call it as I see it. I do not write for small children or sheltered children or children as a matter of fact, so block me and get over it.

Now I need to get out there and feed before it gets worse

Summer Fey Foovay

My buddy the Juvenile Sharp Shinned Hawk dropped by again this morning. He seems to feel I got enough close up pictures yesterday, instead he posed today with his back to me as we both enjoyed the view of the mountains and clouds out back.

I’m sitting here this morning having my coffee and doing my morning prayers (I am Pagan and I bet I do more and more regular prayers and blessings than most Xtians) and being just filled up with inspiration and brilliant ideas. My problem has always been that I have far more great ideas than time to bring them to consummation. All these groups and web pages and blogs and lenses and prompts to help you find great ideas and here I have them pouring out of my ears at any given time. I should just sell ideas. If I could get an idea of how to do it. LOL.

I forget now who said it but someone recently said online that 1.9 million Americans are out of work – boy that is a lot of new blogs. And here sits this old blog that has moved around here and there and changed up a few times to the newest thing but basically been around since about 2000. Yeah, I’ve pretty much been out of work that long – although largely by choice of late. I’d like to think I’ve learned a thing or two in that time.

One thing I have definatley learned is how to work your ass off 12 hour days 7 days a week to make about $100 a month on the Internet. Not that I want to discourage anyone, but during the last ten years I’ve seen a whole lot of people claiming to be making zillions on the Internet come and go in a matter of months. So it kinda makes me think either they weren’t telling the truth, or maybe they just made their zillion and quit to go lay on the beach for the rest of their lives. Maybe that 1.9 million unemployed Americans are all unemployed by choice – they are laying on the beach soaking up the sun and spending their zillion. Ya think?

Maybe not.

One of my brilliant ideas this morning – that immediately sprouted a dozen branches – is that I ought to start blogging a bit about my experiences and what I’ve learned. Right – I know – every blogger on line is telling you how to be an SEO expert, a social media maven, a blogging millionaire. So I’m not going to tell you that – I’m just going to tell you what I’ve learned over time.

I wish I could say that you’ll see an SEO entry every Thursday or something, but right now my life isn’t that neatly scheduled. I am at the mercy of the scheduling requirements of three doctors, two labs,  and counting upwards because of the hubby’s health situation. I may even have to go get a job, so he can quit, so we can get his disability. I guess if he wasn’t married they somehow expect him to live on air for a few months or years if he can’t work full time any more. He could work part time but his manager is too stupid to realize they could have their best cook part time for three or four more months – or full time for a couple more weeks before his health gives out. I love it – they know he has to have this and that day off for doctors to take care of his END STAGE renal disease and prepare for full time dialysis. So he calls in sick one day last week and they say “Why? What’s wrong with you?”

***LONG PAUSE***

Yes, I am keeping records for my wrongful death lawsuit when he finally passes out at work and falls into the fryer.

I thought about taking the usual route here on the Internet of making a lens or blog entry all about how sick my poor husband is and how financially fucked we are and oh please oh please buy a coloring book, just one coloring book, and save our ass. I know it would end up in the top 100 lenses at Squidoo and all that but – we really just aren’t that kind of people. Not that I am saying that’s bad, just it isn’t our way. We’ve been screwed since WorldCom turned out to be crooks – even before that really – and we have somehow managed to muddle along so far. And probably because of that sort of self sufficency, when we do beg for help, no one shows up to help. Fuck you – they seem to think – you made it this far. *shrug*

No sympathy for the devil

LOL

How did I get off on all that? I am not well focused today. I did mention that this was one problem I DO have – a lack of focus? LOL. Right. Regularly scheduled blogging on the Internet business – not going to happen. But some blogging on the Internet business – going to happen. More musing, I think you are going to be seeing more of the old musing about life in general on this blog again. More WRITING. Yeah, I’ll work on that.

And because like every other blogger on the Internet, I’d love to be making a living at it, probably you’ll be seeing ads on the blog again. Even if what I am saying in my article is most of this stuff being advertised is total bullshit. LOL. Except the pixie’s tickets. Those are real and you do get a good concert for them – if you live in England. And actually, I’ll probably stick on ads for my other websites. Even if you are here to learn how to make a trickle of cash on the Internet, maybe you’d like to spend some of that trickle on downloadable coloring books for older children and adults. Hah – got it in there!

But always – remember to stop and enjoy the view

As you can tell, this young Sharp Shinned hawk has gotten quite used to me being outside working. In fact, he’s gotten so casual about my presence that he has been less than 20 feet from me twice today as I worked on the fence repairs.

But this morning he astounded me with some behaviour I have never seen from a hawk.

I was doing the morning feed when I caught a bit of movement from the corner of my eye. I was just opening the chicken pen to feed them, so I eased the gate shut and turned my head. This young hawk had landed on the ground ten feet or so from a big brush pile where we pile the mesquite we cut down for this or that. Of course, the pile is always full of rabbits and birds and that’s just alright with us.

My first thought was perhaps I had flushed him off a fresh kill but I was wrong. He stood still a few minutes, then lowered his head so his body was in a straight line and took several very slow careful steps forward. When he got just a foot or two from the pile he pounced into it! Small birds burst out the top, twittering in panic with him right in the middle of the flock trying to catch all of them at once from the looks of it. The whole group went straight up in the air and then circled around behind the barn where I couldn’t see them with him right in the middle of them. I don’t think he caught him one as I’ve been seeing him around the house and barn all day – which is how I got these photos.

I have never seen a hawk stalk prey along the ground like that, let alone purposely flushing bird from a brush pile. Next thing you know he’ll be buying himself a springer spaniel puppy to train!

I haven’t gotten a whole lot done online this week, other than some new coloring pages requested for an adult. I’ve gotten a number of really wonderful coloring page requests this week. It really reminds me of why I really do line art and share it online. Yeah, I’d love to make a living – but no amount of money can make my heart feel warm like the email I’ve got this week from; a woman whose husband is ill but loves to color and finds it calming, a young man who teaches classes about animals in an orphanage, and a beekeeper who is creating a small book to hand out to local children about the importance of bees.

Between that and our little patch of desert with all it’s wonderful denizens, I am so blessed.

Hope you are having a great week.

Summer Fey Foovay