Friday, June 30, 2023

Warblers Are Hiding From Me

Design - "June Stamp" (Flip-It)
Designer - Lizzie Kate 
Fabric - 28 count Light Mocha linen
Fibers - GAST & WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 24 June 2014
Completed - 26 June 2014

A Black-capped Chickadee
What a good bird - how nicely it poses!

Compare it to this Orange-crowned Warbler.

Oka - can you see the eye of the bird?

And a butt / sideways view
Typical Warbler action

But then this female Flicker posed in the sunlight while getting a drink.

Isn't she lovely?

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Southern Oregon Coast

Design - The Lighthouse

Designer - Bent Creek

Fabric - 30 count R & R Creek Bed Brown

Fiber - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 10 May 1998

Completed - 24 May 1998


A look at my short trip to the southern Oregon coast.

We spent Monday night at The Mill Casino in Coos Bay.


View of the bay.

More bay

Old pilings

Coos Bay still has an active port - lots of lumber products.

Homes with a view of the bay

The next day we drove south stopping off to see Cape Blanco Lighthouse. 

The oldest home on the cape.

Up on a bluff with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

Lots of rocks off shore.

Deserted beaches
 
 
It was a glorious day.

Highway 101 takes a detour around Humbug Mountain!

It is one of the state's highest headlands at 1,765 and is a state park.

Yet more large rocks, though Oregon has no habitable islands off its coastline. 

Pacific Ocean living up to its name - pretty calm.

Quiet beach

Driftwood.
A lovely part of the Oregon coast. 

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Wednesday's Walk at the Coast

Today's walk is along one of the windiest parts of the Oregon coast - Cape Blanco.

A record gust of 145mph was recorded during the Columbus Day storm in 1962.  

Our walk, however, takes place on a blue-sky, wind-free day - most unusual on the coast.

Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) -maybe uncertain about this.

This looks a bit like Cow's Parsnip - but shorter and denser.

It grows like it too.

Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana)
Yet another plant named for / by David Douglas!

Could not figure this one out.

Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)

Columbia Lupin (Lupinus columbianus)

Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima)

Common Monkey Flower (Erythranthe guttata)

Cow's Clover (Trifolium wormskioldii)

Coastal Manroot or Western Wild Cucumber (Marah oreganus)

Kinnikinnick and ferns

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

Close up of the very cool cones

Coastal Manroot or Western Wild Cucumber (Marah oreganus)

Don't know - just enjoy!

Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

Look!  A Song Sparrow!

Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima) and Dandelions

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Seashore Lupin (Lupinus littoralis)

I hope you enjoyed today's lovely walk!

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Fledglings - Towhees

Design - "Keeper of the Bees"
Designer - Ewe & Eye & Friends
Fabric - 32 count Belfast Dirty Linen
Fibers - Anchor & Threadgatherer
Started - 24 April 2005
Completed - 7 August 2005
Framed - July 2010

I thought the simplicity / complexity of the border was most clever.  I liked it so much, that when it came time to have the piece framed, I decided it did not need a mat to provide separation - the border did that just fine.  

This piece tested me a bit - Threadgatherer Silks were used to create the four spiderweb rosettes - some turned out better than others. I came to the conclusion that it looked like nature - each flower a bit different than the others.  Lastly, I was most pleased with the frame.  I felt that the running floral pattern echoed the rambling flowers in the stitch.


It's Fledgling Time!

An adult Towhee and a fledgling.


As you can see, the fledgling does not begin to have the bright colors of the adult.

The adult might be a bit stressed - yes?

This is a nice photo for compare and contrast between the juvenile and the adult.

Some folks think they have 'new birds' this time of year, but generally they have nondescript juveniles.