What Would Woodpeckers Do to the Ark?

I am pleased with my most recent ark finish.

Design - "On Seas of Blue"

Pamphlet- "Noah and Company"

Designer - Alma Lynne Designs

Fabric - 32 count raw linen

Fibers - DMC 2 strands over 2 threads

I fiddled with this design quite a bit personalizing it to my tastes. I changed one band to a rainbow and added the blue borders between the bands.

You have to wonder how the woodpeckers behaved on the ark!  

I have at least four Hairy Woodpeckers - two guys and two gals.

Busy at the feeder.  

Working on a tree.

Here are two guys - I think the one on the left is a juvenile.

The red on his head is a bit blotchy compared to the male on the right.

I had not seen any Sapsuckers for a week or two. 

Then on Tuesday morning I saw one.  

Thanks for stopping by! 

The Flickers while in the area, are not as active at the feeders as they have been previously.

Monday evening I counted four Acorn Woodpeckers.

I've only been able to photography three together - Baby Boy and his parents. 

"Thanks Dad - That's tasty!"

Speaking of babies - Big Babies!

I had a couple of Pileated Woodpeckers come by. 

Dad

The red on his head goes clear to his beak.

He was quite industrious.

Leading by example.

Showing Baby how it is done!

Aren't those red head feathers a hoot?

Somebody give that bird a comb!

I think the young bird is a boy.

The two birds flew into the forest...

...and worked there a while before leaving.  Later that evening they were in trees at the edge of my sister's Dahlia Garden.

Stitching and Strolling

I'm still on an Alma Lynne kick (I can hear Nikki of Stitch Bitch gagging!). I'm going to stitch "Stormy Night" The large green ark with the lightening bolt sky.  I like all the drama of that.

Our skies have been rather dramatic of late, but not in a good way.

Over the weekend, the winds shifted and the smoke and haze from numerous forest fires drifted into the Willamette Valley. This is what it looked like as the sun rose on Sunday morning.

The sky was brown and the smell of smoke very strong.  Air quality deteriorated to unhealthy. I know some folks have not enjoyed their a cool and wet summer, but oh what we in the west would give for some rain!

By mid-Monday the winds had shifted and our skies cleared.  So let's take a walk.     

I'll start off with a mystery plant.  We've been watering our back yard and now have a patch of this growing.  It has very fine leaves and is low to the ground - no more than 4" tall.  It looks rather like a larkspur. Thanks to Shelia the plant has been identified  as Butter and Eggs or Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).

We have lots of Douglas fir cones this year.

And the Madrone have finally recovered from our hard cold winter of two years ago.  I think they have the prettiest bark.

I also like the 'spent' look of the Ocean Spray.

The Hazels are preparing for next year with a good group of catkins.

Moss and lichens - it is the Pacific NW after all!

Most of the thistles have gone to seed.

Lots and lots of Oak galls.

Oregon White Oaks are lovely slow growing trees.  I found several acorns on the ground and brought them up for the Acorn Woodpeckers.

Nootka Rose hips.

Here's another mystery plant - a grass this time.

Aren't those funky seed heads for a grass?

Snowberries

As dry and hot as it has been this spring and summer, I was pleased to see there is still a pool or two of water in the Big Creek.  The birds and animals must frequent this area as water is hard to find.

A Rainbow of Colors

Design - "For Forty Days and Forty Nights"

Chart - "Noah's Guardian Angel"

Designer - Curtis Boehringer

Fabric - 28 count Putty linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 17 August 2015

Completed - 18 August 2015

Love, love, love this design!  It was fun to stitch and have it the rainbow revealed.  The chart has no photos and is in black and white. so gave no clue as to the look of the finished design. The chart called for DMC Flower Thread which is no longer manufactured.  And while I do have some Flower Thread, I did not have all the called for colors.  But Google came through for me and I was able to find a conversion chart from Flower Thread to 'regular' DMC. I am considering adding a JABC button or two - Noah and an ark. Any thoughts?  

This week for the Tuesday Garden Party and Maple Hill Blog Hop I thought I'd share some of the plants that are at their best in mid-August - or at least are blooming despite the hot, dry summer. Interestingly there is a rainbow of colors in bloom.  

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'

Certainly not looking their best any longer, but worthy of a photo as any sweetpea that has withstood days and days of 90+ temps is a real trooper!

Lobelia tupa

A very tall, very late autumnal blooming lobelia. 

Lobelia laxiflora

Sunflower "Giant Sungold"

A mix of morning glories.

Morning Glory "Heavenly Blue"

Cuphea of some sort - no tag

Begonia - unknown

Love the polka dotted leaves

Mimulus aurantiacus "Curious Orange"

Ratibida columnifera "Mexican Hat"

Strepocarpus of some sort

Lilies and rudbeckia

Salvia "La Trinidad" and "Black and Blue"

These begonias looked a bit better before the deer climbed the steps of the Front Porch and munched on them.  I now have a barricade of four chairs across the steps to keep them out.   

I bought my first pansy!

Green is always cool looking on hot days.

Fuchsia x speciosa

This has large velvety green leaves as well as cool looking blooms.

A bowl of purple plants.

Brachycome "Mauve", Heliotrope "Marino Blue", and Angelonia "Archangel Purple".

Passion Flower

Passiflora hybrid "Aphrodite's Purple Nightie"

Oh what an awful name for a lovely plant!

Datura

A volunteer!

And that's what's blooming at its best this week.