Birds on Etsy Gift Guide

I love Etsy.  I really think that supporting artists is a wonderful way to get gifts.

A quick search on Etsy for birds shows that many artists share my love of birds . . .

Here are a few wonderful birdly items from whimsical to steampunk.

Secret Finch Earrings by Tilly Bloom

Sparkly Birdy Drawing by Kate Wilson

Needle Felted Finders Keepers Bird Nest Ring by MadeByLaura

Sister Owls by yumiyumi

Miss Adorable – print by amberalexander

Repurposed China teacup birdbath by ohthepollybilities

Birdcage Print by karingrow

Sunset Serenade Tote by MyManyMoodz

Marbled Godwit by SandraHealy

Christmas Elegance II by BarbieBaughman

SteamPunk Bird Statue by BirdAndMoonStudio

Happy Shopping!

It’s all good when we are shopping for beautiful bird art and supporting artists directly!

Advertisement

Sky Watch — Fall Sky

Sun
Shine
glimmers
bright blue sky
russet leaves and stems
fall colors and bright bright sunlight

© 2008, Liza Lee Miller.  All Rights Reserved.

For more sunshine in your Friday, visit Sky Watch Friday!
And, if you need something to fill the sky you are watching, check out I and the Bird!

Happy Turkey Day!

Bevson at Behind the Bins and Murmuring Trees put forth a bird blogging challenge.  For Thanksgiving, let’s post Wild Turkeys.  Here are mine.

The above turkey was in my yard one afternoon.  He (she?) was being fed corn by the neighbors.  I had 2 labradors at that time and when the neighborhood kids showed too much interest in this guy, he headed toward my backyard.  I headed him off and so he lay down in my front yard and tried to pretend that he didn’t exist (he didn’t fool me though . . . I knew he existed!).  Eventually, the kids gave up and I stayed patient and he finally decided it was safe enough to exist again and he got up and headed back to the golf course.

My favorite wild turkey sighting was in Morro Bay. Three Turkey gentlemen were cruising down the street.  I loved these shots.  They just look like they are out for a stroll.  I found out later that they are well known in Morro Bay and that there are turkey crossing signs on some of the neighborhood streets.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for so much in my life.

My wonderful husband, sweet children, and loving family.
I am grateful for my good friends and a job that gives me joy and challenge.
I am grateful for my health and our financial recovery.
I am grateful for a new president who brings new hope in these frightening times.

What are you grateful for?

Oh, yea, one last thing,  Thanksgiving isn’t complete without my amazing turkey call.  As you can see in the following video, turkeys respond to it.

Damn, I’m good.

What do I have to do?

I have a confession to make.  During the late summer and early fall, I was a baaaaaaaad bird feeder.  I let my feeders go emtpy for a few months.  My feeders were barren and my birds abandoned me.  I won’t make excuses but once my life was a bit less hectic, my feeders were thoroughly cleaned and refilled.  My hummingbird feeders are filled with delicious hummer juice.  Most of my feeders were filled with black sunflower seeds.  I filled a big thistle seed feeder as well.  All was ready.  I hoped to be forgiven forthwith.

Many might think that hummingbirds are somewhat arrogant and stand-offish.  Mine certainly seem to have attitude.  However, they are most forgiving birds.  Given that they stay here year round in my neighborhood, I’m sure they are glad to have a ready source of food.

I would have thought my Chestnut-backed Chickadees were a most forgiving bird. But, they are not. Perhaps this season of harvest is too good to the Chickadees. There are too many seeds and berries for them to be tempted by my feeders. Still, they have been my most consistent visitors in all the years that I have been feeding birds. They are often joined by Pygmy Nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos, California Towhees, and the like.

But, I am currently shunned by my birds.  Only my Anna’s Hummingbirds come to visit.  I am bereft and left wondering what do I have to do.

Will it take Suet Dough?  Sunflower chips?  A fancy new bird bath? Peanuts?  I’ll do whatever it takes. I just can’t take these empty feeders.

Enjoy I and the Bird #89, hosted by the Bird Ecology Study Group!

What kind of blogger am I?

Typealyzer tells you what type of blog a bog is.  All you have to do is visit Typealyzer, type the url of the blog you want analyzed into the box and you find out what the blogger(s) and the blog are like.  I learned about this fun service from the venerable 10,000 Birds.  They are Doers — outdoorsy go-getters.

I am a Performer.  Hmmm, I don’t think anyone I know would be surprised to learn that about me.  Oh queen of drama that I am.  Here’s what the site says about me . . .

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead – they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation – qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

I agree with the “performer” label and perhaps the “me” that I present here on It’s Just Me is that way . . . attuned to pleasure and beauty.  In my real life, I don’t have the luxury of living in the present and never planning ahead although my goodness as a teacher, I am pretty much always exhausted. I do dislike workplace conflict though so there’s that.  Is this really me?  Dunno.  But it’s fun for a Saturday post!  Enjoy.

Sky Watch – Pigeons O’er the Mission

Pigeons roost.
Startled, they fly in great circles
and settle again on the old tile roof.
Do they know why the bells toll?
Do they feel the prayers of those within rise up past them?
Do they guide them up to Heaven?
Or do they watch them pass and shake their heads, wondering at the ways of people.

© 2008, Liza Lee Miller.  All Rights Reserved.

If you need a little reverence in your Friday, visit Sky Watch Friday!
And, if you need something to fill the sky you are watching, check out I and the Bird!

Unexpected Fall Color

Living in California means an extended summer season.  Still, it is well and truly fall now.  We’ve had our first big storm of the winter season.  So, this is not the type of Fall Color I was expecting to see . . .

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of what a sunny Fall day looks like in California!

**By the way, the final version of the American Sentences Poem is up at Read.Write.Poem. Go take a look!**

Wordless Wednesday – Tapestry in San Juan Bautista Mission

Ruby Tuesday — Sort of

Okay, okay, not really a Ruby Tuesday because this is a cat post. A cat post? From me? The Queen of Cat Allergies. Well, it’s not that I dislike cats . . . just that I can’t hang with them. And, cats, being cats, generally decide that they love me best of all.

My sister and I were walking around this garden on Saturday. We were both taking photographs of all the beauty around us. This friendly gray cat kept coming up and rubbing on us. “Please pet me,” he would ask. “But, we can’t,” we replied, politely.

He was not amused.

I tried to get a shot of his extreme irritation at our ignoring his needfulness and desire but I missed it. He sat there with his ears flat and his tail twitching. “Fine, don’t pet me, then,” he seemed to be saying in a pouty voice.

I continued taking pictures and was kneeling down to take a shot of a pretty cluster of white flowers and when I looked up the driveway, I saw this intrepid jungle hunter staring at me intensely.

My mother came out shortly and we informed her of the situation. She is not allergic to cats and she immediately set out to pet the sulky cat.

He let her attend to his itchy neck and leaned in for some good pets. And, then he stood and stalked over to me, clearly saying, “Now that you know how it’s done, I expect you to do the same.”

Needless to say, I did not oblige and he stalked off to another part of the garden.

I really do like cats. I just like breathing, too.

A Garden Party

This frog was just one of the charming, whimsical features in a magical garden.   The many succulents were delightful and appealing — particularly in this time of year.  It’s almost like having flowers in the late fall.  (Although there were many delightful flowers as well and you’ll see some of those later this week.)

And, as we were leaving, we noticed another friendly frog bidding us good day.