The Seventh Crow

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-20T13:11:00.001-07:00

I didn't want to let another father's day pass without mentioning my dad.
This cherished photo is of my father when he was just a little boy. George Malcolm was born 99 years ago this coming July, and lost his own father right around the time this picture was taken.

My father was a brilliant man and a wonderful dad but I didn't realize just how much influence he had on me until after his death.

I intend to add to this post a little later but I just wanted to save a place for him here now on this father's day. I am feeling extremely lucky and very greatful today.

Gimli is Gone...

2010-03-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

How could I let nearly a year go by without posting? Silly question. Years just slip by, they fall away like leaves from the trees in autumn.

This entry is dedicated to Gimli the rooster. If you are not familiar with him, posts from the past will enlighten if you are interested. I'm not going to go into detail of his life as this story is mainly about his death. When his mate Brighty passed away over two years ago, he seemed to be ok with it. He was a good father to their nine half grown chicks, choosing friends and making a few enemies among the cockerels.

The photo below shows a few of the new generation and Gimli standing next to Brighty very near the end of her long life. She wasn't well. He sensed this and stayed by her side, even bowing his head to let her know he was there.

As the youngsters matured, some major fights broke out as Gimli was challenged for supreme ruler of the roost.

Gimli gave in. He decided to banish himself from the flock by night by refusing to enter the coop, choosing instead to roost in the outer covered area up in what I called 'Obama Corner' for obvious reasons. (hey, I used what I had on hand to block the wind and rain).

This worked out great til the winter set in and I began grabbing Gimli from his perch, carrying him in to the barn to a separate area, placing him on top of a bale of hay each night. After a while, I didn't have to 'grab' him anymore to keep him from escaping my arms, I would simply place my goved hands near his feet and he would step on and move to my forearm and just 'ride' to the barn without the slightest alarm. I actually think he enjoyed it as I would always give him a treat once he settled in for the night.

Northern Michigan winters are hard on chickens, but we made it through this one with no frozen toes, combs or wattles. Spring seemed to arrive early with the first day of March. Temperatures of 60 degrees and higher coaxed the flock outside of their pen to enjoy dust baths in the sun, and bare, unfrozen ground to peck and scratch.

Photo: Gimli off to the left, butt to the camera with two long curled tail-feathers. This photo was taken just two days before he died.

All was well and good until an up-and-coming younger roo began to roost out in Gimli's Obama Corner. At first, I thought they might have become friends and tried to put Gimli up there with him. Nope, not the case. I had to hunt for Gimli at night (he was never very hard to find) and bring him in to the barn leaving the new guy to fend for himself if a predator came around in the night.

The 15th of March was a gorgeous sunny day and the chickens were all out and about doing their thing when Jack our dog suddenly acted like he needed to go outside. I let him out the back slider door and he went straight to a feathered heap on the ground, stopped and sniffed at it. I ran outside to find it was dear Gimli. He looked as if he was just strolling along and fell race first into the dirt. I picked him up, he was still a bit warm, but his feet were cold and he was just not there anymore. He had no wounds, no feathers were missing, no sign of a struggle and the others were quiet. If there had been a predator such as a hawk, they all would be sounding alarm. He just up and died, I guess. Or perhaps he simply decided it was time to go.

I placed him on a snow drift with the plan to bury him later in the day. As the sun began to set, I took Gimli out into the woods behind our house looking for the perfect resting place. I had decided not to bury him after all and just let nature take it's course. Finding a large tree fallen and uprooted, I placed him down where the roots had been which had made an opening like a small cave and walked back toward the house.

It was late enough now that all the others had gone inside for the night (even the guy that stole Gimli's roost, abandoned it that night). All at once they were making noise as if a predator was in the coop. I rushed in to find nothing was after them but they continued to squawk and holler.
I decided it was a send-off to their father (and grandfather), a chorus of farewell and safe passage. I told them all goodnight and made a quick check of the nest boxes, even though it had been several months since any eggs had been layed. There in one box was the first egg of 2010. True story.

Portrait of Gimli and Brighty by artist Mary Jill...

Wiki'd Women

2009-04-23T08:46:00.001-07:00

Metal junk mail. what could be cooler?

My second entry to the 2009 EBSQ Junk Mail Show. I don't know if AOL still sends out offers in these nifty little tins, but I found one that I had stashed a while back.

I sanded the lid to give it a distressed look, added snippets of my collection of envelope security linings, along with a half dozen stamps my father had saved from old correspondence from the 1950's and topped it off with vintage blue rick-rack just because.

Then I Wiki'd the women on the stamps as a bit of a history lesson. First we have:

Susan B. Anthony 1820-1906 the B. is for Brownell. American civil rights leader made famous for her role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She also learned to read and write at the age of three!

Martha Washington shown here on the one and a half cent. 1731-1802 The first first lady. At the tender age of 17 she married a rich planter 20 years her senior. She had four children, became a rich widow at 25 and married George two years later. George and Martha had no children together.

Mother Mary Aikenhead 1787-1858 Brought up in the Church of Ireland, but became a Roman Catholic in 1802 and later founded the religious order, the Sisters of Charity.

Lucy Stone 1818-1893 Prominent American abolitionist and suffragist, and a vocal advocate and organizer promoting rights for women. She was the first known woman to keep her maiden name after marriage and the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree.

Queen Elizabeth (QEll) 1926-present. She is currently enjoying the ipod that Barack & Michelle Obama presented to her recently.

Lady Liberty 1886-present. A gift from the people of France, she stands tirelessly on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans traveling by ship. Before it's demolition, the Coney Island Elephant was actually the first structure seen by immigrants arriving in New York.

See the current EBSQ Junk Mail Show here. Entries accepted til the end of April.

Vintage Cats overtake Nibblefest!

2009-02-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

The February theme for Nibblefest, an ebay art contest is Vintage Cats, and this month's event should be howls of fun. My piece is a mixed media (but mostly acrylic) painting on the surface of a repurposed wooden kitchen cupboard door I found at Habitat for Humanity Restore.

"You disrupted my nap for this?" sez our recently adopted cat Kitters.

Below you will see the the inspirations for 'Katze' which can be found on auction HERE Search NFAC on ebay from now til February 27th to see all the fabulous vintage cats each beginning at just 99 cents!

New Corvid Art Calendar for 2009

2008-12-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

I admit, I got behind. The NEW CROW ART CALENDAR I had planned to leisurely create beginning last spring got pushed to the back of my mind and I had to scurry to complete it while there was still a little of 2008 left. Some of the art, I am less than ecstatic about, but perhaps the other images will make up for it.
I will be offering what is left of the original pieces featured in the calendar in my etsy shop Saraphina.
There are only a couple listed right now with four more to be added soon.

I also made a NEW HOLIDAY ORNAMENT (available with or without cherry) using the February image through my cafepress shop as well and I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out.

a new puppy in the whitehouse....

2008-11-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

I can't let this day go by without a small entry on what took place in America yesterday. This outcome was my ultimate wish, my hope and I wasn't always quiet about it. Now, we need healing for a country that is still divided but the walls are beginning to crumble. I think the most moving moment for me was how a father vowed to kept a promise to his young daughters last night; there will be a new puppy as promised as the new first family moves into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Reluctantly revealing my first WIP

2008-09-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

My artist friend MJ is posting a WIP or work in progress in her blog Mary Jill Lemieur Designs. Check it out, isn't she fantastic?

Portraits are something I have always dabbled in, thanks to my mother who was also intrigued by faces, being a photo-colorist back in the day before color photography was available or affordable for family photos. High school graduation 8x10's were the staple of mom's work-at-home business. I remember as a small child seeing package after package arriving in the mail for my mother to paint and box up and return to the big studios in Detroit. Mom was a professional and she was in big demand in the 50's and 60's.

She didn't get much money for this work, about $1 or $1.50 per 8 x 10, but if you asked her why she didn't raise her rates, she would reply 'I really can't because many of the studios are switching over to natural color as the cost of it comes down and I have to keep my prices low to stay in business.'

Today photo-coloring is an fine art form that not too many people have the know-how or equipment to undertake. Mother had special artist photo-grade oil paints she ordered through the mail, a compressor driven air-brush for the background effects, assorted brushes for those desiring a 'heavy oil' portrait and lots of pure fluffy white cotton to pull and twist onto pointed sticks which she used to apply the paint and rub down to the correct transparency. And turpentine, lots of turpentine.

I would watch in awe as she worked quickly before the paint started to dry. She seemed to pull and twist that cotton onto a stick, add some detail, and flick off the used cotton and twist on a fresh wad in the blink of an eye.

Ok, so here are Cathy and Bill. Extraordinary people I have met though common interests right here on the wonderful world wide web. I chose photos where they happen to both be wearing hats and I am painting them on 6 inch textured ceramic tiles which were a salvaged supplies item that I have found to work out quite nicely in the past.

Here first are the rough pencil sketches on the prepaired tiles (a coat of white Kilz) and then my first applications of paint. I can already see that Cathy is too pink and Bill is jut too dirty looking but I will hopefully remedy this as I move along.
Comments, laughter and snide remarks are encouraged. More photos to follow.

OK, this is harder than I thought, posting pix of an unfinished portrait. Whenever I look at my own work, all I see are the flaws. My first mistake in my initial sketch was not following the slight tilt if Bill's head. It threw everything off. But it is a little late now. His forehead should be taller, I've made his chin too big, his nose a tad too short. I need to put this painting aside for a bit and concentrate on how I can mess up Cathy's...ha!

NOVEMBER 25 UPDATE: Where does the time go? I am starting to stray from the photo a bit so I am not sure if this is looking like Cathy or not since I only know her face from pictures. Also, I need to ask her what color are her eyes. I have made them blue for now.

Done!...

Smiling Black Cat original works of art @ 99 cents!

2008-09-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Just in time for halloween fun, smiling black cats on ebay, many currently at just 99 cents. Last time I checked, this Trick or Trout piece found HERE was still at a very low bid. Check all the current ebay NIBBLEFEST entries and grab some original art at a bargain price this week.

the skeleton in my closet...

2008-09-03T15:37:00.001-07:00

...is hanging on grungy wallpaper, but surrounded by bottle caps. The brightest colored caps are from The Netherlands thanks to my friend Trudy of Black Crow Jewelry.
Just finished and available in my etsy shop.

CLICK HERE for more photos and details.

am I gonna beam up now?

2008-08-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

While heading outside one recent morning to let out and feed the chickens, I noticed the sun burning off the last of the early mist. Thinking how beautifully inviting, the two-track road looked out our back door, I went back in to get my camera. I was kind of hoping that at the moment I snapped a photo, a deer, or fox or even a rabbit or turkey would stroll on by, by no. Then Hawg, my husband's kitty that went from he to she without a name change, suddenly said 'Hey, I want to be in the picture!' Like a moth to a flame, she bolted to the brightest patch and kind of looked as if she were about to beam up into an extra-terrestrial mother ship. (click photo to enlarge)
As I walked over to her, she did what all cats do when they want attention. Plop down where ever they may be, as if to say 'aren't I cute? now scratch my head.'

Octopuses, Octopi, Octopodes have hearts & smarts!

2008-08-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have just learned that there are three correct words for the plural of octopus.
And while I was educatiing myself, I also found out that they have three hearts and are highly intelligent...who knew?

I think artist Kelly Guswiler knows, and she also appreciates the beauty of this fascinating cephalopod (I learned that too). Kelly creates all kinds of whimsical and gorgeous fine art from handcrafted one of a kind jewelry, to handpainted floorcloths bursting with color. She has also recently opened Beach Bum Beads offering quality beads at affordable prices. Swim on over to her etsy shops and prepare to be dazzled and delighted.

Wake Up America!

2008-08-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Democratic National Convention has had many awesome speeches so far. Michelle Obama revealed her soft side, her maternal side...she was phenomenal. Ted Kennedy summoned up enormous strength and courage and moved many to tears.

But the one that seemed to me, who pumped up the crowd to the max so far has been the 'funny little man with the gorgeous wife' Dennis Kucinich. The Ohio Representative began his short (less than six minutes) speech much like any other speaker, but as he wound up he actually began to bounce!

Dennis was so energetic, passionate, brutally refreshing and held nothing back in pointing out the failings of the Bush administration and why we need to get out and vote this November.

A Dog's Life...or maybe afterlife

2008-08-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

A Dog's Life is the theme this month for ebay's Nibblefest art contest. I have created this folk art bare bones doggie (with heart) using acrylic paint on a salvaged piece of birch and framed with hammered bottle caps (beer mostly)

I call him Funnybones and he can be found HERE though the 27th of August. All entries for Nibblefest begin at just 99 cents to get the bidding started.
An ebay search of NFAC will pull up all the current canine collection. ps...next month is Smiling Black Cats!

One of Brighty's Grandchicks

2008-08-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

When dear old Brighty miraculously hatched 9 eggs last spring, I never would have thought her kids would be having more kids this summer. This little guy (or gal) hatched July 13 and is shown here about two weeks later. As you can see, chicks grow fast as their fluff quickly turns to feathers. Their wings develop faster than their little bodies and imagine their surprise when by accident they discover they can actually fly!

Seven chicks hatched in July by two sister hens who shared nest duty. The babies officially have two mamas, and the sisters get along pretty well. Now, two other sisters are sharing a clutch of at least 8 eggs, stay tuned.

Back to Bottle-Capping...

2008-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts ago, I showed a bottle cap snake I had made for an ebay contest.
It was kind of fun to do, but I have now started hammering the caps flat for projects and I find the process much more fulfilling. At first I thought I could pound them flat on a piece of wood, but no, that doesn't work so well. Our garage is equipped with a couple old large vises and I found that setting the cap on the anvil part of the vise is perfect. It really only takes about three mild 'bamms' on each side with a regular hammer, but be sure to start with the front of the cap if you want the edges to mainly turn under to the back. For a couple seconds after they have been flattened they are quite warm and I think that makes it easier to shape them if desired. I used size 18 5/8 in. wire nails to attach the caps to the wood part of the fish which was once a cutting board.

I was about to put the finished piece in my etsy shop for sale, but my husband saw it and said "I want it" for his little cabin downstate. So now I just have to find out if he is kidding or serious because he has never really taken an interest in the junk, I mean folk art I do.

If you click on the finished fish you can actually see the detail of each cap. I think the Leinie's Big Butt caps my sister sent me are my favorite so far. But then the Bell's Oberon (yellow sun face on orange) ones from my son Max are pretty cool too.

Fala, a white crow for real...

2008-05-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley is so fortunate to have almost magically aquired this rare and spirit-like white crow named Fala, which is Choctaw for crow. Her caretaker is Trudi who manages the Outreach programs at the center. I found this article about her and Fala in the Saratoga News.

On May 30, The WCSV is hosting Jewels in Flight to help raise funds to provide critical care to injured, sick, and orphaned birds and mammals until they are ready to release back to the wild. This event will take place at the Hakone Gardens, part of the oldest Asian and Japanese estate in the Western Hemisphere.

I have created this folkart painting of Fala for the Jewels in Flight fundraiser.
It is acrylic on extra deep gallery wrapped canvas and the leaves continue around the edges. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Fala or Trudi in person but I do hope I have captured even just a hint of likeness of this extraordinary creature.

NIBBLEFESSST time!

2008-04-20T16:10:00.001-07:00

Reptiles is the theme for this month's Nibblefest on ebay. I make this folk art bottlecap snake with 139 beer bottlecaps, wire, felt, paint, glue and two beads. He is about 41 inches long and is a very low maintenance but hip herp.

Nibblefest takes place between the 20th and the 27th of each month on ebay. Search NFAC for all the creative entries beginning at just 99 cents each.

And speaking of craft shows....

2008-04-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

You have got to see the new vendor aprons Michelle of Yooper Boutique sews up for all you artists and crafters selling your wares all over the country. Don't settle for that nail apron from the hardware store. Treat yourself to one of Michelle's and look smart and stylish at your next show.

By the way...see those pretty-pretty paper roses at the right? She makes them too.

When life gives you lemons...

2008-04-12T13:57:00.001-07:00

My sister Peggy creates these darling and useful memo boards. They come in all shapes and sizes and themes. She makes each one entirely by hand with the highest regard for quality and has been successfully selling them at craft shows and in magazines since 1990. Recently Peg has expanded her business through the web. You will find a great selection of her bulletin boards and extra pins at Pegsboards.com and also in her ETSY shop here.

Murder in the Village

2008-04-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

I love the look of a watercolor painting that is not overdone like this one by Mary Jill Lemieur. Her color choices and use of negative space is awesome. Of course her subject matter is pretty cool too. Just look at the little guy below her signature.
You will find this fun piece along with a hundred others in her ETSY shop here.

prime numbers primary colors...sort of

2008-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

I am trying to envision the reaction of the original maker of this quilt upon seeing what I have done to it. Well not all of it, but a good piece of it. You will find more information and photos of this art quilt here. Perhaps someone can tell me why the numbers 67 & 107 appear fuzzy in the photo only. Must have something to do with black on bright red?

Backyard Chickens

2008-04-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

I would love to sit down with Barack Obama's grandmother from Kenya and swap chicken stories. All backyard chicken-keepers have tales to tell. Some of them are heartwarming, some sad, but all are just amazing to me. I have found that chickens are smart, funny, brave and can be extremely loyal to their flock mates. The flock I have right now are the result of a miracle the way I see it. I have told their story here in my blog in the archived posts, so I won't re-tell it here.

Out of the nine that hatched last May, five are pullets and started laying eggs in November at six months old. The young pullets and cockerels will officially become hens and roosters around the middle of next month.
My chickens are mutts with mainly Silver Sebright blood, so they are quite small, but they lay a good sized egg which can be compared to grocery store small. To me the eggs are just gorgeous, almost too pretty to eat. Various shades of cream and beige, some more pointed, some more round. When cracked into a bowl, the yokes are bright orange and stand at attention, no faded lazy yokes here. I have to admit, I don't notice a whole lot of difference in taste from store bought eggs, but then I put catsup on my scrambled eggs and pickles on my egg sandwiches.

God have mercy on America and forgive us our trespasses...

2008-03-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

I have always cringed when at the end of every speech our beloved president says '...and God bless America'. Bush thinks God is on our side, we can do no wrong and are entitled to His blessing. He had glorious visions of being the head decider, uniter, unifier, bringing democracy to all the dark areas of the planet where the evil-doers reside.

Reverend Wright's words were taken out of context, plain and simple just as so many soundbites are in the media. It's just like judging a book by it's cover. He may have embellished a bit but there are nuggets of truth in everything he was ranting about.

On the other hand, Hillary didn't embellish at all. Her mind (which is beginning to appear feeble) remembered a trip to Bosnia in a totally fabricated way. Hillary needs a vacation, and leave Bill at home with a sitter. Make that a Mrs. Doubtfire type sitter.

Like Barack Obama, I will not wear a flag pin either. The last time someone handed me a flag pin was when I voted in the 2004 election. I looked closely at that lapel pin, the sloppy way it was painted, flipped it over and glory be...it was made in China.

What a whiner...

2008-03-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

And then there is James Carville ranting about 'an act of betrayal' concerning the Bill Richardson's recent endorsement of Obama. James, you're wearing your Gollum pants again.

Credit is due to whomever made this side-by-side. It's the cat's meow.

February Nibblefest

2008-02-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

If you give a rat a raspberry...
...he'll probably want to trade it for cheese.

This is my NIBBLEFEST entry for this month
on ebay with the theme being rodents. The best thing about nibblefest is all entries start the bidding at just 99 cents!

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T12:14:00.001-08:00

Take a break from the primary action and provide some nourishment to those around the world who have so little. Click on FREERICE.COM where you play a vocabulary game and increase the grains of rice for every answer you get correct. In Haiti, women are making cakes from mud to feed their children because rice is too expensive. So just sit there for a while and do this simple thing and spread the word...k?

Winter...trying to make the best of it

2008-01-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

Finally, our latest snowstorm has passed. Hundreds of schools were closed here in northern Michigan yesterday.

Taking the back roads to town recently, I noticed the little bare twiggy trees planted in rows near the city limits. Almost every one held the remains of a well crafted bird nest once hidden among the leaves, now exposed to the rain, wind and snow. It seemed as if once a mother bird began crafting her cradle, the tree was off limits to other expectant parents as each sapling contained one and only one nest.

Acrylic paint on a small wooden block measuring 3.75 x 2.75 x 1.75 in deep. Five trees in all with three on the front and one on each side. Top and bottom painted as well. Available in my etsy shop: Saraphina

January Nibblefest starts tonight...

2008-01-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I have participated in the Nibblefest Art Contest, but this month's theme seemed too fun to pass up. Combining two animals or creatures to form one. Thought I was creating a 'raccrow' but when I showed my son asking him what he thought it looked like, he said 'crocoon?'. So either or will do. Join the fun and see all the mismatched characters beginning at just 99 cents this evening on ebay. The banner below will take you there but the entries will not start showing up until after 7pm est. I do believe any ebay member can join this group and would be happy to recommend you if you are interested.

Eighteen years ago today...

2008-01-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

...a litter of 7 puppies were born in a little dog house out in the bitter cold. I must admit I wasn't very involved in the event as I had just given birth to our second child 10 days earlier. It took us by surprise. Birdie was an jittery English setter and her pups were sired by a friendly collie from across the road. New homes were found for the pups and even their mother. We kept one male. He was almost all black with white feet and a zig-zag on the back of his neck. Grandpa said that slash of white looked like a lightning bolt and that is how he got his name.
My dad always had a soft spot for him and cared for him when we moved into town for a few years.

Lightning turned out to be a very loyal companion. He was a gentle dog and even though birding was in his blood, he learned very quickly that our flock of chickens were also part of the family and left them alone. I don't consider myself a dog person, but Lightning became very close to me. Near the end of his life when his ears and eyes failed him, he sought me out, following me room to room even when it was so hard for him to get up again after plopping down at my feet. Lightning's favorite activity was romping through the woods any time of year.
Miss ya old boy...

I want to say something clever but nasty...

2007-12-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

...I am not fond of this holiday, it always puts me in a fowl funk. Consumers flock by the masses to the opened-armed walmarts of the world to fill their carts with shiney new mass produced crap they think their family and friends need or want, put it on the credit card and head out into the frenzied traffic. I will probably delete this post soon as it will make me feel even worse to read it myself and then of course there is the guilt.

On a different but related note, I am giving that 'fair tax' idea some serious thought and my presidential vote may just hinge on who is the most likely to bring this much needed change about .....democrat/republican, it won't matter. The IRS needs to go. Period.

Also, my mail is totally screwed up, I have gotten no e-mail for nearly two whole days, not even the 'make your d*ck stick bigger' or get a 'fake rolex here' spam.
Not that I miss them, but it tells me something is really wrong when slimey spam won't even come through.
So if by chance I seem to be ignoring you...it isn't my fault.

So try and enjoy the season, the days will now be getting longer (the silver lining)
~God Yul~

Happy Turkey Day

2007-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

'twas the middle of November,
Thanksgiving was nigh;
four and twenty turkeys
curiously trotting by.

not a shot was fired,
no cause for alarm,
wild turkeys in my back yard,
shall not suffer harm.

Update since Brighty's passing

2007-11-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

Gimley gets plenty of respect from his kids, five girls and four boys. At first he was a pretty strict papa, but he has softened and actually treats them better than they treat themselves. I fashioned a crude double stall nest box out of an antique drawer inside their coop. In about another month or so, the pullets should be old enough to begin to lay.

2007-09-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

911Truth.org is an excellent place to start.

Watch Richard Gage's presentation: "How the Towers Fell".
"This is one of the most well presented, clear cut, honest and compelling presentations regarding evidence as to the Controlled Demolition of the World Trade Center." -Quoted from www.zeitgeistmovie.com website.

Bamapii... Brighty 9/9/07

2007-09-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Dear little Brighty our 9 yr old miracle mother hen has passed away. Her mate Gimley sensed that her time was near and he stayed by her side, often with his head down right next to hers as if to say 'I am here for you'.

Bamapii, pronounced bama-pee is a Native American word which doesn't quite mean good-bye, but more like 'see you again'.

CROW ART 2008 wall calendar

2007-09-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

This old bird-brained blogger has finally done enough corvid art to put together a calendar. Click on the image for a larger view and CLICK HERE to see all twelve pages and for purchasing info.
If I want to do this again for 2009, I'll need to get busy with some new crow paintings. Feedback appreciated.

Alice Cooper in da UP...

2007-08-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

When I was about 13 years old, I fell in love with Alice. Kids at school like Jamie McKensie thought I was a freak. He said "Alice Cooper spits beer on his audience, he is disgusting" to which I replied "Hey, he can spit beer on me anytime" Even my 7th grade geography teacher Mr. Bufe gave me a hard time (and a crappy grade too)

I was into heavy metal and alternative music until disco came along and corrupted us all. Our faded denim hip-hugger jeans were suddenly replaced with high-rise polyester. It was a dismal time for rock & roll.
Alice left his original band behind and went solo. Things were just never the same.

This past weekend, Alice Cooper came to Kewadin Casino in Sault St. Marie, MI

This happens to be only a couple hours away from where I live so I bought two tickets, and convinced my 24 year old son to go with me. In the meantime, my 17 yr old decided he wanted to go as well, but the show was sold out. In a stroke of luck we won two more tickets from local radio station WKLT and everyone was happy.

Instead of me writing a mediocre review of the show, I'll let you read an excellent one from a guy named Andy Ryan here

At 59, Alice still has what it takes, maybe even more. He and his current band members put on an fabulous, flawless, high energy show. I would go again in a heartbeat and I think my kids would too. Thanks Alice. Oh and btw, please tell us, did you really lose Kachina the boa in a Holiday Inn toilet?

Miracle Birth(s)!

2007-06-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned my two chickens Brighty and Gimley in previous posts. At one time we had nearly forty chickens of varied and mixed breeds but predators are the #1 cause of death for poultry in backyard farms and I was sure we would be fowl-less in just a matter of time. Brighty is an older Silver Sebright hen, of eight years, which would be at least 55 if she were a human being.

She hasn't even layed any eggs for a couple of years and I was thinking about getting some layer mash feed (extra calcium/protein) for her just to see if she might be able to produce an egg or two and hatch them. Turns out she was way ahead of the game and had us all fooled...I found out she had a whole clutch of them in a nest in the small doghouse that I used to store straw.
There was so much bedding, that her nest was quite deep but there seemed to be at least six eggs in it!

Then came a pretty cold day, she was off the nest for quite a while and I thought she wasn't serious about hatching any young. But she got back on and stayed put and I wrote on the calendar that if they were to hatch, it should be around the 13th of this month.

I had just started a new job on the 4th and as I was leaving work, my son phones to inform me that at least one chick has hatched...What? you're kidding...9 days early??!

I had the next day off thank-goodness, and by mid-day...there were NINE little fluff balls!
She had had more eggs than I could see and every one of them hatched! Way to go old girl.

2007-04-15T04:35:00.000-07:00

In some ways the Easter dinner I prepared for my family was a flop. Shopping on Easter eve narrowed my choices a bit as I had planned to roast a turkey. Finding only the frozen variety, I knew I should have thought about this sooner. What's this?...'a freezer to table' turkey it read. I took the bait.

Pros: yes, it will roast from it's frozen state.

Cons: it is basted with seasonings including garlic which makes it taste more like a rotisserie chicken.
You must cook it longer than suggested on the package.
It cooks in it's own bag which is hard to see through so I put it in the roaster breast side down by mistake.

And finally when someone asks 'where's the giblets?' you have to explain why there aren't any.

Needless to say, there was still a lot of meat on the bones when dinner was over so I thought perhaps I would invite some wildlife to dine. I put the carcass out on a patch of snow where I could watch it from time to time. That night a spring snowstorm passed through our area leaving us with several inches of new snow which buried the turkey.
The first to discover the treasure was a red tailed hawk. After a quick bite he spotted me peeking through the window blinds and left.

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Next Came a family of crows. I love they way corvids share responsibility. The upright crow seems to be saying 'I'll watch...you dig'.

Next, some ravens flew down to see what was so interesting. The ravens here are easily twice the size of crows and watching them dig, tug and call leaves me awstruck. I think they are the most beautiful bird on this planet.

This shaggy fellow got a good mouthful before taking off...thank-you, goodbye and come again please.

2007-03-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Please Don't Eat the Daisies is my Nibblefest entry for March 2007 with the theme being birds.
The title is a reference to a tv series from the 60's which I am afraid I am old enough to have remembered. Of course there was no crow in the show but a big romping Old English sheepdog belonging to a suburban family with four rambunctious boys.

Nibblefest is a themed ebay arts contest in auction style that takes place between the 20th and 27th of each month. Entries can be found by doing a search for nfac on ebay during those seven days and the absolute best part is that they all start at 99 cents!
Link to this auction

2007-03-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

Honey bees are disappearing. It's called CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder and it has scientists buzzing. The important task of pollination cannot be underestimated.

You see bees, similar to homing pigeons rely on magnetic fields to guide where they need to go. Here is an excerpt from SETIAI.com on Honey Bee Senses, Proprioception and Magnetism

"Proprioception is the sense used by an animal to feel the position and orientation of its body. Honeybees have very sensitive receptors located in the neck joint which determine which way up the head is pointing. The bees use this information to determine which way is up and to enable them to always fly upright.

Perhaps the most enigmatic of the bee's senses is their ability to read the Earth's magnetic field. Magnetism is used by many animals, including dolphins and pigeons. The honeybee, however, is more sensitive than any other creature known. They use this sense not only for navigation, but also when building the honeycomb panels of a new hive. If a powerful magnet is placed close to a hive which is under construction, a strange looking cylindrical comb will be produced. The shape of this comb will look like nothing ever found in nature.

It is not known exactly how this sensory modality functions. What is known is that a bee's abdomen contains many millions of tiny magnetic crystals. These crystals, which are first formed during the pupal stage of development, are contained within cells called trophocytes. Each trophocyte is connected to the nervous system."

Are our Earth's magnetic poles preparing to shift? The fading of the magnetic field has already begun and could be a precursor to the actual event.

Edgar Cayce, perhaps the most notable psychic of our time predicted this shift around the year 2000.

Unlike Global Warming which is something we as humans can possibly avert, is there any way to soften the blow of an actual polar shift? Perhaps only the bees know the answer.

2007-01-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have heard it rumored that Johnny Depp is quite the fan of Edgar Allan Poe. I am a fan of both and want Mr. Depp to know that he needs to star in a film of the short but fascinating writer's life story. I am sure the make-up artists could transform Johnny into this brilliant but haunted, gaunt alcoholic.

I created this portrait with three colors of pastel chalk on black mat board.
Prints are available in my etsy shop.

2006-12-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays from me & Seven. I thought I would write a few thoughts on Christmas here but like most everyone else, it seems time is not something we have an abundance of at the moment. Being in a frenzied rush all the time seems to take much of the joy out of the holidays. So let's just do the best we can and if some cards and gifts arrive after the celebrations...it's fine with me and I hope it is ok with you too. If we were crows or any other form of wildlife...the stress of the season would not be an issue at all. So please try and have a bright & merry holiday regardless of how far from the original meaning of the celebration we have strayed.

2006-11-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Once again it's time for Nibblefest on ebay which is a fun contest for members to interpret the chosen theme of the month. The entry with the most unique bids (or nibbles) is the winner. Monochromatic-Purple is November's theme. My mixed media painting was inspired by a couple of photos I took at our town's cemetery which I have written about previously.

The very best thing about Nibblefest is the starting bid of only 99 cents. See all the purple entries beginning this evening on ebay by searching nfac (nibblefest arts contest) or just look here.

2006-11-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that some hens can crow? Maybe Brighty is just extra special but yesterday as I was listening to each early morning 'cock-a-doodle-do' by rooster Gimley, a much shorter, squeakier version would follow from Brighty our last little Silver Sebright hen. Gimley is a mutt bantam and it is very possible that he is Brighty's son. These two are the last of the flock, mostly done in by the relentless predators we have in the area.

Since they are the only survivors, I let them come into our attached garage at night for safe sleeping. The photo is where they perch for the night, high on a narrow shelf. But last night when I looked in to say my good-nights, Gimley was all alone. After calling and searching, I found Brighty huddled under the front porch way back in the corner. She was far out of reach and wouldn't budge when I called to her. There is no way to crawl under this low porch so I had to just wish her well for the night.

Later after I was in bed, I heard her call for help. Grabbing a flashlight and running outside, I found this nasty possum who has hunted the chickens in the past under the porch.

He was afraid of me and was trying to find the only way out which is through the wooden porch steps. My son was able to chase him out and off into the woods but there was no sign of Brighty. We searched for at least an hour. There were some of her black and white feathers but no hen. Reluctantly we went to bed.

This morning as I listened to Gimley crowing solo, I felt bad that he would have to go it alone from now on. Then I saw her. Out the back door waiting for me to toss some corn and sunflower seeds her way. She had somehow survived, made it around to the back of the house and found shelter for the night. Me and Gimley were just beaming.

I know I write about my passion for crows, and I do love Seven and his intelligence amazes me. But there is a bond, an unexplainable connection with the chickens I have had over the years. This old pair won't win any poultry exhibitions, but they have sure won a place in my heart.

2006-10-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration for the departed on the 1st and 2nd day of November. Ebay is well stocked with imaginative artsy creations for all the 'muertos' collectors and fans. Here is a fun Art2 (art squared) collaboration piece I was lucky enough to be involved in. It is a limited edition giclee on canvas panel print measuring 12 by 24 inches. For my part I created an assemblage piece with found objects including bottlecaps and pistashio shells, row 5 square 3. You can see the collaboration piece and all the individual original art squares on ebay here through 10/18.

2006-09-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha or Lily of the Mohawks was born in 1656 in a village called Ossernenon, which is now Auriesville, NY. When she was four years old, a smallpox epidemic took the lives of her younger brother, her father a Mohawk Chief and her mother a Christian Algonquin. Young Tekakwitha survived the disease but it left her weak with poor eyesight, and scaring on her face. This first image above is the oldest portrait of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, painted by Father Chauchetiere some years after her death.
Moving with relatives to the turtle clan village of Cahghnawaga, she began a new life. Her first contact with a priest came in 1667 when three Fathers visited her village. St. Peter's Mission chapel was built inside of one of the longhouses and in 1674 Fr. James de Lamberville took charge of the mission.
During a visit to her home, Tekakwitha told the priest of her desire to become baptized and on Easter Sunday when she was 20 years old, she was baptized and given the name Kateri or Katherine. She is usually depicted with a simply made wooden cross as her favorite devotion was to fashion them out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. These crosses served as stations that reminded her to spend a moment in prayer.

Kateri's family did not accept her choice to embrace Christianity. After her baptism, Kateri became like an outcast in her village. Her family refused her food on Sundays because she wouldn't work and children would tease her and throw stones. She was threatened with torture or death if she did not renounce her religion. In the summer of 1677, Kateri fled her village to go and live at Sault St. Louis, St. Francis Xavier Mission near Montreal. This difficult 200 mile journey took two months through woods, rivers and swamps but she did arrive at the Sault with the help of friends. Her life was devoted to teaching prayers to the children and helping the sick and aged until she was struck herself with an illness that would claim her life.

On April 17th,1680 at the age of 24 she spoke her last words: "Iesos konoronkwa", or "Jesus, I love you." Shortly after her death and before the eyes of two Jesuit priests and all the Indians that could fit in the room, the scars that marred her face for twenty years suddenly disapeared.

On January 3, 1943, she was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XII.
She was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 22, 1980.

The Blessed Kateri continues to spread her devotion and faith hundreds of years after her death. Artists continue to be inspired to carve her likeness in wood or stone, painted on canvas, or cast in bronze. Prayers are recited daily for her canonization.

Local areas I have visited learning about Kateri Tekakwitha:
St. Francis Solanus church
Cross in the Woods

2006-09-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

I went back to Greenwood to look for the black cemetery cat and once again, I didn't see her. But I did find some crows!

You hear and see crows amongst the headstones in movies but I have never come across them at the cemetery except for high in the trees. I counted at least ten on the bright green grass walking, pecking and hopping about. I missed so many great photo opportunities as they flew up and settled on the various stones and crosses but I was too slow and they were constantly on the move. They didn't trust me as I inched along after them.

Groucho Marx comes to mind with this shot. The crow in front hunching over and saying to the other "Walk this way".

2006-09-04T08:54:00.001-07:00

The Black Cemetery Cat

I like to take my camera with me when I visit graveyards. I was the only living person wandering around in there yesterday and I like it that way.
Following the narrow paved roads slowly in my car, the sound of the engine amplified as it bounced off each large headstone I passed. A few dried leaves had already fallen from the massive oak and maples which shade the cemetery and I was startled by how loud they crunched under my tires.

.

Hills and valleys make up the grounds and I found myself following a desending trail that seemed to leave the graves behind. At the bottom of the hill there was a clearing and I noticed movement. This black cat who appeared to have recently given birth was watching me from a safe distance. She looked extremely thin, but had a sleek elegance about her. I had my camera ready and zoomed in to take a few shots but I was wishing I had something with me for her to eat. I left the cemetery and headed for the nearest store, choosing some moist ocean flavor cat food in a little plastic container with the pull-off foil top.
Upon my return however, she was no where to be found. But the food is still in my car and I plan to go back there again...soon

2006-08-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

mel gibson (noun) mel gib'sun The precise point of inebriation where the line blurrs between deep seated feelings and horse hockey. As in "she had too many cocktails and pulled a mel gibson on me."

Aw Mel, if you weren't so dang cute we might even think a little more...less of you.

2006-08-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place."
~Mark Twain

We came across this masterpiece along a seasonal road in the tip of northern Michigan. I wish the creator was our neighbor. I think we would get along swimmingly. Enlarge the photo to fully appreciate the wonderment.

2006-07-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

A memorial service is being held somewhere in Bearsville NY today for a very special and blessed crow who lived fifty-nine years. To see additional photos and learn more about Tata, please view here. I am afraid I would have to be 107 if Seven should decide to live that long.
I hope you enjoyed his story as much as I did.

2006-06-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

The best twenty-five cents I ever spent was on this cd I got at a yard sale last weekend. I knew the name was familiar to me but couldn't quite connect it. I pushed it into the player in my car and when the first track St. Teresa began, I thought I detected a beautiful Latina accent. But Joan is full of surprises. Her voice is so versatile it was as if each song was being sung by a different artist. I can hear hints of Jewel, Bonnie Raitt, Lisa Loeb, Carol Noonan, Tori Amos, Celine Dion and even Courtney Love. It wasn't until the the sixth track mega hit One Of Us began that I realized why I knew her name. Even if that song wasn't on this cd, it would still be way up there on my favorite of all time albums. And I'll never understand why Crazy Baby wasn't a huge hit as well. It is one of those rare songs that you love the very first time you hear it...no need to get used to it. Maybe it is just too heart wrenching for most. But if you have ever been in a painful relationship that you struggle with and question yourself constantly over but you can't move on and you can't let go...then you will feel consoled by the words knowing you aren't alone.

Beautiful music can be the silver lining when you mix talent and torment.

2006-05-31T04:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen the Da Vinci Code, the movie yet and although the book was interesting subject matter, it was terribly predictable. Ron Howard's work is outstanding and Tom Hanks never seems to bomb at the box office so I am hoping it will be worthwhile.

If Leo D. had had an affinity for corvids instead of
women as subject matter, his masterpiece might have looked something like this...

2006-05-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Seven has moved into the living room and is trying out his new corner cage. For a much larger view, click on it and then enlarge it. I have left it pretty plain inside so as not to overwhelm him. After a few hours he is still in the very same spot but he has relaxed quite a bit, even becoming a bit chatty. He has an outdoor pen on our covered porch right on the other side of the wall in which we will be adding a small window with a swinging screen pet door. Hopefully he will learn how to operate it without too much stress and come and go as he wishes. New "things" always scare crows, so I'll be adding toys and interesting objects into his new home slowly.

2006-05-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Farewell Pidge. You were a dandy rooster and I will miss you very much. All our chickens have stories and Pidge is no exception. His mama had her clutch of eggs stolen and hatched by another hen, but Brighty was so determined to be a mother that she sat another 21 days on a couple of eggs that I had already put in the refrigerator. Both eggs amazingly hatched and Pidge and his sister Chamois arrived. Brighty is a very small bantam Silver Sebright and her two chicks were obviously from a larger hen but no matter. She was an excellent mom. It was so touching to see her try and keep them both warm and under her wings as they grew to her size in no time. I can still see her standing there with a wing outstretched over each one as they roosted for the night in the coop. Soon after that however, she cut the apron strings and chased them away with "you are on your own now kids". Chamois did make it to adulthood just barely. A red-tailed hawk found a way under the netting of the pen and she was gone. Pidge made friends with a few of the others. Last spring when one of the grey hens hatched a couple of chicks, Pidge took over as their father. He would scratch and cluck and show them where the tastiest bugs were, sometimes even holding them in his beak till the little ones arrived to eat them. He was so unselfish. Sadly one of the chicks was killed and then it's mother as well, leaving Pidge to care for Pretty Boy, the remaining youngster. He was the best father and they became as close as two roos can possibly be. They never sparred.

I have had many determined predators after the flock including a weasel and a mink but I think it was a possum that ripped through the fence and got Pretty Boy. Pidge had lost his little buddy and now Gimley the alpha rooster didn't want him around anymore. He is only half the size of Pidge but Gimley tormented him till I had to let him out of the pen. Pidge roamed free during the day and slept in our garage at night. He usually perched on a workbench but then migrated to the top of the garage door opener. I had to park outside or my car would be a mess. Chickens poop constantly even while they sleep. I built a small pen for Pidge with a doghouse to go into at night attached to the other pen so he could visit with the ladies. He seemed to be fine with it. We had to go away for the weekend and even though we were only away a short time, upon my return I could tell something was wrong as I neared his pen. I never found out what had broken through the chicken wire but all that remained of Pidge was a pile of feathers scattering in the breeze.

Yes, I know they are only chickens you might say, but they have a soul too. I am certain of it. And I can only hope that when Pidge crossed over to the other side, he had Pretty Boy, Chamois and others who passed on before him to welcome him home.

2006-04-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ethnic Cleansing. Can you believe there is actually a video game with that title? The idea is to hunt down and kill everyone that is not like you.

Some media attention (but not nearly enough) is beginning to shed light on the tragedy going on right now in the Darfur region of Sudan. I have heard that it is a long complicated story but basically the Arab Africans are committing genocide against black Africans there. The details are heart-wrenching. Celebs such as gold medalist Joey Cheek and actor George Clooney are making a difference. You can too. Visit www.SaveDarfur.org
to see what can be done to end this massacre. I signed a petition and purchased this cozy white hoodie and now you can see what I look like.

2006-04-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

This wild turkey (a female I think) stopped by for a visit on Monday. She came almost to the back door of our garage and this view is when she noticed me with my camera. As she quickly began to move off into the woods, I made a bit of a gobbling sound and the reply to it was something that sounded like "keck!" Later that day when having lunch with my son, he mentioned that it was the first day of turkey hunting season. Maybe this visiting turkey was looking for a place to hide out.

2006-04-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

Cemeteries have always intrigued me. The fungus growing on this statue only adds to her beauty. She appears to be waiting for someone or something, her wings perhaps? A garland of flowers wrap around her left arm and the name on the headstone is Call.

2006-04-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I really do have a pet crow. His name is Seven and that is him on the banner of the site. In this smaller photo he was quite young and his eyes were still baby blue. Seven is a "legal" crow, which means he is an exotic bird, an African pied crow or corvus albus to be exact. You may have seen his kind in Windex commercials.

Crows and ravens are extremely smart and social but they do not always make ideal pets. Before considering one as a pet, please do some research. It is pretty easy to find discussions and forums with plenty of information and advice. You will also have to have a really huge cage or aviary or a spare room with plenty of windows and interesting stuff for your crow to keep busy with. But nothing can replace the company of YOU, the one that feeds him, strokes his head, his beak, the one he learns words and phrases from so that he will even sound like you. He/she will think you hung the moon, but they can have a bit of a Jeckle and Hyde personality. A crow can be very temperamental and turn on you for no apparent reason. You can't strike back however, they will not tolerate that and the problem will just escalate. When Seven hammers my arm, I just say ow, shake him off and leave the room for awhile. One of the first phrases he picked up from me was "OW! Don't bite me."

You can really never own a crow, they tend to own you.

2006-04-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

You might think that with a title like "The Seventh Crow", my web log would be entirely about crows. While I am partial to feathered creatures, this blog will chronicle my life on a variety of interests and I hope to be able to "do a little bit of good" with it too. (More about that later) In the meantime, here is a tufted titmouse that trusted me enough to allow me to take his photo this morning just outside our back door. As you can see by the thermometer, spring has not quite arrived here yet. Like the birds, I must be patient and enjoy the transition.