New Origami Models!

I was inspired by the Stewart Indian Pow Wow we attended lately to make some new models.  I also got out my white paint to add little pointillist accents, just for fun. First, feathers!

There were actually more of these using various kinds of paper, but I neglected to get picks of them.  This model needs more practice as the little fussy folds are tough for my crappy hands, but I'll work on it. I'm also going to try other feather models.

Next, some dreamcatcher-ish modular models I came up with. I fiddled with this one when creating it, the fun part of modular unit models like this is that if you change the individual unit a bit, you get a different look.  In addition to the white paint I also hauled out some of my little doily hole punches. 

So here is the double layer 'Flower' version...

...and the single layer 'Starfish' version, both front & back sides.

 These will all be finished with ornamentation to become hanging models.

Then there's this slightly bigger one, with the cut-outs on a different edge.

 Still having fun mixing & matching different models to come up with new things...I've got an idea flitting around in my head for a peacock using a few units of these models along with another model!

Here, Chick, Chick, Chick...

Seems that the leftover Spring chicks at our local Tractor Supply have all grown up...

It's probably more likely that the Giant Metal Terror Chickens are hot enough to fry eggs upon and have been penned to avoid blistered finger lawsuits, tho.

Stewart Indian School Pow Wow!

Every year our local Indian community holds an awesome pow wow at the historical site of the old Stewart Indian School.  The school operated from 1890 to 1980 and is now on the Historic Register.  The school is closed, but the site remains and it's a gorgeous complex with tons of huge trees, many beautiful stone buildings and a terrific self-guided walking tour you can take.

When I attended high school maaaany years ago nearby, we would play Stewart.  And let me tell you, while we could take them at volleyball, at softball they would whoop our asses hard.  Those girls could throw straight and true like nobody's business, and every.single.hit. they connected with was a home run.  EVERY ONE.  Our school baseball field was bordered by a steep incline lined in about 20 feet of rough-hewn granite rocks the size of your head, so every damned time you had to chase that ball into the stupid rocks, climb in and hunt for the damned thing while keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes.  Meanwhile the Stewart players would leisurely round the bases...another home run.  We learned to just take it for granted we'd be on the losing end of every softball game.

But back to the pow-wow!
It's fun to look at the pow wow website and see the family names of good friends I went to school with--the Toms, Rambeaus and Sams.  Good times...Unfortunately today it was about 112 degrees, so even with the shade from the big trees we were gasping for air and couldn't stay as long as we'd have liked to.  I plan on going back to take proper pictures of Stewart because it really is lovely. 

Luckily there was a wonderful snowcone booth there where you could get a snowcone that could feed a family of four.  Not to mention the fabulous, famous Navajo tacos with fresh fry bread made right there on the spot...we sat under a tree and gobbled it all up and grinned at each other in utter joy.

After that we walked around the various booths that had handmade items for sale and did some shopping.  I really liked the way this lady had her bracelets arranged.

And let me say at the outset that I don't care if the items for sale are *actually* made by a tribe member, or were made elsewhere and the tribal member is just selling them. As long as I'm supporting a tribe member it doesn't matter.  Just so they get the money.

The dancing took place in the center.  They had a mixture of recorded music, live singers and a drum circle that kicked ass.  We arrived in the middle of this dance so I don't know which one it was, other than it was mixed men, women and children.

The regalia was gorgeous.  When the kid was little and we took her to a powwow in southern California, she was entranced by the jingle dresses (the dresses with the dangling rolled tin cones that dance and jingle as you move) and the dancing, and was hot to learn.  Unfortunately we never did find someone to learn from, but that is something that may still happen as here the Indian community is much closer and more accessible.

I absolutely love this picture, for several reasons.  The dad dancing with his baby in the center, the little girl on the left with the 'Strong is the new pretty' shirt and the girl shawl dancing in from the right with such energy.

Just jaw-dropping regalia everywhere, from very ceremonial to fancy.

We had a great time, but after this we were just too wilted from the heat to stay longer and had to cut it short.  Next time!

The Chicks Are Two Months Old!

It's time to kick them out into the yard, so here are the final pictures of the chicks!

 In order of hatch, Popcorn is first!
She decided to pose looking like she was modeling 'Action Slacks' from the 1972 Montgomery Wards catalog for some reason.

Then just zoned out.

But hey, she's got cute face fluffies!

Next is TaterTot, who, if you remember, hatched out as a black chick.

She's the most dramatic color-change chick we've ever hatched.

More cute face fluffies...

A close-up of Tater's tail, she's got gorgeous colors.

Next is Banjo, the only rooster hatched this year!  As far as we know that is...

Majestic rooboy. He's started *very* quietly crowing along with the roos in the early morning.

Here he is being the Leaning Tower of Chicken.

Strychnine, who is growing into a very sweet Giant Cochin mix girl, she LOVES to be held & petted.

She has lovely breast & cape feathering.

...and of course a cute lil' chicken face.

Last of our hatched chicks is Groot!

...and her GIANT yellow legs and feet.

Groot's Dark India Cornish feathers are coming in, lovely coppery-brown/bronze colors with an iridescent sheen.

Next are the chicks we purchased at our local feed store! The first two are about a week older than our hatched chicks.
Olivia the Australorp, who thought it'd be funny to cock her head to the side in *every* picture I took...

Dottie, the Silver Laced Wyandotte.  She is growing into a beautiful girl.

The last two are the same age as our hatched babies.
Star, the Red Star.  Her little stars are just starting to come in.  For some reason she was entranced with the ceiling.  Possibly she hoped it contained a cheeseburger.

Sadly, no cheeseburger from the ceiling.  This time.

However, if you've got a minute she'd love to sell you some wonderful aluminum siding.

Last is Bodie the Golden Sex Link!

Bodie is another chick with enormous feet.

And she is *not* amused at being teased about them, thank you.

So there is the Terrible 9, who after several days of spending their days in the small run to get everyone used to each other, have integrated smoothly into the flock!  Unfortunately for them just in time for 100+ degree weather, but hey...ya can't have everything.

Mutant!!!

Found this in my front yard today...it's a double-headed blanket flower! 

I figure I'll save seeds from it and plant them next year...save seeds again...plant again...lather, rinse, repeat.  Then in a few years I'll have my very own mutant flower ARMY and will take over the world! *insert evil laugh here*


You can do that with flowers, right...?

Lilacs! I Have Lilacs!

Well shoot.  Might not be a big deal to anybody but me...

But *I'm* excited, because the lilacs that are blooming and growing were tiny starts that I bulldogged out of my mom's yard last year, transported home in 100 degree heat and planted as wilted, shriveled twigs in my yard last summer.  They did NOT take kindly to being transplanted and I really didn't think they'd survive our extra-long and harsh winter this year...

But dang, not only did they make it, they are thriving and one of them is blooming!

Extra impressive because the entire plant is only about a foot high!

I've got this one planted outside my bedroom window, when I looked out the window and noticed the flowers I actually squealed, "I'VE GOT LILACS!"

My husband just kinda looked at me, like, 'You know that's treatable, right?'

Oh well.  Heck, I'm excited.  There is one more plant out in the part of the property that will someday house my raised-bed vegetable/flower garden (hopefully it'll attract pollinators to the garden) but no blooms on it so far.  I'm just happy it lived!

Updated Chick Pics And Some New Faces!

Um...well...we did go to the feed store.  BUT...but just to get *ONE* chick, a Red Star.  Zip, who sadly passed last year, was a Red Star and we loved her, she was so comical and friendly.

But then when we got there they had a 'Buy 1 Get 1 Free' thing going, and...well...weather you call it 'Morehens Disease' or 'Chicken Math', the end result is always the same.  Go in for 1, come out with 4.

So here are the four new kids!  The two oldest first, they are about a week older than the chicks we hatched. First is Olivia, a very calm and sweet Australorp (a breed that's been on my Want List for years). InstaPet right out of the gate, she loves to sit on laps and be snuggled.

Next is Dottie, a Silver Laced Wyandotte. But since she loves to peck at fingers in the neverending hope they contain food, has been relabled as a Silver Laced WhydYaBiteMe.

The two younger chicks are about the same age as ours, maybe 2-3 days younger.  Here is Star, the Red Star breed I *originally* went in for.

Then there is Bodie, a Golden Sex Link chick.

As long as we were taking pictures, updates on the 5 we hatched! Going from first to hatch to last, Popcorn is first. Popcorn, as expected, is shaping up to resemble her mom, a Belgian d'Uccle. The vulture hocks on her legs are coming in nicely. Still the tiniest chick in the box.

TaterTot, who hatched out black with a brown head, seems to be molting out with tons of white coming in, with some brown. And vulture hocks! Pretty sure Milton, our tortoiseshell d'Uccle mix roo, is her daddy. Mama is Shake, our bantam MilleFleur Belgian d'Uccle.

Don't know yet what color(s) she'll eventually be, and from her facial expression neither does she!

Banjo the fluffy foot feathered fuzzball is next.  I strongly suspect Banjo of being a fella, going by the little red comb coming in and the 'calling for food' sound I keep hearing from the chick box. He just plain gets fluffier every day. Banjo may have Pie for a mom.

No slouch in the feather department either, but with the meatball body to match, is Strychnine!  That's a lotta chicken right there, she's a very heavy bird who likely has Crack for a mom and Cam for dad.

And yeah, I *do* get a juvenile giggle out of calling her a Crack baby.

Last is Groot!
Who was *very* excited and instantly did the Boneless Chicken thing and sat down when it was picture time.

Groot is definitely totally chill and goes with the flow of whatever is happening, when she isn't busy cluelessly stepping on her sister's heads.

All 9 chicks get along great, although they STILL refuse to try any new foods that aren't corn on the cob or live mealworms.  But hey, they are chickens.  They will eventually!