Natural Toys I want to play with!

Maybe one day I'll have grandchildren (well, hopefully not for quite a few more years yet....). I think it might be time to start collecting my favorites (the ones I don't already have but have been yearning for...).

Don't you want to play wild west with this set?

By Willowbaus.

Pretend that running water and inside plumbing wasn't invented yet....

You can find at PrettyDreamer.

Hmmm, I might be needing these woodland animals sooner rather than later....

by JustHatched.

And I have this thing for mermaids....

At TheEnchantedCupboard.

And, for sweet dreams at night, who doesn't need a dolly best friend?? At LittleElfstoyshop.

You can find more wonderful MAGICAL. natural toys for children HERE.

An Introduction

Just wanted to say hi.

(do I look like my Woolies avatar?)

Come visit my garden!

Just a few scenes from the desert this morning.

Hoping the pumpkins keep growing, but as the heat builds, not sure....

Buster sees something outside the gate.....probably bunnies....

Rosemary grows like crazy under this tree.

Flowers in the island. Some thrive, some don't. This winter, I'm going to use this island to grow lettuce.

Behind Buster is oleander. Also known as nightshade. Beautiful, but poisonous. Deadly to humans, dogs, horses. We've let a lot of it die, and have pulled some out. It can grow to 12' or better. Hard to pull out such a beautiful plant, so some still are here.

Sugar wants to go swimming. Yup, we have a pool. Lots o'work. Lots o'fun.

The littlest one in the family.

Enjoy your day!

Protect the Great Lakes

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2010
Contact:
Cynthia Pryor - (906) 360-2414
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve - (906) 345-9223
Drew Nelson – (616) 706-2539

Drew Nelson releases ‘Eagle Rock - Song of the People” in support of those protecting their sacred site from harm

Drew Nelson, singer songwriter, has written a song that calls to all of us who wish to protect our lands from any action that would injure it. Drew who is from Michigan , understands our water rich place and has embraced this cause against a metallic sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains - located in the beautiful remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior .

Currently, Rio Tinto second largest mining conglomerate in the world proposes a copper/nickel mine under the Salmon Trout River on the Yellow Dog Plains. The proposed mine, disrespectfully called “Eagle” is on state and public land that our government has put in the hands of this multi-national corporation for their private gain. On this state land there is a rock - a three acre outcrop that is the only high spot on the Yellow Dog Plains. This rock is Migi zii wa sin or Eagle Rock that is a sacred site to the Anishinaabe of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Eagle Rock was scheduled and approved by the state of Michigan to be the portal to this mine.

The event that precipitated the arrest of Cynthia Pryor and the occupation of Eagle Rock by three courageous women - Charlotte Loonsfoot, Chalsey Smith and Georgeana Earring was the beginning of the fencing in of Eagle Rock by Rio Tinto. These are all women of the water who did what they had to do to help stop this mine.

Drew wrote this song in honor of the bravery of those who now occupy Migi zii wa sin and who are not leaving. Drew presents this song with these words:
I have written a new song called 'Eagle Rock (song for the people)" and it will be made available for FREE to everyone. All I ask is you visit these sites, educate your self about what is going on and PLEASE make a donation to those brave heroes who are holding off one of the largest and most egregious violators of indigenous peoples and our mother the earth.
THIS IS NOT A LOCAL PROBLEM IT IS A GLOBAL PROBLEM.

Drew signs his name lower case and as ‘human being’. This is not about any one person but together represents all the brave spirits and human beings that care. We thank all who wish to help and as you listen to this song - think about those people on the ground, in harm’s way, who have taken their stand - there at Eagle Rock.

For more information about Eagle Rock and how you can help, go to these sites: http://www.standfortheland.com/; http://www.yellowdogwatershed.org/blog/; and http://www.savethewildup.org/.Please also visit Drew Nelson's website at http://www.drewnelson.net/.


Wendy Johnson
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
PO Box 5
Big Bay, MI 49808
(906) 345-9223
(906) 361-5179 (Wendy's cell)
http://us.mc526.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ydwp@yellowdogwatershed.org
http://www.yellowdogwatershed.org/

Caught my Eye

In the hotter months in Tucson, we leave the horses out in the big arena at night. Room to roam, lie down, sleep in the really comfy loamy dirt. I bring them up to their stalls (with lots of shade, critical in the heat) in the morning.

This morning, I went out to bring up the horses.

And something caught my eye.

In the dirt, it blended in.

I was so excited to see this.

He looks just like a miniature dinosaur.

If he gets scared, he will shoot blood from his eyes, I kid you not.

Regal Horned Toad Lizard.

So. Cool.

Wordless Wednesday

Tucson Folk Festival

Back in the good 'ol days - pre kids, and even post kids - we went every year to the Philadelphia Folk Festival. SO MUCH FUN. You can camp in the campgrounds with 10,000 of your closest friends, or just go for an afternoon or evening. Incredible music, food - I can even imagine the smells while I sit here writing about it. Late summer, cut grass, campfires, food cooking, funnel cake. :)

If you're on the east coast in late August, this is a guaranteed great time - fun for the whole family.

But, we don't live there anymore. And my hubby is a musician at heart - he plays the banjo (bluegrass music), or at least he used to.

This weekend was the Tucson Folk Festival - a very different kind of affair. But we went for a few hours on Sunday afternoon and had a lot of fun. There are 5 stages, all within easy walking distance of each other, in downtown Tucson (not your typical downtown city....).

Here's some pics of a great Latino band - they were amazing.

The stage was in a small courtyard - surrounded by artisan shops and a small bistro. It was shady and green (rare in Tucson!), and so enjoyable. And this band was awesome.

We really miss the easy access to great music - Philly had so many great venues where fabulous music played all the time.

But this was fun!

Monsters Monsters

Who doesn't love a good 'ol monster? This guy was a custom order for a wonderful customer - he was made to look like a picture she sent me, I think he came out ok! He was a lot of fun to make, I might be making more monsters!

He was knitted, then felted. He came out BIG! And a bit grumpy.

:)