SherriStudio at Catfish Corner

The Case of the Disabled Chicken

2012-02-23T19:39:00.000-06:00

I found one of my hens on her side in the coop Monday. She was surrounded by her peers. Good grief, now what's going on? Is she disabled and being attacked? It happens in the barn that sometimes someone gets stepped on, old, or tired and ends up dying. But this one is different.

The hen wasn't looking too worse for wear and is only a year and a half old. She had bright eyes and a bright pink comb. But her legs and wings weren't working. She would try to stand up and would just plow forward on her side. Hmmmmm. Didn't look like she was going to expire anytime soon.

With over 40 hens, I take care not to name anybody. Even if I could! But there are the roosters--easy to recognize. The different colored ones---2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Barred Rock, and the rest end up in the blur of Black Sex Link, Gold Star, Reds, and Australorps. But now there is one special Black Sex Link hen who is getting a lot of attention.

She has a bed on a shelf in the coop with the rest of the girls and has her own food and water. Her friends come up and roost by her. Probably to help her eat her special treats! I'm happy nobody seems to be picking on her. I pick her up a few times a day and give her a chance to test her legs and have a stretch. In the years I have had hens only a few have ever let me touch them, let alone carry them around so it has been a novelty to have a physical bond with one of the lovelies.

Blogger......The Early Years

2012-02-01T14:18:00.001-06:00

I'm trying to scan photos onto the computer and came across this one from January 1963 where I am enjoying the use of my new toy typewriter I got for Christmas. Sure wish I still had it!

I remember being a kid who had many aspirations and played at many professions. Imagination was in abundant supply and led to me trying my hand at numerous careers before age 13. Here, as the cub reporter for my newspaper, I was also in charge of making up the ads (did that later as an adult). Later I formed a club--- I think it was called The Chipmunks, but 4-H was about as clubby as I ever got.

Next was the restaurant..... where I used those ad design skills to make up the menu. My family could "order" breakfast from my menu and then I would cook it for them. I don't think I earned too many tips, but later when I really was a waitress I made up for it.

My next career was in medicine. I think I got so used to fixing up my own boo boos it only made sense that I should start charging others for my profound healing skills. I guess it was fortunate that business as a physician was slow so I got into a new gig as a shopkeeper.

Dad had built us shelves in the basement for a play store and any empty food cans or boxes were saved to stock the shelves. Hours were spent sometimes as the shopkeeper, and sometimes as the customer. That experience must have been part of the inspiration for starting Studio Works so many years later!

Of course, all that money handling in the little play store led to me opening my own bank. I wasn't too clear on the concept other than the thought that everyone in the family should let me hold their money. But, again, business was slow so I started writing to fill the spare time.

As a playwright I could spin my own stories and combine them with music! "Catch a Falling Star" was a famous song at the time, and my own romantic story was fashioned to go with that tune. A murder mystery, "Haunting at Heblock House", "Seven Days Til Dawn" and a whimsical tale of mice in the cook shack followed. Of course, as an artist, I had to illustrate those stories!

When spring would arrive, the great outdoors called. Our family's maple syrup business drew upon us all to help out as we could. Sometimes that meant just staying out of the way! The thaw would mean I could be out with the horses and by the time the syrup run was over my favorite old work horse would be available for me to ride again.

I always told my mom I had the perfect childhood. I got to play with as many dreams as I could dream up and some of them actually led to something.

A Man and His Dog

2012-01-19T07:32:00.001-06:00

After my little warm up with the small oils, I started working on this portrait. I had multiple photos to work from: the subject, a fine Rottweiler, his owner (he's pretty cool, too) and the Alaskan mountains and tundra. Starting with the background, I then worked forward, roughing in the colorful foliage.

Next came Smitty, painting in the basic form and coloration.

Then I painted in Blaine, and the foliage that would anchor them to the ground instead of floating in space. I took several photos at each step and after each painting session. The canvas size is 20x24" so it is very helpful to use the photos to see the big picture and how each element is going to work with the next. Mirrors are also helpful to gain a different perspective. From this photo, I can see I need to do some more shading on the hands and the branch to the left of Smith, needs some companions.

And so the process continues of tweaking the details and finally arriving at the conclusion.

First Art of 2012

2012-01-14T07:33:00.004-06:00

The Road Home - oil, 8x10

Point No-Point - oil 8x16

Misty Morning - oil 8 x 10

My favorite artistic time of year is going on right now. We finally got our little bit of snow so I have been slowing in the horse department. Which is good, because I am bursting with material for new art and actually have a commission project to do. These little 'warm up' projects are fun and might find their way to the miniatures exhibit at Wings Over Alma this fall.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T14:59:00.001-06:00

CLICK ON THE TITLE!

Got to play with the video camera and, of course, the horses! Put together this little video of our last play date of 2011. Look out 2012!

A Pink Christmas

2011-12-23T10:58:00.000-06:00

The brief pink sunrise this morning offered this photo op. It almost hurts my eyes as I try to focus it clear.

More Snow Pics

2011-12-04T15:18:00.001-06:00

This mornings walk was other worldly. I just love the starkness of the black and white transformation.

First Snow

2011-12-03T20:02:00.000-06:00

It arrived late this afternoon. We've flirted with a few flakes here and there, but the snow today has taken on the feel that it might be here for awhile. We made the last chance effort to get all the outside things done this week. I trimmed Cerra's hooves yesterday and did Cheyenne's today so all should be ok for the next three weeks. The waterer has been serviced, the hay is handy and dry. Winter is on our doorstep tonight and it's so nice it is coming on in a nice peaceful way.

This is Embarrassing......

2011-11-27T16:16:00.001-06:00

"I know you guys love me, but, this get up is ridiculous!"

........ Maggie

Yes, dear one; however, you are such a dear, you may be mistaken for a deer.

Where's The Tooth Fairy?

2011-11-20T19:26:00.001-06:00

Remember long ago and far away when losing a tooth meant a visit by the tooth fairy? As an adult the tooth fairy takes delight in removing as much cash as possible from one's checking account. Must be how she finances all those kids.

You tell where this is going...

We sure needed some of these..........

Dr. Steve got our culprits rounded up............ well, thank goodness it didn't involved the whole cast of characters........

The upper fourth tooth from the right is "#13"--- an unlucky 13 for Don and ALSO for Sherri. Don had his pulled on Monday and I had mine extracted on Friday. How's that for a coincidence?

Don's tooth had been bugging him for a long time and after trying the alternatives his problem was resolved on Monday. "I feel your pain, hon. No, really I do." I laughed and said it must be sympathetic. Well, it got worse and by Thursday I was headed to see Dr. Steve and an x-ray revealed an infected tooth. A referral to have a root canal up at Eau Claire was arranged. Unfortunately, I'm not that patient, and a total wuss with dental pain so, after yet another sleepless night, I pretty much begged to have it removed. Friday morning..... relief!!! By the time we both get done with all the antibiotics I hope we can FINALLY start feeing better.

Split Rock Lighthouse Shade

2011-11-18T17:41:00.000-06:00

Mr. Valley waited a long time for me to get this done. The depiction of the Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior, WI, will be cozying up his den and joining his lighthouse collection.

Holiday Season Kick-Off at WOA

2011-11-10T16:55:00.000-06:00

I've been busy in the shop making ornaments for Wings Over Alma. We will be setting up for the Holiday Show next week. SHOP LOCAL folks! There are so many opportunities to keep the dollars in your own hometown, state and the USA!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-11-08T14:00:00.002-06:00

Thank you, Maggie and Don, and friends! Yesterday was a gorgeous 50 degree sunny November day. Which is unusual for my "special day"!

Today's clouds, chill and soon to arrive snow flurries, remind us all that our glorious fall weather is almost over.

The horses had to stay home and play with me yesterday, but this morning Cerra was busily untying the chain on the gate so I took her hint. Their other pasture actually has some grass left to graze and provides a little variety to their day. They sure got into a routine over summer and won't like it when they can't go "out to eat".

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T21:08:00.000-05:00

This little face just grabbed me! What a little sweetie in a Halloween costume!

Dutch Oven Bread

2011-10-30T20:42:00.000-05:00

Dutch oven bread is a favorite this time of year. The crustiness reminds me of someone!

I set it late afternoon or evening....let it do it's thing overnight and bake it in the morning. Crunchy fresh bread yumminess.

Waves of Color......

2011-10-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

and texture punctuate a recent panel made for a special occasion.

Gourds As Wearable Art

2011-10-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

Lisa Johnson helped us ring up sales on Saturday and found the perfect fashion accessory at the Gourd Fest table! $350 was raised through generous donations toward the Refuge Farms horse rescue! The snake gourds were a big hit.

Art Tour Photos

2011-10-10T09:35:00.000-05:00

The Fresh Art Fall Tour was a huge success! We have had a beautiful stretch of weather that was with us through the weekend. Having mid-80's in October was a real treat. Crowds of people arrived on Saturday and Sunday after a slower start on Friday.

Thanks to new friends and old who visited and brought treasures home with them. I think there were hundreds of photos taken over the weekend--and the stars were the chickens, horses and geese! The horses went out to pasture today for a well earned day off. They're such hams for the camera.

We are talked-out hoarse and tired but after we rest up we'll probably be silly enough to do it all again.

Guest Artist, Jan Brunkow with her framed silk paintings.

Jan's card display and decorated gourds.

Jan's watercolors and oil paintings.

Friend, Janene Nelson helped us on Friday. Thanks, Janene!

My giclee art prints display.

Framed originals in the main studio area.

The Daisy collection.

More of my paintings and pastels by the glass bins.

This sunny window sill holds the "pink" glass display.

Cobalt and clear glass pieces.

A colorful collection of flowers and mission style panels.

Setting Up Gourd Fest

2011-10-05T13:58:00.001-05:00

I made trip to the garden with the John Deere wagon to pick gourds today. It's in the 80's which is pretty warm for the first week in October. I wasn't sure I was going to have much to offer for the Gourd Fest which benefits Refuge Farms, but I was surprised when I filled the wagon and three big pails full and STILL have more to pick!

The snake gourds are huge and very unique!

Art Week

2011-10-03T07:35:00.003-05:00

I borrowed this from a fellow artist because it is so TRUE and reflects the mood of this busy week leading up to the Art Tour weekend.

I am so excited about the tour this year. This is the first time I will have prints available of some of my current works. Gail Pommerening did a beautiful job on the first artist proofs of five of my originals.

The artist proofs are the first prints that will be the precursor to an actual edition of prints. This is where the colors are set and each print is scrutinized as being the most exactly to match the original. Gail has invested in the giclee technology that can do this and is a master at manipulating the image. A giclee print is created from an archival printer that has 12 ink jets that applies ink dots of archival ink to create the image. The result has a beautiful matte texture and is especially suited to reproducing my pastel works. However----a print is still a print! It is not an original. But it's as close as the process can achieve and I think the result is beautiful.

I will also be displaying:

Over 30 original works in oil and pastel

Dozens of stained glass panels

Multistrand necklaces, earrings and bracelets

Hurricane lamps

Seasonal Ornaments - angels, snowmen, etc.

and I'll have the Gourd Fest --- which will benefit Refuge Farms! (Wait until you see the SNAKE GOURDS! They are awesome and not scary at all!)

To top it all off --- Jan Brunkow is the Guest Artist! She paints on silk and has GORGEOUS framed silk paintings as well as beautiful WEARABLE scarves. Jan will also have framed watercolors and note cards available.

The weather is going to be gorgeous so it will be a great weekend to hit the road, see the colors and some great art along the route.

Catatonic Humor

2011-09-29T07:26:00.001-05:00

Paisley has been getting a little closer to nature---chick nature, that is. The other day I came out of the shop to find him under the chick's heat lamp and was grooming himself. All the chicks were huddled in the corner wondering who the intruder was. Screen installed over chick house!

Not Quite Napa....

2011-09-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

..... but they are getting ripe, and tasty and heck, they're ours so I think they are pretty wonderful! We planted these concord grapes by our backyard raspberries three years ago after having tried growing concords out by the big garden (to no avail). They had a few grapes last year but just before they ripened they disappeared....... birds, bees, squirrels.....who knows who got to enjoy them. 'Twas not us!

Wisconsin vineyards are literally a growing concern and there are getting to be many in our area. Maybe we will rival the Napa/Sonoma Valley someday.

Chick Day at Catfish Corner

2011-09-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

Summer went by too quickly, so I'm behind in getting new chicks started. Yesterday was the delivery date of my day old chicks. Twelve Gold Stars and 12 Black Australorps, and a rooster of each variety. Look out Louie---Louie II and Louie III are in the house.

Here is a new Little Louie. He has a paint dot on his head to identify him as a rooster.

I put up the larger chick pen today and got them moved out of their baby box and into an area with two heat lamps and more room to roam.

Maggie is thoroughly mesmerized by them. They are so tiny and spritely that she can't help but enjoy their movements and little peeps. Even Paisley cat came over for a visit. He's harmless and the chicks seem to realize he isn't interested in hurting them.

Now, if I had a nice broody hen who would like to "mother hen" this group...... will have to see if I there are any volunteers.

A Showy Blossom - Cardinal Flower

2011-09-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

We found a little nest of these bright blooms on our way to Maggie's hunting grounds. The photo doesn't even do it justice with its brilliant red against the green leaves.

It's called a Cardinal Flower and according to Stan Tekiela's "Wild Flowers of Wisconsin" they are found throughout the state, preferring wet, shade, along streams and wetlands. They are poor reproducers perhaps because they can only be pollinated by hummingbirds. Thank you, hummers, for keeping our little patch well pollinated.

I might add that there were several spikes like this one and they seem to be thriving in the cool, wet, swampy area where we found it. It's one of those "do not dig" wild ones that won't survive in a home garden, although cultivated varieties are available at garden centers.

Beaten, Bruised, Battered.....Dipped and Fried

2011-09-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

Such was my experience at the Wings Over Alma trail ride last Saturday. Of the 26 riders who took the trek into the fine city of Alma, I had the naughtiest horse. How embarrassing!

She hasn't been a naughty trail horse before, so I was surprised by her adrenalized behavior. She looks so innocent in this picture!

It was quite another picture when she was tearing me through tree branches (they don't taste as good as they look), running up hills and pushing past other horses.

Once in Alma, we tied up on the picket line next to the railroad tracks while we had refreshments at the Center. During that time I think there were three freight trains and one barge that went by and all the horses had a big training session with loud sounds. That picket line was swaying! If we had been there for the day, all would have gotten very used to the experience.

She didn't calm down all day--the way back was even hairier than the trip there. An emergency dismount as she was pointing me into head-high branches got me a excellent score from my riding buddies as a good call to evacuate. The landing, however, sent me rolling.

No damage! Yay! Naughty horse was remounted and down the hill we went. Upon arriving in the meadow in sight of the end of the trail, some of the rest of the group decided to take another half-hour loop until dinner. Noooooo thank you! I've had enough for one day. I've been beaten, bruised, battered, dipped and fried! Stick a fork in me, I'm DONE!

Maggie's Hunting Training Begins

2011-09-05T12:05:00.000-05:00

Maggie is 6 months old now and had her spay operation two weeks ago so now it's time to get into her retrieving duties. She can't wait to have a job to do. She has so much energy she's wearing us out.

Yesterday was the first time swimming in the creek behind our house. She took to it immediately and was TOTALLY under water a couple times only to pop out and dog paddle like a fiend! She found out swimming is a lot harder than just running around so big nap followed.

This morning we introduced the air gun and a dummy laced with duck scent. It was irresistible! She had a few really good retrieves and one PERFECT one. She wanted more....but quality was starting to suffer so we called it good for today. Keep her wanting more is the ideal.

Tomorrow we'll take the .22 and make a little more noise.

It's That Time Again!

2011-09-05T11:36:00.001-05:00

The Tour is a little over a month away and I have been SO BUSY! Haven't even had time to update the blog so I have lots of catching up to do. The link for Fresh Art is so beautiful. I don't know who did all the work, but credit is due! Each site has a little profile and photos--check it out!

I am going to, for the first time, have giclee prints of some of my work, thanks to my artist friend, Gail Pommerening. The link will take you to Gail's website. She has an archival giclee printer and is scanning and printing for me. All this while getting ready to be on the Tour, too!

Trail Ride and Art Show
We are both self-taught artists and are serving together on the Wings Over Alma art committee. And speaking of WOA, the current show is called Horse and Harvest. The artists' reception is going to be very different this time--it is also a trail ride! Saturday, Sept. 10th at 1 p.m., riders are invited to meet at Robin Secrist's ranch and we are going to ride over the hill to Alma in cattle drive fashion! But without the cows.

We will arrive at the reception which runs from 2-4 pm, tie up the horses, and will feast on cowboy themed sweet and savory treats while we enjoy the art display. Then we will ride back over the hill and have a potluck at Robin's at 5 pm. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? The best part is, you don't have to have a horse to participate.

Home Update

2011-07-08T12:49:00.001-05:00

The roof is done, the siding and our entry patio. We are really enjoying it and once we get some plantings done it should be a haven for hummers and butterflies, too.

Our naughty doggie Maggie has been digging up the place. Planting flowers probably won't be an option right away!

Mmmmmmmm.....smells....tasty!

Two Amigos!

The slightly expanded breezeway. Shelves and STUFF to follow. Maggie has the best dog house in Sconnie.

Sky Sprouts Cauliflower

2011-07-08T12:37:00.000-05:00

I prefer cauliflower instead of calling it a mushroom cloud! It was well downstream from the power plant so all is well.

For a Good Cause

2011-06-15T17:18:00.001-05:00

Leanna Fayerweather, cabinetmaker extraordinaire from Pepin, built this beautiful wine cabinet and I made the glass panels as a donation to the Durand Sportsmans' Club auction. We got it done yesterday and it goes on auction tonight at their annual banquet and fundraiser.

This is a truly impressive piece of furniture! I wish we had room in our little house for something so grand. Hope it raises lots of money for the cause.

Leanna and I share a love of horses and she's an avid barrel racer. This weekend is the club's NBHA Barrel Show at the newly refurbished Pepin arena. The Pepin Trailblazers host three days of barrel racing shows this summer. Come and watch (and eat!) I'm making the BBQ's and brats at the cook shack!

The Magster

2011-06-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Little Maggie is now over 40# and is such a sweetie! She just came back from a walkie and as usual she found a huge branch to drag home.

This one was a real mouthful!

And three times longer than she is.

She's running with it back to the house---I can't keep up with her!

New Website for Celtic Ascension

2011-05-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

I have had the privilege of getting to know some great healers here in the Pepin area. They have been here for twenty years and I have only been here for seven years. My experience has been going to various chiropractors and have been seeking natural healing methods for years. But, as it turns out, when the student is ready the teacher appears: Bernie and Kathy Finch's Natural Wellness Clinic is right here in my backyard and I'm having a very positive experience.

Dr. Bernie also has a new website for his spiritual offerings at Celtic Ascension. I'm so looking forward to learning more!

New Oils

2011-05-09T08:07:00.000-05:00

I finally got some photos taken of recent oil paintings. The first big full moon of early spring provided the inspiration, and in some cases I had some models show up. Can you guess which are the real actors and which ones I invented to the scene?

More Puppy......

2011-05-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

She's supervising the construction zone around here this week. She's a mere ten weeks old and she is so nonchalant about the power tools, pounding and activities that are going on around her.

She's up to 25# now and is getting taller by the day. Her sweet face is so intelligent and thoughtful. She has a beautiful delicate look about her and we are hoping she will be in the 75# range at full size.

The beginning of the project to make our entryway more useable--before we replace roofing and siding. The house is a year older than I am, so I KNOW it needs some attention--maybe I can get a redo, too?!

Cats in Sinks

2011-04-30T17:23:00.002-05:00

Yes, there really is a site for "cats in sinks" just clink the title and you'll find out. I found it a long time ago, but until today I never found a cat in my sink!

For what ever reason, Sammy put herself in the sink this morning and was a perfect photo model.

Maybe it's the only place she can call her own since puppy Maggie has arrived.

Gardening Helpers

2011-04-27T06:40:00.000-05:00

Sunday and Monday provided us with the first sun we have seen for awhile so I had to get cracking on some outdoor clean up.

The elegant chicken wire fencing came down and everyone had free range on the perennials. They scratched and picked and did a fine job of helping me out while I wielded the rake.

Mr. Fancy Pants was keeping his eyes on his beauties and, as the true gentleman he is, he allowed them the tastiest morsels.

Maggie's First Week

2011-04-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

Maggie has been making all these funny faces. She was chewing on Bear and had her lips all turned inside. Goofy girl!

Her first week here and she has come "out of the box". She's gotten a handle on the whole housebreaking thing, she answers to her name, we are going on long walks and she has a BIG NOSE on her! Not much crosses her path that she doesn't sniff out.

We are still nervous parents who get her out during the night to reinforce the house training aspects of her development but she's sleeping for longer periods of time over night so it's getting easier.....especially since I'm getting really good at getting back to sleep after having a midnight stroll!

Attack of the Tongue Monster!

2011-04-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

She's such a motion machine! I didn't even know I had this shot. She's been pretty hyper, and piddly! But, hey, at 8 weeks......SO WERE WE!

Todays snowflakes and chill put everyone in a quiet mode so we can recharge for a day in the sun later this week.

The First 24 Hours

2011-04-17T13:51:00.000-05:00

Our little Meggie at 8 weeks. Got her home yesterday in all the bluster and cold so we are liking the sunshine today. Life is good!

Now to go desalivate my lens......

Spring Floods and Baby Eagles

2011-04-10T20:20:00.002-05:00

Our spring has really arrived. The 70's and humidity has spurred thunderstorms and thankfully we were missed by some severe ones. The fog held on our flooded river bottoms as the humidity clashed with the icy water.

We have been enjoying watching the eagles nest in Decorah, IA, with its three baby eaglets that hatched last weekend.

Work-wise (if you can call it that) I've been doing a big variety of "prep" projects. Some stained glass patterns, some watercolors (I'm just a beginner in that realm), I blew out some of our multitude of goose eggs which I'll paint on or decorate in some fashion, and then I found some gourds left in the garden from last fall. They are the hard shell variety (didn't know that before!) and I cleaned those up and have a few bud vases and a snack bowl to paint. VARIETY is my middle name. Don just chuckles about my "crafts".

Stained Glass
I made this hanging lampshade for Don's cousin, a Vietnam vet, who wanted a red, white and blue shade to which I added a personalization of his unit. Drawing patterns is a constant task and I will be starting the stained glass for Laddee's Garden at Refuge Farm this week.

Greenhouse Growings On
Now that we are out of freezing nights my lettuce and kale seedling have started making some progress in the hoop house. Can't wait for some homegrown greens. I feel bad that I'm under utilizing it for starting plants, but without heat, I just have to wait for Mother Nature to warm up. It will still give seedlings a head start. It just takes a little longer.

Fine Art
I'm making progress on three small oil paintings I started last week and I'll get some photos together this week. I have been popping from one project to the next while I still have time........ because Friday we get our new puppy! And life will change once again at this crazy place we call Catfish Corner!

Four week update

2011-03-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

Our little girl is on the right. She's darker than her litter mates and according to Ruth, her human mommy, she is very sweet!

Looks like that to me, too. She has a very steady, intense, look about her. She knows she has a family who is waiting for her, and is trying to connect with her over the air waves!

We have been asked about what we are going to name her. It's hard to do when you haven't met the young lady yet! Suggestions have followed: Hilda (mine), Maggie (Don), Ellie, Martha, Eleanor, Bessie............ feel free to add your own! We know we will have several names for her after the first couple weeks she will live with us.......like....Trouble, Messy, Whiney, Poopsy, Piddles and Chewy!

Mid-April will be here soon and we will be "new parents" again!

Our New Girl at Four Weeks

2011-03-18T17:21:00.002-05:00

This dear little soul is our next official "Chessie of Catfish Corner". We found her people parents, Ruth and Butch in Pelican Lake, WI, and their female "Gem" had a litter of five pups four weeks ago. Three females and two males. Not a big litter so that could be very favorable for the lucky five---lots of mommy's milk!

She is the darkest of the litter and we're so excited to be looking forward to this little "dark horse" to be part of our lives.

Ruth called us last night to say "she" (we haven't picked a name yet) wasn't moving her head much on Tuesday. She investigated and found the pup had a swollen area by her neck.....so off to the vet they went. The doctor wasn't sure what was going on speculated it might be a .... spider bite? So here she is at four weeks taking this little dose of antibiotic. Hope it doesn't undo all the good of that momma's milk.

Cerra's Best Friend

2011-03-11T17:22:00.002-06:00

Cerra has been adopted this winter by one of our geese. She isn't completely happy about it, but she tolerates the gander and so far hasn't stepped on him.

It's an unlikely pairing---or maybe not. This poor guy and his mate went to live with our neighbor and then their dog killed the female. They brought this guy back and he has been an outcast with the rest of the flock ever since. Bullying is common in the animal world!

The goose follows her around, helps her eat her rations and raises a big ruckus when Cerra leaves his range (which usually occurs at 2 a.m.!)

I finally got motivated to finish editing a little video of the horses running around...... giver a whirl!

Is it spring yet?

2011-02-18T13:50:00.006-06:00

Molly can hardly wait to get rid of her cabin fever!

Today's snowstorm will put on another layer to work off.

Mother Nature's Glass Window

2011-02-18T07:11:00.002-06:00

The goose tub produced this beautifully textured sheet of ice that seemed too pretty to not enjoy. I set it up in the snow where it lasted..... not too long! The past few days in the 40's were so welcome! Lots of large skating rinks have been formed overnight and will be with us for the foreseeable future.

Portrait of a Laddee

2011-02-10T11:33:00.001-06:00

I think I have finally gotten this to a good stopping point. It took a few days of living with the original version to decide on what the background should be.

Whether to have a background or not was the first question and secondly was how to render it. The great part of making art is the magic..... starting with a nub of an idea and finding it takes you some place you didn't know was going to exist as the outcome. My solid blue background suddenly didn't seem as exciting as her aura! After days of "thinking" about what to do, it took just minutes to let the real solution present itself.

Sandy Gilbert and I have had emails back and forth as we have discussed Laddee, her voice, and how she was influencing how this was going to turn out. With Sandy's knowledge and input of the fine Laddee, there was some tweaking so I could get it! We finally arrived on the notion that this version is her "other side" portrait where she is restored, happy and healthy.

Creative Process at Work - part 2

2011-02-01T13:00:00.005-06:00

The abstract version of M'Laddee is nearing completion. This piece is one of my "stained glass" paintings. It's part pastel portrait, fantasy art, and study for a stained glass pattern.

The second version is a more impressionistic portrait, also in pastel.

Sweet Helga

2011-01-25T14:20:00.001-06:00

I'm about 95% done with this pastel of Helga and one of the ways I can gauge if I'm done or not is how it looks in a photograph. It's been said that the camera doesn't lie so it is the truth detector for pointing out weaknesses, areas that don't make sense, or just colorations that aren't believable.

No, I'm not telling what places I'm going to fix!

Creative Process at Work

2011-01-24T19:41:00.001-06:00

It's my favorite time of year for working in the shop. Too cold to do much else!

I got an email from my friend, Sandy, at Refuge Farms. She would like some art to commemorate her dear Laddee who passed last fall. Laddee was a special lady, indeed! (As is Sandy!) We had talked about having something made in her image months ago and it has been in my mind-- settin' to gellin'! I had been thinking about Laddee a lot before Sandy's call and when I told her we were thinking similar thoughts, she set me straight---Laddee is the one sending these thoughts! OK, I can work with that!

Laddee, the big Belgian mare used to like to threaten people with death if they got close. She lived a life we would only dream of forgetting. But through her life others have learned to live.

So the drawing began. I took out a big sheet of newsprint and vine charcoal to lightly sketch out the form. I had been thinking of how to do this for a long time and the drawing came easy once it was time to put the lines on paper. I tend to draw big and this time was no exception.

The drawing above was the first draft. Then I got to thinking about the rose feature and decided I didn't know how to draw a decent rose, so after some research, I printed out a rose to replace my weak one.

So the bed of roses is more meaningful to me as a way to portray her as a Lady, and one who deserves roses--pink ones at that, since she really was full of love. She just had to experience it from Sandy first.

Now with that in place I am inspired! So much so that I am rethinking the whole design. I think this sketch is a work in itself, but I went on to add another feature.

I have now added an eye clipped out of a magazine. The imagery is gaining momentum in the sense of her story. The rose over her right eye is to symbolize the tumor that was removed from that socket. Her left eye was also blinded but in this image her sight has been restored to reflect her stored strengths on the other side.

I have many ideas of how to proceed with this image.....and it might take several versions in varying styles to satisfy my desire to make it right. It could be an oil, a pastel. I would love to try a watercolor. If I knew what I was doing, a computerized collage could be cool, too. But at this point, I'm still committed to a solid drawing.

I get a lot of ideas from my subconscious before sleep and before I wake up and from what I have been given so far I am inspired to.....get to bed!

Sky Blue Pink at Catfish Corner

2011-01-21T07:38:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite scenes at Catfish Corner is the sky blue pink morning sky. I completed this pastel last week and would like to share it on this frosty -20 degree morning!

The blue hill in the right portion of the background is Minnesota across the Mississippi River. This morning the steam is rising as the chill settles against the warmer water.

This weekend is also the Wings Over Alma - Eagles on Ice event, a book signing, music, chili feed, and artists' reception for the Paws and Purrs exhibit. Hope it warms up a little!

Koi Pond Shade

2011-01-14T13:13:00.001-06:00

I completed this shade just before Christmas and decided to wait to post it---so as not to wreck a surprise! It measures 16" square and is on a heavy mission style table base.

Happy New Year Hagar!

2011-01-09T19:07:00.000-06:00

The cold blast has continued here and we have to do what we can to stay warm. Hagar has his warmest hat on these days!

Reminiscing With Horses

2010-12-26T15:38:00.002-06:00

I got into a conversation about end of life issues with horses this weekend and I thought I would share a little story of this lovely Arab mare, Lallie. She's no longer with me but I will never forget her.

Her fancy registered name was Commons Lalique, but to me, she was just Lallie. Like "my girl lollipop" which I sang to her as a greeting.

She and her herd mate Beau came to me by way of their own retirement of sorts. Their "family" grew up and out of interest with horses. I was just getting back to them after 30 years without a horse in my life.

They had to go as a pair--and at 13 and 15 years, they weren't spring chickens. In fact, Lallie had a sore knee and a noticeable limp but I was not to be deterred by some silly little affliction. I willed those horses to be mine and after the owners were sure I was going to provide for them I rounded up a guy and a trailer and took them to a friend's farm where they would live until Don and I had a country place of our own. I made the 12 mile drive each morning before work to feed and again after work. I relished every moment I could spend with them.

When the time came to move to our forever home at Catfish Corner I decided I would bring Lallie the 100 mile trip south first. She would be more comfortable in the trailer by herself with her gimpy leg. We arrived on a Friday and I planned to go up Monday after the weekend traffic to get the other two.

Lallie did fine on the trip, but when we got here she was noticeably upset that her friends weren't with her. After some calling out and running around looking for them, she settled in--for a while. I heard her whinnying over night....she was hanging at the north end of the field....just watching. Saturday was a long day for her. I just kept telling her her friends would be here soon. But my consolations weren't enough. She was so sad!! By Sunday she was despondent.

Monday morning I led her out to the pasture down the lane. She had the big grassy field to herself and sure enough, she ambled out to the northernmost part and looked for her friends. I got myself up to Frederic and picked up her buddies -- it seemed they were feeling anxious to go, too. The nearly 6 hour round trip went by quickly as I thought about the happy reunion that was going to happening soon.

As I led Ranger and Cerra into their new pasture there were squeals of delight! They couldn't wait to see each other. I have never seen happier horses! But what happened next was above any expectation..........

The three amigos set off to frolic in their new pasture when Lallie abruptly stopped about 30 feet into her joyous reunion. She turned away from her herd and walked straight back to me and buried her head into my belly. I just loved on her and said, "I told you I was going to bring them!" She told me as plain as could be--"thank you so much". She let me pet her a little longer and then she turned back to her friends and trotted off.

It still brings tears to my eyes. And for once, a horse story with a happy ending.

Does This Blizzard Make My Butt Look Big?

2010-12-24T19:59:00.000-06:00

This was a Facebook photo that I posted, and it was a BIG hit-- tee hee. Poor Cerra! Yes, dear, YOUR BUTT IS BIGGG. I only hope you don't use the photo angle advantage to expose me!

That's How The Cookie Crumbles

2010-12-17T08:08:00.001-06:00

It has taken days and a trip to the chiropractor to get the 20+ inches of snow moved around here. I finally just needed to stay in and BAKE something. Don had been craving fudge, and I really wanted to get some holiday goodies made. I should have just taken a nap.

The baking gods were just not with me! The fudge turned into a brick of solidified lava. I needed an ice chisel to remove it from the pan.

Likewise, the sunbuckles decided they didn't want to pop out of their tins! I have never had this happen before so I'm redesigning the crumbly remains into a crust for a vanilla pudding dessert.

At least it was a cooking disaster that still tastes good!

The Saddest Sunday

2010-12-12T15:26:00.004-06:00

What a rotten weekend. 20" of snow in a REAL blizzard, frightful winds, and then all of this. Sunday was a day of grief--on top of grief. We were so sad about losing our Helga, when even worse news was just around the corner.

Friend Lois's daughter had delivered a stillborn little boy, Drew, earlier that morning. Everyone was so happy waiting for this little boy to be born and to have such a horrible turn of events was cause for overwhelming grief.

Sincere prayers and comfort to their family.

Helga Update

2010-12-05T08:01:00.000-06:00

Helga's condition is about the same---so we are being very patient about her condition. She takes prednisone twice a day, another pill to protect her stomach, three vitamin K's, a dose of thyroid medication and a twice a day Amoxycillin. Yuck! That's enough to turn my stomach!

But she's such a good trouper. She knows she doesn't feel good and seems confused about what's happening to her. She is able to go about four hours between trips outside now, so everyone is getting to rest better.

The prednisone is to turn off her immune system which was attaching itself. She will have another blood test and Wednesday and we'll see if Dr. Gilbertson is comfortable reducing her dosage. It will take several weeks to wean her from the original 4 pills, we are at three now, down to zero. At that point we hope her body will have had a chance to reset and that it doesn't detect a threat it needs to defend. All this while testing to make sure her liver isn't getting killed in the process. It's a balancing act.

So.....like I said, we are just being very patient and hoping all will end well for our dear Helga. Thanks for all the concern and kind wishes...... they are so very much appreciated!

Projects

2010-11-21T10:57:00.002-06:00

Between trips to the vet with Helga, I managed to get my work on this bird panel done. It measures 18" and it is going to be hung in the center of a 36" round window. The last week has been so disjointed with trying to get projects done. Poor Helga is still battling a blood condition that has defied diagnosis. We are walking zombies because we are up several times a night with her.

My etching projects have been driving me insane. This example has several blowouts on the stencil so it will have to be redone. My ultraviolet light exposure unit has developed a short in it -- the timer isn't working consistently so my stencils are either under exposed or over exposed.

The best thing of this weekend has been that--SO FAR--we haven't had the freezing rain that the Twin Cities had. Keeping the fingers crossed that the coming week can be better than the last one!

More Weirdness

2010-11-16T12:37:00.000-06:00

Don was disturbed to discover Helga urinating blood late yesterday afternoon. Eeekk! He called the vet immediately and they told us to catch a sample and bring it into the office this morning. Later in the evening, I noticed her right eye was bulging and was turning color and not reflecting the light right. We headed into the office this morning with her in tow and hadn't realized until she was examined that her gums were bleeding!

She was immediately given Vitamin K to help her blood to clot---the vet suspected she had ingested rat poison!! We never, no, I mean NEVER have or ever had rat poison on our property--for this very reason. We are completely at a loss as to how this could have happened.

The vet took several vials of blood for testing and we hope to find out by this afternoon if it might remotely be tick related, or if it indeed was due to being poisoned. She is also sending a sample to the U of M for a clotting profile to determine if there are any other reasons for this to be happening--like hemophilia.

It's been a very disturbing morning to say the least. On the good side, her blood-filled eye has normal pressure and although her condition is serious, it's not at a critical stage so she has gotten treatment in time.

The Perils of Battle

2010-11-13T16:10:00.001-06:00

We were just starting to watch the Badger game at 11 when I thought I saw antlers. Here they were attached to this cool guy. He was busy raiding the bird seed when I noticed he has been fighting and must have gotten an antler inserted into his right eye.

It looks like he might be blinded or partially so. It was looking white and watery. Hope he doesn't get too infected. It can't be too fun trying to escape being shot by hunters with only one eye.

Rest here, fellow. You'll be safe.

The Growing Family

2010-11-11T20:23:00.001-06:00

Long time no post! I had the camera on the way to the barn and caught the new crop of chickens under the bird feeder. The only remaining rooster has been busy with his two dozen or so hens.

The Silverlace Wyandottes are gorgeous with their dotty feathers. The Black Sex Links are so much prettier than their name. I call them the Blackwatch hens--their glossy black, hunter green and navy blue and russet feathers remind me of the Blackwatch Plaid fabric that is such a classic.

The first new eggs from this group are beginning to arrive! We have been living on about 4 eggs a day all summer--and today I brought in 7--three very tiny new eggs from our new hensies!

A Late Bloomer

2010-10-19T17:21:00.002-05:00

I found this late bloomer yesterday while I was cleaning out my window boxes before I store them for winter. The empty chrysalis is just behind and she was just hanging out, presumably drying off. I snapped a couple shots and thought it might be a good idea to move her to a sunny spot so she could warm up.

Please pray that this lovely late bloomer makes it to a warmer climate. I hope it finds it's way in this world.

A Day with Lanna, Elizabeth & Josephina.....and Sandy Gilbert, too!

2010-10-11T20:02:00.000-05:00

I had the mid-morning with Sandy Gilbert and some of the special horses at Refuge Farms! A big trailer load of hay was due to be delivered at the Farms so it was a good time to show up for my "annual" visit. I should be there many more times in the year--but---today ended up being the day.

I had some time before the hay came so I spent time in the first paddock with three lovelies. Sandy said I could either deburr horses or pick stalls--since both are always in demand. Well......I love nothing more than grooming horses so I arrived with my little kit of pony beauty shop supplies and went to work on the burdocks.

Josephina was in the stall with Elizabeth and was pretty persistent that she should be first! Then I moved on to Elizabeth and--with her little bit of mane and tail--that didn't take long.

Lanna - a new best friend!

Then there was big Lanna. What a huge beauty! She is as tall at her shoulder as I am tall and just massive...and blind. I worked my way toward her and let her know I was a friend...sniff, sniff.....yeah, I was ok. I smell like a horse! She just sank into the brush strokes and let me pull out the nasty stick-tight burrs. Her long locks released the offenders and her lush mane and tail were freed. BIG hugs to this gal! It was such a beautiful day to be in the presence of these gentle giants.

Josephina (l) and Elizabeth

To read more about the Sanctuary Herd at Refuge Farms, just follow the link. Each horse has it's own story there and all are so powerful and compelling. You can't imagine how these wonderful creatures have suffered to finally find their refuge--in Refuge Farms.

Winners of Refuge Farms Raffle

2010-10-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

Martin and Gretchen Wilson, of Wabasha, MN, won the Celtic Claddagh bevel cluster from last week's art tour. Thanks to everyone who entered the raffle! Between gourd and pumpkin sales, the raffle and other donations, $250 was raised for The Herd!

Chickens as Artists

2010-10-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

I had the camera with me when I brought the horses back home to the barn this afternoon. The chickens have been busy on the pumpkins since I placed them before last weekends art show and I finally decided it was time to show off their artistic pursuits.

Here are pumpkins--carved by chickens.

Lois and Anders Visit

2010-10-08T13:37:00.000-05:00

Lois and Anders came for a visit today! I haven't seen Anders in person since last year's visit and he has really grown into a very charming two-year-old. We went for a walk out to see the horses and we found out he doesn't like the geese AT ALL!

Anders gets a little closer to offering Emmy a treat.

Raffle and Free Drawing Winners

2010-10-04T12:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered our drawing and the Refuge Farms raffle!

We had such a hugely successful weekend at the Fresh Art Tour--hundreds of visitors came to Catfish Corner! I had a drawing for a green and gold mission stained glass panel and also held a raffle for a celtic design bevel cluster. The Hon. Don P. Anderson was assigned the duty of drawing the winning tickets and has at this time completed the selection.

The Refuge Farm Raffle - Celtic Bevel winner is: Gretchen Wilson from Wabasha, Minnesota!

The Mission Panel in green and gold was won by Joanie Pfeiffer, all the way from Omaha, Nebraska!

I hope to get photos of our lucky folks with their glass panels and will share them soon.

Congratulations Gretchen and Joanie!

Raffle for Refuge Farm

2010-10-02T08:02:00.003-05:00

In conjunction with the Fresh Art Tour I have donated the Irish Claddagh (Heart in Hands) to benefit the works of Sandra Gilbert, a cause close to my heart, Refuge Farms in Spring Valley, Wisconsin. I love that it's possible for art to benefit horses! It's on display at the studio and I already have entries from visitors who were in the studio yesterday.

The bad photo is reflecting from the sunny window, but trust me, it's beautiful!

Tickets to enter are $1 each--you may enter as many times as you wish! 100% of the entries goes to Refuge Farm so it's a winner either way.

Plus, it's easy with the "Donate" button which sends the money directly to Refuge Farm! One entry will be submitted per dollar--and you will receive an email back so you know what your numbers are.

Entries will be accepted until NOON Monday since I was late getting this up.

Night before Art Tour

2010-09-30T19:57:00.001-05:00

Here we go....tomorrow is the first day of the Fall Art Tour. The preparations have been going on for months. Don's workshop area is totally inundated with my STUFF!

I went out to the green shed looking for something to use for displays and found these three small nets that would be a great compliment to the large net I set up over Don's work area earlier this month. Hey! We have a theme going now! Stars and angels shall adorn.

The ladder is decked out to hold the Moravian star display.

The jewelry display. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Don even put a price tag on the trappers canoe. It was built in the late 40's and was used in the bottoms during the winter trapping season. A flat bottom that was easy to drag over the ice--from either direction.

2010-09-27T20:56:00.000-05:00

The young roosters (as yet unnamed) are getting pretty big and are trying out their new lives. Chasing hens, and trying to do a proper cockadoodle-doooo are their main interests. Their voices are in the process of changing and we have been chuckling about the "tin horns" going off in the yard. Wilted sounding wails have been building to a feeble rooster crow. Each day they get a little stronger so one of these mornings we should have a real start-of-the-day COCKADOODLE DOOOOO!

Their other interest--that in the multitude of females, has been a work in progress also. The older hens are still chasing them off the feed piles so I don't think they will have success soon in that department either. Doesn't stop them from thinking about it though.

Believe

2010-09-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

I believe the Fall Art Tour is just around the corner! The first weekend in October---1, 2, 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I believe I have lots of glass, art, jewelry and lampshades for the event but I always get to this point and wish I had more to offer.

I believe folks will enjoy the tour and the changing fall leaves.

I believe I have lots more to do in the next few days.

I believe I will survive.

I believe I had better get out to the studio and get busy! Right now!

Don't Believe What You See

2010-09-15T16:33:00.001-05:00

I was just visiting my blog and deciding what to write about when I was dismayed to see Russ Feingold's face in the google ad box. GOOD GRIEF! I DON'T PICK THESE ADS and I am going to find out how to get political ads blocked!

Just FYI----Where's the TEA PARTY when I need it?!

There. Now it's a nice Chevy ad.

Death and a Mutant

2010-09-09T16:55:00.003-05:00

Talk about disappointing. I've been watching the chrysalis every day and it just seemed stalled out. There was a reason for that. Yesterday I noted that a small hole had been chewed into the top and the developing butterfly was no longer viable. Drat. We were looking forward to a lovely monarch to hatch from Catfish Corner. Then I discovered, to top it off, one of the barred rock hens decided to die which added to the cheery mood.

Exercise seemed in order so I went out to the garden and dug up pails full of potatoes. Now that's a treasure hunt--for gold. Yukon Gold to be exact! I have some huge beauties and lots of "small potatoes", too. The reds are plentiful as are the russets. I still have lots more to dig, but they can hold on for awhile. The tomatoes and peppers are winding down but I managed to fill a couple more pails. After awhile, Don and Helga came out to check on me and I suggested they go back for the truck to haul home the bounty.

In years past, I have always highlighted what I call the "Mutant of the Year". It's usually in the carrot or radish department and I was tickled to find this diminutive example to present as this year's winner. Isn't she cute?!

Mutant of the Year - 2010

Chrysalis Update

2010-09-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

It's getting darker and more transparent.

The Caterpillar and The Chrysalis

2010-08-31T09:54:00.001-05:00

My wild side flower garden is sporting several milk weeds and upon close examination I found many Monarch caterpillars. The munchfest was in full swing a week or so ago and I haven't seen any since. However, I found one lone chrysalis and I'm keeping an eye on it.

Play Day

2010-08-27T07:45:00.001-05:00

Photo by Fran

Fran trailered in with her two horses and I rode Cerra up to the nearby arena yesterday for a little horsey fun. The weather was so nice-- sunny, dry and breezy. It was the perfect day to get out and ride. I think we were up there for about four hours! Got some good instruction, too. Things to play with - with the horse and things to work on - on the human.

Goodbye Fine Fellow

2010-08-22T20:32:00.004-05:00

Little Jackie's life ended in the wee hours of Friday morning. He had been steadily declining this summer and even with recent daily fluids he couldn't go on. I didn't serve him well by letting him linger and for that I hope I will be forgiven. It was through my own selfishness that I just wasn't dealing with the severity of his illness. I always think I can make things better but such was not the case this time.

I'll miss his super soft "rabbit fur" and his quiet ways. He was my shy guy--who only recently came out of his secret world to join us in a way he hadn't before. I am so thankful he could share himself and be comforted in the final weeks of his life.

Don's Cat

2010-08-12T20:54:00.004-05:00

And you knew this was Don's cat because.....

This was just too cute to pass up! I brought up the canning jars, lids, rings in this box and got ready to do pickles. No sooner than I unloaded the box she piled in to claim it.

I wonder if the Windsor people need a spokes-kitty!

Hidden Benefits of a Heat Wave

2010-08-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

When it's too hot out to do anything else there are two things I like to do.

1. Sit in the basement with the spiders and play computer solitaire.

2. Work in the shop.

Working in the shop has been almost as cool as the basement. There are probably half the amount of spiders and it proves to be a lot more productive. My list of projects is long.... maybe longer than the heat wave.

Airborne

2010-08-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Bob sent each of us one these cool Airborne hats. Airborne to me meant being thrown off my horse but now I have a new appreciation of the true meaning! Looks like a nice Sunday-go-to-meetin' hat to me.

A Tribute to the Army

2010-08-03T18:11:00.002-05:00

I had the honor to construct three military themed lamp shades for our retired Army friend, Bob, who lives in Georgia.

Bob was married to my dear departed friend Betty. She started as my best friend's mom in the 60's and then ended up being an integral part of the Studio Works family. We worked, laughed, cried and played together for twelve years and beyond the studio years until she died in 2005.

So, long story short, Bob called me to arrange to have these shades made. Two shades are the same. One for him and one for his crew chief and the last one was designed to be donated to his military reunion auction next year.

This project has been on the drawing board for several months as I dreamed about how to replicate the military badges and service patches in miniature and in the right colors. The result was achieved by first making black and white art work of each element. The design was then transfered to a sandblast stencil and deeply etched onto the glass panels. After the panels were washed I filled in the depressions with black first and then painted in the individual colors. The panels were then baked in the oven to set the paint into a permanent state and the rest of the regular stained glass soldering took place.

It was an interesting project as I learned to use new techniques and tools.

Last Night's Storm Damage

2010-07-28T08:40:00.000-05:00

We waited and waited as the storm line slowly made it's way from NW Minnesota. It took all day of sweltering in 93 degree temps and heavy humid air but about 9:45 pm it finally hit us. This is the first big wind we have had in a storm this summer and it snapped off two tree tops in our yard.

We were lucky this pile missed the nearby power line into the house. Don's going to be giving the chain saw a good workout. I think I'm busy today.

Hanging out with the Chickens

2010-07-28T07:25:00.002-05:00

Our self appointed Mother Hen has been keeping a close eye on her charges. None of our previous broods have had the advantage of having a foster mom. This "Production Red" is such a sweetie. She first adopted the little Wyandotte rooster. She ran around and found the tastiest bugs--pointed them out to him and let him gobble them up. Then she would scratch up goodies--do her little cluck call and over he would come to eat her findings. Now the other youngsters are hanging closer, too. It pays! When it's time to go in for the night she nestles in the chick area and protectively spreads her wings over as many as she can. They are getting pretty big so not as many fit anymore.

It's relaxing to just sit and watch their little society. We have a big bushy tree that they gather under and hang out. Some of the older hens are grumpy and there are some territorial squabbles but for the most part everyone gets along.

Our new little crown prince is growing. He is a Wyan- dotte, but he looks like a Barred Rock hen. He is about twice the size of his sisters. I fear he might be the only rooster out of the four we started with since we have lost several to coyotes. The little fellas get bold and go to the edge of the yard which is prime hiding grounds for the predators. I was hoping to have more roosters, and we might, but this is the first one to show signs of development.

It was so blasted hot and humid yesterday that we lost one of our Barred Rock (right) hens (not this one!). The hot temps really take a toll on the older ones and this one in particular had been getting more feeble in the past week.

Don has been ordering new equipment to do some serious coyote trapping and having a dead chicken as prime bait should help.

A Curious Young Fellow

2010-07-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

The trap got tripped last night and no coyote. However, just after Don set it, this guy came strolling over and casually stuck his nose in the camera. This was the best shot--and he has some impressive new antler growth coming on.

Head count on chickens yesterday: 16 hens (down one more) and 26 chicks (down 2).

Helga picked up on scent last evening by the barn and she got all excited. She can appear pretty tough when there is no actual threat.

Andy Get Your Gun

2010-07-18T10:19:00.003-05:00

The general philosophy at Catfish Corner is that everyone can live here, predator or prey, as long as we all get along nicely with each other. That has worked for us for many years until the coyotes decided it wasn't good enough to just eat wild game.

A couple weeks ago I had the good fortune to pop a bold one out in the driveway who was trying to kill a chicken. After losing dozens of hens since spring it was very satisfying to even the score. After a couple quiet weeks without any losses we hoped they had moved on. However, this week we lost a baby goose so this means the war against coyotes is on again and this most recent attack has us looking for a more effective solution.

Don put meat out for bait by the green house and the trail camera to see if they can be drawn in. Last evening we got the pictures were were waiting for. Now he will set a trap out and hope this one comes back for another free meal. Hopefully it's his last one.

And yes, I did update the date and time on the camera!

Fall Fresh Art

2010-07-17T15:44:00.000-05:00

I got my big box of art tour brochures which is another step toward the October 1-2-3, show. My studio will be open those days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Put the dates on your calendar and plan to see some beautiful art, fall leaves and the glorious river valley.

Storm Watchers

2010-07-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

After a terribly humid day we finally got some rain yesterday afternoon. After the rain had passed the beauty of the backside of the storm revealed itself. The foreboding mood continued----and more storms were forming right over us.

The puffy bottom clouds were at times looking like a big pan of parker house rolls... complete with a golden glow as the sun got lower.

As we finished up feeding the horses and gathering up the chickens for the night the next wave of storms rolled in. This round had the thunder and lightning and we ended up the day with 1.8" of rain.

My Shy Guy

2010-07-15T15:46:00.002-05:00

My little shy fellow Jack has been having his own health crisis these days. He has been losing weight and after a trip to the vet I found that chronic kidney disease is working on him.

The first trip a few weeks ago resulted in a course of antibiotics. I thought he had bad teeth, but evidently the kidney disease was causing his icky mouth. I administered his medicine and I suddenly had a new cat. Not a healthy one, but a new one cat-onality-wise. He was moving about the house! He has lived in our bedroom for the past three years and rarely ventured out. Now he's sunning in the window--and hopping up on laps. This isn't the Jack we used to know. I even VACUUMED near him and he seemed nonplussed. So, the Sick Jack is more outgoing than the Regular Jack. I'm not sure how to take this.

We are watching him all the time now--which makes it easier to monitor how much water and food he gets. I got a bag of lactated ringers for him on Saturday and gave him a dose of fluids subcutaneously and that seemed to perk him up. I suspect this will become the routine that could continue for a long time. Let's hope for a long time.

Returning to Life........and putting on a happy face

2010-07-10T13:17:00.003-05:00

We were shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of our friend Jon Ormson who decided to end his life on June 25th. The horrible call came from my friend, his mom, MaryAnn, and it launched a wave of grief. He was such a great guy and was such a joy to everyone who knew him. The funeral was held at Luck and I went to spend the day; to hug those who needed the hugs (we all did) and to share the sorrow of friends and family who were dealing with circumstances we never would have dreamed of having to address. The pastor did an excellent job with the aspects of such a death and the big question of WHY. Of course, that is the big question that we will not be able to answer. We wish so much that he would have had time to make a trip to Catfish Corner. "He made this world a better place for us. Even though it was difficult for him."

Getting back into things around here, I can say the heat and humidity has been pretty heavy. The perennial flower garden has reached its colorful stage and the bees really are enjoying the Bee Balm.

Yesterday seemed like a good day to join some pony pals for a little ride. I trailered Cerra up to Ramona's in Porcupine valley and friends Wendy and Amy joined us for a trek that took us up and down some good hills, over some hilltop farm fields and a little road riding to tie it all together. The mosquitoes really feasted on us. Sorry about those welts, Amy!

We had started at about 10 am and by the time we got back it was getting hotter out and we felt like lunch so we drove to the village of Arkansaw and had a bite at "For Pete's Sake". Pete's fish sandwich consisted of two perfectly deep fried fillets on a really good bun. A generous dollop of tartar sauce and an ice cold Leinie's really hit the spot. We shared a big basket of french fries and onion rings, too!

Cowgirl lore at this point would opine that things always look better when you're on the back of a horse. Or, that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a cowgirl. Hard work and horses have always put my mind in a good place. I hope our friends who grieve can find their peace in a fashion that suits them, too.

Rub a dub dub

2010-06-29T13:34:00.000-05:00

Two geese in each tub. The babies are getting really grown up now.

The creek at Catfish Corner is overflowing its bank from our last 3" of rain. We have had 13" for the month of June so things are lush--and the mossies are thick.

The 28 new chicks are getting big enough to go on an "outing"--a little trip out onto the edge of the driveway. They got some of the great outdoors and came back in feistier than ever. I don't think these gals are going to be the hold-in-your-hand variety.

Monsoon Season

2010-06-15T16:39:00.001-05:00

As I updated the top photo a few minutes ago, we had just finished getting ANOTHER 1" of rain--did the same yesterday. We seem to be in the rainforest area of Wisconsin now.

It's going into a really busy week leading into the Trailblazer barrel show coming up this weekend!

Is anyone else having a problem with the new "design" options Blogger is seemingly forcing on us? I haven't found the place yet to adjust the colors, type fonts, etc., so as usual I'm unadaptable as change is foisted on me!

Hello! I'm back.....

2010-06-12T18:39:00.002-05:00

The flurry of activity following the art tour got the best of me. I have done lots of "puttin' the garden in"....takin' the horses out..... gettin' the house cleaned up......raisin' the chicks and sometimes even....... well, ..... sleepin'!!!!

Four of the five goose eggs hatched and at three weeks they are really getting big! I got baby chicks last week and have 14 Black Sex Link (good grief, what a name :-( !!! and 14 Silver Lace Wyandottes. So--let's just say---Solid Blacks, and Black with white dots!

They are doing great--so fun to watch. Helga (dog) and Paisley (cat) love to sit by their pen in the barn and just......watch......and......watch. They are so cute!!

It's also been haying season (before the rains set in) and it was a challenge for our neighbor to get the first crop it. It got rained on so some lucky beef cattle will get to eat this cutting. We will wait for our horse hay until later.

I'm working this weekend on a set of cabinet doors for this beautiful wine cabinet. It is going to be auctioned off at the Durand Sportsmans' Club annual event this coming Wednesday. It is being built by Leanna Fayerweather who is a master cabinetmaker and donates her efforts for the cause through the generous offering of her talent.

We have had all kinds of goofy little deals going on here ---a broken faucet in the bathroom that caused a wet surprise in that room, a tree that decided to tip over and several nearby that needed to be dealt with, and an almost daily attack by a fox/and/or coyote on the few remaining hens in our yard.

To top if off-----it is our 16th Wedding Anniversary this weekend! Yeah! We dreamed of a life together---and all the rest of this, I guess is .........the frosting.

And it is sweet!

Thank You!

2010-05-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful weekend we had for the Tour! The weather was perfect and so many great people stopped in the visit the studio.

Thanks to the folks who entered the raffle this weekend which benefits Refuge Farms! We had 121 entries and 100% of the dollars go to the support of horses who have been rescued from very sad and abusive situations.

The judge finally arrived to draw the lucky number and.........

THE WINNER IS................ drum roll...............
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NUMBER 35
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Held by Lisa Johnson from Pepin, WI!................cheers!.........

Thank you, Lisa (you did STUFF the entry box) for your support and I hope you enjoy the panel for years to come!

The Fall Art Tour is going to be held the first weekend in October and I'll dream up another contest.

Feeling Lucky?

2010-05-15T06:56:00.001-05:00

The first day of the Fresh Art Tour is over and it dawned on me that I could share the offer I am running over the weekend with those who aren't able to attend in person.

The Virtual Fundraiser!

I have donated this panel to Refuge Farms and I am holding a little raffle at the studio to raise money for the cause.

Here's the deal: One ticket will be added to the pot in your name for each dollar donated.

The winner will be announced on Monday. So there isn't much time to get entered!

Either stop in or use the convenient PayPal button to enter.

Good luck, everyone!

Picture This

2010-05-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

The plane circled several times. So low and so slow we had to go outside to see what was going on. A white plane with a sky blue stripe and wings that were wide and square on the tips. How strange is this? On the last turn the pilot was close enough we could see him wave.

"I bet someone comes to sell us a picture pretty soon" Don determined. And right he was--as usual!

The resulting photo was wonderful. Our paddock and barn (two horses stretched out sleeping) and a little glimpse of our house, the Catfish Corner corner, and the river bottoms that surround us. At the very top of the photo--the mighty Mississippi, which is also the very southernmost part of the wide area of the creek known as Lake Pepin.

The second shot was from the south and shows the area to the north of us--really pretty, too. This is also the view we have that was done during the winter four years ago but this one was from a higher perspective and shows more of the neighborhood.

After the haggling we ended up with both shots and will probably have to submit them to Google Earth--they are way better than what they are showing!

Only Four Days Left

2010-05-09T16:52:00.002-05:00

The final preparations will be made to set up the barn and studio for the Fresh Art Spring Tour this weekend. I hope we have good weather, but not so nice that everyone wants to stay home and play in their own gardens.

It's called a garden tour, too, but I don't have much going in the garden department this time of year. The tulips and daffodils I planted when we first moved here have run their course and I need to plant new bulbs this fall. (I think I was doing the Fall Tour when it was bulb planting time!) There's nothing like seeing a bright dash of color in the early spring.

Our lilacs are in bloom and a couple little peony bushes have blossomed. Maybe the irises will open for the event. So far my reblooming irises have been neverblooming. But there are buds there now so there is now hope. I'm just happy the shrub roses and lavendar survived the winter. Still no sign of the Hardy Hibiscus, but I'm guessing that one to be a late emergent.

Back to the glass art: I have been working on a number of pieces, but in my mind, I always wish I could have completed more. It's sure a lot slower than in "the old days" when I had a shop full of eager "studio elves" to help make my dreams come true---quickly! I have a new tulip fan lamp and a new style lantern-style accent lamp that is made of a very interesting Bullseye glass.

I'll also have two new pastels of Catfish Corner this time. "Storm Passing" and "Late Winter" will be featured.

More photos to follow! But better yet, follow your map to Site 12 -- Sherri Studio at Catfish Corner.

The Donald is out there tonight trying his hand with the fishing rod, so maybe we will be having a Fish Fry at Catfish Corner later!

We Will Miss You, Louie

2010-05-01T17:43:00.002-05:00

We were so sad to find our rooster, Louie, graveyard dead out by the barn this morning. I had been out earlier in the morning to open the hen house door and I was welcomed with his 100-decibel cock-a-doodle-doo. Everyone went out and I dumped the corn and crumbles, fed the horses, the Paisley cat and the geese. All was well.

Don and I headed out to the barn about 11 am to put the mower on the JD tractor and Louie was at room temperature in front of the box stall. Not a mark on him. No sign of attack. Nor a sign of a struggle. The poor guy just gave up the ghost.

He has been our rooster in residence for the past three years and was a pretty healthy specimen. It was near impossible to get too close to him while he was vertical, but in this state I could appreciate his nearly three inch spurs, his full fluffy tail feathers and hackle. He was a cool rooster.

The only living bits left of Louie are now the fertilized eggs in the frig, and those that will be laid today. We were suddenly on a mission to get an incubator to bring those little calcium encrusted blobs of his DNA hatched to continue a generation of Louie's offspring. Out came the "chicken book" so I could find out what to do, and learned I have some time to line up an incubator and with a little luck we will have some little Louie's and Louisa's running around in a few weeks.

Louie had over 30 hens in his harem so there leaves little doubt that he died a happy rooster; probably doing what he liked best.

WOA Signs of Spring

2010-04-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

I got a picture, finally, of my entry in the Signs of Spring show at Wings Over Alma. The opening reception was held Friday evening.

"Soft Maples Bloom at Catfish Corner" is a pastel which I completed just before the show and depicts the fleeting red blossoms that appear on the soft maples just before the leaves pop out. It was a dark sky evening just as the sun was setting and making the clouds look even darker. The tree reflections were eerie and seemed to bleed into a dark prussian blue/black haze. It's at that certain time of spring where the colors can almost look like fall. Of all the versions of Catfish Corner that I have done, this has been one of the most dramatic. That's what I love about my backyard muse. It is always changing, always a different color and mood.

Even though it is only a few weeks later, it's time to do another version that will be quite different than this one.

On a different take on the theme of Signs of Spring, I chose to depict two other distinctive signs. Namely, the mosquito and wood tick!

Thanks to Facebook

2010-04-24T07:16:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Facebook I can find out what my rellies are up to. I was cruising through when I found a new post on the Anderson's Maple Syrup page.

Seems they are sponsoring a race car at Talledega (I think the pros call it 'dega) this weekend. The car # is 28 and the driver is Kenny Wallace. I don't know anything about racing, but I think the Wallace name is a racing family, isn't it?

Norman Anderson is my dad's cousin and has been in the maple business for generations. Son, Steve, is now running the business and I'm thinking things must be going in the right direction for them!

Signs of Spring

2010-04-15T20:13:00.000-05:00

I helped hang the next exhibit at Wings Over Alma on Wednesday. The Signs of Spring exhibit is a "members" show and there are a lot of artist members in WOA.

Silly me -- I didn't get my camera out to the studio before I took my pieces to the show--so I'll have to get some shots at the reception next Friday.