it's crunch time

Well, i leave next Wednesday for Ohio. it's about a 7-8 hour drive. we will set up on Thursday and then the show is Fri, Sat and Sun. I am in tent #4. i think i am done with projects and now need to finish booth decisions, start pricing and then pack up. i want to take photos of my jewelry, but we've been having a few rainy days, so i'll try to wait until the sun is out. also, my booth preparation got stalled when i discovered a foul odor coming out of the chimney. i suspected a nest in the chimney, so a chimney sweeper was called, but of course it was the weekend and holiday weekend at that, so we had to wait until yesterday for him to get here. so he cleaned the chimney, removed squirrel's nest with deceased squirrel, disinfected it and viola! so now i can get back in there and get to work!

frog and butterfly

on thursday during the soldering class , a few of us took a break and went outside for some fresh air. Christina's son Max was standing next to me and a deck chair. he moved the chair pillow and found a tiny little frog. it was the prettiest blue/gray color. so i scooped him up to go show jeff, since we love little frogs and that was the first one i've seen all summer. anyway, as quick as i picked him up, he jumped right out of my hand and was gone. so the next morning as i was watering the plants on the deck, i decided to look behind all the pillows and ended up finding 2 more frogs. so that was fun. a pretty orange one and a gray camouflage one. they were very cooperative during their photo shoot. the little butterfly flew by around the same time.

i'm sad to report that the little baby squirrels i discovered in a bird house next to the front door did not make it. i don't know if the area was too high traffic or if it was too hot, but it seems as if mom abandoned them. really bums me out.

butterfly visit

mother nature always has a way of making things up to you. after my bout with a yellow jacket the other (which is still itchy and fire red, mind you!), i noticed this little guy flitting around my garden. i figured he was heading for my butterfly bush, so ran, got the camera and waited for him to show up. sure enough, he gently glided in and started enjoying a mid day snack. what a beauty. so quiet and peaceful he was as he moved from flower to flower.

i've discovered some newborn baby squirrels in a bird house right next to my front door. it is surrounded in ivy, so it is quite safe for them there. they are darling! as they get a little bigger, i'll try and get some pics.