Breakfast Entertainment! (so long as nobirdy gets hurt)

Breakfast for the birds...

While Pippin tries to act like a birdbath!        

Pippin!

What If??

I've been watching this one strawberry ripen, I knew today was harvest day.  Living in an area where it's a struggle to grow fruits and vegetables has made me appreciate this one large red ripe strawberry!

It's a good size!  Our neighbor's chicken is thinking I have food for her---wrong!

Breakfast,  "What if we could only eat what we grew?  We'd be pretty skinny!" says my granddaughter--I'm thinking maybe worst than that!

It was harvest day for my one broccoli plant too, since I noticed a little yellow flower starting to bloom on its top!  So one strawberry, one broccoli plant and three potatoes!--we be eat'n good tonight!

A Single Broccoli Plant

It's a struggle to grow one broccoli plant where I live.  I replanted this volunteer in a large container and put it in my netted off garden enclosure.  The net keeps the birds out, but those bunnies can burrow in and stretch to reach first the surrounding leaves, then later, after I knocked out the bottom of a cracked bucket to encircle the plant, the bunnies must have climbed up and started to eat the broccoli top!!

The plant is still growing!  Now, not only is it in an above ground container--within my netted garden--with a broken pail collar, but now has an old crab cage over it, (I had to wire the openings around the cage)!!!!!

Here's my little plot--the bunnies so far haven't gotten into this container and the net over the whole thing was a good idea--we now have plenty of lettuce and kale--and a few strawberries every now and then--notice the tomato plants around the edges, I've had to cage these in--the bunnies ate these down once--this is their second life.  I have to water about every other day, since we are in our dry season.

Kale and a Water Fairy

Let your troubles bead up and roll away like water on the backside of a kale leaf!

A closer look reveals a water fairy!

Gifts for the Teachers

For these table runners, the student's took turns painting with thinned down acrylic paints--the next week they used their stamps with black acrylic paint.  This one is for the teacher...

This one's for the student teacher--we (the class) were able to pull this off without the two teacher's knowing!

Momma Deer

She sat in the open--right by the edge of our back yard--I took this picture through a window--it was odd behavior for a deer.  Even though they often come grazing through our yard, to have one resting in the sun at a close range, is a bit rare.  I think she was about to give birth, because today I believe I saw her and her new little one.

Swallowtail Butterfly

I photo shopped a few pictures that I took, of this huge swallowtail butterfly.

Final Art Class of the School Year

We had out last day of art--my granddaughter came up with a great idea of having a scavenger art hunt--a list of things to draw, glue or print using their stamps, and these letter stamps  (I made 7 sets, one for each table)!  Off to the side, we had the students, a few at a time, work on a gift for their teacher and their student teacher.  The scavenger hunt kept them fairly well occupied.  We had prizes, (art supplies)  for the student's who worked quietly.  I made more bread clay to pass out as a farewell gift to all the students.

I made the primary colors and used the same bag over and over, starting with yellow.  I'm really liking this home made air dry clay!!  I used 4 slices of white bread without the crusts, 2 teaspoons of white glue, 1 1/2 teasp. of water, 1 1/2 teasp. of acrylic paint, 2 teasp. of any lotion that has glycerin in it.  Crumble the bread and put everything in a sandwich size zip-lock bag.  Roll the bag to push out the air and zip-lock.  Knead the bag until the mixture holds together.

Turn it out on a floured table (white flour).  Knead, add a dab more lotion and finish kneading using baby powder.

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap--should stay good in the refrigerator for a few weeks, maybe more!

I divvied the clay up into 27 little bags--enough to play with, mix colors, and perhaps make beads or little creatures.  There was a lot of prep for this last class.  I meant to take pictures of the class in action, but I never had the time.  I'll post about the teacher's gifts next--I don't want to give the surprise away by posting too soon.   (hint: They did use their stamps in the making of the gifts)