Our Special Visitor

Have you ever seen a white squirrel before?  I hadn't until we moved to this area - in fact I didn't even know that there existed such a beautiful creature.  There are several tales of how this breed came to be in the area  - the one that seems to hold people's interest the most is that someone from a circus brought them to town.  I sort of like the idea that a few of these intrepid critters might have escaped from the confines of a circus side show and made their home here in these hills.

We don't regularly feed the birds - but we do have this clay tray where we place left over cereal or crackers or even some nuts - as you can see this character is dining in style.

I can't tell the difference between one or the other so I'm not sure exactly how many we have here in our yard.  I do know that there is one that visits our front yard, right outside the front door, every evening.  He loves to play in the moss, looking for seeds, acorns, etc.  We also have a very small pond there and I'm sure he stops by for a drink. I try to stay discreetly in the background so that he'll continue to come back each evening.

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." - e. e. cummings

A Charming Leaf Pocket

The latest, and perhaps last pocket.  This design was driven by the leaf charms that I recently discovered.  Such perfect little metal leaves - they definitely needed a home.

This design also seems to be a fitting ending to summer.  My mind and creations will soon be drawn inside - to warm colors and quiet days.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

Last Flowers of Summer

As the days shorten, the air cools and leaves begin to turn - I've found two late bloomers to share with you.

We drove up to Linville, NC to a native plants nursery high in the hills.  While walking through their greenhouses I spotted two spots of color.  They were very brave in their stance - given that it gets a lot cooler up there than it does here.  I love the idea that these two plants wanted to share their color just a little while longer.

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world". - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tree of Life Heart

I celebrate trees in this most recent heart.  Here in the mountains of western North Carolina we are surrounded by trees.  Sometimes I almost feel smothered by them - especially during summer when it is impossible to see further into the woods than a few feet due to the dense vegetation.  There is green everywhere! 

I love to touch the bark of trees, thinking of the years and years that an individual tree has stood in this forest.  The years go by one by one and the trees stand strong - almost like silent witnesses.  What have they seen through the years, what stories could they tell me?

"A tree growing out of the ground is as wonderful today as it ever was. It does not need to adopt new and startling methods". - Robert Henri

Pendants Preview

This pile of pendants-to-be is sitting on my worktable.  It is so tempting to put everything else aside to work on creating squares and circles.  These pendants in antique gold, silver and copper are waiting for punchneedle designs.  Each one will be hung on a ribbon - ready to adorn.  The pendants came from Linda at Woolen Whimsies who is a wonderful mentor to both punchneedle and rug hooking enthusiasts.

Quite a long time ago I found another pendant form at a local store and tried my hand at filling its center.  The pendants are only an inch and a quarter by an inch and a quarter which doesn't give much room to roam but each one will be a short journey and a new adventure for me. 

"Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon". - Booker T. Washington