Catching up...

I lose all track of time - too long since I've been here. Finally getting back into a schedule after all the traveling & festivities around the holidays. Some pics from all the happenings...

Learning to knit - this is my first project - a wool diaper cover. Levi still wears cloth diapers at night - he's been testing this one out the last few nights.

Joe & Levi having 'man-time' = knapping arrowheads & keeping their fire tended.

Levi came to get me to show me the "H" he'd made back in the bedroom. Very cool. He's learning his alphabet & this is a first.

I've just opened an Etsy online shop & have been in a sewing frenzy getting things made to list. This is my first item - a child's hat.

Joe is making his own arrows these days - This southeastern style Indian arrow is made from local switch cane, fletched with feathers from a turkey he killed, an arrowhead he knapped, & the sinew tying it all together is from a deer he killed this fall. Taking bow hunting to a whole 'nother level.

A book we've checked out from the library right now that's inspiring me. Beautiful pictures. Lovely artwork. Red Sings from the Treetops, a year in color. By Joyce Sidman.

Visiting in Athens this past weekend. My sister Carrie turned 30th!! Joe & Levi stayed home & gave me a nice treat - a weekend by myself with my family (Mom, Dad, & Sarah came too) in Athens. Also, got to go to Rubber Soul, my most favorite yoga studio ever. A spiritual place for me.

My burly Man. Looking very sexy.

Playing around with local materials. Basket making. Still working on this one - it's taking on a bowl shape. This is marsh grass & wild grape vines.

New Years Eve. Levi taking his first candle lit shower.

Joe. Flint knapping.

Brrrr!

It's cold here! 22 last night & 24 tonight. Mom & Dad in Wildwood woke up to 13 degrees this morn. Brrrrr.

It's a slow foods day...

We had a blast last night - the next door neighbors had a party with an outside bonfire, fireworks, & gobs of young couples with small children (the perfect crowd for us right now). Levi spent the entire evening running & playing. I have a great memory of looking up & a whole group of children (Levi included) are running with their sparklers. We had a blue moon to light the night & exceptionally warm weather - folks in flipflops & sandals. Levi made it to midnight & we all walked home happy & ready for some soft music & bed.

Today it is turning off cold & raining. A perfect day to nurse that little hammer in my head & sip coffee. Joe has decided its a slow foods day, treating us to a pot of blackeyed peas simmering on the stovetop, a venison shoulder roasting in redwine, & a mess of greens just put on. I'm sewing & Levi is busy with his artwork.

Happy New Year!!!

New Year's Eve!

I've got some bubbly in the fridge chillin' with a yummy 6-pk of stout. Smoked salmon dip in the works & homemade pizzas on the dinner menu. Our next door neighbors are having a party, so we're all set. And what's more? A FULL MOON on the rise.
Happy New Years!

Merry Christmas!

Pics from our holiday here in Wildwood. We're missing Beth this year - though we've been on skype with her several times - some pics below of Grandma talking with her & Dad reading her our traditional "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" - Baby Sam is celebrating his first Christmas & being loved on by everyone!

Henslow's Sparrow

These inconspicuous little jewels are Henslow's sparrows. They are a grassland obligate species that have been declining in recent years....largely due to the simultaneous decline of native grasslands. They winter here in the southeastern coastal plain, predominantly in open pine stands and other moist, grassy areas.

There is a long powerline opening on a WMA near Brunswick that holds a pretty good wintering population of Henslow's. The understory on the powerline (and adjacent pines) is burned every few years, which keeps out encroaching woody plants. The understory is comprised of native grasses (broom sedge, plume grass, toothache grass, panic grass, etc.) that provide ideal habitat for the Henslows.

We captured and banded 14 of the little guys last week, exceeding the six that were banded last year. They look rather plain when flushed from a distance, but in your hand, the olive near the head and the pattern on the body is really cool......

Blue Crabs

Mom & Dad were in town for the weekend & we had a seafood feast. Joe & I are getting the "low-country boil" down to a fine art.

Saturday was our first experience cooking blue crabs at home - as in a sack full of live crabs that you have to wash & put in the pot yourself. Joe took on the job. First the crabs have to be put thru 3 changes of water to remove sand and other debris. A bit of a tricky task considering the crabs are scurrying around & have pretty good-sized pinchers. The second step is not for the faint of heart - the final dive into the pot...

Sewing

I try to do a little crafting with Levi each day - lately we've been working on sewing. Here's some shots of him working on his current project. Some Thanksgiving shots coming soon!