They're Back!!!!!!

We spotted our first male Ruby-throated last week. Last evening we spotted two males fighting over the feeder. Females should begin arriving in 10-14 days.

We had a GREAT weekend and show in Stillwater, OK. First, we went to Eskimo Joe's to get our own t-shirts because at every single show we've done we've seen at least one person wearing an Eskimo Joe's t-shirt. Obviously, we had to have our own!

Despite unbearably cold, windy, and wet weather on the scheduled set-up day, Jessica Novak did a remarkable job organizing the Stillwater Art Festival. Many of us waited until Saturday morning to set up and the weather was absolutely perfect. Winds on Sunday were terrible, so many of us took down our tents and displayed our work sans cover/shade. Thank you, patrons of the Stillwater Art Festival and the City of Stillwater for a fantastic show.

Various and assorted construction items are arriving, so the studio should move right along now. Saws and hammers are going as I write this.

Hummingbird fact for today: The first male Ruby-throated of 2011 was spotted on our porch on August 12.

Festivals, Hummingbirds, and Chaos

We're home now from our swing through Texas for 3 shows. Mixed results on the shows, but a fun trip none the less.

Came home to find walls, and a roof, and new concrete! As well as piles of lumber, mounds of dirt waiting to be backfilled - the usual construction site chaos. Since we're having them build a new garage as well as a studio, we have no place to park the van except in our front yard. The car is already parked in the neighbor's front yard. Chaos drives both of us crazy. But the weather appears to be finally changing to Spring, so hopefully the construction project will move along nicely now.

We were pleased to learn that we've been accepted once again at both Artsfest on Walnut Street in Springfield, MO, and in Art in the Park in Columbia, MO. These have been great shows in the past and we hope they will be again this year. We've also added a new Art Festival in Lebanon, IL, to our schedule.

We were excited to check out the Ruby-throated migration map and see that hummers have already been spotted in mid-Missouri. So we've put out the feeders and hope the little guys won't be frightened by all the chaos, as well as the trees that are no longer there so we could build. The migration map can be found at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html.

Hummingbird fact for today: Hummingbird numbers in the US seem to vary considerably. This may be attributed to environmental catastrophes on the wintering grounds, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and the use of pesticides.