Good Things for Ozarklake

First, we had a terrific show in McKinney, TX, at the Collins County Master Gardeners Garden Show. Sales were good, but what made the show terrific was the volunteers! From the moment we arrived and many hands helped us unload until hands helped us load back up after the show, these Master Gardeners were wonderful! They even came around several times a day with snacks and drinks. These folks sure know how to make vendors feel welcome and appreciated.

We have a new retail store in Mattapoisett, MA. If you're in the area, be sure and stop by Wings N' Things at 61 Fairhaven Rd (Route 6). They have a new shipment of Ozarklake feeders as well as lots of other birding "stuff".

Ozarklake feeders will soon be at Susan's Garden in Medina, OH. This is a private farm petting farm. Call and make reservations for a fun day!

We also received 2 more boxes of Blenko Glass that we are making into feeders for them! So you'll soon be able to get a Blenko glass Ozarklake feeder right at the factory in Milton, WV. This is exquisite handcrafted glassware in stunning colors. If you're in the area, stop and take a factory tour.

We'll soon be heading off to the Jamestown (ND) Home and Garden Show followed by The Big One in Minot, ND. So the elves around here are busy right now!

And the super good news is that it is almost hummingbird and oriole season at our house! The migration map is showing that a hummer has been spotted in middle Arkansas, so they are on the move!

Hummingbird fact for today: Hummingbirds can fly in the rain and, like dogs, shake their heads to dispel d rops of water. Unlike dogs, however, a hummingbird shakes its head violently, 132 times per second, and rotating 202 degrees—all while flying and maintaining direction!

Working on our 2018 Show Schedule and a New Item!

The temperature here in Missouri today was in the 60's! This after it was below zero just a week ago and our well froze. The weather today sure makes us long for our ruby-throated hummingbirds! Unfortunately we will have to wait for another 10 to 11 weeks to see them.

So with no hummingbirds or orioles to consume our time, we're working on our 2018 show schedule. First up, weather permitting, is the Home & Garden Show in Grove, OK, in February. In March we will head to McKinney, TX, for the Collin County Master Gardeners Garden Show. In April we will spend a couple of weeks in North Dakota. First stop will be the Jamestown Home & Garden Show, followed by The Big One in Minot. We will be participating in the first ever Best of Missouri Life Market at Powell Gardens near Kansas City in April. In June we will be at the CraftFest in Mountain Home, and then at the Just For Her event in Overland Park, KS.

When we were in Mississippi in December, we stopped by a cotton mill and brought home some raw cotton. So our new product this year is our Help-A-Hummer. This is a nice copper coil filled with all natural raw cotton nesting material. Of course, hummers won't be the only birds to quickly grab this for their nests! We even include enough cotton for a refill in the package!

Hummingbird fact for today: Hummingbirds build velvety, compact cups with spongy floors and elastic sides that stretch as the young grow.