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!

Nice Article!

The Mar/Apr issue of Lake Lifestyles Magazine has a nice article and pictures of our work. We are very pleased!

Ozarklake Feeders Now Available in Raleigh, NC!

Today we delivered hummingbird feeders, hummingbird accessories, fruit/jelly feeders, and other garden art to When Pigz Fly in Raleigh, NC. What a fabulous store! Jim and Diane will welcome you with open arms and answer any and all questions you may have. The creativity and talent of people continues to amaze me. Even if you don't make a purchase, you can amuse yourself for a good while just looking around. Stop in! It's worth a visit!

Next month, visitors and residents in Saugatuck, MI, will find Ozarklake feeders at The Owl House. And just in time for the return of the Ruby-throats to the area!

We'll be heading out soon for our spring shows. March 12-13 will find us at the Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show, and we'll be at the Memphis Spring Fling March 18-19. In April, we'll be at the Festival des Fleurs in Lafayette, LA, on April 2-3. The following weekend, April 8-9, we'll be at the Southwest Louisiana Garden Expo in Lake Charles. We're going back to the Illiana Garden and Pond Expo in Crown Point, IN, April 23-24. After that we'll head west, stopping at the Big Bodacious Spring Expo in Spanish Forks, UT, May 6-7, and then the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in Farmington, UT, May 13-14.

And MOST IMPORTANTLY, the hummers will be returning to Lake of the Ozarks in about 45 days, followed by the Orioles!!! Whoo-hoo!!!! Watch the 1st sightings dates fill in the map at www.hummingbirds.net/map.html If there have been no sightings in your area and you see one, send the information so hummingbird bander Lanny Chambers can put it on his migration map!

Hummingbird fact for today: As fast and as often as their wings move, what keeps hummers from overheating? Check out this video by Tech Insiders. 

Hummingbird mystery solved
Scientists have solved one of the biggest mysteries about hummingbirds.
Posted by Tech Insider on Monday, December 21, 2015

The Yard is Not Exciting Without Hummers

This time of year it seems like something is lacking. Oh, that's right. The hummers and orioles are gone. We don't have to keep nectar made, have tons of sugar on hand, buy oranges and grape jelly, or fill feeders daily. So this time of year we start putting out suet, and sunflower seed, and mixed bird seed, and thistle seed - and we get to see many different kinds of birds in the yard. The little goldfinches haven't developed their bright yellow winter color yet, but the cardinals are bright red so there's a little color at the feeders. And of course the several varieties of woodpecker add a splash of color. But it's just not the same as having hummers buzzing around all day, flitting around the porch and deck.

We've got just two more shows this year. We'll be at Fall into Art in Columbia, MO, Nov. 14-15. A lot of Best of Missouri Hands Juried Artists will be exhibiting and selling unique one-of-a-kind items for holiday shoppers. The weather promises to be mild, too, so get out and go shopping! The last time we did this show in 2013, it was cold as heck! We're looking forward to a great show with lots of shoppers and getting a chance to see lots of artist friends.

Then on the Friday after Thanksgiving we're doing a new show here at the Lake of the Ozarks, the Handmade Holiday Market. It's hosted by the Lake Studio for the Arts in Sunrise Beach. One day only, so if you're in the area, don't miss this opportunity to find some create gifts handmade right here at the Lake.

Don't despair if you're not in Missouri. You can still find something for every bird-lover on your shopping list in our Ozarklake Shop. We will ship! And we'll even include a gift card and ship directly to your gift recipient if you want us to.

Hummingbird fact for today:  Each species of hummingbird makes a different humming sound, determined by the number of wing beats per second.

The Gang's All Here

After seeing just a couple of males several days apart mid-April, it is now apparent that the charm of hummingbirds that left here last fall has returned. We've counted at least 4 males feeding at the same time, and countless females. Today I happened to catch one of the males wooing the ladies with his big sweeping U-shaped flights back and forth in front of her. The nesting material we put out is being pulled and plucked, so the mama's are getting their nests ready. The crowd on the front porch feeders is such that Terrie's already started hand-feeding every evening.

We also had quite a surprise when a male orchard oriole showed up on April 17. We had no oranges, but Terrie got the grape jelly out for him, which seemed to make him happy. So luckily the jelly was already out when a male Baltimore Oriole showed up 5 days later! Usually it's May 1 before we see any orioles. Terrie was beside herself! Still no signs of female orioles, but they will be here.

There's a new store opening in Delmar, NY, and Ozarklake feeders will be featured in it! Merriman and Pfister's Marketplace is so new that there website isn't finished. We're honored they chose our items for the new store. Ozarks Classic Crafts Mall in Hardy, AR, just got a new shipment of Ozarklake feeders, too.

The Illiana Pond and Garden Expo in Crown Point, IN, was a new venue for us. Thanks to all who visited our booth and made it a successful show for us! Next week we're off to The Biggest Week in American Birding on the shores of Lake Erie in Northwest, OH. It was a good show for us last year and we're hoping it's better this year.

Hummingbird tip for today: Female hummingbirds head for the breeding grounds about three weeks after the males when more flowers are blooming and producing nectar. In promiscuous species such as hummingbirds, which do not form pair bonds at all, breeding females are more valuable than males and a reliable food supply reduces their risk. 

The arrival of Fall means the departure of the hummers

It's been two weeks since we have seen any hummers here. This video was shot on October 1. It's rather sad to look out the window and not see any buzzing activity at the feeders. We went through about 200 pounds of sugar this hummer season, tho', and it was sure fun and entertaining. They are such amazing little creatures!

Now is the time that we have to get the house and yard prepared for winter because by the time we return from our next trip, Old Man Winter will be right around the corner if not already moved in. We're also preparing for two fun festivals in south Texas. We'll be at the Texas Butterfly Festival hosted by the National Butterfly Center in Mission. Butterflies and hummers tend to hang out in the same locations, and this area has some of the best concentrations in the country. Following that we will move up the road to Harlingen and the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. This is one of the biggest birding festivals in the country and a lot of fun. The people in south Texas are very supportive of the snowbirds that descend on the area to escape the northern winter weather.

April and the return of the ruby-throats seems so far away right now, but we can enjoy feeding the winter birds until then. Just hope that we don't "enjoy" too much winter weather *lol*,

Hummingbird fact for today: The brilliant iridescent colors of hummingbirds are are structural colors, not pigment, which means they are reflected by microscopic structural features of the feather surface.

Nearly Fall and We Still Have Hummers!

This is the first year that we have been home consistently through the month of September in quite a long while. So we really have no idea when the ruby-throats leave the Lake of the Ozarks. So far so good! There's even a couple of males hanging around. Yay!

What is it about rain?

It seems that when it is rainy outside, the birds just go nuts! I don't understand. Does something happen to flowers in the rain? It's been a madhouse all day at ALL of our feeders. At this rate, we need to buy a sugar plantation and grow our own! This is the front porch alive with orioles and hummers.

This is the back deck and studio front, alive with hummers.

Had a good time at the Clara Brierly Festival of the Arts in Peculiar this past weekend. That group of volunteers is fabulous. A homecooked breakfast is above and beyond the call of duty! Thank you so much ladies!!!

Our next stop will be Artfest Midwest - the OTHER Art Show in Des Moines, IA.

Hummingbird fact for today: Some hummingbirds are so small, they have been known to be caught by dragonflies and praying mantis, trapped in spider's webs, snatched by frogs, and stuck on thistles.

Mama is on the Nest

Feeding activity has slowed down a bit here. That's because mama is on the nest. There are probably two pea-sized eggs that will hatch in about two and a half weeks. The baby birds are tiny, featherless, and stubby-beaked. Mom will feed them a diet of regurgitated tiny bugs and nectar for about three weeks. Until the babies have feathers, however, she will not leave them for long as they depend on her for warmth. When they finally go out on their own, they are about mom's size, so it's difficult to distinguish the juveniles from the female adults. So right now, activity at the feeders is slower than it was as mom was preparing the nest.

Is this where I sit?

Nice place to sit for a spell.

I'll share it with you.

That's not to say that the birds aren't eating, because they sure are at our house! At dusk our porch looks like the Indianapolis Speedway on race day! But through the day we are seeing just a few birds throughout the day as opposed to the droves of birds we were seeing all day. The feeders on the back deck and on the studio have about the same activity level. Terrie took these pictures today of one "bully" guarding the deck feeders from her Bully Pulpit, except she didn't seem too concerned when another bird slipped in for a drink.

Earlier this month we were in Indianapolis for Orchard in Bloom. Fantastic show but we had to make a visit to the Goodwill Store for heavier coats because it turned off so cold! Following that we were at the The Biggest Week in American Birding near Toledo. Another good show for us. It made no sense to drive home in between these shows, so Terrie was able to fulfill her lifelong dream of visiting the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton. Canton is also home to the Canton Classic Car Museum (worth visiting) and the MAPS (Military Aviation Preservation Society) Museum (definitely worth visiting). We had a good time and of course added to the magnet and shot glass collections. Our final stop in Canton was the Fannie May/Harry London Chocolate Factory! Luckily the weather remained cool and we got all the chocolate home without it melting :-)

In June we will be at the Clara Brierly Festival of the Arts in Peculiar, MO. This is a WAM festival - wine, arts, and music - and we had a really good time there last year. We will also be headed to Des Moines for Artfest Midwest - the "Other" Art Show. ArtFest is offered as an alternative, affordable art show and as a complement to the downtown Des Moines Art Festival. Plus it is indoors!!!

Hummingbird fact for today: Female hummingbirds will usually have two eggs laid on different days. Even though the eggs will be laid on different days, both the eggs will usually hatch on the same day.




Hummers Have Returned!!!

You can almost set your clock by the annual return of the hummers around here - April 15. And this year is no exception. Real light activity at the feeders right now, but it WILL increase!

Our three Gulf shows were a disappointment. We were ankle deep in mud at the Oak Alley Plantation Spring Crafts Show. It was so bad, in fact, that the Plantation has cancelled all future shows. They want to keep their grounds looking nice (and who can blame them?) so after 23 years, they have called it quits on the outdoor shows. Art in the Pass in Pass Christian, MS, was a little better. It was just sort of rainy on Saturday, but the forecast for Sunday was for severe storms, so Sunday was cancelled. Of course, the storms didn't develop. Finished out at Festival de les Fleurs in Lafayette, LA. This show was indoors, so it was MUCH better. However, crowds were extremely sparse on Sunday. On the upside, Stokes Garden Center in Lafayette now carries Ozarklake feeders.

Still, we had a good time. We have now seen most all of southern Louisiana, driven out into the ocean to visit Grand Isle, learned about the persecution and exile of the Acadians as well as the cypress and Spanish moss industries, and discovered that Cajun food is VERY good. We've seen Pierre Part and Pecan Island, and have a better understanding of the lives of the Swamp People.We even visited Duck Commander in West Monroe.

We are completing some wholesale orders and getting ready for upcoming shows in Bloomington, IL; Indianapolis, IN; and The Biggest Week in American Birding in Ohio.

And best of all, the hummers have returned to the Lake of the Ozarks!

Hummingbird fact for today: A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.

So Close and Yet So Far

It seems as though it has been forever since the hummers headed south. We're both getting really anxious! And it seems that the northward migration may have begun at long last. The migration map that we like to follow is showing some late February sightings along the gulf coast. Check it out at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html.

We'll be heading off for Mississippi and Louisiana in a few weeks. We're both ready! We're going stir-crazy here in Missouri. And the polar vortex is headed our way --- again. Spring can't come soon enough!

Terrie has had a project for me to do in her head for a long, long time. And it seems that the procrastination has come to an end. She's gotten all the parts for it and now I'll actually have to build it. Pictures will be posted in the near future (assuming that I actually get to work on it).

Hummingbird fact for today: Unlike most other vertebrates, hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light which may help them find flowers with ultraviolet patterns.

Never a quiet moment

Here's are two videos - random 30 seconds of both sides of the house/shop. Not sure if we have backyard birds and frontyard birds, or if they all go to all the feeders.

What's Up With the Wandering Hummers?

According to the Morning Sun, a newspaper in Mt. Pleasant, MI, a rufous hummingbird was seen this week in that part of Michigan. That's pretty amazing since rufous hummers usually hang out between Washington and Alaska. The sighting was documented by a hummingbird researcher.

For the second year in a row, an Allen's hummer was at a feeder near Knoxville, TN, in October. This was verifiable because last year the little bird was banded while in Tennessee. Allen's hummers have a very small, narrow, breeding range along the cloud-shrouded Pacific coast from southern Oregon to southern California. They have both a migratory race that winters in a small area in central Mexico and a non-migratory race that winters in California. So why is this bird in Tennessee?

In the last two months more than 60 western stray hummers have been found in Pennsylvania according to the Lehigh Valley website. Most sightings have been rufous hummingbirds that breed from the Pacific Northwest up into Alaska but there have also been three surprise species, all three of which have been found in the southeastern part of the state. A Calliope was in a backyard near Philadelphia, then on Nov. 10 a black-chinned hummingbird spent one day in a yard north of Levittown, and this week there is an Allen's in a yard near Pipersville in Bucks County.

Is it that there is a shuffling or ranges within the hummingbird world? All of these areas are in the normal ruby-throated hummingbird summer habitat. Or are we just becoming more aware of hummers? Imagine the thrill of seeing a "foreign" species in your yard outside the regular "season". What fun!

Hummingbird fact for today: Never say ALWAYS or NEVER when talking about hummingbirds!

Made in Missouri Juried Exhibit

Silver Dollar City (SDC) in Branson, MO, has a strong commitment to Missouri artists and artisans. Each fall during the Harvest Festival, a variety of Best of Missouri Hands (BOMH) juried artists are invited to demonstrate their craft during the Festival. I have participated for a number of years and thoroughly enjoy my time at Silver Dollar City.



Cascade in Blue

 Last year, SDC expanded its support of Missouri artists and artisans with its Made in Missouri Exhibit. This special exhibit showcased some of the finest work by BOMH juried artists as determined by judges who selected participating pieces from submitted applications. The 2012 Harvest Festival will once again feature the Made in Missouri Exhibit in the Frisco Barn, with visiting BOMH artisans demonstrating along the perimeter of the Exhibit. There are $5,000 in awards to be given with judging by the leadership of Herschend Family Entertainment, parent company of SDC, the leadership team of SDC and the general public.

I am humbled and honored that my submission, Cascade in Blue, has been accepted to be a part of this year's Made in Missouri Exhibit.
 
Dates for the Harvest Festival at Silver Dollar City are September 13 - October 27, 2012.
 
Hummingbird fact for today: To keep their feathers in top shape, hummingbirds will leaf-bathe by fluttering against wet leaves.

Here We Go -- Again

Spring must be arriving because we're hitting the art show circuit!

This coming weekend is the ArtSmart Conference here at the Lake of the Ozarks. This is the annual "meeting" for all Missouri artists and artisans who are members of, or just want more information about, the Best of Missouri Hands. After that, Terrie and I are presenting a community education class on hummingbirds.

The following weekend we'll be at Artscape at the Dallas Arboretum. From there we'll go the the Spring Festival at Oak Alley Plantation. Then we'll head over to Art in the Pass. In April we'll be at the Stillwater Art Festival.

Sometime during that time span our little hummingbirds will return here to their summertime home and we'll once again be entertained by them. That will be the SURE sign of Spring!

Hummingbird fact for today: Dot the landscape, especially the area near your feeder, with fluttery red ribbons or bows to entice returning hummingbirds to stay in your area for the summer.

California Road Trip

Yes, we drove from Missouri to California and back again. I was honored to be included in the Southwest Arts Festival in Indio this year. What an amazing array of talent! The art show in Palm Springs was blown away the previous weekend - literally! However, the weather gods smiled on us in Indio and we met some wonderful new customers.

Terrie's mom lives less than an hour from Indio, so of course we hung around in sunny California for a week. Terrie and her mom took a road trip to Los Angeles and sat in on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and a taping of Hot in Cleveland AND took the Warner Brothers Studio tour. On the way home we stopped off to see an old school friend of Terrie's and dropped a bunch of money on beads in New Mexico.

Now we are back in c-o-l-d Missouri and getting prepared for the next round of shows in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Looking forward to warmer weather!

Hummingbird fact for today: A female hummer will lay 1-3 eggs. Young will hatch in 13-22 days.

Non Traditional Student Graduates with Honors

For the past few years I've watched my wife Terrie sweat bullets over mid-terms, finals, and APA research papers. I've seen her determination and focus as this non-traditional on-line student never lost sight of her goal, despite being "on the road" most weeks to art shows and festivals all over the country. This past weekend her journey culminated when she graduated from Columbia College with her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services Magna cum Laude and I couldn't be prouder!

Our 2012 show schedule is beginning to fill in. In January we'll be at the Southwest Arts Festival in Indio, CA. A side benefit of doing this show is that we'll visit Terrie's mom and her husband in Yucca Valley. In March we'll head south into Louisiana for the Oak Alley Plantation spring festival. In April we'll return to the Stillwater (OK) Arts Festival. We'll be heading off to Sedona, AZ, in August for the Hummingbird Society's Festival. And we'll be back at Silver Dollar City in September and October. We're both excited to return to some excellent shows and to try out some new shows. More dates will fill in as shows complete their jurying process.

Hummingbird fact for today: Blossom shape can be a determining factor to flowers that are visited by hummingbirds. Nectar contained in a long, tubular blossom is easily extracted by a hummingbird, whose tongue can extend a distance roughly equal to its beak length and reach where most insects cannot.

Atlasta Studio!!

At last the studio is up and running! ALL the glass has been moved out of the house. MOST of the copper, too! Yay!

The last two shows have been very disappointing. The organizers did well in preparation and making the artists welcome, but lacked in promotion. Thus, neither show was well attended. Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Normal, IL, is next up. It was a great show last year, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

Our little hummers are eating us out of house & home! What voracious appetites! Remember to keep the nectar fresh and you'll have hours and hours of enjoyment.

Hummingbird fact for today: Most hummingbirds are enthusiastic and versatile predators, plucking gnats and flies out of the air, searching leaves and bark crevices for aphids and beetles, and even robbing spiders of their silk-wrapped prey.

Sneak Peek at My New Studio

Finally! Construction has begun. Way back in mid-January, we notified our propane company that they needed to move their tank to the other side of the house. After two weeks of almost daily phone calls, the service manager finally came out to see what needed to be done. Then we got hit with the blizzard, and the ground was snow-covered for 2 weeks. As soon as the snow was gone, we again started calling them almost daily. EVERY time he had the same excuse: the last he heard the boom truck was down in Branson but he'd get to us as soon as he could. In the meantime, the weather was great and the contractor was ready to go to work. After two more weeks of hearing the same lame excuse, we called another propane company, had them place the tank where we wanted it, paid them to run new gas line, and then they picked up the tank that was holding up construction and moved it out of the way after they disconnected it. One week after telling the first company to just come pick up their tank, it's still sitting here, holding propane that we paid for and will now lose. But at least it's out of the way and the contractor has been hard at work.

Living in the construction chaos is nerve-racking to say the least. Thankfully we'll be heading off to Texas soon and by the time we get back, we should have an actual building! I had hoped to meet up with my sister in Austin but now that plan may change. We'll have to wait and see if it works out.

We shipped some feeders to Applehurst in Winterset, Iowa, this week. If you're in the area, stop in and say hi to Susan.

Hummingbird fact for today: The 17 species of hummingbirds that have bred in the United States and Canada represent approximately 5 percent of the world's hummingbird species.

Blizzard of 2011

On February 1, much of the mid-West was smacked by a blizzard. A few days later, it hit the eastern part of the country. Record-breaking snowfall and low temperatures paralyzed us. We shoveled more than 8 inches of snow off the back deck twice within 5 hours that day, and left the final 4 or so inches. On the bright side, we didn't seem to get any ice AND we didn't lose electricity until just a couple of days ago for a couple of hours. Naturally this all occurred AFTER the carport was removed in anticipation of the new garage and studio. Today the temperature went above 60 degrees, so finally a lot of this stuff is melting. The downspouts sound like there is water running through a fire hose at full capacity! Perhaps construction can begin in the near future because we are COMPLETELY ready to get all of the various components of Ozarklake in one spot and under one roof.

This week I will be attending Citizens Day at the Legislature, sponsored by Missouri Citizens for the Arts. Best of Missouri Hands receives a grant from the Missouri Arts Council, and MAC receives funding from the Missouri Legislature -- at least when the Legislature approves a budget with funding for the arts. And that is my purpose in attending -- to ask my legislators to approve a budget that will include some money for the arts in Missouri.

Being snowed in has not been a total waste of time. We have kept busy happily creating art for Kala Gallery in Lenoir, NC; A Wish Called Wanda in St. Michaels, MD; Oak Creek in Scottsdale, AZ; and Artsy Elements in Williamsville, NY.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds should be here in about 60 days!

Hummingbird fact for today: Popular tropical destinations such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Ecuador are rich in hummingbird species, most of which are never seen in the US.