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!

First Shows of 2016 Completed!

We had a great time at the Spring Garden Show in Baton Rouge, LA. The drive down made us pause and consider the plight of those who suffered because of the unprecedented rainfall and flooding that seemed to cover the state. We toured the USS Kidd battleship and memorial. If you're in Baton Rouge, this is well worth the time!

From there we went to Vicksburg, MS. The National Military Park in Vicksburg is beautiful. It is a self-guided driving tour over paved roads weaving you past hundreds of memorials, statues, and markers. You can almost see the Civil War taking place. Also at the park is the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum. The Cairo is an ironclad gunboat that was sunk in the Yazoo River in 1862. It has been restored and sits proudly in front of a museum full of artifacts that were also salvaged.  A rare glimpse into the naval side of the war and well worth the stop.

Then on to the Memphis Master Gardeners' Spring Fling. We've been to Memphis before, so we didn't do any sightseeing here. Unfortunately, the weekend turned cold and blustery, even though the hummingbird migration is underway. Take a look at the map and you can see that ruby-throats are slowly making their way north. http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html.

We have wholesale orders to get completed before we head back to Louisiana. Proud to report that Beech Branch Crafts and Art Gallery will soon have a new shipment of Ozarklake feeders!

Hummingbird fact for today: 7,891 people reported their first hummers of 2015 to hummingbirds.net for the migration map. This set a new record! 

Back in Full Force

We left for a couple of days to exhibit at the Spring Bloom Festival in Bloomington, IL. We came home to find LOTS of hummers and LOTS of orioles! It's really amazing how quickly they moved back into the area. So of course Terrie had to start hand-feeding them.

We also now have at least three male Baltimore orioles and their mates, as well as more orchard orioles and their mates. The male Baltimores are just exquisite.

So the neighbor has been recruited to take care of the feeders when we go to Orchard in Bloom in Indianapolis next weekend and the Biggest Week in American Birding the following weekend. Then we'll stay home for a while and just enjoy our birds.

Hummingbird fact for today: Migrating birds of all kinds have adapted to the weather and wait for favorable winds. The ruby-throated hummingbird takes advantage of tail winds constantly. 

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.

Silver Dollar City - Just One More Week

We've been at this for six weeks now, and there's one week left. Must confess, we're ready for it to be over. Yes, we meet a lot of awfully nice people who are genuinely interested in learning all they can about hummingbirds, who enjoy their hummers throughout the summer, and who appreciate the work we put into making our art. BUT there are also some really inconsiderate, mis-informed, know-it-all's out there. For instance, the question of the day today was, "Do you know where you get your stoppers?" Well, of course we do. We are the ones who get them. And no, we're not going to tell you where we get them because you just bought a house with "at least 100 bottles in the basement" that you think you can turn into feeders if only we will provide you with the information so that you can. A photographer friend loves this question, "Were you there when you took these pictures?" And another artist friend loses it with this question, "Can I ask you a dumb question?" Sure. Go ahead. We're here to please.

Went home about a month ago and our hummer population was down from over three dozen to just two individuals. Then when we went home last, no sign of hummer activity at all. They are off to warmer surroundings for the winter and lordy how we miss them!

Spending time with other artists, we have been able to add quite a few pieces to our hummingbird art collection. One artist, who did his first ever hummer painting for us, joked that in a few years the BOMH artists at Silver Dollar City would be the BOMH Hummingbird Artists. So much talent in Missouri and thank goodness we have the opportunity to own some of their fantastic pieces! And thank goodness they are willing to accommodate our hummingbird "jones".

Hummingbird fact for today: Hummers do NOT fly south on the backs of geese. Geese don't go to the same locales and fly way too high for hummers to withstand the altitude. Hummers fly individually, just above tree-top level so they can feed along the way.

Ruby-throats Arriving Earlier than Normal

While on the road in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, we periodically checked the ruby-throated migration map at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html. We were amazed to watch as birds were spotted further and further north, including into Canada, in March. The first sighting here at the Lake of the Ozarks is usually around April 15, and yet there was a sighting report nearly a full month earlier than that. As we enjoyed the warm air blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico and watched the weather maps that showed no Artic air blowing down from the north, we speculated that these little birds were taking advantage of the warm air currents to move them along from their southern winter homes. Apparently our suppositions were not that far off the mark. Lanny Chambers, noted Missouri hummingbird bander and expert, gives his explanation for these early hummers on his website at http://www.hummingbirds.net/2012migration.html. His explanation makes a lot of sense as we've seen only a lone male at the feeder so far.

Artscape at the Dallas Arboretum was a fantastic show again this year. Joy and Megan and their crew of volunteers are absolutely super to work with. We hope the recent tornados and storms have not impacted any of them. The Spring Festival at Oak Alley Plantation was impacted by the heavy rains that pounded the area before the Festival. Attendance was down on Saturday as visitors had to be shuttled in to protect the grounds of the plantation. Sunday was much better when parking on the grounds was permitted. The folks who coordinate Art in the Pass in Pass Christian, MS, are the most artist-friendly crew we have experienced. Everything about that show was perfect!

While meandering between shows, we tracked down a couple of locations we've seen on television (VexCon, home of Billy the Exterminator, and Red Jacket Firearms), did some sightseeing in and around New Orleans, and learned first-hand about the impressive seafood industry in the Gulf Coast states.

Next up is the Stillwater, OK, Arts Festival and then we'll help Terrie's mom celebrate her 80th birthday.

Hummingbird fact for today: Since the mother starts incubating the first egg as soon as it's laid, that chick will hatch and fledge earlier than its sibling; it will remain close to the nest until the other chick is ready to fly.

Hard at work at Silver Dollar City

I am awed and humbled to be in the company of such amazing Best of Missouri Hands Juried Artists! Our new location inside the Frisco Freight Barn seems to be beneficial, especially when it is raining outside and we don't have to worry about getting wet! We're in our third weekend and we're having a blast. We have jewelers, photographers, painters, woodworkers, potters, and mixed media artists. Some have been here and gone only to be replaced by other high caliber creative people. A few more will change out this week. In addition to being able to see how talented my fellow artists are, I am also learning a few things from them that I plan to use in my work in the future. This is undoubtedly THE best time of the year to visit Silver Dollar City!

When we went home last week we noticed that our hummer population is down. It seems that all the males have headed back to the tropics, with females and juveniles soon to follow. Thank goodness our neighbor Steve is taking care of our hummers because we will spend the winter looking forward to their April return.

Hummmingbird fact for today: Hummers migrate individually, with this year's juveniles the last to head south. They instinctively know when to leave and where they are going.

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.

Silver Dollar City!

The Best of Missouri Hands Village at Silver Dollar City opens this Saturday, September 11. The BEST handcrafted items will be on display for purchase and some INCREDIBLE Missouri artists will be demonstrating. Come by and see us in our 1890's costumes! We'll be down by the Red Gold Barn until the end of October (park is closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

Hummer season at Lake of the Ozarks seems to be winding down. We've seen just one male this week at the feeders along with eight or so females and/or juveniles. They're feeding like crazy, plumping up for their long journey back to the tropics. Ozzy and Izzy will miss their morning "kitty TV" out the kitchen window. The chittering and chest-bumping goes on all day and thinking of their imminent departure is rather depressing.

The Wolfe Gallery in Deland, Florida, just received a shipment of Ozarklake feeders. We're excited to have our work out in that part of the country. Chosen in West Volusia County as "Best in the West", co-owners Martha Ashley and Nancy Wagar invite you to stop by and experience Wolfe Gallery for yourself.

Hummingbird fact for today: Male Ruby-throateds leave the breeding areas first to open up food sources for the females and the young. The juveniles born this year will be the last to leave. Each bird migrates individually with no guidance except for that provided by Mother Nature.

They're on the Move!

For others like me who suffer from Hummingbird Deprivation Syndrome during the winter, take heart! The Ruby-throated migration has reached the southern part of the United States. You can watch the migration progress at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html. You can also record the date you spot your first hummer of the season on this page.

We've been traveling. We set up in Little Rock, AR, for a few days and again in Killeen, TX, for a few days. Right now we're sight-seeing in San Antonio before we head to the Dallas Arboretum for Artscape. We meet so many wonderful hummingbird enthusiasts! And in our travels we find new sources of inspiration as we comb through little back-road stores looking for glass items to use in my art.

We've not gotten accepted to a few shows we applied to. That is always disappointing. But we're excited to again be a part of Town Art Show in Leawood, Kansas, in June. This show was not held last year and we missed attending. There is a LOT of excellent art at this show. It's Father's Day Weekend and we encourage all in the Kansas City area to come out and browse.

I'm working on a couple of new items and so far I'm pleased with the results. I'm using larger glass items incorporated in copper art to make delightful birdbaths. And I'm also developing an intricate copper shepherd's crook on which to hang a feeder. So far, these have been received well. I'm anxious to get back to the studio as we have found some beautiful glass pieces in our travels that are begging to become garden art.

Hummingbird fact for today: Male hummingbirds migrate northward as much as three weeks earlier in the spring than females.

Two Little Hangers-On

We still have two little birds hitting the feeders. How sad we'll be when they head south, too. Hope they are still here when we return from the Chautauqua in Madison, Indiana, this coming weekend.

Hummingbird fact for today: The hummers' migration is triggered by the length of the day. You cannot stop them from migrating by keeping your feeder out. Even you can't fight Mother Nature. The males are the first to leave, opening up the food sources for the females and juveniles. The females leave next. And finally this year's young leave. Hummers fly solo; they do not fly in flocks. Those young-un's head out with no one to show them where they are going. Amazing, isn't it?

Arrivederci. Adiós. Au Revoir. Auf Wiedersehen

Two weekends ago when we left for a show, we took down the tube feeders and replaced them with several bottle feeders. We had so many hummers zipping around, they were emptying all the tubes several times a day, so we wanted to make sure they would find enough food to hang around until we got home. Sure enough, on Monday we had our standard feeding frenzy and swarm of hummers.

This past weekend we did the same thing. But on Monday, we had fewer hummers. And noticeably absent are the red-gorgeted males. It appears that the migration back to the homeland has started. The males leave first. The females will follow over the next few weeks. This year's juveniles will be the last to depart. They fly individually and no one shows them where to go. What an incredible journey!

About two weeks ago we also lost our male orioles. Only females were eating the grape jelly. And now this week, nothing is eating the grape jelly. It appears that they, too, feel the forces of nature.

Woe is me!

Hummingbird fact for today: Feathers lost accidentally within a few weeks, while those damaged but not lost are replaced during the next normal molt.

Finally! Yay!

Spotted a male Ruby-throated hummingbird at the feeder on the front porch this afternoon. YAY! Females generally arrive about two weeks after the males.

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.

Where Are They??????

Have heard that hummers are back at the Lake of the Ozarks. Several people have them in their yards and at their feeders. We have yet to spot one here at our house :-(

Hummingbird fact for today: As migratory birds, hummers are part of the Earth’s circulatory system, transporting energy and other resources between tropical and temperate ecosystems thousands of miles apart.

It's Hummer Time!

For those of us who don't see hummers through the fall and winter months, NOW is the time to get your feeders from storage, clean them, fill them, and hang them outside. Add a few fluttery red ribbons around the feeders so that migrating hummingbirds will come investigate. Once they find food, they might just decide to stay in your yard!

Areas to the north of Missouri will also start to see hummers soon.

We had a great time in St. Louis last weekend at the Art Fair at Queeny Park, presented by the Greater St. Louis Art Association. We will be at Art in the Garden at Wenwood Farm Winery on April 18. Then the first weekend in May we head off to Artsfest on Walnut Street in Springfield, MO. We've also picked up a few new wholesale orders. Unfortunately, with Spring comes yard work as well. And we've not had time yet to completely finish all the repairs from the trees falling on the house last spring! There's just not enough hours in a day.........................

Hummingbird fact for today: Lanny Chambers, who tracks the progress of the spring migration of Ruby-throated hummingbirds, reports a sighting on March 26 in Forsyth, Missouri. You can watch the migration progress at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html