chicken tractors

baby chicks

Remember these? We got twenty-five Freedom Ranger chicks to raise in the French "label rouge" manner in April. Mr. Cranky and the Farmer built a chicken tractor for them to live in to protect them from the coyotes.

well, at least the setting is beautiful

you've heard of Rube Goldberg, I presume

curious and less cute

The Farmer hooks this contraption up to his tractor and moves it to fresh grass every other day.

electric fencing keeps predators away

The door opens so they can free range during the day, but it worried the Farmer terribly to release them.

they have a night light for warmth

They are closed in each night for safety and to  make it easy to move the tractor in the morning.

Nate and Salli and friends draw and cook

Animal finials

windowsill bear

I recently unearthed these pieces from a dusty box in the studio. They were originally intended to be finials for some huge lamp bases we were making. 

windowsill circus

I am curious about the ones that got away, so to speak. I didn't have a camera at the time, so I will never know what all the different animals were. I'll bet there was a camel.

windowsill elephant

windowsill wood duck

windowsill cormorant

windowsill bear

I like to think of them performing at night, when everyone is asleep.

Not your typical Dutch souvenir.

country life

baby goats

abundant plums

elk prevention

talk radio is the best deterrent

apples

Last year the elk ate every single piece of fruit in the orchard. They returned the next night to strip all the grapes. Finally, they ate all the leaves from the grape vines. We counted 91 elk last year, passing from the woods out to our neighbor's pasture one afternoon. It was thrilling, until the visit to our orchard. They first stripped our neighbor's garden, then came up here for dessert the next night. Our daily hike is mainly on elk/deer trails. They are back in our area until hunting season, when they make themselves scarce. I think they go hang out in the elk preserve near Jewell. Elk are crafty like that.

sunflowers from Judy

My favorite summer flower. In the spring it would be peonies. For fall, it's chrysanthemums.

sneak preview

dove luncheon plate

I am happy with these. Round, but not round. Soft edges. Hybrid Early American and Asian imagery.

flower dinner plate, little plovers on the rim

There will be more pictures to come when I am not so occupied in the studio; I am having so much fun in there these days.

I love the beach photos here; click on "beach lane".