Wrap-A-Smile Quilts

I made 13 charity quilt tops late November-early December.  No quilting angels were available to take them to quilt so I decided to sit down and do the free motion quilting myself.  I am happy to say that all have been quilted and bound.  They are ready to be mailed off to Terry for Wrap-A-Smile.  I use precut kits I made from my stash which helps to make the tops quicker. Here are pictures of them.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Ross's Goose

Best looks ever at the Ross's Goose

Ross's Goose

Christmas Ho Ho Ho

 Two years ago I made Christmas stockings for our department at work.  Fast forward we have had one person retire and added 5 people into the mix so out came my embroidery machine.  It had been so long since I made them I had difficulty finding the same alphabet but success.  Here are the pictures of the stocking display.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Still Blooming

Blanket Flower ~ still blooming!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Black Swallowtail cat's continue

Beginning of December and we still have Black Swallowtail cats feeding on the Curley Parsley.  I counted 9 cats on the parsley.

At the Feeders ~ Red-bellied Woodpecker

Wordless Wednesday ~ Feeding in the yard

Eastern Towhee ~ #90 yard bird

Northern Cardinal (female)

Wordless Wednesday ~ At the Feeders

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch 

Blue Jay

My yard ~ Butterflies and caterpillars

Eastern Black Swallowtail Cats

Great to arrive home from FL and find that we still have Eastern Black swallowtail cats feeding on the Curly Parsley.  I also have 3 Monarch chrysalis, 2 of which look ready to enclose so perhaps later today will be the time.  I worry that these butterflies will not make it down to Mexico but you can't hurry nature.

When I went out this afternoon 2 of 3 Monarch had enclosed.  I also caught a Black Swallowtail cat walking across the sidewalk to the garden.

Making an escape- Eastern Black Swallowtail cat

Enclosed Monarch butterfly

Monarch wings drying

Wings still drying on both butterflies 

Will this Monarch chrysalis make it until spring?

Felda, FL ~ Okaloacochee Slough State Forest

Common Moorhen

In spite of seeing some great birds along 2 of the trails yesterday at Okaloacochee Slough State Forest we never did get to see any Limpkins.  Today rain was predicted but we decided to drive back to the forest to drive some of the other trails in hopes of seeing a Limpkin.  Unfortunately, luck was not with us so no Limpkins this trip.  We did get good looks at some other birds including an unexpected Common Moorhen.

Anhinga

Black crowned Night Heron

Belted Kingfisher

Red shouldered Hawk

Crested Caracara

Felda, FL ~ Okaloacochee Slough State Forest

Barred Yellow

Loggerhead Shrike

I was still looking for Limpkins today to round out my week especially as we are not going to visit Marco Island to find the Burrowing Owls this trip. So after reading about the Okaloacochee Slough State Forest, it's 40 miles of driving trails and the fact Limpkins are common here this was where I wanted to visit.  Plus we'd get to drive along Rt 846 where we'd found some great birds a few days ago.  Lots of Loggerhead Shrikes, hawks, Wood Storks, Egrets, Herons were seen.  We stopped along the road at a cattle farm where the Cattle Egrets were present.  The watering hole at the ranch had Yellow Legs, Long-billed Dowitchers, ducks and peeps.  Along the banks of the ditch was a Least Sandpiper foraging.

Least Sandpiper

Eastern Meadowlark

White Ibis take over the pine tree.

Close up tree with Whit Ibis

Bonita Springs, FL ~ Lover's Key State Park ~ More Shorebirds

Royal Tern feeding chick 

Sandwich Terns & Black Skimmers resting on beach

Jenny collects shells while Bernie photograph the birds