Day: January 4, 2013

Turkey Tracks: Winter Male Turkeys

Turkey Tracks:  January 4, 2013

Winter Male Turkeys

Just before we got the BIG SNOW last week, the turkeys were visiting regularly.  One night a group of males nested in the trees just beyond the chicken coop–and answered back as I talked to them while locking down the coop for the night.  They are so HUGE up there high in the tree tops.

Right now, the hens and males are traveling in two separate bands.  But, we have seen them moving closer together recently.  I think they start mating up here sometime in February.  Or, maybe it’s just that they start forming separate, smaller bands, each with a male and a grouping of hens.  I can’t think the hens lay eggs and sit on them in two feet of snow!

Anyway, one day a larger-than-average group of males was all around the house–included were some younger males–clearly still juveniles.  (Average is about five males.)  The turkeys formed a line that swept, serpentine in movement, all around the back hill.  The line formed and reformed as different turkeys, mostly the juveniles I think, were pushed out of the band and rejoined it.  Occasionally one of the larger males would flare up his feathers and spread his tail.  All their heads were bright red–not the blue associated with mating.

Here they are in a brief, calmer moment.  In looking at the picture, maybe some were hens, though it seemed at the time like they were all males.

‘Dec 2012 male turkeys

I have no idea what was happening.  But it sure was fun to watch, which I did for about 15 minutes as the line moved erractically around the hill.

Rusty Bryan, any ideas????

Turkey Tracks: Handmade Winter Snow Globe by Kathy Daniels

Turkey Tracks:  January 4, 2013

Handmade Winter Snow Globe By Kathy Daniels

Coastal Quilters had their annual Christmas party early in December.  As part of the festivities, we had a Yankee Swap.  Though I’m sure other members think they wound up with the best gift, I came home with the BEST swap ever–a handmade snow globe, made by member Kathy Daniels, who is an art quilter.

Here’s a picture:

Winter Globe

The insert on the inside of the globe has two fabric sides–both made by Kathy.  The tree side has white fabric for snow, blue fabric for sky, and tiny trees thread-painted with her sewing machine.  The stars are embroidered onto the sky fabric.  Here’s a close-up, sans most of the snow:

Winter Globe 3

The other side is a tiny bare bush that is dotted with French knots that make up red and white berries.  Kathy has couched a line of frayed, fuzzy thread to separate the snow and the sky.

Winter Globe 2

Kathy says this project was not hard.  There’s probably a kit somewhere for the apparatus itself–and the interior fluid.  The outer ball is soft plastic, not hard, so one does have to be gentle with it.  It came in a large box that I will use to store it when spring makes itself felt.

I have shaken up the snow and watched it fall so many times now since early December.  Something about watching the falling snow is soothing.  The action slows one down for at least a minute!    It’s a gift that will keep on giving–full of creativity and promise.

Kathy did a trunk show for Coastal Quilters some time back, before she moved to Camden from elsewhere in Maine, so there is another entry about her, with pictures of her and some of her amazing quilts , elsewhere on this blog.  And, her web site is http://studiointhewoods.blogspot.com/.  I’m sure you’ll find lots of good quilt pictures and fiber art projects on Kathy’s blog.

Enjoy!