Ometepe Island

Ometepe.  What can I say.  It is a very special place.  They even filmed a season of the T.V. show Survivor here.  Here is the low down on this exotic island off the coast of Nicaragua. 

 Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning two mountains. It is the largest island in Lake Nicaraguaas well as the largest volcanic island inside a fresh water lake in the world.

The two volcanoes of Concepción and Maderas are joined by a low isthmus to form one island in the shape of an hourglass. Ometepe has an area of 276 km². It is 31 km long and 5 to 10 km wide.^[1] The island has an economy based on livestock,agriculture, and tourism. Plantains are the major crop.

We stayed on the beach in Santa Domingo. And the walk we took on this day spoiled us for all other beach walks. Why?  Because of the view.  The top photo was taken while heading down the beach towards Maderas Volcano.  

Something old.

Local cowboys heading down the beach with a couple calves.  Not your normal beach sighting!  Ometepe is not your normal island.

Two local horses were out on their own.  Frolicking and rolling in the waves.  It was a wonderful sight.

Birds were hard at work though.  Catching a meal.

An egret.

A creepy vulture cleaning up the beach.  Everyone has a job to do.  Except us!  We were just on a photo safari.

Wow!  When you head back you get a double treat.  An excellent view of Concepcion Volcano.  Yup.  Just spoiled for life I say.  I'll spout off more Volcano information before I go...

Volcán Concepción, once named menstruation volcano; before the Spanish conquest; is the northwest half of the island. Concepción is a symmetrical cone, and is an active volcano (Baker, 2006). Concepción volcano rose in the early HoloceneEpoch and, through continual eruptions, now reaches an altitude of 1 610 m making Ometepe the world's highest lake island. Concepción is considered the most perfectly formed volcano cone in Central America. Although it went through a long quiet period, on December 8, 1880, Concepción came back to life. This eruption was extensive, and the volcano remained active for a year. More eruptions followed in 1883, 1889, 1902, 1907, and 1924. In 2005, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on theRichter scale occurred as a result of increasing pressure within the volcano. Cracks appeared on roads throughout the island and an advisory to leave the island was issued. This was the first minor eruption since 1999. The most recent eruption was in 2010 and though extremely violent, few of the inhabitants heeded the order from the government in Managua to evacuate the island.

The southeast half of the island consists of Volcán Maderas which has a crater lake and supports a diverse rainforest environment. Maderas also arose in the Holocene Epoch, and rises 1 394 m above sea level. It is considered extinct or dormant. A large lagoon formed in its crater was discovered on April 15, 1930, by the farmer Casimiro Murillo. It is mainly covered with coffee and tobacco plantations while the remainder is rain forest. Maderas Volcano is a perfect destination for theecotourist with a notable hike originating from Finca Magdalena.^[4] Much of this part of the island is now a nature reserve.

The volcanic ash has made the soil of this island extremely fertile, allowing continuous planting without fallowing. The volcanoes are visible from everywhere on the island, and life on Ometepe revolves closely around them. They also play an important part in the myths and legends of the island, which once served as an Indian burial ground

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday  For one more photo of Ometepe beat feet over to Toemail!

 Plus, I've updated my website.  I changed the template and for better or worse my art is bigger and badder than ever.  Visit Sharon's Studio and let me know what you think.  And to see my newest illustrated recipe click Pick Pecans For Breakfast  Nate and Salli are having a fun new contest.  You'll be Glad you did!

Poor Dan

I feel so bad for the person that lost their beautiful cat.  But my faith has been restored in humanity.  Look!  Someone went to the trouble of creating a poster just to find the loving home of this cutie.  So sweet. I am positive that if the cat is acting unfriendly and wild it is because the poor thing is scared.  Dan, you're the man!

I found this on Pinterest.  Where else.  I can't vouch for where it came from originally, but I found it at this link  It is just a hoot.  I wonder what happened after Dan posted this on his local electrical pole?

1)  Some poor sap with bad eyesight called Dan to claim her long lost tan, black and gray tabby.  She was shocked a year later when she picked up her new glasses. It finally explained why the cat had a hairless tail.

2)  Or maybe someone thought it was a new and rare breed of cat.  Unfortunately, all hell broke loose when she tried to mate her new pride and joy with a Maine Coon.

3)  Another theory is that Dan's wife called him and pretended to be an interested party.  She showed up with a disguise and a cat carrier.  The mysterious tabby was never seen in their neighborhood again.  Gulp. 

4)  Dan might not have gotten any calls.  And just decided to keep his new fe-male.  He might just be a sucker for good looks. 

5)  Obviously what really happened was Dan was inundated with calls.  But every call was from a scam artist.   They knew they had a sucker on the line.  Poor Dan.  

Visit Random 5 Friday for more randomness.

Close Your Mouth

When ever I see people chewing gum with their mouth open I want to say, "Close your mouth or you'll attract flies"  Oh, how I wish one would fly in.  It is such a pet peeve. 

Well, sometimes an open mouth is a good thing.  Like in this lucky capture.  Most birds would love to just open their beek and have nature do the rest.  But this hummer would probably prefer something sweet. I just love these photos taken in Fortuna, Costa Rica.  It is hard to catch hummers at rest. And the wire adds a contrast to his softness.  This hummer made a brief appearance a long time ago.  But is new to Wild Bird Wednesday 

Surreal Snow

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I took this rather surreal photo before stepping in the door after a winter photo safari.  My photographic journey took me out onto my steps and onto the frigid sidewalk.  Snap, snap.  The end! 

 Of course I was being watched the whole time.  I actually was thinking about the life of my spoiled brats compared with all the animals out there as the snow swirled and the winds howled last night.  How do wild animals survive the winter?  Meanwhile, mine were curled up in luxury. 

Here are 5 random snow quotes for Random 5 Friday 

1)  “The snow began to fall again, drifting against the windows, politely begging entrance and then falling with
disappointment to the ground” 
― Jamie McGuire, Beautiful Disaster

2)  “A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” 
― Carl Reiner

3)  “The snow was too light to stay, the ground too warm to keep it. And the strange spring snow fell only in that golden moment of dawn, the turning of the page between night and day.” 
― Shannon Hale, Palace of Stone

4)  “Whenever she turned her steep focus to me, I felt the warmth that flowers must feel when they bloom through the snow, under the first concentrated rays of the sun.” 
― Janet Fitch, White Oleander

5)  “Snow flurries began to fall and they swirled around people's legs like house cats. It was magical, this snow globe world.” 
― Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen

Here's mine...

  "Old man winter can go %$#@ himself!"

Destiny

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I made a grand romantic gesture this Valentine's Day.  I was so inspired by an illustration I spied on Pinterest that I created my own version.  The original had a hand, a bird and the proverb as an attachment.  I normally would never draw something so similar, but the illustration was a romantic gift. I drew a chickadee because it is my husband's favorite bird.  I used my own hand and then in my version changed the thread into the words.  Literally. And now I'm sharing it with you because I'm sure we all have felt the pull of a predestined attachment. 

"An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, despite the time, the place and despite the circumstances.  The thread can be tightened or tangled, but can never be broken." 

I love that saying.

This Valentine's illustration is the first entry for www.illustrationfriday.com that was created after the theme twisted was posted.  I couldn't resist hooking up since my tangled thread of words is indeed twisted. 

P.S.  For more romance and a Valentine's recipe check out my last post.  Or click here!

Sweets for the Sweetie

5 random things I love about my husband for Random 5 Friday

1)  He gives more massages than he gets.

2)  He loves Downton Abbey!

3)  He warms up the car on cold days.

4)  He unloads the dishwasher.

5)  He lets me have the bigger slice of cake!

Happy Valentine's Day!  

Make this easy Vanilla Raspberry Lemon Curd Cake for your sweetie.  Yum!

The cake:

1 cup softened butter  (this is what makes it good!)
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour  (I premix the dry ingredients)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar  (I use 1/2 splenda)
4 eggs
1-2 tbsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups whole milk

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric blender until fluffy.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix.  Then alternately add the premixed flours, salt and soda with the milk.  Beat until combined.

Bake in two 9 inch round cake pans.  Be sure to oil and flour the pans so the cake won't stick.  Spread the batter between the pans and bake at 350 for around 30 minutes.  Just until set.

Cool 5-10 minutes on wire racks and then run a knife along the pan edges and invert to release the cake.

When the cakes are cooled spread a layer of purchased lemon curd and a good quality raspberry jam (I use homemade) on the bottom layer.  Add the second layer.

Frost with an easy ganache.  In a small sauce pan heat 1/2 cup half and half just until it simmers.  Then remove from the heat and add 1 1/4 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips.  (I use 1/2 semi and 1/2 bittersweet)  Pour over the cake. 

 Now for the important part.  Add a red sugar heart before it sets.  I cut a template out of paper.

Don't forget the love!  Everything tastes better with love.  

Downton Tabby

Downton Tabby

Downton Tabby

What did you get for Christmas?  Well, one of my gifts really made me laugh.  Downton Tabby!  From my friend Nina! She is so funny. The book always makes me smile when I look at it. I have it on a shelf with other books above my computer.  It has a place of honor among the two books I've illustrated and the books that my friends have illustrated.

I was wondering what to post for Random 5 Friday and inspiration clawed!  Downton Tabby has some catty quotes.  But since the real thing is being aired right now I picked some Abbey quotes from this season.  And I had a little help while I was setting up this post. (See above) So I photographed my lap tabby. I use the word help loosely.

Here are some new quotes from the cast.  But hands down Violet has had the best zingers over the years.   

1)  Violet
"I wonder your halo doesn't grow heavy.  It must be like wearing a tiara around the clock."

2)  Carson
"The business of life is the acquisition of memories.  In the end that's all there is."

3)  Isobel
"Are you thinking of getting married Dr. Clarkson?  Because if you are, you're a better man than I am.  Gunga Din."

4)  Lord Gillingham
"It's not complicated.  I've made a long journey to ask a short question.  Will you marry me?"

5)  Mary
"Sometimes I don't know who I'm mourning for-- Matthew or the person I used to be before I was with him."

Stay tuned for more!

Exotic Islands

The www.illustrationfriday.com theme exotic inspired me to put together my first Nicaragua post.  It may be the first post.  But it all happened on our last day this January.  And last days can be notoriously sad.  But the post-trip blues melted away as we set sail through these volcanic islands off of Granada.

Here's my "IF" illustration.  This exotic flower reminded me of the water lily in the top photo.  It is one of my early gouache florals.  I don't paint many flowers anymore.

You can see Volcan Mombacho in the background.  One of its eruptions formed these little tropical islands off the coast of Granada on Lake Nicaragua.  It is the 20th largest lake in the world.  And it is the only freshwater lake in the world where sharks live!

Our boat.  As you can see we weren't really sailing.  But for $30 U.S. dollars you can charter your own boat and cruise for two hours.  A great deal.

We cruised by an island inhabited by a family of spider monkeys.  It was the first time I'd seen this species.  But you don't want to get too close.  They have attacked tourists who try to feed them.  Or maybe that is an urban tourist myth.  Either way I just zoomed in!

Reflections.

One of the islands held a cemetery.

And one of the islands had a large amount of Montezuma Oropendola nests.  Do you see them?

They droop off the top of trees.

Here is the culprit.  These birds are fun to hear and see.  They make this loopy kind of coo-chirp. And the males do this drop-dip up and down on a branch during mating season.  This lady is impressed.

A close up.

The crew kept picking water lilies for me.  I hope they aren't endangered!

Here we are heading back to the mainland with my bouquet and lots of memories.  It was a great trip.

And for one more photo in this series visit Toemail!  It's a blog for globe trotting feet.

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

Save a Yeti!

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I wasn't planning to hook up to www.illustrationfriday.com this week.  But then I realized I had the perfect match for the theme disguise.  I did this illustration for a t-shirt design.  A humorous Christmas present for my husband.  Yetis have been a joke at our house ever since we saw the B-movie, Yeti.  A Love Story.  It was the weirdest movie we've ever seen.  And ever since we are always saying.  "Praise the Yeti"  The movie's catch phrase.  (I put that onto the front of the shirt.  

For the back I came up with a new concept.  Now Yetis are saved by wearing shoes.  They no longer leave tell tale paw prints in the snow.  Now they leave people tracks.  

Save a Yeti!

P.S.  Be sure to pop over and check out my entry in this year's Tomie dePaola Contest  The theme is sneeze.  The entries will blow you away!  Hint...mine is at the bottom.

I'm cuckoo for Costa Rica

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It was the first morning of our 2010 trip.   A sunny beginning to another bird and monkey filled extravaganza.  And the first bird we saw was a new one.  The Squirrel Cuckoo.  I also had an assignment on this trip.  To write and illustrate in a journal that would be sent to the Brooklyn Art Library for Art House Co-op.  The theme was Over the Top.  (I've posted this set of illustrated poems before.  Many times.  But I don't think I've ever posted the inspiration bird photo. At the very least it will be new to Wild Bird Wednesday fans.) I went right back to our cabana and started writing.  I hope you'll enlarge the illustrations and read along. 

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I've used this selection as a header.  I also used this image on business cards.  It is an old favorite.

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The end!

P.S.  Please pop over to the Tomie dePaola Contest to see my entry for the theme Sneeze.  It will blow you away I promise!

Hint...it's at the bottom of the page.

And for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

Trail Cam Critters

I sorted through around 2,000 trail cam photos just for you.  My blog followers.  Actually, it was kind of fun.  When you quickly flow through all those photos it becomes like a movie.  The deer's ears twitch, their eating and frolicking comes to life and then they suddenly disappear from the frame.  Just like magic.  Well, I picked out an assortment of night critters, day trippers and anything unusual.  Like this deer kiss.  How sweet.

For those of you uninitiated with our trail cam, it is a camera that snaps a photo when it detects motion out in our woods.  So far no yetis.  

A great coyote capture.

Turkeys galore.

A flashy close-up.

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A fisher cat!  This is an amazing capture.

Take a gander at another turkey.

A monster deer.  But not in size.  If you look close his head looks right out of an alien movie.

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Inspecting the junk.

Fight club

Flight club plus ref.

One horn at night

One horn during the day.  He looks pretty beat up.

A raccoon in headlights.

Buck beauty shot.

I wonder if she's saying, "No more photos for God's sake" 

A blurry Bobcat.  It is not a good shot.  But it is still pretty cool to capture one roaming around.

The snow looks like shafts of light cutting through the night.

A post snow frolic.

A snowy dinner party.

I hope you enjoyed our nature photos.  It is fun to catch animals unaware.  And you never know watch you'll catch.  Big foot?  He's on our bucket list.

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday