Bins, Bags, Baskets and Boxes

click to enlarge

I hooked up to Random 5 Friday last week.  And since my cat Hana got the spotlight treatment I thought this Friday I'd share 5 Akua facts.

1) Akua has never met a bin, basket, box or bag he doesn't love.  He'll just climb in and zone out.  He is very zen when he's doing the pail treatment.

2) He is a living Teddy Bear.  

3) He is a lazy Lion.

4) Bacon is the only thing that brings out the beast in him.

5) As soon as my husband opens the bedroom door, Akua races up the stairs to see me.  His only non lazy adventure and the sweetest thing in the world.  That's my boy!

>^..^<

  

Parrots with a View

click to enlarge

I was going to crop this photo. But I love the faded hillside in the background.  I took this photo while admiring the view at Cahel Pech in Belize this winter.  I think they are Red-lored Parrots.  But they could also be White-fronted Parrots.  Bird names are so funny.  We were lucky enough to go birding with the bird book author Lee Jones this winter.  And he also joked about bird names.  Like the White-fronted Parrot.  It does not have a white front.  All I know is that it is pretty unmistakable when a parrot flies by.  They chatter so loudly.  Obnoxiously is more like it.  But I sure love seeing them.  

Be sure to check out the birds this week at the blog hop Paying Ready Attention

Rio Frio Cave in Belize

This post isn't so much for the people who enjoy my blog photos. These cave photos are really not that exciting.  It's more for the people that actually read my posts.  Whoever you are.  We visited Rio Frio Cave in the Mountain Pine Forest region of Belize this January.  It was a giant gaping hole in the cliff side.  With a river running through it.  It was definitely worth exploring.  But it was what happened after that made it interesting.  First we drove to the end of the road and parked.  Then hiked down near the cave entrance.  Of course the first thing we encounter are armed guards.  They were just sitting on a picnic table with machine guns. Just typical.  Ha! 

As with most out of the way destinations in Belize there are no signs to point you to a trail.  So at first we thought we had to forage through the river to get into the cave.  But as it turns out there was a trail.  Of sorts.

Once inside we realized we would need a flashlight to make it all the way through.  This photo is the other end.

The opening.  So did you read it this far? Well, the reason I'm posting this today is because my husband and I were talking about vacation memories over happy hour this weekend.  And the topic of this cave popped up.  We visited this cave after a long day at the Mayan Ruins site of Caracol.  And being that the armed guards at Rio Frio had put in a long day as well they asked us for a ride back to their check point.  Our vehicle was a tiny 4 wheel drive jeep.  Our picnic basket that the wonderful Gaia River lodge packed for us took up most of the back seat.  But somehow these two huge dudes with their machine guns crammed into the back.  A little conversation ensued and an unforgettable memory was born.  I was too embarrassed to photograph them.  And no one got shot. 

P.S.  I held the picnic basket!

Miss Sassafras

I decided to have a little fun today and link up to Random 5 Friday  I've been a good illustrator and have been linking up to illustrationfriday for a couple years now.  Not today.  Today I'm sharing 5 random facts about this naughty cat. 

1) She is named Hana after the quiet town at the end of the Hana Highway on Maui.  The dangerously twisty but scenic road is what life is like with this devil cat.  It's a fun journey.  But you have to be on your guard.  She can outwit a rocket scientist.  Outplay a toddler high on birthday cake and infuriate a Buddhist monk.  

2)  This tongue photo is photoshopped.  But not in the way you might think.  The tongue is real.  I just didn't have a digital file of it.  Only a poorly printed old photo.  Random fact?  She has a long tongue of course!

3)  One of her nicknames is little Froggie.  Because I remarked when she was a teenage kitten that her skinny little legs looked like frog legs.  Not anymore.  She's a jumper. (she's jumping in the photo)

4)  Her newest nickname is Miss Sassafras.  Because of all her sassy cries.

5)  One of her cutiest habits is leaving fuzzy socks by the front door after we leave the house.  Smile.  I'd go on but that makes 5!  

Fluffy Gray Bird

click to enlarge

I bought a new camera this winter with a 30 + zoom.  It has been really fun.  I don't carry a tri-pod so it takes a steady hand.  I just snap any one or any thing that poses nicely.  And this gray bird certainly did.  I took this photo at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida.  What a beautiful and peaceful place. I do wish that my husband and I started charting our bird discoveries years ago. We encounter a lot of serious birders on our trips to Central America.  And we joked that we would become one of them someday.  Now it doesn't seem like a joke.  I don't even know what this common bird is off hand.  I think it is time to invest in a thick bird book.  The khaki outfit will be determined later.  

It is Wednesday and I am not posting a recipe.  What gives?  But I came across this blog hop Paying Ready Attention and since I have hundreds of bird photos (plus my desire to wear khaki) I thought I would try something different for awhile.  If you are in need of a new recipe see my labels.  They are just waiting to be fried, baked and savoured.  But for now feast on birds.  Just not literally.  Wednesdays are now up in the air.  Literally.  Ha!

Recycled Art

I don't want the Belize tourism board to come after me. So before I tell you that the beaches in Belize are filled with garbage, I have to point out that this is where we stayed.  An enchanting private cabana on a beautiful beach.  Just a few feet from the waters edge.  Heaven right?  Well, sort of.  Don't get me wrong.  This cabana was one of the highlights of over 12 weeks in Central America.  Amazing.   

Sunrise outside our front door.  But...

The beaches are filled with garbage.  At least on the main land.  We stayed on the beach in Hopkins on our first trip to Belize.  I loved it.  But I vowed to start picking up garbage on my next trip.  And to turn lemons into lemonade I decided to do a little art project.  So when we arrived in Placencia, I started collecting on our very first beach stroll.  And as you can see I stuck to a specific color scheme.   It actually became kind of fun to discover so many different shapes,  mysterious containers and the not so mysterious.  

The first thing I did when I got home was select a canvas that fit all of my art (excuse me) garbage. I laid it all out in what I hoped was an interesting manner and took a photo.

Then I painted the canvas in a kind of rustic, textured and sandy tone.

click to enlarge

Then for the fun part.  I started gluing all the garbage onto the canvas.  And so far everything has stuck!  Please take a moment to look over all the different pieces of plastic.  My favorites are the curlers and the little rocket.  The phone and mirror are also pretty fun.  But the story isn't over.  I plan to adhere more plastic shapes to a frame and then spray paint it.  I got the idea on Pinterest!  If you have any small plastic toys, junk or odds and ends please send it to me.  I would love to be able to complete the frame with all found pieces. I haven't even started the frame. So this post will be continued...

P.S.  If this post tickled you please pass it on to your friends.  

Green Toads and Ham

click to enlarge

This is my version of Humpty Dumpty.   Breakfast on a wall.  Breakfast that can serve itself.  Breakfast with lots of melted butter. Breakfast that appears as if it could eat its own cereal!  It is also a take on Toad in a Hole.  

Egg is the theme of the week over at www.illustrationfriday.com

Have a joyous Easter everyone!

P.S.  If you are one of the 600 blog authors/artists for Monday Art Day, please stop over and post for the Sad theme. www.mondayartday.blogspot.com  I'm trying to save the poor abandoned art blog.  Sniff. 

Granola People

There really isn't a set in stone recipe for granola. I've posted a recipe for granola before.  But I've updated it to make it even better.  This is something you really should be making at home.  Because it is super expensive to buy and you'll only get a fraction of the nuts. You just need to start with at least 8 cups of your favorite oats, seeds and nuts. But here is what I use.


4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups pecans
1 cup walnuts
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
4 tbsp ground flax seed
4 tbsp toasted wheat germ



Mix these dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then heat the following in a medium sized pan to boiling.


1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt




Add heated sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.











Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and spread 1/2 of granola on each pan.

Bake for around 20 minutes at 350.  Or until brown.  It helps to used a sided jelly roll pan and to mix the granola up while baking.  (to ensure it browns evenly)

When cool you can add your favorite fruit mixture. (This new recipe is so good I don't add dried fruit anymore)  I store the granola in large ziploc bags. And I freeze the 2nd bag. Enjoy!

Words Of Wisdom

I was visiting The Smitten Image recently.  And I came across this rhyme:

A wise old owl sat in an oak.

The more he heard, the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard.

Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

I loved it so much I put one of my owl photos on facebook along with the rhyme.  No likes or comments.  Radio silence.  No one gave a hoot.  So I thought I would share it with you.  I don't give up easily!  Then my high school friend Barb sent me an email with words of wisdom.  It seemed smart to create a words of wisdom post.  Here is the rest of the story...

Some words of wisdom...

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, "Half empty or half full?" She fooled them all. "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied , "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an Ambulance.  In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.  And that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.  Pick them up tomorrow. 1) Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue! 2) Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have  to eat them. 3) Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. 4) Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by  their Maker. 5) If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be  vague. 6) If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it  was probably worth it. 7) It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as  a warning to others.  8) Never buy a car you can't push. 9) Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time.  Because  then you won't have a leg to stand on.  10) Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. 11) Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird,  sleep late. 12) The second mouse gets the cheese. 13) When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong  lane. 14) Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer  you live. 16) Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once. 17) We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are  pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box. 18) A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a  detour. 19) Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... 20)Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!  I  THINK !!!! Thanks Barb!

Swim With The Sharks

click to enlarge

"Don't make me angry.  You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." The sharks are angry because they have been forced to eat blackened fish.  Blackened by an oil spill that is. 

I did this piece after the gulf oil spill.  Thank goodness sharks are swimming in relatively clean waters these days.  If a person can be happy that sharks are swimming at all.  Da dum.

Swim is the theme of the week over at www.illustrationfriday.com

Florida Food

We just got back from a fun Florida vacation. I can still feel the warmth on my skin.  But it is fading fast!  And it is Wednesday here in cold old Minnesota.  The day of the week that I have devoted to glorious food.  I'm not quite back into the blogging swing.  I'll be visiting all my blogging friends next Monday.  

But until then enjoy a Malibu Salad thanks to the guys behind the wonderful Deli Stage 62 in Naples, Florida.  Fresh baked potato bread, grilled chicken, apples, avocado, soft cheese, dried cherries, almonds, tomatoes and the best darn poppy seed dressing around.  Yum!

And for dessert enjoy a sunny chocolate Yogurbella sundae.  Mine is capped with these fun little mango caviar.  They pop with juice when you eat them.  Yum!

Happy Spring!

I've got mad skills!

click to enlarge

I've been making a splash in the art world for quite awhile.  O.K., maybe just a ripple!  But I thought my self portrait Mermaid Me was perfect for the www.illustrationfriday.com theme talent.

It shows me using my painting skills.  I'm adding some color to my ocean lair.  I finally used the word lair in a sentence.  Nice.

I got to pretend I was a mermaid in Belize this winter.  We did a little snorkeling. And we got up close and personal with giant sea turtles.  It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.  But one of the turtles started swimming towards me.  Da...dum.  Da...dum.  DadumDadumDadum.

 I learned that I was no mermaid after all.  I awkwardly tried to twist and flail out of harm's way.  It didn't work.  The turtle thumped into me.  Of course I was unharmed and exhilarated.  But later on the boat I found out that darned turtle took a big poke at me. Tastes like tourist.  Not fish.