Eagle Watch

Phht! Phht! My Goodness things have become a little dusty around Timber Life...

Time has passed so quickly since the last post about the Drive-In over a year ago, I 'd better find something to talk about to get the dust put back in it's place - outside.

I have been keeping busy with my personal endeavor to capture our wildlife in this little section of Iowa.

Maybe you noticed the Eagle flying in the header??? I went out for a drive after being cooped up in the house after some very cold days and found the Eagle on a favorite perch, a dead spruce tree, next to a blacktop, not far from Hendrickson Marsh of which I speak of frequently.

It hasn't been very hard for me to become obsessed with capturing the huge black and white raptors.I have spoken of it before...One of my favorite verses in the Bible is "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40: 31    So, every chance I get I search out the calm, regal bird to quench a thirst to soar, even if it living in a vicarious moment.

I am often treated to their thermal riding activity above our house, visible from this perch off Marshall County E-63. Too often I don't have my camera at hand when they come to visit...I am glad to get every picture possible at close range.

That day the photo opportunity didn't last very long since I didn't go ahead and follow in pursuit back to the Marsh. This was the first of two pictures I took on January 11th, before heading back home.

 

I know there is a lot of air space here as I caught it lifting,  then falling briefly, before catching the wind as it's wings created lift to carry it home...

Saving A Local Entertainment Venue

Remember the days when hot summer weekends were spent in the great outdoors with speakers hanging off the open windows of your car? Maybe a date...maybe a family outing. The Drive-In Theater was an event to look forward to after a week of work, or a way to let mom and dad enjoy a movie while the kids played on the swings up front, not far from the screen, as I remember it. Not to mention the snacks at the concession stand, popcorn just as tasty as you would find at the walk-in movie theater...

With a limited few theaters still remaining in the United States and the changes of the film industry to Digital  from 35mm there are expensive new cameras to be purchased. Most theaters that are still open are small venues that don't have large budgets to cover huge expenses such as a new camera, many are faced with the possibility of having to shutter their gates.

It has come to my attention on the local news, now on Facebook about the opportunity for these entertainment businesses to get the chance to win new movie projectors, the project is known as Project Drive-In.  The new equipment will be awarded to the Drive-Ins receiving the most votes. Others vying for the projector can be found here. 

I would like to be instrumental in helping to save the Valle Drive-In of  Newton, IA. one of four still operating in the State and the longest running since it opened back in 1949. The  Drive-In is located  25 miles from home; which I have visited with our daughter and her family on a couple of different occasions. A nice place for tail-gating if you can get the gang together before the movie starts.

Please vote now! Four more Winners will be announced on September 23, 2013. Let's see if we can get Valle Drive-In to be among them. Thank you for your help!

My Etsy Shop Opens

Two years ago this month I was inspired to begin developing a mental concept to place pictures I thought worthy to share on note cards.It has taken me a while to get my initial inspiration to produce some pictures that  I hope will help others convey their love of the outdoors to others as well.

My future plan is to expand into to other media, but for the moment I am having 5.5"x4.00" folded note cards professionally printed to stock my shop...
  

Peek - A - Boo times Two

I even had an aspiring painter/blogger by the name of Bob Phillips use a couple of my cards sent to his wife, blogger Marian Love Phillips as models for some paintings. Made me smile when I heard of his reaction...


You will find a note card in my  store inventory taken by my trail camera and enhanced to bring out the deer - please  look  for "Peek-A- Boo times Two."

Ears to You

Here is one of my favorites -" Ears to You." The front bottom are the ears of a deer spending time in front of the trail camera. It turned out to have an artistic effect in framing the others standing to it's back. It made me smile because the center deer was an anterless dominant buck...still exercising his majesty and I must say he carried himself like a king.

Please take a moment  and stop by  Two Dogs Tall to see some of Bob's recent paintings. I like  his interesting technique in conveying the world around him. While you are there checkout his daughter Karen's paintings too...another wonderful artist in their family.

I am very pleased to have the paintings to include in my little personal gallery once our new home construction is ready for occupation.

It's time to take a  step forward  and present to you my  Etsy Shop that is now live - ready to share my pictures.

                                                         I am pleased to announce.....

I will not speak of my Etsy Shop here directly after today but will post an ad on the sidebar in the future if you should be interested in watching the development.