Ha!

I sold my 1st gourd today!

Yay me!

$25 for a very simple design!

Go me, go me!

It's better having the money in my pocket than something else to dust on a shelf next to my work bench!

Ha! ;0



Sunday boat trip

 

The boy's are preparing the 'air machine' for the 1st time!

 

There she blows!!

Portable air lines for diving! Yay!!

 They set out from the beach for a practice run. 

 Though there are enough lines for 3 people,

I was trying my hardest to stay out of the sun...

so I stayed ashore, playing in tidal pools with the fish:

 

It was a nice day!

Billy & Dylan had fun...even found lobster!

Maybe next time they'll find enough for a meal,

and ones without eggs that we can keep!

Into the Wild!

Ok, I need to get caught up on some blogging.

Here's some wild life that's been visiting the island:

Remember the unfortunate story about my opossums?

Well Bingo only captured one of two,

 I'm hoping this is the other...all grown up!

This picture was taken from the front porch

where I've spotted him many times.

He's awfully comfortable being so close to us...

Anyhow, here's to hoping!!

   

The "Common Tent-making Bat"

They bite the leaves of palm fronds to bend, or "make a tent."

Pretty cute for a bat...?

A finch has taken up residency in some deco block down at the out building.

I've made him a nesting box, but don't think he's taken to it as of yet.

(PS He sings the most lovely little tunes!)

Just your typical wood-pecker...

Thought he looked pretty sitting on my flower.

Well, I've finally done it!!!

Captured the "Laughing Falcon" on film!!

I've heard him laughing soooo many times 

but haven't been lucky enough to see him!

(Too bad I didn't have my zoom lens with me )

I love monkeys!!

This guy has been hanging out on the island quite a bit also.

(Unable to identify in my bird bible though)

Black Iguana...just chillin'!

 "Mr. Raccoon" that was stalking my parrots...

 

My latest project....

I've just completed 3 gourds.

Instead of paint, I finished them with polyurethane wood stain.

The pictures don't show how well it really worked out,

but I love it and will definitely be finishing others the same way.

This first one is my favorite:

It's 6 1/2" tall, 4 1/2" wide

I don't yet have the proper bits for the kind of detail I was trying to accomplish,

which made it hard to 'get perfect,' 

now I know!!

 

Here's a picture before I stained the next one:

  

After:

Again, it was so hard to capture the detail in pictures!

(Also, the texture of the inside of the gourd is much different, and not as pretty as the outside.)

The 3rd: