Links to Enjoy #38

I haven't been online much lately, or quilting, either.  Part of our home has become a hospice with a nurse and aide coming and going to check on my husband.  He has end-stage kidney failure as a result of uncontrolled diabetes.  Most people don't realize all the organs that are affected by diabetes (heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, liver, nerves, skin, and mouth) and the side-effects of uncontrolled diabetes (increasing risks for heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage (neuropathy), and fatty liver disease), especially when the diabetic chooses to ignore the disease.  

Most of these links are a few months old but maybe they will be new to you and maybe you will enjoy them as much as I did.  And I just realized that three of them have videos.  Sorry if that's too many, but I thought all the videos were great.


I am always fascinated by the Northern Lights and their colors and undulating movement.  These are still photographs from a Northern LIghts photography contest.  (I will say, though, that I've seen just as beautiful photographs from some of you bloggers.)  I liked the explanation in this post of how the Lights happen.  See more photos and details of the photos here. 


‘Madeleine’ Chronicles a Poignant Road Trip and a Unique Friendship
Raquel Sancinetti developed a friendship with 103-year-old Madeleine who lives in a senior home in Canada.  She tried to persuade Madeleine to go on a trip with her.  When she refused, Sancinetti created an alternate version of the road trip she envisioned.  I was quite taken with the creativity of this sweet 15-minute film.  (I would have included the film here but I couldn't figure out how to share from Vimeo.)


I like bees well enough but I'm fascinated by the architecture and Mr. Somerville's time and effort to create these hives.  (There is a word or two of language during the first minute or so of this video.  Turn the volume down for those first minutes if you don't want to hear it and still want to watch the video.)

You can read an article about the Architect here.


At Casey's Rubber Stamps you can see how he makes them.

For Vincent van Gogh lovers.  (To enlarge for your wall or a calendar, to use as a screensaver, or for any other purpose.)

Read the article here:  1,000+ Artworks by Vincent Van Gogh Digitized & Put Online by Dutch Museums
This is the link to the images:  https://vangoghworldwide.org/


Enjoy!
Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #37 - Words, Art, Sewing Machines

These are a few links and two videos I've enjoyed over the past few weeks.  I hope you'll enjoy one or two of them, too.  


With simple graphite lines that appear to have been quick strokes, the artist created the most amazing drawings of cats, both at rest and in motion.  If you love cats, you'll probably enjoy these.  If you don't love cats, maybe you'll be converted to their delightsomeness.  (Or not.)


I thought this was a sweet reminiscence of sewing, made by Singer.  I learned to sew on my mom's old black 201 Singer, and it's the machine I still use.



If you've been reading this blog for a while you may have noticed that I love words and their etymology so, of course, I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Linguist clearly demonstrates how 'thinking is walking' in English.  He says, "Our minds "race" or "wander," our thoughts "stray," and we "arrive" at conclusions," all words we also use when we physically walk.  Maybe our minds do walk, figuratively speaking.  Fun!


I've always admired hand-painted signs with their near-perfect letting.  Here's a short demonstration of round hand lettering.  Amazing!


Enjoy!
Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #36

Maybe you'll enjoy one or two of these links:  corn sounds, word connections, upcycled animals, or Smokey Bear.

Did you know corn makes a noise when it's growing?  When I first heard this I thought, Really?!!!  Now I wish I'd paid closer attention when I was a child, standing in my uncle's cornfield.  (Be sure to have the volume up for this video.)


From the video description:  

This time lapse photo sequence from a Nebraska corn field allows you to see and hear corn grow.  It's thought that the crackling noise is due to tiny fractures that occur as the plant stretches, breaks, and grows again.

I have also heard that growing corn (in acres and acres) increases the humidity in the air....  

Pathfinder shows a  line of connection between two things in four ways and three steps.

I love these upcycled, recycled, adorable, creative animals made from mostly wood by Kirsty Elson.  A pig, a lion, a cat, a bird, a gorilla, and a few dogs.  Which do you like best?  (I can't decide.)

Did you or your mother or grandmother hang clothes outside and use clothespins to attach the clothes to the line?  I remember helping my mom and grandmother hang the clothes and, for many years, I had a clothesline.  And we all had clothespin bags similar to the one in this tutorial (except all of ours were deeper, and some of my mom's and grandmother's looked like little girls' dresses).  I'm thinking about making one of these.  I have a narrow wooden hanger 6"-8" wide that would make the cutest "peg bag."  Wouldn't one of these be great for other purposes, too -- miscellaneous ribbons, notions near the sewing machine, thread,...?  

My introduction to Smokey (we called him Smokey the Bear instead of his real name, Smokey Bear) was probably in TV commercials in the 1950s.  The Ohio State Fair has a 15" Smokey who greets children by name (with a little help) and who used to invite children to sing with him.  Smokey's Story and  Smokey Through the Years  are fun websites to learn more about this famous bear.  Who knew there was really a Smokey?!  At the website you can also watch some of his commercials.


--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #35

ChatGPT, the kindness of others, textile sculptures, spinning and weaving, and postcards are the topics of these links that I enjoyed.  I hope you will enjoy one or several of them, too.


Writer Amanda Guinzburg asked ChatGPT to evaluate and choose several of her essays to send to an agent.  Read her crazy conversation with ChatGPT, all presented as screenshots.  It's unbelievable how human-like ChatGPT sounds.  Have you interacted with ChatGPT before?  What do you think?


I thought some of these Site-Specific Textiles by Rachel B. Hayes were beautiful.  


Read about the mostly-anonymous kindnesses of others in "A Restaurant Surprise I'm Still Thinking of Two Decades Later."  Also, don't miss all the stories in the comments section.  They may be better than the original article.  Do you have experiences of being the recipient and/or the kindness-giver?


There's a movie called "The Nettle Dress," about the process of harvesting, processing, spinning, and weaving nettle to become cloth to make a dress.  Below is the trailer.  And watch another brief video showing how the spinner/weaver scoured (cleaned) and weighted small skeins of the yarn for the weft.  (Whenever I think of nettle I think of stinging nettle, a wild plant that causes an awful reaction on my skin.  How does he prevent a reaction, I wonder.)


I think this was so interesting to me because in earlier decades I was a spinner, dyer, and weaver.


For a while, Bonnie and Ellen worked together.  They became good friends and then Ellen moved away.  She began writing a postcard a day to Bonnie who saved them all.  She amassed thousands which are now on exhibit at Willamette College.  See photos here at Bonnie's blog and read a news article here.


--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #34

I haven't been getting around the internet much recently so I'm sharing just three links this week.  Enjoy!

I love this high energy Vivaldi on Marimbas.  Wow!  These girls really have it together!




I think it probably takes a steady hand to decorate these cookies to look like ancient art.


I enjoyed these paper quilts made from maps and old currency for their visual interest.


I hope you found something to enjoy.
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #33

Below are some links that caught my attention recently.  I hope you enjoy one or two of them.

My grandfather had a musical instrument he called a sweet potato but which, as far as I know, he never played.  A number of years ago I learned that a sweet potato is also called an ocarina. 
 

I was thrilled to find this video of an ocarina septet.  Enjoy! 


If you enjoy writing, love the English language, this post about semicolons may be for you.  Do you think semicolons are overused?  I thought this was interesting, especially the little semicolon test near the end. 


These photos of Owls in Towels come from all over the world. 

Rescuers and members of medical teams wrap injured owls in towels to assess their injuries and to prevent them from flapping their wings.  Mostly too cute, but a few look grumpy.  At the website, click on an owl to learn more about him or her.


Leaf cuttings!  Such fun.

Instead of paper Lido uses leaves as the background to create tiny scenes and silhouettes of animals.  Patience, precision, creativity, a sense of humor.  Look at some of his Instagram photos here, read a more detailed article here.  And this link is the best because if has a close-up photo of a bear with a basket of sweet gum balls using tongs to hand a porcupine baby back to its mother.  Its title is, "Wait a second!  That's my baby!"  The detail in the image and the humor it makes me chuckle.

I hope you found something to enjoy at one of these links.

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #32

I have just three links this week, and two are quilt-related!  Enjoy.

I loved this brief video about how one man is saving and rehoming Snowy Owls to prevent them from causing problems for airplanes and the airport.  It's amazing work for such handsome birds.



Did you see the adorable boat quilt that Claire posted recently?  She also posted a photo of a vintage log cabin quilt made from 1" squares and a few of her own beautiful, more modern quilts.

Here's encouragement for quilters starting new quilts when they have unfinished quilts!  Taryn has a great point of view on this topic. 

I hope you have a good week!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #31

I have just a few links this week.  Maybe you'll enjoy one or two of them.

I do not read, speak, or understand Japanese but I thought these embroideries of the Japanese alphabet by Tomoko Kubo were whimsical and delightful.  I appreciated that the post begins with a tiny lesson about the Japanese alphabet.

This interview with Ken Burns is a little long at about 20 minutes (and is excellent and well worth the time, in my opinion) but I share it because he is a collector of quilts and during the first few minutes of this video you can see several quilts hanging in his home.

In honor of America's 250th anniversary, he has made a new documentary series about The American Revolution which will be broadcast in November, 2025.  He is a story teller at heart who works to present all perspectives of a story. 
There are several quotes that I especially liked.

• "Sometimes we sort of say, 'Oh, you're bad and you're good,' and what we understand from honesty about ourselves, we've got both of those things in us [as did people in the past]."
• "For everything... the opposite thing might also be true."
• "American history is a mirror that holds up to us an incredibly complicated story of us."

I thought these patchwork pieces were really interesting, especially considering that the creator cut and sewed these thousands of circles together by hand.

And this post, Nine Changes You Need to Make to Your Google Security and Privacy Settings, may not be fun but it is informative, especially for a non-tech person like me. 

I hope you have a good weekend!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #30

I haven't been getting around the internet much so I have only a few links to share today.   I hope you find one or two to enjoy.

 A late addition:  See beautiful photographs of beautiful antique quilts for sale at Flying Geese.  Thanks for the reminder, Lizzy.

There are some interesting tie-dye fabrics from 425-1100 A.D. here.  So much detail for tie dye.
These slices take the cake!  (Pun intended.)  Though inedible, I think they impressive.

I'm not an avid traveler (I love sleeping in my own bed) nor a world traveler but I found Kevin Kelly's 50 Years of Travel Tips interesting, insightful, helpful, thrifty, fun, or just plain wise.  Maybe I would enjoy travel more if I used some of his tips?  Kelly uses a tiny font on this blog which is hard on my old eyes.  I follow his blog on Feedly and have no problem reading it.

Lizzy sent me a link to Gary Bunt's paintings and poems (where there are links to more of his paintings).  I found their somewhat primitive style enchanting and delightful.  Maybe you will, too.   Look at the paintings at the link and, if you enjoy them, watch the short video below. 



I hope all is well with you in your world!

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #29

Here are a few links that I thought had some interesting content.  Maybe you will enjoy one or two of them.

How many times is a book's bar code scanned from the time it comes into the library, goes out, and returns again?  (And how many times is a book handled even before it reaches the shelves for a patron to borrow it?)  This video gives a glimpse of the travels of a book from library to patron to library.


These are photographs of junkyards for airplanes, ships, old rail cars, etc.  Many of the objects are artfully arranged, and the aerial views reminded me of maps.  We throw away cans and bottles (or hopefully recycle them) but how do you dispose of these huge objects when they have outlived their use?  More photos here.  From the photographer, Cássio Vasconcellos, "...objects do not cease to exist in the world when we throw them away.  Rather, they inhabit other places."

What do you think of these quilt sculptures by Emily Van Hoff?  I like the bright colors (in the dead of winter).

This article, Embroidering a life, one day at a time reminds me of temperature quilts but a whole lot more interesting.

Can you imagine sending a baby in the mail?!!!  I don't know how common it was but yes, it happened.

There are two auctions in progress that I thought you might like to know about.  For both, the bidding seems low, but it's early days.

• First, Homestead Hearth is going out of business and is auctioning their fabric through an online company, Marquette Auction Services.  The first of three auctions, this one ends on January 24.  You can see what's up for bid here.
• Second, Dana Auctions is hosting an antique and vintage quilt and textile auction here.  There are antique and vintage quilts, antique fabric, feed sacks, magazines, etc.  This auction supports AQSG 2025 Seminar in Maine and ends on January 25.

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #28

These are a few links I've enjoyed over the past month or so. Maybe you'll like one or two of them, too.

I discovered a small, online collection of quilts, The Childress Collection, that you might enjoy.  Some quilts are more traditional, most are less traditional.  The collection is called Anonymous Quilt and is hosted by Marjorie Childress, who gave permission to post this photo.  Some of the quilts have detail photographs so be sure to click around.

Wally Dion makes large, amazing translucent quilts.  They are pieced like quilts, but they are not layered and are used more like flags.  I was unable to learn his process and don't know how he makes them translucent.  

Atlas Obscura's post, What Abandoned Schools Can Teach Us,

reminded me of the website, Abandoned America.  There you can see beautiful buildings which were once vibrant and alive with activity but, fell into disrepair, were abandoned, then torn down.  Or, occasionally, renovated.  Abandoned America captures photos between abandonment and non-existence.  I wonder, is this a particularly American thing, to build something beautiful with the intention of it lasting a century or more, then tearing it down 80 years later?  I continue to be amazed at society's willingness to demolish rather than repair and preserve.  (I understand that it mostly comes down to money.)  I occasionally visit Abandoned America to see the beauty that once was.

I love color and find it interesting how people perceive colors.  My husband will call a color red that to my eyes looks orange.  We've never talked about blue/green. 

This website, Is My Blue Your Blue?, is about color perception, too, but only in the blue/green range.  There is a wide range from true green to true blue!  If you play--it takes about a minute--I'd be interested to learn where you fall on the blue/green range.  The website tells me that my "boundary is at hue 185, bluer than 93% of the population.  For you, turquoise is green."  But, if there had been an option to choose turquoise or aqua, I probably would have called several of the options one of those colors.

Lastly, I love bird nests.  I think it's because of the woven-like aspect of them, not to mention the natural objects used in their creation.  So, of course, I would like the new post, Snuggle Up with the New Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs with its beautiful photograph of six or so nets.  I immediately reserved a copy of the book the post referenced at my local library.  I'm eager to see and read about the nests!

I know this post was a long time coming....  Maybe I'll find more interesting posts to share sooner.

Enjoy!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #27

I found these links pre-surgery and realized I should probably post them so others can enjoy them (if you're interested). 

I enjoyed Anca Duse's photographs of tiny people with large flowers (or maybe they're regular-sized people with giant flowers).  Some excellent photographic editing, I think.

[Updated links:]  Read more about Anca here and about her creative process here.


I can't manage a mouse well enough to actually create a drawing with a painting program, but if you can and you're feeling nostalgic about MS Paint, you can use this older version that works in your browser.


It was news to me that elephants have names for each other.


I was pleased to find Merlin, a free app to help identify birds by sound and image.  In early mornings I hear lots of birds outside but know only a few by their songs.  This app has been helpful.  It seems that we have lots of cardinals and American robins where we live.  If you're interested, you can go to the link or watch this video.




Enjoy!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #26

Here are just a few links I thought were interesting, amazing, or just fun.  I hope you enjoy at least one of them.

These paper mushrooms made by Ann Wood (of WoodLucker) are amazing.  But don't confuse that Ann Wood with Ann Wood Homemade who uses fabric to make amazing mushrooms.

Here's a free way to improve grainy photos.  I haven't tried it but when I begin scanning old family history photos again, I'll see if it can improve some of them.  If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think of the results.

Petrichor is a word I read occasionally, forget what it means, then have to look up each time I see it. 

Petrichor is the fragrance many people smell when rain falls on dry earth.  I love the smell of rain!  I wanted to post a video but none of them are accompanied by scents!  I'm posting about petrichor because Lisa Waud created an installation in a historic Detroit warehouse which she named "petrichor."  She covered the ground floor of a warehouse with sod.  I imagine it would have been a delight to visit.  I understand that not everyone can smell petrichor and some people can smell it even before the rain starts.  I'm one of the latter and love the fragrance.  What about you?  Do you smell petrichor?

Will personalized cancer vaccines become a permanent cure for those who receive them?  Trials are in progress. If successful, this is totally exciting to me!

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #25

Here are a few finds from around the internet that I enjoyed.  Maybe you will enjoy some of them, too.

Thanks to Daniel Mennerich for this beautiful photo of the Northern Lights.

  One cold winter night in December many years ago, I saw colored lights dancing in the sky while my husband and I were travelling in Upstate New York.  It is the only time I've seen the Northern Lights and was amazed at their beauty.  I always thought they were a winter phenomenon and was surprised to see photos of them this spring.  Did you see them?
   Learn more about the sun, the Lights, and upcoming solar events here.

When nature and art meet....  See more of Susan Bauer's leaves with crochet additions at her website.

What do you think?  Agree or disagree?  The Biggest Mistake Quilters Make.

I love upcycling, especially when found objects become creative folk art.  See more of Kirsty's art on Instagram.

There are fads among teen orcas?  Probably.  But they're not much fun for humans and their yachts.

I hope you find at least one interesting post.

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #24

Here are just a few links and a video I found interesting and enjoyed over the past week or two.  Maybe one of these  will capture your interest, too.


Maybe you will enjoy Judy Martin's brief post, a language of care, with its gentle thoughts about quilts. 


Althea Crome is a micro knitter who creates sweaters that fit on a fingertip!  Watch a video interview and see her knitting at Tiny Stitches.  Read more here. 


I have always been fascinated by bird nests, how they're created, and how remain intact when so many are made of mud and sticks, bits of debris, etc.  But I think woven nests are the most amazing.  How can birds possibly create a nest with only a beak and claws?!  Watch!




And since we're on the topic of birds, can I mention how beautiful I think feathers are?  I enjoy looking at them, often pick them up from the ground, and rarely keep them (except for a few too beautiful not to save.  But there's a lot more to feathers than I ever imagined.  I enjoyed this article, Why Feathers Are One of Evolution's Cleverest Inventions, by Michael B. Habib in Scientific American, in which the author tells of a small bird that made a non-stop flight of 8,425 miles in 250 hours and how his feathers played a part in that flight.  The article is filled with information about the wonder of feathers.  Though a little long, it was well worth my time. 


Enjoy!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #23

I hope at least one or two of these links bring a smile.

Some of my favorite water animals include otters, seals, sea lions, and walruses.  I think it's their mustaches that capture my fancy.  I was really taken with E.T., the walrus.  Who knew walruses could whistle?!



(Just to say, I'm not a fan of zoos in general but I understand the need for injured animals who can't return to the wild to have care and a safe environment.  I also understand that zoo keepers teach them a few commands so veterinarians can attend them.  And I'm sure learning things makes the animals' lives a little more interesting.)

The photos of the Farm Family Project by Rob MacInnis are amazing!   How did he ever get the members of The Farm Family to pose?  I'd love to nestle my fingers into Angelina's fine fluff, scratch Brad's ears, and give Rosie a hug and a rub on her head.  The cast would certainly get a round of applause from me on Opening Night.  MacInnis must have a special gift to have been able to get the whole cast of characters to look at the camera at the same time in the last photo.  It's hardly possible with a group of people!   Read the Artist's Statement here.

If this article about Trader Joe's from Taste magazine is true, it's sad news.  (So, not exactly a link to enjoy, I guess.)

I loved Jacob's vibrant flowers in Glorious Blooms Erupt in Nidhi Mariam Jacob’s Meticulous Fantasy Garden Paintings.  Maybe you will, too.  

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #22

I haven't been around the internet much these past few weeks, or the sewing machine either, for that matter, so I have only three links to share.  I hope you enjoy them.  (I'm sorry they're all videos, but they're short, if that helps.)

Oh, roundabouts.  I don't like them.  I still think a red/yellow flashing light or even a stop sign works better than a roundabout.  There is one large one in the country not far from us with fields on all four of what-used-to-be corners.  It seems a silly waste of money because there is so little traffic.  Then there is one in a residential area of the city on a narrow side street.  It's probably not more than about 12 feet across.  Another waste of money (in my opinion) and almost a u-turn when a simple left turn was adequate.  And many Ohio drivers don't know how to use them.  Some drivers will sit at the entrance to the roundabout until there are no cars in sight, wait another minute or two, then slowly move into the circle.  I'm happy to drive but I really don't like to waste time in the car.  Let me just get where I'm going.  All that to introduce this roundabout in Swindon, England.  If I go to England, I will avoid Swindon.


Are you a fan of roundabouts?

I used to think making a wine glass sing was a stunt or a trick. Then we bought a few goblets at the thrift store just to try it and learned that they really do sing, though I don't think we ever managed to "play" a song.  We learned that it requires wet fingertips.  (In the video below you'll see the musician dip his fingers into the glasses of water near the center front and rear of the table.)  Our paltry effort was nothing compared to the expertise of this musician.



And then there's the glass armonica, created by Benjamin Franklin, an instrument in which he put glass rims on a revolving rod which rotates for the musician to play.  Amazing!  Many years ago we saw someone play one of these at Colonial Williamsburg.



I think these have such an ethereal sound.

That's it for this installment of Links to Enjoy.  I hope you enjoyed at least one.

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #21

I found some interesting posts about books, nature/weather, a quilt, Daylight Saving Time, and some tapestries.  Maybe one or two will be of interest to you.

I've always loved all kinds of paper and books, even when I was a child, so of course, this video about Sophia Bogle, book restorer, appealed to me.  Her work is amazing.  You can read more about her here but I think this video is better.



Here's another book highlight, this time about a library of handmade miniature books.  Read a post about Tomas Mayer here. 

How cold the temperature must have been for these geyser spouts to freeze when hitting the air!

Here's an interesting quilt post from a quilt restorer:  A Tale of Two Victorian Crazy Quilts - and a Fabric Mystery

How do you feel about Daylight Saving Time?  I'm one who intensely dislikes it.  Why Daylight Saving Time Messes with Your Brain is an interesting post citing research of its effects.  

The tapestries at this post, Communal Art-Making Is at the Core of Sanaa Gateja’s Monumental Paper Bead Tapestries, look like fiber to me.  Who knew paper beads were still a thing?

Enjoy!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #20

I've included just four links this time.  I've been busy with Bramble Blooms and having the flu and not spending much time doing other things.

I love this video of Ken Burns, documentarian extraordinaire, sharing his quilt collection at his barn.



You can also watch a video of his quilt exhibit at the International Quilt Museum in Nebraska here.  

Anna Devís and Daniel Rueda take such fun photographs.  Always a twist on people and the environment.  I love the photo of the lady in a red skirt, pulled wide into the shape of a mouth, standing below two arched windows.  Suddenly, the wall is smiling!

Welcome to Monowi, Nebraska: population 1.  The post at the link was written a few years ago.  Elsie Eiler, now 90, is the sole the resident or Monowi and serves as mayor, librarian, tavern owner, and more. 

It's about mindset and movement:  My Mother Got on a Bike.  It Changed Her life.  (If you can't read the article at that link, go here and click the link to read it.)

This chart, right, goes along with the concept of mindset from the above article. 

If you're new to this concept and want to learn more, read Carol S. Dweck's book, Mindset:  The New Psychology of Success.  Or watch one of her youtube presentations or interviews.  I thought this one was good (though it's a little long at 47 minutes), but there are others, too.

Enjoy!
--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #19

Here are just a few links (with too many words to introduce them).  I hope you'll enjoy one or more of them.

Snowflakes fascinate me and with snow swirling around the Northern Hemisphere, this seemed like the perfect time to post a brief video explaining the history and science of snowflakes.  I found Professor Brian Cox's voice, with it's British accent, delightful. 




I enjoyed 15 Lessons I've Learned in 15 Years of Diary of a Quilter posted by Amy Smart a few weeks ago.  I particularly liked #11.

When you can't take a walk in the woods, Tree might be a good substitute.  There you can (hopefully) hear the sounds of many different forests throughout the world.  I was able to hear the first few forests' sounds but then there was a disconnect on either their end or mine.  (I included the link because of the beautiful forest photographs and because it might work for you.)  I scouted around and discovered the sounds at Tree came from Sounds of the Forest where there is a world map with pinpoints where forest sounds have been recorded.  You can choose a location, click, and listen. Amazing!

Another post about trees....  Do you know about Pando?  It is an enormous forest of genetically identical aspen trees in Utah which are all connected to the same root.  It is one of the world's largest living organisms and may also be one of the oldest.  How am I just now learning about this?!

Some of the beautiful photos of rural America in Brendon Burton Captures Intimate Portraits of North America’s Metamorphosing Rural Landscapes include abandoned homes.  They brought to mind Sophie Blackall's children's book, Farmhouse.  Blackall bought property in New York State on which sat an old, falling down farmhouse.  She salvaged some things from inside, learned about the people who'd lived there, then, in loose rhyme, told and illustrated a story about the house and the family.  What a delightful book!

And back to snow again.  Snowball fights are the subject of this post.which is a collection of paintings from various locations and different centuries. 

Below is an 1885 painting by Gerhard Munthe entitled "Sneballkasting."  It caught my eye because it brought back the childhood memory of making snowmen by trying to roll snow into big balls.  Instead, the snow seemed to roll into a shape more like toilet paper on a tube, exactly what's happening in this painting.

At the link above, scroll down about a third of the way to see the paintings.  Click any one of them and it will enlarge.  Enlarge them more by using the plus and minus signs in the upper right.  Click the arrows on either side of the paintings to see the others. 

Enjoy!
--Nancy.