The ride goes on!

So on the cancer war, the CEA count kept going up, so we have changed protocols again. Back to the original treatment. This is three days every other week treatment week, Mon-Wed. Ok, so Mon and Tues, nausea and little white bag. The rest of the week, Rip Van Winkle impression. Resting week, feeling good, but tired a lot. The oncologist has referred us to TGEN for finding clinical trials. Have already heard from them and have to get a scan before we can see them. How fast can we schedule a scan?

Etta James Blues

Even through the chemo, I managed to get in three classes at Az Art Supply. Metal embossing with Lynda Abare. Before class, I watched a lot of videos and did a few pieces on my own. Here is my first original after three classes, won’t post others due to copyright issues. Hope you like. This is a front cover for a journal, 8″x 10″.

The cats are loving “Rip Van Winkle” week. I usually have at least one of them curled up with me. The parrots, not so much, they want to be held more, and I kind of don’t trust them not to chew up the house if I fall asleep. Not that they would think of such a thing,lol. Well, I am feeling a nap coming…..zzzzz……zzzzzzz……..later.

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Congratulations!

Congratulations to Janice Boyd who won the painting of the Puerto Rican Parrot!!! A little over $680 was raised for the Puerto Rican Parrot Project and the Puerto Rican Genome Project. Special Thanks go to to Mary Rose of Chirping Central who ran the raffle!!! Stay Tuned for the Kakapo Project! First, though a little native bird project has been started and we will be posting photos soon! Happy 2012!

Puerto Rican Amazon WIP

The Beenie came out to play in the paint today, so the background went in first. Luckily for you – it was a surprise visit from the clown, and I didn’t have time to invite you along.  Weellllll, Okay, maybe it wasn’t TOO much of a surprise, but I am still worried about that red in your hair that wasn’t there before the last Beenie background. So am a little hesitant to fill up the peanut gallery when the clown is throwing paint around. Oh, yes, of course you want to see, so guess we will just put in a photo of the WIP to date. The background was done on very wet paper, the clown just splashed red, yellow and green all over the place as you can see. Oh, you can’t see because the photo is not there yet….Ok, I am getting there….

OH, forgot to mention the first layer of the branches is down and a few of the foreground leaves are in. What….yes, I did get to the Art Supply store, you might want to wait for them to restock before you go there. Am having a few problems finding a place to hide….uh…I mean store art supplies. If hubby doesn’t see them, I didn’t buy them, right!

It is that time of the week again, time for a field trip, see you all bright and early in the morning to spend Tuesday with Candy!!!

 

 

GHO Baby WIP – Voila!

Here he is about done, just have to let him gel for a few days and see if anything jumps out at me, LOL!

SO………you are probably wondering “What is next?” See, I really am psychic, Ok, so NOT! But …….Drum rollllll………next I am going to work on a raven in Charcoal, then I have  very special project planned, am just waiting for some ref photos, CUZ this guy is endangered. NO! It is a surprise. On most of the endangered species, I have to use ref photos from one of the organizations that works with that particular species, unless you guys want to take up a collection so that I can travel…..You will……..why that is great……. Ok, pass the hat!!! Whoooo Hooooo, I can’t wait……………Ok, lets see….. a penny, a marble, and a game token….Thanks guys, don’t think I will get very far on that, but the thought was VERY NICE!!!! Guess I will have to wait for the ref photos!

Random Thoughts, another oldie, but goodie from FB

This is a discussion on FB from  June 2010, must have been in a goofy mood that day!

I have noticed others who sit around and think on esoterica, pondering the deeper meanings of life. For example one of my friends wonders: if buttered toast always lands face down and cats always land on their feet, what would happen if you strapped a piece of buttered toast on a cat’s back, then dropped it…..now personally, I think people should direct their thoughts and energy to more practical things, things that could change the human race.
First, I would like to see scientists study the properties of dried bird poop, specifically the property that renders it harder than any substance on earth. People who wash cars know what I am talking about! SO does anyone who shares any type of space with a bird. Walls, floors, cages, and bird stands, having to be power washed and scrubbed with diamond studded sandpaper to get them clean!
AND for you cat lovers – how can cat hair be lighter than air? Anyone out there with a long haired black cat – you know what I am talking about.
Just imagine if the thinking minds of this planet could make a substance as hard as dried bird poop, it could cut diamonds! And a ubiquitous substance that defies gravity like cat hair, imagine, it could change space flight as we now know it!

Hmmmmmm….maybe I should just stick to painting!

Another Oldie but Goodie from FB

OK, so to start out, I am being a little lazy, but some of these discussions need to be reposted just so I don’t have to get back up on the soap box, LOL.

Originally posted Sept 2008:

Normally I paint birds, especially raptors and parrots. During a fundraiser for Liberty Wildlife, the President/CEO of the Phoenix Zoo bought one of the prints we were selling of “Whoooo R U?” He liked my work and as a result of our conversation, I was asked to do a painting for the silent auction coming up in October. If you take a look at the website www.birdiesandbuddies.com it is now listed under Peek-a-Boo Babies. The Orangutan enclosure at the zoo was great when first built in the 80’s, but we now know it is inappropriate for their needs, and they are very stressed out and need a new enclosure. As I was taking the reference photos, I could see how stressed they were and the real need. Kasih, the baby, was the only active orangutan, the others hid behind their palm leaves and it was just sad.
Sometimes zoos are the only opportunity for urban dwellers to see these creatures and learn of their plight in the larger world. So these guys have helped in my education – and now I am aware of their existence and their problems in the global sense. It is so sad to see such intelligent creatures become almost extinct. Humans are responsible for their problems – and we have to be the solution. I can’t slog around in the jungles and do that part of the work – BUT I can use my talents to raise awareness and money – I can find responsible organizations to donate that money to, and I can and do volunteer in my own area at a wildlife rehab facility.
We each have a way to contribute and to be a part of the solution.

 

As a footnote to this, the Orangutan enclosure has been completed – Awesome!!!!

For those who missed my Facebook discussion – Bird Poop

Ok, so I am a little bit absent minded! Well, my kids would call it dingy or newbish…..so I have capes to catch the bird poop, but when a Sun Conure is screaming, the phone is ringing, and dinner is burning – sometimes ya just gotta grab the bird to shut him up – so you can get the phone, or turn the burner off. So who has time to remember to grab the cape???? Ok, so it is not always that bad, but it happens! Anyway a few months after I became a bird owner, my family started “poop checks”. They will not walk out of the house without checking my shoulders and back for telltale green spots. However, I still am allowed out by myself occasionally – so who has time to do a check, when you are making sure the birds are back in their cages, the phone is ringing, the kids are asking you to stop at the store and hubby is asking you to make another stop???? So there have been many times I arrived home, just to notice the poop on my clothes. Not to mention the days that I volunteer at Liberty wildlife – we won’t even go there about how frightened birds leave signs!!! SO I just HAVE to wonder – what do people think when they see me walking around with various green and brown spots on my clothes?????
I should get a t-shirt that says – In every bird owners life – Poop happens!

Why Blog ???

As a parrot owner, wildlife rehabber and artist, my life is overflowing with birds. Having many friends on Facebook, who are also Bird “Nuts”, this “blog thing” will give me a chance to open a dialogue on all things “BIRD”.
Hopefully some of you will enjoy watching my art works in progress or WIP’s. We can share bird stories and photos! As an ex-clown, please do not take me too seriously, Arleenie Beenie (my clown character) has been known to get involved in my WIP’s and innocent bystanders ( or would that be by bloggers??) have been splashed with paint while having popcorn fights.