Velvet Pumpkin Mania???

These beautiful velvet pumpkins are amazingly affordable and easy to make. Thank you to my friend Maria L for letting me share her photos and directions for this great project. Velvet pumpkins will be on my Thanksgiving table, how about yours? Post your photos and share. Supplies: Silk velvet - I found two sources on ebay: 1.  material_girl, seller #17277, for what she calls a "fat quarter" piece of fabric that is 18 x 22 & silk fabric,  2.  seller #8213 that sells by the yard). 1 yard will yield 9 pumpkins in assorted sizes. Start with the largest size & work down. The 18 x 22 inch fabric will yield 1 large or 1 medium & 2 smaller ones. Upholstery needle, 2 inches long with a large eye. Upholstery thread, Coats & Clark, extra strong, color #8630 (tan) Dried split peas or whatever dried bean is the cheapest in bulk. Polyfill Stems, wherever you can find them. I made friends with the produce guy at Trader Joe's & he saves the butternut squash stems & any broken off pumpkin stems for me. Patterns: I used my stainless steel bowl set for my patterns. 7 bowls : 22", 16", 13 1/4", 11 1/4", 9 1/2", 7 3/4", 6 1/4" How to: Cut 60" of thread & double it.  Turn the raw edge of the velvet in 1/4 inch & pull the needle through, leaving a long strand on the outside.  Using large stitches (about 1") gather the circle into a pouch, placing the final strand next to the starting strand.  Draw the velvet in half way & fill with peas, 1/2 to 3/4"'s full.  Draw the velvet as closed as possible, leaving a very small opening to push in the Polyfill.  Push in the Polyfill.  Stitch the opening closed.  Hot glue the stem. Voila, pumpkins!

Are you having problems with aggressive Hummingbirds?

I am having problems with an aggressive Hummingbird? An Anna Hummingbird has claimed the front porch as his soul domain.  My patio has become a battle field, dive bombing Hummingbirds from the branches above, he screeches and chest butts those hummers who don't get his message. My little monarch does not discriminate, even  friends and family passing through his hallowed grounds get buzzed, sometimes hoovering inches from their faces.  I am considering posting a "Beware of Hummingbird" sign. Rain or shine he stands guard defending all three of my hummingbird feeders. When I read this charming tale I could not resist re-posting. jThis folkloric gem gleaned from Hummingbirds.net gave my pause for thought. I think I better understand why my little monarch is so tenacious.

Hummingbirds in Native American  Tradition

Whether this qualifies as "natural history" may depend upon your own beliefs, but Peter Guanikeyu Torres, President and Council Chief of the Taino Indigenous Nation of the Caribbean and Florida, sent me this:

The Taino Native American people were the first people to meet Columbus in 1492. The Hummingbird is the symbol of the spreader of life on the Earth. It also symbolizes the rebirth of the Taino Indian Nation of the Caribbean and Florida. We also call our Warriors, Colibri Warriors (Hummingbird Warriors), as the Hummingbird is very peaceful but, it protects it own homeland with the heart of a Eagle. Our history tells us the small Hummingbirds were at one time small flies that Agueybaba the Sun Father transformed one day into little birds.

Fall in Southern California is defined by the arrival of ???

Living is Southern California where the temperature seldom dips below 70 degrees, Fall is hard to define.  I define Fall with the arrival of  the fish catchers and other migrants that stop off in route to their winter residences.  A summers worth of river grass acts as a food source for much of the LA rivers aquatic life. Fall is a time when smaller fish start moving down stream for deeper waters, and with the fish come the fish catchers. Blue Herron, Snowy Egret, Plovers, and Mallards, looking for a premium meal stop  in our sleepy little hallow.

The Studio City portion of the river is upstream from the Glendale Narrows, and down stream from the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve.  A river you ask?

Yes, the LA River is a recognized waterway just like the Mississippi. Back in the early part of the 20th century, with the need to save property and life from the rivers' frequent flooding, the meandering 51 miles of river were turned into a concert lined flood control channel.

 In 2010 the UCCE natural resources adviser Sabrina Drill surveyed the fish population in the river's eight-mile Glendale Narrows area. In this section, the natural geology forced engineers to leave the river bottom in a natural state. In this stretch of the river, the researchers discovered a diverse and bountiful fish population.

 "The survey identified eight species of fishes, none of them native, plus tadpoles and red swamp crayfish in the river. The eight fish species are: fathead minnow, carp, black bullhead, Amazon sailfin catfish, mosquito fish, green sunfish, largemouth bass and tilapia." said Sabina Drill.

 A fact of which the fish catchers and their friends were already well aware.  The Riverwalk, both in Studio City and at the Glendale Narrows, allows for a perfect place to enjoy this pilgrimage. For the more adventurous, don't miss taking an outing to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve.

How much did it cost the Desert Tortoise to buy a new house in California?

California has the more animal rights and environmental coalitions per capita than any other state. I am pro animal rights and mindful environmental controls, but I think $56,000,000 dollars is an outrageous amount of money. The Desert Tortoise was relocated from 3600 square acres of their natural habitat in the Mojave Desert. in order for Bright Source to build a solar ranch which will supply electricity to 140,000 homes when completed. These environmental impact reports have become free passes for wasteful spending.  I could have hired 3600 day labors to move the Tortoises a lot cheaper. 

 
In a time when California is shutting down schools and making cutbacks on higher education, California got the Federal government to grant Bright Source a $120 million in financing.  

Yes, you the tax payer will be toting the bill. If this bothers you like it did me, check the New York Times article Sunday 6/17/12.