Wordless Wednesday - Cell Phone Tower Disguises

For more, click here.  Once I learned they were turning cell towers into trees to disguise them, I've been looking out for them.  I've seen a few on my travels.  I've also seen the American flag poles at a car dealership.

From me and Katie, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  :)

Critters around the campsite

I'm actually looking forward to heading back to New Mexico where there are lots more interesting critters, and many beautiful birds.  There aren't nearly as many here, at least that I've seen, but I've gotten some pretty good photos of the critters in and around our campsite, and here are some of them.  (Don't get me wrong, I love Arizona!  When I've been in New Mexico for six months, I'll be anxious to get back here.  That's just the way it works!)

First the little round-tailed ground squirrel - he has the cutest face. 

The birds all fly away when he comes on the scene, but this little white-crowned sparrow was bravely waiting nearby for the squirrel to leave:

A bit of a stretch to get the seeds in the red part:

Juvenile white-crowned sparrow:

Adult white-crowned sparrow:

This is the view out the dinette window, so I get a good view of any critters around this large bush:

It's been hard to get a photo of these butterflies because they move pretty fast, but I finally got one:

And Katie's all time favorite critter - I got a quick shot of this lizard before he scurried into the underbrush:

Noticed this guy in the bush the sparrows always hang out in.  I saw the flash of yellow and grabbed the camera because most of the birds I see are sparrows.  I've only seen this bird once - a yellow-rumped warbler:

And there are doves here, too.  This is an Eurasian collared-dove way up in a tree, and I've seen some scurrying around in bushes, too:

The little squirrel was so funny yesterday - I snapped a bunch of photos and will show you in another post.  I also got some good hummingbird shots - bright, bright iridescent red - and will include them next time, too.  :)

Did I ever tell you how I made this great low-tech seed feeder?  I wanted something to put on the top of my hummer feeder pole.  The pole is open at the top,  and the small stakes on the solar lights fit perfectly into the opening.  So first I had a solar light there, which was good and I liked it until it burned out.  Then I did this:

I had a couple of Kentucky Fried Chicken side order containers - they are great for storing small amounts of leftovers.  I put the lid on the ground with the container on top of it and pounded a large nail through the middle.  For the pole feeder above, I just put the nail into the hole on top and it stayed there just fine.  But since I haven't gotten out the feeder pole here at Hot Springs, I simply nailed it into the ground.  It's perfect.

 In the photo below, look at the toes on the squirrel's back feet.  Cute like a cartoon?  or Creepy?

I like this little home-made feeder because if it's on the pole, birds can fly to it and if it's on the ground they can stretch up to get the seeds on the red lid or sit on the edge and nibble - and squirrels fit just fine inside, too.  It's small enough that I'm not wasting seed, it works great, and it's FREE.  Super easy to store while on the road, too.  :)
  
I remember my first year at Hot Springs I got some pictures of roadrunners, but so far I haven't seen any this year.  I forgot to tell you, though, on my drive here from San Diego as I was tooling along the highway, no other cars in sight, all of a sudden a big roadrunner came out onto the road and scurried across.  Then he flew over the bushes along the edge of the road - I've never seen a roadrunner fly before.  It was all so clear, right in front of me, no bushes in the way.  Obviously too quick to get my camera turned on, but that scene is embedded in my  mind forever.  He was beautiful.

A big WELCOME to our new followers:

Charlene Swankie, who doesn't have any information listed. Sometimes people don't show their blogs for various reasons, but if you do have  blog that I can list, let me know.  :)

Jana Shelby also has no information shown.  Again, as above, if you have a blog, Jana, let me know and I'll give you a plug.  :)

The Maura Bedard, who says in her profile, We are Pete and Marua Bedard, just starting our full time RV adventure along with our dog Fraser a.k.a. Mutton Chops.  We are traveling in a 22ft travel trailer pulled by a ford van."  Her blog is Bucket List or Bust, which she just started in January.  She's got a lot of great photos, too - check it out!

The Awesome's - this is also a new blog started in January named Awesome's on the Road.  The family either travels in their camper or around the country for her husband's job. They have three kids and an English Mastiff puppy. Their kids are home schooled and they are all about organic gardening and living a sustainable life.   I love the following that Ashley, "Mrs. Awesome," wrote as reasons she started her blog:  "And blogging is so much cheaper than shopping on Amazon.  I'll post little diddies about our travels, attempts at gardening, surviving 'smalltown life,' tons about homeschooling and some recipes that I've come up with."  Its a fun blog!

Thank you all for following along with me and Katie - Welcome Aboard!

From me and Katie, have a great Tuesday, everybody!  :)

Touched by Charms... my granddaughter's new business venture

This post is an advertisement for my granddaughter, Kennedy's, business, but I'll bet you'll find it interesting.  You might even want to buy something.  If not, you'll at least be aware of one of the coolest jewelry creations I've ever seen.  And I love the prices, even my frugal budget can play! :)

Origami Owl Custom Jewelry is a social selling company that was founded by a 14-year-old girl.  This young entrepreneur features darling lockets and adorable charms that come together to make a distinctive piece of jewelery that is customizable to fit anyone's lifestyle, hobbies, family, etc.  There are also plates, dangles, and tags that can be added to the lockets or attached by themselves to a chain.

When I was visiting my family in San Diego in February, Kennedy had just started her new business, Touched by Charms, and I was able to experience her excitement and the beginning of  her new partnership with her mom.  Kennedy is too young legally to "own and run" a business, so mom, Trish, stepped up and they formed a Daughter and Mother Team, which is encouraged by Origami Owl.

I told Kennedy and Trish that I'd post information about their new company and put a link on my sidebar. I'm very proud of Kennedy and happy to share her story with you.

             Daughter:    Kennedy                                  Mom:    Trish

Here is what Kennedy and Trish have to say:

Hi, I'm Kennedy and I'm so happy you stopped by to visit! My mom, Trish, and I are a team, but I'm doing everything an 11-year-old can do to make our business a success. I'm in the 5th grade and a good student. I like swimming, and I'm taking lessons so I can join a swim team. I have lots of interests, but my favorite is creating things. Arts and crafts are super fun and I'm a pretty good artist for my age. I've started some small "kid" businesses selling the items I've created, like my hand-made bracelets, Rainbow Looms and multi-colored duct-tape purses. But I definitely think Origami Owl is the best! 

I've graduated from kid businesses and feel like Origami Owl is my first Professional Business - my first real step on the road to a business career. My Aunt Kristy gave me my first Origami Owl necklace. It was the first time I'd seen one, and I loved it! It created a HUGE BUZZ in our house, and I went to the Origami Owl web page to see what else there was for sale. When I saw that I could sell them, I was really excited and since then my mom and I have been working together to create Touched by Charms. Waaaaay better than duct-tape purses, for sure!

Hi - Trish here. I thought I'd write a quick note, too. When Kennedy approached her dad and me about being a part of "Origami Owl," we thought it would be a fantastic way to teach her the value of hard work, giving back by donating a portion of her proceeds to charities, and achieving her goals.  She's actually pretty good at those things already, but Origami Owl incorporated all three in a way that will enhance her current experiences. 

The added bonus is spending quality time together doing something we're really enjoying. For now Kennedy is doing everything she can to run Touched by Charms, and I'm helping out with the "grown-up" things she hasn't learned to do yet. Little by little, Kennedy will take on more tasks until she is able to run the business on her own. Her dad and I are thrilled she wanted to sell these beautiful pieces, and we couldn't be prouder of her!

Below is the link to their Origami Owl page - check it out and feel free to make any purchases for yourself or for gifts.  The prices aren't bad - I already have my locket and charms picked out!  :)

Touched by Charms Kennedy and Trish Daughter/Mother Team

I already have a gold chain with a small gold nugget on it.  The nugget is one that my mom and dad bought a long time ago when they were driving through Placerville, CA.  My mom had it made into a charm and on the gold piece that attaches it to the chain she added the tiny diamonds from her first engagement ring from my dad.  When I was living in Placerville, my mom offered it to me and I gladly accepted. It's a very small, simple piece, but I love it because it has a lot of meaning to me and I wear it every day. I'm going to add my Touched by Charms locket on the chain so I'll be wearing a piece of history from my mom and dad, and from my granddaughter and daughter-in-law, too.

I'm going to order a medium sized brushed gold locket and four charms to put inside.  I think I'll also get one of the dangle pieces so I can hook my nugget onto the chain with a dangler.

Here's how it works in five steps:

Here's what I want - Gold locket with crystals:

Palm Tree for obvious reasons:

Dog Paw for more obvious reasons:

The Infinity Charm just because I like it:

Crystal Cross, I'm not religious, but I have a deep faith (Trish actually gave me this one, it was one of my choices and she didn't know it):

It was in this little cloth bag:

 

Here's my cross:

And I'm thinking I need a little color, so I might get a heart with the red crystals if it will fit:

And maybe a couple of crystals with other colors - jeez, I can see why Kennedy and Trish have so many charms!

Here's how they can look when put together, most are necklaces, but two are bracelets - these are pretty simple, my kind of jewelry, but you can glam them up, too:

Here are more photos from their website:

Trish wears hers with a chunky chain and lots of charms and dangles and sometimes two or three chains and they look great on her.  Kennedy and Trish have a collection of charms, chains, lockets, etc, and they share them.  They can be changed easily by opening up the locket and changing charms and plates so you can have a different story to tell each time you wear them - very simple or super glam.  

I thought this was such an ingenious idea, and to think a 14-year-old girl started the whole thing.  Kennedy is giving a portion of her earnings to various charities.  Trish is doing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Cancer Walk in San Diego this year, she's already training for it, and Kennedy's first donation/gift is pledged to that charity.  Kennedy has to save half of her income and can spend the rest, after her donations.  What a great working/learning experience this is for a kid.  :)

If you'd like any information about this jewelry, Trish's phone number and e-mail are on their Origami Owl site and I know she would love to talk with you.

Thanks for reading to the end - Kennedy is a very smart girl and I'd bet there are big things in her future.  I love you, Kennedy, and I'm so proud of you!

On a final note:  You might not be interested now, but I'll have a link on my right sidebar - soon to be added under my new page tab, "Shopping with Me and Katie."  In the future if you need a quick gift, the classic ball chain for $10 with a $12 tag would be perfect for anyone:  boy or girl, man or woman.  And if you want something fancier, the options are almost endless.

From me and Katie, have a great Sunday everyone!  :)

PS:  Trish said if you'd like to save on shipping she'll place the order for you.  You'd need to get the order information from the website and e-mail her, including your phone number.  She'll call you to get your billing info.  It'll be added to their next order and when she gets your items, she'll send it right out to you (or to any address you specify) Priority Mail.  (I would start to place the order (but don't complete it) and when the shopping cart comes up with everything on it, do a copy/paste and paste the shopping cart in the e-mail.  Then you don't have to type the info.)   If you want to order directly through Kennedy and Trish, the e-mail address is:  touchedbycharms@aol.com.

PSS:  If you are on Facebook, this is Kennedy's Touched by Charms Facebook Page link. Please "Like" her - they are trying to get 100 Likes.  :)