Champagne in one hand...

My Top 6 Reasons for Getting Out of Bed and Going Running at 6am

1. You get billion dollar views like this and have the top of the hill all to yourself

 
2. The flowers shine particularly bright when they think no one is looking:

 
3. The glorious colors of nature make you feel on top of the world and happy to be alive

  
4. You see bunnies having breakfast... (dammit, I left my camera at the bottom of the hill that day!)

5. You can have a hot (and slightly sadistic) workout partner come with you and make you do sprint repeats, stair repeats, squats, pushups, crunches, etc etc ad nauseum...

 
6. You get to eat a big slice of THIS when you get home (mmmm carrot bread!!)

 
So.....who's coming with me?!!

 

Say hello to the Decorah Eaglets

Ok, I admit it....I was a 'young ornithologist'.  I was a paid up member of the RSPB's "young ornithologist's club" and I remember at about age 8, after reading a YOC article, asking Mum and Dad if we could tape a big red X on our french windows to stop birds from accidentally crashing into it and breaking their necks.  Cruelly (I thought), they said NO! Despite being unable to help calamitous avians from colliding with our home, my sister and I "rescued" many a baby sparrow that had fallen from their nests, fed them milk (?) from a pipette and ran around the back garden catching flies.  Suffice to say, we were wholly unsuccessful in raising any sparrows for release back into the wild.

My ornithological past resurfaced this week while Skype chatting with my friend Andrea. I heard chirping in the background and wondered if she had bought a budgie.  No, she was watching the "Decorah eaglets" online.  These 3 bald eaglets are internet superstars. There have been more that 25 million views! The Raptor Resource Project has installed a 24 hour camera focused on a nest  atop their tree at a fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. Andrea has watched the eggs being laid and the babies hatching.  There was some unexpected R rated violence for Andrea this week when she watched Daddy Eagle murdering a squirrel on the edge of the nest for his kids. I've now been sucked into this gently compelling "eaglet watch". Today the eaglets have been exploring the nest.  Exploration consists of a couple of inches of fluffy shuffling followed by an exhausted collapse.  There was a lot of a activity at lunchtime today, as Mummy eagle tore pieces of flesh from what I can only imagine was the unfortunate squirrel to feed her eager babies.  The bald eagles (so, they're not really bald are they?!!) are fascinating to watch.  Here is the a live feed so you too can be sucked in to Eaglet Reality
Online video chat by Ustream  TV!

"Champagne in one hand... crochet hook in the other" goes live on Etsy!

This week, I'm proud to say I opened shop at Etsy!  Etsy is an awesome online craft marketplace. The sellers on their are incredibly creative...then there's me :-) .  It took a while to set up my profile, policies and paypal stuff but now it's done and i can sell all over the world!!  go to:
www.champagneinonehand.etsy.com to see my kiddie hats and cardies.  I hope you like them!

 
Easter Bonnets!! Playful Purple, Easter Chick Yellow and Pretty in Pink

 
Technicolor Dream Cardigan, And They Call it Puppy Love, Pink to Make the Boys Wink!