Today was the first time I tried out my new wood burning kit.   Actually the brand name is Versa Tool.   After practicing on a small piece of wood with a few of the tips, I decided to work on my big project.   My friend Steven had given me some awesome driftwood that I have been using in a display case at Jersey Made.   I had also selected this piece from his vast collection.   He said this particular piece had came from the riverbank in Delanco -  real New Jersey driftwood!!!

First I marked the letters onto the driftwood with yellow chalk.   Pencil lines would have been too hard to see and I was not couragous enough to even think about using a pen or other permanent writing tool!    After doing the outline of the letters I got braver and made a design inside the letters too.     

I think I did mighty fine for my first adventure!!!

It still needed a little something.    I had some of the light gray paint left so I brushed that onto the outer part of the letters first.   Once I was sure I liked that I added the green.    Just want to make really sure everyone could see that Jersey Made was O P E N. 

 Next week’s project will be to figure out how to hang it right by the front door.    I have a few ideas but need to make sure the sign is secure and still easily removed each night.  

As usual thanks for reading!

Come on over to Jersey Made …..

The sign will be hanging every Wed & Fri from 11-6PM, Thurs 12-6PM, Sat 10-6PM, Sun noon – 4PM.

Jersey Made, LLC

Mill Race Village

33 White Street

Mount Holly, NJ   08060

609-914-1536

Today I visited http://www.smokeybear.com/ and found out that he has recently turned 65.   Does Smokey qualify for Social Security benefits?   He has been putting out fires and spreading the word about fire prevention for 65 years.   He didn’t wait until he was 18 to start working.  He certainly is 100% American and would therefore be more eligible than the many illegal aliens who currently do receive this money. 

Although I really don’t want him to retire.   It’s important to keep reminding people that “only we can prevent forest fires”.   I know that forest fires are something that does happen without human help.  The forest actually thrives after a fire and needs this to happen occasionally for rejuvenation.   It does not need to rejuvenate as often as careless humans leave campfires unattended or discard lit cigarettes out the window. 

So join me in extending birthday congratulations to Smokey the Bear.   We will not be lighting 65 candles on a birthday cake.  I do not think he would want cake anyway and the anxiety of 65 burning sticks of wax could be bad for this old bear.   Not to mention that he strongly reminds us to not play with matches!  

So in place of these standard ways to celebrate I offer this alternative.   Why not become a fan of Smokey’s Facebook page? 

There are many fan pages out there but to get the official one go to www.smokeybear.com and click on the Facebook link at the upper right hand corner. 

Thanks for helping to stop forest fires started by humans!

I signed up for a new group on Facebook. 

It’s called “Photo-A-Day”.

Since I enjoy taking photographs and carry my camera around with me most of the time, joining this group seemed like a good way to challenge myself.  Today was my 3rd day posting a photo on the group.   It is an open group and people can join to post photos or just view them.  Who knows if anyone actually looks at all the photographs that people have been posting on there, but I did.   

Here is the photo that I posted today.  I call it “A Bee’s Target”.   It seemed amazing to me that the flight of the bee would be caught in the photograph.  The origin of these sunflowers also comes with a story.

At a previous job, a co-worker put birdseed out almost every day.  It attracted all kinds of birds and also chipmunks, squirrels and rabbets.   The birdseed was placed about 20 feet from where these sunflowers were growing.  Some or one of the clever little animals had been picking up the sunflower seeds and moving them around the area.   Small patches of sunflowers began popping up all over.  We watched as little clusters of  plants became huge towering groups of sunflowers.  The funniest part for me was that these sunflowers were the only thing that was at all “sunny” about that job – LOL!!!

Challenges are good for me.   It stretches me beyond what I normally would do.  In photographs you can sometimes capture more of real life than you can in the midst of it.  I did not see the bee approaching the sunflower when I took the photograph.   The awe of the sunflowers was the main attraction for me.  Nature amazes me often.  Yet the bee is clearly present with his eye on the target.   All this reminds me that if I aim for my target I will get a little closer.   I may never reach that destination but something might happen because I gave it a try!

So my neice and family are going away for a week.  No was was scheduled to take care of the turtles.  I live 25 minutes away so it would be a challenge to drive over there every other day to feed them but I offered to take them to my house and care for them.  My neice had to consider this for awhile.  Later she agreed that it would be OK for me to babysit the turtle but I had to have detailed instructions first.  This sent her to the computer to type them up…

Hehehe – so now I am a certified care-giver for 2 turtles.  I asked their names and she said Larry and Kira but she didn’t know which one was which and assured me that calling them by name would not be helpful.  She asked if I had a lamp.  Of course I have a lamp – several as a matter of fact.  Seems the turtles need to have the light on in the daytime so they can climb up on the noodle to sun themselves.  Thought the deal was off when I asked what is a noodle…..  

I had to have an escort to my car so make sure that I put the turtle’s plastic container in just the right spot.  Then I was reminded to NOT make any sharp turns.

So for your entertainment as well, here are Larry and Kira….

Well I had quite the revelation this evening.  I finally got home before it was dark and had been gathering the dirt and plants and garden tools that I needed to fix the garden bed in front of my house.  I pulled weeds and removed the yucky stuff.  Planted some new things and spruced up some old.   To help my new lawnboy I pulled the weeds and grass from around the front.  That is when this giant revelation hit me.

Even my garden is re-used, recycled and yet still green!

The “Welcome” sign was purchased at a yard sale.  Think it was 50 cents.  The rocks and bricks and stones were gathered from around my yard and used to make an edging on the front.   An old tree stump (on the left) is used to put a potted plant on.   Weeds that flower are encouraged.  When I do weed it is awesome therapy for me and I really needed that after my long day/week/month of working hard.  My theory is that the weeding helps my brain to make room for new stuff.  Pull out the bad and allow room for the good.   There are actually a few Bible verses that support my theory.

The mums I planted several years ago and they just keep on coming back.  On the right is what I thought was a giant fern weed.  Last year it grew so much that it was hanging over onto my driveway.  That was all fine until I kept swapping myself in the head every time I walked by it.  So early this spring I had my old lawnboy extraordinaire (who doesn’t want to come here anymore) cut it down.  He left a 12″ stump which has started to grow all over again.  This time I am smarter and pruned a few branches off so it doesn’t get so huge again.  A friend told me that it really isn’t a fern at all but a mimosa tree.  Hmmmm – news to me!!!

I used broken up pine cones and bark that had falled off of nearby trees to make my own sort of “mulch”.  Pine cones are scattered throughout as well cause I have a lot of them collected from the neighbor’s pine tree that conveniently drops bunches of them on my side.  

The lawn ornaments are sort of a joke.  One year my sister thought it was funny to buy us all these wide mouth alligator and turtle and frog.  My other sister quickly put it into the yard sale pile.  Somehow they all ended up at my house!   They are funny looking for sure!!!   The little turtle below was found way in the back.  Someday he will come in and visit Jackson the Turtle and get a new coat of paint.  It would be good for these 2 turtle to become friends.

Other than buying plants and dirt occasionally, I really haven’t spent much on this little garden.  My neighbors would probably frown and say “yup-looks like it” but I think different.  It is a gathering of things that were left behind or discarded.   It is gardening on a shoestring.  It is using the natural things that have been provided for us.   It looks like MY garden.