Hummingbirds II

In my post Hummingbirds, I spoke of the mating and nest building of a female Ruby-Throated hummingbird here at the ranch. Since then, she has laid 2 tiny white eggs and sits her nest most of the day. She has come accustomed to my presence and allows me to get rather close.  Within the next two weeks, I hope to be providing pictures of the two new hummingbird babies.    

Sunday's Serenade: Diana Krall

Sit back, relax and enjoy the soothing sounds of Diana Krall as she performs Joni Mitchell's A Case of You.

Bloggers Unite: Earth Hour 03/28/09

Remember to turn off the lights at 8:30 pm for one hour this evening.  

Support Earth Hour.

The Turquoise Moon Gallery - Charreada

Charreada

SJ Shaffer

47"x25" acrylic on wood

Shaffer Gallery

click on painting for larger view

Bloggers Unite: It's A Good Thing

Bloggers Unite is a community that cares. 

Bloggers Unite is an attempt to harness the power of the blogosphere to make the world a better place. By asking bloggers to write about a particular subject on 1 day of the month, a single voice can be joined with thousands to help make a difference; from raising awareness for cancer, to an effort to better education systems or supporting 3rd world countries.

Bloggers like you!

Lets face it, the most important part of Bloggers Unite are the bloggers themselves. Without bloggers like you none of this could be possible. We at Bloggers Unite are proud to be a part of a movement to make the blogosphere a vehicle for greatness. We as bloggers have not only the opportunity but the ability to spread the word about organizations and topics like no other group or organization has ever been able to before. Our reach is worldwide and our information is shared instantly over the world wide web. The BloggersUnite team want to thank you for your participation and we welcome you into our family. A single voice can only yell so loud but an entire blogoshpere can make a difference like never before.

Please, take the tour of the Bloggers Unite website, join us and we'll change the world together.
 

Turquoise Moon Gallery - Mayan Migration

Mayan Migration

Dennis Numkena

7'x7' oil on canvas

numkena.com

click painting for larger view

Cloudbusting

"Cloudbusting" is a song that was written, produced and performed by the British singer Kate Bush. The song is a look at a special relationship between a boy and his father. It describes psychologist Wilhelm Reich's arrest and imprisonment through the eyes of his young son, Peter. Reich's son later wrote his father's story in the book A Book Of Dreams, published in 1973, on which the song is based. Wilhelm Reich is the inventor of the cloudbuster, a rain machine. The original cloudbuster, built by Reich, is featured during this production and on the record cover.

The music video, directed by Julian Doyle was conceived by Terry Gilliam and Kate Bush. The video features Canadian actor Donald Sutherland playing the role of Wilhelm Reich, and Bush playing the part of his young son, Peter. In the UK it was shown at some cinemas as an accompaniment to the main feature. Kate Bush's lyrics can be found here. Enjoy!

Hummingbirds

Spring is definitely upon us. Just last week I was observing a couple of male Ruby Throated hummingbirds as they vied for the attention of a little female. They were fussing and dive-bombing one another until the stronger prevailed.  I grabbed my camera and caught this little guy defending his turf.  

Now, I have always watched Discovery and Animal Planet and I have seen the mating habits of most species roaming this planet. However, I had never seen hummingbirds mate until that day. Such grace in mid-air.

I walked out onto the porch yesterday and found the little female building her nest in a wind chime made of horseshoes.  I carefully snapped a shot to document the success of the mating.  Stay tuned, love is in the air.

Click photos for a closer look

The Turquoise Moon Gallery - Gracias

Gracias

RC Gorman

First People

Click on painting for larger view

Bloggers Unite: International Women's Day

Phenomenal Woman

Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me. 

The Turquoise Moon Gallery: Coyote

Coyote Self-Portrait

John Nieto

Nieto Fine Art

Click on painting for larger view