Give a Hoot

I've got a couple pages left to finish from last spring, but otherwise am working hard on last summer's photos now. Need to post pics of some paper pages and projects too! We've been motivated this weekend: some highlights include Jeff put up an umbrella-style clothesline I've been asking for, and prompted by a messy tie-dyed t-shirt (who knew it would bleed WHILE he was wearing it?!?!), I shampooed the living room carpet this morning. As noted on Facebook, Jeff spent at least an hour pulling around 30-40 POUNDS of thistles from our neighbors flowers and yard. The wife has been gone for almost 2 months visiting family out of the country, and they didn't know much about gardening to begin with (she's asked for my assistance when she gets back), and we were tired of thistles growing on our property, so Jeff took them up at the source!

This has to be one of my fastest digi pages to date, but I really like how it turned out. This is a just-because page, not a challenge page:)


I've always been fascinated by owls, and remember dissecting owl pellets at summer nature camp in Cass County as a child. Heather led the "Nocturnal Raptors" day at McFarland Park and even 18 month old Michael paid attention for awhile. The owl is his favorite animal in the "Clifford's Animal Sounds" book. We even got to dissect pellets again, and Christopher kept the bones we found. We've heard great horned owls several times out our windows at home and I even saw one on top of Maha's house next door in the night--HOOOOO, who who who HOOOOO!
Heidi Larsen Hootfest June
Michelle Coleman Boho Flourish Brushes
Jessica Sprague photo mask
Bottled Fart font (love the font, if not the name, lol)

Owl Sighting (REAL)

Yes, I mean a real LIVE owl sighting! You may remember from my other owl entry (a few days back) that we've heard an owl out our windows on a couple occasions in the last 6 months. About 4 nights ago I awoke knowing I had heard something, so I stayed awake to see if whatever it was made noise again. I heard the owl several times over a couple of minutes, and it sounded VERY loud...therefore close by!

So 4am or not, lol, here I am squinting out my west bedroom window with my glasses on (can't see very well in them, especially at night). I thought I could detect something large sitting on my neighbor's roof, and it sure didn't look like the normal little straight pipe/chimney thingie to me. Sure enough, when I slowly tried to open the window so I could hear better, it spooked Mr. Owl (or maybe Mrs.) and he/she flew off my neighbor's roof. Way cool!!

Credits for card: Heidi Larsen Hoot Fest June (check out the next page on the link provided...she's done several Hoot Fest collections, all very cute. So far I've only succumbed to 2 of them, but I have my eye on October...

Owls and more Owls

Both of our children have grown up liking owls. Maybe it starts with Clifford's Animal Sounds, where "the cow says Moo, the owl says Whoo" (Michael especially loves that page and says the sound each time). Whoo (heehee) knows. Anyway, I have always thought they were cool too, but was never what you'd call obsessed at all, that is, until recently. Blame Target, I think...(See below).

This past May we attended a "Nocturnal Raptor" lecture at our county conservation park (photo). Michael was fascinated by the live "teacher" owls they brought in, but quickly bored by the lecture itself, so unfortunately Jeff missed a big chunk of the lecture. I learned quite a bit, including the fact that their hearing is so acute b/c their ears are lopsided...one up high, and the other down low. This helps them locate their prey in the dark. An owl's flight is nearly soundless...their feathers simply do not make noise as they swoop down, again, so they can hear their prey.

We even got to dissect an owl pellet, something I remember doing at nature camp growing up (also through a county conservation park). Christopher had a lot of fun with this and insisted we bring the bones home (no arguments here! I think it's cool too.)

Then, very shortly after the lecture, Jeff was putting both boys to bed with the windows open on a nice evening. I was gone to work or wherever, and they heard an owl hooting outside. They were all really excited, especially since the naturalist had imitated several Iowa owls hoots, and they knew they had heard a great horned owl. Later in the summer I awoke around 2am and heard TWO great horned owls hooting (probably a mating call) out the window. Mom called one day and left a message on our answering machine about a very strange noise she heard out her window in the middle of the night...turns out it was a barred owl. Here's a cool website with owl calls: Hoot!

Ok, on to Target:

I could not pass this up...so cute! Read the shirt:) I love to read, and I love owls, AND the shirt was only $5. No one could blame me for this purchase!

The pajama pants are Janet's "fault" ;) She got the shirt, and I "needed" the pants b/c they are just too darned cute.

The slipper, I just don't get...it doesn't look enough like an owl.

Next time I'm motivated, I'll upload links to about a million cute digital SB collections that include owls...