So Much for Photos, Let's do Illustrations!

In pursuit of new interests, I now have work listed on three of the stock photo sites. It is a small (so far) selection of drawings and illustrations instead of photos.

It is difficult, at best, to get top shelf, major mega pixel photos with the equipment I have and frustration finally got the best of me!

A couple have already had nibbles and that just jazzes me to no end!

You'd think after nearly 40 years of earning my living producing and selling this sort of stuff that something like a 50 cent sale would be an "OMG! What a waste of time!" But no... I still get excited as a kid at Christmas to discover a new way to do something or a fresh, new venue! I sure wish there was time to devote to getting more of these done, but bills must be paid!

The process is a little involved the way I do it. I haven't had the time to make the learning curve on using the proper software for the actual (easy) creation of these pieces. I have to freehand them first, trace it on film to get clean lines, scan the durn thing into a viable digital format and finally, add color and finishing touches!

Take a look at this collection on FeaturePics ... no sales here yet, but the largest selection posted so far... and let me know what you think. Suggestions for topics and all ideas are always appreciated!

Long time no see!

Well, it's been such a long time since posting!

It was a busy summer, but it is winding down and I am finally getting back to a bit of writing and computer time. Gardens were a bust this year and my new/old passion for photography took over in their stead.

Decided I needed to do something with the hundreds of photos taken besides clutter up my computer, so I have begun to try my luck on microstock photography sites.

The picture of a mule may seem unrelated to the topic, besides just being one of my photos, but believe me, it is fitting! It is taking all the stubborn tenacity that I have to re-learn what I've forgotten about cameras, translate that to digital and try to develop a commercial photographer's eye...

What fun! I didn't realize what a terrible photographer I am until I started trying to take marketable pictures. This has been a wonderful challenge and has totally changed the way I use my camera.

Equipment is an issue now that I am getting a clue and a new camera is going to be a necessity. Already have some acceptances on a couple of stock photo sites, but still haven't made the grade on the one I really want to qualify with... Making that hurdle will take fine tuning my market awareness as well as a big learning curve with the editing software.

I will be working on adding material to most of the other Gramma's sites over the next few weeks, so be sure to check them out periodically!

Wallowing in Wildflowers

It seems like life has been just plain hectic around here! Gramma's House has slipped way down on the list of priorities because so many other things are demanding immediate attention... like the gardens.

I will finally be planting the last area this weekend. This may not seem unreasonable to many folks in cooler regions, but it is very late for here. My corn, usually about a foot tall by now, is just breaking ground.

The weather is so odd this year that getting such a late start may be a good thing. It was chilly, foggy and misty all day and felt like typical late fall weather.


One advantage to all the dampness and cooler temperatures is that we have had an amazing display of wildflowers! I have found some rare beauties and the old standbys have outdone themselves. The cactus bloom you see at the top is one example. It is a Redeye Prickly Pear (Opuntia violacea). To the left is a lovely morning bloomer normally found much further north, Yellow Salsify (Tragopogon dubius). This is the first time I have seen them in abundance in this area.



With such a bounty of photographic opportunities, I have been thinking of compiling a wildflower identification book! Heavens knows, I have hundreds of pictures. Now all I need is a qualified area naturalist with which to collaborate. I have been appalled at the lack of good cross-referencing available when trying to pin down some of the varieties. Some of the medicinal plants are easy enough, but the names I know them by are rarely considered the “common” name and have been impossible to tag properly. Being an illustrator and having been bitten by the camera bug, these difficulties make me want to design a reference book I would enjoy using myself! Any Big Bend area naturalist types up for a challenge?

This last photo is Southwestern Paintbrush (Castilleja integra), commonly known as Indian Paintbrush. These have been competing with the meadows of Texas Bluebonnets for the award for sheer numbers and robust color.

I am hoping to get a number of posting up across all my pages very soon. Several gardening articles are in the works as are some crafts projects for the kids. I will also try to add a few of the medicinal uses for a few of the wildflowers that are in bloom. Most of these should be gathered later in the season, but now is the easiest time to identify and mark where they are growing.
Until then, light hearts to you all!

And we thought winter was over...

Just goes to show, even the best of the frost prediction plants can be wrong...

Last week the mesquite and desert willows budded out, signaling the last frost of the year. Today a one to two inch layer of sleet and hail looks like snow on the ground. Nearly 24 hours of freezing temperatures has caused sever damage.

A couple of friends have reported an almost total loss of their fruit, and garden devastation where cold frames were not in place. All of the delays with rearranging our own gardens has proved a blessing in disguise... The only apparent damage I have is to my herbs, so far.

It will be a couple of days before the verdict will be in on the young trees we planted. They are bent over with a coating of ice, but nothing is actually broken.

Snakebite!

My delight with the arrival of spring has been dampened by the timely, yet unfortunate reminder of one of the perils of this time of year. Rattlesnakes! As the days grow warm, the snakes become active and the woodpile and stands of wildflowers and new growth are inviting hunting and sunning grounds.

It is easy to forget to be watchful and the grandchildren must be constantly reminded that playing in Papaw’s cool piles of workshop materials or picking the abundant wildflowers must be done with alert eyes and ears. I have seemed a nuisance to them with my almost constant warnings, but I suspect that will not be so necessary now. We have all had a hard reminder.

Seven days ago, our young tomcat went hunting. Two days later he came staggering in the door with scratches across his face and an abscess on the inside of his left front leg. A quick examination told the tale. He had been in a fight with a large rattlesnake. I have seen this before and there was no mistaking the wound. What I could not know is how much venom he’d received or how bad it would get since there was no way to really tell when he’d been bitten.

To make a long story short, he almost died. By day four, the scratches on his head proved to be places where venomous fangs dragged across skin. They abscessed and broke open. The flesh, around the two entry points on the leg, has opened and created a large, gaping wound. His leg seems to be functional, which is a miracle considering the bite location. An inch higher and he would have probably been dead before he could make it to the house.

Though our beloved Merlin will bear horrific scars and have a long convalescence, he may have saved us, or one of the grandchildren, from getting bit. We will now be extra alert to our unwelcome guest and take steps to make sure the areas of activity are not so enticing as a snake residence. If found, and we will be conducting a search, the snake will be caught and taken several miles away for release.

It's Official! Spring Has Arrived!

In the mountains of Southwest Texas, the last word on the arrival of spring rests with the mesquite. Until it puts on buds, another freeze is to be expected... No ifs, ands or buts about it.

I have been antsy to get more seed in the ground, but daily checks found no green at all. Sure enough, we had a heavy frost a couple of nights ago and today my venerable old mesquite had bright, tender new growth! I had to take a photo of the largest bud I could find just to celebrate.

Look at the Wildflowers!

These are few photos of our wildflowers that I took today. Some of these may be featured over the next couple of weeks in the Medicine Cabinet and Garden, since some are medicinal and others dandy cultivated as ornamentals.
These are just a little eye candy for now and a lovely Equinox celebration! I hope you enjoy!

If we get some rain, there will be an explosion of blooms within the next few days!

eBay Buyer Guidelines

I joined the eBay back in 2000 when it was well established, but still much like a huge yard sale or flea market. Now, it is totally global and the level of unscrupulous activity has increased along with the massive increase in numbers of users. We have all heard horror stories of eBay purchases gone wrong. I am here to tell you, unfortunately most of the bad experiences I have heard about could have easily been avoided. This article is for all my friends and readers that have doubts about bidding on eBay. These are some of the things I do when checking out those "Gotta Haves" to make sure everything is legitimate and that the sale will go well. By following a few simple guidelines each eBay win can be a pleasurable experience for everyone involved.

1. READ THE LISTING. Titles can be misleading, often unintentionally. Be sure to pay attention to the details of the auction listing. If it does not clearly state desired information (condition, whether or not it works properly, etc.), contact the seller and ask. Look for shipping information and seller’s return policy. Again, if none is present, ask. Use the “Ask seller a question” link and be sure to check “hide my email.” This will keep the communication on eBay and prevent unwittingly offering spamming and phishing opportunities to the unscrupulous.
2. CHECK SELLER’S FEEDBACK. The feedback percentage, shown directly below the user ID on an auction listing, is a good indicator of a seller’s reliability. Take a look at any negatives to see what the problem was and how the seller handled it. This will tell you how professional or helpful the seller is going to be if you do have a problem.
   
3. CONTACT the seller if in doubt or they have low feedback. I have gotten some great deals from new sellers, but I seldom buy anything of value without asking some questions about the item before bidding. The quickness and quality of a seller’s response can tell you worlds about how they will handle the sale. If return emails give you pause, just don't bid.
4. BE COURTEOUS. If you encounter a problem, definitely contact the seller right away. Approach them with courtesy, not accusations. If the seller is not helpful or nice in return, there is plenty of time to get pushy if you must. Sellers are there to do business and good business comes with happy customers and good customer service. Given a chance, most sellers will try to find a satisfactory solution.
5. BE CAUTIOUS. If there is a high pressure offer to let you buy it outside of eBay or to close the auction early if you pay right now, back off quickly. If an email asking you to click a link or provide personal information appears to be from eBay, but greets you with something like Dear member instead of your name, forward it to spoof@ebay.com. Do Not respond to it in any way! Don’t let excitement overwhelm caution either. If you don’t have time fully read the listing and check out something that seems odd, don’t make a bid.
6. EBAY EDUCATION is an excellent resource of information. Take some of the courses and read the tutorials offered. Doing this will help you become, not only a more savvy Internet shopper, but a safer surfer in general.

The old saying “ if it seems too good to be true, it probably is” isn’t necessarily accurate on eBay, but it does signal a need for extra examination of the auction and the seller. Take the necessary time to learn the safety basics. By observing these guidelines with every bid, you will greatly increase your chances of each purchase being a satisfying success!

They're Ba-a-ack!

The Turkey Buzzards are back! That means it's Spring in my part of the world!

These large birds are actually classified as a vulture, not buzzard. True buzzards are a type of raptor. The Turkey Vulture's wingspan can reach up to 6 feet across and their body weight usually averages around 6 pounds. This gives them the ability to soar, gliding gracefully on rising thermals. I have seen them obviously doing this for the sheer joy of it, rising far too high for spotting a meal! Groups of them can often be seen flying into a stiff wind, rising and dipping, looking just like a bunch of surfers riding the waves. It is a glorious sight!

Most folks are a bit put off by vultures since they are carrion eaters, but they provide a vital service. Think about what our highways might look like without this clean-up crew on duty! You can readily see the adaptations nature has made for this diet by their bald head. This allows them to reach inside a carcass without getting a lot of nasty residue on their feathers. Looking at their beaks, you might think they are kin to raptors, hawks and eagles for instance, but they aren't. They are related to storks and ibis. A quick look at their feet reveals a weak, chicken-like appendage built for mere holding and walking instead of the strong carrying and tearing feet of the birds of prey.

If the Turkey Vulture is a sign of Spring, it also means that most things Internet go on hold for a couple of weeks. Their arrival signals an urgency for garden preparation!

I'm still running late on my garden re-design because the March winds began in January this year. It is just horrendous trying to build raised beds, tilling and moving large quantities of soil around in a 30+ mile an hour wind! Things seem to have calmed down now though and the rearrangement is beginning to take shape.

Here you see the beginning of the raised beds we are changing over to, using well aged railroad ties to build the retaining walls. The soil has been dug and tilled to a depth of about a foot and I have laid in a layer of straw. A good layer of goat manure will be added to this along with compost. Once the second row of ties has been added and anchored, the remaining 18" or so of top soil will be shoveled in to fill the bed. As you can see, there is much work to be done and we'd better get to it if we expect to be ready for the next good planting date!

As this project nears completion, I will be adding photos and notes to Gramma's Garden on the reasons for switching over to raised beds and intensive planting methods.

Monkey Wrenches!

Delays abound in the video department!
I do believe it mostly boils down to the fact that I am a compulsive perfectionist... I must be. Those jerky transitions and choppy fades are not acceptable. I haven't yet learned enough about file compression or something to get it fixed it seems and am unwilling to publish a totally technically crappy piece... just because it will play in Windows Media.
Working with a couple of new softwares that look promising though. If time allows I might have something hammered out in a couple of weeks. I just can't take those learning curves as quick as I used to...

New Stuff in the Works!

I'm finally about ready to start posting some videos!
I have been working on a series of "How To Draw" shows. The first in the series is "How To Draw: A Cartoon Cat", followed by "How To Draw: Coloring Your Cat". Both are to be located on "Gramma's Country Crafts" pages.

These are primarily geared for the adult wanting to learn how to draw quick cartoon critters and scenes for use as coloring pages or decorations for the kids. The principles and techniques are exceptionally easy and the premise is that absolutely anyone who can sign their name, can draw cartoon characters.

I can hear it already! "But I can't draw a straight line!" Good! Nothing in nature is straight! If you need a straight line, use a ruler. Everyone I know can draw rude circles, triangles and wavy lines. Once you see how to put these together in a pattern, you will realize how easy basic cartooning can be and that you can do it too!

Should have the first two up within a couple of days, so check back!
Be sure to let me know what you think when you view them.
I need feedback on motivational quality, easy of understanding and anything else you might find annoying or glitchy about the show. The picture quality is not the greatest, but I'm working on that... lol. Yeah, tacking pictures of that new camcorder I want all over the house and workshops. Wonder if Grandpa's going to get the hint?

Browsers and connection differences are things I can't always check myself and letting me know how it worked in your browser and with your dial-up or other connections helps. If you encountered problems, be sure to let me know the browser used and your type/speed of connection.

What a Beautiful Day!

I do believe Spring is in the air! The breeze has a teasing warmth to it and it is calling my name to come outside and play.

Sometimes I wish I could be in several places at once. Don't we all? There is so much I want to do and need to get done that I get positively overwhelmed and end up doing very little that is constructive!

So, today I will take a lesson from all those 'efficiency experts' and just start somewhere. It's off to clean up the debris of winter in the yard! OOOHhhh... and get the beds and planters ready for next month! Ahhhh... and pull out the lawn furniture and clean the fire pit to get ready for star gazing. It is almost warm enough at night now to make that appealing!

Okay. No more postings for today! I'm off to be the wizard! Slip on my "Domestic Goddess" garb and flit about the house making this home a castle with banners in the wind! For any of you unenlightened readers out there, translate this as getting gussied up in grubbies, finding the rake, mop and broom and having fun with house & yard work. What a wonderful concept and perspective! WooHoo! See y'all later!

Finally!

Heavens to Betsy! I never thought setting up one of these things could be so involved! The site makes the basics exceptionally easy, but I discovered that my content was sadly lacking!

Nearly sprained this old woman's brain, being a techno-aborigine and all... I wanted to put my own illustration as the background, but after realizing I had forgotten what ever HTML I had ever known and I didn't have the time to do a crash course in XML, I threw my hands in the air and went with one of the templates. A very nice one I must say... Just wish it was a desert scene since that would be more fitting for my little homestead.

I think I am getting there though. Some critique and advice will be most welcome if any of you are of a mind to offer such.

I have added a bit of information to most of the links under Gramma's stuff... more than you will see on this page for a little while, at least until I get some of the wrinkles smoothed out and finish fluffing up the pillows to make ready for company.

I hope you enjoy your visit and find some items of interest here! I know this is going to be a ton of fun, hopefully for all of us!