Ding Dong the Quilt is done...the wicked Quilt is DONE!!

I read local news: "Because the snake was dangerous/poisonous, it was killed. Altho, animal control in this area does release non-poisonous snakes back into the wild." Read More/Watch News Video... While the animal control officers were attempting the snake's capture, it sprayed venom on one of their uniform shirts!! Thing is, the rattlesnake was spotted on local property UNDER the property owner's BIRD FEEDER!! Yikes...and I go out every morning and fill the feeders in OUR yard. I think I will relegate the task to Bud...ya, pass that chore onto him from this day forward!!! [kidding]

When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does he wonder why you're just sitting there, staring at carpeting?

YOU KNOW YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY WHEN...The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.

Brant Dunlin [BIRDS in BOLD] - Private Investigator: I was in the Condor Club and right next to me there were two chicks, a raven-haired beauty and a redhead. On a lark I decided that I wanted to chat, but I had to crane my neck to see 'em. I don't want to snipe or grouse, but when I turned around one of them was puffin away on a cigarette - I wanted to thrasher or at least rail about what a cuckoo she was for taking up this fowl habit. Instead of making a move I decided to listen in on the gulls. I was in the catbird seat, and got quite an ear full - I really couldn't believe what I was heron. The woman with the black hair was named Barbet and her friend was Robin. Barbet said, "Can you sparrow match?" Robin obliged. "Thanks. You know, that bustard Martin is a real loon. He asked if he could touch my tit - I said, 'What?' and he said he liked my booby - I told him to go fly a kite." "Yep, he's a creeper all right, and not too swift," Robin replied. "He wanted to goose me, that turkey. Look, Barbet, there he is, after Rhea!" "Owl tell ya', he'll egret it." [Barbet was British.] "She's a harpy and she won't quail at his advances - she'll wrap a nutcracker around his peewee - that'll be his swan song." "Yeah", said Robin, "But willet do any good?" Jut then I saw Martin swallow hard, move over to Rhea, and try to dipper. Rhea flew off and took a swing, and Martin had to duck and he dove to the floor under the table bunting. There was a flicker in Rhea's eye. She came over to sing to Barbet and Robin. "Martin said that Jay told him I was easy...if I wouldn't give it away I'd at least wrentit!" "Oh, Rhea," said Robin, "that old coot Jay isn't worth your time, and if Martin doesn't straighten up soon they'll throw him down the nuthatch." "Either that or get a shoveler to bury the old buzzard - he's so yucky, harrier than a gorilla." "Yeah, those toucan go to Hell." By this time I knew to say nothing and to not even try to be an avocet to their cause. My cardinal rule is to let the canary sing before you take your tern. I'm no rook or sapsucker and I didn't need an albatross around my neck, so I just stayed mute and walked away. Besides, the Falcon needed petrel - so I went to fill it up. At least I'd remembered to get cash out of the nightjar. Teal we meet again, Brant Dunlin, signing off.

WARNING!! [risque ahead Rated "R"] There was this guy that had a hen and he wanted to raise chicks but had no rooster... So he set out looking for one... Came upon a farmer and asked him if he had any. Farmer said... "Why, yes, I have three of them... One is "normal"... one is "dyslexic"... and the last one is "gay". So the guy says... "Let me hear them crow!" The farmer brings out the "normal" one... and he crows...... Cocka-Doodle-Dooooooo!!! Guy says, "Well, he sounds pretty good!" Farmer brings out the "dyslexic" one... and he crows...... Doodle-Doodle-Cock!!! Guy says, "Hmmm..." The farmer brings out the "gay" one... He crows...... Any-Cock'll Doooooooooo!!!

Yesterday, I FINISHED IT!!! My Halloween quilt is complete. I am so very happy it is done. I have pictures of the entire process and finished images on the camera, and I'll share it all [and my honest opinion of the experience] next week, I hope. I posted this close-up picture from the beginning, I will re-share it 'til I get the other photos cropped and readied for another future post...

[this is the reverse/back side of the quilt]

The weather report: We've been getting a few rain showers here and there, recently. I'm enjoying the heck out of this! I even dared to go walking in the rain. I had my biggo Texas-sized umbrella and felt like "Singing in the Rain". While I was walking, I chanced to trek along the feeder ditch that empties into Oso Bay behind the Texas A&M South Campus. I caught a couple photos of ducks scurrying to the bay in the rain...



...zooming in -this photo is a bit blurry 'cause I was trying to utilize the zoom and hang on the umbrella and focus all at the same time. But, it also tells a story: They were REALLY on 'cruise control fast!' ....



...and one of our front yard hibiscus after the rainfall...


...and the patterns of weather we've been having this past week makes for some beautiful sky-scapes with a lot of drama mixed in!!

Tuesday, Bud and I stopped at Best Buy 'cause they had the special day release sale price of season ten of NCIS. Have watched a couple episodes already during our dinner hour. Can't wait to get up to my favorite program of last season. That one is Devil's Trifecta...where FBI agent Fornell and Gibbs' ex-wife work on a special case together. It just hits me as hilarious!! It's quite funny. Sometimes I wish the producers and writers would do more like this.

Last thing for this post before I go get busy for the day: A couple of weeks ago, I started a new bird sketch, and this week, I finally built up the courage to finish it. The reason I stopped in mid-sketch is because this image I chose to draw has the bird's feet. And they are truly a difficult challenge for me to get it 'right'. Most times when I attempt bird feet they look like just a big mess of lines...as with human hands. I never feel they look like the real thing. I draw, erase, draw, erase...over and over again. I should just eliminate this part of the drawing and add tree leaves or something. But, this sketch, too, is now done. By the way, it's a bird that is quite prominent in the Texas area and rarely goes much farther north than Okalhoma...the GREEN JAY. Tho this pencil sketch is done in regular #5 drawing pencil, I added a bit of color as I did in my American Redstart. The colors in real life are extraordinarily bright, vivid, bold greens and blues with a hint of yellow and black. Anyway, here is my completed Green Jay---

rattlesnake clipart courtesy of Google Images