Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Pet Photo Contest

Bright Eyes
©2012 Claudia Ballard
5 x 7 acrylic on canvas panel

Don’t forget November’s pet photo contest!  E-mail me your favorite dog or cat photo by 11/30/2012.  Winner will receive a free unframed 8 x 10 portrait of their adorable furry friend.  So join the fun and enter your photos! 

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Sandhill Cranes Are Back



 
The sandhill cranes have returned for their winter migration. We have heard them overhead on their flight path from their feeding areas in the wetlands along the Cross Florida Barge Canal and their nighttime roosting spots inland.  Last week on a really overcast day with dropping temperatures and a light drizzle, I heard them honking overhead on their way home for the night and stepped out the back door to look up and see them.   Nothing overhead.  Once outside, I realized the noise was way too loud to be overhead.  I raced back through the house and out the front door to see a pair landing in the ditch.  With a lot of flapping and boisterous trumpeting, they hopped out of the ditch and proceeded to march right towards me and down the side of our house, made a left turn into the neighbor’s yard and circled her house. 

As soon as I could safely move without alarming them, I headed back inside to grab the camera and stalked them around the neighbor’s trying to remain unseen.  Took some photos and given the bad weather headed back to the house.  Hearing an even more raucous outburst from the pair, I turned in time to see three more cranes land.  There was much flapping and preening and trumpeting among the group.  Perhaps they were waiting for the dawdlers to catch up.  They poked the ground for insect snacks for some time and eventually before total darkness, flew on to their “beds” for the night.  It was like having National Geographic in our own yard.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

More “People Foods” That are Safe for Dogs

Sprocket
© 2012 Claudia Ballard
8 x 10 acrylic on canvas

Green Beans

You already know that green beans are nutritious because they’re full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and since they’re so low in calories too, they make a great weight-management snack for dogs that have put on a few extra pounds.

Watermelon

Summer is almost upon us and our dogs are just as excited as we are for warm weather, fun in the sun, playing at the beach and stuffing our faces with juicy, delicious watermelon. Yes, dogs can eat watermelon. Other melons are good for dogs to eat too, but stick to the familiar fruit-salad basics like watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe instead of anything exotic that you might find

Blueberries

Fresh or frozen, berries are good for dogs for the same reasons they’re good for us: they’re packed with vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals. But don’t share too much, because dogs are just as prone as we are to the digestive discomfort that can come from berry overindulgence

Carrots

…they’re healthy because of all the vitamins, fiber and potassium they carry. As a bonus, carrots are great for canine dental health too…[some veterinarians suggest] baby carrots to help remove plaque from your dog’s teeth and keep its breath fresh and pleasant.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin… is bursting with vitamins, beta carotene and fiber. It’s also low in calories, and you can feed it to a tummy-aching dog to settle its stomach or help relieve diarrhea. As always, fresh is best. If you really must buy the canned stuff, make sure you select a brand of pumpkin that’s not full of sugar and preservatives.