The Dewdrop World

Birds on the Big Island

On our last day in Hawaii, after sending the kids off to Oahu to stay with Scott and Anna, Chris and I had the great privilege of going birding with photographer and naturalist Jack Jeffries. Jack is a biologist with a long history working in the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.

The Refuge is reachable down a partially unpaved and massively pothole plagued road... about an hour from the place where the summit road meets the saddle road on the Big Island. Off-limits to the general public, it was like entering a primeval garden. It is here where birders can find the six Hawaiian honeycreepers. 

But I was really there to see the Nenes and their babies!

I am a Nene lover. The Hawaiian goose is the sweetest cutest goose in the world.... well, I have to admit I was a bit surprised when Jack got too close to a pair protecting their goslings and the Papa Nene, assumed a dive bombing posture and rushed Jack hissing like a snake. That was very impressive and also adorable. I love them!

We also saw the Hawaii Elepaio, the Iiwe, the Hawaii Creeper, the Hawaii Amakihi, the Omao, and the Akiapolaau (aka the Aki). We mainly birded with our binos, so I didn't get many photos, but I think the big thrill was the Aki. We got fabulous pictures and really got to look at this endangered and rare bird. I am also a big fan of the I'iwe--the iconic bird of Hawaii--and was thrilled to finally see one in real life! We heard their song in Volcano National Park but never managed to catch a glimpse of one. Their song is described as "a couple of whistles, the sound of balls dropping in water, the rubbing of balloons together, and the squeaking of a rusty hinge."

Jack

Jack and photographer Gary L. Miller

We were at 6500 feet on the slopes of Mauna Kea--domes visible on snowy summit above.

Birding at the Huntington--Audubon

A truly lovely day out with Katie and the Audubon group at the Huntington library! I saw my first northern flicker although I didn’t get a very good picture. We just had a fabulous time--and three new lifers: Northern Flicker, Red-shouldered hawk and several yellow chevron parakeets.

Acorn Woody
You are not a bird!
Acorm Wood paradise
Red tailed hawk

Allen's Hummer
Chinese Garden
Red Crown Parrot
Cactus Garden

Red- shoulder hawk


Bandtail Pigeon




Bewick’s wren
Highlight: Wilson's Warbler!

Plum Blossoms and Birds--Vegetable Dye Threads

I have loved working on these plum blossoms and birds (uguisu) hanafukin tea towels, using 100% vegetable dye threads, hand dyed in small batches in Tokyo by Enneste. 

My new pin cushion and sewing machine below. I don't think the machine has improved my edges yet though. 

A Week of Rainbows

It’s been a week of working on rainbows! All sampler hanafukin 🧵

My Kaguya-hime pin cushion 

Working so hard to keep my back neat!

My Momotaro pin cushion
And below, what the pup thinks...

American autumn still life

A wonderful day over at the Huntington library with my mom and sis. We took a flower arrangement class called flower arranging: American autumn still life and it was based or inspired by a wonderful still life in the collection. The Norton Simon museum has the most fabulous collection of European still life paintings but I have never really stopped to look at the Huntington’s collection of American still lives this one attributed to Joseph Proctor active in 1860 it’s so modern looking I just fell in love with it.

By John Proctor. "Still Life with a Basket of Fruit, Flowers, and Cornucopia. Oil on canvas 19th century.

I just fell in love with this painting

My creation!

Mom with her work and sis with hers below....

Hoodie! Lifer...Hooded Merganser

++

I really felt like this was such a huge coincidence since I had started a class at the London Floral Institute called

DUTCH MASTERS FLORAL COURSE
YEON HEE LEE

What are the chances that the Huntington would also have a still life influenced arrangement class?

Below is my first attempt at Dutch style.

Sissy's pictures below:

Malibu Lagoon

We had such a fruitful birding weekend! Nine new birds--though several of those we had seen before but I neglected to count. 

The highlight of the weekend was the Sora at Malibu (below) But we loved seeing so many willets--like this guy above.

We also saw black-bellied plovers (above) and marbled godwits (below)--which looked so different from the birds we saw in the Kenai. 


The snowy plovers were healthy and happy-looking--as were the double crested cormarants.


We saw our first ruddy turnstones 

I also have never seen fish right in the lagoon literally jumping out of the water! They were huge. 

I had no idea what they were, but Makoto said they were mullets. He said that they are a lot like carp--kind of oily and with a strong smell. Of course, he immediately went out and bought some and cooked up the fish.

They had it as sashimi with soy sauce and also thick slices in sesame vinegar and miso. Finally he fried it. 

なんと魚屋さんにボラが売ってましたよ。

早速、食べてみました

　刺身　 厚切り わさび醤油で

あらい 薄切り 胡麻酢味噌で

和え物 角切り 胡麻油にんにく生姜で

揚げ物 厚切り オリーブ油で揚げました

Ψ(￣∇￣)Ψ

ボラは冬場に向けて脂がのって美味しいですね～♪昔は臭いがきつくて食べるの遠慮してたのですが臭いも全く無しでした

The lagoon was really mucky.
But we had so much fun with my mom--after birding we went out to Tony Taverna

The Sora

This was the highlight of the bird year! Not only was it a beautiful bird, with a haunting call--but it was so fun to stalk and track it. Tracey walked us through it. She sent a pin of where she saw it at Legacy Park in Malibu, and so we followed her instructions to the letter. Locating the southwest corner of the pond, we went off road and waited near the reeds--Chris at one spot and me in another. We both used call back and knew there were at least two birds in the reeds. It took patience but how wonderful after 45 minutes to see the Sora come out, hesitating... but then darting at full speed across the water--it looked like it was walking on water.

Birder pal Chris L. says: "Sora are very difficult to see. You might hear them but rarely see them. This is a real treat."

The sora (Porzana carolina) is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae, sometimes also referred to as the sora rail or sora crake. The genus name Porzana is derived from Venetian terms for small rails, and Carolina refers to the Carolina Colony. "Sora" is probably taken from a Native American language.

Legacy Park is a nice spot in Malibu along the highway. We saw a beautiful snowy egret munching on dragonflies, a group of mallards and a beautiful green teal.

Ah, Beginner's Mind

Ah, beginner’s mind. I accidentally sewed the back on backward so instead of beautiful fabric on the back it’s just dark brown and this panel is too small for the space so I’m going to have to start over again with more fabric. Just purchased. But the good news was as soon as I put this down on the piano, my husband’s been loved piano, and opened the window there was a peacock!

When I showed these pictures to Kazy he said, "Can you make me a blanket?" My heart lit up and I said, "Sure," but then he wondered if I couldn't "customize it with pictures of Shumi and o-dango..." (his favorite snack).

There’s a party of about 10 on our block but we only have a few male juveniles-- so I was really happy to see him this morning!

My coasters

The pre-printed lines didn’t easily wash out so I actually threw this in the washing machine after I took this picture and it came out perfect except one thread popped up so I’ll have to fix that. I bought this from Calista quilts in Canada  kimonomomo carries it but didn’t have it in stock in dark indigo.

You can see how the size is way too small I actually wanted it to go from the edge of the lid to the other side we are kind of sticks up. So I would say it’s a good 10 inches too short. I was trying to kind of pick up colors from those tiles and the picture. Looking at this picture I decided when I remake this I’m going to try to pick up more colors from those tiles on the stairs.

Sashiko Circles

My second attempt.

I had to rip the stitches out when I first tried this because it puckered so badly so I left all these huge loops in the back and then slapped on the backing!

The completed work is now sitting under my sago plant in the sun gallery.

Pup still not impressed.

Autumn is for Sashiko

食欲の秋（”Shokuyoku no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of appetite
読書の秋（”Dokusho no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of book reading
芸術の秋（”Geijutsu no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of art

Ah, Autumn.... the most beautiful time of year. In Japan, it a time for reading. On rainy days.... It is a time for eating--when food tastes best after the harvests. It is also a time for looking at art. Or for making art...

I started sashiko. I have admired embroidery my entire life-- but it took our daughter's happy news of being pregnant to kick-start my new hobby. After turning our upstairs library, the black tower, into my abode of embroidery, I made my first little tea towel.  

Beautiful hidamari thread

Cute Little House thimble ring.

I honed in on this famous pattern often found in Buddhist temples, 

The Seven Treasures: ［七宝］ (shippō): According to the Lotus Sutra, the seven are gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seashell, agate, pearl, and carnelian. In the “Treasure Tower” (eleventh) chapter of the sutra, the treasure tower adorned with these seven kinds of treasures appears from beneath the earth. In a letter known as On the Treasure Tower, Nichiren associates the seven kinds of treasures that adorn the treasure tower with the seven elements of practice, writing: “It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures—hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself” 

Also:

(七財・七聖財］ ( shichi-zai or shichi-shōzai): Seven indispensable elements of Buddhist practice, which are compared to treasures. They are hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself.

Using it under my shipwreck bowl

Pup not amused.