More new friends

I taught a tie-dye class at FSU yesterday--15 students dyeing silk scarves.  Did I think to take my camera??

When class was over I turned on my cell phone so I could call Bob--and had messages from two people with baby squirrels.  One was at the museum, and there was a time limit--if I didn't pick them up, they would be fed to the snakes (urg--I know snakes have to eat, but little squirrels?).  The other was from the Florida Wild Mammal Association.  So I rescued the two from their snakey fate, and the others I'll pick up next week (FWMA knows how to take care of them).  Then I should stop for awhile.

Here's the three I have now--the one I've had for three weeks and the two new ones.  One of the new guys is having problems--it's not easy to fall out of a tree--but I'm doing my best for him.

We're stepping up on the Halloween stuff.  Like many things in life, you can have good, cheap, or fast--pick two of the three.  If you want it good, and cheap, then you have to start working early.  Bob's been shopping at Curbies (everyone's favorite--it means that you grab stuff that's being thrown away) and we've been hitting the Good Cents store (the cheap part of Goodwill).  He brought home three tall pillars, a tall plastic candlestick, and various dolls.  The pillars and candlesticks were given a quick marbeling job, which greatly improved their appearance.  He's also hung more dolls on the fence to age.

I've been working on more frames for my wraiths.  They're not quite as impressive when they're headless and naked.  I also did a super-easy but creepy effect by painting aluminum foil and then smashing it onto my face.  I think we'll do many of these to put on trees out on the trail.

Critter du jour:  Nazgul

Nazgul started out by being a shadow just glimpsed out of the corner of your eye--something that would disappear if you looked straight at him.  Then he crept closer.  One night we saw glowing green eyes gazing at us in the dark--and that is when he earned the name Nazgul (The Dark Riders in the Lord of the Rings).  Eventually he came closer.  Now he's decided that inside the house looks pretty good. 

It's a good thing we named him before we knew him.  He looks very elegant, but he's a grabber of ankles and "helps" Bob to tie his shows and tends to trip us when we're trying to walk across the yard, thus earning his second name of "Major Silly Pants."

Picture doesn't do justice to his eyes--they really are emerald green.