Costello Hinchey Fine Arts & Appalachian Mountain Living

What is the craziest thing you've re-purposed/recycled?

2012-02-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

In the world today, the trend is to recycle, rejuvenate, re-purpose, items that would otherwise been thrown away. I'm fascinated to see how creative and clever folks are with re-purposing. What are the craziest and most unusually items you've re-purposed? Below is my craziest recycled/re-purposed item.

It's a heavy duty industrial fry basket. My friend's father owned a big industrial plant that was closing and we went through and picked some stuff from the building and this is one of the things I grabbed. I now use it as a bathroom wastepaper basket. Yep. *winks* The one shown here is not exactly but similarly like what I use and until I photograph it this will have to do. You get the idea, though.

Rejuvenate those old tote bags!!!

2012-02-07T09:39:00.003-05:00

This is one of the more charming ideas I've come across lately! And I'm excited to blog about it. How many of you have a drawer full of those old tote bags? I must have a dozen or more of just the recycle bags, alone!!! Okay, tell me how cute this is!

Now, I can think of a bazillion people to gift these to! First of all my mother would love one of these for Mother's Day. And I know my grandmother would have loved this, too! I have friends who shop with these instead of paper or plastic. And I'm making one, or two ;), for myself. I can see myself carrying my groceries out of the store in these. This is one of those times when being called a bag lady wouldn't be so bad!

If you don't have a stack of these freebies laying around, you can always buy your tote bags and go from there.

I love the rosettes. I think you could add so many cute embellishments! ...Buttons, old costume jewelry, pom poms, spray fabric paint, feathers (they are hot right now)...

Add embellishments like these sea shells.

Create and add these darling felt Dahlias.

Another flower example.

This could even be a great no-sew project if you used the iron on tape to adhere the ruffles and fabric glue to fasten the buttons or rosettes. Pinterest has loads of ideas for creating rosettes and other embellishments. And other DIY projects. For the sewing tutorial on this project visit Susie's page.

Doodle on a Coffee Cup- Party Ideas

2012-02-06T11:11:00.001-05:00

This is such a clever idea!!

I saw this and immediately thought of doing this at both my teen's birthday parties. ...boy or girl! The party favors could include fine tip permanent markers in various colors along with various solid colored paper coffee cups! You could even make a list of the different things and ways they could illustrate their cups. You might even suggest they swap illustrations or pass around so the party guests can autograph each cup.

Sew Produce Bags From Tea Towels

2012-02-06T10:56:00.001-05:00

Sew Produce Bags From Tea Towels from The Kitchn tutorial.

This is a great little project for a winter day like today. And I have tons of these charming tea towels I've collected from yard sales. I think it can even be done on a larger scale

Re-Growing Green Onions: Grow Your Scallions Back on Your Windowsill | The Kitchn

2012-02-06T10:44:00.001-05:00

Re-Growing Green Onions: Grow Your Scallions Back on Your Windowsill

I love this idea of re-growing green onions after you've snipped off the tops. They're simply grown in a jar and you re-snip as needed. The only wonder I have is how many times can you do this until you start to lose some of the flavor. I'm sure they can't keep re-growing on water alone. Nevertheless, I think it's still a great idea for winter months.

Follow me on Bloglovin!

2012-01-30T17:50:00.002-05:00

Come join me here on BlogLovin!!!

Local Virginia Wild Birds

2012-01-20T12:37:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite native birds that we have been honored to see.

Recent sighting of Bald Eagle Pair

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). This was taken today on our way home along the North Fork of the Holston River near Hayters Gap & Poor Valley Virginia. I was driving so my son grabbed my camera and did the best he could. I think he did a great job on the fly. Very, very exciting!!!! Kudos, Sunny!!!

Ruffed Grouse Partridge

This is a Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbelius) Partridge in Red Phase. She nests in our front yard and we’ve seen her numerous times. She doesn’t seem at all as shy as they usually are. She let me get within abt. 15 ft. of her (to take this shot) and let me linger for abt. 5 min. taking shot after shot, before flying off. It also appears that she has an injury just above her eye. She’s a sweet little thing. Washington Co., Virginia, USA

This hawk chased a pair of squirrels up and down and all over his field trying to catch it!!! The squirrel didn't seem very worried at all about the hawk. It was visible that the hawk was exhausted. The squirrel would simply move to the opposite side of the pole as the hawk pursued it. When we pulled away the squirrels were scampering along the creek to another tree and the hawk was sitting on a post watching them. I'm certain he had given up... for the time being, anyway. I'm pretty certain this is a Broad-winged Hawk.

Hidden in our Oriental Cherry tree is a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Isn't that the sweetest little thing?!!

Ruby Throat Hummingbird are the joys of summer at our home.

Hide little birdie...

Yellow Goldfinch at our home in Poor Valley, in the Appalachian mountains. Taken in Springtime in the mountains of Southwest Virginia (USA) along the edge of a large field. For years it seemed as though we didn't see them. Now we see more and more every year. Every time I see one, I can’t help but smile. They usually pair for life and the lovely females often have a olive-green hue.

Canadian Geese at the Well Fields in Saltville, Va.

Great Blue Heron at the Well Fields in Saltville, Va.

One of my favorite native birds.

I wanted to mention that I'm still looking to add many more of my favorites here like the Pileated Woodpecker, Red-Tail Hawk, Owls, Harrier, King Fisher, Kestrel and so many more.

For more info. on North American birds visit

Birds Of North America

Pickin' Party with Alison Krauss

2012-01-18T09:26:00.003-05:00

Alison Krauss and Linda Costello Hinchey

I ran across this photograph from back in abt. 1991 when I was honored to meet up with Alison Krauss (and some of the Union Station) and join in a pickin' party backstage after one of her concerts in Johnson City, TN. That was a great night. I have more photos of us singing together and am trying to dig those out.

Poor Valley - The Band

2012-01-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

The South Side of Clinch Mountain...

Years ago, as fate would have it for two kindred spirits, I ran across a distant cousin on one of my boundless genealogy crusades in 2009. What has blossomed from then is Poor Valley, The Band. Find and follow us on Facebook

Karen Poston

Linda Costello Hinchey

Jon Burge

. Genre: Nouveau Mountain

Biography:

Bound by a common ancestor, Karen met Linda in 2009 and they have been tuning their sister-like harmonies to Karen's originals and oodles of traditional tunes since early 2010. Jon Burge plays guitar, mandolin and bass, depending on necessity, and adds his rich baritone harmonies at every appropriate chance. Their family style trio is just starting to record and hoping to be appearing at a listening room near you in the very near future.

Living Off the Grid (And Without Propane) - Modern Homesteading - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

2012-01-12T08:53:00.000-05:00

Living Off the Grid (And Without Propane) - Modern Homesteading - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Soft Days...

2011-11-19T09:07:00.001-05:00

These are the days I love here on Little Mountain ridge which is nestled in the middle Appalachian Mountain Range.

“I don’t ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning. There they are, and they are beautiful.”~ Pete Hamill

There is something mysterious and comforting about this landscape I live in.

“Were I called on to define, very briefly, the term art, I should call it "the Reproduction of what the senses perceive in nature through the veil of the mist”~ Edgar Allan Poe

Living here evokes feelings of a peaceful happiness, comfort, and a strange connection to my ancestors who survived these mountains long ago.

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."~ Carol Bishop Hipps

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

- Edith Sitwell

"How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."
- Elsie N. Brady, Leaves

If there is life after death, I will happily wander this land for eternity. ...Where could there be a more perfect heaven?

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Crappy art documentation

2011-10-13T10:06:00.001-04:00

I’m venting here… I have another finished portrait. Again, I can’t help but complain about my scanner. This scanner of mine doesn’t quite show the detail and all the ranges of tone and depth that I work so hard to capture that is present in the original portrait. I have the large oversized drawing scanned and copied at the UPS Store then I bring it home and scan the smaller version on my basic Epson scanner. …Between the two processes, I loose an awful lot of the original portrait in this final JPG image.

I used to use my mother's HP scanner printer because of its larger scan bed. I really liked it a little better than my current Epson scanner printer. My current model Epson printer/scanner doesn’t capture the true detail of my work. I end up with a very pixelled scan, no matter what setting (photo, grey scale, etc.) or resolution depth I use. The scan is just not true. And after ALL that work, I’d really like to have it perfectly and accurately documented before it is sent out forever. So, I’d like to find not only a printer that prints accurate and true, but I would like to find one with the same in a scanner with a very large bed, to boot!!!! Impossible?

How hard it is to find a scanner & printer with an exceptionally large scan bed? Most artists know that not all your work is under an 8×10. And it is just as difficult to photograph your work and have it accurate than it is to have a crappy scanner.

Also, my third pet peeve of Epson is not just that the ink is expensive and doesn’t seem to last, but if ANY of the color cartridges run out, you can’t print anything!!! Not even black and white! …Not until you buy that color cartridge and replace it!

I've done a little research with the help of some kind folks. This is a little of what I've found out. It's better to buy your scanner separate from your printer. Look for a large format scanner that specializes in Photo or Graphic Arts scanning. These will be pricey but I'm told, well worth the money. You have to remember that if you have a high quality scan of your work and you haven't sold the artist's copyright, then you can still make money from that scan!! You're customers may want to order products made for the scanned image (note cards, t-shirts, canvas prints, posters, etc.) And if it's not personalized the general public may be interested in buying these products.
Until I purchase a quality scanner, I will opt to have my work scanned in town by a professional.

Find Linda Costello Hinchey on Redbubble

2011-10-07T14:43:00.001-04:00

You can find the artist, Linda Costello Hinchey, on Redbubble.com. Her photography, drawing commissions and other art is showcased here and is updated frequently.

Redbubble

My Facebook page- Linda Costello Hinchey

2011-10-07T13:50:00.000-04:00

Here is my Facebook art page Linda Costello Hinchey!

Hope to see you there!

Is Bigfoot really Mommy's boyfriend?

2011-10-06T12:38:00.002-04:00

Finding Bigfoot

This is what my 5-year-old son asked my husband after my family had gathered to hear my mysterious event of the day.

Jakers

My day started like most typical days. ...Having done my chores, worked on some creative projects (which included finishing up a dog portrait), had a customary phone conversation with one of my besties, I decided to sit down at the computer to do stuff. I have an outdoor audio monitor that allows me to hear every detail of what's going on outside my property (including a half a mile down out each way). And I'm not exaggerating when I say I can hear every detail. I can actually hear the snow lit down in a heavy snow storm! This can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on who or what is making noise outside at the time. Some of my favorite sounds, that I’ve come to look forward to, is the rainfall, crickets, frogs and screech owls that sing to each other in the night. Many times I would hear random sounds from one of our dogs or cats. Some of the not-so-amusing sounds are dogs barking and the neighbors bickering off in the distance. For the sake of my sanity, I'm content to say that I‘ve learned to block much of this unnecessary racket out.

Jakers

Part of this story is heartbreaking and involves the death of our dog that had happened a week prior and the absence of his presence. (I’ve written more about that in an earlier blog post.) Someone from the neighboring property took a high powered rifle, aimed through the trees and fence and shot our sweet Jakers as he stood in our backyard. I've lived on this property for over 36 years and we have always had a dog living in our backyard. One of the more joyously predictable noises I had come to hear was our dog Jakers. …Thankfully, he rarely barked. He saved that for all serious warnings. What I characteristically heard from him was his breathing and the soft patter of his steps, as he would walk around in our backyard. As I said, I expected to hear him anytime the monitor was on and that was a comfort in my soul and would always make me smile. And now, before I can continue, I need to take a break, take a deep breath and wipe my tears away… I miss him so… For several weeks after his death the monitor was eerily void of all sounds. That was mysterious within its self. Nevertheless, I had continually caught myself inadvertently listening for him in the monitor. The silence was heartrending. What the silence did was to cause me to listen harder, I’m sure.

Poor Valley Road

And on this day, starting about 11:30am, I began to hear what sounded like hammering from next door. What you have to know, in order to understand the occurrences better, is that by this time there were no neighbors. They had been evicted. Except for the neighbors to our right, we don’t have any other houses nearby. Not unless you want to take a hike down a dirt road across several creeks and onto the main road. And, although there is a rental property next door, it is still a distance a way, separated by a deep hollowed ravine with a babbling brook at the bottom. I dismissed the banging, thinking it was the landlord of the property doing some repairs. For the entire two hours I heard the non-stop banging of what sounded like a sledgehammer. I continued on with my stuff... I kept working until about 1:30pm.

SW Virginia Forests

I decided that I wanted to take a little catnap about this time. I was getting a little annoyed by this time that the work next door hadn't taken a break. I decided to go outside to feed the cats and see what my neighbor was working on. To my surprise there was no one next door and the sound was not coming from there at all but coming from directly behind my home just at the edge of the mountains above an old road. My first reaction was anger. You should understand that I was still in deep state of mourning for Jakers and I was in a severe defensive state. Without thinking I marched up the dirt road in my flip-flops to harass whoever it was back there. I need to reiterate the fact that I did not stop to reason this out. This had been a constant banging that went on for over two hours straight! And this was no trivial banging either. It sounded like someone taking a small log and pounding it against a good size tree! Who would do that? Yet, I didn't think about any of these things. I marched on! I arrived at the point where the banging was the loudest (without leaving the road). It was an area of the road that went straight up a bank that was visually and physically dense... covered in Mountain Laurels and Canadian Hemlock. I estimated the sound to be about 20ft away from me on the other side of the thicket. I could hear the quiet movement and the loud methodic whacks did not stop. . I pulled the home phone out of my pocket and dialed my husbands cell. I yelled very loudly that I was calling the sheriff’s department (except that I called my hubby instead). At this moment the sounds stopped (after almost 2 ½ hours). Now, I also have to let you know that I bought this home and land from my parents and had been living on this property since 1975. We walk our property frequently. Even in the winter. I remember playing in these woods as a young girl, too. And I do recall hearing similar sounds when I roamed those mountain forests behind the house. At the time, I didn't question it and probably dismissed it as trees banging together. I proceeded to tell my husband what I was hearing and as I was telling him the banging started again!!! So, I put my hubby on speakerphone. He heard it too. The first question out of his mouth was (and you have to be aware that he is a former cop), “what the hell are you doing up there? Go back to the house!” Jarring me to my senses, I hurried down the road to the house and sat at the window overlooking the back yard, waiting for my kids to get home from school.

SW Virginia Forest

The banging continued until almost 3pm and stopped. And then again, there was nothing… I waited to see if anyone would walk out of the mountains down the drive. The way we are situated on the ridge is much like a castle fortress with two deep ravines shooting straight up the mountain. As I mentioned the hollowed ravines are deep and sheer. The one that separates us from our neighbor is about a 35 ft drop on either side. The one on the other side is even steeper and more narrow (abt. 50 or more drop). Except for our road that comes straight up we also have what is more like a cliff in the front that is a 25 ft. drop to the creek below. The only way out of the mountains behind us is to go back up to the top of the mountain and follow the ridge out or to come down our road. I waited until about 4pm and didn't see or hear anything. I drove down to get my kids off the bus, still very unnerved. I waited until my husband got home about 5:30pm to tell them what had happened. My kids were visibly worried about what could be back there. Remember, they were still petrified at the fact that their best pal had been shot right in our own back yard! So, my husband cheerfully stated that it was probably mommy’s boyfriend Bigfoot. Well, that made things worse. Now, my children were afraid of rogue neighbors AND legendary beasts in the back yard that once had been their refuge and sanctuary.

That evening, my husband and I went up to the place where I had stood and I directed him toward the place I saw the movement and heard the noises. Although he didn’t find any beasts it was what he didn’t find that was interesting. He didn’t find any trees that were crossed together or that had fallen down across one another. He didn’t find any signs of rubbings from a buck. No deer, human or bear prints in the exposed earth around the tree. What he did find was a very wide dug out spot under a Tulip Poplar. The Tulip Poplar was about 1 ½ feet around. Tulip Poplars have very light gray/white smooth bark. On the short side of the tree, about 6 ½ feet up the tree where impressions in the bark. It wasn’t broken but you could definitely see the impressions from what looked like a log of about 4-5 inch round. The log or anything else that could have been used to make the marks was nowhere to be found. There were leaves piled around the area and several areas that had exposed packed earth. He then took a long hike through the rest of the property and found nothing unusual. He met me down at our barn and collected a multitude of different sticks, axes, metal poles, etc. and we took them up to the tree to test them. Nothing had a specific loud ping like I had heard until he used a log from the woodshed that was freshly cut and was about 5 inches around and about 4 foot long. The minute I heard that sound, the hair on my body stood on end! I sing duet in a local group and have a knack for finding the right pitch, tone so I was confident that what I heard was accurate. There was no mistaking it.

It's been over a year now. I no longer anticipate the sweets sounds of dear Jakers in the monitor, but I'm certain they will be burned in my memories forever. Although, I still listen closely for those mysterious banging sounds that are burned into my subconscious mind.

Little Mountain, Virginia

Questions...

What could reach that far up a tree with that size of log and beat for over 3 hours straight.
Why would they/it?

Could a deer or bear or other Eastern North American creature manage such a task?
Why continue to beat on a tree with me standing just a stones throw away?
If were a human, what were his/her intentions?

They could have run from the woods and grabbed me. Being in flip-flops, I wasn't able to run and no one was around to help.

If it were a wild native animal, why didn't it run away when it heard me or try to attack? OR do ANYTHING other than beat on that tree???

If it were trees bumping there would be signs. No fallen or nearby trees. And what would make a tree bang for only three or so hours with no wind?
Why haven't I heard this sound before and since? ...Other than in my childhood.
It obviously chose to leave deep in the mountains rather than taking the easy way out down the road. If it wasn't afraid of me then it would be afraid to walk right out past me.

And the final and most important question of all... "Is Bigfoot really Mommy's boyfriend?"
Inquiring minds want to know! And I've been pondering this ever since it happened with no clear answers.

Finding Bigfoot

5+ Ways To Recycling T-shirts!!!

2011-08-30T07:47:00.002-04:00

A Shrug or Bolero

I can't tell you how fabulous I think this idea is and how eager I am to get started on some recycled t-shirt projects! Over my eclectic life, I have collected more t-shirts than conceivable... and I'm guessing you have too. Some are very special to me, too. And sadly, I’ve gotten rid of so many that would have worked perfectly with these projects. Oh, well… When I ran across this idea in a magazine, I was thrilled! Now I can do something special with all these old tees and not have to take up all that space in the closet or storage... Here is what I've discovered!

Like this scarf… My daughter is really into the scarves right now. And they look stylish hanging in her room. I like the idea of having a scarf made of the t-shirt material with the soft brushed cotton.

Don't feel guilty if you think that all the excess t-shirt will be wasted. You can even use that for projects like headbands and necklaces, etc.

Necklaces!

What a great bag!

What a perfect idea for a memory quilt! For instance, I can use all my son's outgrown all-star tees with his names on the back or some of my very old rock concert tees.

Wall art!!!

And btw, many thrift stores, Salvation Army and Good Will drop off areas now accept old rag clothing... they send it to a cloth recycling, too. According to EarthTalk,

"...Non-profits like Goodwill and the Salvation Army play a crucial role in keeping old clothes out of the waste stream. When they get donations of clothes that are too threadbare to re-sell in one of their shops, they send them to rag sorters that specialize in recycling pieces of fabric large and small. Says Hawley, these textile recyclers sell about half the clothing they get back overseas in developing countries, while unusable garments, especially cotton t-shirts, are turned into wiping and polishing clothes used by a variety of industries and sold to consumers. She adds that other textiles are shredded into fibers used to make new products, such as sound-deadening materials for the automotive industry, archival-quality paper, blankets and even plastic fencing." Read more...

Very cool!

...Now, where do I find the time?!!!

NEW! Hayters Gap Web Site!!!!

2011-01-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

What you might find on this site...
...Community activities, events, groups, clubs, education, calendars, recreation, library, arts, theater, music, genealogy, local history, local photography and artists, local business, wildlife, environment, sharing and other "goings-ons"!!!!
If you are interested in posting something to this site please contact us!

This site is a work in progress. Please, do check back with us regularly!

This site is dedicated to Hayters Gap and the surrounding areas.

What are your holiday traditions?

2010-12-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

I was thinking today of all the wonderful holiday traditions that folks have. What are your holidays and their traditions? ...Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas? I'm always intrigued at how alike and different they can be. I know that many of you have very special religious traditions associated with your holidays. Many go to church or Mass for the holiday. For many its a very personal day shared with their friends and family.

In addition to the "reason for the season", here are a few of our simple traditions... Making gingerbread houses right after Thanksgiving with my family and friends. We always go to the Bristol Raceway to see the lights. We always look for a bald "dug tree w/roots" for our holiday tree so we can plant it in our spacious back yard. We feel it's one of the many special things we can do for the environment. Every year we buy a new ornament for each of us to put on the tree. Then we make "dough" and make ornaments. By the time the kids are grown and start a family of their own, they have a wonderful collection to add to of their own! We always look forward to caroling. And the last few years we've had the snow to make the event perfectly festive! And speaking of snow! We always cut out enough snowflakes to cover the doors and frames around the house. Have you heard the old saying that when you start cutting out snowflakes that it will snow? I think it works! My children "camp out" with sleeping bags, etc. under the lit tree on Christmas night after the packages are all opened. How many folks open one gift on Christmas Eve? And my son is a health nut and insists we leave veggies, low fat cheese and whole grain crackers with skim milk for Santa! We've started a new tradition this year in our family... Our children have are in the "Clinch Mountain Christmas" play and pageant at the Hayters Gap Community Center. We are thrilled to learn that this is the 1st annual!

Don't forget to drop by and share your holiday traditions with us here!

What we remember from childhood we remember forever
stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen. ~Cynthia Ozick

5 Virginia Treasures!

2010-11-19T10:17:00.004-05:00

5 Inspirations for the creation of this Deacon's Bench!

Hand-painted on this deacon's bench is five of my favorite wildflowers from the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. The pattern, framing each of these hand painted flowers, is a tedious country paisley pattern done in a pretty shade of blue periwinkle. Soft white and yellow stripes are the background for each flower.

The first flower I decided to paint was, indeed, my favorite! It was the Mertensia virginica commonly known as the Virginia Bluebell. Other common names for this woodland flower is Virginia Cowslip, Roanoke Bells and Lungwort Oysterleaf. As it's name implies, it resembles a blue bell. Or like a very old fashioned dress (with bustle, of course!) and frilly lace along the bottom. Its clustered blossoms start as pink buds and as they bloom graduates from various tones of pinks into various tones of blues.

I truly fell in love with this flower when it mysteriously appeared at the wooded edge of my vegetable garden, behind my green house, under a tree that I had buried my precious dog the previous Fall. She was 6 months shy of 20 years old. And after 9 years, I still miss her so...

The second wildflower I chose to include on the seat of the bench is Chicory, Cichorium intybus. Chicory may also go by the common names of blue sailors, succory, and coffeeweed. Some mistakenly call this flower Corn Flower (Centaurea cyanus) which is a separate variety of flower all together. This wild plant has many uses including a coffee substitute, livestock crop and intestinal wormer. According to old European folklore has the ability to open locked doors! So be careful where you plant it and where you leave your bouquets! The colors worked perfectly in this piece, in ranges of blue lavenders. In the wild you may be fortunate spot a few white blooms in the mix and on rare occasions even pink!

The Rhododendron Maximum commonly referred to merely as the Rhododendron was my third choice in this project. It's also known as the Great Laurel and is in the heath family and often compared to azaleas and laurels. The color of their bloom ranges from paper white to pale and deep pink to a rare rose which includes green-yellow spotting. I think what I love most about these plants, along with the luscious blooms, are the dense evergreen foliage. Have you ever hiked through the Appalachian mountains of Virginia and had to maneuver through these bushes? Rhododendrons are extremely toxic. Deadly to humans, cattle and deer! The Xenophon mentions that Greek soldiers in Asia Minor were poisoned by honey made from these flowers! And I was worried about copper heads on my hikes!

The pink Thistle that grows wild in these parts of Southwest Virginia are dear to my heart. To me they remind me of my Celtic heritage. Other Names: Carduus lanceolatus, C. vulgare, Cirsium lanceolatum, bank thistle, bell thistle, plume thistle, spear thistle. Originally from Eurasia, bull thistle is now established on every continent except Antarctica. The species was introduced to northeastern U.S. during colonial times and is now widespread throughout the U.S. and Canada. According to Wikipedia, "the leek, the thistle, and the shamrock, stand for the other three divisions of the British Isles. In the language of flowers, the thistle (like the burr) is an ancient Celtic symbol of nobility of character as well as of birth, for the wounding or provocation of a thistle yields punishment. For this reason the thistle is the symbol of the Order of the Thistle, a high chivalric order of Scotland." Bull thistle roots are sold commercially in Australia for rabbit bait. Some people find roots and young leaves tasty, providing the spines are removed. They are a favorite of our local Yellow Goldfinch, who pair for life.

"Sweet, Sweet violets. Sweeter than the roses..." Why some folks work so hard to eradicate these little beauties from their yards, it's beyond me. Back in the "olden" days, folks made use of nearly everything they could. And I remember my grandmother talking about making jelly out of wild violets! I ran across this link that shows just how to make violet jelly! Can you imagine how beautiful they must of been in the canning jars! I've always been told that white, yellow and blue violets are edible (all but too much of the root), but according to the Peterson Field Guide, some of the yellow species are mildly cathartic. "The corm contains the polysaccharide inulin and thus must be cooked to be edible. Native Americans wrapped the bulbs in cattails and reeds then cooked them in a pit covered with earth over which a fire was burned. Ten to twelve hours in the hot pit would render the corms delicious." They are often consumed as teas, greens, salads and the blossoms are made into candies! The yellow flowers can even be used to make wine, I'm told!

The next time your wandering in your yard or on a hike, try to view the wild flowers and local plants in a different light. :)

***********************************************

"And Botany I rank with the most valuable sciences, whether we consider its subjects as furnishing the principal subsistence of life to man and beast, delicious varieties for our tables, refreshments from our orchards, the adornments of our flower-borders, shade and perfume of our groves, materials for our buildings, or medicaments for our bodies."

(October 7, 1814, to Thomas Cooper)

Are they closing the Hayters Gap Community Center?

2010-11-18T13:40:00.002-05:00

Facebook : "Are they actually going to close down the Hayters Gap Community Center??? That's the word and I'm heartbroken over the possibility!!! We have a brand new library, play ground and walking track! Two Headstart groups, Senior Citizens Group, Valley Rescue, etc.! No! Attend the Community Meeting @ Hayters Gap Community CenterTonight @ 6:30. Please!"

Click on above Facebook link for comments to this post.

Hayters Gap, Virginia (Washington County)

A Clinch Mountain Christmas

2010-11-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

The Play will be on Sunday December 19th at 7 PM. The evening will include the play

A Clinch Mountain Christmas and Nativity Pageant all played by children 18 years and under. I'll update this blog with more info. (photos, cast, etc.) as the play progresses. The event will be held at the Hayters Gap Community Center in Washington County, Virginia. For more info. please leave me a message here or call 276-944-4442 (Hayters Gap Library).

We are also looking for folks who can build three walls for our set. And I will be posting a list of set and wardrobe props that are needed if anyone wants to donate or loan them for this event. Thank you and check back often for updates!!!

10 Tips on taking Good Photos of your Pets:

2010-11-17T08:45:00.001-05:00

If you've ever tried, most folks know that it's not always easy to take that perfect shot of your beloved pet. I've put together some tips that will hopefully help you to get that great shot, whether it be for your photo album or for a pet portrait.

1. The first, and I think the most important, tip I will start with is the subjects level- for pet photo's (especially the smallest of pets), that may mean laying on the floor or putting them up on the bed. By doing this, you will be at eye level and avoid any camera distortions or unnatural angles. We don't want our pets to look like caricatures! Although, some quirky photos are keepers!!!

This little girl was lifted onto the couch for her photograph. Use caution when propping some pets on high surfaces!

2. If you have the choice, use natural light. Flash and artificial lighting can alter the color and the natural look of the eyes. The best photos are taken outside on bright overcast days with light cloud coverage. Avoid bright sunshiny days. Bright direct sunlight can cause glares and "wash out" the true colors. The direct sunlight will also cause your pets eyes to squint and become impatient, as well. If you have no other choice but to shoot in the sun, position your pet in the shade with the sun behind you. Some of the best lighting is at dusk. Shooting at dusk can give an amber or "rose colored" highlight to your subject, which can be very pleasing, visually.

Crowe Bird was standing in the snow
on a bright but overcast day when
I took this with a zoom lens.

3. If you have no choice but to take the photos inside, take it near a window that allows plenty of natural indirect lighting. Take the photo with your back to the window with the subject facing the window. Try, also, to avoid using the flash. If you use need to use the flash use the "red eye reduction" selection on your camera. Most cameras have them now days. The red eye reduction makes a quick series of flashes that adjusts the pupils in the eyes.

This was taken in a bright sun room, full of indirect bright light. The owner assisted me in holder her dog while I took the shots.

4. Close-up shots are best so get up close and personal. ...as close as 6ft or less. You want your pet to be the main object in the photo, not the surroundings, so zoom in and fill the viewfinder with your pet’s image. This is really important if you are taking a head shot, as you really want to see the eyes and facial expression clearly. You really want to capture those details!

5. Make sure you allow some space around your pet in the viewfinder so you don’t accidentally chop off an ear or a nose! This is mainly for producing a more formal portrait. But it's best to be more safe than sorry. You can always crop off any excess/unwanted areas of the photos on your computer.

6. Take as many photos as you can, a digital camera is excellent as you can keep taking multiple shots in the same pose to give you a good range to choose from. Professional photographers will take sometimes hundreds and hundreds of shots before they get that one shot they were looking for! And one shot never captures fully the personality of your pet. This is helpful if you are having a portrait done... You want your artist to have as many angles as possible to gauge their personality and find that perfect composition!

7. Recruit the help of another person to stand beside you (or behind you), when taking photos of pets. They can work on getting the animals attention with a toy or treat while you focus on the shots. A shot of the head looking forward and slightly to the one side usually makes a more interesting photo enlargement or pet portrait than a full side-on profile pose - try to take the photo from an angle that shows both eyes (for dogs and cats).

8. Photos that capture the subjects personality and character are important. Be patient and be prepared to spend a fair bit of time, possibly over more than one photo session. Dog’s in particular will sense if you are getting frustrated or grumpy, and this will reflect in their demeanor. And pets can be just as moody. Try to make it fun – toys and treats usually work! And remember, shoot, shoot, shoot!!!

Taken outdoors on a bright but overcast day.

9. Take a series of photos with a zoom lens, if you have one. This way you can get some great candid shots. And some pets just will not cooperate if they know you are photographing them. Yes, some pets are down right scared of that camera and will turn or even run away at the sight of it.

10. I always keep my camera handy to shoot in a hurry - candid shots can often truly capture the personality of your pet, but you usually don’t have a lot of time to get your camera organised before the pet moves! This is also a good way to get some of those great wildlife images!

The photos above are some of close-up and detailed reference photos. I took these photos following many of the tips I have listed above.

Of course, some pets are easier to photograph than others - I have taken several hundred photos of my own pets (dogs, cats, birds and fish!) And these tips can be applied when photographing children, as well!

Happy snapping!

Meet Greyfriars Bobby | Composed Volcano

2010-11-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

My daughter is doing her varsity letter in reading on Greyfriars Bobby and I came across this wonderful blog that is worth taking a look at!

Meet Greyfriars Bobby

"...love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."

(Kabil Gibran)

All Pets Go to Heaven | Blogs | FemaleNetwork.com

2010-11-14T11:57:00.003-05:00

After visiting several sites about pet grieving, I stumbled across the blog below on All Pets Go to Heaven. I realized that history shows that many times our pets grieve for us just as deeply.

Below is a memorial I did for a heartbroken lady of her beautiful Shetland Sheepdog, Candy. She wanted a memorial stone made for Candy's grave and asked if I could come up with something on stone that looked hand drawn. This is what I came up with. It's a slab of marble that I used a Dremel tool with a special bit for stone etching. She cried when she saw it. It was a bitter sweet moment for me.

This was the epitaph she chose for the stone.

-------------------------------------------------------

"A heart of gold stopped beating,

Two shining eyes at rest.

God broke my heart to prove,

He only takes the best." Author Unknown

Leaving her mark...

2010-11-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

Over the past 25 years, Linda has been commissioned to dream the most timeless creations from restaurant & children's murals to garden & interior furnishings and decor.
chs5guard-net@yahoo.com

" I try to blend a bit of the out-of-doors into what I'm working on.
I don't see a plain wall or worn piece of furniture as useless... I tend to let the pieces 'evolve' on their own as they are already old, and Father Time has already allowed them to age to a patina of their own choosing... it's fantastic! It is much like a blank canvas to me... I tend to do extensive research on my projects... even when it may not make sense to others why I may do so... and my mind is always busy with so many ideas...!"
Ahhhhhhhh, variety IS the spice of life..."
L. Costello Hinchey

Hand Painted TV Hutch of a charming Row House.

More about the artist...

L. Costello Hinchey was born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain. She now lives in the breath-taking Appalachian Mountains of Washington County Virginia.

Her formal education began at Virginia Highlands Community College, going on to an academic scholarship at Virginia Intermont College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts.

Between Hayters Gap & Big Tumbling Creek, Virginia of Poor Valley.

Since then she has been doing a variety of personal and commissioned artwork. Presently she divides her time between her devoted family and her home studio. Her work has found homes in many states and has been sold in various marketplace shops and outlets along the east coast region. Her work is equally as popular with interior designers and decorators in the area. Much of her work is inspired from her mountain home environment! And my family supports and inspires me more than anything.