And the Winner Is…..

Cindy!! She wins the Nature’s Gift panel from last week’s blog giveaway.

Cindy, since you’re a local reader, you can pick this up at the Studio. Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite bird stories with me!

A Backyard Visitor

Some of you may know that in a past life I studied wildlife biology. (What??? You mean you didn’t realize that was a required course of study for a longarm quilter/quilt shop owner/pattern designer?? But what else could I have studied…….gee, maybe home ec or textiles would have proven more useful in my current line of work <wink> – ya think??!!)

Although I no longer work in that field, I still enjoy spending time in nature, and I especially love bird watching. We have a variety of feeders and birdbaths on our property, and the change of seasons always brings new species to appreciate. The other day I spotted a bird, while not uncommon, I had never before seen in my yard in the eight years I’ve lived here – a male Northern cardinal.

 

Image via Wikipedia

 

Where I grew up (on Long Island, NY), cardinals were frequent visitors to my neighborhood, and we even had them nesting in our yard. But since living in S. Dakota, I rarely see them. They’re such beautiful birds, especially against the whiteness of a snowy winter. I hope my new friend sticks around to strut his stuff if we get any snow this winter. (*If* we get snow??? Who am I kidding…..there is no IF about it…..this is S. Dakota…..there WILL be snow this winter, and usually there’s plenty of it! The good news is that it’s a perfect reason to stay indoors and quilt!)

Fabric designer Deb Strain must love cardinals too, as she featured them along with chickadees in her “Nature’s Gift” panel. I have these available as kits as you see pictured here, or separately as panels and yardage.

Do you have cardinals where you live? Which birds are your favorites? Post a comment by Weds. Oct. 26 and I’ll choose one person at random to win a Nature’s Gift panel!