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The Mushrooms Are Coming!

The Mushrooms Are Coming!

Last Spring, we inoculated 100 logs with shiitake mushroom spawn! This Spring – like – in a few weeks- these logs will begin to fruit with fresh, log grown shiitake mushrooms! We will be selling both fresh shiitake mushrooms as well as the whole logs 

Spring Bird Cottage Artist Residency!

Spring Bird Cottage Artist Residency!

Calling All Artists! Writers! Musicians! and Makers!!!!! It’s time to apply to the 2024 Spring Bird’s Artist Residency Program!!! This Residency is for anyone wanting to finish that project they’ve been meaning to complete, OR for those dreaming of something new that they’d like to 

Building Shiitake Mushroom Branding

Building Shiitake Mushroom Branding

I’ve been working on some branding elements for selling our log grown shiitakes. What do you think about these color schemes? More on shiitakes coming soon. . . and hopefully a resurrection of the Spring Bird Newsletter! 

Deciduous Conifers Blur Lines

Deciduous Conifers Blur Lines

Did you know that there are evergreens that lose their needles – and I don’t mean your dried out, spent Christmas tree – but living deciduous conifers? I wasn’t aware of these trees until living at Spring Bird, where there are both larch trees and 

Fresh Off The Log Shiitake Mushrooms

Fresh Off The Log Shiitake Mushrooms

A couple of days ago, Pat harvested this bunch of log grown shiitake mushrooms. They are our last mushroom harvest until Spring, and they tasted delicious sauteed in butter! In actuality, this Fall, we’ve had a couple of months of harvesting mushrooms from oak logs 

Primary Colors for Family Calendar

Primary Colors for Family Calendar

One of my favorite family traditions is creating a wall calendar together. There are four of us and twelve months. So, each of us gets our birthday month plus two more to paint, draw, collage, or illustrate in whatever way we see fit. (Feel free 

Food Forest Farm Fence Complete!

Food Forest Farm Fence Complete!

Wait a minute . . . is that a new fence at Spring Bird!?  Why . . .YES!  We* did recently finish the installation of the fence surrounding our once and future Food Forest Farm AKA our Multistory Agroforestry System AKA our Multifunctional Woody Polycultures.  

Desk Lamp Dinosaurs Fine Art Giclee Prints

Desk Lamp Dinosaurs Fine Art Giclee Prints

I do so much of my work by the light of a desk lamp – well it’s actually by the light of four desk lamps. I find them beautiful and essential, and even though they have been around forever (many new technologies have come and 

New Tree Painting!

New Tree Painting!

This is a new painting I made. Titled “Final Death Gripes” It’s acrylic on canvas and measures:  24″ x 36″ x 1.5″ It’s completely wired and ready to hang on your wall if you would like to own it (*wink)! I painted this tree during 

Swan, Snake and Flower

Swan, Snake and Flower

A new upcycled Jean Jacket for Fall! This one features some of my favorite animals, who have been calling to me. Swan is powerful disguised as elegant. Snake is soft and regenerative. The flower opens up to possibility. If you are interested in making this 

New Blue Triangle Jean Jacket

New Blue Triangle Jean Jacket

Blue Triangles of Abundance! Get your new favorite jean jacket in time for Fall Jean Jacket Weather!!!! This Jean Jacket is made of: Jacket itself: 100% Cotton Applique: Upcycled cotton and linen fabric, cotton and bamboo threads SIZE: Small Brand: Wild Fable Measurements for this 

An Anna Lentz

An Anna Lentz

Alice Neel is my favorite portrait artist. I think about her work each time I paint a face – mine or someone else’s.  This self portrait is . . . finished . . . I think.  It’s certainly no Alice Neel.  I guess it’s an 

Pucker Up to Cornelian Cherries

Pucker Up to Cornelian Cherries

During these last weeks, life has manifested many, many bowls of cherries! Most days, you can find Pat and I harvesting from three cornelian cherry trees that seem to have exploded this year with their sweet-sour fruit. Cornelian cherries are popular in Turkey, Iran, Eastern 

Wanda Farm Tour

Wanda Farm Tour

The Land Conservancy’s  “Women’s Learning Circle” gathered at Wanda Farm (Harvard, IL) this past Friday! Joe took us for a hayride to visit their pasture-raised pigs, cows, and chickens.  Beyond learning about rotational grazing, Joe spoke passionately about caring for animals in ways that not 

A Painted Stool Steps Up Bedroom Decor

A Painted Stool Steps Up Bedroom Decor

Okay, I  REALLY can’t stop painting walls and furniture.  The other day, I made over this unique stepping stool that currently functions as a bedroom plant stand. It used to be white, but when I swapped my bedroom rugs, I realized that it needed to