The Lost Acorn

 

Get ready for a rather unusual blog! I live in Houston, Texas and one creature we are not by any means short of is grey squirrels. They thrive in our trees eating there way into our roofs and though our electric air conditioning wires. However, these pesky little critters despite all my practical human complaints are incredibly cute and impressively loyal when it comes to family.

Today when I arrived home I found my dog in rather a state of duress. Incredibly excited and distracted by something the other-side of the laundry machines. I became slightly nervous as I climbed on top of them to see what had her so enthralled. There, trembling behind the dryer was a minut baby squirrel, with incredibly short fur, an almost bald tail and a respiratory system that was going at such a rate I thought it might explode. Locking my dog in another room I set up my Go Pro and decided I would wait and see if the little guy would walk out on his own or if he was in need of a rescue. Little did I know at the time but although he was in desperate need of rescue, I would not be the one running the rescue mission. Check out my video to see what happened...



 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

Fire roaring above our heads as our feet slowly lift off the ground, my body is suddenly filled with a rush of excitement & anticipation only to be balanced by an overwhelming sense of calming relaxation. Lost in the dream that is reality, I can feel the edge of a wicker basket under my hands as I lean (ever so slightly) over the side and watch as we float away. Blades of grass disappearing into a solid green mass, we leave life on the ground, letting it shrink into the perfect screen setting for a computer game. Freeway sound drifting away below us, we find ourselves under the warmth of a roaring fire without even the sound of the wind, watching the world thrive below us, pure bliss.

There is no feeling in the world like it! Like what? Like a hot air balloon ride!

Blindfolded for an hour long car journey, I was confused to find myself in an empty parking lot next to an empty field at half past 6 in the morning. It wasn't until I saw a suburban and trailer pull up and a massive wicker basket get pulled out the back that I realized what it was we were going to be doing. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being able to float off into a sparkling blue diamond sky and dance on the clouds. Although growing up I learned that there was no way to do a pirouette on those fluffy white blobs in the sky, the mystery and magic of a hot air balloon has always intrigued me, and seeing that basket appear and those first massive bursts of fire rocket into the air, I might as well have been dancing on the clouds.

Floating over the suburbs of Austin, past the cows and bison in the fields, we went off towards Taylor, Texas. It could not have been a more peaceful and relaxing experience and though my heart felt as if it could race out of my chest, it was not from anxiety but excitement! Despite the early morning chill in the air, the fire above us kept us warm, and provided a calming sense of confidence with its roar. Floating along, it was simply breathtaking watching the Austin skyline disappear off in to the distance as we traveled with the wind from Round Rock to Taylor, making the hour in the air go by all too fast. Braced for a landing that was much harder than I had anticipated, I was still so elated from the journey that I barely felt the basket smash against the ground before tipping quickly onto its side and getting dragged across a field. Clambering out of that basket my mind and heart were still high in the air and I felt as though I were still lost in a dream.

Traveling with "Lighter-Than-Airlines,"  Austin Aeronauts, Inc.  is hands down the best way to experience the sky. Our pilot David Smuck was an incredibly kind, intelligent, and friendly man who inspired confidence in his passengers with his wealth of hot air balloon knowledge and experience. Letting the wind take us up up & away, he controlled out elevation to take us on a stunning 12 mile long aerial adventure. After a surprisingly pleasant & exhilarating landing we were collected and taken back to where we first set off for champagne, croissants, and an initiation ceremony to the hot air balloon community. The whole experience was thought out to the final detail resulting in a day I will never forget. Simply put, flying in a hot air balloon with Austin Aeronauts is without a doubt the most amazing experience I have ever had!

Starting to inflate the balloon with a fan

Final prep stage before full thrusters!

Holding the balloon open as it inflates

Fire roaring in final prep for lift off.

Balloon upright and ready to go!

Sunrise from the balloon

Hot Air Balloon reflection in a creek below

Just after landing... (That is how the balloon landed!)

Stars Shoot Past Perseus (Somewhere...)

The Perseid Meteor Shower graces the August night skies every year, encouraging excited astro-fanatics to abandon the comfort of their beds for a picnic under the stars. This year August 12th & August 13th were the prime nights for viewing the annual meteor shower forecasting an expected 60-100 meteors between 3am-4am all over the Northern hemisphere.

Excited to witness this annual phenomenon I prepared my gear on the night of the 11th to head out early in the morning of the 12th, but as a massive storm began to roll through Harris County my night was quickly turning in to a wash. Never one to be discouraged by set backs I set my alarm for the following night and at 2am on the morning of the 13th (night of the 12th), I clambered into our SUV, PG tips in hand, buckled up the pup and set off.

The key to photographing the stars is driving far enough out of the city that you reach a point where the sky can be viewed, free of all light pollution, in its true natural grandeur. Ideally one should scout out their location during the day and set up their shot in the light of day and then wait for night to fall. However, being the genius that I am I chose to sleep until 2 then get up and drive and hour west, taking me well out of Houston where I would have a pitch black clear view of the North Eastern sky. Well, that was the plan anyway, by the time I actually managed to find a location to shoot, it was 3:45 and I watched beautiful meteors shoot through the sky as I set up my camera on my tripod, got my intervalometer connected and waited for the timer to go off for the vehicle lights. I was so so excited! The meteor shower was proving to be amazing and I would soon be catching it on camera to remember for a lifetime!

Camera ready to go, I took my first shot and there was not a meteor to be seen in the sky. Ever hopeful I continually took photos until 5 o'clock in the morning when the sun was beginning to make its way around to spread it's light on our side of the world. In all that time, I didn't see even one shooting star. Incredibly disappointed (and exhausted) I packed up my gear, and headed back home.

Now then, the meteor shower is going on until August 26th so although the peak of the shower had past, I decided I would try one more time to catch that elusive shot of a shooting star over Texas. Deciding to return to the same location, I was out of the house by 1 and set up by 2. This time I was prepared, having brought a tasty picnic and a couple of treats for my dog we munched away, watching the sky for stars to begin shooting by. As time passed by the bright moon moved higher and higher gradually washing out the stars, limiting my visibility. Still hopeful, I waited, continually shooting in hopes of even one meteor making it into my shot. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm began to approach from behind and it quickly became apparent that I wouldn't be shooting any meteors during this years shower. Packing up and heading out, racing back home ahead of the storm, I couldn't help but smile. Though some could easily see my two nights of lost sleep as a total waste, I was so happy I had gone on my astrophotography safari. It had been a real adventure and a true learning experience. (Fingers crossed I have better luck with the Perseids next year!)

Super Moon

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always had a certain affinity towards the moon. This was probably helped along by the fact that Phoebe, meaning "the shining one," was the Greek goddess of the moon and therefore I always felt like I was drawn to it. The moon is magical, inspiring dreams by reminding me that anything is possible! Hence, tonight, I am sharing with you an ultra mini blog in honor of my love of the moon, sharing with you my favorite photos I captured of tonight's super moon.

It truly is the most miraculous sight! 

Hope you Enjoy!

Caution - Alligators (Do Not Feed or Approach)

While some countries have lions or tigers roaming the wild, here in Texas we have alligators and snakes! I have countless memories at Brazos Bend State Park. I remember going to the park when I was just a little girl with my big brother and staying on the look out for Ali the Gator while we played. With plenty of strange spiders, goofy bugs, and beautiful birds to entertain, we had a blast exploring while our parents enjoyed answering the million questions we had about everything all around us. Sitting atop my fathers shoulders, I felt like I could see the whole world & I would squint off into the distance desperately trying to be the first to spot a gator bathing in the lake. 

Now that I am all grown up, I still love to visit Brazos Bend. It is the perfect place to escape from the busy city, stretch my legs, and feel like I am on an adventure as I see if I can catch a glimpse of a glorious alligator. 

The park has plenty of places for the public to enjoy, providing a playground, picnic areas complete with BBQ pits, look out points, walking paths, and even a massive tower you can climb to look down on Forty-Acre Lake for a birds eye view of the wildlife below. 

For those in search of more than pedestrian exploration, the park offers its visitors a wide array of activities  My favorite stop was always the nature center, as there you can learn about the different ecosystems and wildlife in the park. However, you don't have to stick with the educational options. Biking is permitted along the many trails, and visitors are even allowed to camp & go horseback riding as that park provides primitive equestrian campsites for people wanting to camp with their horses. Want to try something a little less active? How about try your luck at catching some fish! Visitors are welcome to fish from six of the lakes and though they should probably do so with caution, I am sure it is still just as relaxing as fishing in a lake without alligators. 

Everywhere you look you are reminded that there are alligators roaming the park, so to keep your eyes peeled, your pets leashed, and your children close. Part of the charm of visiting Brazos Bend is the alligators, but adventurers beware! The alligators are wild! So don't forget to respect their space and give them a wide berth while observing them! Thankfully, unlike my experience with the black bears in the Smoky Mountains, every time I have seen people spying on the alligators they tend to proceed with extreme caution. (Though this is likely due to the fact that even baby alligators don't look cute and cuddly like the black bears of the Smokies.)

Brazos Bend is a true Texas favorite of mine, and I heartily recommend it to anyone with an adventurers soul looking for a different experience than the bog-standard Houston. Just don't forget to keep a look out for alligators!

Hope you enjoy these photographs taken from my last trip out to Brazos Bend. Each time I have a totally different experience that never fails to be awesome!

Heating Things Up with Fusography

"Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they wake to make their dreams a reality. "

I am a dreamer, I suppose that is why I am so enamored with travelling. Even waiting in the airport excites me, building my anticipation for the destination, allowing me to dream of what awaits me. It has long been my dream to own my own business and do something I truly love and I am excited to announce that I am finally making that dream into a reality!

As you probably all well know by now, I have many passions. Travelling and photography top the bill, but writing and creating fall just below them.

"There has to be a way," I thought to myself, "to use these passions in a way that I can support myself and continue to share them with the world."

One day, while photographing the stained glass windows in Chichester Cathedral, I came to the conclusion that there had to be a way for me to put my photographs onto glass to sell for people to enjoy at home. Once this little bee had landed in my bonnet it was only a matter of time until I stumbled upon Sassy Glass Studio. Lisa Gifford Mueller, fused glass genius and owner of Sassy Glass Studio, offers classes to teach curious minds like mine how to create their own fused glass masterpieces from her studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Not just a brilliant fused glass artist, Lisa is a professional fusographer, meaning she is successfully fusing images onto glass in a manner that is built to last. It was official I was going to have to find away to travel to Knoxville and take this class!


Lisa has a fun bubbly personality, that displays her kind heart right out on her sleeves and I knew when I met her that not only was I going to learn a lot but I was going to enjoy every second learning with this lovely lady.

Fusing glass on its own is a complex process. You can't just use any old glass, you have to use one type of specific glass for your creation to fuse together properly. The first real challenge is cutting the glass, scoring it with confidence before snapping it in two parts. Once you have cut the pieces you want, you then get to begin layering the glass until you have it set up in the way you want it to fuse together. This is the fun part, where you get to be creative and make your vision come to life before your eyes.






















I designed two coasters & one large sushi plate purely using glass and the rest of my pieces I dedicated to mastering fusography. Having placed my fused glass pieces atop kiln paper in the kiln along with the glass we had cut for the fusography, we shut the kiln and phase one began: fusing the glass together.

The next day I arrived with the building anticipation of opening the cooled kiln to see how everything had fused together. It is fascinating to see how the glass works together to form one solid piece, morphing into a beautiful creation. Two coasters complete, and one plate ready to slump, it was time clean them and begin prepping the fusography pieces.

Fused platter placed on the mold in the kiln ready to slump.

 I had ordered some fusography decals from InPlainSight Art and was excited to pull them out and begin the process of adhering them to the coasters we had prepared. The decals are printed on a peach colored paper that disappears during the firing process leaving only your image left behind fused to the glass. Having cut out my pieces, I placed them on their respective coaster and waited for the water heating in the skillet to reach 170°.

Once the water had reached the perfect temperature, it was time to begin preparing the decals to adhere to the coasters. Once you have immersed your decal in water it does not take long before you need to remove it, so I found myself keeping my chopsticks close to the decal, so I wouldn't have to waste time chasing it around the skillet, and hence potentially ruin the decal. 

Once the decal begins to separate from the backing, it is time to carefully slip it off the paper and onto the glass in one cohesive movement, minimizing the risk of bubbles forming between the decal and the glass. Once the decal is positioned, you simply use a plastic card to press firmly on the decal to remove any bubbles and ensure that it has fully adhered to the glass. 

The more I did, the better I became, and after preparing several pieces, I found my rhythm and was able to prep the pieces without too much difficulty. 

Having prepped all of my pieces successfully, it was finally time to take them all to the kiln where we would begin the custom firing schedule for successful fusography. 

Once again returning to a cooling kiln with bated breath, it was with nervous anticipation that we opened the kiln to find the finished pieces of glass art. Funky peach paper melted away, the coasters were left smiling up at me with my very own images forever fused to them in all their glory. I had such a fabulous time in Knoxville, learning all of the ins and outs of fused glass and it is something that I hope will continue to bring me joy for the unforeseeable future. 

With no doubt left in my mind, this is what I want to do in correspondence with my blog, what I want to create to share with all of you. So stand by! Inspiration From Abroad will soon be opening for business, selling handcrafted home goods & gifts featuring custom crafts & fused glass designed using inspiration from around the globe!