An Unexpected Gift

An unexpected gift from my husband...tulips must be blooming somewhere in the world!  My crocuses aren't even peeking up through the ground here yet.

Linking with Pink Saturday

Another Gift From the Forest

I found this piece of Nephrite Jade at the bottom of a creek. (It's the green rock on the right, leaning against a chunk of granite). The sun was striking the water just right, or I would have missed it. Even so, I at first thought it was moss. I thought I'd give it a closer look though, just to be sure. I'm glad I did!

Nephrite Jade is not gem quality; that is called Jadeite and does not occur in these mountains. Nephrite Jade isn't really jade at all, but the similarities between the two stones caused gemologists to eventually start adding 'jade' to the name 'Nephrite.'

Nephrite Jade can be found in mountain creeks and dry creek beds in California, Oregon, Washington, Western Canada and Alaska.

It is used for jewelry and, more commonly, carvings like the little owl (2" high) to the left of the stone. When carved and polished, the green intensifies and darkens. Carvings and jewelry made from Nephrite are not expensive at all; I only paid $45.00 for the owl, which I bought in Alaska several years ago.

I don't plan on having this stone polished or carved. I like it just the way it is, and I'm so excited to have found it!

Gifts From the Forest

I found this feather from a Band Tailed Pigeon last autumn (or the autumn before that, I can't remember) while walking up to my studio. I always watch for 'gifts' from the forest when ever I'm walking...sometimes even when I'm driving.

I was driving really slow with the window down (I was stuck behind a very slow moving car) when I spotted this little guy on the side of the road. I'm pretty sure this acorn was given his smiley 'hedgehog' face (anyway, that's what it looks like to me) by a squirrel biting it lightly, but I'm not one hundred percent sure that's how it happened. However it got its cute little face, I'm really glad I found it.

I suppose most people would consider these things to be junk, but I really am grateful for my little gifts from the forest and its inhabitants!