Pet People Talk

Pet Lovers News and Animal Views

New Designs and The Changing Seasons

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The seasons are changing again. Fall is in the air, at least here in the mountains of New Mexico! This morning I had to wear a sweater during my morning walk…I’d forgot that August here in the mountains can be on the cool side.

New Mexico Wild flowers

New Mexico Wild flowers

I wanted to share with you this bouquet of wildflowers I picked. Normally I just let the flowers alone, admiring them and knowing they (or possibly some different ones) will be blooming tomorrow. But there is an unusual one called a “Mexican Hat” that I wanted to show my husband.

Since there was an entire patch of these whimsical blooms, I plucked one. Then I told myself it would be so much prettier with some other ones surrounding it. So I ended up with a whole little bunch, one of each kind I encountered. And aren’t they a pretty little bouquet? (The Mexican hat is the one with the tall part in sticking up in the middle, surrounded at the base by some pretty crimson petals.)

Along with the changing seasons, I’ve decided to make some new designs! It makes me so happy to “create something out of nothing.” What is just a blob of clay becomes a sweet ferret with angel wings. Or a cuddly looking grizzly bear. (Remember my last blog post about the grizzly cub that lost his mama? Well, they were reunited. And I created a line of grizzly bears in little Pepper the cub’s honor!)

I’m so inspired by both our animal companions and the wildlife around us. Animals are so beautiful and so much fun for me to recreate. I love to honor them as a piece of jewelry that any animal lover can proudly wear.

I really do have the best job!

I always smile inwardly when a customer comes up to me at a show and tells me she thinks I’ve covered the entire animal kingdom with my jewelry. That is quite a compliment since (according to my Google info) there are 1-2 million animal species!

Looking at it that way, I’ve only just dipped my toe in the water.

You’ll see my new designs pretty soon. I promise to let you know once they are cast and complete. Meanwhile, I’ll just keep on creating.

And now I have a question for you. What is your favorite animal? You can be very specific as to breed or species. It’s not that I run out of ideas, but I really do want to know!

Thanks for being an animal lover. We need more people like you in the world.

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

The Little Lost Grizzly Bear Cub

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Grizzly BearOne of my customers (who is active in grizzly bear rescue) sent me to a site with a story about a very special little bear who needs help now to survive. He’s a tough little guy, and has made it without his mom for quite a few days on his own. He is only 6 months old! (The picture here is NOT that little guy, of course. This is a photo of a beautiful adult Grizzly by a photographer named Kakisky)

I am constantly amazed and impressed by those who are helping, against so many odds, to save our native wildlife. Grizzly bears have always been presented as a species to fear, stay away from (a good idea when it comes to all wild animals) and to destroy when at all possible.

Pardon me for stepping onto a soapbox for a moment, but this ignorance has led to the endangerment and near annihilation of so many species already. I believe we humans have the ability and responsibility to be guardians and protectors of our wildlife, especially those that have been driven nearly to the point of extinction.

I recently met a woman who lives outside a small town in Alaska. We compared some of our wildlife stories from our land. I told her about the black bear who “visited” outside our kitchen when we first moved to the Manzano Mountains of New Mexico.

And she told me about the grizzly bears she regularly sees on her property. She lives there alone, and has no problem with these “fierce predators.” She and they simply ignore each other. I was impressed, and decided to learn a little more about this bear species.

Grizzly bears were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. Back then, their population in the lover 48 states was down to less than 1,000 bears. Even today, they occupy less than 2% of their former range (not counting Alaska).

One online report mentioned the fact that bear attacks are extremely rare, even though every year there are thousands of human-bear encounters. Despite this, only very few result in any kind of personal injury to the human involved. Bears, apparently, will retreat before you are aware of their presence. If hiking in bear country, it seems to be a good idea not to go as quietly as possible, but to make noise, sing and talk. That way if a bear is in the vicinity it can make its getaway before any sort of unwanted confrontation occurs.

Bears in Trouble

Grizzly bear’s food sources are being decimated. Hungry bears no longer can depend on food they’ve been long adapted to consume. As one example, cutthroat trout have always been a source of Grizzly nutrition in Yellowstone lake, especially in the spring and summer. But now nonnative trout have been illegally introduced, and the cutthroat trout are being edged out.

Other food sources are also being either eliminated or cut down due to environmental factors. This has left Grizzlies in trouble, and the only nutrition available to them is now livestock and elk. Of course, this leads to conflict with ranchers and hunters. It is a lose-lose situation for the Grizzly bear.

Another problems with Grizzly survival is that they have a very low reproductive rate. They live to be about 35 years old in the wild, and don’t reproduce till they are 4-7 years old. Every third year they have 2 cubs on the average. When born, the cubs are very tiny…only 12 to 16 ounces!

Mother Grizzlies take care of their cubs for up to 3 years. This is one reason why the little lost bear is such a tragic case. He needs care and comfort.

I know my customers love animals. That’s why I’m telling you this story. And if you feel it in your heart to help, please click on this link to read the amazing story about the little orphaned Grizzly and to learn what super simple thing you can do now to help him survive. (Hint: It does NOT involve giving money)

You are the best, and I appreciate each and every animal lover. It’s people like us who know how to make a difference.

Do you have your own bear story, about any species? I would love to hear it!

Your Animal loving artist,

Merry

My First Local Elk Sighting!

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male elkNew Mexico is a land of extremes…Wind and snow from October through May, heat to steal your breath away in June, glorious clouds in azure skies most days.

And the animals…! I still sit up and take notice when a roadrunner hurries in front of our car on our dirt-road drive towards town. For me, an animal sighting is always a gift.

Over the past two winters we’ve had elk sign on our property. Their hooves and scat are “over sized”, at least compared to the dainty deer. So I knew they were around. But not a glimpse of the animal, darn it!

When we bought our property I had imagined elk crossing in the snow would be a welcome, if not exactly a common sight. The former owner assured us we’d see them.

But thus far they’d only honored us with their prints and their poop. I’d become disenchanted.

Had I forgotten that this was the Land of Enchantment?

I got straightened out on this point a week ago. Because on our way back from town, close to where we turned onto our own road, two large female elk stood directly in our path.

Unlike the skittish deer, they regally and slowly moved off the road as we approached. They were disdainful of our puny little Toyota. “We have better things to do,” they seemed to say.

I was thrilled. I “snapshot” a mental image picture, and wished I’d had my camera. But sometimes just that memory picture is good enough.

I’m pretty positive the elk have forgotten all about us. I doubt they would even think about writing a blog article that included the two humans gaping at them from a mud encrusted car.

But that “snapshot” I mentally took is still with me. By the way, the male elk photo you see is from Morguefile, by someone named LLMueller. I think it’s beautiful! But I cannot take the credit.

However,  now that I know elk are at least neighbors, I’ll listen for their bugling in the Fall. I’ll watch for babies in the spring and I’ll scan the land for shed antlers. Maybe I’ll get lucky! And maybe next time I can take my own photo.

Or maybe my mental “snapshot” will have to do. After all, I’ve seen elk herd elsewhere in New Mexico. But in my “almost” backyard? Now that is something special.

Do you have a favorite animal sighting in your neighborhood, or somewhere that you’ve traveled? I’d love to hear about it!

New Mexico Spring…a Little Bit Different

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New Mexico Iris in snowI didn’t believe it was possible…Snow in May? We woke up last Friday to big, fat flakes covering our high green grass and dusting our blooming iris.

The hummingbirds seemed enchanted with it. They were darting through the snow, chasing each other merrily.

The mountains, which had begun to green in all the bare spots with live oak, are still snow dusted today, several days later. But the oak is a sturdy shrub. I doubt a leaf was frozen, and most likely all the snow will melt in a day or so.

My 8 year old grandson visited during the height of the storm and told me his harrowing tale of being “lost in the wilderness.” (His words) He said everything looked the same in the snow, but that “the alligator juniper looked elegant” He told me “it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”

I gave him a little pot of peppermint tea and a bowl of roasted almonds to warm him up.

I’m one of the luckiest grammies in the world, with grand kids a hop skip and a jump from my house.

Seeing our land from the little kids’ perspective awakens my early years of exploration in Ohio. All the way down to fossil hunting! We have a ravine on our property, great for sledding in the winter and fossil collecting in the spring, summer and fall.

And birds! Besides hummingbirds, we have orange grosbeaks, ravens, wrens and at least 20 or more varieties I haven’t identified. A real birder would have quite a time here.

But I just watch them and listen to their song. We have some real warblers nesting at our property at 7,000 feet. They awaken us sometimes in the very early morning, a mixed blessing.

Coming from lush Florida, I wasn’t sure I could learn to love the sometimes stark environment of New Mexico. But now the juxtaposition of a delicately petaled flower and cracked dry land gives me a little jolt of poetic appreciation.

And when the early afternoon sun shines through the stained glass windows in our adobe, I feel a little shudder of admiration and joy. New Mexico has a tentative beauty, one that kind of sinks in after absorbing it for a while.

Like an unexpected snow fall in mid-May.

What is it you love best about where you live?

I would love to hear from you here!

A Happy Mother’s Day Little Something for You!

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white NM wildflowersI’ve always loved Mother’s Day. It isn’t a major holiday, but I like to think it’s an important one anyway. For me it’s more about the handmade cards from my grand kids, and just a little something sweet from my son and his wife. (I do love a basket of fresh raspberries!) And maybe a rose or two from my husband. Or maybe a dinner out!

I know a lot of us are moms to dogs, cats, guinea pigs, birds and so on. And given the care and love we bestow on our non-human kids, I think we almost all deserve a little something for Mother’s Day.

I have some built in “gifts” here in my New Mexico home. Like our land itself, currently awash in wildflowers. There are some blooming this year that are new to me, like these pretty white ones. Also a whole bunch of little purple ones and some yellow daisy-like flowers. My daughter-in-law has already learned most of the names (must come from home schooling her kids) but I let her be my reference on that sort of thing.

And of course just a glance out the back window and I see all kinds of hummingbird courting behavior. If only I could actually SEE one of their nests. They are so tiny I would need a very good pair of binoculars to even locate the little bump in the tree that signifies a hummingbird nest. But boy, those teensy little moms are amazingly diligent in their nesting and nurturing! (I have read that the females do ALL the nest building and raising of young.)

So in honor of spring, moms, kids (both human and non-human), I have a little gift for you.

When you shop on my store and  enter the coupon LOVEMOM19, I’ll take care of the first class shipping myself. I’ll also make sure that whatever you order will come in a gift box. (Normally only the sterling silver and 14K gold designs come in gift boxes.) But no matter what you order (post earrings, a necklace, etc.) I’ll put it in a pretty Magic Zoo gift box.

The coupon is LOVEMOM19 and it will be good for free shipping and a gift box for your order from today through Sunday May 12th 2019 at midnight.

I can’t wait to send you something special from The Magic Zoo!

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

The Tigers in my Backyard

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tiger salamander

For the past 2 years, I’ve had a problem with the man-made pond in our backyard. The pump to keep the water full and flowing worked, but unfortunately the 3 feet of rocks the water cascades down when the pump is turned on are not solid. There are cracks between the rocks, so eventually the water level goes down, down, down.

Consequently, I’ve not been using the pump. At least then the water stays in the pond. At least when the hot summer sun doesn’t evaporate it.

Then, unfortunately, the willows and other plants surrounding the pond start to wither.

So there are times that I have to use our precious well water to fill it. Water can be somewhat scant in New Mexico, and keeping a man-made pond full seemed pretty wasteful. I found myself silently cursing the home’s owner (just before us) who thought a pond was a good idea.

Last summer I was ready to eliminate it entirely and put in a deck or garden. The water was full of algae and during mosquito season it was a fabulous breeding ground for the little pests.

But that was before last September, when I discovered some baby salamanders with gills swimming around in the pond. Oh no… I couldn’t see snatching their habitat away. My entire childhood was spent watching and capturing salamanders from my native Ohio creeks. I’ve always had a soft spot for the little guys.

And this past winter we were blessed with lots of rain and snow, which filled the pond pretty full.

Two weeks ago my grand kids went “fishing” in the little pond using a net on a stick that is twice their height. They caught dozens of the little baby salamanders, picking them up and placing them in little jars full of pond water. They were all set to take them back home to their cabin.

I admired their catches, then gently informed them that the salamanders had to stay in the pond. They were happy there, and they were able to catch food to eat. Big sighs… “But Grammy! We’ll take good care of them!” Luckily their mother concurred. The salamanders stayed in Grammy’s pond.

I’ve got Tigers!

Last weekend in great excitement grandson Cassidy told me he saw a large yellow spotted black salamander in the pond, coming up for a tasty surface bug before diving back down. I asked him how big it was and he held his hands about 9” apart. Then he drew me a picture of it. Hmmm. Together we looked up native salamanders in New Mexico.

Sure enough! Tiger salamanders are native to this area. They breed in ponds. They have spots and (sort of) stripes. They are yellow and black. They can grow over 8” long. And their young look exactly like the little salamanders with gills that we have so many of.

I’ve tried to get a photograph, but the big breeding mama (or papa) has yet to make another appearance, at least when I’ve been ready with my phone. So I drew one. Hopefully I can replace the drawing with a photograph someday, but that’s all I have for now. You can look the real thing up on line here. But if you love salamanders like I do, be warned…in this article I discovered that the young are used as bait by fishermen!

To me that just ain’t right. At least in MY pond they’ll stay safe. Guess I’ll be keeping it for now!

Creative Family Life in New Mexico

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Grandson Cassidy and Baby LambWhat is family life in New Mexico like without Screens?

I grew up in the 1950s and 60s when the idea of a personal computer was the stuff of science fiction I’m not even sure there were any stories written that went beyond the massive IBM type computers used to take over a classic 1984 type science fiction world. Personal computers? Impossible!

So when I look around me at kids as young as 18 months fixated on a tiny computer screen, I marvel. Then I cringe.

I realize computers are a fact of daily life. I am on one for several hours every day in the course of handling Magic Zoo business. But I actually wish I didn’t have to be on a computer at all!

I’ve never been a fan of screens, beginning with television screens.

My own kids, growing up in the 1970s and 80s didn’t even have TV for entertainment. That was by choice. Mine and my husband’s. Poor kids, right?

Not so much. David and Cedar had all sorts of interesting ways to keep happy and entertained. They drew. They wrote short stories. They had a tape recorder and recorded their own little skits. I could hear them laughing uproariously from my studio while they were at it.

We did all go to the occasional family movie. But even that was part of an all day outing that involved shopping in our local farmer’s market and hiking in the hills of Marin County California.

David and Cedar grew up happy, creative and still working (at least part time) as artists when they reached adulthood. To me, that denoted wild success in parenting

What About 21st Century Kids?

So now I’m a Grandmother. My 3 grand kids live on our property with their mom and dad (David is their father.)

How do these grand kids entertain themselves? They ride their bikes. They hike and make up explorer games on our 20 acres. They read. They draw. They catch and release the salamanders in our pond. The 9 year old is learning several languages. The 8 year old is learning how to build rockets using vinegar and baking soda as fuel. The 14 year old is an avid reader and a visual artist.

The youngest two belong to our local 4-H. Although their only current pets are a couple of cats, they love farm animals too. (I love this photo of 8 year old Cassidy holding a new-born lamb, even if it is a bit blurry!)

They know how to use a computer as a tool. But it is emphatically not a source of entertainment for them. I hope it never is.

So much is lost if a child is not encouraged to be creative. If I could state one of my missions in life, it would be to reawaken creativity in as many people as possible. That really means everyone, including adults who think they’re “too old” to learn a new creative pursuit.

You, too Can be Creative!

When kids see the adults around them involved in the joy of creating, that makes an impression on them. It becomes something that seems possible. They become the source of something uniquely their own. And we become a good influence on the generations that follow.

What would you like to do in your life to be more creative? Write a memoir? Learn how to cook Keto-style? Take a painting class? Please tell me right here on this blog, and I promise to answer you! I really do want to know.

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

Why Animal Jewelry?

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Strangely enough, my first love as an artist was abstract art! As a youngster, I squiggled designs, loving the way I could balance form and color. Counter-intuitively, that early love translated into creating animal jewelry!

Are you familiar with Joan Miro? I love the playfulness, the color and the whimsy of his work. Kind of alive and exciting. But completely abstract. The “alive” part is probably the connecting factor between abstract art and my animal jewelry.

In the early 1980s and even today color was and is an important aspect of some of my work. How color is used can make things come alive. But if you add expression, personality and motion… you really have something lively.

chicken earringsA piece of art might seem basically motionless, but there can still be movement and action. Take a little dachshund dog pin about to jump up for a snack. A raven pendant in flight. A pair of chicken earrings dancing. I have plenty of examples!

My customers still tell me that my jewelry seems alive. That is without a doubt the best complement for me. Because art is really a communication from the artist to the viewer. If I can create jewelry that has a life of its own, then I feel like I’ve done my job.

I am so lucky. My art goes beyond being viewed. It is worn. And then seen by others. Which makes my customers a participant, not just a “viewer.” You can wear a piece of animal jewelry that says something about yourself. It is your statement, not just my creation.

I have a sterling silver Hopi Indian brooch of a roadrunner. When I wear it, even though I did not create it, I feel like I am participating in a culture I have a great respect for. Besides that, I love roadrunners. They live in my new home state of New Mexico and from time to time they dash across the road right in front of our car. Wearing this little pin definitely makes me a participant in the artist’s creation.

Does your Magic Zoo jewelry have a special meaning for you? I would love to hear your comments here on my blog!

Valentine’s Day and The Magic Zoo

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Silver Heart Paw EarringI wanted to do something to acknowledge Valentine’s Day on my website, so I made first class shipping free through February 16th. If you’ve been thinking about a Magic Zoo gift for someone you love, this would be a good time!

How does your family celebrate Valentine’s Day, now and in the past? To me, traditions are warm and cozy parts of life, hard to do without.

When I was a kid, my mom would make sugar cookies with a heart cutout. Remember those? They were iced with sugary pink frosting and dotted with those little red heart candies.

Our mid-century family was an animal loving bunch, and our Dalmatian dog, tabby cat and fish tank inhabitants all got to participate in the festivities. A little red bow on a collar and a cut out heart taped to the tank spread the Valentine’s Day cheer all around.

For those of you over 50, you probably remember decorating a shoe box with red paper and drawn-on hearts, taking it with you to school on the 14th, and coming home with that shoe box filled to the brim with little store-bought valentines. Those were the days!

I still enjoy Valentine’s Day. I’m planning on making cookies with the grand kids (using that exact same cutter from 1958) and maybe I’ll even cut out a few paper Valentines myself!

There’s something amazing about a holiday (OK, it isn’t technically a public holiday since the post office, banks and businesses stay open) but it has that special cozy holiday warmth to it. And a holiday centered on LOVE? I am all for that!

Love for our family, the people in the groups we belong to, mankind in general, our pets and for all the animal kingdom makes for an especially full-to-the-brim life. I think we all need a bit more of that.

And of course reaching out to adopt a pet who has been abandoned is one way to just fill up your heart with love. Preaching to the choir? I sure am.

You are my kind of people and I appreciate everything you do to make life fuller for both yourself and all of those around you, whether they walk on two legs or four! So Happy Valentine’s Day (a little early) and thank you for supporting The Magic Zoo. I promise I will continue to design jewelry that you will love to wear and love to give.

A Magic Zoo Holiday

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Ah…December! The month that the Rosenfields and The Magic Zoo all get a little bit hectic. Oh, by the way, we are having free first class shipping in the US for the entire month of December. So come on by for those last minute gifts! Order this week and you’ll get free shipping and should still get your Magic Zoo gifts in time.

Christmas Cookie baking with grandkidsBut in the midst of filling orders, answering phone calls from customers and taking hundreds of new product photos, we set a few hours aside to choose and decorate the tree. And of course, per our family tradition, I baked and decorated cookies with the grand kids.

The festivities began with choosing a tree on our property with a couple of those same kiddos. Our land is studded with a huge number of juniper and pinon trees, and it took a little while to find the perfect candidate. Bright crisp air filled with the scent of wood smoke from our families’ two wood stoves gave the search a festive air.

My eldest grand daughter and my grand son helped me choose a few possibilities. Of course they each had their own ideas, and Cassidy knew right where to go, about 2 acres from our house. “Here is the perfect tree, Grammy!” It was a happily growing, perfectly shaped tree, well on its way to a very tall and very long life.

I had to remind him that as good stewards of our 20 acres, we needed to choose a tree that would help our land. He wistfully glimpsed his perfect giant a final time before sighing and helping me settle on a smallish tree, flattened boughs on the side it grew right up against a competing pine.

My son took it down with a bow saw and hauled it into our living room, where it waited a few hours for our family holiday party.

Ed prepared the mood with classic Christmas music wafting down from our studio above…Bing Crosby and other holiday hits from bygone decades.

As young Cassidy says, we made “Grammy style” cookies, concocted of almond flour, coconut oil and honey, instead of the more traditional sugar cookie ingredients. For sure, this unconventional recipe makes excellent cut out cookies.

The kids pawed through and chose from dozens of cookie cutter shapes, the best ones metal Santas, angels and stars from my own childhood . We rolled out the dough, cut out the cookies baked them and decorated them with cream cheese icing and naturally colored chocolate drops. (Not entirely true. Normally, I do use “natural” candy from the health food store for decorating our holiday cookies, but since we live 1 ½ hours from our closest; health food store, all I had on hand were left over M & Ms from Halloween… Bad Grammy!)

Here’s the recipe I use for cut out cookies. Great if you are allergic to gluten, or happen to be on a paleo diet or just don’t like wheat flour.

Almond flour Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

2 cups of fine almond flour

1 tsp. Sea salt

¼ tsp. Baking soda

About ¼ cup of honey

1/4 cup of melted coconut oil

Mix dry ingredients, then mix together honey and coconut oil and add to dry ingredients. Cool in fridge for an hour or so. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out on wooden cutting board, adding almond flour to keep things from sticking.

Bake about 8-10 minutes. Cool and decorate!

Be sure to have some kids or grand kids on hand for this phase…

I would love to hear about your holiday traditions. I am pretty sentimental, and love to create our own. How about you?

Happy Holidays from Ed and Merry

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