Frog Bag Photos: Volume 1

Since I actually remembered to take my camera to work with me this morning I thought I'd post a few photos here... so...

...

Of Hawks and Doves

Let me tell you a little story:

I'm at work, minding my own business, when someone from another department approaches me. They're out of breath. It's an emergency!

What happened? Did an animal escape?



No, they say. It's that damn hawk! It caught another pigeon! Come quick!

Okay, I'll say. There isn't much we can do. It's just nature taking its course.

At this point they stop and stare at me. What? How can you say that? It's hurt!

I've had this scenario repeated with doves, pigeons, even a wild duck which I saw plucked from one of the ponds by a huge female red tail. All of which brings me to my point: it sucks to see animals harmed, and killed. But, the hawk's gotta eat too.

(Full disclosure: I'm a vegetarian. I'd never eat a dove. Or a duck. Or a hawk, for that matter. But this is a choice. I'm human, and one of the benefits of this condition is that I can make choices. The hawk can't. Even if he could reason out the implications of a vegetarian diet, he's an obligate carnivore).

And the pigeons? They want to stay alive. They don't want to be eaten... But there are a lot more of them in the world than there are hawks. They thrive in an urban environment. Often the hawks are just hanging on.

So, you may be wondering, what happened to the pigeon that was caught by the hawk? Well, as luck would have it, the hawk was startled when my co-worker approached it. He dropped the little white bird and flew off. The pigeon ran under a bush, and from there I cornered him. He wasn't too badly hurt: nothing was broken and the wounds were superficial. I cleaned him up, patched up his cuts (I'm a certified wildlife rehabber) and placed him on "cage rest" in a clean crate with plenty of warmth, food, and water. In a couple of days he was good as new, ready to face off against the hawks of the world again.

So, my advice to anyone who comes across a similar situation? Let the hawk be. Turn away if you must. But don't scare the hawk away from her meal. You will be left with an injured and frightened victim who's suffering has just been prolonged, and who will often die of an infection later if his wounds aren't treated. The hawk will have to spend extra energy hunting, and her babies may go hungry.

Of course, if you find a bird who has been injured by a now-departed hawk, please get him help. All animals feel pain and the lowly pigeon is no exception (personally, I love pigeons, and doves in general, having worked with scores of them). If you don't know bird first aid, find a local wildlife rehabber.

And to everyone who cares enough to worry about doves, hawks, and wildlife in general... THANK YOU!

Wordless Wednesday featuring Franz (4th Edition)

From Randomness, a Winner!

And the winner of last week's giveaway is... Number 15, Michelle! That's right, the universe has spoken. I used a random number generator and, to my surprise, it picked the very last entry. How's that for random?

Congrats to the winner! She chose the Elegant Daily News Bracelet as her prize, and will be getting it as soon as Upcycled Stuff digs out from the monster snow storm that has blanked the south east. 

Many thanks to everyone who entered. I'll have another giveaway soon (I have something good planned for when this blog reaches 500 followers. Shhh!) but in the mean time, stay warm out there avoid driving on that black ice!

Year of the Rabbit

Amazing that we are already eight days into 2011, or as some would have it, the Year of the Rabbit. Of course, around our house every year since 2009 has been the Year of the Rabbit. That's when we adopted Shallot... Or started to foster him. It wasn't supposed to be permanent. Yeah, right! You can read more about him here. He's a "special needs" bunny, but I'm happy to report that several days ago he was given a clean bill of health at his yearly physical. He'll always have to have his teeth trimmed every two weeks and his veggies chopped up for him, but he's come miles since we adopted him.

Marshmellow Garden

So, without further ado, I dedicate this blog post to bunnies everywhere. Want to do a little Year of the Rabbit shopping? Here are a few pretties I discovered while browsing Etsy...

First up is the unbearably cute "Marshmellow Garden" by Krisblue. I wonder if Shallot would feel calmer with this hanging near his hutch? Then again, if he were any calmer he'd be asleep. Never before have I met a bunny that wanted to be friends with a manic cat.

Hares Tshirt

Then there's this stunning Tshirt by NYhop... And it's even on sale! If only it were my size.

Rabbit and Carnelian Earrings

I'm not immune from making rabbit-themed things either. These earrings are new in my shop, The Frog Bag.

Rabbits - 1920s Illustration

But the cutest thing I found had to be this set of illustrations, rescued from a damaged childrens' book from the 20s, in Ephemera Obscura's shop.

Want to do more for domestic bunnies this year? Check out Bunny Luv for lots of tips, resources, and ways to help your favorite hopper. Another good resource is the House Rabbit Society. I hope everyone is having a fantastic Year of the Rabbit so far!

Wordless Wednesday featuring Emmett (6th Edition)

New Year, New Giveaway! Featuring UpcycledStuff!

Happy 2011 everyone! Want to celebrate by winning something cool? Of course you do! 

Elegant Yellow Pages Bracelet

To kick off the New Year, The Frog Bag is having a giveaway featuring UpcycledStuff, a fabulous new Etsy artist who, you guessed it, upcycles stuff.

Her name is Tricia, and she has agreed to do talk with us a bit and give away some pretty nifty swag. So, before we get into the nitty-gritty of the contest, let's hear from the artist:


Why the passion for upcycling?


In 1996 I took a zoology course at the local community college with the most amazing instructor, Cassie Carter. It was all quite by accident, but what a happy accident it was! This course got me involved in volunteering at the local zoo. I was quickly sucked in by "all this conservation stuff" they were all talking about. I had no idea the profound impact it would have on my life. I've spent the next twelve years working for zoos and aquariums. While I recently left the field, I still carry the most important lessons with me. Perhaps the biggest lesson is that we are all connected. What I do today really does impact the future of the environment and the animals that I so deeply treasure. While I may not have the hands on contact that I once had with wildlife, upcycling gives me the feeling that I am contributing to their well being.

Newspaper Bracelet

Do you draw a distinction between upcycling and recycling?

Absolutely! Both are important, but even recycling has energy costs associated with it. So how great is it that we can take once virgin materials and reuse them once or twice before recycling them? Some of my favorite upcycled items to work with are those that can be tossed strait in the recycling bin once their usefulness has come to an end.

I know you've rescued quite a few animals. Tell us your favorite animal rescue story?

Teeshirt Reusable Shopping Bag

I have so many animal rescue stories that mean so much to me personally, but I would have to go back to my first, Destiny, the wild and chatty cat who still shares my home with me today. She was my first rescue and at that time I thought that I would one day run a rescue shelter, hence the name. She sat outside the window of my apartment howling one night; it was loud enough to wake the dead. So I jumped out of bed and opened the door only to see that she did not look well at all. There was goo coming out of every orifice, she was dirty and coughing. Yet, when I opened the door she walked right in. With two other cats in the house I knew I couldn't let her roam around until she had a vet visit. Together we spent the rest of the night on the bathroom floor. As she lay curled up on my lap I kept thinking "it can't be this easy to rescue a cat". I learned that it isn't easy, but Destiny is one in a million.

Tell us an interesting fact about you, the artist behind Upcycled Stuff?

The fact that I saved this question for last and then fell asleep trying to think of something worthy should tell you something.

Okay then, how about a boring fact?

I've lived in seven different states and made two cross country treks in my 38 years. I won't even tell you how many times I've moved in each of those states!

Magazine Wallet/ Business Card Holder

Anything else we should know?

Perhaps it's because I'm a Scorpio, but I love a good challenge. Some call it stubbornness, I just call it determined. So if you're looking for a way to upcycle something in your home, drop me a line. I would love to help you turn your trash into an upcycled treasure!

Thanks so much for your time, Tricia, and for telling us a bit about your new upcycling venture!



Now, how about that contest? And what do you win?

You can win either the Elegant Daily News Bracelet, pictured below:

Or the Elegant Daily News Necklace, your choice!

Entering is easy!

1. Leave a comment saying what you like best from UpcycledStuff's etsy shop.
2. Or "like" her facebook fan page.
3. Or share this blog link.

Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each of the ways you've entered, and a way to get in contact with you if you're the winner. A random number generator will be used on Sunday, January 9th, 2011 to pick the winner. Thanks so much for entering, and Happy New Year!