Nancy Dontigney's Beach Bears

Nancy of Dog Patch Critters was also at the Bright Star Tampa Show last week. These are her Beach bears.... they were made for a proposed article in Teddy Bear and Friends. BUT, the magazine canceled the article. Obviously they are our favorite recording stars of the 1960's ( to now)... The Beach Boys. Nancy's brother made the surf board! If you would like to reach Nancy about her bears, here is her email address: dogpatchcritters@cfl.rr.com

I told her I'd put them on my blog!!!!

Slide from the Tampa show

I didn't catch everyone's bears... I got busy and lost track of

whose pictures I had and didn't have.

I received an email from bearsby2hearts that I had misidentified her bear...

I will make a new slide when I get back to Kansas City.

(Her bear is the green one in the flight jacket) All my stuff

is packed and ready for the trip home.

Tampa show

We're back in Sanibel again after a great Bright Star bear show in Tampa.... there was a good crowd of earlybirds and later when the doors opened to everyone, that enthusiastic noise we "used to hear" was there.
There... that's enough for the moment. I took pictures today and will make a "slide" so people can see what they missed. The pictures should be up tomorrow!

Ah-h vacation-time!

Even with all this gorgeous flora and fauna I am all packed and ready to take all my bears to Tampa Sunday morning. It's about 160 miles from Sanibel Island to the Westshore Hotel so we will leave about 6am. I want to be set-up before the "earlybirds" arrive! The bears are eager to go... because then they will be out of their boxes. They've been in them since we left Kansas City.

We took another bike ride today... going to the beach at the old lighthouse. We stopped for a sandwich at the local deli to take with us to eat at the picnic tables at the beach. Today they were all being used but a nice couple from Pittsburgh, PA. were happy to share. They were here to visit their daughter. She will be a vet shortly and is doing an internship here at the wildlife center. While we ate eagles flew above us... they are nesting right now and there are lots of nesting boxes atop poles provided all over the island.

Gorgeous Day

Today was gorgeous... we rented two bikes and went on two rides. Adjusting to coaster brakes isn't easy! I fell once but no "big deal". We have them for at least one week. We swam in the pool. Went to the beach and generally had a good time! From our beach you can see Naples, Fl. which is on the mainland coast. The pelican is diving... he actually crash dives into the water.. for dinner.

We've arrived

After a long day of pouring rain we arrived at Sanibel Island, Fl. It was DARK so we just unloaded the car and settled ourselves. This is what things looked like this morning!


FOG!!! We walked the beach a bit and went in for breakfast. It is supposed to burn off later ( yeah, right!) . The week's weather report does have things improve.

On our way...

We arrived in North Central Tennessee last night after driving all day through heavy rain and high winds! We spent today visiting with family... they own a rv park and trout farm. We had one of the trout for dinner last night that weighed almost 10 lbs. Fantastic!
Tomorrow we head to Atlanta....

I've added some photos of the fish farm. This is my brother-in-law "feeding the fish". Lili calls this

"fish frenzy". The other is of the spring/stream that comes out of the
rock face and into the runways. Below the runways, the fish are moved into a catch-out pond. There people pay to fish!

Vacation Plans

We are leaving early Wednesday morning on our sojourn to Florida. We are taking the laptop so we'll be reachable... feel free to use the "contact me" button! But I won't be checking in more than daily.
If you are near Tampa, we'll be at the Bright Star Bear Show Sunday February 22nd. Stop by and see all the bears...and say "hello".

Sophia

Sophia is sitting still as a mouse... afraid that any movement will frighten the butterfly away!
Sophia is available on Bearpile or etsy ! The little butterfly was made from cold paste clay.

A new Fishie

I was looking through all my stash of wool roving and came across all the wonderful oranges I had dyed for last year's pumpkins... and immediately though of another goldfish. My son asked for the last one... it will be sitting in his new office when they ( Quik Trip) finish the building!
So here it is... a little different and not in a bowl. But still the ideal Fishie pet for the fish lover with a black thumb!

reply to a comment

Susanne from Finland... your comment didn't have a reply to email address. If you click on the "contact me" button to the right you can send me your email address!

Needle Case... thanks to Lynda

Thanks to Lynda Cansfield's inspiration on her blog I decided to design/make my own needle case. This one is almost 3.5" wide by 3.25" tall. My husband felt the top layer should have some depth so I used a piece of wet felted wool sweater with quilt batting sandwiched between the sweater and dark brown wool felt. There is lots of blanket stitching... and some fiberfill in the muzzle.
Bear Lovers ...if you would like to make one of your own, just leave a comment or use the "contact me" button to the right and I'll email you the pattern and some instructions.
Thanks again Lynda for the "inspiration"!!


  If you want a pattern I'll have to be able to reach you!!!