It’s that time of the year… the pollinators are busy getting everything they can!
Pretty flowers now… spreading pollen & making yummy honey later!

So I made a couple “friends” today while I was playing along the lakefront this afternoon on my bike. While I know one is a typical seagull… err, Ring-Billed Gull to be specific. But I’m not quite sure what the other bird is?

Anyone…

UPDATE :

Okay… so we have confirmation from Karen… an avid birdwatcher…
“Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron. One of the last Illinois breeding colonies is at Lincoln Park Zoo.”

This Saturday morning before returning to the Pottery Tour, I met up with two of my students who were also touring. But we made a little “detour” to the “Shepherds Harvest : Sheep & Wool Festival” on the way up from the Twin Cities. There were all kinds of sheep, a few llamas & sheep… and plenty of people shopping for wool, yarn & felting supplies! Very fun, but we kinda stood out like a sore thumb… as we’re pottery people… NOT sheep people!!!

And our new best friend… who rocked the llama hat better than Katie!!!

Looks like Rhonda’s little puppy is going to be enjoying his food & water more than normal these days… with a set of custom dog food bowls. He’s got four of them… some even if two are in the dishwasher, he can still eat & drink in style!

In a field of beautiful goldenrod, there are plenty of bees enjoying the flowers & pollen… and a cool praying mantis basking in the sun!

So while our adorable little Pottery Puppy has been hanging out at our Tuesday night class, we missed him this week… and fear that with the summer session ending he might not be back?! However…

This little cutie has moved in to the condo next to me! So now I get to be the best “Uncle Gary” to this little pup! Officially named Michigan Blue… but going by “Michi”... this little German Shepherd ain’t gonna be little for long! Can’t wait to play with this little guy… especially when he’s hanging out on my back porch!!!

Always nice to see some bees enjoying their afternoon meal.

So yesterday afternoon, there “may” have been a strange sighting outside of Lillstreet Art Center. There was “rumor” of a giraffe standing out on the corner of Montrose & Ravenswood!!! In Chicago?… Shocking, right?! Well, not so shocking for one of my Summer Campers this week who made his life-sized baby giraffe in Sculpture Camp! Murray worked hard on his giraffe… so we just had to show him off to the world!!!

Look like another berry bowl found a good home during last weekend’s GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR. Looks beautiful when filled with blueberries & strawberries! I’m sure Allison loves her new berry bowl… but it looks like her cat is still a bit unsure?!

Look who made another visit to my Tuesday night pottery class!!! Student “Nick the Vet” brought this little cutie back into class… and when the puppy pops out, all pottery kinda stops! I mean, how can my pottery demos compete with this little nugget??? Three weeks in a row… and you can tell he’s growing fast!!! Sadly, rumor has it we “may not” see him next week as Nick will be out-of-town!