Wildlife Wall Decor

Another wildlife silhouette is captured in the November 2008 Outdoor Life Magazine, page 43.  The informative article is about understanding the nature of whitetail deer during rut season.  Not too long ago, gearing up to hunt the elusive deer or elk was really very simple.  You purchased a rifle, ammo, a sharp knife, a good rope and a license.  You packed a mule with sleeping gear, water, cookware, food for the trip, and saddled your horse with a sack full of pure luck!

After reading the popular magazines on hunting and fishing, and shopping at the Bass Pro and Cabela’s sporting goods stores, I’m convinced that the current trends of today’s outdoorsman is truly scientific.  The price of equipment, weapons, first-aid, tools, transportation, food and clothing is in the $1000.00’s.  Expense is one thing, but educating a hunter  for a safe and successful outdoorsman is another major expense.  The young family that will hunt and fish together is not only rich but also wealthy.

Should you have an IRA and are approaching 70 years old, you might want to read Ducks Unlimited, November 2008, page 29.  DU has an article that explains tax benefits for US citizens 70 1/2 years and older.    “At age 70 1/2 years, you must begin taking distributions from your IRA whether or not you need this additional income stream.” 

For relief, Congress has approved a gift method using your IRA.

The value of the increased distributions can be used as a donation.  For example, Ducks Unlimited can use the gift toward waterfowl conservation and the donor avoids an additional tax burden from these distributions. 

Check it out!  . . . And support the sport of hunting wild ducks and geese.

Plain and bare walls cause sounds to echo and lack the visual and aesthetic appeal of an inviting home.  Placing art on your walls, whether it be posters, pictures, or sculptures is an ideal way to soften your home and express yourself.  Wall art comes in all different kinds of themes.  If you’re a movie fan, framed movie posters can be excellent additions.  If you’re more traditional or contemporary, art which represents those themes adds your unique style to your home. 

If you can’t find pictures or posters, consider using small decorative shelves to display your favorite items.

The gray wolf, or Canis Lupus as it is called in Latin, is a carnivorous mammal inhabiting a portion of North America.  Though widespread throughout North America, the gray wolf only inhabits a small part of its former range mostly due to human destruction of its habitat.  Despite preferring dense timber, the gray wolf is highly adaptable, and can survive in environments such as deserts, tundra, grasslands, and urban areas.  Though wild, gray wolves are not particularly dangerous to people unless they feel threatened. 

The gray wolf has integrated itself into the culture of several societies, and now exists as a symbol of the wild, untamed world.  Wolves are also thought to be savage creatures by many people, but scientific evidence proves this to be untrue.  Wolf team mascots, wolf figurines, and wolf art is common throughout the Western world.

A customer hired me to customize a new curtain rod and valance over her bedroom patio doors.  She was working, so I had the key to her apartment.  When entering the bedroom, I noticed a three-foot stuffed Iguana on the foot of the bed.  I was thinking, “This woman is a little weird!”

While going in and out with my tools and step ladder, I became aware that the stuffed Iguana had disappeared.  My thoughts were, ” Oh my God, someone has entered the apartment while I was not looking and stolen some things.”

Excited and concerned, I called my customer and mentioned that I noticed the Iguana toy was missing.  She reassured me that no one would take Henry!  He always hides in the closet when strangers are around.  Henry was her pet! If you had living wildlife decor, wouldn’t you mention it to your repairman?  Henry made me so angry I wanted to stuff him! . . .  And her too, for that matter!

My wife is a born and raised Texan.  Yet, in all her years, she has never been to the Big Bend area of Texas. On the other hand, I have always been a Texan . . . though not born there.  The reason is, I have performed, singing Western music for many years with my guitar.  So, after we were married, one of our first vacations was to travel to the Big Bend country.  We thoroughly enjoyed the rock formations, colors of foliage, the sounds and sights of wild birds and wild animals that live in the Big Bend National Forest.  The decorative pictures I took are now a part of our country wall art.

The Rio Grande River winds lazily through the rugged terrain and makes a great background for western art and wildlife decor.  I came all the way from Idaho to take my native Texan to the Big Bend country.

Last year my wife and I took the Royal Carribean Cruise to Alaska.  Returning to the Port of Seattle, we stopped at Victoria BC and visited Butchart Gardens.  On the way there, we stopped at the Butterfly Gardens.  Both experiences were memorable.  Both were especially colorful and unique in their environmental creativity to present nature’s flowers, plants, and landscapes. The gardens provide natural foods and fresh water for many species of Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and other winged creatures.  There were plenty of opportunities to purchase wall art for interior decor as a reminder of our spectacular trip.

Few animals invoke as much power and respect as the wolf. The image of the wild dog with its head thrown back in a howl is a widely known and popular one, and the sound of that howl will instantly give you chills. Wolf decor has become extremely popular not just for the look of the animal, but for the symbolism and mystery behind it.

Wolves feature in the mythology of many cultures, but they are particularly important in much of Native American folklore. One myth, according to the Pawnee tribe, puts the wolf at the center of the creation story. According to the tribe, the wolf was the first creature to experience death. Sirius – the wolf star – was angry at not having been invited to a council on how the Earth was to be created, and sent a wolf to steal the bag of The Storm that Comes Out of the West, which contained the first humans. When the humans were freed from the bag, they killed the wolf and brought death into the world. The wolf features both negatively and positively into many other Native American myths, and is also a symbol for twilight, which is the time when wolves come out to howl to each other.

A simple thing you can do to make your house seem more inviting to others is to add a welcome sign out front. Welcome signs can come in all shapes and sizes. Many choose to go for a mat, but they can also be window hangings, posted signs, cut wood, and just about anywhere else you can think of writing welcome.

Not only do they give guests (and sometimes strangers!) that warm feeling when walking up to your door, they add a splash of color and whimsy to your yard. The look of the sign can be tailored to you exactly. Are you really into butterflies? Decorate your sign with them. Do you have a shabby chic theme going on? Use a distressed wood finish. Remember the importance of first impressions – and make yours a good one with a welcome sign.

Brett Favre is not only a champion football quarterback, but he is also a lover of animals.  At least it appears that way by the Wrangler advertisement in a magazine I read just recently.  The ad shows a beautiful chocolate lab playing ball with Brett.

See more pet images by visiting Mr. Ed’s website . . . Just click on the underlined keywords, pet images.