Cattails are natures Super Wal-Mart

The cattail has to be the most useful plant known to North America. For the outdoors person it is a gold mine. This plant has utility uses, medicinal and is a food source.

Cattails can be identified by their long cylindrical brown seed heads. It looks like grass. Their is a variety that looks just like the cattail but it is poisonous. As with all edible plants positive identification will keep you out of harms way.

As a food cattails offer an outstanding variety. They can be used in salads, eaten raw, used in stews, both the male and female spikes can be boiled and taste very similar to corn. Flour can be made from these plants.The Native Americans would boil the roots to make a syrup which was used to sweeten up their recipes. 

The medicinal uses of the cattail include antiseptic for wounds, cuts, burns, bruises and toothaches.

 As an utility hats, chairs, insulation for jackets, shelter building materials, and a host of other uses have been done and used for centuries.

Cattails provide food and nesting area’s for birds and wildlife. Birds use the white fluff from the brown cylinder seed to soften their nests with.

For more on the cattail Jaxs and Kim recommend you read The Incredible Cattail “The Super Wal-Mart of the Swamp” by Kevin F. Duffy

Creative Images by Jaxs and Kim

 

"Love Stinks" Pepe Le Pew & Penelope by Jaxs

CREATIVE IMAGES BY JAXS AND KIM

Squirrel "just chillin out"

Squirrel "ust chillin out", a photo by Creative Images By Jaxs and Kim on Flickr.

Red Squirrel just chilling out on a park bench. He was just enjoying a cool breeze, in the shade, on a very hot day in Florida.

Farmville's Dog Gone Birthday Party by Jaxs

Farmville is celebrating their 2nd birthday. 

Jaxs loves to be creative and is quite artistic. He loves to do designs on his farm. He says it's like putting together a 5000 piece puzzle 3D style. For Farmvillve's 2nd birthday Kim suggested that he do Moses. 

Moses is Jaxs and Kim's Jack Russell Terrier. 

Jaxs set out to do an image of Moses and upon completeing it he named it "Farmville's Dog Gone Birthday Party"

Stop by and enjoy the birthday celebration. 

 

 

Creative Images by Jaxs and Kim

Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary

On the west coast of Florida in a rural area on the Hillsborough, Manatee County line in Wilmauma Fl. is home to Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary.Wilmauma is near the southeast end of Tampa Fl.

Elmira's is a refuge for Big Cats that is runned entirely on private donations.

There was a time that Elmira's was open to the public but the unexpected passing of founder Ted Greenwood changed all of that a few years ago. His wife Robin carries her husbands love for big cat rescue in his memory. Robin Greenwood is president and owner of Elmira's. 

With the help of dedicated volunteers Elmira's continues to care for these big cats. They have struggled to purchase land, buy cages and feed these awesome animals. It is there hope and desire to reopen their doors to the public so that others can enjoy seeing Big Cats and other wildlife up close in a natural surrounding. There is no donation ever too small. Together we can build the dream home for these gorgeous animals for all to enjoy by helping Elmira to reopen their doors. 

You can follow Elmira's on Facebook Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary 

Thank you Robin for your love and dedication and all the wonderful people that give their time to help these beautiful animals. Without your efforts these animals would have been euthanized. 

I would like to thank Lois Croft for the wonderful video she has put together for Elmira.s. For a copy of the video you can contact Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary. All donations can be used on your tax returns. Elmira's is a non-profit organization.

 

The Beauty Of Flowers

Nature can be so inviting and colorful. The beauty of flowers give color to world.

Through time flowers have been used in ceremonies, to make herbal tea's, medicines, grass skirts, wigs and other amazing applications.

Florida has a sub tropical climate with the Gold Coast and the Keys having a tropical climate. The perfect weather for many species of flowers to grow and thrive here. Something is always  in bloom year round.

I never gave much thought to the name of flowers until Kim and I started a photography web site. With each photo there is an area to describe that photo. We know the name of some flowers and unable to give a proper description of other flowers. What a task. Together we are learning the names of flowers and having to do a lot of homework. Some flowers we have no idea what they are except it is a pretty yellow or purple flower...LOL 

In our enthusiasm to not only take photo's, we are just as enthusiastic to learn and better describe the flowers we see on our nature walks and places we go.

I am thrilled that enthusiasm led David Miller to contact Kim and I at Creative Images by Jaxs and Kim. 

David is an award winning teacher from Glasgow Scotland. He has an idea to use twitter as a teaching tool for his students. To learn about flowers from around the world. Kim and I love the idea and thank David for the honor of being invited to participate in his teaching endeavor.

You can read more about David Miller from Independent Thinking

Creative Images by Jaxs and Kim

 

 

orphaned-baby-blackbird

orphaned-baby-blackbird, a photo by Creative Images By Jaxs and Kim on Flickr.

This baby hatchling fell from a height of over 25 feet from the nest and survived the fall.. This tiny little blackbird through many efforts is being given a chance to live. It appears the little blackbird has been abandoned by the parents. He is weak but has a lot of fight. Unable to return the baby to the nest I am now feeding the baby. He is getting stronger. Hopefully during the day the parents will return to take care of the baby blackblird cause I place him under the tree where the nest is.. If the parents won't feed the baby then I do. A little bird like this requires to be fed every 30 to 45 minutes. Every effort will be made to help what appears to be an orphan. Feel free to ask any questions about how to help birds. Jaxs has handled birds all of his life. He is a volunteer wildlife rescuer. He specializes in handling birds.

Via Flickr:
This baby hatchling from a height of over 25 feet from the nest. This tiny little blackbird through many efforts is being given a chance to live. It appears the little blackbird has been abandoned by the parents. He is weak but has a lot of fight. Unable to return the baby to the nest I am now feeding the baby. He is getting stronger. Hopefully during the day the parents will return to take care of the baby blackblird cause I place him under the tree where the nest is.. If the parents won't feed the baby then I do. A little bird like this requires to be fed every 30 to 45 minutes. Every effort will be made to help what appears to be an orphan.