Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Windchime Wednesday

Another long day at work today, but only 2 more days to go till EOQ. I think I can, I think I can.....

I'm pretty sure what's bothering me most about all these extra hours is blogger withdrawal. I want to sit for a couple hours and read through everyone's blogs and comment, and I just don't have the time. I know I'm missing some good stuff, but I can get caught up next week.

I decided I'd better post something tonight and while I was walking around the yard taking all my pictures, I could feel the stress going out of my body.

Here's a something about me that probably nobody knows outside of my immediate family members.....I'm NUTS about windchimes. I have windchimes in every conceivable size and in almost every conceivable location--indoors and outdoors. When I had a car, I even had a windchime in my car! People who rode with me either loved it or hated it.

So without further ado, here's a photo essay of some (believe me, there are more!) of the windchimes inside and outside my home.

Cardinal windchime hanging from the ceiling light in the foyer.

This seashell windchime hangs in my kitchen doorway. Dave, my boss at Wild Birds Unlimited made it for me when he got my name for Christmas a few years ago. Every time I bump it and the shells clink together, it reminds me of my days as a WBU employee.

My windchime necklace (thank goodness I didn't spill any supper on my shirt!)
This little windchime tinkles in the breeze when my patio door is open. It's too fragile to hang outside.

A tiny hummingbird windchime that hangs by my hummingbird/butterfly perennial garden.

This windchime hangs in the dead tree in the front yard. It's the chime I hear as I fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning.

The Wind(chime) In The Willow

This is my largest (weighs over 25 lbs) and most expensive windchime. You can't tell from this picture, but it's sparkly! It hangs from the pergola over my back patio, right below the dining room window. It has such a beautiful, mellow sound and you can hear it in the house even with the windows closed. It's chiming as I'm writing this post.
This chime hangs by the front door. Because it's ceramic and bamboo, I had to put it in a more sheltered place so it didn't blow down and break. If you've never heard bamboo chimes, they have a very unique sound.


This little brass bear bell hangs behind the garage. It has turned a nice verdigris color over the years.

This chime in a crabapple tree was a wedding anniversary gift one year from Mom & Dad.

This poor chime is broken....the wind-catching thingy has blown off and I have to reattach it one of these days.

Here's a little windchime that hangs by my hammock--it has a delicate little sound (reminds me of a fairy).
This brass bell chime hangs from a tree in my little aspen woods. Brother Phil got it for me when he was stationed in Korea during his Air Force days.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you suppose you got the wind chime collecting from us. We have wind chimes in quite a few places, inside the front door,one outside the front door hanging from the eaves [a pretty big one], by the garage door, in the kitchen, outside the patio door, by the back door and I don't have them all up yet. I like the one from Philip that is bamboo. Each wind chime has it's own unique sound, but they all blend very nicely.
Mom

RuthieJ said...

A mutant Windchime collector gene....yes, Mom, you're probably right. But did I get it from you or Dad? :-)

Larry said...

Holy c--p! -Your not kidding you've gotlots of windchimes-I have one set but they don't make enough noise-maybe too heavy.Nice post

Anonymous said...

very cool windchimes! Glad you posted something!

Anonymous said...

That "wind-catching thingy" is called the sail. It's probably windy enough at your house that you don't even need the sail to have them chime. I hope your week continues to improve. I kind of know how you feel....

Mary C said...

Ruth, I like windchimes, too. And we probably have about half a dozen of them all around our house, too. Great idea for a post! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Love your chimes... Hey, that reminds me... where is my really cool chime that used to hang in the backyard??? I better go find it!

Jayne said...

Hang in there Ruth! Love your windchimes!! I finally invested in a lovely set of Majesty Bell chimes and I love them.

Ruth said...

I read that some people complain that windchimes cause "noise pollution"! I have only 2, and I love hearing them on a cool, breezy night through my open bedroom window.
Ruth

RuthieJ said...

Hi Larry,
I've got the chimes spaced so that almost anywhere in my yard you should be able to hear one--remember I have 5 acres, so lots of area needs to be chimed!

Hi Tom,
It seemed like a dumb idea at first, but once I got all the pictures taken and stories added, it was pretty fun. Glad you enjoyed it.

Hello Sissy,
Thanks for the info. I think the wind is what blew the sail away! Now I'll have to add a piece of chain like I did with the other one that broke...as soon as I remember where I put the leftover chain.

Hi Mary C,
Half a dozen windchimes for you? See, they are addictive once you start collecting them!

Hi Jennifer,
I always take my chimes down to store for the winter (because it gets way too windy here). They're supposed to all go in the storage shed, but sometimes I'll put a couple somewhere else and it's always a surprise when I finally come across them.

Hi Jayne,
When I worked at Wild Birds Unlimited, I was the chime buyer and we purchased from Majesty Bells also (the owners usually had to downsize my order). I have several of their chimes including that giant blue sparkly one. They are excellent quality chimes and are beautifully tuned.

Hi Ruth,
I have also heard that some people don't like chimes. In my yard they blend nicely with all the birdsong...anything to cover up the real "noise pollution" of cars and trucks driving by 24 hours a day.

Mary said...

Ruthie,

I'm a lover of windchimes, too, but you win the prize! They are all lovely. There is something to gain from wind chimes - aura, zen, soothing sounds...

I have three near my pond and two in the sunroom. I always gaze at windchimes when I'm shopping.

Love it!

CAROLANN said...

Hey Ruthie,
No disrespect with the Ruthie thing but my Nana's name was Ruth and people called her Ruthie. I miss her. Anyway... I am in the process of making some bamboo chimes from a piece I absconded from one of our clients. I googled images and hit your site.
I am a fellow wind chime lover, wind in the hair lover too.
Got to continue the wind chime project. Will take more time to check out your blog later.