2010 Updates to J.J. Cardinal's Web Site: among the most up-to-date sites found anywhere on the Internet

J.J.Cardinal's Wild Bird & Nature Store, Grand Blanc, MI

Our web site is updated nearly every day it seems with news, calendar of events, product announcements and additions to our ever evolving photo-album. This summary of site revisions has been requested by several regular visitors to this site - we hope you too will find it helpful and check back often!
December 2010	12/30/10 Many thanks to those who visited this holiday season - we have enjoyed a banner year! Louise just completed scheduling activities at store thru February 2011...see our Events Page for details. > >
	12/02/10 Louise adds another article to her "notes" page: "I took the lunch bag and carefully opened it. Inside was a full-bodied, hand-carved and hand-painted northern cardinal; it was attached to a natural twig branch and was mounted on a thin base of walnut. It was lovely. I was speechless..." read more > >
	12/01/10 Keep the kids active! Our calendar of events has been updated to reflect activities planned this month during "Christmas break" - see more > > There's even a handy, printable version that you can download, save (or share with others), print a copy for future reference. How cool is that?
November 2010	11/13/10 One of our favorite lines of bird houses is from Heartwood - "architecture for birds" is their slogan...we think the architectural appeal to their nicely crafted bird houses is geared to we humans; their functionality, though, appeals to our avian friends. More info > > Heartwood also makes shelters for bats and butterflies.
	11/12/10 Western Civilization nomenclature can be a bit odd, sometimes. Example: Chinese Checkers....that fun little board game for 2-6 persons....well, get this: the game did not originate in China or any part of Asia, nor is it a variation of checkers. The game was invented in Germany -1892 - and when imported to US it was known as "Hop Ching Checkers". You'll find it at JJ Cardinal's in our Kids & Toy area next to a slew of fun, traditional toys made right here in the US of A by Maple Landmark Woodcraft. > >
	11/06/10 Mug-a-licious....just arrived - cat mugs made here in the USA (more info). J.J. Cardinal's also has: · bluebird mugs > > · squirrel mugs > > · assorted stoneware mugs > >
	11/05/10 Louise added a Facebook account for store > >
	11/04/10 American Sculptor George Carruth is always creating playful and interesting art - which makes it fun when we received new treats and treasures like Purrcilla. George says "although she has a quiet personality, the bold feathered hat and paw print earrings show that she truly is a party animal. " More info > >
	11/01/10 Late last week we had a surprise visitor: Folkmanis Crow (extraordinary hand-puppet) arrived to help promote a cute children's book for the holiday: *Merry Christmas Merry Crow* by Kathi Applet. See more: the crow book > > crow puppet > >
October 2010	10/25/10 Last fall we were window shopping in the cute little town of Clarkston (MI) and spotted a cookie cutter shaped like the state of Michigan (lower peninsula: mitten)...we had just made plans for a gingerbread cookie program to kick off our "2009 Giving Tree ornament fund-raiser"...we needed a gingerbread-character cookie cutter, which the shoppe did not have - but we got the Michigan shaped cutter anyway (loved the fact it included the Upper Peninsula!!). Anyway, it got us enthused about cookie cutters and delighted that cookie-cutter-maker, Ann Clark Ltd., was located in Vermont. "Mmm...," Louise thinks to herself. "These would be neat at JJ's..." [more] > >
	10/20/10 Playful and fun new jewelry pieces continue to flow into JJ Cardinal's - all made by American craftsperson's - like these charms by Amy Peters - part of her new "words" collection > >
	10/19/10 It's a small thing...but collectively we think it makes a difference...mouse pads for your computer that are attractive, and MADE IN THE USA. We scour the country for such merchandise and contrary to popular opinion, there are things being made right here in America. We have a store filled with nice products that support our nation's economy. More info about these mouse pads > >
	10/18/10 The new Chickadee silhouette is a lovely addition to our collection of Michael Cohen Tiles. Cohen's famed Blue Tiles are a staple item in our little shoppe - they make great architectural accents, or, stand alone hot plate/trivet, or, lovely wall groupings. Louise thinks a cluster of three looks especially nice. More info > >
	10/17/10 We've added more activities and events to our calendar - November & December! Fun programs like making wonderful holiday ornaments.......or, a holiday centerpiece.......maybe some awesome snowflakes. How 'bout a corn husk doll? Our events calendar is right this-a-way > > Can't join our snowflake making class? Hmmm. We've got a new book for you > >
	10/16/10 Art, craftsmanship, and functionality: Coveside Conservation's Large Arched Post-Mounted bird feeder. Mahogany...and made right here in the USA. More info > > Window-mount versions of same feeder design > >
	10/15/10 Just about everyone loves our cute little red wagon used to help haul big bags of yummy birdseed out to their cars. It's got quite the following, and folks love to recall their youthful play in a genuine Radio-Flyer wagon. So when news broke late this summer of a couple who modified an old pick-up truck and made their own road-worthy Radio Flyer Car, lots of folks mentioned it. More info on our "seed page" > >
	10/08/10 & 10/09/10 New jewelry creations from Paul Burnette, Guy Paul, Me Crazy/Ursula Pooley and Nettles Nature > > 10/07/10 Fortunately not all night lights are extruded on foreign soil, and sometimes it takes an artist to demonstrate that not all products are created equal. On one hand you have industries that suck jobs from the American landscape as they flee to some foreign land and pay dirt cheap wages, no benefits, and pollute the environment of impoverished nations.....or, on the other hand, you have creative art - originated here in the USA, casting a bright rich glow on quality merchandise and common sense. We hope you catch the glow, too. More info > >

	10/06/10 Keep seed fresh and out of the reach of critters and varmints who raid on seed storage caches - we now have 3 sizes of galvanized steel storage containers (seed cans): Large, medium & small...or Papa, Mama & Baby sizes! more info > >
	10/04/10 Bird baths are so vital in the winter - make sure your backyard birds have a water source! JJ Cardinal's just received a shipment of new, awesome bird baths - several are made from recycled cast aluminum (say: good bye to rust!). New hanging bird baths, too. More info > >
September 2010	10/01/10 Deer frolic in Louise's backyard > >
	09/24/10 Seasonal gift items have begun arriving! Like SolMate socks…and they are still $16 and $18 a pair > >
	09/22/10 Louise adds a fresh installment of her Notes: "Dale Sawyer (one of our earliest employees at J.J. Cardinal’s) once told me, 'Mother Nature sows her seeds in the fall.' ” more > >
	09/21/10 Posted two photo contributions from customers today: 1. crafty Chris F. modified a copper baffle to form a roof for a feeder perched atop his expansive bird feeding station > > 2. Ellen H. posted a creative video on YouTube of hummers dancing around her new Holland Hill hummingbird feeder > >
	09/20/10 Leaves begin falling it's a sure sign arrival of snow and ice will be sooner (vs. later). Good time to plan ahead to provide water source year-round for your feathered friends. JJ Cardinal's has a variety of heated bird bath solutions like the new all-in-one Four Seasons Heated Ground Bird Bath > >
	09/18/10 & 9/19/10 One of our favorite made-in-America partners: Whitehall Products has a new, elegant bird feeder made from cast aluminum (no rust - durable - made to last). Great holiday gift idea - functional yet impressively fancy. More info: birdfeeders > > bird baths > > all-weather clock & thermometers > >
	09/17/10 Sometime we just need a quality light-weight pole for hanging small feeders - like feather-light hummingbird feeders > > 09/05/10 A very good customer requested a special order - a product we have carried previously but had not stocked in a few years. It's a decorative pole extender - making the height of his feeders ideal for viewing inside his home. Read more about it at our "accessories & hardware page" > >
August 2010	08/24/10 Aspen Bay Candles are back - new soy varieties! » »
	08/17/10 Imagine an mp3 music file began playing the instant you spotted our Photo Contest logo, and it's the sound of a drum-roll sparkled with hearty applause...(take me to the pictures)
July 2010	07/31/10 The awesome potential that digital photography represents is illustrated by 2 new pictures submitted to local nature lover and photographic artist: Lou Ann McLaren. Hummingbird and oriole at their favorite feeders - see a preview in our photo-album. But you really need to see the original prints on display next time you're in the store. The prints are not for sale - however the feeders Lou Ann provides for her backyard habitat are available at JJ's. Too cool. More info > >
	07/30/10 The Gwen Frostic Collection has arrived > >
	07/28/10 This time of year we get dozens of questions about "a strange hummingbird spotted in our garden." Sound familiar? Louise may have the answer to this tiny mystery > >
	07/25/10 Our new cedar A-Frame Window Mount Feeder uses 3-powerful suction cups to bring birds in close to observe. Quality construction - made right here in the USA - even the suction cups are American-made. More info > > 07/20/10 Our roosting boxes were first introduced in 2004...and their popularity has increased every year - kind folks providing a respite for their backyard buddies during freezing cold seasons. So it seemed a natural fit for JJ's to offer a Roosting Box Kit....but where does our new product development team garner the intelligence required to launch a new item? Natch...the internet...that big collection of questionable knowledge. We thought it'd be fun to see how long it takes for some little nipper to submit their school term-paper: The Life & Time of Farnsworth T. Nesbitt - Michigan's Father of the Roosting Box. More > >

	07/14/10 We've added some pictures to our Photo-Album of fun, engaging programs and activities recently held at JJ's. Check out our Events Calendar for more upcoming activities! > > 07/12/10 New, creative gift selections are beginning to appear at JJ's. Decorative mugs with handsome bird illustrations, Karen Anderson's inspired handmade/handpainted plaques and decorated boxes...all proudly made right here in the greater USA! > >

	07/10/10 Creative and artistic pressed glass suncatchers from Kitras will cast a warm, colorful glow to any room in your home > > 07/07/10 Kritter Mix from our friends at Van Den Bosch is a handy way to offer a variety of seeds & nuts to the critters in your backyard habitat. We've carried it for years but added just today to our website. While web-guy can be a bit slow at times, he does enjoy working with the enlarged views of seed blends available at JJ's. Take a peak > >

	07/06/10 Brian Conklin has been having fun attracting Orioles - check out his short video clip of Orioles eating jelly > >
June 2010	06/27/10 Suet Logs...that's suet formed in shape of a cylinder....a popular item at JJ Cardinal's - and the neat folks at GoodPlanet™ just re-introduced their 4-hole "Peanut Butter Feeder" - perfect for offering suet logs. See all 3 GoodPlanet™ Suet Log and Peanut Butter Feeder designs (available in 6 different sizes) - shown in living color on our "suet page". > > Also, see Louise's description of the 39 steps required to make one of these cute lil' feeders - a fresh new "Louise's Notes" to kick off the 2nd half of 2010. > >
	06/25/10 The Flint Journal posted a cute video clip of Louise at the MLive website - naturally we've done our part by capturing the video on our webservers for you to enjoy - and/or text of Louise's comments. > >
	06/24/10 Louise finally gets a chance to enjoy nature around her home at High Point - but taking a tumble off a ladder is not exactly how she envisioned getting a bit of "free time". See a short story Louise wrote for her occasional collection of writings we call "Louise's Notes" > >
May 2010	05/25/10 Our assortment of hooks & hangers - and other accessories & hardware is extensive - gradually we're getting items on this web site that we've stocked for years....like the handy Branch Hooks from Erva Tool...available in 4 lengths (12" to 54" in length). More info about hooks and hardware > >
	05/20/10 Water is an essential element for all living things - especially this time of year. Birds rely on occasional bathes to maintain feathers as well as hydration. Locate your bath in the shade of a tree, near some kind of cover which helps to make the bird feel more secure. Shown here is the Burley Clay hanging birdbath. See more birdbath styles and accessories > >
	05/13/10 More entries were posted this month to our Photo-Album. Brian shares this picture of blue jay peanut hauler > > We also have new pictures in our "people & events" section > >
April 2010	04/23/10 When the weather warms in our region out goes the "hot air balloon" spinners, hung from hooks on the front porch at the store - serving as cheerful welcome beacons to motorists. More info > >
	04/22/10 The fine folks at Erva Tool have developed a new tubular pole 4-arm hook assembly called the "ERQUAD" - great for hanging plants and bird feeders. More info > >
	04/21/10 Two local organizations have bestowed recognition on Louise Dawson of JJ Cardinal's in the past week. Pretty nice stuff, and sincerely appreciated. Louise's web-guy loves to share details and has posted a little more info on our "awards page". Take a peak > >
	04/15/10 The collection of Holland Hill feeders continue to be among the most popular at JJ Cardinal's this spring - especially with a few great new designs like Victorian Love Birds, a dazzling 4-tube hummingbird feeder. More info > >
March 2010	03/28/10 This time of year we tend to get a lot of calls for bird feeder replacement parts - particularly for popular hummingbird feeders. Replacement vials for Holland Hill hummer feeders are especially popular. More info > >
	03/27/10 Our photo-album continues to grow - - in this case, a new submission for our "ponds & gardens" page...see more » » 03/26/10 We're in the news again! You can grab the Homestyle section of today's Detroit Free Press/Detroit News - or simply click here for a nice, news article about hummingbirds: JJ Cardinal In The News > >

	03/14/10 Our Wood Duck nesting boxes are unique. more info > >
	03/05/10 We struggle at times to keep this website current with all the new, creative stuff that comes in each week. "Someday," says Louise's web-monkey, "someday we'll get caught up and be current." Just after saying something like that an order of Folkmanis finger puppets arrived, including a quirky, cute flying piglet with wings. "Ah, we'll get up-to-date 'when pigs fly'!" See the complete collection > >
February 2010	02/24/10 Our "events calendar" has been updated through April 2010 - check out the downloadable .pdf file....perfect for posting on 'fridge at home or bulletin board at school or church! > > Also listed on our "events" page » »
	02/12/10 New book: One Child, One Planet - a creative photostory by Bridget McGovern Llewellyn, photography by Jean Stoick & Carl R. Sams, II. > >
	02/11/10 Burt's Natural Care products can make a difference in your health and well-being...so we're thrilled to have the new Burt's Natural Toothpaste in-stock > >
	02/05/10 J.J. Cardinal's is fortunate to be "in-the-news" again today - the Flint Journal published a really nice story by Scott Atkinson regarding Louise's community activity and involvement. See our press clippings for the full story > >
	02/01/10 Windowsill Gardens that really grow beautiful plants! More info > > Folding tool seat with storage > >
January 2010	01/27/10 Our supply of stoneware mugs got wiped-out over the holidays...but we've re-stocked the Mudworks collection featuring creative & quirky 3-D decoration. More info > >
	01/24/10 After posting several new Backyard Nature / Birds Choice bird feeders like the mesh style feeder for niger seed below, some of the older styles of the cedar Birds Choice feeders shown on our site looked...well, old. So Louise captured fresh, new, original photos of some of our best selling hopper style feeders. You won't find these quality bird feeders at the big box stores! > >
	01/23/10 Calling owls! Our "Mini-Hooter" wildbird call is made in Missouri and they will call barred, great horned and spotted owls. A favorite of sportsmen & women, birders and photographers nationwide! More info > >
	01/22/10 Got a problem with pests, critters and varmints tapping into your bird seed storage? Solution: galvanized steel cans with tight fitting lids > >
	01/21/10 Valentine's Day will be here before you know it - among the many gift items you can find at JJ Cardinal's, several of the Secret Boxes we offer have a "heart theme". More info > >
	01/21/10 Since we're offering several large seed cakes and suet cakes, like the Jumbo 3-pound Pinetree Farms Suet Cake, it's really cool to find a new, well-made large suet cake cage! Take a look > > New recycled double suet cake feeder from Birds Choice© > >
	01/20/10 New "spring merchandise" has been rolling into JJ Cardinal's - some mighty creative stuff like these simple feeding trays for offering meal worms (bluebird) and grape jelly (orioles)...one is brown/taupe, the other is bright orange. Guess which is which. > >
	01/18/10 Winter months can be harsh for many species of birds in Northern regions. Almost every day we get reports of local sightings of American Robin and Eastern Bluebirds - Lynne F. sent us photos of both plus an Oriole sighting from last May. That's why we're so thrilled whenever we get feedback like we received from Brian C. of Grand Blanc after he added a heating element to an existing bird bath this month. Brian was kind enough to send photos of some of the early visitors, which we've posted in our Photo Album> >
	01/16/10 Two new packaged foods recently became available to help provide high protein diets during chilly winter months: Suet Plus with Mealworms and Roasted Wax Grubs...(such news is met with a chorus of cheers and applause reverberating through cyberspace). Yum. More info > >
	01/08/10 The Flint Journal was kind enough to publish the final sales results of our "holiday Giving Tree" - proceeds for Fenton-based Adopt-a-Pet and the Humane Society of Genesee County. See the article > >
	archives of "updates" from: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003

J.J. Cardinal's Wild Bird & Nature Store®		12830 S. Saginaw St., Grand Blanc, MI 48439 810-695-8733
04/16/2012 illustrations, text & fun © copyright LAD, Inc. 1992-2012		Site Map \| Books \| Feeders \| Links \| Contact Us \| Photo Album