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Judy's EmberOwl
Judy's EmberOwl
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Judy's EmberOwl
Judy’s EmberOwl — finished by hand in a workshop in Ely, Minnesota
Judy Niemi, sixty-seven, Ely, Minnesota. Forty-two winters of finishing garden owls one at a time — 17,406 of them, counted in four notebooks. She lights at dusk, wakes when something crosses the yard, and just over six hundred of her are all that is left.
“My hands don’t keep up anymore, and hardly anybody pays for real handwork now. So this is the last collection. I want them in yards where somebody actually looks out the window at night.”
— Judy Niemi, garden owl maker, Ely, Minnesota
“People ask me why a solar light should cost what mine do. Three things kill a cheap one: water reaching the cell, a battery too small to carry a winter night, and a sensor that is really just a timer, so it burns itself out at the wrong hour. Every one of those is a decision somebody made to save forty cents. I have owls out there that went in the ground eleven winters ago and still come on. That is not luck — that is the seal and the panel, and it is the only part of this job I have never been willing to cheapen. Same reason the head and wings only move on the sensor. I could have had her going all night on a timer and sold twice as many. She would also have been dead by March, and everybody on the street would have hated her.”
— Judy Niemi, 42 years at the bench, Ely, Minnesota
- A finished piece, not a molded blank. Feather lines, eye tone and shading laid in by hand over the sealed metal body — the reason it reads as a bird from ten feet away instead of a plastic decoy.
- Light that runs itself. Two to four hours of direct sun gives ten to fifteen hours of warm-white light, on automatically at dusk. No cord, no outlet, no switch, no bulb, no monthly cost.
- She wakes when the yard does. Motion within range triggers head and wing movement, a brighter light and an owl call — then she settles. It is the part every visitor comments on, and the reason the rabbits stop testing your beds.
- Together and in the ground in under a minute. Owl into the solar head, head onto the pole, pole onto the spike, spike into soil, mulch, gravel or a planter. No cables, no plugs, no tools. Move it whenever the yard changes.
- Built to stay outside. IP65 weatherproof coat over a solid metal body — through rain, snow and summer heat, year round.
- Just over six hundred remain and there is no restock. The workshop closes at the end of the month. There is no one taking it over.
Put her in the ground, watch her come on for a few evenings, and if she doesn’t do what you hoped, send her back within 30 days for your money back.
| Owl body | Solid metal body, sealed and hand-painted |
| Stake & housing | Impact-resistant ABS, matte black |
| Light source | Warm-white LED, integrated solar panel |
| Run time | 10–15 hours on a full charge |
| Charge time | 2–4 hours of direct sunlight for a full charge |
| Switching | Automatic dusk-to-dawn light sensor |
| Motion sensor | Approx. 10–16 ft (3–5 m) detection range, approx. 120° field |
| Motion response | Head turn, wing movement, brighter light and owl call — then automatic reset |
| Sound | Owl call on trigger only; switchable off on the underside of the base |
| Weather rating | IP65 — rain, snow and dust resistant, year-round outdoor use |
| Owl height | 5.1 in (13 cm) |
| Overall height | 17.3 in (44 cm) assembled, including ground stake |
| Weight | Approx. 11–16 oz (300–450 g) |
| Assembly | Owl → solar head → pole → ground spike. Tool-free, no cables, no plugs. |
| Placement | Soil, mulch, gravel or planters — pathways, borders, driveways, patios, lawns |
| In the box | Owl light, solar head, pole, ground spike, signed card, gift box |
| Finished by | Judy Niemi, Ely, Minnesota — 1984 to 2026 |
| Quantity available | Just over 600 pieces. No restock. |
| Shipping | Free US shipping, dispatched within 48 hours |
The Final Series
The Final Series
Message from the studio:
After forty-six years painting the Blue Ridge mountains from her window, a small stroke this past winter took the steady hand Eleanor Voss needs for the fine detail. She finished her three 2027 series — the American landscapes, the French villages, and the twelve famous-painting cats — in the last weeks the line still held. Every month is printed from an original oil painting. When these are gone, there is no reprint and no 2028.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 3–5 business days
- Each calendar is carefully packed and ships from the US
- Printed from original oil paintings on thick, writable paper
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email support@backroad-goods.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at support@backroad-goods.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET) — whether it’s about your order, a gift, or just to say hello.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Hang it in your kitchen, and if it simply isn’t right for you, email support@backroad-goods.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Every month is an original oil painting by Eleanor Voss near Boone, North Carolina, printed on thick coated paper with a twin-wire spiral binding and large writable date blocks. Three editions: American Landscape, French Town Scenery, and the whimsical Famous Painting Cat. This is her final complete series — no reprint.