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unplugged

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

ridge2

Earlier this week, after too much thinking and not enough planning, we headed upcountry for the first time this season. Being completely unplugged and off grid provides a wonderful opportunity to *not* think, to *not* worry or plan and to *not* get bogged down in the details of  responsibility. Certainly there are chores: opening the treehouse, cleaning up the decks, moving wood and more. The difference is, for me anyway, that I can see and feel the results of my efforts when I am up there. For example, piles of firewood are quantifiable. It is easy to see when wood needs to be moved closer to where it will be used and so forth. Similarly, clearing walkways, cutting back tall grass in my “parking spot” and pruning out young trees are all tasks that need doing every year. I love knowing that I got the work done, can go off for a walk, come back and sit on the deck watching the birds, the dogs and the shifting light.

thebowl       secorner

Although my neighborhood is relatively quiet and the morning river walks are lovely and somewhat solitary, the noise of being in town is constant.  Having the stillness and peace at the “tree house” this week was a gift and a reminder of how important that deep solitude is to me. At home in town, in addition to the birds in my gardens, there is the almost constant electrical whirr of fans, of the fridge, the noise of neighborhood children, dogs and traffic, occasional sirens.

At the treehouse: the soft whirring of the jays, the cries of coyotes at night, the river of a wind storm followed by the rhythm of rain all night and the whistling call of the ground squirrels my dogs find so entertaining. Every once in a while, a large animal will move through. We hear branches breaking, the rustle of grass, the dogs might bark once or twice. This trip I did not see them but moose, elk, black bears and deer all live there, it is their home, I am just a visitor.

My next trip will be in a week or so depending on various schedules. We will stay for 5 days if all goes well. Stay tuned.

***

beau-9-3   Beau, keeping track     gracie-9-3 ms. Gracie, ready to roll, again!

The dogs were ecstatic when we arrived at the gate and they were released.

gate2

By the time I had made the climb up our drive, they had criss-crossed the ridge and met me on the deck, both in full body wag. They spent our time there on the  move, chasing and waiting for ground squirrels that live in the wood piles and downed timber. They would come back to me for a bit, have a drink or a rub, then one or the other would alert and both would take off up the meadow or down the hill. Beau would sometimes lay down for a nap (he has an “off button”), ms. Gracie would still be running had we not come home. She has the Border Collie energy and stamina. She is also still young and at an  age where she will whimper with fatigue but get up and run some more at the smallest opportunity.

Summer Solstice 2013

Friday, June 21st, 2013

shrooms

This mushroom was growing in my ancient crab apple tree. The large cap measured 7 inches across. Michael would have taken a spore print to identify the  specimen.

 

 

 

cranesbill j-blue

In the garden the pink Cranesbill Geranium and the Johnson’s Blue are in bloom. Also, but not pictured: clematis, elderberry bushes, peonies, columbine and more. The weeds and grasses are especially lush as a result of a cool wet Spring. The positive is the lovely feathery texture. The negative is how tenacious these volunteers are and how thirsty.

 

 

beau-maygracie-may

My helpers and walking companions: OBeauHobo on the left. He’s 4 1/2 now and a wonderful companion. Ms. Gracie is on the right, she is one year old now. She is a bouncy, happy pup and makes me laugh every day. They are both herding dogs and high energy so daily walks are essential. This is very good for me as well.

The river is still running high and muddy but every day we watch eagles, osprey, ducks, geese and songbirds. The wild roses and Russian Olives are blooming right now. Their fragrance compensates for the annoyance of the mosquitoes.

No photos from the studio work yet but I am, finally, at long last, back at work in the studio on a daily basis. Things seem to be going well. It will take me a while to get back into the swing of blogging and updating the website, but it is time and I am ready.

Most of the continent has been dealing with extreme weather this last while. We hear about what is going on in highly populated areas, but the disasters are widespread. Flooding, wild fires, heavy wind storms, tornadoes and we aren’t even into hurricane season yet.

Be safe! Be smart.

On this lovely Solstice, I send you warm wishes for renewal and growth.

is it really Friday?

Friday, February 6th, 2009

The week has flown by, this day is about to do the same. There’s been forward motion. This is a good thing.

  • the unpacking from my Iowa teaching trip is complete. (It was a wonderful 4 day workshop!),
  • The house is more or less restored to a livable space (it’s amazing what happens here in my absence)
  • works from the Sage exhibit are listed on my website, but I think some need to be re-photographed
  • my most recent museletter went out. To subscribe, click here.
  • taxes for 2008 are nearly done! hooray.
  • although the list of things I need to do keeps getting longer, maybe I am beginning to feel a sense of what passes for control in my life – for the first time since September, I think.

Registration for the next session of on-line classes is in full swing. Hope to see you there!

remembering-summer_02

remembering summer

OH! in the “news”: two of my folding pieces have been invited to be part of the Exhibit, “Seeing Green: Visions of a Changing Planet” at Visions Art Quilt Gallery, June 20 through August 16, 2009.