In my studio, I work with three different types of wax: Beeswax, which is soft and does not crackle; paraffin, a harder wax that, used alone, can crackle too much, to the extent that your image can be lost; and also soy wax, which I buy in bags of flaked wax. This is the softest…
It has been three months to the day now since I flew off of Star while riding up on the trails behind my house. It was a slow recovery. I got used to using a walker, a cane, and gradually climbing up the hill again where I go in the warm months to just be,…
Vanilla is still miffed at me for having someone else feed him while I was in recovery. He has been very grouchy, but on this visit, he took an apple from Henry, which is a big accomplishment. The hot sun blazes down on the Day Lilies and Star and Vanilla search for shade and cool…
The warm spring sun in May rarely shines for all the rain. The meadows and pastures are green and thick. When the sun shines it is heaven and I remember wondering how I would face the challenge of keeping Star and Vanilla well cared for and get my dye buckets ready for the summer dyeing…
It was Saturday morning that I went out to the barn and my llama Vanilla lay in his stall, and did not bother to come to eat his grain. This has never happened. He’s always had a very healthy appetite, and when I saw that I knew he was very sick. He did get up….
Star has been here now for two months. It seems like she just arrived in some ways, but the pasture is mostly eaten and the dry weather has limited the new grass that’s available. She’s very happy eating her hay. Star’s past is largely a mystery. She was brought here from Maryland by my neighbor’s…
A whinny greeted me this morning and all mornings now since Star arrived on May 11th. The sound is music to me and I love hearing her and seeing her pretty self at the gate wanting to know when I will be out to feed her, brush her, walk her, fix a new pasture section…
The seeds from the wildflowers fell softly to the earth that was Steppin’s grave. There were forget-me-nots, shasta daisies, marigolds, and wildflower mix seeds for bees and butterflies. They made a gentle contact with the earth. Steppin is buried here at the south end of the pasture, near some tall maple trees. She used to…
The turkey vultures flew above me circling and magnificent in the blue sky…. How could such gorgeous creatures accomplish such a seemingly disgusting job? I have always thought all creatures have an important contribution to the earth and to all other creatures, although we may not like looking at what they do. Imagine if no…
This summer I have developed a new respect for the little creatures. It all began with reading Jon Katz new book “Talking to Animals” and coming to realize the tremendous power of intention in relating to animals and of course to many other life aspects as well. When the carpenter bees got into full swing…