5:58 am, i wanted to find the little whippersnapper...
that burl-like nodule...that's the critter...
busted
this is one unhappy found-out porcupine.
and then a surprise at the end of the day, waiting for me. the yahoo handpapermakers 2009 swatch swap X anniversary book.
yep, it came with all those little hearts.
it's always fun to see the swatches in this book. and akua wrote a poem for it, so i have lots to read, touch, smell, and look at. no, i will not taste any.
this gentleman is my neighbor, arizona (i think his name is arizona) a big half draft, half quarter horse. he's been here since i moved here, 23 years ago. he was so excited when i stopped my car to take a quick photo this morning. i was foolish and had no carrot. an alliterative red letter day, porcupine procurement, horse happiness, and papermaking pleasure.
I love your blog - I find it quite inspiring as you write about your everyday life in such a different place to where I live.
ReplyDeleteThe wildlife - the weather - the livestock - your wonderful dog, Wendy - and of course the hand papermaking.
HA! you caught the prickly thing! that is satisfying.
ReplyDeleteand hopefully i can dissuade prickly from returning, the maple is lost, but the doberman may visit and she'll attack prickly and there will be hell to pay. and quills to remove.
ReplyDeleteVelma, Your blog is just beautiful! You are my blogging idol!
ReplyDeletethank you! i'm enjoying this journey.
ReplyDeleteI bet the swatch book is beautiful. I's love to participate in something like that. Glad you finally got a shot of the porcupine... I've never seen one. I pass by several stables on my way to work.. One raises beautiful draft horses. They are colored like paints, but heavier. I just love their long flowing flax colored manes and tails. As usual, beautiful blog post.
ReplyDeletea helper to tap the sap!
ReplyDeletethe paper sample book is wonderful.
yep, neki, but s/he eats the bark while working! i think the tree will have to be felled, there is extensive damage. i would love to pass by horse farms on the way to work... better that i don't, i might not get to work.
ReplyDeleteI remember the havoc the 'porkys' did to my greatuncles apple orchard. Oh, he cursed those vermin! Boy are they smelly! Raccoons are the beasties that I worry about now.
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring adventures.
i have never seen a real porcupine, and i have never seen a paper swatch book, but i have seen a horse up close, he is very handsome.
ReplyDeletewell, jude, we will have to remedy that! handsome horse has a bad-burdock-tail issue. (notice i omitted that)
ReplyDeletei was wondering if you could lead me to some place on the internet that would explain how i might use saw dust to make paper? i have plenty of saw dust.......but i am a bit of a pure spirit when it comes to these things and i want to go through the whole process and avoid "recycling" old paper. it might be a good lesson for my students.... your hickory sample got me to thinking....most places on the net show me only how to recycle old paper..
ReplyDeleteAn explanation to all the little hearts that I vacuumed up yesterday. I thought maybe you'd had a ranging party while I was at work. Not my mum.
ReplyDeleteoh, dear, no chuck, no sawdust will NOT make paper. NOT!!! inner bark will because it is a bast fiber, but only some barks have useable bast, hickory, slippery elm, basswood (though i haven't tried basswood), mulberry, leatherwood and other shrubs like willows. many plants, too. a good resource is the yahoo! handpapermaking group, and also gin petty's journal (www.ginpetty.com).
ReplyDeleteThe sample book looks great. And I second what Colleen said - it's good to read your observation from such a different place to where I live.
ReplyDeleteHi Velma, congrats on the Handpapermaking inclusion. Your work is beautiful and inspiring. Catherine
ReplyDeletealas, catherine, no stray quills (i looked!)
ReplyDelete