last night's task was this:
chase a young porcupine out of the yard.
it seems easy, right? well.
these creatures know they are armored
and have, apparently only fishers as enemies.
(and traffic)
(and traffic)
anyway, with wendy living here,
and three other dogs as regular visitors
i can't welcome porkys.
i had to be mean,
yell and nudge it with a basswood branch.
i hate this.
the magic lilies are up
grey dogwood is producing food for grouse,
among other birds.
i worked all day on lokta, five sheets prepped, two spun
trying to map out a couple of books.
i leave sunday for a workshop
at long ridge farm, with india
yesterday i killed 3 ants
ReplyDeleteNope, not fun to chase away those alien gnome porcupines... luckily Pasha cat comes running in when he/she is about, he's sure he doesn't want to mess with it.
ReplyDeleteI hate chasing the big bear away from the birdfeeders in early spring when he's just come out of his winter sleep. Sometimes I let him eat it all before moving along. Trouble is I don't have much conviction cause I like him... but best for the bear if I seem unwelcoming. That's the end of bird feeding for the season.
j-any critter that comes either inside or too close gets a shove or worse.
ReplyDeletev-bear, fortunately, stay away from the house, but they're here.
wow, I'll stop complaining about the racoon family. fabulous photos. the workshop sounds wonderful, have a great time. I just sigh when I see the shifu.
ReplyDeleteOh, Velma, you were very bold! But my rusty pups would appreciate your bravery...they've been through feeling like a pincushion!
ReplyDeletej-racoons are varmints, too. we could start a shifu appreciation society!
ReplyDeletep-i've pulled quills out of my old border collie's mouth, and my friend's doberman bitch, so i'll poke a porky with a stick if it'll make 'em go away.
Every time I look at your blog, Velma, I see something I've never seen before. This time it's lokta...so I'll have to find out more.
ReplyDeletef-lokta is THE handmade paper from nepal. i use a version called "japanese style" for shifu. it's strong, cheap, and lovely, not as fine as, good kozo, but still wonderful.
ReplyDeleteoh, I'm all for a shifu society. from whom do you get your "japanese style" lokta? the one time i tried it the paper wasn't very good.
ReplyDeletej-the paper is quite different than the regular lightest weight lokta. it's probably made on a sugeta rather than a nepalese or western mould. it certainly looks different. i have a local source, which i'm buying all of as they're cutting out the paper part of their business. i've never seen it anywhere else.
ReplyDeletecompensating the porks you had beautiful skies and lokta. not a bad arrangement.
ReplyDeleten-yep. the skies have been amazing lately.
ReplyDeleteV- as much as we would like to welcome all there are just actual physical limits. Love the spun paper. B
ReplyDeleteOh... I do think you'll have a wonderful time at the workshop with India...
ReplyDeleteDid you say you'll be coming to Australian next year Velma... i seem to recall..on the hop here at the moment...trying to connect dots... will you come to Brisbane??
S
You are chasing porcupines and I'm chasing monkeys (though we do have porcupines too). With a new pup we have to worry about the monkeys attacking him when he rushes at them.
ReplyDeleteYour spun pages make my fingers twitch to feel them!
b-ypu're so right, but...
ReplyDeletes-i am psyched, and i would love to visit brisbane next summer!
r-that pup is soooo cute, and though porcupines won't attack, they are walking attacks if a dog uses her muzzle to explore it!
Your post made me think of when I was little -- we used to find porcupines in our back yard sometimes. Kind of startling, especially at night time! :)
ReplyDeleteb, porcupines seem to be so indifferent to us, somehow, and i have to say that because of their slowness i see far too many as roadkill.
ReplyDelete