slippery elm and saranac

i had a longing to go into the mountains today, so i drove to saranac lake. i passed this old guy at sevey corners. 

wendy the border collie and i visited lake flower, where i ate a deli lunch and she explored sticks and the water's edge. she loves this park, which was quiet until we met up with a llewellyn setter and a king charles spaniel. lovely dogs, and wendy behaved herself.

i thought about my slippery elm explorations as i drove. wendy occasionally put her nose in my right ear and grunted hello. she likes "going for a ride". alot. i wondered where the elm would go. at nori's village market i saw slippery elm lozenges for my sore throat. i figure, i'll just chew on some of my bark, instead of paying $3.00.

i was able to finally get a consistent braid from the inner elm bark.

i do need a thinner braid, however, about 1/3 to 1/2 the size here, if i want a more usable weaver. i am working toward something a bit more flexible and textile-ish.

basket detail, purchased in bar harbor, maine, 2009

this was woven by matthew dana, a maine native american basket maker, who asked the elders before he started if it was appropriate for him to use cedar, arbor vitae, to weave into baskets. he received their approval, before he began.

actually i had to buy this one. it is small, traditional, but very, very non-traditional.

sweetgrass, cedar, and black ash. sewing basket style. it smells heavenly.

this is a quiz! i harvested this from my yard. do you know what it is?