the country of...

...the pointed firs

sarah orne jewett's 

writing of rural maine

contrasts yet connects beautifully

with the busy life my nephew and his family lead.

they are returning from being trip naturalists
(photos 6 & 7)

on a prairie home companion's 

summer european cruise.

 of many kayaks

 of pin cherry bark

of coastal woods

a place in the woods

near the atlantic

a change before school begins.

a long drive, but a beautiful trip

reminds me why i live 

so far away from the busy

busy american life.
~~~today, HAND EYE's newsletter arrived.
and includes an important article
about healing work with textiles
HOPE ARRIVED YESTERDAY

read this!

color and pattern

wendy is stalking the house today,

looking out windows,

needing attention,

she's not exactly full of beans

but she's better.

i'm thinking of a trip down east with her for a few days.

 this little leaf, a remnant from a dye bundle

 came into my kitchen on my shoe

and left on the breeze.

 there's that burdock sphere

 last night

 also last night

yes, i like the jittery photo best

bloodroot and violet

from the present project

fooling me

monday morning

as august winds down and 

crickets sing.

just pulled out a bundle i dyed with virginia creeper berries 

and another with ice flower hollyhocks. 

 the burdock sphere grows

 there have been many bundles

 monarchs love the black eyed susans

ice flower hollyhocks on wool gauze

and there's wendy, 

who is making her ending her own,

sleeping a lot, 

but also

bossing (just a little) the visiting setters

being very much herself,

when she's awake.

reprieve

yesterday when i returned 

from errands, 

wendy was up 

curious about the stuff i'd dragged into the house.

groceries, flea market cloth and a blender  

she drank and smelled the dry food 

(that was sitting there, just in case).

i placed some tuna on the floor.

she sniffed and sniffed, and then ate! 

more than a taste.

so i went to town

bought yucky smelling fancy gooey dog food

which she ate. not much, 

but plenty for one who has fasted so long.

this morning she 

asked to eat again.

and yesterday she barked and wagged her tail lots,

so it seems we are in a reprieve

for a bit.

me, i am learning patience, acceptance. 

burdock

 music of the sphere

burdock

wendy walks, drinks, responds

still.

i stay home.

~~~

and out there in the world

people, politicians argue about rape.

forcible rape/rape?

argument?

~~~

crazy

~~~

a different time

today's issue of HAND EYE 

has a little article by me.

lots of color: green!

~~~

late summer color

 i've been much in the kitchen

and the yard

dyeing

paper drying on window,

screen behind

 and from the freezer

last springs color 

the bundle looked hopeless 

but was a surprise 

new work for japan

bloodroot and violet

surprise 

this was left behind

  on the printing matter,

viola, bloodroot, wild rose

wendy's in this world

resting, mostly.

your words

support us in a sail of caring.

how it is

wendy won't eat, 

she's just peaceful and fading. 

she drinks and pees. 

i'm not taking her to the vet (again) or forcing the meds (anymore), 

just waiting with her, 

to see what comes. 

i've tempted her with her favorite yummy foods to no avail.

and that's all.

thank you all for checking in.

it matters.

update

6:46 pm

wendy is better, tired, but so much better. 

drinking, not eating, wagging tail, watching me

she perseveres.

for everyone's good wishes,

the love for this little 

funny 

border collie

my heart says thanks.

we'll see how the night goes.

milkweed pulp, ready to be beaten

afternoon and evening and morning

after the spell

she rested

wendy had a hard, hard yesterday

three hours lap time

her heart running full gallop

felt like it would leap from her chest

finally she rested
 a little water, then

a restless night.
today, 
waiting.

turning

the land has turned her face towards autumn

this week,

i shut windows at night

to keep in the warm

wake to a chilly scarf

draped over my face

my open bedroom window

 reaching into the recent past

letting in the cool

so happy as summer winds down. 

 light and shade

layers 

on the hill meadow

where sheep and the mare called flame

used to pasture.

and smiling susans

today i have much to do

or nothing

as it pleases me.

i love rare days like this.

for auction at the morgan

 morgan conservatory kozo book

 dyed, crinkled, recrinkled

 double

 origami structure

 cover sewn on

mysterious text

about 6" X 6"

made from three sheets of cleveland kozo

two of us modeling socks by hannah

who blogged about her residency

and who is now all done.

archivist for hire!

grayed summer day

sometimes the bundles 

 yield quirky results

 shadows and wraiths on paper

 and cloths

layers of grays

my camera wouldn't read the pale greens

 or peaches

or distinct

rusty shapes on open weave.

and i just set the thing down and get back to work.

sigh.

  black eyed susans cheer me up

especially after a three hour work meeting

from which i returned with a hollering headache.

this morning there are amazing gold lights

deep within backyard maples. 

sunlight playing games.

not autumn.

not yet.