still catching up

yesterday there was a starling in my kitchen, misguided into the old chimney,

one that rudy removed the top part of.

that starling comes from a long line of starling spring chimney nest makers.

it didn't like the kitchen after i opened the chimney nipple.

it did like flying away.

there have been mice, too, there big fat ones

living high off the hog in my bag of black eyed susan seed. 

they went outside 

(and undoubtedly came back in through some hidey hole).

 two days in the yard,

trimming, raking, 

picking up branches, leaves, mortar, bricks and nasty sharp pieces of metal roof offcuts.

i found these yard sticks.

objects to contemplate, and whittle.

rosa rugosa, 

wild black raspberry, 

rose of some sort that i replanted from the old milkhouse to my house.

 and this is the final pile, almost, 

i added another 30 or so sheets

of the paper I've made that's still here 

since the election.

THAT election.

 there are stories here. 

the pink sheets were a dark red shirt

that belonged to a friend's deceased husband.

creamy yellow is milkweed seed fiber from gin petty.

the little boxes are full of tiny sheets, mostly flax, colored with earth pigments.

there are sheets that are large and long and tiny and lots between.

a plethora of paper.

this would make a tiny library of books, perhaps.

i was hesitant at first, trying things, and then it all 

just

took 

off. 

now i have some books to make, 

but first, 

a sampler for my "records".

~~~

and in local news, 

the atv'ers are trying to get riding on roads legalized.

currently this is against nys law.

(atv makers say they're not designed for road use which is, 

instead, quite dangerous)

their reasoning: 

 getting from trail to trail on the roads between. 

where they propose to have a trail speed limit of 25 mph.

these are multi-use trails

shared with people riding horses, bikes, but mostly humans on foot  

and in winter, snowmobiles and skiers and snowshoers.

i hate the snow machines, noisy and stinky,but they don't ruin trails.

atv's on our fragile public lands will cause erosion amongst other abominations.