first flower

this morning the first daffodil from my garden

is curling up and going away.

i need to bring daffs and narcissi indoors, also black eyed susans.

 yes, they are.

 and this one is blurry, a low light photo

about 8 pm i htink

i cleaned up my perennial border this spring,

uncovered the heavy maple leaf "mulch"

and the flowers are so happy, 

wild and cultivated alike, they are flourishing.

and because there aren't that many

they are very special to me. 

and there are two daffodil clumps over the wall

relocated, perhaps, by enterprising rodents.

this weekend i saw two amazing sights,

a bald eagle hunting, an egret lifting off a marsh.

egret is a bird i've never seen here before.

turtles are about

as are silly old porcupines

i'm preparing for PBI and i found i had to do some "stuff"

 flax paper, still quite wet,

ready for blotters and pressure again

do:

~clean off my work table

~locate all my appropriate spinning devices for this workshop

~loom choices?

~make lists and pack (i have the entire outback to fill with stuff)

~make 1.5 pounds of flax pulp into small papers

~make some books (!!!)

~sew bindings for a friend

~meet with a special collections librarian to talk 

do you see where this all is going?

it's like i have to tie together all the sloppy bits of my life 

in order to travel and teach. 

i even did a wild mend on a glove i tore while working last month.

i also washed them.

(this was about half way through the mend)

it's almost a frenzy. 

i gave myself a week but really,

i've been at it for a while.

 my tea kettle develops a thick layer of mineral deposits every so often.

this time there was a big break-up

and look what the large pieces had!

letters! words!

i save these pieces and throw them in the dye pot.

when i return unless i have time before i leave.

are you tired yet? 

it's wonderful to have energy

this will change once it gets hot and i slow down.

oh, and this:

i bought this

in order to have a travel wheel

and because it's so darn cute.

i don't know if i'll love it, but i do like it.

i'll photograph it put together sometime, 

but for now,

i must get going and make some STUFF.