wake robin

here it is!

spring ~ trillium ~ wake robin

many white ones, and few reds

commonly called stink pots

 my favorite of the neighbor clydesdales

the old ford

 downerville or donnerville

depends on which side you're on!

 upriver

 downriver

 wake robins at donnerville

 before the new leaves

that are clogging up

our view!

 everything's all about survival

 lovlies

and that pesky mouse returned

 valerie asked about the corn ladies

here they are 

on their way to the barn

where they will provide feed

for the duration.

 spring work:

plowing after taking 

the ladies home.

our amish neighbors show us

thrift and industry,

home economics,

but also a slower way.

to see the spring.

i strive for something betwixt

to dive down deeper

to plant my dreaming deep

(with apologies to may sarton).

hormones

 it's been an odd and exhausting week

prom season here amongst the hormones

of high school

 i want to watch these

but was compelled to spend 

hours explaining myself: 

(email better than phone)

so i would escape outside to walk,

where i spotted black flies.

 i am finding some lovely things

to help with the next few prints,

 like frogspawn on sticks

hardened and browned

but not like at all, really.

sigh.

there have been two dead turtles already

on the roadsides.

 there was a horrible time with a woodchuck,

too, but aimee was there.

~~~

 today i got lovely mail

 carol's new card

makes me so happy

 it's just a word

says wise aimee

who sent an envelope of love

 blues and cut outs

 and lovely juxtapositions

and a note from gabby-

so after this week, a

week fraught with pressures and personalities

endless writing for work work

meetings

tutoring

writing for art work

and today i picked up four prom dresses

for students...

shopped for the classroom

survived walmart.

first thing tomorrow:

another meeting, then school, then the blessing of 

weekend.

spring gallops, horseless

 they're still making 

tiny collections

there were two of these, 

two days in a row,

two different shoes.

the first one was QUITE a surprise

at 7 a.m.

my foot exited the shoe 

lightning quick, 

glad mousy had gone away.

 i found another rock book

 which is a lot like 

one of the old, big ones

 we're having rain and rain and rain

some of which i drove through

yesterday and today

while i went to syracuse

 and back

twice

in order to get a new computer

 because the old is slowing  

and the spinning wheel of death

made too frequent appearances.

 i completed my sketch book

fixed the mistakes

and will begin to use it.

thanks to tim ely

my mind is playing games

around pictures and ideas and books and

threads.

 while the spring wrestles 

through

 high water and flooding

 create wonderful plays

layers of color

texture

meaning

red osier dogwood

 and then the fence lines

make their arbitrary

deliniations

between space and time

light and darkness.

this changing

leaving a bit more green

after every shower.

learning with tim ely

in toronto

as in any city

weird things can stop you up short

 so on saturday morning i saw this

this was quite a surprise

 why would anyone take off these "shoes"?
leave them on the edge
of walk and ride?

nearby

a black squirrel was 

having a ridiculously delightful time

doing flips

  questioning MY motives

and then:

there's the japanese paper place.
sigh!
77 brock
were the workshop was held.

(tim's exemplar)

 working with master alchemist,

binder,

wonderer,

maker,

timothy ely.

 i love these marks,

 loved how he taught,

his use of language and respect for story,

felt challenged and heard.

the class was filled with very

very talented artists…

 i learned more about a passel of concepts

which seem to be 

knocking at my brain: 

"pay attention, knock knock"!

so then the ride home was

 an adventure

i just love union station

 as messed up as it is

(just try to find your way

after a blue jay's game and a 

city wide parade)

 home, in my kitchen i found this

 rock books

a drain strainer

empty jars

ink

so my sketchbook 

 taken out and examined
a few days later
after i'd gotten over the mistakes,
i had to forgive myself for those,

there are many.
but this little inlay is
a bit of paper decorated by tim
(it has sparkles in it) 

and i played with paste and color 

still unfinished, but i will slice the last
of the pages apart, paste up the corners,
endsheets,
and start using this thing.
the book WORKS so well,
it's a mechanical device for memory.
it opens flat and deliciously.
there are spare 
marks and bits for me to 
connect the day's notes drawings ideas paste-ins.
thank you tim.
amazing diving board for me.
and i like to swim.