luna moth ... rough journey

The Snow

the chimes are still...the snow is deep

are the birds snowed in?

Treasures...naturally

I've always picked 'things' up from the outdoors and have made a habit of bumping into at least one little treasure while on a walk or particularly as a memento from a good day with a friend. A few of these were given to me by a friend and one natural object represents a lunch with someone I hadn't seen for 42 years.

The box itself is a 'found' treasure. Awakening one Sunday morning to see a big wooden crate discarded across the street, I couldn't get dressed quickly enough! It was filled with more wooden boxes of varying sizes, shapes...all quite old and wonderful. These were the last remnants of George Shane who passed away more than 30 years ago...I never met him but knew of his love for wood, re-using/re-fashioning cigar boxes, discarded wood into something functioning. This particular box was also a treasure to a mouse...perhaps home once and the segment right above the acorn 'hats' has been nicely chewed into a crescent.

The twig was my last 'find'. Over the season helping a friend to pack and she sending me off with many many wonderful old things from her life, I saw the branch in her driveway and exclaimed "perfect!" She laughed because I'm always gathering, saving. It was the last memento/texture/shape I needed for this little box which was a work in progress. I was right!

I had to give thought on how to have it all remain intact without gluing and so...the wire. Contrast to all that is natural, but also very fine and delicate in its way and my way of working with it. ...a tiny tag to commemorate, remember ... I am so fond of this.

Perfect Summer Days...

I had just spoken to a fellow gardener/nature lover of not seeing any hummingbirds thus far, this year. Just standing near the sink, the sound of the house wren made me turn to look out and there it was...hovering over the hanging impatiens. And THEN...zoooooom! Joined by another! NEVER ever ever in my almost 60 yrs. have I seen a pair of hummingbirds! In the last few years, I have seen a hummingbird at rest and I swear I stopped breathing both times.

Hummingbirds were followed by a pair of black-capped chickadees at the small bird bath...their mee mee meep sound unmistakable. Cat bird (there has been a pair here since Spring) arrived thereafter and the yard is a sanctuary with bunnies and birds.

I caught a good close look at the adorable house wren when I heard an unfamiliar bird sound...a constant clucking communication between two birds...almost a sound of agitation and there it was. Yes, reddish, a little speckled, a little striped and with quite a vocabulary. They also have THE most beautiful and lengthy song for such a tiny bird. I am honored to have them nesting in a gourd hanging in my ancient dwarf pear tree.

These last two days have been THE MOST purrrrfect of summer days and I made sure to pry myself away from art to sit in the summer sun reading, languishing, listening...

...life is good !