Friendship

Women

Mothers

Artists

Friends

poetic stitcher

witty stitcher of dolls

weather knitter

Trees also gather in friendship

 Sandhill Cranes socialize in huge numbers

Some creatures are loners

and some try very hard to become your friend!

The Rhythm of Life

Getting back into the rhythm of early morning walks

Sunrise through the fog

With mighty rocks floating on a watery mirror

A beautiful welcome home

After paddling in the lake

Rusty pups relaxed

And I took some deep breaths

in gratitude

I'm up to date with daily scratchings

You'll be getting two week's worth on Monday

A mighty long post

Thoughts of next year's scratchings

are already filling my mind.

how to approach 2013

My, how time flies

I feel this year has not been a very productive year stitching wise

Need longer days

but I can no longer stitch until midnight!

So many ideas

not enough time!

Go smaller?

Go larger?

Work more efficiently?

Resign from all the groups I belong to?

Time is too short to make pieces for themed shows

Hate themes imposed on me!

Funny that....others thrive on themes.

Mulling over so many things again

Must be that time of year

preparing for a brand new January.

 Never did get back to this piece this year

Oh, well

 Have a nice day

Flowerpot Island

On the way to Flowerpot

a sunken ship's spine reached out of the water

and we cruised over an ancient wreck

that seemed to go on for ever

And these are what give Flowerpot it's name

The erosion of limestone

Flat, flat rocks formed quilts just below the water

And what a magnificent colour that water was.

Since getting back home

Internet access has been sporadic.

Let's hope the problem is solved.

I've been growling and swearing and grumpy!

Remembering Morning Walks on Manitoulin

Sunrise on Manitoulin

Do you remember swinging on a rope?

We wished each other a very good morning

and went our separate ways

Snails of every colour reminded me of the sixties

Shelter for wee things that live and fly in the woods.

Morning walks

just one of the many joys of our Manitoulin gathering.

...Afraid I'll be late with my scratchings this week...

...

It's Monday Again!

The week started off with a visit from an eagle
Obviously a sign of a brilliant week ahead.

Then on Tuesday we drove to Margi's
and I stitched a doll with some of her thread.
Then on Wednesday we flew to Toronto and on to Sudbury
where Judy met us
(and you know she loves hands)
and we finally relaxed with a glass of wine.
On Thursday we had the privilege of spending the day
working on Judy's circle project.

Friday
Red spiral for Judy
Blue and yellow for Margi
Rusty brown for me
....and oh, the creative energy was flowing...
as we were observed by seagulls!

On Saturday we found fields full of Sandhill Cranes
Quite amazing

 For Sunday I stole some threads
from Judy, Janet and Margi.
Janet knitted 
and the rest of us stitched.
A treasure of a visit.
Lots more to say about it
but right now I'm on the Chi-cheemaun ferry
on my way to visit my boys,

Precious Things

Happy Birthday Steven!

This eagle captured in an amethyst

goes everywhere with me

Keeping you close

It lies next to the tiny eagle you used to wear

and the ammonite your brothers discovered.

All kept safely in a lovely pouch.

Have a great day!

I'm Tripping off to Ontario

For those of you in Ontario

The McMichael Gallery's 

show and sale of contemporary young artists

is coming up in October.

and if you can read this

Mark was the Best in Show for 2011!

More info at

http://mcmichaelvolunteers.com/

and

http://www.markberens.com/

Today I'm off to Margi's and together we'll fly to 

Judy's

where Janet will join us for a few days

of friendship and stitching and oh, so much catching up.

A lovely retreat with very special friends.

Oh, yes, and then I take the ferry to the Bruce Peninsula 

where Mark and Donna will be waiting.

and then 

my other wonderful son, Brett,

will join us in Collingwood.

Such a special trip

Might not get to a computer

but will be gathering lots of lovely photos and stories.

One Scratching Leads to the Next

Just an Ordinary Week really

A week of feathers

and blood tests

A week of days

Days that influence the one that comes next

Days that merge into one another.

I've been packing for a trip.

Not Something I would Want to Wear!

Bit of a disaster....

The T-shirt dye experiment I mean

It looks better in the photo than in actuality.

The true colour is more like army fatigues.

Oh, well.

Perhaps I'll try and take all the colour out!

Early morning moon

The colours of Fall can be amazing

I know more geese!

But just wanted to record these shapes

because I caught them at a different angle!

No more geese....I promise

I'd rather honking geese

than whirring helicopters.

Shouldn't be allowed

during migration season!

The Same But Oh So Different

We walked up the mountain to the quarry 

and were shocked to see signs of autumn.

Way too soon.

Today I had my camera poised as we entered the quarry

but all there was to photograph was the old rusty piece

of equipment.

I had hoped to snap the hawks we seem to disturb

whenever the camera isn't ready!

In the absence of birds I snapped the Rusty Pups.

Can you see a difference?

People who know them can't tell one from the other.

But they are quite different physically and in personality

I suppose you have to be a pack member to know!

Prickly Tales

My basket is filling up with scratched memories

That was the week that was

(wasn't that a TV program way back?)

We walked Mavillette Beach in thick, thick fog.

Brother and one RP vanished from sight for quite a while

Then brother flew away across the ocean

just like the waves of honking geese that fly over every morning nowadays.

Next came a day of rest

followed by an interesting discovery on our early morning walk

two porcupines snoozing.

Mother just stuck her head in messy grass

and left her back exposed.

Most of us try to keep our back protected

but of course they have no need!

and alongside her junior tried to do the same.

Strange...I thought they climbed trees to snooze.

Had to keep RP's tightly reined in...

I couldn't remember how far those quills travel.

Saturday ...a strange day...sometimes they're like that...

and red scratchings on Sunday.