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.

Brewing Up Beginnings

Northern Gannets I think

skimming along an unusually calm bay of Fundy

sent me rummaging through my dyed cottons

for this blue piece that has been waiting for a story to stitch.

Think I know what it is saying now.

A yellow T-shirt

too bright for me.

Let's try and calm it down.

Maple leaves and sweet fern have been stuffed inside.

It's steeping for a few days in a brew of apple leaves.

We shall see!