Timber!

It all started with a clogged rain drain. After Jon tried cleaning it out with no luck he decided to investigate. After several days of digging around he found a busted underground drain pipe and huge tree roots growing up it. I began having dreams about the roots coming up the rain drain and covering the house like an illustration out of some old Fairy Tale book. The roots were from a dead tree that was removed last year. But a white fir next to the house was half dead and it's roots were surrounding the broken drain pipe so we had to have it removed. You can tell I live a real exciting life when I actually go outside and document the entire ordeal.

These guys were loggers and knew what they were doing. They were at it in a matter of moments from arriving.

Why do people plant trees so close to their house? And why a tree that doesn't grow well in this zone?

I was hoping he'd cut it down from the bottom so it would make a big crunching sound but he did it the safe way. After cutting off branches up to the point that the trunk was just to small around to climb up any further, he cut the top 15 feet or so. Watch out below!

Not only will we have a little bit of free firewood.......

but we have this nice open sky area in our front yard!

Tomorrow they will come out and grind out the stump. See how exciting our life is?

School is Back in Session

As I watched summer wind down and the days begin to shorten, I was awash in the feelings of fall. I love the idea of nestling in for the winter. I look forward to hot drinks by the wood stove with a good book, movie or some wool project. Outdoor sounds begin to damper down and I pull into my cocoon and enjoy just being home relaxing and creating things.

I was so glad that we, as a weaving group, really never broke the chain of events all summer. If I don't get my girl time I get crabby. Plus I just so enjoy seeing what everyone is creating and the process they are going through to achieve the remarkable results.

We have a small format project that several are participating in which deals with weaving shoes or feet or footprints, that sort of thing. A decision was made somewhere along the line that it would be fun if we all used the same kind of yarn by the same manufacturer and the same color palette. So we took turns and on several different days dyed all the colors we thought we'd need.

Here is a large percentage of that which we dyed.

Some gals are at the drawing stage of the project, some have looms warped and ready to go and some have gotten a great head start and are inches into their weavings. I've seen hiking boots, relic sandals, cowboy boots, high heels, footprint petroglyphs, and even a pair of horse shoes. I'm hoping that people will allow me to take photos as we move along. And for just history's sake post them on this blog. Stay tuned.

I have a few photos that I've taken since our return to fall classes. Dear talented Joyce brought in two small pieces that she wove this summer. She has years of experience working with color but this is her second year here weaving and she is remarkable. Not only is her weaving technique extraordinarily tidy but she has the added blessing of really knowing what color does. How certain colors can stand beside each other and bounce back off. How there is movement in color and emotion in color. And it's one thing to know color theory but it is yet another thing to have the ability to carry it through in weavings. Geometric patterns combined with color patterns; it is endless what one can come up with and Joyce is a huge inspiration to me.
This piece was done by Marge one of the gals that has been weaving tapestries here at school since the 1980s. She has a talent for weaving the human form. Terry did this cute little walling hanging of shoes. She probably whipped it up one evening. She is the most prolific weaver I know.

When the Navajos were taken from their land by the federal government in the 1860s, thousands lost their lives on the infamous Long Walk, while those who eluded capture lived in constant fear. Their story lives on in the collective memory of their tribe. Gus Bighorse lived through that period of his people's history, and his account of it—recalled by his daughter Tiana and retold in her father's voice—provides authentic glimpses into Navajo life and values of a century ago. Audrey does a lovely job of reading "Big Horse the Warrior" to us in the afternoons while we are weaving at our looms.

September Was For The Birds

The Friday before Labor Day weekend I headed over to Camp Sherman with my bestest bud, Pam. Her family has owned a sweet little cabin there for 40+ years. The last few years she and I have tried to get a week in here or there enjoying nature and crafting. Pam had spent several weeks at the cabin over the summer but this week was to be the first of the season for me. Fall is always a great time at Camp Sherman. The weather has cooled at night and the wildlife seems to be more relaxed and curious about what is going on at the cabin. We no more than moved in our bags when the curious Steller's Jay was at the kitchen window looking in and telling us he was ready for some peanuts. Not yet Mister Jay, we need to settle in a bit.

Although the Steller's Jays are ubiquitous at Sherman, I'm always amazed at the beauty of their colorful feathers,...........................

........their tenacity and ability to amuse. Pam could put a FULL jar of peanuts out on the deck but she likes to make the Jays work for their supper.

Watch this little video closely. You'll see this little guy get a peanut and then throw it back in the jar because he knows there is a heavier nut in there. They do this constantly, always something bigger and better, little hogs.

We were hoping we'd see some woodpeckers this week and our first visitor was a juvenile White-headed woodpecker. He was very shy and I had to sneak this shot through the kitchen window.

I have entitled this photo "Zen and the art of squirrel meditation"

Here the male White-headed shows up! Also through the kitchen window.

We did get to see the entire family of white-headed woodpeckers while we were sitting out on the deck but it was more fun to just watch their behavior and not deal with the camera.

One of our most fun excursions was a day's drive over to the Fort Rock area to my favorite bird watching hang out, Cabin Lake. This is a wonderful area where the Ponderosa Pines meet up with the sagebrush, therefore creating a crossover of bird species. Where a mile down the road you'd see raptors and flycatchers you probably wouldn't see all these species together. Of course having a small water source provided doesn't hurt.

Spotted Towhee

Pygmy Nuthatches

Pinyon Jays

Chipping Sparrows

Crossbill

Lewis Woodpecker

Red-Tailed Hawk

Next up? Who knows maybe some crafts......................................................