Cloudless Sulphur

I am ready to sew up my office curtains.

Hopefully by next week I will have them hanging.
I need to stop checking for butterflies so I can get
my work done!

Fabric

I designed a new fabric

for my office curtains.

I am very pleased.

I only ordered 3 yards and I need 6
for both windows.
Thank goodness it is easy to order 3 more yards.
I love designing fabric from my photographs.

August

Sandbars are appearing in the Missouri River
and a new summer sport is emerging, sandbar mining.
All sorts of shells and fossils are turning up.
The drought does have some joyful moments.

In August I am studying Wara/Tatami,
the sabi-ness of straw.

I love the idea of creating mats from grasses.

I love honoring plant fibers.

We continue to watch the Summer Olympic Games.
I read a bit during breaks.
"In China, it was jade that was awarded to champion athletes,
while gold was relegated to runners-up (a tradition honored at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where first-place medals were plated with gold, as the International Olympic Committee rules dictate, but their reverse was inlaid with white jade.)

I am praying for rain.
I am learning how to manage in 100 degrees and drought.
It is Lammas today.
It is first harvest.
The corn crop has been lost.

Wara the sabi-ness of straw.

Day out of time

In the Maya calendar

today is known as, "Day out of time."

I am thinking of the Mayans.
I am thinking about the ways they collected rain water
since they had no rivers or lakes.
I am thinking about how they managed in times of  drought.

I am thinking about those that came before.

I am thinking about cycles.

I am thinking about the circle of time.

I am thinking about climate change.

I am thinking about the crops that are burning up in
 the drought that is all across the midwest.
I am thinking as I do my daily watering.

We begin a new year.
We begin "Year of the Blue Resonant Storm"
 July 26, 2012 through July 25, 2013.
I hope it means the rains will return.

Buckeyes and tumbles

While watering the garden this morning 

I watched as a Buckeye came 

for breakfast.

This next generation Buckeye 

is much smaller than those that emerged

in the Spring.

There are other butterflies

out early in the day.

The Duskywings are

gorgeous on the Bright-eyed Cosmos.

We have finished our first batch
of tumbled rocks.
We will refill the tumbler with more rocks
 and begin again.
It takes lots of rocks to do a project.

We are tending the garden and reading project books.

With temperatures back into the 100's
we are keeping an eye on the birds.
We have cooling stations set up in the shade
 with lots of water and fresh oranges.

Vinegars and salts

We wait for rain.
I felt hopeful when I saw a few clouds.

They went on without leaving any moisture.

The figs are growing nicely.

I was able to spend some time outside with the birds.
It was cooler, only in the mid 90's.

A family of Orioles come for jelly and water.

I am having fun making infused vinegars, oils

and flavored salts.

These too hot and dry days are perfect for playing

with herbs in the kitchen.

One garlic braid is enough for now.
I have small baskets of cleaned garlic heads for gifting
and for winter use. I also set aside some to
plant in October.

We wait for rain.
I am finding ways to enjoy these July days.

It is sooo hot

It is sooo hot that I am

 shopping for an ice cream maker.
I am thinking of getting the ice cream maker
attachment for my Kitchen Aid.
I love the idea of making ices and sorbets and ice cream!

We set the tumbler up.
After a wee bit of a "miss" start we are finally tumbling rocks.
I am so pleased.

It takes three weeks of tumbling to have polished rocks.
I am hoping to keep on tumbling into the winter.
I want to to do a few mosaics
 before I begin the kitchen back splashes.
I plan on using the rocks we have picked up on our travels.
I want to do fossils and treasured rocks for my back splashes.
It might take a few years of tumbling.
It is a rather small tumbler.
I can make some wonderful gelato while the tumbler tumbles.

Summer Solstice

We are listening to music today as we celebrate
Summer Solstice.

Once again I am  Falling in Love with summer.

I am gathering for my Winter terrariums.

I am learning about design.

While reading I heard a sound on the front porch.

Baby bunny had found a treat.

Baby bunny is very cute.

Tonight I am setting up the rock tumbler.
I have ideas for kitchen back splashes.

Sea Glass and Roses

The Baltimore Orioles are exotic birds.

I enjoy watching them eat the oranges.

We have grapes and grape jelly out too.

The Orioles are pretty birds.

My son sent me three small pieces of sea glass.
They inspired me. I live far from the sea but I do have a rock tumbler. I think it is time to start tumbling. I think it is time for me to make my own sea glass.

The days are hot. I garden in the mornings.

I have fallen in love with roses.
In the afternoons I am doing my research.
 Come next spring I will be ready to plant.

I found a dragon for the side patio.
He shall sit under the Chinese Lilac.
I love collecting dragons.

I collect sand castles too......
and mermaids and seahorses and shells and all manner of
found treasures.
I am looking forward to collecting roses.