From the foothills

Chino Vallley: the next leg of the journey

2011-07-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Leaving California was a traumatic experience, and I can't say that the first year in Arizona has been soothing to the soul. I do, however, feel that there has been a positive shift. I have made some lovely, trustworthy friends here with creative spirits, integrity, and kind hearts. I have made my way, despite all odds, with a 6 year old horse, a 2 year old hyperactive pup, and a cantankerous old cat. I have viewed sunsets that could never be painted because the viewer would know you were lying. I have witnessed stars so low that I can see light years away to only a flicker. I have seen landscapes so beautiful that I was left in total awe. There hasn't been much time for art making over the past year, so I have had to live a balanced, creative life to stay healthy, breathe deeply, cry loudly, and laugh daily. I am blessed now with a new muse. He is a song in my heart, a twinkle in my eye, a joy to my spirit. I have finished 3 books in the past month as gifts. A hard-covered beauty for his birthday, a love letter, and a new structure of 4 accordions that transform into a box. I am happy. I recently looked at a very dear friend who flew in from Los Angeles, and with tears in my eyes, said, "Is it safe to be happy again?" I was assured that it is, so I have trusted his word, and am living like every day is a New Blessing, a new lease on life. The grandsons are visiting soon, and I am very excited to have them in my new home. I want to run and skip and sing songs with Jack, and lay on the floor and let Sawyer crawl around while I nibble his toes and tickle him. Of course Willow will get in on the act, and will slobber their faces with pup kisses, and Pepito will run and hide in the closet, disgusted with any creature less than 4 feet tall. A new job is around the corner, and I look forward to a New Beginning once again. New students, colleagues, parents, administrators. I know this routine, but it is always a first. I am indebted to the support and love of all of my students, beginning in 1979. They continue to show me that I am on the right path, and that my work is worthy. Their texts and visits and Facebook notes are treasured in my heart. I hope they know that their light and joy has carried me when things look glum and gloomy. So, yes, it is safe, and I am breathing deeply, and delighted to be happy, truly, again.

Sawyer Brady

2011-03-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling sad that my Sawyer doesn't yet know Grammy's face and voice. He doesn't know my genuine cackle, or my crazy dog. He hasn't figured out that I have lost most of my common sense in raising children which has led me to become an indulgent granmama. He doesn't know that a shrug or a maybe means "most likely." Nor does he know that my role as Grammy has become my most treasured persona. It is a sense of pride, a sense of "I made it without having to kill myself getting there" (hmmmm...), a sense of glory that has shoes to fill that are larger than the giant's at the top of the beanstalk. I didn't see Sawyer Brady emerge into the Outer World, nor see his momma at nine months pregnant. He will have to trust Jack's opinion I guess. He will have to see Jack's stable, chunky legs leap into my arms and nestle his face into my neck. He will have to hear Jack make some ridiculous grunt that is his dog sound when he lays eyes on Willow. He will have to experience his mother's face when Jack hands Tillie Horse a carrot, and his fingers are too close to her big, grinding teeth (but never really close enough). And he will definitely have to fit on my lap with Jack while we play fetch with Willow. Willow never fetches and retrieves the toy unless we are playing with Jack. She thinks it's a game of keep-away, unless Jack is bouncing up and down with me chanting, "There she goes, there she goes!" Then "Here she comes, here she comes!" It doesn't work for her if it is just plain old Linda without Granma attached. So I trust that my Sawyer will have plenty of opportunities to explore the natural world with me. I have to trust that he will find my eccentricities as alluring as Jack. Yet, truly, there is no doubt. Sawyer will feel my full heart and if he's anything like me and Jack, will most likely know that Grammy's lap is very close to a throne.

Home on the Range

2011-02-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

I guess it's about time that I shared a bit about The Move to Arizona. I have made monthly trips home to see the grandsons (Sawyer Brady was born December 17, 2010), except for this past month due to the work involved with directing the Fine Arts Festival. I love the climate here (although it's been a tad too cold lately for my thin blood), and the landscape is fabulous. Willow the Wonder Dog is probably the happiest. She gets a very long, sad face when we jump in the car bound for Los Angeles. "Why would we ever leave the ranch?" she says every inch of the 433 miles. Tillie Horse is doing much better since she adjusted and began putting on some weight. And feisty Pepito...well, he's just not so feisty any more. He has taken on the life of a retired gentleman, who is no longer afraid of visitors, and just wishes they'd share a bit off their plates and stay a while. He has gained a few pounds, and has more of a waddle, than a walk. The students are just great here, and they've kinda grown on me in a good way. Willow sees everyone of them as her own kids.

The best visit so far was when Chelsea (pregnant with Sawyer) and Jack made the October trip. Jack loves visiting the studios and amusing all the big kids with his painting and clay skills. He loves the wide open space, and green lawns, and visiting the horses Up Top. He flew in as Buzz Lightyear and trick-or-treated for his first time to a few of the local teachers' homes. I even captured a cicada for him so he could examine it's big ugly head and cellophane wings more closely. I sure do miss those two little ones, and am looking forward to squeezing them tight as soon as I can.

The Big Decision

2010-06-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, one has to make BIG decisions that include leaving what we love and know and hold dear to our hearts.....and that is what I have been doing: making BIG decisions. It is time to get back out in the world and teach, and as I have been applying for art positions, and flying around visiting private schools, I have had to think about what I value, and what will balance the grieving I feel about leaving my home, my kids, and my grandson. At the end of 14 months of interviewing, I have chosen a position at the Orme School of Arizona in Mayer. I will be the Department Chair of Fine Arts, and teach painting, drawing, ceramics, and a foundations course. Chelsea, Jack, Willow, and I drove there last Monday and visited the school, and explored the great mesa, and I, of course, had to pick up any meaningful mementos. It seems that the ravens were molting, so there were large, black feathers all over the ground. When I first interviewed at the school, I read a brochure that stated, "Riding across this range in late spring, you may come across yellow-green flowers blooming on a low-lying vine from which seed pods will grow. Later, as these tough pods dry out, they curl and split open. The pointed ends from sharp claws hook onto the animals that move through the range and the mature seeds are thus shaken out and scattered abroad.............[this] unique plant is indigenous to this area........and these devil's claws seem an appropriate symbol of the Orme School Fine Arts Festival."

As I was walking Willow, I finally found one of these devil's claws, so of course, had to add it to my collection of nature's treasures. Perhaps finding it finalized my decision, or maybe I had just made the decision, and then I found one. Or....maybe, it found me. What this devil's claw doesn't know, however, is that it may be here in Southern California now, but it will be returning home again soon.

The land is beautiful, and the climate is fine. It will be the next leg of my journey. I am excited, overwhelmed, and grateful. Being able to take my animals with me was a priority, and all three of them are accepted and have a home in this awesome environment. Pepito will continue to chase coyotes until he's too old (or until he's eaten), Tillie has a new ranch, and Willow will have hundreds of acres on which to run and jump. Willow pouted all the way home when we left on Wednesday. Is it almost time to change the title of my blog from "From the foothills" to "From the mesa?"

Finishing Work

2010-04-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

I thought it was important to include my finished piece along with all of the others that I posted from Michael deMeng's workshop last Saturday. I had heard that my dear auntie was dying and I needed a way to honor her presence in my childhood. She was an extraordinary character, and we all loved her very much. I briefly shared at the workshop that my childhood at her house was filled with ponies and baby raccoons and ducks and chickens, and of course, dogs and cats. It was a beautiful little Victorian with a full porch and a weeping willow on the front lawn (hence, my pup's name: Willow). Gladys Chadbourne died today at age 84. She will be missed.

CAVE OF PAGES with Michael deMeng at Zinnia

2010-04-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have promised to be a bit more consistent with postings on this BLOG project, so since I shot a number of photos after working with Michael yesterday at Zinnia, I decided that this was a good place to share them. This is the second time I have taken a workshop with Michael, and I am always struck by his mad, little professor mentality at resolving visual problems, creating new ideas, and using materials that are not traditional adhesives/products. Although I have never been truly competent at manly power tools, he seems to overlook that flaw and indulges me when I need to insert a found stick through a riding boot to attach a cat skull, or to drill through a wooden block on which to place a nest and a maternal figure!

The Cave of Pages concept is very similar to many of his assemblage ideas, except that it focuses more on the "tunnel effect." It reminded me several times of teaching the traditional Victorian tunnel book to high school students. I was pleased visually when I noticed that a few students had placed their focal point on the next-to-the-last layer (as opposed to the very last "page"), so that the image created a shadow, thus implying deeper space behind that focal point. I will try and post enough samples so that you can see that for yourself.

Because I have supported and held an informal "critique" time with my students at the completion of their work, I want to note an important quality of Michael's critiques. Yesterday I had an "ah-ha!" feeling in my heart that made me want to say aloud, "You do good things for people, Michael, and that makes my heart happy." He has a special way of pointing out specific details on each piece that educates, informs, honors, and appreciates each person's work. Whether the artist made the decision consciously, or not, Michael highlights that visual choice and explains why it is successful. He is able to say, for example, "This is clearly not my palette, but look at how successful it is with her choice of objects, and the way in which she distributed them across the visual field." I think every single student walks away with a good feeling. I think that he encourages and supports creativity in a very personal way that is real and tangible. I think some people are inherently good teachers. Michael deMeng has no choice, really.....the gods of creativity touched him with their magic goop and sent him out in the world to create order out of madness with materials that a semi-normal person would declare as junk (I know no such people, of course).

Thank you to Michael for another inspiring workshop, and to all of the students that participated in such an industrious, creative day. As always, I am grateful, and my heart is full.

P.S. ...and now you can see I have NO idea how to control the lay-out of these images with text in this blog world!! :/ I have tried 100 times, and ???

Rebecca's Gift

2010-04-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

While thinking about former models I had designed for student projects, I was reminded of a middle school class I had taught several years ago when a high school student posted her most recent drawing on my Facebook wall for my input. I thought, "Hmmmm.....Rebecca was in that class....what are the chances of her still having a little book she made when she was 12 or 13 years old?"

SO I dared to ask her if she remembered that project, and to my surprise, a photo of the book appeared on my "wall" within seconds!! Is that an amazing gift? Not only did she save it, but she knew exactly where it was, shot the photo with her cell phone, and I had it in record time.

Here is the photo Rebecca sent. As you can see, it is a flag book with her self-portrait, and when opened, the flags spread apart to reveal her art work.

It is evident that teaching visual arts is a miraculous experience!

Shadow Box Books

2010-02-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

When Paul Johnson was in Los Angeles a couple of years ago, he stayed here in my cabin for a few days and worked with my students for two days. During one of those workshops, he taught us a 4-step shadow box that can be used as a single or as a multiple (no math and no rulers involved!). You can incorporate drawings, paint, photos, collage, etc..

I have loved those boxes, and have always been amazed at what my students can do with them. I have decided that I want to put together both a workshop (I shared them with Tamara last night), and also present them to high school students.

Working with a few layers allows you to address the background, mid-ground, and foreground in a very tangible way. Here are a few results from my recent experiments. Kudos to Paul. (P.S. Have no fear, I did make a Valentine with this format; hence, the day!)

GREAT class today at UCC

2010-02-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today I took my first class at The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica with book artist Jeannine Stein. I am slated to teach there in March and again in April, but I had not taken a class yet. I had read about Jeannine's book Rebound, and was very impressed. I love the idea of creating art with recycled materials, but I have to admit that it's rare that I see "recycled" work that looks like NEW art, and not just....ummmm.....trash put together for recycling sake. (Does that make sense?) It is also difficult to find a group of book artist instructors that are organized, have materials prepped, and are truly dynamic people who love what they do, and love to share ideas. (Sad to say, that may be the one thing on the east coast that was in abundance! Hmmm....okay, I also miss picking my own blueberries, raspberries and blackberries abundantly.)

So meeting Jeannine in this fabulous space was a treat, and I am delighted that I pushed myself out this morning to join them. Jeannine is organized, has materials prepped, shares open-heartedly, and knows her medium well. Her work is clean, concise, and professional. And, unlike me, she is truly "hip" to all the latest craft gadgets that make cutting corners easier (literally), and punching a variety of holes, and using rivets to adhere covers, etc.. I was disappointed that her published book wasn't available, but, hey, that's what Amazon is for, yes?

I want to say that I LOVE THIS "ROMANESQUE" BINDING! It is indeed beautiful. So thank you, Jeannine, thank you UCC, and thank you to the other students in today's class.

Scrapbooking.com -- Article - TYVEK in My Craft Room

2010-01-22T16:40:00.001-08:00

Scrapbooking.com -- Article - TYVEK in My Craft Room

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The Flag Book

2010-01-21T16:05:00.001-08:00

For many years I have taught variations of this simple, yet appealing structure. Initially, I had middle school students use it as a format to display "painted tags" pertaining to lessons on color theory. Later, I designed a self-portrait version where we divided up the face onto the flags of the correct proportion, and then when the book opened, all of the flags spread apart to create the face.

For Christmas this past year, I wanted to give a dear friend a gift that would be a memento of our brave explorations with throwing 25 pound blocks of clay (without any real "expert" advice or guidance). We picked up a few tricks watching people throw clay at Xiem Clay Center, but had not taken a class where this amount of clay was being addressed. For the most part, I hadn't yet thrown more than 6 pounds; my friend, maybe 10.

I like to make a double cover so that an inside layer acts as a protective cover for the interior, as well as provides more support if you want to stand it up to be viewed sculpturally. HINT: When you make a double front cover like this, make sure you double the back board by laminating/adhering two together so that the weight feels good and balanced in the hand.

Good luck and have fun with this very versatile structure! (P.S. I just recently read a great book called Magic Books & Paper Toys by Esther K. Smith who recommended using something floppy as the flags like band-aids! A new terrain to explore!)

Meandering Books

2009-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a note regarding "simple" books that do not always require a "model" or days of envisioning the final outcome. My son was visiting in the early fall and while cleaning my shed, he came upon a mother mouse and her four babies. Because we are such ridiculous people, it turned into a story....one that I knew Jack would enjoy when he got a bit older. (After all, I would say that Granma and Uncle Alex are two of his favorite people).

I finished a volunteer project this past week making 60 books with the classroom teacher at a local charter school, and as an afterthought, I sent him an email and said, "If there is one book you must have to learn basic structures, ask Santa for Shereen Laplantz' Cover to Cover." It is a must for everyone interested in making books. In that book, you will find a variety of quick and easy "booklets" that she refers to as "flutter books." As much as I love her work, I have never been able to call these wonderful little structures flutter books! Somewhere in my travels, I picked up the term, "meandering" books....and they do indeed. They meander as you fold, as you cut, and as you refold, and as you view them again and again.

Needless to say, there is a connection between my son, mice, and meandering books! (You were worried, weren't you?) I intended to get the mouse story down much sooner than now, and with the holiday approaching, it seemed like the perfect gift for my son....who can then become The Keeper of Family Stories for little Jack (a very important job indeed).

First, I drew the mice in a loose and quick contour; I splashed some watercolors on it, and let it dry. Second, I folded it, unfolded it, and cut the "T." And third, I refolded into its final form and wrote out the story (I didn't even pre-plan the text layout...I simply wrote it out with a song and a prayer). Lastly, I glued on two cover boards (cereal boxes covered with handmade paper that looks like chewed up wood.....yes, staying in touch with the mouse content), and added a ribbon for a closure.

That was all it took. Fast and easy. AND....because I made sure the covers were the same exact size as the booklet, it can be unfolded completely (see photo) to reveal the original drawing. Meandering Books. Flutter Books. You choose.

Play and have FUN.

Create MODELS, not regrets...

2009-12-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a note here about the importance of taking the time to make a model when thinking about a new handmade book structure. Now I know that my students over the years have SCREAMED about this tedious process (just like I did many moons ago when my mentors held me down and branded this on my brain), but it is SO IMPORTANT!!

I have been playing with an old favorite form this past week: my alternate star book that fits neatly inside my book-in-a-box project. I want to create a handy little book that will contain both my local landscape and the Station Fire that burned this landscape. For a fire to leap from 1,200 acres to 100,000+ acres within a 24 hour period was quite intense. It was an interesting event for this native Vermonter, and affected me on many levels. Terrifying for the most part, but it also awakened me to how wonderful and kind people are during this type of crisis. I have been reading about the "necessity" of fires for the environment (which I understand intellectually), but am not sure if officials are suppose to pre-think these events into "controlled" fires, or if they plan on waiting around for some looney arsonist to do it. It's beyond me.

BUT, what is not beyond me is finagling a new component into a book structure! I want to make a slider that reveals two different images on six units within the book. If you know the alternate star model, you will understand why this can pose several problems. The two units on each end have two accessible sides each, whereas the four units between them have no accessible sides (they are enclosed). So a model was absolutely necessary!! (Especially if I am using top quality images from that fancy art printer!) I like things to be ....gee, I don't want to overuse this word....accessible to the viewer. I want the viewer to feel comfortable handling it without tearing it. I want the viewer to be able to appreciate the content and the structure without worrying about how to open it, examine it, enjoy it! Thus, the making of a model is imperative to the process.

So I am going to attempt to post a few photos of this model (former students will see that this model is not painted)!! I have a new way to apply color without paint and a blow dryer (I must tell you, though, that the final structure for this project defaults back to paint, colored pencils, and sand paper). I used this one for a model because when you teach these things, you tend to accumulate them, and so they are .... yes, accessible.

Rain and Fire and Digital Photos

2009-12-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

It is finally raining. For some reason, us [relocated] Californians know instinctively that we must have rain...not only for obvious life-sustenance, but to wash this ash into the earth...and still, we wake up to the sound of rain and feel we are robbed of another gorgeous day. Is that ridiculous? I would say, "Yes, it is. We southern Californians are a spoiled lot."

SO I am beginning to think it is time to share some of my ideas with the Outer World. My students have been the only recipients of 20+ years of book structure experimenting, and I think I should expand my horizons. As a result, I am combining my local landscape (yes, here in the foothills) with images of the Station Fire (August-September 2009) into a small book that shows the beauty and necessity of both (I hope).

My daughter asked why I would use my quality art printer for such small images (Epson 2200), when I could easily print them at the local Walgreens. Here is my answer: when you have to specify size and several different images [of that size] on one sheet, there is simply no way to do that on the photo computers at the drug store. It is my experience that you can get down to a wallet size, but then you'd have to settle for only 1 image for an entire sheet of wallet size photos. They aren't going to allow you to pick 6 different images to place on one sheet. Does anyone have a different experience of these "do it yourself drugstores?" The only other option would be to organize your images on one 8.5 x 11 sheet, save it on a CD or a flash drive, and bring it to Kinkos to print it on the paper of your choice. Yes? I have never been truly happy with the color quality at Kinkos, but I am a picky woman about those things.

So with that being said, I shall return to my task of entertaining Mr. Jack Fynn, and then return to this process of bookmaking. Stay dry, and stay tuned for a warmer and drier day. It's inevitable.

Jack Fynn

2009-12-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

The weather has been beautiful the past few days, with only a very thin dusting of ash. HOWEVER, the nights are too chilly for sitting outside under the Live Oaks and throwing clay pots on the wheel. Grandson Jack has been watching me with great enthusiasm during the day. He sits in his walker and observes carefully with eyes of envy. His mom tries to keep him "clean," but that's hard to do with a Granma who plays in the mud, and plays with her pup and horse each day. SO FINALLY, while I am amidst this long, arduous process of working on the plate commission, I decided it was time for Jack to assist me. He sat on my lap for a few minutes watching my hands move over the clay, and then I let him take over (he turned 8 months old last Friday). Jack's technique is very different than mine. He prefers to play double-handed pattycake for plate compression. He is very serious about his work. I just have to keep an eye on his little feet: the more enthusiastic he gets, the more likely he is to stick his feet beneath the spinning wheel!! So after a full session of clay, he reluctantly let his mother scrub his hands (reluctantly is a very kind word....he screamed bloody murder), and then they went in the cabin.

It is very interesting to watch one's grandchild bloom and grow. He is like a happy little scientist who loves to observe, and then get actively involved. I can see him making a mental list as his eyes scan my work room looking for things to get into in the near future. He has started crawling this past week. It took a while. He never was a creeper pulling himself along on his belly. He wanted to be up on his knees, but by golly that little Santa belly weighs a lot and takes brute strength to lift off of the floor!! So now he gets up on all fours, moves his arms forward a bit, digs in with his toes and takes a little froggy hop forward and keeps moving. He loves to practice the act of moving from all fours to a sitting position. He is very self-disciplined about practicing the things he wants to do most! (Very good character building...) He loves "Itsy Bitsy Spider," especially the part when I say "Out comes the sun.." He watches my outstretched arms and gives me the smile of the year every single time. He also likes my version of "There was a little cabin in the woods." He's very interested in hand movements. He likes to watch his own hands carefully while he moves a toy back and forth like a ratchet. He extends a finger and we play "God giving life to Adam" or ET reaching out to the boy's hand!! We enjoy sharing secret hand movements!! Having Jack so close to me has filled a big, empty spot in my life and every day I give thanks for his love and smiles and big heart. He is a special little guy (spoken, I believe, like a true Grammy..).

Willow the Wonder Dog

2009-11-30T21:34:00.000-08:00

The wind has finally stopped blowing, and although there is a fine dusting of black ash in any room that had a slightly cracked-open window, the leaves and branches were blown off of my front patio and left me free from sweeping! I long for the time within a warm day to sit out at the potter's wheel and throw some plates for Dear Nava.

Willow the Wonder Dog came at an inopportune time when I felt total responsibility for her despite the lack of employment or spousal support. She has been a bundle of joy since Day One, and although she is a ton of work, she is also the joie de vivre. Her spirit resonates with happiness, and I adore her for her zany sense of humor, her innate desire to play all the time, her courage, and her undying loyalty. She and I have been working on walking to the arena with Tillie the horse...them on lead ropes, me in the middle....yes, a human wishbone. Having a 9 month old pup on your left, and a 4 year old horse on your right is not always the best combination if there is busy traffic and loud noises. One day a school bus sailed by and frightened Miss Tillie who did some fancy prancing, and sent Willow into "Oh no, I am going to be kicked and killed" mode, but we got through it, and to the arena we arrived. One gentleman stopped and said, "I think you have your hands full!" And I said, "Indeed! This may not be the best combination!" And he replied, "Are you going to be alright?" To which I said, "Yes, I am." And we were.

Willow was kicked by Tillie which caused minor muscle bruising when Willow was quite young. In a way, it was the perfect kick. Willow is so eager to be a best friend to everyone that her antics around the horses were terrifying. The hose popped one day, spooked Tillie, and Willow was in the way....thus, a sad, limping, crying puppy. My equine vet applied acupuncture a few days later, and Miss Willow was once again the Wonder Dog. I was relieved to see that she retained the lesson and is more cautious around horses. It is fun to watch her as we drive down the street and she sees other riders on their horses. It is the same face she makes when we go to the clay studio and she sees other people working on the potter's wheels. It's a look of acknowledgement, an awareness that she recognizes something from her own daily experiences.

Thus, today, I will attempt to attach a photo to honor this Wonderful Pup.

Wind and Red Shoes

2009-11-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

It has been a long and tiring day without much sleep, but teaching a class at Zinnia is always a Good Thing. Not only does Tamara attract creative, enthusiastic, people, but they are good-hearted, positive, and full of life. I was very happy to have her share Chris' blogspot and see that Chris had not only mentioned me and Zinnia, but took the time to photograph each step of the origami box that I have been teaching, and posting it with excellent instructions (extra kudos for remembering that last step that makes the cover a bit zippier and more professional)!! WOWWW!!! The book-in-a-box project allows for so much versatility. It is practical, yet can be funky or crafty, and of course, useful. Who doesn't want a handmade box with a perfect fitting lid?? (I once said as I was skipping down the street in my new "sneakers:" WHO wouldn't want bright red shoes like these??! And the gentleman with whom I walked said, "Certainly not me." And any time he says, "If I were in your shoes....except, of course those red sneakers!" I have learned that even though is seems impossible, there are actually people who may not... Unbelievable of course. However, I am more confident about the boxes.) SO again, thank you CHRIS!!! You are the Gold Star of the Season!!!

It has been very windy in the foothills...so windy, in fact, it took my chain link fence down and I was 10 minutes late getting to class (a first!). As soon as I got to South Pasadena, the wind was gone and it was warm. As soon as I drove up Lincoln on my way home, I was once again Dorothy in Kansas (hmmmm...maybe a link to those red shoes...). Tons of debris is flying through the air, but I must tell you that my 4 year old Tillie horse handles this wind like a Champ. Most horses would be seeing ghosts and hearing mountain lions, but not my Tillie. She just whinnies for more food, and meets me at the gate for a carrot. I could see a thick black cloud of fire ash on the horizon being churned up by the winds as I sat here looking west eating my breakfast. We need a bit of rain to push this ash into the earth where it belongs (and will actually do some good). I wish I knew how and where to collect a few cups of that ash. I could make my own glaze for my clay vessels and call it Station Fire Ash (may be almost as popular as that lovely Mt St Helen's glaze that was so sought after years ago).

A blog is a strange, but good idea, I think. I am sitting here in my red cowgirl boots, and I am convinced that my best decisions are made when wearing red foot attire. Take my advice: buy some now and don't let anyone tell you that your wardrobe will not match. That is the point after all, isn't it: they are intended to stand out.

Closing on this blustery day.