every year, like clockwork

every year, in september, the wood ducks march through our yard at dusk gorging themselves on acorns, in preparation for their migration south.  i am re-posting this old photo, because today i FINISHED the large, natural dyed, art commission i have been working on for a couple month. i have a busy rest of the week ahead of me (back to school, son’s birthday, and doctor visits with my 85 year old mom), but i’m looking forward to new walks, new eyes, and a fresh re-start.

downy wood duck feathers

september sun

i just finished my big art commission. i will photograph it tomorrow, and bring it ot the framers on wednesday. whew. i just looked at the forecast and it looks like mid-70s and sunny for the next two weeks. thank you universe. i can’t wait to get back outside, letting that late summer sunshine warm these weary bones.

sunflower and yellow coneflower

new to me

i bought a small bunch of straflowers at the market the other day. i didn’t know what strawflowers were. i thought i was buying zinnias. i’m a pretty good northwo0ds naturalist, but a terrible horticulturist. anyway, i bought the strawflowers mostly to dry. but as you may recall, i am one day away from a deadline on a large art commission. so, at 4:40 pm i found myself looking for today’s STILL subject. strawflowers came into my crosshairs. and this single, unopened, bud came into focus. strawflower,where have you been all my life?

strawflower bud

explore

i fear we may be headed back into semi-quarantine as the cold air returns and we all move inside. so my simple advice is get outside and explore. we’ll need the memories to get through another, hopefully final, wave of this wiley and relentless virus.

end of summer

hurry up little buds. you’re running out of time.

japanese anemone (Anemone Hupehensis)