Saturday, February 28, 2015

Christmas Was Delayed . . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
A foot and a half and counting. At least.

More on the way.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Steadfast In Winter's Snows

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's our Saturday visitation by Buffalo on this final day of February. He's deceptively small and modestly priced, but especially suited to the day here, where we have about 16 inches of snow on the ground and more coming down.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here.





All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Sometimes it's a ladder . . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Sometimes it's a bridge.

Sometimes it's a fence.

Sometimes it's a window.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Out of Hibernation

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the first entry in our final February weekend series featuring archetypal animal spirits. As with previous editions, since it's Friday, it's Bear, and today, it's a little guy with an exceptionally modest price tag. Don't be fooled: He's got power, and there's a reason he's my favorite.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Spiraling Down

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
There are days . . . .

I knew I was in trouble when I got up at six-o'clock this morning.

Oh, it's been bad for a while — a good long while — but this morning was different. I know the signs, but I also recognize when there's a new element. Don't know what it is yet (although I can hazard some very well-educated guesses), but it's going to require monitoring.

So it'll be yet another day or more before I get to anything substantive around here. Taking care of gallery-related business, on top of regular chores and tasks, is my limit right now. Of course, when it feels like the world is about to spin out from underneath your feet at any moment (I mean that literally, not metaphorically), it does tend to slow your pace a bit. More than a bit, actually.

I have plenty of substantive stuff in the works, but it's all in various stages of [in]completion. I'll get to it all eventually. No promises as to when, though.

And, as always, don't expect to see me unless you see me. I am committing to exactly nothing outside of Wings, myself, the animals, and the gallery right now.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

#TBT: People of Other Willows

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, it's a trip back several centuries to a very old culture, brought forward to today. One small, modestly-priced item featured, one that highlights bigger lessons about history and culture and names and legacies.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Don't Miss Nothin'.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Hawk doesn't.

Neither do we.

There's a lot to write about, and I have several posts in the works, in various stages of completion. The most immediate stems from that putrid nonsense from the Oscar stage/backstage, but it's grown by leaps and bounds over the last two days.

The latest involves an attempt by a white woman who engaged in spectacularly rude and privileged behavior against both a Black woman and a Black man, in public, to mount a campaign apparently designed to lose said Black man his job. Oh, yes, there will be much more to say about this, and about the many tendrils and tentacles emerging from this whole nasty nexus of "liberal" racism. But time is short, and I make no promises that it will be finished tonight, or even tomorrow.

In the meantime, it's enough to point out that, like Hawk herself up there, we don't miss nothin'. Yes, we see what's being done to ourselves, to our friends and family members and colleagues. We also have long memories.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 




In Every Form and Variation, Sacred Drops

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the final entry in our February Wednesday series featuring Wings's triangle-wire cuffs. And, as with the others, there's a recurring theme. Of all of them in inventory, today's featured piece is also the one with the lowest price tag.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here.





All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.



Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Snow and Shadow

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Nothing of substance tonight.

All the usual tasks on my to-do list, plus a few extras, including Web site maintenance and getting Wings's latest pieces posted there. Maybe get a jump on tomorrow's blog post for the site?

Or not.

Also dealing with the repeating blood pressure spikes of the last two days' worth of erasure of and bigotry against women on the basis of race and sexual orientation and gender identity, all in very public venues and spaces both physical and virtual. It's a recurring theme in my life, and it's not like it improves with age; if anything, seeing it happen to younger women today infuriates me more, because of all the congratulatory "post-bigotry" drivel that saturates the so-called progressive sphere. I'll write about it in detail when I have the time, but right now, I don't (beyond the occasional outburst on Twitter; 140 characters means I don't spend much time on in-depth analysis).

Tomorrow? Maybe. More snow projected, as it is for the next ten days or so. We're staying close to home as much as possible.

In the meantime, have a willow. Some snow and some shadow, too. Taken about 7:30 this morning, a few yards from where I now sit. Come to think of that, I can extract all sorts of metaphorical crit-theory analysis out of weeping willows, white snow, and shadow.

But tonight, I'll spare everybody the discomfort. You can thank my to-do list for that.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

Jewels and Gems: Cherries In the Snow

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the latest in our current Tuesday series on Jewels and Gems. This week, it's garnet (mostly about the red variety), with three beautiful, very different incarnations of the stone. The two cuffs have long since sold; the pendant is not for sale at any price. That said, he can make a custom version of any of his pieces that I post at any time, a version unique to the wearer.

Today's post is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, February 23, 2015

All New From Wings: NDN Silver

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Five pieces, all so new they're not even on the Web site yet.

Above, it's a Warrior Woman with a difference: Like my own Warrior Woman, this one's a pendant, rather than a pin. Sterling silver and Sleeping Beauty turquoise; $325 + s/h/i.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
The classic Warrior Woman pin. Sterling silver and lapis lazuli; $325 + s/h/i.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
 A final one in pin form. Sterling silver and jade; $325 + s/h/i.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
And rings!  Above, rolled triangle wire with a repoussé concha accent. Sterling silver; $275 + s/h/i. 

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Lastly, an elegant band, almost  — but not quite — plain. Sterling silver; $275 + s/h/i.

Coming soon:  Cripple Creek heart pendants with overlays on the reverse.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Royalty

Photo copyright 2015; all rights reserved.
What? 

He wears a crown. If that pyramidal post doesn't qualify as a throne, I don't know what does.

White-Crowned Sparrow, holding court.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.






Monday Photo Meditation: Winter, Receding Into Spring

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.
All new at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Monday photo meditation to chase away your winter blues. Of course, we have a foot of new snow here, with more coming, and we couldn't be happier, but for the parts of the country that are beyond winter-weary now, today's imagery holds out the promise of warmth to come.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.





All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

No Red Carpet Here.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Only a red willow screen, and celebrities garbed mostly in gray and brown.

Today, Red-Tailed Hawk had a cameo, while Northern Harrier garnered a quick walk-on fly-on. Of course, every day, the "lead" is an ensemble: Raven, Magpie, nationalized immigrant Eurasian Collared Dove. Today's featured roles, though, were played by Cassin's Finch and House Finch, House Sparrow and White-Crowned Sparrow, and, of course, Dark-Eyed Junco, who got the playbill shot above.

They'll all be back tomorrow for an encore, possibly with a few new extras. 

And the really great thing about this performance? Never any mocking of young children of color or the mothers of people lost to suicide; no segregation or exclusion, no dismissal or erasure, based on color and identity.

Hollywood could learn a thing or two. Or ten. Or a thousand.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Winter Dance

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the last in this weekend's series of animal spirits with a wintry theme. Today's piece embodies the earth beneath the snow, and, dancing, rises above it; you'll see how at the link.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Insistence

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Neither snow nor wind nor blustery day . . . .

This is what a refusal to be silenced looks like.

Message heard, loud and clear.








All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Return of Winter

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the return of winter, and of the buffalo, whether they (or we) are ready or not. It features an absolutely inspired and inspirited piece by one of our younger artists, a beautiful rendering perfect for this time of year.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Trinity

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
A trinity
Diagrammed invisibly, 
The wheels of celestial Tinkertoys

They turn
We turn
In indigo atmosphere

New moon
Planetary alignment
Dusk of a new day




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: A Winter Thaw

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Friday Feature that's uniquely seasonal (if a bit earlier than it should be). The little Spirit Bear pictured is only one member of an extended clan, all of whom are linked in the post.

That post is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.






Thursday, February 19, 2015

Of Clicks and Pixels and Hearts.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

There are days when I am entirely disheartened.

This is one.

I've been doing this a lot of years now. Writing, I mean. Writing about our issues. Writing, in some cases, about matters of actual life and death.

I don't expect that anything I write, however important the issue, will somehow magically trump the Kardashianing of American life, especially on social media.

What I did think I could expect is that those who proclaim themselves my — our — allies could spare a second or two, and a click or two, to spread the word. 

Apparently not.

#TBT: Mothers, Mountains, and Mugs

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, the imagery is distinctly feminine. Conceptually, it also weaves a bit of some of our recent posts into today's piece, which features a modestly priced item by one of our women artists.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Catwalk Colonialism

Image copyright B. Yellowtail; all rights reserved.
Sometimes "appropriation" goes way beyond what that term implies. It's a word that sort of sounds like someone just borrowed something for a little while because s/he genuinely needed it.

Really, it's just a synonym for theft, but even then, not all thefts are equal. Some are more outrageous, and more openly racist, than others.

When a white British fashion house appropriates the work of a Native designer — work that features a lineal ancestral pattern with deep cultural and spiritual significance to the designer herself, no less — and when said white-run design house then submits it as part of a redface catwalk minstrel show for New York's Fashion Week . . . well, even theft doesn't begin to cover it.

It's catwalk colonialism.

And when the international fashion media are complicit not only in the cover-up but in using their collective megaphone to amplify the racism of the company involved . . . it's time to do something about it.


Symbols, Stories, Sacred Spaces

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a look at stories, symbols, and multiple meanings, all by way of one of Wings's newer pieces. It's a piece that is so apparently simple and sparely beautiful, yet it holds such significance; it's no surprise that it's one of my favorites.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Hunter's Day

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.
Six years ago today. About 4:35 this afternoon, to be precise.

She's been gone nearly as long as she was here. And the worst of it is that it was so unnecessary.

Our beautiful, bubbly baby girl, a furry bundle of pure, unadulterated love — who, in the last seven months of her life, went through so much. I miss her every single day. This evening, I put some cedar on the place where her ashes are scattered, as I do every year.

We love you, sweet Hunter girl.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.



Jewels and Gems: Going Green

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's "green" in its purest form — and "green" symbolically, as well. We have beautiful stones and beautiful Native jewelry, all in malachite's brilliantly verdant shades, among today's images.

The post itself is here.  Wings's main page is here.





All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Meme

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
No, that's not the word for a social-media trope. It's two distinct syllables, and it translates in English to "flicker."

For the second day in a row, I was given the gift of wildlife photos I've never before been able to get. This morning, it was Meme, the male red-shafted Northern flicker shown here. 

I had put on my jacket and shoes, and picked up my cedar and feather, and opened the door to go outside in the cold for morning prayers. As I stepped out, I heard an unmistakable sound and looked up at the two-story latilla anchor post a few feet away.

There he sat.

I turned around, put down my prayer bundle, and dove for my camera, praying aloud but under my breath, "Please stay; please stay."

He did. Longer than one ever has for me before.

The one above was among the first few shots I took (of a total of 28, most of which were not good enough to display here). He looked right at me several times, and continued to alternate between calling to his mate and pecking at the pole.

So I moved to the ground outside.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

They are timid birds when it comes to larger creatures like humans, easily spooked. Usually, once they realize you've fixated on them, they make a quick getaway.

For some reason, this one wasn't bothered. He let me get a shot of him calling to his mate, his song like the chime of a crystal bell.

I kept shooting.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

I managed to get a shot of him at work: He is, after all, a woodpecker. Entirely out of season, too — in winter, we get downy and hairy woodpeckers here, but the flicker is an autumn visitant.

I've written about Meme at Wings's site; he's a spirit bird, one with a long tradition of lending his song and beauty and other qualities to our peoples. He's one to whom Wings is especially close; seven and a half years ago, after the loss of BearGirl, he would sit outside the studio and play the flute our little girl loved. That autumn, Flicker came in answer to the call of the red-cedar notes, hovering a few feet from Wings, dancing on the air to the music of the flute. 

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Wings has managed to get photos of Meme in the past, but I have never been so lucky.

Until today.

He waited while I brought the camera back in the house and retrieved my prayer bundle. By the time I reached the grass, he'd flown away out of sight, but still within earshot, still singing as I prayed.

I burned a little cedar and said a little prayer of thanks just for him.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday Photo Meditation: Founding Fathers

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.
New at The NDN Silver Blog, it's some imagery to provide a much-needed counterpoint to the tropes of the day. I explain in the post; there are reasons why we don't observe this day in accordance with dominant-culture themes.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. And as always, photos are indeed available for purchase: the original as photo only, or matted and framed; or in smaller signed and number print form.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Coyote Waits

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Actually, Coyote stares you insolently in the eye and says, "Whatchoo gonna do 'bout it?"

He's afraid of very little. I saw him just as I finished with evening chores, sauntering northward along inside the fenceline up by the gate. He wheeled to look at a passing vehicle, then turned around and headed back south, which took him past us on the western boundary. I just got the camera in time, and as I walked out to try to find him and grab a shot or two, he halted and stared straight at me.

I'm sure he was hoping for an easy chicken dinner, but he was too late; all the girls were already in for the evening. Of course, toward the southerly direction he was headed, there's ample evidence of nocturnal visitations by elk. Yesterday I heard a report of a cow [elk] nearby, possibly the mother of our little yearling visitor at year's end. 

If she is the mother, Coyote will be waiting a very long time.

It is, incidentally, the first photo I've ever gotten of Coyote. It's nowhere the quality of those Wings gets, of course, but that's why he's the professional and I'm the amateur. I haven't done any editing for the bright light of sundown, either; these are strictly as taken. But I was surprised to see that he was willing to stand still for me to get a couple of shots. Looking at them, he's had a good winter — sleek, well fed, and very, very beautiful.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
He and the rest of his clan will be singing all night.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Lines of Mediation (Lines of Love)

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one final "Valentine" of sorts for this weekend, one in keeping with our current weekend series on animal spirits, and embodied in one of my favorite pieces. [Yes, he reminds me of Miskwaki, my Magic Horse.]

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.





All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Stormy


Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

We buried Storm today.

I was supposed to be writing about the #MMIW movement today. I can't. I know people will think it's crazy to mourn a chicken, but I am. Maybe it's just too much cumulative loss lately.

The photo above was taken not quite three years ago, inside the coop. That's Storm with her twin Dominique, Smoke (who we lost over a year ago). Of the original group of chickens from 2012, only two remain now (one of which is Silver, the black and white Silver-Laced Wyandotte in the photo just below.

A Strong Heart

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a piece that embodies the themes of this day, even if not in the conventional manner. But the symbol most associated with Valentine's Day is the heart, and here, we give you a look through our own cultural lens at what it means, to us, to have a strong heart.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Friday, February 13, 2015

Puppies!

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Okay, not really. 

I walked outside two days ago to find that all four horses had come in from the pasture on their own. Cree was in the far pen munching hay, and the three hellions were pulling a lion-and-lamb routine together on the near side. They stayed that way like a bunch of tired puppies for maybe a half-hour. That's not only a record — they've never, ever done this before.

See, this is what they don't want anyone to know: They're secretly really bonded, but they want everybody to think they hate each other. Half-ton brats children.

For those unfamiliar (yeah, I know, I know), that's Miskwaki in the foreground, Shade in the middle, and Ice on the far side. They all bully each other mercilessly, but obviously, it's for show. And they all watch over and take care of Cree, the herd matriarch.

Speaking of Cree, she really needs some otherworldly help right now, because there isn't enough that we can do fast enough to fix her problem. [Storm could use some, too, but we dosed her again today, and I think she might be on the mend already. Cree's a much tougher case.]

The best Valentine's Day gift I could get would be to come outside tomorrow and find that Cree's walking normally (and that her condition stabilizes accordingly, of course). So whatever ya got, please send whatever you can spare her way. Thanks, everybody.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

BEARing Gifts

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.
Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a continuation of the weekend series we began last week — this time, with a bit of a Valentine's Day twist. It's Bear who puts in an appearance again today, in two separate incarnations, each with its own distinct personality.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Not for the Faint of Heart

Cree (paint horse) with her daughter, Shade (bay)
Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

This life.

It ain't.

You can't be afraid of dealing with sick or injured creatures. You can't be wigged out by blood or other body fluids. You can't be too weak to lift and carry your share of the load, in very literal terms. And you have to do it all every day, even when your brain feels like it's about to jackhammer its way out of your skull.

Yes, that was my day today. For both of us, actually. And it was nothing new.

One of the chickens isn't doing well. Stormy, the one who helped Wings mock Dead-Crow Dude so effectively. She's been lethargic, and is now showing signs of inflammatory response. The usual treatment is antibiotics in the drinking water, but we don't want the other chickens, all of whom are incredibly healthy, ingesting them unnecessarily. So I spent part of the morning taking apart a capsule, mixing it into a solution inside a stoppered bottle, and then administering it. It took both of us, of course: me to hold her in my arms and keep her head still, and Wings to open her beak and syringe a few drops into it. 

She took it like a champ. We'll see how she is tomorrow.

Cree's another matter.

Her laminitis turned into full-fledged founder years ago, of course, and since then, it's been a management effort. A long, protracted, difficult one, with more valleys than peaks lately. Complicating matters is that she has since developed first insulin resistance, and now full-fledged Cushing's disease.

So, now that Spring is here two months early, of course she's feeling the effects already. Spring is a nightmare for horses with founder, Cushing's, insulin resistance, and colic. The drastic fluctuations in temperature combined with too much dampness sends their symptoms skyrocketing; for those with compromised hooves, as is the case with foundered horses, the wetness breeds thrush and abscesses and all sorts of complications.

For just over a week now, we've been working on the predictable abscesses in her forehooves. This is not a new phenomenon, nor an unexpected one, but it's one greatly complicated by the climatic changes and weather issues. Last week, one began bleeding. Substantially. This is a good thing; what it means is that the infection locked up in her hoof is being cleansed and washed out, and it also means that her circulation is suddenly greatly improved, something essential for horses like her. 

But it requires close management, and we've been at it off and on ever since. Today, we turned our attention to her rear hooves: Wings trimmed them substantially and reshaped them as needed; then we treated them for thrush. From there, on to the forehooves again, which will need more work tomorrow. It's hard enough to do three hours' worth of work on a horse with both of us helping — it's murder on aging hands, knees, and backs, and he bore the brunt of it. But it's harder yet when you have an industrial-strength migraine, like I have since awakening this morning — you perforce spend a lot of your time bent deeply forward, and that's about the worst possible stance in the throes of this kind of headache.

So, yeah, we're both wiped out, and tomorrow, we'll have to be back at it. Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, all of this is in addition to all of our usual chores and tasks, including care and feeding and muck duty. Wings even got in some studio time today, before a major mechanical failure bolloxed up his work schedule.

So any of y'all with spiritual traditions, both animals could use whatever you got, but especially Cree. The coming weeks and months are going to be her worst period of the year, and strong hearts notwithstanding, we all need all the help for her that we can get.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.