It's comforting to have friends in such high places.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday; she was hovering over something way above the trees northwest of the highway. I was so far away that was the best shot I could get, and then when I downloaded it, I found her looking straight at me. This Swainson's girl has become like my red-tail: They always know where I am, even when I'm not too sure myself. It's comforting to have friends in such high places. [And she's out there circling over our east field right this moment.]

We spent an hour looking for/prepping for KitFox yesterday morning out off 522. We went back at dusk and spent another hour calling him as dark fell all around us. It's steep there at the edge of national forest land, and I'm sore this morning. No luck; the girl did see him, but he saw all these people and took off before our aging eyes could even see where she was pointing. That said, he has an incentive to return, and we left the bed and blanket and my shirt in one of his apparent sleep spots. We also left his favorite treats with the woman who lives there, and when we got there last night, she was out there setting up her trail cam to try to catch sight of him overnight. No word on him today, so all the activity last night probably scared him off for a day or so, but he'll be back. Always assuming, of course, that it's him, but it certainly sounds like him.

And as I said, it would be a welcome gift after these terrible last few days weeks months. We got word Saturday, mid-afternoon, of a death in Wings's extended family. Over the last couple of months, we have had multiple deaths in our broader community, and folks who've needed help because of it (at least five or six that I can think of off the top of my head, including a couple last week). Folks with a house fire. Others with family illnesses (just among people we know, we've lost folks to West Nile, to COVID-19, to diabetes, to accident, to other illnesses). Everyone needing help because of the pandemic; so many out of work, jobs not coming back, no tourism at the Pueblo for those who are artists to make sales there, because it's closed (and rightly so, but that doesn't help the folks who can't pay the rent as a result). We thought we'd be able to help with food from the gardens, but the drought has killed that, too. But when folks need help, and you have it, you give it however you can. 

Meanwhile, the drought is still killing us, too. The pandemic is killing us more. Our Web site hits have been cut in half — IN HALF — because of the economic havoc this pandemic, and the government's non-response to it, are wreaking daily. And while the taxes are now finally covered, there are still all the OTHER things to pay for this month. We've jettisoned everything we can: We bumped reseeding to winter, which turns out to have been a good move, because this drought would kill it all. The well? There's no way we can get in August's drilling queue. None. I've given up on that. I don't know whether we'll be able to do it before next year; if we can't, we can't reseed, either, and probably can't plant again in the spring. Plumber's canceled, again, which is a HUGE problem now. Chimney cleaners are canceled. Medical appointments? Oh, that's funny. NOPE. Nothing else gets done until I get this month covered. We're part of the way there, but we've got a lot to go. And I still need to bring in the better part of $1,500 before month's end.

WE. NEED. SALES. BADLY. New piece just the other morning, here. I know I said there would be a fabulous new cuff yesterday, but the hunt for Kit, plus other necessary errands, took up most of the day. I'll have it today, along with a second cuff (also fabulous). Lots of other new works, too, cuffs and earrings and one new necklace. So please. Share the links; they're here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

[Also, the wishlist is back in force. There are things I absolutely cannot get except through Amazon, and I can't add that stress onto all the others now. It's breaking me.] Please share everything. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.