Always new chores to be done.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

A different task for yesterday, but there are always new chores to be done. He was staining 2X4s for eventual use in blocking up gaps in the stalls for winter. That was in between all the other stuff that needed doing. And I was utterly useless yesterday, the pace of the last two months, plus the ongoing autoimmune effects of the booster, all having caught up with me at once and absolutely flattened me. The pain last night was on a scale I haven't experienced in quite a while. It's not much better today, but even an incremental amount of "better" lets me get a little more work done, so there's that.

And it's been a busy day already, to say nothing of an expensive one. Today was the annual empty-the-septic-tank day, nine o'clock this morning, and boy, howdy, have his prices gone up. I don't begrudge the guy that at all; it's filthy work, and I imagine his income is down after two years of pandemic nonsense, too. But it's another expense. Add to that the fact that I had to place a big order today with an overseas supplier for beads and cabs that he needs for stuff in the works but can't get here or from SFJS or Rio Grande, and . . . yeah. Today has cost us quite a bit.

So yeah, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                             

Red Willow Spirit: The Frost and the Fire

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for November's end, and for a what should already be a season of the chill gifts of winter. It's a contemplation, too, of what we do have, even in their absence: of hope and prayer and the work, of the possibility of magic and medicine: of the frost and the fire, for a world reclaimed and renewed.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. With the economy dead courtesy of more than a year's worth of uncontrolled pandemic, we will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this month and the rest of the year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

An unrelieved blue.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

It should be cold and snowy now, but no. Temps are twenty degrees too warm across the board; everything on the ground is gray against an unrelieved blue, not a cloud in the sky. I know that sounds like heaven to most people, but it's not. here, it's positively deadly, and the forecast suggests the same all winter long.

We still have to drill that well in the spring, either way.

So yeah, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                             

Monday Photo Meditation: When Sun's Fire Meets Cold Earth

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a Monday at November's end, one that should already be well into the winter season but instead is nowhere near it. It's a reflection on what this time of year used to be, the capacity and power of Mountain and earth and sky, and a reminder that when sun's fire meets cold earth, medicine can still happen, even now.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. With the economy dead courtesy of more than a year's worth of uncontrolled pandemic, we still need to make consistent sales to make it through this month and the rest of the year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Truly good medicine.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now I can show you what he's been working on so hard for the last two weeks. I could show you the necklace last night, because it was entirely a surprise, but the other two pieces were already known, and that would've given the surprise away.

We had family here today: Wings's older daughter and her husband, who made a quick circuit of a trip to southern Colorado for a National Day of Mourning observance and then down here. They spent several hours with us here before needing to head home to Arizona. The necklace is for Chelsea, and it represents something deeply personal; the bolo and the hatband are for her husband. And it was a great gift to us to be able to spend some time with them, filled with laughter and truly good medicine. 

Now, Wings is back at work in the studio on inventory pieces. Those had to take a backseat to these, for obvious reasons, but at some point, I'll feature these in various #TBT posts so that folks can see all the extraordinary detail work he put into them. In the meantime, I'll be using this week to get the site back up to speed with the new work, because we're running out of time to get purchases shipped in time for Christmas (effectively, we have a couple of weeks yet, but no guarantees this year).

Because, yeah, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                            

To Be In Relation Is To Find Refuge In Our World

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for a time of great upheaval and catastrophic change, here to remind us what we still hold in common. It's a reminder, too, that to be in relation is to find refuge in our world, and it is how we will reclaim and rebuild. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We need to make consistent sales to cover upcoming new medical costs and other expenses and make it through the rest of this terrible second pandemic-ridden year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.     

The latest.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021;
all rights reserved.

The latest. Sterling silver, chalcedony, and Shattuckite pendant.  Beads are [all ultra-high-grade] kyanite, moonstone; aquamarine; rainbow moonstone; apatite; and diamond-cut sterling silver. Finished off today with two other pieces.

We're both absolutely beat. That's why all of this is so late tonight. Tomorrow, I think we take it easy; Monday, back to it. He's got a bunch in the pipeline. And among other things, I have to help him sort out the next bead jewelry collection.

For those wondering, still no phone. Yes, they are indeed closed for the euphemistic "COVID cleaning" [and have been all week]. The earliest he can replace his phone is Monday, always assuming they're even open then. Meanwhile, I say we'll take it easy but the fact of the matter is that we won't and we can't and it'll just be more of the same between now and Christmas.

Because, yeah, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                            

More Than Survival, Sanctuary

Photo copyright. Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a personal favorite among Wings's more recent works, a cuff that reminds us to acknowledge our place within larger systems of life, within the ways of wind and light. It's a lesson, too, in the urgent need to reorient ourselves within them now, for the goal remains more than survival, sanctuary — for us, and for our world.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We need to make consistent sales to cover upcoming new medical costs and other expenses and make it through the rest of this terrible second pandemic-ridden year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.     

Bitterly cold.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

That was sunset last night, with the rise of the Evening Star (otherwise known as Venus). Green skies, even though you can't see the banding in the way the image rendered, beautifully clear, and bitterly cold.

It's not particularly warm today, even though they insist it will hit 52. There's just enough of a breeze to cut to the bone, and Spirit knows I've got more than enough work to do indoors anyway. And I'm way behind on that, made all the more so by the hour-and-a-half-long power outage this morning.

Meanwhile, it appears that Wings will not be able to replace his phone today, or tomorrow, or anytime before Monday at the earliest. He's gone into town to double-check, but according to their voice-mail, they're closed all week for "COVID cleaning." That's a euphemism for too many new cases being traced back to their site in too short a period of time, and so everybody should be quarantining, but in Thanksgiving week? Don't make me laugh. Nobody around here (I'm talking about the colonial population now) can be bothered to do the barest of minimums, which is why cases are spiking dangerously high and we're expected to be out of hospital beds again before Christmas, state-wide.

And when he gets back, he's got more studio work on deadline. Because, yeah, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                            

Friday Feature: Creating Space For Community

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a work wrought in the oldest of ways, but one with new lessons to teach us now. It's an elk whistle, a tool of communication that reminds us of the need now for reconceiving the ways we understand relatives and family, and for creating space for community for them all.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We still need to make consistent sales to cover upcoming new medical costs and other expenses and make it through the rest of this terrible second pandemic-ridden year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

We'll take this and be grateful for it.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

We did get a little snow on the peaks yesterday, once the clouds finally cleared to show us. Also a visit from the ghost hawk (that's the giant ferruginous in winter plumage, which has white bands on wings and tail).

No snow or rain down here, but we'll take this and be grateful for it.

Any family trying to call: Wings dropped his phone yesterday, and it broke. People can call, and he can hear the phone ring and hear the alerts, but it won't let him answer, the screen is shot, and he can't see texts or alerts, either. So back down to Choice in the morning to replace it, and that won't be cheap.

For now, the bird is in the oven, stuffing and cornbread are done. In a bit, I'll do the pie crust, although I suspect it might be pumpkin tartlets instead of pies this year; we'll see how my energy levels are. Then it's prepping vegetables and potatoes for later. If you want to know why we do a nice meal when we don't "celebrate Thanksgiving," it's in today's post on his site. 

And he's hard at work in the studio.

Because, yeah, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                           

#TBT: A Little Shelter For Our Spirits

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work from fifteen years ago that represented Wings's first foray into a new stye of forging, wrought in a pattern of protection and guidance. It's her first-ever anticlastic cuff, designed simply and elegantly to provide a little shelter for our spirits.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work obviously will never be duplicated, but if the style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. We still need to make consistent sales to cover all of our expenses to come and make it through the rest of this still-terrible, still-pandemic-ridden year (one that, like last year, has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.         

Hard at work on all the rest

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

There's always more of the work. Every kind of work: the land, the house, the jewelry, the selling of it, the community work. That up there is one of his current pieces in progress, a very special commission. It'll be done today or tomorrow, most likely.

We're already hard at work on all the rest. And today is going to be exceptionally packed for me, so I need to get on it. But I still need to make sales through all the rest of it, because it's going to be a long hard winter for this community even (or especially) in the absence of snow.

Yes, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                           

A Space For Spirits of Medicine

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork of traditional Indigenous silversmithing, a work infused and imbued with medicine and animated by the spirits of healing and harmony. And in this week ostensibly intended to honor our peoples, our histories and our ways, it's a reminder that we are strong enough to remake and rebuild our world, all of it, as a space for spirits of medicine.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We need to make consistent sales to cover upcoming new medical costs and other expenses and make it through the rest of this terrible second pandemic-ridden year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.     

Nonstop.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday; stones are all set now. This is one of the current works in progress, but it's not one for inventory. There will be a few more of these, and then he'll back to works offered for sale.

There are just not enough hours in the day. For either of us.

Our two remaining errands today somehow turned to six, but we were still done by noon, and it's been nonstop for us ever since we got home. Nonstop all day, for that matter. i won't be going anywhere the next few days, it'll be nonstop all the same.

Yes, this is our busiest time of year, but that's the nature of what we do; from October 1st through year's end, it's 16-hour+ days, seven days a week. No breaks. And because of the shipping mess, we're in crunch time already. For those folks having us hold items, we need to get this wrapped up now because of said shipping mess. Wings has new pieces in the works, too, although at the moment he's tied up with more immediate orders; I expect that some of the new items will be available next week or the week after.

Yes, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                           

Red Willow Spirit: Refuge For Seasons and Spirits of Place

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for a time when ordinary rules no longer apply, when the need to provide sanctuary from the ravages of colonialism and climate change becomes an undeniable obligation. It's a pair of photos and a single work of wearable art that tell the story of why such work is needed now, of an event that was simultaneously a gift, a lesson, and a call to create a refuge for seasons and spirits of place.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. With the economy dead courtesy of more than a year's worth of uncontrolled pandemic, we need to make consistent sales to make it through this month and the rest of the year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

Killing the land in front of us.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

That's the top of the basin of the Spoonbowl. There is no snow. NONE. But the ski resort insists on opening Thursday, which means that ALL the snow will be man-made. You know how they do it? They blast water into the freezing air. Apparently to cover something like 20K square feet with 6 inches of man-made snow requires 75,000 gallons of water.

There IS no water.

They need to close that place down. Permanently. Stop all development. The land can't support it. But colonizers don't care, and they're literally killing the land in front of us.

Between the colonial invasions, the raging pandemic (spiking anew daily and about to get far worse), and the climate change catastrophe that colonialism is inflicting on this land up close and in real time, prospects for this winter are absolutely terrifying. There is no water; no rain; no snow; and still they keep doing the same damn thing as though nothing matters. I suppose to them it doesn't; colonialism is a particularly violent form of nihilism, after all.

But we have to live with the results. And we still have to get the work done.

Today was going to be, we thought, one last day of constant running, barely enough time to breathe, before settling back into something a little more routine, but NOPE: Two things we couldn't do today, one because of an unexpected closure and one simply because of lack of time, so they have to be handled tomorrow. Yes, this is our busiest time of year, but that's the nature of what we do; from October 1st through year's end, it's 16-hour+ days, seven days a week. No breaks. And because of the shipping mess, we're in crunch time already. For those folks having us hold items, we need to get this wrapped up now because of said shipping mess. Wings has new pieces in the works, too, although at the moment he's tied up with more immediate orders; I expect that some of the new items will be available next week or the week after.

Yes, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                           

Monday Photo Meditation: Sanctuary — a Safe Space and Snow

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a Monday that should be at the threshold of winter, but without any real cold and without any snow at all. It's a contemplation of the gifts of winters past and climate change's effects on other relatives, including a local herd that needs sanctuary — a safe space and snow, and whatever of both we can provide.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. With the economy dead courtesy of more than a year's worth of uncontrolled pandemic, we need to make consistent sales to make it through this month and the rest of the year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Everything's haunted now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Moonrise last night was very much a haunted affair, fitting for the season this year, apparently. Everything's haunted now: land, sky, people, memory. We have had several tragedies locally in the space of a week, most of them apparently either not important enough for the local rag to cover or else involving people too important not to protect by refusing to cover any of it. The pandemic is spiking again, people we know, including children too young to vaccinated, have contracted it, the Pueblo is tightening its lockdown to protect the vulnerable, and still the colonizer world here refuses to do the barest minimum humanity and decency require. The state expects to have no beds for anything but COVID patients between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

No wonder the earth is ash and bone and the skies look like the world's end.

Meanwhile, the work has to get done. Wings has gone into town to give some cash help to a friend [also Indigenous] who is primary caregiver for a very young grandchild who, through other people's inexcuseable negligence, was exposed to the virus and has contracted it. This while he's busy with several pieces that will not be offered for sale but have a tight deadline, and having not been able to get any studio time yesterday. We also got a late start today because the Indian killer utility had an hour-long power outage, no explanation, phones set to deny access even to voice-mail, never mind answers, and of course no coverage of that, either. We are so buried under work right now, and I am so tired of other people's negligence costing us precious hours, never mind risking our health and safety and very lives.

Tomorrow will also be one more day of constant running, barely enough time to breathe, but then I'm hoping we settle back into something a little more routine. Yes, this is our busiest time of year, but that's the nature of what we do; from October 1st through year's end, it's 16-hour+ days, seven days a week. No breaks. And because of the shipping mess, we're in crunch time already. For those folks having us hold items, we need to get this wrapped up now because of said shipping mess. Wings has new pieces in the works, too, although at the moment he's tied up with more immediate orders; I expect that some of the new items will be available next week or the week after.

Yes, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                          

The Feathers and the Fire

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for the season of cold and early dark, and for the spirits who protect us when we are at our most vulnerable. It's the feathers of the spirit bird as you've never seen them, or her, before: gifts of the feathers and the fire, a medicine of warmth and shelter for a winter's night.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We need to make consistent sales to cover upcoming new medical costs and other expenses and make it through the rest of this terrible second pandemic-ridden year (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.     

Already running late.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday morning's full moon, before it dropped below the northwest horizon. It seemed like a good omen for a trip to Santa Fe, and in fact it mostly was; our only difficulties yesterday were logistical things beyond our control like all the construction, and then of course that terrible accident we passed coming home last night. There's no news anywhere about it, so all we can do is hope and pray that everyone involved is okay, but it was an awful sight.

By the time we got home, the moon was high again and seemed full still; the air was clear and cold, with a thin but bitter wind burning our skin. We still had all our evening chores to do, and it was very, very good to be home and indoors in front of the fires when we were done.

This weekend is going to be a mix of ordinary work and catch-up and a ton of offline work that needs doing around here. Wings is busy with several pieces that will not be offered for sale but have a tight deadline, and I'll be helping him organize those plus some other works in various stages of his creative process.

Which means that I'm already running late and I need to get to it.

Monday will also be one more day of constant running, barely enough time to breathe, but then I'm hoping we settle back into something a little more routine. Yes, this is our busiest time of year, but that's the nature of what we do; from October 1st through year's end, it's 16-hour+ days, seven days a week. No breaks. And because of the shipping mess, we're in crunch time already. For those folks having us hold items, we need to get this wrapped up now because of said shipping mess. Wings has new pieces in the works, too, although at the moment he's tied up with more immediate orders; I expect that some of the new items will be available next week or the week after.

Yes, it always comes back to needing to make more sales. A lot more, because we have two years' worth of a shattered pandemic economy to make up for, by which I mean we need to gain more ground ourselves financially to be able to be sure of making it through the winter. And again, if you're planning on commissioning gifts for the holidays, DO IT NOW. [And that includes just ordinary orders for the holidays, too.] Yes, I mean NOW. We're dealing with the same supply-chain issues as everyone else, and at some point soon, Wings is going to have to get silver and stones to produce holiday inventory, and I'm hearing that the price is already spiking on the metals. More to the point of what customers care about, we also can't guarantee shipping times this year, because see above. But I've posted a ton of Wings's new work lately, and there will be more in the days and weeks to come. If I could sell one of the big works, like one of the belts, maybe I could get us on the drill list for the well that is the only thing that's going to keep this land alive. But I've got way too much to do and too few hours and other resources to do it. 

Anyway, I have GOT to continue to make sales, so links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the ladders, because see above, and coffee coffee coffee, which we're finding it harder and harder to get locally);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through what's left of the year. And right now? I have no way to do it.  But there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.