First bumblebee.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Sometimes you get the shot. Our first bumblebee of the season, and decidedly unbothered by my presence. then again, he had the catmint blossoms all to himself, so I suppose that's a pretty good incentive.

One of a few such bright spots in a day that I dread every year. Not enough of them to make it a good day, but it's something. This is one of the worst days of the year for me, always, and I always envy the people who have good memories around it. I don't, and I never will. It doesn't help that it always occurs on or around the 11th, and that date, tomorrow, is another marker I'd rather not have to remember.

 But tomorrow, at least, I expect to be a lot busier in other ways, and there won't be all the commercial reminders everywhere, shoving it in my face. 

Meanwhile, everything still has to get paid, and after paying out taxes in cash, in full, and now the last couple of week's costs? We've got to recover a lot of that if we're going to make it through the year. And we've got to maintain it, because we've also got big costs [the side exterior door, for one; the flue cleanings for another; and a set of tires for the truck for a third] immediately ahead. But I have got to get us caught up on this awful year in terms of sales. Those two new pairs of earrings I am determined will go up later tonight [::sigh:: no, they're STILL not up, because see above], and there's a ton of newish work on the site. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [and I'm going to be adding new items, because we are literally tapped out; right now, we're almost out of chile and traditional wild rice, both of which are at the top and top priority];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A Time For Sacred Medicines

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for spring, but also for hard times, and for sacred medicine the outside world knows as bearberry. It's a reminder of our obligations to tend such plants and keep them thriving, especially in these increasingly dark and dangerous times, always a time for sacred medicines.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're two weeks into May already, and we have got to get some movement on sales if we're going to make it through this already-grim year.. That begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail.

 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A beautiful day, if a slightly eerie one.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Today's skies. Absolutely incredible, powerful . . . but no rain. Okay, maybe three, four drops, nothing more.

Made for a beautiful day, if a slightly eerie one.

A day spent playing catch-up on all kinds of things, for both of us. Not that I'm anywhere near actually caught up; I think I could live to be 102 and I still wouldn't be caught up. But that's life. And I doubt the planet as we know it will last that long anyway, at this rate.

So many pressures, so little time or resources. It's not just us; it's everyone. Things are grim here, and everywhere, and there's frankly so little we can do anymore about any of it. So we just do the next right thing, and the next, and the next. And curse the monsters who've brought the world to this pass, and do it profanely and thoroughly.

At least we've made a couple of sales in the last week, so there's that. I just can't get any time to do my work. Because all the work has to get done: the housework, the paperwork [including some bureaucratic bullshit that we shouldn't be having to deal with, but the state is nothing if not venal], the sales work, everything. And everything still has to get paid, and after paying out taxes in cash, in full, and now this past week's costs? We've got to recover a lot of that if we're going to make it through the year. And we've got to maintain it, because we've also got big costs [the side exterior door, for one; the flue cleanings for another; and a set of tires for the truck for a third] immediately ahead. But I have got to get us caught up on this awful year in terms of sales. Two new pairs of earrings going up hopefully later tonight [::sigh:: no, they're STILL not up, because see above], and there's a ton of newish work on the site. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [and I'm going to be adding new items, because we are literally tapped out; right now, we're almost out of chile and traditional wild rice, both of which are at the top and top priority];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

How the Earth Leafs, Blooms, and Breathes

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for the monsoonal patterns arrived so early now, for how the sky becomes the rain and the power of the medicine that results. It's a pair of earrings wrought in an old traditional style, a shimmering reminder of how the earth leafs, blooms, and breathes. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're two weeks into May already; having sent payment in cash, in full, to the IRS, we are tapped out, and now we badly need to get caught up and recover some of that ground. That begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail.

 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monsters.

Photo copyright Aji , 2026; all rights reserved.

Wings was chopping firewood off to the right just out of the shot's range. Meanwhile, this is what the children, I mean monsters, were doing.

Lazy bums, LOL. They run this joint. They just let us live in it [and wait on them hand and foot, or paw and paw, or whatever].

I knew today as going to be a mess because I had to pick up scrips, and of course, it was. Not the pharmacy itself; I actually didn't have to wait too long, because they know their stuff there and keep it moving. No, it was everything else. Anyway, here I am, nothing of my work done, and despite no sleep, I'll be at it until late.

At least we've made a couple of sales in the last week, so there's that. I just can't get any time to do my work. Because all the work has to get done: the housework, the paperwork [including some bureaucratic bullshit that we shouldn't be having to deal with, but the state is nothing if not venal], the sales work, everything. And everything still has to get paid, and after paying out taxes in cash, in full, and now this past week's costs? We've got to recover a lot of that if we're going to make it through the year. And we've got to maintain it, because we've also got big costs [the side exterior door, for one; the flue cleanings for another; and a set of tires for the truck for a third] immediately ahead. But I have got to get us caught up on this awful year in terms of sales. Two new pairs of earrings going up hopefully later tonight [::sigh:: no, they're STILL not up, because see above], and there's a ton of newish work on the site. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [and I'm going to be adding new items, because we are literally tapped out; right now, we're almost out of chile and traditional wild rice, both of which are at the top and top priority];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: What Blossoms From the Season's Heart

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a classic work that embodies what gifts we receive from the heart of the sky. It's a classic belt buckle in tailored form, set with an extraordinary Skystone and ringed with freehand score- and stampwork, reminding us the breath and life are also what blossoms from the season's heart.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're two weeks into May already; having sent payment in cash, in full, to the IRS, we are tapped out, and now we badly need to get caught up and recover some of that ground. That begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Snoozy.

Photo copyright Aji,, 2026; all rights reserved.

Today felt like May, finally — like early summer, warm, quiet, and mellow. The monsters agreed: That's Cricket, the feral, in the background, and twp of the 'lorps, Peony on the left and Jade on the right. Everybody's snoozy.

If only I had time to do the same, but no. 

Today I'm late with everything because I spent the day catching up on a lot of household stuff that I'd planned to do yesterday, but it was too cold and wet and windy and miserable. There's a lot more to do, too, natch. 

No wonder I'm tired. 

At least we've made a couple of sales in the last week, so there's that. I just can't get any time to do my work. Because all the work has to get done: the housework, the paperwork [including some bureaucratic bullshit that we shouldn't be having to deal with, but the state is nothing if not venal], the sales work, everything. And everything still has to get paid, and after paying out taxes in cash, in full, and now this past week's costs? We've got to recover a lot of that if we're going to make it through the year. And we've got to maintain it, because we've also got big costs [the side exterior door, for one; the flue cleanings for another; and a set of tires for the truck for a third] immediately ahead. But I have got to get us caught up on this awful year in terms of sales. Two new pairs of earrings going up hopefully later tonight [::sigh:: no, they're STILL not up, because see above], and there's a ton of newish work on the site. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [and I'm going to be adding new items, because we are literally tapped out; right now, we're almost out of chile and traditional wild rice, both of which are at the top and top priority];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.