And we're the lucky ones.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

The last day of September, and it was all clouds and fog and storm. It was beautiful. It was also powerful, and I mean that literally as much as metaphorically. It's still raining out there  now, at nearly 10:30 at night, and after three days of this, it's now at the point where it's pooling on the surface of the ground, and everything's running with rivers of mud.

And we're the lucky ones. There are mudslides blocking the pass to Red River, rockfalls south in the Canyon, apparently a landslide north of Albuquerque, a dam failure predicted down in Doña Ana County, and a bridge failure between Magdalena and Socorro that has the road closed both directions, and the only detour is an extra 287 miles. Yes, you read that right. Two hundred and eighty-seven extra miles. People don't realize what distances really are out here.

But today's been a day. It was San G at the Pueblo, but we weren't going anyway, and definitely not in this weather. We had to get labs done, both of us [preparatory to finding new docs], I had to pick up a referral, and there were other tasks that couldn't wait, especially given the messy weather. The good news is that apparently not only was my referral already transmitted to the new rheumatologist; she apparently had already asked for, and also had already gotten, my medical records transferred, too. So presumably that means that all I have to do tomorrow is call up and schedule a first appointment.

Today was busy enough, and chaotic enough, to keep my mind largely off the markers.  Nineteen years ago this afternoon, we had to say goodbye to our first dog jointly, BearGirl. It was brutal [and entirely unnecessary, but certain folks were negligent, and by the time we found out, it was too late]. She was a big, beautiful Newfie, and I held her across my lap on the ground while Ted handled the injection, Wings petting her constantly. I still remember the very first day I arrived up here, when she and Hunter saw me drive and came barreling across the north field at me, and tried to climb into the car under my feet. They let me know right then, in no uncertain terms, that I belonged to them now.

There are better markers, too, but right now, all the current stresses seem to be crowding them out. At least part of them medical stuff is resolved, but we've got a half-dozen other major things to resolve, too, mostly external crap that should have nothing to do with us, but bureaucrats . . . .

And I've still got to bring in a lot more sales through the end of the year. This year has been hellishly expensive already, and we've also got a couple of other big-ticket things to take care of this month, and that only happens if we make some sales now. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [I'll be adding some new items soon, things we could really use but that I can't justify spending money on right now, like some sheets and towels];
• 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, a year that, so far, has 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.

Fall's Blue Skies and Sunlight

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for the more ordinary conditions of this time of year, and for the dance of the dawn spirits that has remained veiled from view on recent mornings. It's an extraordinary necklace wrought in a classic figurative style and set with eight separate gems, a reminder that, current weather notwithstanding, fall's blue skies and sunlight are never actually far away from us.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We still have to ensure that we break even on the year, and 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.

Red Willow Spirit: When Earth Meets Sky In Shadow and Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for these final days of September, for the events they mark, and for the space and place and season that is the focus now. It's three spectacularly apt images linked by two related works of wearable art, all of them capturing that moment when earth meets sky in shadow and light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We still have to ensure that we break even on the year, and 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.

All rain, all the time.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

That was this morning, with fog drifting through a break in the rain on the slopes. We've had a couple such breaks, but it's been mostly all rain, all the time.

It's supposed to be all rain, all the time past midnight tomorrow night, too [meaning Thursday morning].

Out of order tonight because today has been a day, in none of the good ways, and I haven't even gotten to my real work yet. Tomorrow will also be a mess, starting first thing in the morning. I've had no time to chase sales, or help in the studio, or anything, and my skyrocketing pain levels are not helping with any of it.

And I've still got to bring in a lot more sales through the end of the year. This year has been hellishly expensive already, and we've also got a couple of other big-ticket things to take care of this month, and that only happens if we make some sales now. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [I'll be adding some new items soon, things we could really use but that I can't justify spending money on right now, like some sheets and towels];
• 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, a year that, so far, has 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.

Weirdnesses.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

All sorts of weirdnesses today:  brilliant dawn rainbow in the southwest [once unheard-of, at time of year, time of day, or direction]; asperitas clouds in the north and east at mid-morning; a gigantic storm system overhead now, one unlikely to budge all night.

I guess this is that Super El Niño the media have treated like clickbait. 

I would be very happy, though, to have fewer weirdnesses health-wise, but I don't think, at this point, that that's ever going to improve. The weekend was so bad, I don't even have words for it. Today as chemo day, and I upped my dose again, because clearly the lower one's not cutting it, and that may be why I managed a little better today, despite it making me feel generally crappy overall. This was not the time ot lose my doctor, or my medical practice, but here we fucking are.

I can't be this sick. I mean, I can't. I don't have time. I've got too much to do every damn day as it is, but everything just keeps getting worse and worse. And I've still got to bring in a lot more sales through the end of the year. This year has been hellishly expensive already, and we've also got a couple of other big-ticket things to take care of this month, and that only happens if we make some sales now. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [I'll be adding some new items soon, things we could really use but that I can't justify spending money on right now, like some sheets and towels];
• 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, a year that, so far, has 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.

Monday Photo Meditation: The Autumn Sun That Lights Clay and Wood and Earth Alike

Photo copyright Wings, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Monday Photo Meditation for this final work of what the world knows as September, for celebratory traditions of abundance that the outside world fails to notice. It's a photo that Wings shot on film some fourteen years ago, in October of 2012, capturing the priceless beauty of the autumn sun that lights clay and wood and earth alike.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We still have to ensure that we break even on the year, and 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 change in the weather.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

First indications of a change in the weather. We also have a flash-flood watch from noon tomorrow into Wednesday morning.

Again. 

::Sigh:: what a miserable weekend. Every day, I've felt worse than the last.  And every day, I've had to spend time on what other people want instead of what I intended to do. I've gotten literally nothing accomplished that I had planned to get caught up this weekend, and this week is going to be a problem.

Add to that that not only do I not feel better, I actually feel very much worse, and . . . I can't be this sick. I mean, I can't. I don't have time. I've got too much to do every damn day as it is. And I've still got to bring in a lot more sales through the end of the year. This year has been hellishly expensive already, and we've also got a couple of other big-ticket things to take care of this month, and that only happens if we make some sales now. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [I'll be adding some new items soon, things we could really use but that I can't justify spending money on right now, like some sheets and towels];
• 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, a year that, so far, has 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.