Eight Years.

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

At a little after one in the afternoon.

Every year at the exact time, I put cedar where her ashes are scattered. I had to do it early this year, because at a little after one, we were at the hospital radiology department.

MRIs are done. It took an hour and a half; three hours total at the hospital; four hours before we got home. Now we wait for results, and see what they'll do about Wings's knees.

Meanwhile, I have a crowdfunding page to launch tomorrow morning; we have a house to try to get built; we have what promises to be a harsh and early winter to get through. Changes coming, big ones.

We'll need BearGirl's spirit along the way. 

Eight years, and I still miss that little girl like it was today.

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.

Introduction, Chapter 4; First Line:

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

It’s not long before they migrate a small distance further, to another small, cold house a few blocks away.

When migration is forced by powers greater than your own, you have sometimes have to go wears others take you. Sometimes, you leave ghosts behind you on the path.

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.

To Live Our Dreams Awake

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a powerful female spirit with much to teach us about navigating this threshold season, and the other threshold spaces of our lives, including that awakening line between consciousness and dreams. It's one of my all-time favorites among Wings's work, but she needs to find her home.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. I chose this piece for today in part because of what I happen to know is in the works: Wings's newest endeavors incorporate these colors and the stones that embody them, and if all goes well, I'll bring them to you this weekend. For now, sales are badly needed, and so shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated. As always, inquiries via the Contact form.

Programming note: Migration will be late today, possibly very late. After an effort that has spanned eight solid years, we have at last gotten approval for MRIs for Wings's knees, and they're being done today. I'll be with him throughout the process, and we have no idea how long that will take (the hospital is not known for being particularly fast). From midday onward, expect to see me only when you see me.

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.

Introduction, Chapter 3; First Line:

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

And so begins her new life, what she knows of it, anyway, in this hard, harsh, cold desert place.

There are hard lessons along a migratory path: new languages, new people, new customs, new climate. Some lessons teach by example — and some by the example of what not to do. 



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: Born to the Purple, for a Red People

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's another royal purple edition in our ongoing Tuesday series on Jewels and Gems. Today, it's a rare stone from another land, but one that has surprising tangible and symbolic links to us in ways I didn't expect. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. The two turtles shown in the post were commissioned works, and obviously long since sold, but the slab shown at the bottom remains in his inventory of gemstones. If it speaks to your spirit, he can create a work uniquely your own; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We need steady sales badly right now, so shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.

Gifts of the Leaves Turning Moon

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

So, I got a bunch of shots of last night's blood moon.

It may have been a so-called supermoon elsewhere, but here, it was as far away as ever — hell, farther away than the one-day-off-full moon of the night before.

it was also remarkably un-blood-red. More a warm rose, with undertones of coral and the occasional hint of brick. Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

It was too cold to stay outside and get past-peak photos. My bones can't handle that anymore, and I overdid it as it is.

Still, I did get one shot yesterday that made me especially proud, and I'm far more jazzed about it than any of the others:

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Memeskoniniisi.

The raptors are here virtually daily now, and in far greater diversity than ever before.

They are warriors, and they give me strength and courage and power. And I need all the help I can get.



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.

Introduction, Chapter 2; First Line:

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

They stay at the motor court for what seems a small lifetime, probably only a few weeks, but long enough for it to become normal to her, a home of sorts.

Migration teaches of life in ways you can never anticipate. You learn that who you think is a friend may be your assailant; you learn that safer friends may yet be kept from you by force; you learn the power of loneliness.

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: A Feast of Form and Shadow

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's our Monday Photo Meditation to mark a week that includes celebration and feasting. Of course, the post itself gets at deeper issues, viewed through the lens of Wings's own perspective on form and shadow and cultural overlays and what remains constant beneath it all.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, photos are available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, shares of the site links are much needed right now and much appreciated. 

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.

Fires of Various Sorts

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Yes, this one's mine. The one you're thinking of is this one from a year ago almost to the day.  Wings caught his shot of the young female on September 19, 2014, on the north endpost of that section of fence; I got mine of the young male on September 24, 2015, on the matching south endpost.

I will not be around much, beyond the daily blog posts on Wings's site and my own Migration entries on Tumblr. I am having a hellishly hard time right now juggling everything.

Besides battling a bug, I'm titrating off one remedy I was taking, and it's causing me huge difficulties. On top of that are all the usual AI issues (spiking pain, and I do mean spiking, chronic fatigue, migraines, lack of sleep, cognitive issues), plus the newer anemia/hypoglycemia problems. We need to carve out time for winterization of this place, since we'll clearly be stuck here for another winter, which is now coming at us fast. And there's no end to the daily things that need to get done. I'm having greater problems maintaining than usual right now, in part due to the emotional lability titration and pain and fatigue cause; I am mourning the loss, the erasure, of my past in ways and to a degree I never would have thought possible

On top of that, Wings is, at long last (long as in 8 or 9 years long) getting MRIs on his knees on Wednesday, so most of my day then will be consumed with that. [Yes, he's going to need surgery on both. This is preparatory to scheduling the which and the when and the how.] Good news, but should've been handled nearly a decade ago, when we first began this process.

I'm going to try to launch the first stage of our youcaring fundraiser for the house on Thursday; October 1st seems like a good date for it. This is very preliminary, only for a couple grand or so, to get a space filled and leveled and graded and the gallery building moved onto it, and then to get a much larger order of fill deposited and leveled and graded on the old house site. [At the moment, the gallery is in a corner of the space where our old house used to be, and it will have to be moved.] But post-electrical fire, I am determined to make this happen. We've used up our free shot, and I have no illusions that we would be so lucky in the event of any "next time." 

In the meantime, we still need to make sales, and most of my hours that are not spent on physical labor around here are devoted to that end, since this is the season when tourism drops off precipitously. 

All this is by way of explaining why I'm going to be mostly unavailable for much but the barest minimum, and probably for a good long while. For now, there are always links to share with your networks that will help in the meantime:

• Most obviously, Wings's site. We can always use sales, and we prefer that, actually. Right now, we need sales, desperately.

• "Subscribing," in a sense, to my own writing and imagery, here or here. I've abandoned the Patreon site, since it appears that it is no more user-friendly for potential patrons than it is for me, and most folks seem to prefer using PayPal anyway. But you can support good writing and good storytelling at via the "Donate" links at either site. I guarantee you that you'll see things from perspectives you haven't conceived before. [Photos posted there may also be purchased individually, too.]

• Our Amazon wish list. A few caveats: Most of what's on here is for the animals; rescues come with myriad health issues, and these are what keep ours alive (and, in She-Wolf's case, sighted). These are generally feed and supplements that see constant use, "refilled" anywhere from every one to four months or so. Some folks have generously already sent us items from it; those that need not be refilled until the first of the year or so have been removed from the list for now. There are a couple of other things on there for Wings: the agave, which is much better for his glycemic load, but not available locally in bulk size and thus extraordinarily expensive here; and the camera lens set. The lens is on there mostly so that I don't forget what model it is, because there's absolutely no way we will ever be able to afford 2-3 times the cost of the camera for it, but someday we may come across a used/refurbished model that will work. The other item is a digital storage drive for me (and at some point, I need to add an electric blanket, because ours has now given up the ghost, but I have no time to research them at the moment for a good deal).

I will probably be offline for the rest of the evening, barring notification of a purchase inquiry from Wings's site. The week promises to be hectic, to put it mildly, so expect to see me when you see me (and maybe not even then). If all goes as planned, the youcaring page will launch on Thursday, and I'll be asking everyone to share the link then. My overarching goal is for us to survive, and that means no more fires, and that means getting out of this place and into something more permanent.

Thanks.

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 Spirits Dance Beneath Blood Moon Skies

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an all-new work by Wings, completed just in time for tonight's celestial dance of the spirits. He's been working on them for a couple of weeks, but the choice of stones (not his first, as it happens), turned out to be a stroke of genius, of serendipity and synchronicity. These feature uniquely hand-made settings, without some of the usual findings, and they are amazing.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site Contact form. And, as always, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.



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.

Introduction, Chapter 1; First Line:

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

The first stage of her migration passes in a blaze of bright winter sun.

Migrations aren't always a journey in a straight line. Sometimes, they're not even progress.



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.

Migration. Introduction: Departure. First Line:

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

It began with her father angrily throwing their belongings in the back of the car.

We are a people whose story is rooted in migration. Sometimes, the migration becomes very personal indeed: forced, without options, over burning bridges and boundless backtracks. This was the beginning of mine.


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 past is gone; the future will not be; all there is is now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

The place that I lightly fictionalized into Hunger Road? I know now that that will be my only way of going back. It doesn't exist anymore.

I made the mistake last night of looking it up on the satellite view of Google maps. Everything has been razed to make way for the dull brown fields of factory farms.

House. Barn. Shed. Orchard. Pond. Marsh. Raspberry patch. Cherry tree. Weeping willow. The trees that lined the road.

All gone. All of it.

Also, the house where I was born, backed by my father's garage? Razed to make way for a parking lot. My history. Erased.

I sat here and wept.

The only place home exists is in memory, and in my spirit.

It was not this way only months ago, although the changes had begun. But this has occurred only since I began writing, and my grief is a profound and indescribable thing.

I have wept intermittently all day. I didn't realize the extent of the hold the place had on my heart, on my soul, something far deeper than flesh and blood and bone. I also didn't realize it, but I suppose I was hoping, against all hope, that someday I would be able to return, just for a moment, to bring Wings and show him the land that was my own soul and spirit, the earth beneath me feet and the life that flourished upon it that was my own life, that gave me life.

Now all that remain are the ghosts of the trees — oh, yes, far more than merely the maples; virtually all of them, all along the road — the ghosts of earth and water and sky. Even those ghosts exist only as shimmering reflections, their edges softened, shortened, lengthened by the middle distance of memory, like the image of the willow in the pond that is no longer there.

We say there is a bridge to cross between the worlds. The only bridges I have found are the ones I have built on faith and the aid of Spirit. Some burn even as I cross, flames licking at the soles of my moccasins; others become walled up, denying me a way back.

I cannot bring myself to return to the place of my birth, nor to the place the immediately followed Hunger Road. It's too close, this knowledge that it is all gone, the wound too deep. And so, the next story picks up with my departure from that latter place, a forced migration of my child's body and spirit.

It's a long story, one that I may only be able to tell in pieces. I have no future in the sense that most people consider theirs, since I have no children. The past is gone; nothing there remains. All there is is now.

The ghosts that live in my memory are my only bridge now between the worlds of my past and present. Perhaps this is the lesson Grandfather has been trying to teach me. But our story is a story of migration, and my own migration is not yet complete. There are bridges of the spirit yet to cross.

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. 

When the Dawn Sky Opens Like a Flower

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of Wings's works of longer standing, yet still current . . . and in this season, very, very timely. It's also far more modestly priced than what his work commands, so folks in the market for bolos should snap it up while they can. There won't be any more of his at this price point.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Contact form for inquiries. As always, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.

Trickster, teacher, bringer of light, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

the Juniper Bird is guardian and guide, a spirit that flies the interstices to cross the bridge between the worlds.

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: In the Color of the Fire's Golden Glow

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's our last Friday Feature for the month of September. We end the month with one of my favorites among our friend Randy's small vintage-style carvings, this one, of one of the fall and winter spirits that visit us in this place.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the Contact form. Sales are much needed right now, and shares of the site links are much appreciated.



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.

A Visit from an Ancestor

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

It's been a week since I wrapped up Hunger Road . . . and a week since Grandfather last appeared here in this place, in this form.

The last few days have been extraordinarily difficult physically: in part due to the drastic change in the weather; in part due to the workload we both carry. When my body is this worn out, my mind is not far behind, and it has been increasingly hard to do all that needs to be done.

When that happens, my cognitive abilities teeter and plunge, and my mood with them.   

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

By this evening, the fatigue had set fully in, bone-deep. So had the mental and spiritual exhaustion. In recent months, it has been just when I am at such a low ebb that Grandfather appears . . . but for a week, he has been entirely absent.

I slung my camera around my neck before trudging up the long drive to shut the gate; it's not uncommon to see small evening birds or other good subjects, so it's become a habit. As I headed toward the drive, I looked wistfully toward the post in the round pen, always one of his favorite perches. It was empty, as it has been for these past seven days. 

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

His last appearance coincided with my concluding of the telling of at least part of his story, and it seemed then like a benediction, a blessing, an assurance that I had done as he would have wanted, and done it well. he gave me the one thing he never had before: the ability to capture his image in flight.

As I walked past the carport, the post was fully in sight, empty. In that brief second, I felt myself wishing, rather sadly, that he would return, wondering whether last week would turn out to be his final appearance for the season . . . or for good. Suddenly in my mind, his voice (which I have never heard in life, only in dream states) came clear and plain: "When you need me, I'll be there."

Two steps later, and he was there. It was, quite literally, nothing more than the blink of an eye or the beat of a bird's wing, certainly not enough time for me to miss the sight of a raptor alighting upon it.

Yet, one moment he was not there; the next, he was. It was as though he materialized out of the sunlight itself.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

I took a few distance shots, then went up to close the gate. He was waiting for me upon my return. He gave me some twenty minutes and scores of shots, turning this way and that, allowing me to capture him from virtually every angle. Most of the time, he stared directly at me, particularly when I spoke aloud. The bird knows the old tongue — how, I cannot begin to understand, but he responds to it far more readily than he does to English.

And so, while last week was an ending of sorts, it clearly was not final. I think that I will see him yet again. And while my body aches, my spirit hurts no longer.

For now, I am linked to my ancestor, even two thousand miles from our ancestral home, and my spirit soars with 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.

His black cloak bears hidden white, . . .

Photo  copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

this Juniper Bird who is performer, comedian, teacher, tutor, guide.



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: The World As Sacred Space

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, we go back in time four years, to a very special commissioned work for very dear friends. It's a piece built around a stone that is one of a kind; neither of us has ever seen anything like it, before or since. And while the stone is obviously not replicable, the general design is. Wings never duplicates pieces; he believes firmly that each one must be unique to its wearer. However, if the overall design of this bolo speaks to you, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; he can create an individualized work that is wholly your own.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated. 

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.

After feasting, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

the Juniper Bird decides to make friends, introducing himself with a feathery shake of the hand.

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.

A Soft Dawn of Autumn

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of my absolute favorites among Wings's current body of work, a piece that's been calling to me for days. I had thought, for the first official day of Autumn, to feature something more fiery and Fall-like in color, but as you'll see from the post, this one turns out be especially apt for this place on this particular morning. When something speaks to me so insistently, I have learned to listen; perhaps it's time for this work to find its home.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the Contact form. As always, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.

Curious, perspicacious, agile and acute, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

the Juniper Bird conducts a corvid dialectic, and we both learn.

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: Purple Asters and Autumn Twilight

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a purple edition of our Tuesday series on Jewels and Gems: everything from mulberry to lilac to violet to plum, autumn jewels of the desert earth and sky. It's a stone that suffers from misidentification and mispronunciation, often mistaken for amethyst and given an American English distortion of a name rooted in Japanese, one that deserves far greater respect.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Of the images shown in the post,only the beads at the bottom remain in Wings's current inventory, but if it speaks to your spirit (and that flat center bead should sing to anyone), simply inquire via the site's Contact form. He can make a commissioned work unique to you, either by converting these to cabochons or by special-ordering the stone already cut in cabochon form. And, as always, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.

IGotItIGotItIGotItIGotIt!!!!

Sometimes, you get lucky. Sometimes, Spirit just gives you a gift.

Yesterday, we finally got to meet a client of many years in person; he came with his son to see us in person yesterday. The man is a warrior, and the brilliant young man who is his son shows every sign of possessing the same strength of spirit.

Our friend fights for some of the country's most marginalized persons. He told us yesterday that when he gets to the point of public advocacy, he's done all of his spiritual preparation over the long term, and at that point, he's going to war. When I took photos of the two of them with Wings, I said I was getting photos of my three warriors, and I wasn't joking.

Some time after they left late yesterday, I went outside with my camera to try to get a shot of something entirely unrelated to the images here. While walking to the southwest, I caught a glimpse of a pair of large and powerful wings taking off from the field — just a glimpse; no more than an impression, really. It could have been a very large raven, or it could have been the ferruginous hawk who has begun to visit. I followed along my line of sight, hoping to find where he landed; it was a raptor, and he had perched atop my gnarled and twisted little tree at the south fence. I began shooting (at a very great distance, full zoom), and got off four halfway-decent shots before he took flight again. I went inside happy to have a few new shots of the being I've taken to calling Uncle Ferruginous.

Then I uploaded them. 

I had to ask Wings to be entirely sure what I had.

It's an immature (indeed, very young) golden eagle. The telltale line of white dots angling along the wing against the rich golden brown are one giveaway. But the real ell came with a look at the underside of the tailfeathers: where on a hawk bars or bands appear, these were white with trademark brown swatches and speckles at the ends. When he took off, his extraordinarily large and powerful legs, looking like fringed chaps, were visible, and he had the yellow talons and edging on his beak; he also bears the upturned wingtips in flight that are the mark of Eagle (and Vulture).

Giniw. The War Eagle.  

I was so delighted to have my first clear shots of an eagle, I couldn't ask for more. That alone was such a gift, such a blessing. I also didn't expect him to return; that would be entirely too much to ask, so I simply gave thanks for yesterday's momentary visitation and the gift of his image.

Today, I went outside for morning prayers a bit later than I normally prefer. As I walked to my designated spot, I noticed a large dark spot back in the tree. I hoped it was him, but had no confidence that it was; more, I had no confidence that he would still be there when I was finished. Still, I didn't abandon my current task in favor of getting my camera; certain obligations must be fulfilled in the proper way, without rushing or delaying them.

When I was done, I looked: He was still there. Now I went for the camera. He let me get more than halfway across the field, still shooting. And then, I was rewarded with the shot I've never been able to get in my life:

I had to cross two fields to get back, and I wouldn't swear that my own feet touched the ground the entire distance. I danced inside, practically hopping up and down with joy. Of course, I had to wake Wings to show him: "IGotItIGotItIGotItIGotIt!!!!"

Sometimes, spirits bring you luck, a reward, or simply a wonderful, glorious gift.



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.

No foretelling, foreboding, foreshadowing of doom, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

the Juniper Bird sits atop a wall, now a member of the family, conversing and communing . . . evermore.

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: To Revel In the Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's our Monday Photo Meditation for the week of the autumnal equinox. These are some of Wings's older works, shot on film — and, given the season and the accompanying interplay of color, light, and shadow, part of one of my favorites among his photo series.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, photos are available for purchase in any of the three usual formats; simply inquire via the Contact form. Also as always, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.

Neither sentry nor spirit standing guard, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

a Juniper Bird who serves instead as scout and student, conversationalist and teacher — and possibly, as new resident and friend.

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.

A Fusing of Extremes

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the companion to the piece we featured yesterday, and a beautiful work in its own right. It also comes, today, at least, with a story about the birds and the lessons they can teach us.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the Contact form. As always, we need to make sales, so shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.

Part trickster, part creature of the sun, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

the Juniper Bird is really a Trader, and a wholly honorable spirit. 

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.

An Emissary of Fire and Ice

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an elemental piece cast in a whole new light. That re-envisioning is due entirely to the appearance here this morning of the raptor I've taken to calling Uncle Ferruginous, who's been showing up daily for the better part of a week now. He gave me a new way of looking at what has long been one of my favorite pieces, one where Wings has executed the sort of bold and flawless precision stampwork for which his larger body of work is known.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, inquiries via the Contact form. And, of course, shares of the site links are much needed and much appreciated.

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.