Ajijaakwe: May 2018

Thursday, May 31, 2018

About the only I accomplished today was voting. Sales and shares and a lot of new Patreon subscribers badly needed.

I was voter #1,367 at the county clerk's office (Wings was #1,366) . . . over a three-week period. Yeah, some folks voted absentee, etc., but the woman staffing the machine told me this is the slowest she's ever seen it, and she's been doing this for years. So much for people bothering to do anything about the Nazis running this shitshow.

Yeah, I know; I don't do political activism anymore. I don't have the health, time, or frankly money for it anymore. And voting is the absolute least anyone can do. At least we do it. For those who are registered, there's not much excuse for failing to do it (absent, you know, hospitalization or similar, etc.). Especially since a lot of our forebears paid for this right in blood. But . . . ::shrug:: apparently most folks can't be bothered. And we do have some contested primaries: The governor's race matters state-wide, along with the land commissioner's post, as do the sheriff's race and certain local commission and other races here. This doesn't inspire confidence.

It's been a day anyway. Indian Killer Telecom went out, and I lost more than two hours' worth of prime work time just as I sat down to, you know, work. A server problem, allegedly, but it's the same goddamn overload and understructure problem they've had all this time. They're quick enough to cut off your service if you're one day late, but do they reimburse for all their own-fault outages? Of course not. Much less get rid of that fucking name.

My pain levels haven't receded any, so the outage on top of everything else (including the constant dunning from medical creditors, which is shortening my life by the day under the circumstances) has put me in a mood. It also means that I really don't feel much like talking about any of it. But we need to bring in more income, and I can't do that when this kind of thing keeps happening.

I really need to double my Patreon subscriptions (dollar-wise) to get some of the stress that's also killing me off my shoulders. Sales would help, too; Wings has new earrings in the works, and hopefully I'll be able to post them by the weekend, provided nothing else disrupts everything. Here are the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

As always, I have more writing, more editing, and more general work to do, and I have to get back on it (and yes, at the moment, again, that which falls into the "general work" category has to come first). Thank you to everyone. I know I owe replies to a bunch of you, and other stuff, too. I'm going to be late with everything, because just breathing is taking up so much time and effort these days that it puts me even more behind than I already am. If I'm lucky, I'll be back later to put something new up on my Patreon for subscribers. Or not. I had a a whole essay in my head, wiped out by more than two hours of battling with our connection. Yeah, I'm crabby.

#ThrowbackThursday: A Storm-Lit Cascade

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a work from two years ago almost to the month, one commissioned by a dear friend who wanted Wings to create a pair of earrings that appeared to her in a dream. The result was a work of visionary force, rain and light come together in a storm-lit cascade of incredible power and otherworldly beauty.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. These were one-of-a-king, of course, and will never be duplicated exactly, but if the style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own (and he will do so far faster for you than for me, as the text jokingly makes clear). And as always, sales are very much needed (especially now; hounding from the medical creditors is endless), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Yes, that's a vulture; he likes things quick and dirty, like this post. Subscribers, sales, and shares all badly needed.

This is going to be quick. There are days when the physical pain is just too much, and this is one of them. Coupled with the fact that I now have to live with the constant knowledge that, without a lot more testing and a diagnosis and therefore appropriate treatment, any one of these episodes could be my last, and I'm not feeling much like talking about anything right now.

I really need to double my Patreon subscriptions (dollar-wise) to get some of the stress that's also killing me off my shoulders. Sales would help, too. Here are the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

The Illuminating Power of a Centering Sky

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of Wings's newest works, just completed two nights ago. It's the latest entry in his signature Warrior Woman series, one that reminds us of the illuminating power of a centering sky at a time when the whole world requires focus and clarity.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with medical bills still staggeringly high and testing postponed), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Summer is finally showing itself, but tourism/sales are way down. Sales, subscribers, and shares all badly needed.

That was one of the last aspens to leaf out, just within the last couple of weeks. It's finally starting to look summery around here. Now I just need time (and cooperative joints) to get the gardens planted.

A ton of stuff going on here today, all ordinary, but enough to leave me pressed for time, so the rest is mostly cut-and-paste.

I posted Wings's new Warrior Woman pins last night. One is already spoken for, but the other (gorgeous lapis) is still available. Just like the new rings (scroll down a few posts), it would do us a great deal of good to be able to sell everything new (and the existing inventory, too, of course). The holiday weekend was decidedly low on sales (the Warrior Woman being the only one), which means that I'll be chasing sales all of this week, given that this past week saw a truly massive (for us, at least) outlay on medical bills. It barely put a dent in the total, too. After I added it all up, it turns out the total was more than $30K. Three small ones are paid off; four more are reduced to $2K or less apiece; and the three hospital bills? They total somewhere upward of $23K still. And I still can't schedule the next round of tests. Ideally, I'd like to pull in enough to pay off those $2K or less ones over the next couple of weeks, which (without pulling the bills; just adding in my head) amounts to around $3,500 total, give or take.

So. We need to make sales. Current goal is that $3,500, so if I could double my Patreon subscription total, that would bring that number down to $1,500-ish. In addition to these two, Wings has several new things in the works; the problem is cadging studio time. But we also need to sell our current inventory, because it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). I really need to double my Pateon subscription totals to cover this, because as I've said above, I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. No, I'm not going to schedule it until I've got the collectors off my back at least somewhat; that round will be cash on the barrelhead, four figures right up front before they'll even handle my intake form, and there's just no way. My next Patreon goal is doubling it, and May subscriptions are billed day after tomorrow, so please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

Red Willow Spirit: To Show Love, to Seek Wisdom, to Live Well In the Light

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for dark days such as these. In the face of blinding sunlight and no rain, it's a contemplation of ways to build a better-illuminated world, reminding us that it is our task to show love, to seek wisdom, to live well in the light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. It's all photos today, and as always with Wings's work, they're available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with last week's terrible medical bill outlay and the hounding resuming again this morning), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Two New Warriors

All right, I sorta/kinda promised two new warriors for tonight, so here they are. Technically, Wings created four new ones, but two were for specific commissions; these two are for regular inventory. They are beautiful — and powerful.

The one above is called A Centering Sky, a reference to the color of the cabochon and the symbolism of the stampwork. You can read the full description here.

The second one is also a first of sorts: the first time he's used this particular motif in repetition. He's used the stamp semi-regularly, but in this instance, the chased pattern creates the look of a warrior's breastplate. It's also a recognition that beauty, strength, and power can all grow and blossom even in dark times. You can read its description here.

Prices are the same as always; you can order via the Contact form. I have not yet written a separate blog post for these two, so please share the gallery entries; it would help a lot if these two found their homes fast.

Dangerous little monsters. Sales, Patreon subscribers, and shares all very much still needed.

They look so innocent, don't they?

Especially these two:

They're not.

The little Crow Monster, there on the right, along with some help from Coyote and Raven, managed to injure me first thing this morning. I get halfway down (not even halfway; try the top) the stairs and Raven's already whining and dancing to be let out. The two monster twins are outside whining and dancing to be let in. And because Raven gets turfy, I make him stay behind me while I push them away from the door. It's the first thing I do in the morning, and today reminded me why that's such a staggeringly bad idea.

Or, rather, falling-down bad. Because while I was scooping the two pups out of the way, Crow made another pass and got her foot wedged under mine just as I was putting it down. I didn't even get a chance to put any weight on it, so she wasn't hurt, just startled, but it knocked me off balance and I slammed forward face-first; my ankles doubled over and hit the deck first, then knees and hands simultaneously, all bearing the full brunt of my weight in a split second.

I'm not moving so well now today.

The vet came out to look at Shade, because she's showing disturbing signs of her mother's Cushing's. The vet still thinks it's allergy, but her liver enzymes are elevated, so labs anyway and some compounded allergy shots. Gah. I have no idea what this going to run. And needless to say, I was not out there to hold her this time; between yesterday's huge episode flare (still ongoing) and today's fall, it took everything I had just to go along with Wings to pick up supplies in town. I didn't even have to carry anything, and it still wiped me out. I hope this is just a flare and not a permanent change, because I am seriously not up for this over the long term yet.

Wings has a couple of new pieces, both Warrior Woman pins, that will probably be done tonight, and if I can, I'll get them up on the site. Actually, he has four of them, but two were commissioned, so they'll each be going elsewhere; I'll post the other two as soon as I can. Just like the new rings (scroll down four posts), it would do us a great deal of good to be able to sell all of them, too. My focus this whole long weekend was supposed to be on making sales (haha, yeah, I can barely walk, but whatever, and tourism is way off and nobody's buying), because this past week saw a truly massive (for us, at least) outlay on medical bills. It barely put a dent in the total, too. After I added it all up, it turns out the total was more than $30K. Three small ones are paid off; four more are reduced to $2K or less apiece; and the three hospital bills? They total somewhere upward of $23K still. And I still can't schedule the next round of tests. Ideally, I'd like to pull in enough to pay off those $2K or less ones over the next couple of weeks, which (without pulling the bills; just adding in my head) amounts to around $3,500 total, give or take.

So. We need to make sales. In addition to these two, Wings has several new things in the works; the problem is cadging studio time. But we also need to sell our current inventory, because it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). I really need to double my Pateon subscription totals to cover this, because as I've said above, I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. No, I'm not going to schedule it until I've got the collectors off my back at least somewhat; that round will be cash on the barrelhead, four figures right up front before they'll even handle my intake form, and there's just no way. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

Monday Photo Meditation: The Colors of Love and the Shape of the Light

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a holiday that we neither recognize nor observe, one in which the dominant culture's motifs are reminders of pain and loss. On this day, in this year, in the face of the ugliness that abounds outside our small world here, it marks a choice to refocus on the elements, in our way, of a life well lived: by the colors of love and the shape of the light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with the next round of medical bills looming), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

A tiny siskin; not much else, given my breathing issues. Sales, subscriptions, and shares all needed.

The siskins are here early this year.

Tonight's going to be all cut-and-paste. Physically, I've been having the day from hell, and that doesn't seem to be changing: all one long, long extended episode, with massive chest and back pain, very labored breathing, outright exhaustion as a result, and just feeling like absolute hell across the board. I'm not capable of much right now.

I posted Wings's newest pair of works here yesterday (just scroll down a couple of posts), and he's got a few more coming shortly, although the first of them probably won't be until sometime tomorrow. As I said yesterday, it would do us a great deal of good to be able to sell, them, too. My focus this whole long weekend has to be on making sales (haha, yeah, I can barely walk, but whatever), because this week saw a truly massive (for us, at least) outlay on medical bills. It barely put a dent in the total, too. After I added it all up, it turns out the total was more than $30K. Three small ones are paid off; four more are reduced to $2K or less apiece; and the three hospital bills? They total somewhere upward of $23K still. And I still can't schedule the next round of tests. Ideally, I'd like to pull in enough to pay off those $2K or less ones over the next couple of weeks, which (without pulling the bills; just adding in my head) amounts to around $3,500 total, give or take.

So. We need to make sales. In addition to these two, Wings has several new things in the works; the problem is cadging studio time. But we also need to sell our current inventory, because it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). As I said above, I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. No, I'm not going to schedule it until I've got the collectors off my back at least somewhat; that round will be cash on the barrelhead, four figures right up front before they'll even handle my intake form, and there's just no way. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

Flowering From the Center

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that returns us to the center of all things. It's a reminder also in this season of nascent summer that, like the flora of our Native lands, we, too, are flowering from the center of an indigenous earth and water and sky.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, in light of this week's bills), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Of squares of the sun and freeform skies, and the need for sales, subscribers, and shares.

I am fast running out of time on everything I need to do today, so I'm combining two posts into one here: the usual, with all the links; plus three other links to the site entries and blog post for Wings's newest works, completed only this afternoon. Yes, that's them up there, and they are spectacular. The carnelian ring's entry is here; the turquoise one, here; and the blog post that describes them both, here.

It would do us a great deal of good to be able to sell, them, too. My focus this whole long weekend has to be on making sales, because this week saw a truly massive (for us, at least) outlay on medical bills. It barely put a dent in the total, too. After I added it all up, it turns out the total was more than $30K. Three small ones are paid off; four more are reduced to $2K or less apiece; and the three hospital bills? They total somewhere upward of $23K still. And I still can't schedule the next round of tests. Ideally, I'd like to pull in enough to pay off those $2K or less ones over the next couple of weeks, which (without pulling the bills; just adding in my head) amounts to around $3,500 total, give or take.

So. We need to make sales. In addition to these two, Wings has several new things in the works; the problem is cadging studio time. But we also need to sell our current inventory, because it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). As I said above, I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. No, I'm not going to schedule it until I've got the collectors off my back at least somewhat; that round will be cash on the barrelhead, four figures right up front before they'll even handle my intake form, and there's just no way. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

The Worlds From Which We Come

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that embodies the oldest of indigenous stories, those of emergence and the birth of peoples and worlds. It's a lesson, too, about the worlds from which we come, and how they make possible our own lives well lived in this one.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with this week's outlay for medical bills), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday, May 25, 2018

New Patreon post, a lot to do, and a massive medical outlay yesterday. Sales, subscribers, and shares all very much needed.

From three nights ago. It's not identical, but part of the same series as the photo I used for last night's Patreon post, one that seems to me to matter (the post, not the photo). A response to the day's news, I wrote it straight through late last night, with only a couple of word changes overall. ::Shrug:: that probably won't mean much, and it probably won't say much, to anyone else, but it needed to get out, and so here it is.

A lot going on IRL today, including taking the Trickster Twins back to the vet later to get their sutures removed. They're little monsters at the best of times, and having been confined to the dog run for two weeks, that will make for some difficult wrangling, and I'm not looking forward to it. We have a lot more going on here, too, but my focus today and this long weekend has to be on making sales, because yesterday was a truly massive (for us, at least) outlay on medical bills. It barely put a dent in the total, too. After I added it all up, it turns out the total was more than $30K. Three small ones are paid off; four more are reduced to $2K or less apiece; and the three hospital bills? They total somewhere upward of $23K still. And I still can't schedule the next round of tests. Ideally, I'd like to pull in enough to pay off those $2K or less ones over the next couple of weeks, which (without pulling the bills; just adding in my head) amounts to around $3,500 total, give or take.

So. We need to make sales. Wings has several new things in the works; the problem is cadging studio time. But we also need to sell our current inventory, because it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). As I said above, I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. No, I'm not going to schedule it until I've got the collectors off my back at least somewhat; that round will be cash on the barrelhead, four figures right up front before they'll even handle my intake form, and there's just no way. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

Friday Feature: Sing to the Earth, Sing for the Water

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with an elemental work that pays tribute to the old ways. It's a spirit cup whose motifs summon indigenous spirits to remind us, even in times of drought, to sing to the earth, sing for the water.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with a massive medical bill outlay yesterday), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Zippy creatures who are not me. Sales, subscribers, and shares all still badly needed.

From two days ago. We have three or four species here now. They're zippy little things, even on a branch; they rarely sit still, so catching them on camera is hard.

Speaking of not staying still, that will be me today. No, there's no way I could remotely call myself zippy, not anymore, but I have to do a lot of stuff in the offline world today, and I do mean a lot. So I'm getting this out of the way before stuff really gets under way, and I likely won't be back online until tonight (except maybe briefly while I'm waiting in between other things, since I wind up having to wait for other people a lot, but not for anything substantive).

At any rate, we need to make sales. Wings has several new things in the works; the problem is cadging studio time. But we also need to sell our current inventory, because it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. No, I'm not going to schedule it until I've got the collectors off my back at least somewhat; that round will be cash on the barrelhead, four figures right up front before they'll even handle my intake form, and there's just no way. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

#TBT: A Lake Made of Summer Grass

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a work from some eight to ten years ago that was truly one of a kind. It was the simplest of solitaires, wrought around a spectacular chrysoprase cabochon, the only one Wings has ever used, shimmering like a lake made of summer grass.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This piece sold years ago, but if the style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Spa day (no, not for me; only the animals get such bennies). Sales, Patreon subscribers, and shares always very much needed.

Spa day for Miskwaki; he was badly in need of a pedicure. Okay, a trim. Plus some anti-thrush treatment. He has an unusually deep sulcus, which means that he gets thrushy immediately every spring (and in warm winters), and it's a constant battle to keep it at bay. Fortunately, Wings can do all of it himself. [And it's another context in which his old bow guards come in handy; one slip with a hoof knife, and you can do yourself real damage.] Miskwa started getting snotty about it on the rear, because he got himself a wire cut wandering where he wasn't supposed to be a few days ago, and while it's healed, I'm sure it still hurts when the pastern has to be bent backward like that. Anyway, he's done; Wings's is planning on doing Shade tomorrow. [Yeah, we do most of our own stuff when it comes to this sort of thing. Vastly less expensive to learn how than to hire it done, and Wings has been trimming horses for a long time now. Shade (like Cree, when she was alive), needs highly specialized trims because of her laminitis, and he's learned to do it better than the local farriers, so . . . ::shrug:: one more task for him. My job is just to hold the horses and/or to help gauge the work to be done.]

I'm hoping that tomorrow I can do nothing but work. That hasn't been the case all week long; there's always someone needing something, and something derailing me from what it is I need to be doing. I'm profoundly irritated today because I feel guilty for having said no to someone else (not to Wings, obvs, but a third party) about something that we simply can't afford to do; to be clear, it's the feeling guilty part that has me annoyed. I shouldn't — there's just no way on something like this — and yet here we are. And it's not just that; it's also time, which I have too little of as it is. Friday the Trickster Twins have to go get their sutures out, and on the weekend, River will be here to work, so that leaves me exactly one day this week with no appointments and (I hope) no one coming over wanting anything.

No rain yet today, and probably none tonight, either, but we at least got some late yesterday again, so the land is a little happier than it was. And speaking of making it rain, my first monthly goal for my Patreon is fully funded on a NET basis! (And thank you, thank you, to the person who made it possible.) That's about a tenth of one hospital bill (not said hospital's doctor's bills, just the overnight stay and so forth) that I can pay out on June 5th or so. Still, it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

From the Heart of the Earth and Its Spirits

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of my personal favorites, and a work well-suited to this day and time and place. It's one whose beauty, like that of this day, emerges from the heart of the earth and its spirits — the winds, the greenery, even the butterflies — to embrace us all.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

A little rain and a new bird. Subscribers, sales, and shares still needed.

At long, LONG last, we got some rain last night. We thought we might have a twister beforehand, too, but fortunately, the weather spun itself out and settled down to a nice, soft, soaking rain for a couple of hours, with some periods of sprinkles thereafter. There's a possibility of more today, and I hope this means that our monsoon season is going to producing early and often.

Even this small amount of moisture has made the earth here spring back to life. Everything's a little greener, a little brighter; the honeysuckle began to bloom this morning. And apparently, the winds washed this little one up here, and it's been happily playing hide-and-seek among the red willows on the west side of the house. As nearly as I can tell, the new bird is an orange-crowned warbler, one only known to make its way here in summer or during migration. "Known" being theoretical; neither of us has ever seen one here before, as far as we can remember. You'll have to click on the image to get a half-way decent look; enlarge it and you'll see the details and color better.

Speaking of new birds and making it rain, my first monthly goal for my Patreon is fully funded on a NET basis! (And thank you, thank you, to the person who made it possible.) That's about a tenth of one hospital bill (not said hospital's doctor's bills, just the overnight stay and so forth) that I can pay out on June 5th or so. Still, it's sales and Patreon subscribers that keep us going (and keep me paying down this massive medical debt load). I've put a hold on any more testing (no matter how much I need it, and I do, desperately, but it's expensive) until I get some of this paid off, because the stress of that hanging over my head is killing me as surely as anything else. So please continue to share the links:

My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
Wings's direct PayPal link;
A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount; something over $300 for Wings last week, to say nothing of all my own);
Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of supplies for half-feral puppies;
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

As always, I have more writing, more editing, and more general work to do, and I have to get back on it (at the moment, again, that which falls into the "general work" category has to come first). Thank you to everyone. I know I owe replies to a bunch of you, and other stuff, too. This week is not starting off auspiciously for getting caught up, but I'm doing my best.