Almost no green.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Look at that chalky, dusty land; almost no green, and almost no green on the trees, either. It's going to be a gargantuan task to save them, and it's beginning to look like we're already too late to save the four big willows on the north side, plus the two big elms at the gate, the giant blue spruce, and countless aspens (despite Wings working full-out for years now to keep them all alive). In the meantime, we have seven additional horses to feed and water (that's nine total), and they've already vacuumed up everything edible on the land. We've ordered two giant bales for delivery tomorrow morning to feed them, and theoretically we'll get reimbursed, but . . . I also have to pay $500 cash on my medical stuff tomorrow, plus another $330, apparently, that nobody bothered to mention, over $3K spread across two tax payment, plus vehicle insurance and and and and.  Did I mention it's all in cash?  It's all in cash.

Almost no green is an understatement. I don't know how I make all this work without sales.

I'm tired. I can barely walk. The pain doesn't give me a break. Neither do the winds, the cold, or the smoke, or the pandemic that our useless politicians refuse to mitigate even as new pathogens add to the mix. We don't have any downtime. Every spare minute for Wings is spent on hard labor, trying to save the land; he can't get enough studio time anymore. Every spare minute for me is trying to chase sales, and I don't have many of those spare minutes, because everything takes me much longer these days. If tomorrow doesn't begin to work on my pain, I don't know what I'm going to do.

I really don't.

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Red Willow Spirit: The Blues These Waters Sing

Photo copyright Wings, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for the final days of spring, and for the waters that are now the desperate hope of summer. It's a trio of images linked by two works of wearable art to remind us that the blues these waters sing is a song of medicine, of nothing less than life itself.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss and now an outrageously high tax burden and costly new medical expenses, too (two payments of four figures plus a $500 procedure starting now, tomorrow), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.       

A surprise new work by Wings.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Given everything else going on, including all the chaos and havoc created by the winds and the drought, this was unexpected: a surprise new work by Wings.

When I say "surprise," I don't mean the existence of the work itself, just that it was completed late today; I hadn't really expected it for another day or two. It's called This Is Our Path, and this one is an absolute masterpiece of freehand saw-work, every bit of it cut out without guides or anything but a saw with a vanishingly-thin blade. and the edges filed smooth and rounded by hand as well. It's an arrow, and the point and the fletched feathers nearly meet in a perfect hoop. You can read its full description here (and you do want to click through and see the details in the other photos, believe me).

Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, especially with extortionate 4-figure tax payments and extremely costly medical procedures due over the months to come (and beginning this week), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

Talk about sick to death.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yeah, I'm reposting the photo of yesterday's new set, because I've got to bring in some sales.

I have zero interest in the colonial, imperialist, genocidal nonsense this day represents. I don't have any time for it anyway. I need to be able to make over $3K in tax payments this week and next, plus $500 on medical, plus another $330, apparently, that nobody bothered to mention, plus vehicle insurance and and and and.  All in cash.

I'm tired. I can barely walk. The pain doesn't give me a break. Neither do the winds, the cold, or the smoke, or the pandemic that our useless politicians refuse to mitigate even as new pathogens add to the mix.  Talk about sick to death of everything; that's this whole society, literally.

We don't have any downtime. Every spare minute for Wings is spent on hard labor, trying to save the land; he can't get enough studio time anymore. Every spare minute for me is trying to chase sales, and I don't have many of those spare minutes, because everything takes me much longer these days. I'm frustrated and exhausted and yes I'm angry that this world is busy glorifying genocide instead of even trying the absolute bare minimum to save lives.

And I have to worry about our own.

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Monday Photo Meditation: What Chance the Waters Have

Photo copyright Wings, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a Monday at spring's end, with cold dry winds driving the smoke of nearby flames, and not a drop of rain in sight. It's a contemplation of the role our local watersheds play in the land's and our own survival, and of the inescapable fact that what chance the waters have has become an existential crisis now.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss and now an outrageously high tax burden and heavy medical costs to come (4 figures due this week plus a $500 medical procedure, then another four figures due next week, all in cash), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

The Water Is the First Medicine of Spring

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the fourth and final of Wings's gemstone bead collections in miniature, this one manifest as The Spring Elementals:  Water. As always, it's three coordinating and complementary works, this time with a reminder that the water is the first medicine of spring.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, especially with extortionate 4-figure tax payments and extremely costly medical procedures due over the months to come (and beginning this week), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

The hardest season.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday, from our front door: an absolute wall of dirt. There will be more today (hell, the winds were already rising at 7:30 this morning), and more tomorrow, too. Right now, it's clear courtesy of wind direction, but that won't last. And there's always the risk of fire now. Spring is the hardest season, but this takes it to whole new levels.

Out of order today, because we're hoping to have Wings's latest in his Elementals series, the last in the Spring collection (the one for Water) before the day's out.  [If not, I'll substitute something later, but I expect that he'll have all three pieces done this afternoon sometime.]

Meanwhile, I'm navigating on this extremely painful foot and ankle, which is slowing me down considerably. Today's big task is defrosting the freezer, plus some smaller things. I had planned to switch out rugs this weekend and do floors, but I can't very well hang the rugs out to air out with the wind blowing that kind of dirt.

I also need to bring in some sales, because things are coming due this week and the next two, and it's going to be hellishly expensive, and all paid in cash. We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. In July, my Patreon is going to take a big hit, and folks have been kind enough to warn me in advance, but that still means making up the difference somewhere, and sales are the most likely possibility. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Something to brighten dark days.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Wings brought me these yesterday: something to brighten dark days.

And right now, they are very dark.

Three mass shootings in the space of a week has dredged up my own family's history with gun violence, and with the world around us literally on fire, with pandemic cases skyrocketing beyond belief while the state does literally less than nothing by way of mitigation, with three days of gale-force winds driving the flames, with absolutely crippling pain that's making it difficult to walk, with what's hanging over my head right now on the financial front?

It's bad.

And still I have to bring in more sales, because things are coming due this week and the next two, and it's going to be hellishly expensive, and all in cash. We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. In July, my Patreon is going to take a big hit, and folks have been kind enough to warn me in advance, but that still means making up the difference somewhere, and sales are the most likely possibility. The newest in Wings's Elementals series is up as Sunday night, plus gorgeous new earrings and a new cuff last week, and I posted Wings's two new pairs of silverwork earrings the other day, here. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

The Fires of Creation

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for elemental forces and oppositional powers that conspire in regenerative ways. It's a cuff manifest as the fires of creation, reminding us that the same capacity for destruction holds the medicine of restoration, or renewal and rebirth.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, especially with extortionate 4-figure tax payments and extremely costly medical procedures due over the months to come (and beginning this coming week), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Even the smallest signs of normalcy matter now.

photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yeah, it's blurry, because I had to take it through the window so as not to scare her off, so there are two panes of glass between the camera lens and her. She showed up near dusk yesterday, but if she's out and about at the feeder, that means that Mr. Bullock's Oriole is somewhere around here, and that they've been here for a few days (because he always scouts the area first to make sure it's safe, and she only emerges some days thereafter to feed). That in turn makes me think that they're building a nest, and that is very welcome, because they have not been here in a good half-dozen years now.

Even the smallest signs of normalcy matter now.

Not much has qualified as "normal" lately, or, more accurately, normal now is unrelievedly horrifying. Three mass shootings in a week,COVID cases spiking with not a single step taken in mitigation (25 or 26 new cases in this tiny community, and by that, I do NOT mean town or county), and of course the wildfires raging everywhere in a 1,200-year drought.

This whole week has been ghastly; it feels like we're in mourning constantly anymore. So "normalcy?" We'll take what we can get.

But nothing's normal on the financial front, either, or, again more accurately, this society has made skyrocketing expenses the new normal. I have to bring in more sales, because things are coming due this week and the next two, and it's going to be hellishly expensive, and all in cash. We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. In July, my Patreon is going to take a big hit, and folks have been kind enough to warn me in advance, but that still means making up the difference somewhere, and sales are the most likely possibility. The newest in Wings's Elementals series is up as Sunday night, plus gorgeous new earrings and a new cuff last week, and I posted Wings's two new pairs of silverwork earrings the other day, here. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Friday Feature: The Logic of Fire

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a pair of masterworks manifest seemingly in the shades of fall, but now also perfectly suited to the spirit of these last days of spring. It's two necklaces wrought in the colors of flame, touched here and there with a little frost, animated with joy and medicine and talismanic power and all the logic of fire.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, to say nothing of an outrageously high tax burden and equally high medical expenses (beginning now), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.      

All gone now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

All that snow from a couple of nights ago, enough (barely) to cover the peaks? All gone now. The good news is that they made a little more progress on the wildfire, and wind direction has meant that we haven't been inundated by smoke yesterday and today. But COVID cases in the county are up 100% (officially, 96%, but unofficially, it'll be far, far more than that, given the lack of testing, reporting, tracking, and tracing), and no mitigation measures are in place.

And all the news from everywhere is unrelievedly hellish.

Meanwhile, I have to bring in more sales, because things are coming due this week and the next two, and it's going to be also hellishly expensive. We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. In July, my Patreon is going to take a big hit, and folks have been kind enough to warn me in advance, but that still means making up the difference somewhere, and sales are the most likely possibility. The newest in Wings's Elementals series is up as of last night, plus gorgeous new earrings and a new cuff last week, and I posted Wings's two new pairs of silverwork earrings day before yesterday, here. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

#TBT: A Flowering Hoop of Fire

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that dates back not quite three years, one deeply personal and close to my own heart. It's one in a series of seven bangle bracelets that Wings created for me, this one in an Art-Nouveau pattern set with seven coral cabochons in a flowering hoop of fire.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work obviously 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. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, an outrageously high tax burden for a government so ready to let us die, and ridiculously high out of pocket medical costs (starting this week and next), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.      

A bit ironic.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Mr. Tanager brought Mrs. Tanager to see us yesterday morning. Good to know we have a mated pair. A bit ironic, though; they wait until the temperatures are more summer-like, and ours right now are anything but that; it's getting down into the forties and even the low thirties at night, and these high winds make it seem colder than it is.

Meanwhile, I have to bring in more sales, because things are coming due this week and the next two, and it's going to be hellishly expensive. I posted Wings's two new pairs of silverwork earrings yesterday, here. A slight correction to the onyx pair: That is in fact fire opal, not amber (and speaking of ironic, I am CRUSHED, because those he had set aside to make something for me, but in a bout of rearranging, mistook them for amber and put them in with those cabs). So whomever buys them, just know you're getting my stones in them, LOL.

But more importantly: We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. The newest in Wings's Elementals series is up as of last night, plus gorgeous new earrings and a new cuff last week, and the earrings described above are the ones I mentioned yesterday would be coming shortly. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Love As a Fire In the Heart

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for a day when love is desperately needed, when the world requires that work come from the heart. It's a hook bracelet built around that very shape, one to remind us that love as a fire in the heart ignites the most effective work for us all.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, especially with extortionate 4-figure tax payments and extremely costly medical procedures due over the months to come (and beginning this coming week), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

I promised new earrings: We have new earrings!

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

All right, we're earlier this evening. I promised new earrings: We have new earrings!

These are Wings's latest, completed only within the last few hours, and they're the newest in what is one of his most popular styles by far: traditional drops featuring multiple stones, ingot beads, and dancing saw-cut pendants. And these are created using fabulous combinations of color and material.

The first pair, shown above, is definitely one for this time of year.  They're called Berry Moon On a Blue Lake, and they're built around bright royal blue beveled squares of lapis lazuli beneath the delicate pink of queen conch shell (sometimes just called pink shell). They're finished off with tiny ingot beads made by hand, and freehand saw-cut pendants in Eye of Spirit shapes stamped with a traditional motif to honor the sacred directions. You can read the full description here.

Of these two new pairs, though, it's the second one that's my favorite, and wow, is it ever:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

This pair is called The Night's Reflected Fire, a reference to how the glow of Father Sun gives Grandmother Moon her harvest/hunter's amber robes. And these are made with amber above impossibly glossy onyx squares, but this amber is something special: It's so translucent that, set against the sterling silver of the bezel, it shade-shifts as ethereally as a fire opal. You'll see pinks in it if you hold it to the light. You can read the full description here.

And we desperately need to make some sales. We have two four-figure payments due to the tax man (one on this year's payment plan plus next year's 2nd-quarter prepayment) over the next two weeks, and I have a $500 medical treatment coming up on June 1. Selling these would help a lot, as would additional sales from our current inventory. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Too much in-progress right now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Those are the latest, from last night's in-progress stage. They're done now, but I still have to get photos, get them uploaded, write descriptions, etc., etc.  At any rate, there will two new pairs of silverwork earrings on offer later tonight, so watch for them.

Too much in-progress right now, and not enough time to get anything done.

And as I said yesterday, there are other problems looming, the kind that send my stress levels into orbit.

I have GOT to bring in some sales now. We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. The newest in Wings's Elementals series is up as of last night, plus gorgeous new earrings and a new cuff last week, and the earrings described above are the ones I mentioned yesterday would be coming shortly. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Red Willow Spirit: Fire Medicine

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for a day that offers, at long last, some small relief from the flames. It's a collection of five images and four works of wearable art that all share a spirit in common, and all likewise remind us to appreciate the power of fire medicine, as well.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss and now an outrageously high tax burden and costly new medical expenses, too (two payments of four figures plus a $500 procedure starting now), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.       

Persistent.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

The new guy is a fast learner, and he's persistent. And, of course, Wings refilled the suet feeder for him last night, so he'll be able to get more.

I can only hope our own persistence pays off in the days and weeks to come.

Our plans for the day were completely upended by yesterday's local fire; it's too great a risk to leave the place unattended right now, given the winds and the drought. And we have to get the seeds in this week and next, but it needs to warm up a little; it's been in the forties every morning for the last three or four days now.

And there are other problems looming, the kind that send my stress levels into orbit.

I have GOT to bring in some sales now. We have two four-figure payments due this week and next (one our second payment on this year's taxes; the other our second-quarter prepayment on next year's). On the first, I have to come up with $500 cash (plus tax, etc.) for the first of my medical treatments for pain. The newest in Wings's Elementals series is up as of last night, plus gorgeous new earrings and a new cuff last week, and there will be more new silverwork earrings to come shortly. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. [And by "useful," I mean urgently, desperately needed.]

Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which we can't get locally but prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                    

Monday Photo Meditation: Unforgettable Fires

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for an unseasonably cold Monday when a veil of clouds threatens as-yet-unrealized rain and trickster winds still bring the smoke and flames. It's an image from nineteen years ago, with Wings as witness and photographer simultaneously, and a generation later, it still reminds us that knowledge of these unforgettable fires is necessary to keep our world from going up in smoke.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss and now an outrageously high tax burden and heavy medical costs to come (4 figures due this coming week, again the following week, and a $500 medical procedure on the 1st), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

The Fire Forces of Spring

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a trio of works representing the latest small set in Wings's ongoing signature series, The Spring Elementals:  Fire. For this day, it's a collection dedicated to the fire forces of spring, literal and metaphorical alike, in spectacularly seasonal form. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, especially with extortionate 4-figure tax payments and extremely costly medical procedures due over the months to come (and beginning this coming week), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

The thing that REALLY scares me.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Out of order today, because Wings's is finishing up the the next in the Elementals set for spring (which is what I'll post today, as soon as I can get photos and get them uploaded and get the descriptions written).  Figure next couple of hours.  He's also working on several pairs of silverwork earrings: the third in the 4-directions pattern I've posted the last two days, plus some more of those really popular three-stone drops with the little pendants hanging below the stones. Probably tomorrow or Tuesday before those are done.

Of course, it's been nothing but disruptions all day. That up there? That's the thing that really scares me. See how close that looks? Click on the photo to enlarge it; that's our south fenceline where that gnarled old little tree is. That smoke looks like it's only a few acres away, on tribal land. Turns out it's not; it's in town, but it was a whole structure fire, and it was a mess. They're still working on it, and they've notified the state fire marshal that they want an investigation.

But it doesn't even need to be arson; all it takes is one jackass doing something incredibly stupid, like toss a cigarette butt out a car window, and it ALL goes up.

This is exactly why Wings is way behind on silverwork: because of the winds and the drought and the wildfire risk. The grinding and buffing have to be done out of doors, and these winds make it impossible, not least because you cannot do anything that sparks in this kind of drought, and the grinding wheel will do that. It's why he's behind on a couple of commissions, too; the bigger items, especially require use of the wheel, and that's out of the question until the weather breaks. I did, however, get two pairs of silverwork earrings posted yesterday and the day before, and as noted above, I'll have the next set of three items in the Elementals series yet today.

Meanwhile, the IRS doesn't care about drought or wildfire or anything else, nor do any of the other billing agents, so I still have to make some sales.  We'll need to make consistent sales all year to cover the medical stuff, some of which is coming up on the first, (I just got another unexpected bill for another ~$360 I wasn't told about, and now, I haven't had the endless amounts of time it takes to track down this nonsense, but I suspect I'll have to pay it) but mostly to cover all the four-figure payments the feds are taking, one of which I'll have to take care of this week and another the next. A couple of good sales (or a bunch of small ones) would be really useful right now. Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.