A little branch of hope.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That's the biggest of the three willows by the pond. It's got some leaves all through the branches , as does the middle one, but they both have a lot of bare branches, too. The third, smallest willow? Al the upper branches are dead. The same is true for the four on the north side.

Yesterday, I took this: a new offshoot on the largest, way down on the trunk maybe three feet from the ground — a little branch of hope. There's one on the other side, more a little higher. The middle tree has some, and even the mostly-dead smaller one has a bunch of new fronds now coming out at the notch. The smallest of the four north ones is the same, although I can't tell about the other three from a distance. I do know that one of the two seemingly-dead elms by the road has finally leafed on a few branches, courtesy of the recent rains. None yesterday, likely none today, but per the forecast, tomorrow is supposed to inaugurate a more traditional monsoonal pattern every single day for the next 15 days, at least.

We have a very small window in which to save these lands.

Speaking of smal windows, closing and closed ones, actually, in the news, everything is terrible, far worse for Native people than for anyone else, and it's going to get much worse before the year is out. This court (I refuse to capitalize that illegitimate Konklave of Klan) is hell-bent on outright genocide again, trying to finish the filthy work of the many Indian Killers who came before them. All in a time when too many people already need help just for day-to-day survival. And nothing changes; we need to make sales consistently, always. Wings' newest cuff posted Sunday night and it's incredible, and you should click through to see it from all angles, here. The new ring went up Monday night; you can see it here (and it is, apparently, still available). And the two new pairs of hoop earrings might be available as early as this evening.

Meanwhile, 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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.                                       

#ThrowbackThursday: Beneath the Summer Skies

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #ThrowbackThursday work dating back ten years almost to the very day. It's a reminder of the other gifts, the other medicine of the season: beneath the summer skies, where the rain and the light do their work.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work 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, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.        

Get your dibs in now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Remember how I said I thought Wings might be persuaded to create more of those hoop earrings? Welp. The next two pairs are already in progress. These are for inventory, so get your dibs in now.

For today, he's working on a commissioned piece, and trying to get some land-related work done. The rain has been wonderful (and we did get a little more last night, via a short fierce storm from the east that made a U-turn and came back from the rest for another go), but that's only the beginning. there's all the other work that has to happen along with it.

And that list just keeps growing, while the available time in which to do everything just seems to get shorter and shorter. Oh, and apparently our recent brown- and black-outs and Internet outages have disrupted my e-mail; messages are not coming through in order thereafter, and I have no idea how far back this goes or how many I've missed (or that haven't come in at all). If you e-mailed me and didn't hear back, try again. 

I am beat. My symptoms are aggravated by the weather, but they're also just . . . worse right now, entirely apart from that. The contracture in my left hamstring has been improving, as has the crippling effects of the plantar's fasciitis in that ankle and heel . . . and then two nights ago, the hamstring in my right leg contracted. This is not a cramp or a muscle spasm; this a wholly different animal, and if I don't work very hard on getting them worked back out right away, they risk becoming permanent, and that's a very bad thing. So walking is extra-painful again, and there's a lot of stress that comes with these developments. It was exacerbated by the fact that I had to skip my lupus meds for two days in order to accompany Wings to the dentist safely yesterday. So a lot more added pain because of that, too, even though I was able to take them again this morning. In the news, everything is terrible, far worse for Native people this morning than for anyone else, and too many people need help. And nothing changes; we need to make sales consistently, always. Wings' newest cuff posted Sunday night and it's incredible, and you should click through to see it from all angles, here. The new ring went up Monday night; you can see it here (and it is, apparently, still available). And, of course, the two new pairs of hoop earrings will be available soon.

Meanwhile, 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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.                                       

Gifts of the Summer Earth

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork of substance, style, symbol, and spirit for all the best this season has to offer. It's a cuff that embodies the gifts of the summer earth, a reminder that when we work in the space of the spirits, every seed, every song, is medicine.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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 land is a little bit greener now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

The youngster is learning. I caught him on the post yesterday evening drying his feathers and enjoying the warmth of the setting sun. Which is good, because from about 9:30 to 11:30 last night, we had a thumper of a storm, with thunder and lightning and howling winds and torrential rains . . . none of which flooded anything here, thankfully.

The land is a little bit greener now. You can even see the change (well, we can, anyway) in the background behind young Mr. Red-Tail there in the photo.

This morning dawned with the very first utterly cloudless skies we've seen in well over a week. Of course, the more ordinary monsoonal sky patterns kicked in on schedule late morning, but they haven't amounted to anything here yet. They may or may not during the darker hours; we'll see.

I am beat. Wings's very expensive bridge broke at the bottom edge last week, and we had to go in to take care of that today, and of course it's going to be ridiculously involved to correct, so we're looking at a lot of appointments to deal with that. To be able to go with him, I've had to stop taking my lupus meds for the last two days, with the result that pain kept me from getting virtually any sleep at all last night, and my joints are in absolute agony today. In the news, everything is terrible, and too many people need help. And nothing changes; we need to make sales consistently, always. Wings' newest cuff posted two nights ago and it's incredible, and you should click through to see it from all angles, here. The new ring went up last night; you can see it here (and it is, apparently, still available).

Meanwhile, 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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: Ancient Sheltering Spirits

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for a world newly revived by the rain, in a lodge of shadows and light. It's a tribute to the ancient sheltering spirits of this place, of the protection of old architectural angles and of elemental medicines older than time.

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 we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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 right, I promised a new work today . . . and here it is.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

All right, I promised a new work today . . . and here it is. Before we get to it, though, you remember this? 

Welp. A dear friend asked him to make her one in her preferred stone, and he decided he'd make a few more for inventory. This is the first. It's called Shooting Stars, and it's made with the last two tiny high-grade aquamarine cabs in his entire inventory (I can try to get some more, but it might take some doing, and some time). It's self-adjusting; you squeeze the two sides together around your finger until the stone pass each other (or, if you want it larger, open it so they're apart). You can read its full description here.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.   

Grateful for what we've got.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

We started getting pools of standing water yesterday afternoon, but this morning, they had all been absorbed by the soil again. We had rain again overnight and all morning, stopping about midday, then starting up again, and now, stopped for the moment. The forecast for the week to come mimics those of ordinary monsoon seasons, but it may not arrive in the typical pattern, if recent days are any indication.

At any rate, we're just grateful for what we've got.

I would, however, like to put in a plea to whatever powers that be for more time — more hours in the day, or at least more available to me, because I am so very far behind now. As I said yesterday, I've been buried all last week under an avalanche of bureaucratic stuff, another avalanche of e-mails, most of which I haven't even seen yet, the occasional disruptive brown-out or full-scale power outage, and too many tasks to list here. I've got multiple tasks going at any given moment, and when I'm on here, it's because something is in between processes and I have a few moments where I can't really start anything else. 

This week is beginning with more of the same, apparently, and I have to get some of them off my desk and buckle down to the work of chasing sales. We just shelled out an absolutely ungodly outlay, all cash, between taxes this year and next, plus medical stuff for us both. To try to cope with it all, I've already canceled my ketamine therapy scheduled for next week; we have scrips to pay for and our next installment on taxes, and July is when my Patreon takes a big dive income-wise. And there are always more folks who need help. We need to make sales consistently, always. Wings' newest cuff posted too late yesterday to get much traction, but it's incredible, and you should click through to see it from all angles, here. And I should have his newest ring up later today, probably this evening sometime (I said earrings, but it was a ring, actually). So watch this space for that.

Meanwhile, 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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: Prosperity From Another Angle

Photo copyright Wings, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for an unusually rainy Monday at month's end, even as we know that the water will not dent this catastrophic drought. It's a reflection on enforced changes and the need for altered perspectives, of understanding prosperity from another angle in order to appreciate the abundance still available to us.

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 we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.    

Scales of Abundance

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an all-new masterwork by Wings, completed only this afternoon and manifest in the patterns of a powerful form of medicine. It's the Serpent as you've never seen it before, wrought in an old traditional style and bearing the Water Guardian's own scales of abundance.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.   

Out of order today.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Sometimes you can actually see the storm coming. That vertical white line is not lightning, it's the rain.

That was yesterday, early afternoon; by mid-afternoon, it as here, and it hasn't let up since. Right now, the rain is coming down heavily, but it's small drops, and they're gentle and soaking, not a cloudburst. The land is coming alive before our eyes.

Out of order today, because Wings is in the studio finishing up his newest works (one cuff, one pair of earrings), and I'll be featuring the cuff today. Trust me, it's worth the wait. It might also give me a chance to get caught up on a few things. I've been buried all week long under an avalanche of bureaucratic stuff, another avalanche of e-mails, most of which I haven't even seen yet, the occasional disruptive brown-out or full-scale power outage, and too many tasks to list here. I've got multiple tasks going at any given moment, and when I'm on here, it's because something is in between processes and I have a few moments where I can't really start anything else.

But I'm going to need to get some of them off my desk and buckle down to the work of chasing sales. We just shelled out an absolutely ungodly outlay, all cash, between taxes this year and next, plus medical stuff for us both. To try to cope with it all, I've already canceled my ketamine therapy scheduled for next week; we have scrips to pay for and our next installment on taxes, and July is when my Patreon takes a big dive income-wise. And there are always more folks who need help. We need to make sales consistently, always. 

So 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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.                                       

Extraordinary.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

I'm posting a second view of the new cuff here, because it's still available and I posted so late last night that the new pieces didn't get much traction. Even so, the earrings are already sold, but I think he's been persuaded to make more in various stampwork patterns, so if you want some, get your orders in now (no two alike, as always). And back to the cuff:  Just look at that freehand work. It's extraordinary.

Because we always need to bring in more sales. We just shelled out an absolutely ungodly outlay, all cash, between taxes this year and next, plus medical stuff for us both. To try to cope with it all, I've already canceled my ketamine therapy scheduled for next week; we have scrips to pay for and our next installment on taxes, and July is when my Patreon takes a big dive income-wise. So we need to make sales consistently, always. 

So 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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.                                       

A Medicine For a Wounded World

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of Wings's more recent masterworks, a reimagining of three incredible gems as the Eye of Spirit and the Thunderbird's wings.  It's the storm that falls from the light: power rendered safely, a medicine for a wounded world.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.   

Here they are: Wings's two newest works.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

All right, I know, I know:  I've been promising these since yesterday, but things have been chaotic here all week long. But here they are: Wings's two newest works.

First up is the cuff shown above, and it's fabulous. It's another in the extended series of solid sterling silver cuffs that he had in the works months ago but has only recently been able to get around to completing. This one, especially apt for our weather this week (and supposedly next), is called Which Way the Rain Falls. Heavy-gauge triangle wire, stamped deeply and uniformly on both sides of the apex and on the apex itself, with beveled ends and edging on the inner band. You can read its full description here, and trust me, you do want to click through and see it from other angles, too.

The second work is also made with sterling silver triangle wire, but it's a pair of earrings, and in a relatively unusual style for him:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

These are hoops on posts, a classic traditional style but not one he does much anymore.  These are called, aptly enough, Circling the Peaks. These are lightweight, but again, with deep, even, incredibly uniform stampwork that pops.  You can read their full description here, and again, you do want to see the photos.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. Also as always, ee will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.       

What's coming.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yeah, I didn't get to the new stuff last night; I was too wiped out. But that up there is a sneak peek at what's coming in a bit. Yes, I promise, I will get them up yet today.

Speaking of what's coming, the whirlwind is already here. This society is reaping it, and will be for generations. Our focus has to be on staying alive and well and safe, and helping as many people in our communities as possible do the same.

The only way to do that is to make sure we have everything covered, and the only way to do that is to bring in more sales. I'm canceling my ketamine therapy scheduled for next week; we have scrips to pay for and our next installment on taxes, and July is when my Patreon takes a big dive income-wise. So we need to make sales consistently, always [and especially now that I've just shelled out in cash for all the bills for our second-most expensive month of the year, plus a bunch of costly medical stuff, all to the tune of the medium-high four figures. Yes, all in cash]. 

So 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 Gorilla tape);
• 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: An Illuminated World

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a masterwork for a world that seems suddenly very dark indeed. It's the aurora's heart for an illuminated world, reminding us that we do the work of the light.

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, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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'm beat.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

We have not had that kind of rain in a very, very long time. It began in the dark hours, probably between 3 and 4 AM, and continued without stopping until well after dark, around 10:30 PM or so. It was a soft, slow, steady rain, and by the end, not much heavier than a mist, but the land is certainly feeling a little better today. Today, though, is hot and humid, and I've just come indoors from dealing with Miskwaki and Miika, and all that the vet and farrier entail.

The vet was late, held over on an earlier call (which has happened with us enough, certainly; can't blame anyone for that), so the farrier did Miskwaki first, and actually was able to get Miika's hind feet done without the vet's help. Forefeet, though, required the anesthetic. And she's put on more weight, despite our best efforts to keep her intake down, and that's bad for her feet, although she did seem to have a little live sole in all the new growth. The damage done to her before she got to us is incalculable.

So anyway, now I'm hot and dusty and sticky and tired and sore, and I stink of horseshit, and I still have to deal with other chores before I can take another shower, and then there's dinner and all my other work to worry about, and and and . . . . I'm beat.

And I still need to bring in more sales. I'm canceling my ketamine therapy scheduled for next week; we have scrips to pay for and our next installment on taxes, and July is when my Patreon takes a big dive income-wise. So we need to make sales consistently, always [and especially now that I've just shelled out in cash for all the bills for our second-most expensive month of the year, plus a bunch of costly medical stuff, all to the tune of the medium-high four figures. Yes, all in cash]. Oh, and I'll also have two new works by Wings later this evening, one a silver cuf and the other a pair of silver hoops.

So 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: Enfolding the Earth In the Light of the Dawn

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that dates back only to the end of May and early days of June. It's a work Wings created especially for powwow fundraising efforts organized by a relative, one suitable for the lands on which the event would be held: The Daybreak Eagle, enfolding the Earth in the light of the dawn.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work 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, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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 kind of rain we need.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yet another of Wings's many projects around the place, in between the silverwork and trying to save the land (although this actually relates to both, in a way). This used to be the trunk that held his outdoor vise, the larger one, that he uses to clamp big pieces securely when he needs to cut, hammer, file, or grind them by hand. But it was always uneven, and therefore unstable, and so he switched it out with a small old table. He's been slowly hollowing out one side of it, to make it into a planter for me to use for flowers and herbs, in a context where we can control the soil quality and water supply, since the drought is making that mostly impossible in the ground now.

We got not a single drop yesterday, despite all the ruckus from the meteorologists. But today it began raining before dawn, and hasn't stopped — exactly the kind of nice, gentle, steady, soaking rain we need. Some of it is beginning to pool on the surface here and there, of course; it couldn't be otherwise in this kind of drought. But it will soak in later, and here, at least, we're unlikely to have any flooding (unlike in the burn scars on all sides).

Speaking of the kind of rain we need, I need to come up with the other variety — a lot, actually, especially with the vet and farrier coming tomorrow for Miika, and the chimney people in July. I'm canceling my ketamine therapy scheduled for next week; we have scrips to pay for and our next installment on taxes, and July is one my Patreon takes a big dive income-wise. So we need to make sales consistently, always [and especially now that I've just shelled out in cash for all the bills for our second-most expensive month of the year, plus a bunch of costly medical stuff, all to the tune of the medium-high four figures. Yes, cash].

So 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.                                     

A Small Spirit With a Message of Love and Light

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork in the form of one of the iconic spirits of summer, here to wrap us in the wings of the sun even as we are blessed with the rain. It's Butterfly as you've never seen her, a small spirit with a message of love and light, to pollinate and illuminate our summer world now.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss, and we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.  

Flowers for the summer solstice.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Yes, it's dark enough outside today to need a light on indoors. What we're getting is not a regular monsoonal pattern; this is something different. No rain yet, but dire cautions about floods later.

But Wings brightened it up a little in here with some flowers for the summer solstice. Still hoping to be able to plant some of our this weekend and next week, once this storm system is gone.

Meanwhile, I still have to make it rain in the other sense — a lot, actually. By that, I mean sales, which we need to make consistently, always [and especially now that I've just shelled out in cash for all the bills for our second-most expensive month of the year, plus a bunch of costly medical stuff, all to the tune of the medium-high four figures. Yes, cash.]

So 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: A Light That Loves the Earth

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for the summer solstice, and for the season of longest light. It's a contemplation, too, of the medicine that it delivers, for this is a light that loves the Earth, and us with it.

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 we now have to make up for the last two weeks' biannual outlay, well into four figures of payments and medical expenses that must be paid, 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.        

Uprooted.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yesterday afternoon during a (very hot) break in the rains, we limped out to the south boundary to see what happened to our beloved old gnarled red cedar. From our vantage point at the front of the house, it looked as though either lightning or a vortex of wind had landed squarely at its center, taking out the top and turning most of the trunk into cup-shaped splinters. Instead, what we have is the tree uprooted entirely, and having landed on its side, the branches creating the open effect from the other side.

As you can see, "uprooted" doesn't mean much here; it's been long-dead, so the "roots" were about as shallow as it gets. But it's cause for genuine grief, because the birds have loved this tree and made such use of it forever, for rest, to hunt, to sing, simply to be. They are still making use of it, even though it's on its side, so we left it right where it is, even though it's partially atop the barbed-wire fence.

It's not all that's been uprooted. Behind me, spread out on all sides? Dusty, chalky red dirt, no topsoil, and no growth. The farther half of the field behind where I stood used to raise the country's best alfalfa; the nearer half was full to overflowing with abundant chamisa and sage.

All bare.

The last three days' rains have fostered a little new sage and cedar, but I nearly wept standing out in the middle of it all. Five years ago, it was a wholly different land. And we can't say with any certainty that it will come back in our lifetimes, because the chemical composition of the soil has been so badly altered.

We also have more rain on the way. We may get a little today, but it's tomorrow and Wednesday that are cause for worry. Not, for the most part, for us directly, for there will be massive flooding and debris flows in the burn scars surrounding us at a distance, and that will mean more damage for people and place.

Meanwhile, I still need to step up the work of making the other kind of rain. By that, I mean sales, which we need to make consistently, always [and especially now that I've just shelled out in cash for all the bills for our second-most expensive month of the year, plus a bunch of costly medical stuff, all to the tune of the medium-high four figures. Yes, cash.]

So 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.