#TBT: Entreating the Spirits of the Storm for Rain

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a commissioned work from nearly five years ago that was based upon an earlier, similar piece. It was a cuff built around a galaxy of a stone set above a line of thunderheads fashioned as sacred space, the perfect focus for entreating the spirits of the storm for rain.

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. And, as always, sales are very much needed (thanks to those folks who have already purchased Wings's work in recent days, I paid the second-quarter taxes last week, but we still have another $1,500 in biannual and other bills due before month's end; there'll be no plumber and no chimney cleaners and certainly no well by August, because pandemic has killed our sales as surely as the drought is killing the land), so shares of the site links are much appreciated — among them, Wings's two newest works, which you can see (and purchase via the form link) here.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

As promised, two extraordinary new cuffs by Wings.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

All right, it's a day late, but they're here: as promised, two extraordinary new cuffs by Wings. The first, shown above, is already on my "all-time favorites" list. It's just light-weight enough to be adjustable for someone like me, although it's designed for a larger wrist than mine. But what makes it truly phenomenal is the full band-length line of ajouré cutwork, with impossibly tiny spokes and just as impossibly tight angles and corners. The stampwork, too, is all freehand, and all incredibly deep and even. This one is called In the Space of the Spirits, and you can read its full description here.

The second one features vintage-style gemwork that might be recognizeable to some of you:

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

This is Hail In Summer, and it, too, is a marvel of deep, even freehand stampwork down the full length of the band. It's adorned with an overlay of solid sterling silver, cut freehand in vintage style and set with five stones, alternating cabochons of round bright green jade and mysterious larger ovals of snowflake obsidian. You can read its full description here.

And I still have to bring in that remaining $1,500-ish within the next eight days. [Really, REALLY need to do this.] Either of these would go a long way toward getting us out of the month intact. Selling both would take care of it entirely, so shares of the site links are much appreciated. Full inventory here; contact form for ordering, here.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

It's comforting to have friends in such high places.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday; she was hovering over something way above the trees northwest of the highway. I was so far away that was the best shot I could get, and then when I downloaded it, I found her looking straight at me. This Swainson's girl has become like my red-tail: They always know where I am, even when I'm not too sure myself. It's comforting to have friends in such high places. [And she's out there circling over our east field right this moment.]

We spent an hour looking for/prepping for KitFox yesterday morning out off 522. We went back at dusk and spent another hour calling him as dark fell all around us. It's steep there at the edge of national forest land, and I'm sore this morning. No luck; the girl did see him, but he saw all these people and took off before our aging eyes could even see where she was pointing. That said, he has an incentive to return, and we left the bed and blanket and my shirt in one of his apparent sleep spots. We also left his favorite treats with the woman who lives there, and when we got there last night, she was out there setting up her trail cam to try to catch sight of him overnight. No word on him today, so all the activity last night probably scared him off for a day or so, but he'll be back. Always assuming, of course, that it's him, but it certainly sounds like him.

And as I said, it would be a welcome gift after these terrible last few days weeks months. We got word Saturday, mid-afternoon, of a death in Wings's extended family. Over the last couple of months, we have had multiple deaths in our broader community, and folks who've needed help because of it (at least five or six that I can think of off the top of my head, including a couple last week). Folks with a house fire. Others with family illnesses (just among people we know, we've lost folks to West Nile, to COVID-19, to diabetes, to accident, to other illnesses). Everyone needing help because of the pandemic; so many out of work, jobs not coming back, no tourism at the Pueblo for those who are artists to make sales there, because it's closed (and rightly so, but that doesn't help the folks who can't pay the rent as a result). We thought we'd be able to help with food from the gardens, but the drought has killed that, too. But when folks need help, and you have it, you give it however you can. 

Meanwhile, the drought is still killing us, too. The pandemic is killing us more. Our Web site hits have been cut in half — IN HALF — because of the economic havoc this pandemic, and the government's non-response to it, are wreaking daily. And while the taxes are now finally covered, there are still all the OTHER things to pay for this month. We've jettisoned everything we can: We bumped reseeding to winter, which turns out to have been a good move, because this drought would kill it all. The well? There's no way we can get in August's drilling queue. None. I've given up on that. I don't know whether we'll be able to do it before next year; if we can't, we can't reseed, either, and probably can't plant again in the spring. Plumber's canceled, again, which is a HUGE problem now. Chimney cleaners are canceled. Medical appointments? Oh, that's funny. NOPE. Nothing else gets done until I get this month covered. We're part of the way there, but we've got a lot to go. And I still need to bring in the better part of $1,500 before month's end.

WE. NEED. SALES. BADLY. New piece just the other morning, here. I know I said there would be a fabulous new cuff yesterday, but the hunt for Kit, plus other necessary errands, took up most of the day. I'll have it today, along with a second cuff (also fabulous). Lots of other new works, too, cuffs and earrings and one new necklace. So please. Share the links; they're here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

[Also, the wishlist is back in force. There are things I absolutely cannot get except through Amazon, and I can't add that stress onto all the others now. It's breaking me.] Please share everything. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Dream the Rain, Fight Like the Storm

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work of spiritual armor to protect, to inspire and inspirit us, for the battles ahead. It's also a bit of tangible assurance that we can do this: dream the rain, fight like the storm, and heal the world in the process.

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 (thanks to those folks who have already purchased Wings's work in recent days, I paid the second-quarter taxes yesterday, but we still have another $1,500 in biannual and other bills due before month's end; there'll be no plumber and no chimney cleaners and certainly no well by August, because pandemic has killed our sales as surely as the drought is killing the land), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Real hope needs real prayers.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

Real hope needs real prayers.

More confirmed sightings of this little dude. He seems to be sticking around in the same area off 522, and multiple members of multiple families in the area report seeing him. [He has incentive to stick around now, too, because one of the families has a female dog that is now in heat.] We took his dog bed and a blanket of one of my shirts and some dog treats over to the woman who's seen him most (she also does rescue, so she knows how this goes and she's happy to help and she's wonderful). But as much as we have real hope finally, at least for KitFox, we need real prayers now for him, too, to keep him safe and get him back to us. [There is no sign of Chinook anywhere. We still think they were stolen, and that KitFox, who turns into a dervish anytime someone tries to pick him up and put him in a vehicle, pulled his greased-pig routine and escaped. We're just hoping Chinook is safe in someone's house/yard for now, and that eventually we can get her back, too.]

It would be a welcome gift after the last few terrible days weeks months. We got word Saturday, mid-afternoon, of a death in Wings's extended family. Over the last couple of months, we have had multiple deaths in our broader community, and folks who've needed help because of it (at least five or six that I can think of off the top of my head, including a couple last week). Folks with a house fire. Others with family illnesses (just among people we know, we've lost folks to West Nile, to COVID-19, to diabetes, to accident, to other illnesses). Everyone needing help because of the pandemic; so many out of work, jobs not coming back, no tourism at the Pueblo for those who are artists to make sales there, because it's closed (and rightly so, but that doesn't help the folks who can't pay the rent as a result). We thought we'd be able to help with food from the gardens, but the drought has killed that, too. But when folks need help, and you have it, you give it however you can. 

Meanwhile, the drought is still killing us, too. The pandemic is killing us more. Our Web site hits have been cut in half — IN HALF — because of the economic havoc this pandemic, and the government's non-response to it, are wreaking daily. And while the taxes are now finally covered, there are still all the OTHER things to pay for this month. We've jettisoned everything we can: We bumped reseeding to winter, which turns out to have been a good move, because this drought would kill it all. The well? There's no way we can get in August's drilling queue. None. I've given up on that. I don't know whether we'll be able to do it before next year; if we can't, we can't reseed, either, and probably can't plant again in the spring. Plumber's canceled, again, which is a HUGE problem now. Chimney cleaners are canceled. Medical appointments? Oh, that's funny. NOPE. Nothing else gets done until I get this month covered. We're part of the way there, but we've got a lot to go. And I still need to bring in the better part of $1,500 before month's end.

WE. NEED. SALES. BADLY. New piece just the other morning, here. There will be fabulous new cuff later on today. Lots of other new works, too, cuffs and earrings and one new necklace. So please. Share the links; they're here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

[Also, the wishlist is back in force. There are things I absolutely cannot get except through Amazon, and I can't add that stress onto all the others now. It's breaking me.] Please share everything. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Red Willow Spirit: Dreams of a Medicine Rain

Photo copyright Wings, 2020; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for survival in time of catastrophe, for inspiring us to step back and seek a broader view. It's a pair of united images and one powerful masterwork in silver and stone, here to remind that it's time to work, and also time to dream: along with the earth, dreams of a medicine rain.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; to order them or the wearable art shown, simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (I still need to bring in enough to cover the better part of the $1,500 in biannual expenses that are due before month's end; there'll be no plumber and no chimney cleaners and certainly no well by August, because pandemic has killed our sales as surely as the drought is killing the land), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Fire on the mountain.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

Fire on the mountain, and no rain in sight.

Wings's niece saw the plume this morning and called him; he called the War Chief's staffers. Two hours later, they had the helo in the air, circling, trying to gauge it. Wings has done firefighting up in those mountains (years ago, with his brother, when he was much younger), and it requires hard, heavy, back-breaking work, men hiking in up there and digging by hand to create firebreaks and to stop it from tearing through the root system.

Just what we need now, the threat of wildfire. We saw the lighting strike that caused this one, a sharp narrow bolt that hit the ground during the sudden storm late yesterday afternoon. It was a heavy enough to rain to soak the ground, to batter the plants with hail . . . but this is always one of the risks that accompanies the monsoon season. And when we don't have an actual monsoon season, that risk can turn deadly quick. The mountains are a giant long tinderbox now.  The Dragon's Tail, indeed.

And it hasn't been a good few days, anyway. We got word Saturday, mid-afternoon, of a death in Wings's extended family. Over the last couple of months, we have had multiple deaths in our broader community, and folks who've needed help because of it (at least five or six that I can think of off the top of my head, including a couple last week). Folks with a house fire. Others with family illnesses (just among people we know, we've lost folks to West Nile, to COVID-19, to diabetes, to accident, to other illnesses). Everyone needing help because of the pandemic; so many out of work, jobs not coming back, no tourism at the Pueblo for those who are artists to make sales there, because it's closed (and rightly so, but that doesn't help the folks who can't pay the rent as a result). We thought we'd be able to help with food from the gardens, but the drought has killed that, too. But when folks need help, and you have it, you give it however you can. 

Meanwhile, the drought is still killing us, too. The pandemic is killing us more. Our Web site hits have been cut in half — IN HALF — because of the economic havoc this pandemic, and the government's non-response to it, are wreaking daily. And while the taxes are now finally covered, there are still all the OTHER things to pay for this month. We've jettisoned everything we can: We bumped reseeding to winter, which turns out to have been a good move, because this drought would kill it all. The well? There's no way we can get in August's drilling queue. None. I've given up on that. I don't know whether we'll be able to do it before next year; if we can't, we can't reseed, either, and probably can't plant again in the spring. Plumber's canceled, again, which is a HUGE problem now. Chimney cleaners are canceled. Medical appointments? Oh, that's funny. NOPE. Nothing else gets done until I get this month covered. We're part of the way there, but we've got a lot to go. And I still need to bring in the better part of $1,500 before month's end.

WE. NEED. SALES. BADLY. New piece just the other morning, here. Lots of other new works, too, cuffs and earrings and one new necklace. So please. Share the links; they're here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

[Also, the wishlist is back in force. There are things I absolutely cannot get except through Amazon, and I can't add that stress onto all the others now. It's breaking me.] Please share everything. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.