When I said nothing is normal now, I meant NOTHING.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Today's storm, after it moved out. The wrong way, I might add. Our storms always used to come from the southwest, maybe pinball around the peaks a bit, then eventually move out northeastward. Lately, they've been coming from the northeast, usually not dropping much here at all, and then heading south.

When I said nothing is normal now, I meant NOTHING.

We did at least get some rain today, more than just a few drops. It lasted something maybe a little under an hour, but it was steady enough to soak everything, so we can't complain. now, I just need to make it rain in the metaphorical sense, because it's been an ungodly-expensive two weeks. 

I've actually got to bring in a lot more sales than I expected us to need at this particular moment. The last two weeks have set us back about four grand in repairs, fixes, insurance, medical, and a bunch of other stuff [July's always one of the worst months of the year in terms of expense, anyway], and I really need to make some of that up over the next few days. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [the current remaining priorities are the LaminaSaver for Miika, and the Farnam fly spray, which is the very last item on the list as it displays here, despite being "highest" priority, so go figure];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, a year that, so far, has been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: Summer's Green Geometry

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a pair of works created independently of each other that very clearly seems to be meant for each other. It's a necklace and a cuff bracelet, both built around rich specimens of malachite, each embodying a different aspect of summer's green geometry.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We still have to ensure that we break even on the year, and that begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail.

 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

You need the prep work.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

At work annealing the silver for four new cuffs. That's the process of heating the silver and letting t cool before trying to work with it; it makes it much more pliable, more receptive to stampwork, etc. From what he's described to me about his plans for these four, they're going to be really cool. But, as with everything, you need the prep work.

Today was a hard day in a hard, emotional week, and the sense of loss runs deep now. The grief is already profound, and it hasn't really sunk in yet. but it will. And in the meantime life has to go on, the work has to continue, and the work of survival has to be done, as well. I'm having a particularly hard time health-wise myself these days, and I don't think there's any way to fix it, so I just have to figure out a way, I guess, to do everything that needs to be done with this newest "normal," which is substantially below my already-low level of functionality.

I've actually got to bring in a lot more sales than I expected us to need at this particular moment. The last two weeks have set us back about four grand in repairs, fixes, insurance, medical, and a bunch of other stuff [July's always one of the worst months of the year in terms of expense, anyway], and I really need to make some of that up over the next few days. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [the current remaining priorities are the LaminaSaver for Miika, and the Farnam fly spray, which is the very last item on the list as it displays here, despite being "highest" priority, so go figure];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, a year that, so far, has been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#TBT: The Green Spiral of Summer

Photo copyright Wings, 2026; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT featured work that dates back to around 2010, if memory serves, one in Wings's informal series of early wrap rings. It's one set with a pair of richly-hued malachite cabochons, perfect for this time of year, at the very heart of the green spiral of summer.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work will never be duplicated exactly, but if the style or stone speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own.  We still have to ensure that we break even on the year, and that begins  with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Just in time.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

I shot that right around sunset tonight, actually a little before. That storm is still hovering just off to the northwest, no rain yet, but an enormous collection of weather systems to the west on the radar map now.

Whether we get anything out of it is still an open question, though. 

One of the people we love most in the world walked on today. We were only just warned of it on Sunday; it was very fast, with. no time to prepare. She was a priestess of the waters, and the prospect of real rain seems fitting now. At this moment, the candle flames still burn for her; on his way home from the clinic this morning, Wings stopped off to buy blue candles, and it seems that his timing was perfect. I had asked the other day whether we had blue candles [her Orisha's colors are blue and silver], and he remembered.

Just in time. 

But it's been a hard, emotional week, and the sense of loss runs deep now. We had errands that could not be avoided today, despite the news, and we're both exhausted on all fronts. The sense of grief is already profound, and it hasn't really sunk in yet. but it will. And in the meantime life has to go on, the work has to continue, and the work of survival has to be done, as well. I've actually got to bring in a lot more sales than I expected us to need at this particular moment. We were so blessed to make one today; another three or four over the next week would do wonders. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [the current remaining priorities are the LaminaSaver for Miika, and the Farnam fly spray, which is the very last item on the list as it displays here, despite being "highest" priority, so go figure];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, a year that, so far, has been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Born of Fire and Water, a Rich Green World

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork by any measure, one for elemental powers and ancestral spirits, and a world emerged from ancient fires. It's a necklace built around old, old sherds from Wings's private collection, bisected by a phenomenal dagger of orbicular malachite, a figurative work to embody this land born of fire and water, a rich green world that might just still thrive.  

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We still have to ensure that we break even on the year, and that begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail.

 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

 

Real rain.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

A real storm today, with real rain. One of the remarkable aspects of weather here is that you can actually see the front as it moves, and it creates effects like this. And in theory, we've got 15 days of this ahead, at least.

In theory. We know better than to believe it until it actually happens.

I swear, I would love to catch a break in terms of time these days, and also in terms of no more bad things happening to people we love. Apparently that is not to be, on either count, and the last three days have been exceptionally hard, for so very many, many reasons.

We're both exhausted, on all fronts. And there's just no time for anything, certainly not for anything I want to be doing I've actually got to bring in a lot more sales than I expected us to need at this particular moment. We were so blessed to make one today; another three or four over the next week would do wonders. And we can still use help with shares, testimonials, wishlist stuff I can't get to yet, etc. To that end, links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [the current remaining priorities are the LaminaSaver for Miika, and the Farnam fly spray, which is the very last item on the list as it displays here, despite being "highest" priority, so go figure];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, a year that, so far, has been very grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.