Fall Fantasy

The ground was white with frost this morning and eventually the sun hit the hills with a blast of red, orange and purple. I have been making use of the good fall weather to be waxing and dyeing lots of batik. The nights get dark early and I go to my studio and do the waxing of the batik at night, then using good days to color my pieces through the dyebaths.

The fall is a season to plan for the cold months to come and also to reflect on things past, present and future. I like to take the darker hours to indulge in fantasy and I've included some batik examples of this for the post this week.

You can see one of my old favorites, the "Crescent Dragon", part of a vintage batik group I've put together recently. "The Goat and Wood Elf" are also part of this group. More recent fantasy include "Pegasus Flying over Fields and River" and another quite large batik "Magical Birds".

The Fruits of Fall

Fall is here with it's bright colors and shortened daylight. Colors have reached some wonderful shades on the trees and shrubs, but the rains have already knocked many leaves to the ground.

We still have bright green grass but many things have turned brown. As I look about the yard there are some beautiful fruits from the many flowers we enjoyed earlier this year. The dogwood has large red globes that the birds really enjoy. Other plants have seeds and fluff as the milkweed pod. Our watermelons were tiny but tasty and had their little brown/ black seeds to continue life for another year.

I find myself craving light and the mornings hold much less. I like to be outdoors to catch the last rays of sun and often climb the hill behind me at the day’s end to celebrate the closing of the day.

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival

The Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival went very well this past weekend. I'm pausing to write this before I unpack from the show. I’m pleased with the sales and more pleased with the wonderful people I got to speak with and the praise for my batik and hand painted fabric.

There were so many beautiful exhibits with wools, yarns and other crafts, all with excellent quality. There were also farms with their sheep, alpacas, and llamas. There was music, dog herding, sheep shearing demonstrations, and many fun things for kids. I'm looking forward to next year.

I worked continuously when I got home to finish a few pieces and get them to the festival. Sunday morning I did bring down a piece I'd worked on for six months. See photos of my booth and the batik of sheep spread out over the fields. The name of this one is "Cast Off to the Fields- Sheep". This is part of the "Cast Off to the Fields" series of which I am working on several other batik. You can see "Cast off to the Fields" on my blog posted July 22, with other related photos on other July posts.

Anniversary

Monday, September 13th, is a day I can't help but remember. One year has passed since my Dad passed away at ninety five and three quarters years old. Spring came and the house and yard seemed empty, very much changed. Some plants had even disapeared.

My Dad could always make a sound exactly like a robin and when I heard those first spring robins I said, hello Dad, I'm glad you're here.

My dad was not very tall, but he was a powerhouse of energy. His favorite work was restoring old houses. The house we now live in was his last house to restore. Thirty years ago my Dad retired at sixty five and undertook the project of bringing this grand old house back to life.

It had been built in the 1800s and was abandoned with the south end open to the elements. It is in good condition now and the yard reflects the loving work my Mom and Dad put into it. I strive to keep the beauty here that they both planted and built. I am grateful everyday.

Trumpet Vine Brings Hummingbirds

The heat is reluctant to leave, even though it is now September 2nd. As usual to avoid all the heat I can, I was outdoors early this morning enjoying my cows and the plants.

Today I've been looking at the late season pods which store the seeds for continuing their life. The lillies have strong oblong pods, crown vetch has small long pods as is also seen on other legumes including alfalfa that did not get mowed. Of special interest is the trumpet vine which while continuing to produce it's long trumpet shaped flowers, is also producing long pods, like string beans.

As I stood below it, hummingbirds happily harvested it's nectar. One hovered buzzing my ear and brought back memories of an incident that happened earlier this year.

I had gone into the garage which has the doors always open this time of year and saw a hummingbird confused and trying to fly out the closed windows unsuccessfully. I made an attempt to help the hummingbird find a new direction to freedom but quickly realized it made things worse. I left hoping he/she would discover the way to freedom.

An hour later I returned to the garage and saw no sign of the hummingbird. However when I glanced up at the overhead garage door I saw the hummingbird stuck in a small hole in the garage door, unable to move its wings it was trapped.

I found a towel and gently pulled the hummingbird forward and out. In the towel I lowered it to the ground and the hummingbird was set free! It hovered above my head and then was suddenly gone. Might this bird near my head be the same one???

With my camera I tried to capture the hummingbird. I succeded after a fashion, but he/she was too far and fast for my zoom lens. See what I got, it made me happy!

Batik of Fantasy out of the Rain

Sunday morning I awoke to the sound of much needed rain. It was a peaceful and welcome sound and the heavy rain had a hypnotic effect on me. Many fields and lawns had turned brown as one hot sunny day followed another. I'm glad our plants can now be renewed and grateful that there was no hay mowed to be ruined by the downpour.

As I was encouraged to stay inside, I turned to stretching some batik on canvas stretchers and then framed them. I looked back to a batik from long ago. See the detail of unicorns swimming in the sea, inspired by the book "The Last Unicorn"

I enjoy fantasy and here are some more recent batik. Horse Dreaming Below Tree ( about unicorns), and Golden Eagle over Lothlorien ( inspired by Tolkien).

Goodbye to Daylilies!

As I took my morning walk with my tai chi practice at the top of the hill behind my house, I stopped and sat on a rock and drank my coffee in the warm summer breeze. The air felt good and was filled with the sounds of insects. There was much more intensity to their chorus than a month ago. Birds and occasionally the sound of a car or a truck in the distance became blended into the insect's sounds. The farmer's machines were quiet as the fields continue to grow for the next cutting. A small airplane cruised the sky with a lazy drone to it's engine. The sound from the insects is an expansive relaxing sound that has an effect on me of feeling connected to all things.

My favorite flowers, the daylillies,are almost gone for the year. A few appear, but I find myself pulling out the dried stems and thinking of the time next year when they will be back. I think back to the beautiful show they put on. Each flower is here for one day only and I do not want to miss seeing that flower.

My heifer, Footstep, is now one year and two months and is growing well and happy here near our house. I'm glad to have her and her mom here.

The garden, much of it in pots has done well, with the exception of the squash plants. The cherry tomatos, peppers, dill and purple basil are very pretty to look at. The rainbow swiss chard is especially beautiful in the early morning sun. I'm grateful to such a good beginning to a productive day.