the kids

these two are not the kids,
they are friends
(this irresistible photo appeared on facebook)
jeff and isis.
(last year when she was 89)
these folks are my neighborhood,
sadly neglected by me of late.
so is this my neighborhood,
time to make hay
if the weather holds.
(it's not) 
 and this mysterious new addition,
plunked neatly into a field.
i can only imagine...
 the newest neighborhood
down the road 15 miles or so,
my new place 
on an old farmstead
 had one foundation now buried
and bits of stone wall.
 (lots of deer flies)
 jean has written about love of tools--
 i find deep pleasure in making tools--
this is the big stump loom
with a whitetail deer
bone folder
doing double duty as a weaving stick
 weaver's sword
holding the shed
a placekeeper.
 just for fun
and utility.
weaving shifu pages
continues
as i wind down my final teaching year.
/one more class day/
/three days of exams for one student/
/a few more days after that/
/to put my room to rest/
this class is all done.
my class will disappear and not be replaced.
i find this to be surprisingly sad
for my students
who must find other placements.
i have had two retirement celebrations,
one with a pretty cake,
one with a cheesy certificate. 
i'm ready
and i will miss you know who you are,
i won't miss
what is happening now in public education.

over 777, geesh!

this morning's post
all about drawing with 
barbed wire on snow
was number 777.
besides that, what i didn't tell you
was that today was almost wendy's last.
but she rallied.
i stayed home making preparations
but the day became 
just a day (though i am very tired)
outdoors
i found one of my favorite funny wintertime things
snow fleas.
yep.
ski print, detritus,
and snow fleas
 i haven't figured out the new zoom 
 on the repeat of my old camera
 walking wendy later on
we found a curlytop
(i love my tools)
this came in the mail 
a couple days ago.
i'm rich in friends.