all the things

this morning:
four snapping turtles
one walking, two laying eggs, and one road killed
two whitetail yearling does
one kingfisher
one mourning dove
two crows
on the way to my house from Home.
at my house i have a big trip to get ready for:
Victoria, British Columbia: Seattle and Tacoma Washington.
books to sew
paper and supplies to wrap.
organization to attempt.
here's one of a pair of osprey we spotted on vacation

sublime pie in machias
and terrific haddock and clams
 a road killed subject for the sketchbook

 at pbi i met so many remarkable people.
 two young book artists 
had work that moved me deeply
 this is michelle's book 
PARTICULAR
she made the paper and printed it letterpress
it starts quietly and builds
 and builds
 the index
and woody's book 
Words and Vegetables
 this one tickles me
type plays with story and with space
 and this book
parsley
 more typographic play with story integral to that play.
 and I have been reading 
 this book is a long essay about aboriginal ways of living 
how different their relationship to land is compared to the conquerors
a story familiar, like the one here.
only that land is so much more fragile than north america. 
Nourishing Terrains and Braiding Sweetgrass are rich resources 
for my pondering.
 and here is, again, a turtle,
from nourishing terrains in australia
but seen, 
this time of year
 hereabouts on sandy roadsides, 
diligently laying eggs.



mid june reporting

 there are two doors now
 and this is the mudroom/entryway
 a large garden shed
built with trusses salvaged
from the house re-build
and roofing from his old milk house
 we've found turtle alley
a place where the road
skirts a large marsh
and turtles use this spot
 to lay eggs
all patterning thanks to turtles 
 some of these turtles are quite large
and there is some record of agitation
 and annihilation
i saw one huge raccoon
happily feeding at the end of the strip.
not too bothered by me, but it did
eventually
slip off. 
 the juneberry is shedding 
a few leaves
and is producing the first bird food 
at the new place;
also strawberries, 
the amish have them coming on.
out the window by the beaver dam
a whitetail nibbles
new water plants
 a fertile crescent
 these drifts of pale yellow
 are pollen
so many trees are flowering
and the northern forest
is rich. 
this was my desk thursday
royalty visited,
or was it lori
the best teacher assistant in the world
who brought me a little bit of spring
for joy and then for printing.
monday after school
i leave for a workshop 
with dorothy caldwell.
i am so happy!