a walk in the mushroom patch

I spent my morning out in the woods, walking some of the trails that were still rather damp from the last couple of days of heavy rain. My eyes slid along the path as they usually do, the first of the autumn leaf fall coloring the trail ahead of me. I usually find mushrooms as I walk, but today, well, I found more-- and a wider variety-- than I usually do. It became a treasure hunt of sorts!

Also found a bit of time to spend with my tree.

 

Yeah, it's been a good start to the day.

Now, coffee and crochet.

walk about and waves

I finally got out to the woods. It was wonderful and breezy and just so grounding, and I realized just how terribly I needed to be wandering. 

So many of the plants are suffering from our drought conditions this year, and yet they still whispered to me of their beauty.

Petals clinging tenaciously to stems

thistle and cockle burr sharp as much as they are beautiful

Broad leaves sunning themselves, catching what sun filtered through the thinning canopy

Dead wood giving way, breaking and falling to decay so that new life might find way to surface

Make a wish and blow the milk thistle fluff to the breeze.

I also spent some time with my Elm Tree. When I visited last, I was worried because his canopy was not filling out as I thought it should, and his energy did not feel right. There was a sadness surrounding him.  This visit did not leave me feeling as concerned, but things still were not as they had been when I first found him in 2009. 

It makes my heart heavy, but perhaps it is just the lack of rain that has my friend suffering this year.  I will continue to visit, far more regularly than I have, and hopefully after his long winter's sleep, next spring will find him healthy and thriving again. 

I have been searching for some direction in my textile art work. As I've been working with silk and surface design,  some interesting  things have been developing.  I am finding  a lot of my pieces floating, very liquid and ever-changing. Water.  I am going to explore this further. This idea of waves and what happens each time I lay the fabric out. It's never the same surface twice.

Camping this weekend, and I hope to return with a sketchbook full of this, that and the other thing. Nothing like charcoal from the campfire to sketch landscapes.

phone pictures & time with my tree

I have separated my blog from my facebook page by deleting the networked blogs.  This space here is about more than my needlework, and after thinking about it, I was really censoring myself here because I knew what I wrote here would find its way to FB, and often what I want to put down here has nothing to do with my needlework designing! Back when I created my blog, I wanted to explore and play and rant and breathe. So here goes!

plastic bag

lunch

In thinking about ways to stir up some creativity (as I've been feeling quite s  l  u  g  g  "ishy"  and lazy and meh. as of late) I decided that I was going to snap three pictures a day with funky little flip phone, bring them home and play. Just for giggles.  And here's today's results.

bottlecap on sidewalk

While sketching today, I had this A-hA! moment. I wanted to do something really organic and different and wonderful with the blooms I have been crocheting. I *think* I have discovered something worth futzing around with, and the idea took me down to the woods which was wonderful. First time that I have been down to see my tree since last November...

He's not entirely awake yet from his sleep, the first buds starting to show. As mild as our winter has been, I forget that its only April and he wouldn't have his full and glorious green mane yet!  After a short visit, I continued on and made my way along the path to gather my needed goodies to see to the A-hA! Now I am off with said goodies to see to that oh-I-think-this-will-work! idea.