first of october

an email exchange with jane ploughman
resulted in a wonderful visit.
she and john vincent visited the peace paper exhibition
just down the hall from zone 4.
jane and john know drew and jana of peace paper, 
and of course the combat papermakers,
 john's vermont based Revolutionary Press 
helps support social activism and justice endeavors 
in the paper and book arts world. 
jane and john met me at slu 
and they viewed the three galleries celebrating the  
work of drew matott with combat, peace, and st pauli  paper.
jane made the little piece of garlic paper with suminagashi above,
and john printed this small broadside
and the card below. three special gifts i really like!
jane brought two of her fine artists' books to show me as well.
i told jane and john to find me by following the sound of the beater
which i had switched off by the time they came looking.
but find me they did, and we had a lovely long talk
as paper and book people can!
they know hannah from her work at northeast harbor library.
~~~
the woven web.
~~~
our book arts students displayed their first books,
nine students, 
working in concertina, tunnel, origami structures
and following their concept of line.
learning where a line will meander
and how.





i emailed stephen dairing in australia
in order to get a few more skeins of this lovely stuff
bark with which i'm making vessels for shifu books.

~~~
 saturday we went to paul smith's college VIC
to enjoy harvest/homestead demos.
i love seeing young women competing equally with their male student peers.

this competition, 
where two woodcutters split the log they are standing on
always unsettles me.
they hoist the axe high overhead
and gouge out wedges of wood between their feet
with precision and accuracy 
(or else!)
and the first one done wins.
they are so vigorous that often the whole 'structure' moves 
backwards with the force of their swings.
at home
this is the outlet of our pond
yesterday morning 
after the frost surprised us.
the weather has turned and now it's fall.
and then this:
found on my garage door.
how long has it been
there?