shielding from crazy isn’t easy, neither is shielding from that which hates earth, waters, sky, animals and people, instead of loving them properly. i find myself in despair, and for the first time ever haven’t finished my taxes early (like usual) but am using the extension given to us. i tread close to despair and delay and deny any reason to do what i need to do. this beautiful shield, i wish it would protect me. maybe these images will at the very least remind me of who i am and my responsibilities.

minding a puppy who is living with mouth pain (teething) hormonal surges, identity crises, power struggles AND growing pains of whatever kind including toileting…has many challenges. often i feel overwhelmed.

but last week i found things outside, and now have four giant silk moth cocoons and a handful more of the smaller ones. of the large cocoons i think the small ones are cecropias and the large are lunas. one of those is four inches. and i’ve now washed, teased, and carded the tiny ones, and have more spinning to do.

smaller dark cocoons: cecropias, bigger ones are possibly lunas. i found all of these on my dirt road, two on one walk. i was beside myself.

finding these made me understand something, the least of things are miraculous indeed. i need to remember that. they will hatch at the house, so i can keep track of them. and save the empty cocoons to spin.

picked and carded, and now for the spinning

perhaps this little photo essay doesn’t quite explain the tedium of opening up each inch-long cocoon and coaxing out the detritus. there is a lot of detritus.

i wanted to check in, i am isolating, have been for ever it seems, but i am also so weary and heart sick. our governor is doing a grand job working new york through this crisis, our president is deplorable, crazy, unable to think, lead, love, care, understand or be a president. once while i was traveling in england, i was told i didn’t behave like an american (the scotsman telling me this thought i was canadian). i understood, treasured the compliment.