over the years i’ve wild found five cecropia cocoons. four during late winter two years ago (which i blogged about) and one many years before. that one came into my classroom to spend the winter on the window sill, and emerged, witnessed by my class of fifth and sixth graders. they insisted I take it home after school and return it to the tree where i found it. i did my best, releasing it and farewelling as it went about the brief business of mating and dying.

monday evening was hot and still. i stretched out in bed to read preparing for sleep. there were maybe two or three dozen fliers fluttery dancing around my room. i don’t mind much, just swat them out of my face, but this night there was an excess of moths inside! outside, they land on the screens or flit about smacking into the unyielding mesh. moths of many sizes and colors and shapes, the bigish ones my mom called dusty millers. the screen makes quite a noise when they hit it, sometimes it’s repeated until they seem to give up. reading along, i became aware that there was a bigger than usual sound. it was repeated, and i saw my first ever…

cecropia in the wild. the screening puzzled and possibly annoyed this one, but it eventually settled for 20 or so minutes on the edge of the screen. it stayed there, while i read, and watched and watched and watched until iifinally was so sleepy i turned of the light and composed myself for slumber. i had decided my most proper behavior was to thank it and go to sleep, which i began to do, but in a few minutes i heard a biggish screen sound and turned on my light. cecropia had gone, leaving me feeling bereft, but glad, joyous even, for the encounter.

my cecropia encounter was a portent, because in tuesday’s mail this box arrived. empty cocoons from prince edward island. cecropias, columbias, polyphemus, lunas, and promethesa all gifted to me by someone who understands my fascination with these amazing giant moths and their empty houses. you can see a couple of slits where this moth midwife opened some cocoons to assist in their escape. the empty pupae are inside. i can hardly wait to try spinning these.

i may not have sorted these correctly, but look at the bottom row, these all have peduncles, like leaves of grass.

in other news, i’m working on a book, some baskets, and printing boco prints on paper and cloth.

catherine michaelis of may day press sent me a lovely, lovely package with beautiful objects, gleaned from her world. above is a seal knuckle bone which is one of my favorite. things. ever.

fish parchment book: all the bits are done now, they just need to be assembled. finding a clear mind to do this has been difficult, it’s summer and it’s hot and it’s humid and i get fogged brain in this weather. but it’s coming the poem is written and laid out, but noting is sewed together. yet.

beginning to see how it will come together. maybe.

parts of this post have disappeared, some repeatedly, and it’s taken far too long to write. i’m sure there are things i’ve missed, news i’ve missed, but for what it’s worth, here this is. not bad really, for a few weeks. a book or two actually, a poem for one book, moth miracles galore, and prints and baskets…and i’ve been being a student for some online learning as well. not too shabby i suppose. wishing youvery well.

seal knuckle bone and an elk vertebra in my squiggly basket

be well, dear friends, and stay safe.