physik

the phrase i woke up thinking of this morning

was this:

"it's not enough to physik a jay bird"

something my folks used to say.

they had many lovely mountain sayings that i've mostly forgotten.

i found several of the tiny things that were in the soil of this pot

shells, pebbles

knocked onto the porch one day.

and on another day i also found this one's

been in the poor old hibiscus.

my jaybird must be looking for a physik.

as i continue making paper from what's been given me,

small batches that keep me happy

and prompt book ideas,

from rag:

white-cotton/linen shirt

lavender-patagonia hemp skirt

and

green-cotton off cuts in many green tones from st armand 

and an accordion booklet beginning here is now complete.

flax paper

tow linen threads (20)

a few tiny greasy yellow beads

 how many times (at least 10) do i have to rinse

black walnut dyed cotton woven tape

before i can let it dry?

 and here it is on a lokta shifu square

 on the walk hunting season has begun

which makes me pay attention.

 this large doe isn't too worried. yet.

milkweed pods are splitting

after the first hard frost this week.

 red maples dance

but autumn color is late and subdued

in this strange long warm autumn.

the ticks became active after the frost.

the traffic on my walk 

 expells exhaust that doesn't make me choke.

 i need to get 

my milkweed harvest stripped and cooked

soon.

this is last years harvest

perfect for a mouse or a bird's nest.

that big bag of stalks that's waiting needs my attention

before it's so retted that 

only the birds will use it

though that is a noble use.

on this walk i was happily reminded to get to that chore soon.

asclepias

it's milkweed harvest season.

the monarchs are all done

and in my 25 acre grown up meadow

amongst the head high and higher goldenrod and brambly blackraspberry

i strove for an hour and a half harvesting

asclepia, milkweed.

it's between green and field retting time,

the leaves are gold or gone,

and only a little milk left.

the bast fiber  in the stalks is what i'm after, 

and the few pods left 

will provide me with seed fiber

all this fiber is for making paper later this fall.

i can't even begin to describe how jungly that meadow is.

much grown up to baby trees or bushes

but the goldenrod! over my head!

and the warm october meant that the thankfully tick free toil

was some of the hardest work i've done in a long time.

the result was a huge heavy plastic bag of potential.

 i always make a little twine for fun

thankful that i don't have to make all the string i use in a year.

 on my stove is a big pot

full of the black walnut harvest from two trees in town

in dye form.

(i only took some, the squirrels got most).

i've already dyed paper and cotton and silk and maybe some wool in it.

but i put in woven cotton tape a couple weeks ago.

it's cooked, steeped, cooked, steeped, fermented a bit

and the tape isn't dark enough yet.

but it will get there.

skein of twill woven cotton tape, dried

the last reveal included a fruity growth

moonorlichenscape?

see those beady bubbles

baubles

looking like amber treasure. 

 and some spores...

this layer went right into the garden

before i removed the skein.

my friend told me this summer

that if i was born 200 years ago i'd have been 

accused of witchcraft.

perhaps he's right.