This is Sherman doing his special pet trick as he hopes for another dog bone while his mom shops the bead store. I think he is one of the finest looking customers I have. What a sweet boy!



This is Sherman shopping with his mom at the bead shop.

It is a blissfully quiet morning around the house as I get ready to head into the shop. I though on the is Halloween Eve Eve' I would leave you with some still life photos of my kitchen. Have a great day out there in whatever world you revolve in!

Birds, I love them. To me they are like the beads of the animal world. Tiny jeweled treasures that decorate both sky and earth and sing to embrace the heart. This is a close up of the newest bird in my home,one of the songbirds in my new piece of artwork. I draw birds often and still need to work at capturing them onto paper. Oh, I can make it look like a bird but the life, the song is missing.




This is a full view of the new iron screen that we bought from Gunter Remnitz at his studio during October's open studio weekend in Port Townsend. Even though I would like to have gone to other studios; it just makes me feel so on the spot. I have no idea why I feel this way. Certainly not in my own studio which is my refuge in a harried, crazy, sometimes maddening world. I always march to my own drummer so I guess if my studio became a part of the big open studio weekend... I would feel compromised. Anyhow, it was as always more than terrific to see Gunter's new work and naturally, I forgot my camera. I have shown some of his pieces of crows, owls and roosters on the blog before but this piece is new and is songbirds. He is also working on little 3D songbirds. I love this piece and even though it was a big splurge in the slow economic times; it is a pleaseure to support an artist whose work brings me such joy.

Our new ferry being built at Todd Shipyards in Seattle and due to arrive late ( better late than never ) this summer has a name! It is Chetzemoka, the S'Kallam indian chief that welcomed the white settlers to Port Townsend. It's nice that a bit of history will be attached to the new, much anticipated and needed ferry. We had another boat with the same name before the state began running the ferries perhaps back in the 30's so this is a nice return.

The weather man has said that there is a 100% chance of all day rain tomorrow .... great beading weather. Good night!

Anyone will tell you that I am not much into sports at all but when it comes to my original hometown team; I am a sucker for them! If I did watch sports, baseball would be my favorite because I grew up hearing games all the time in my parent's home and I can still be lulled and lured into a baseball game on TV! Go Phillies!!!

Halloween time in the shop! Time to feature pumpkins, orange beads and crows in the Tyler Street display window. although I have to admit I do not need an excuse to display crows in my windows!





A new display in a case in the shop made by my friend, Joe. Kathy picked out the paper and I added in some of the new Haitian metal wall sculptures that just came in. These are interesting pieces being made from cut apart oil drums. It is such a pleasure to carry a folk art from another country and NOT something made in China! I'll have to post more pictures of these pieces.

As always, there are many projects going on in the studio and these are just a couple. I sometimes feel like I have so much to do but then I realize that a lot of the to do's are from my own head. I love working in the studio and wish I could just squeeze more hours into my day. I want to do it all, paint, craft, bead, silversmith, journal, read and everything! Yep, I need a longer day!

I pulled this guy's name from the classifieds of the Port Townsend Leader, his name was Tony and I asked him to build this table. It is built of wood that he milled himself from his own land. Nice and solid, well built, it will be a good addition to the shop. I am of course, painting it many colors before I settle down and paint the top the " must display beads on white " color.





Working on a few new drawings with a touch of total abstraction in their imaging. They are far from being completed but I like going over to the drawing table and putting a couple of paint strokes on them. It is like a release of energy for me; an ahhhh moment.

Regina

She, like the rest of us, is finally showing her age. She is most likely somewhere around 13 - 15 years old and now she has lost her hearing. It is making her timid and skittish and very attached to me. Unfortunately, there is no doggie hearing aid so she is only able to find her way through life by sight, scent and touch. It is easy to startle her now while she is sleeping if you bump her. On the good side, the vacuum does not frighten her any longer. Poor old girl will need lots of TLC!

Glorious Fall!

This is the tree that started it all - my travels around home snapping pictures of fall's beauty on what may be the last sunny morning in a while. Mr. Spicklemeyer's tree across the street from my house is so pretty in these petticoats of redorangegold. Isn't the name Spicklemeyer so perfect for a neighbor's name? It sounds as if it is off a 1950's television show or a 40's novel. This day, in all its rain and wind is still pretty and especially so with the colored leaves flying upon the wind's breath!





My sweet little plum tree in all its splendorous fall color. It always manages an autumn show even though it makes only a flower or two in the spring and no plums in the summer. My reward is waiting for this time of the year when it can burst forth in its beauty and fill my soul with autumn's warmth.





A leaf covered small hillside along the Chimacum Valley Road. We were stuck at a work zone and even though it was raining; I could not resist leaning out of the car window and snapping this picture.

I had every good intention of posting a nice story filled lengthy blog tonight but I keep dropping off to sleep at the keyboard! Better luck tomorrow. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Both of my boys growing up played for hours upon end with Legos. They would first build things from the sets or kits and then from their imagination; fantastical things would emerge with meanings and implications far beyond their bedroom walls. It was terrific experience for them to become imaginative adults so when I found this picture of this wall repair I thought, " but of course! "

It is very early here and I have been awake and in the office since 5 am. That is exceptionally early for me! I don't know what woke me up but once sleep fled my dreams; I could not quiet my mind and return there. It does feel wonderful, if one can describe office work as wonderful; to get some things done.

here are a few pictures of my boys and a great shot of my building. Happy Friday, October 9th!!!

Just the barest hint of light was kissing the horizon this morning when I snapped this picture of the mountain. That's Mount Rainier to those of you not living here. We just call this majestic snow capped beauty the mountain. I love the very early morning but I am not one of those that can often see the sunrise. I love sleeping in, under the down comforters, the fake - old quilted bedspread, Regina softly snoring, the day slowly edging its way into the bedroom windows. What a joy to greet a new day either way; nice and early or sleeping in. I am grateful for each and every new day that I see!

Don't you just know that these two totally cool crows BOTH want whatever is in that bag they are so carefully ignoring? In a few moments time, after this picture was taken; they were jumping around and each pulling at the bag and making a lot of lovely crow sounds. I love those silly, almost human birds.