first things first

My camera has been missing for over a month. No rhyme nor reason - one morning I was using it and in the afternoon it was nowhere to be found. Since that day, the house has been turned upside down repeatedly, without success.

Yesterday the camera resurfaced. It was balanced in a little gap that mysteriously appeared between the cats' suitcase (a large and heavily weighted upright suitcase dedicated to claw sharpening) and the cedar wardrobe the suitcase is usually jammed right up against. I walk by this spot at least 20 times every day, and the camera has certainly not been there. Nor has there been a gap, since the suitcase doesn't move; it takes all my strength to drag it even a few inches. The whole thing is incomprehensible but the important thing is: the camera is back.

For me, the process of writing anything always starts with images rather than the other way around. With the ability to share images again, I expect blogging to resume shortly.

I've missed you, blog pals. Things have been a bit challenging here every single day since the upheaval beginning on April 4th. Challenging and exhausting. Time has seemed to stand still while simultaneously zipping by. There has been no time for writing or even reading. The only "extra" has been Daily Markmaking, and it's been a little moment of sanity every day.

So...it will probably take a while to catch up with you all, and I'm looking forward to it.

~~~~~

saturday saunter

After a long, gloomy day of rain yesterday,

when I fed the fire all day just to take the chill off the house,

today dawned clear and bright.

And cold. And windy.

I waited til almost noon to take Piper to our favorite trails by the pond.

By that time, the wind had dropped and the air was warmer.

Five days ago, the pond looked like this.

There was still a lot of ice, but there were open areas.

We've had some very warm days in the past week.

Today, the pond looked like this:

The sky was really this blue.

 It was a splendid time to be out in the woods.

So much to look at. So much to see.

And no one has to tell this girl to "stop and smell the roses"

- or anything else, for that matter.

We had a grand time, and I wore out before Piper did.

When we got home, I puttered around a bit but had to sort of drag myself out for evening chores.

So...no goats were combed today. 

But I believe it was the right call.

~~~~~