Well, this photo doesn't really portray exactly how dark and dreary it is today! It has been raining for days on end, and today the clouds are down in the tree tops. Blah!

The roof is so wet it is reflecting the trees!

Thank Goodness I am off to sunny California tomorrow! So, while I am enjoying the sunshine and the company of both of my sons, you will have to wait a few days for the photos!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2012

 What is it??

 What is that sticking out??

Tookers isn't too sure about this, but he can't resist! It's a black cat in a black bag - the latest best cat toy in the world! Apollo and Took will each run and jump into this bag, roll around and play in it, and attack each other. It is hysterical to watch them!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2012

Lucius curled up in the beanbag chair. Right now it is sitting on top of a table, and he likes being able to be above everything and see what's going on.

Well, not a lovely photo, but I finally killed the infinite tomato plant! This is a seedling I bought one summer, and since it was still producing when it got cold, I dragged it into the house, where it has continued for almost 2 years! I pollinated the blossoms with a small paintbrush, and it bloomed and fruited continually. I guess it finally just gave up, or maybe it was because the kitten started digging around in the pot. Well, we had a fine run!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012

 I got my copy of the latest Photo Art Journal book : "Transportation." Once again it is quite wonderful, and Catherine made the cover very fun by adding little rubber tires to her photo. Below are a sample of the pages.

 

 I hadn't been down in the woods for many days, so when the sun came out at lunchtime I took advantage. A fern frond also took advantage, and reached up to catch a shaft of sunlight.

The willows are also taking advantage of the warm, sunny days we've been having to begin popping out the pussy willows. Unfortunately they are at the top of large trees, so I couldn't cut any to have in the house.

Here are photos of the finished wrapped twining basket I made in my Sunday workshop. It's a cute little thing, but far from perfect, although that is OK with me! I like how it turned out, but I probably won't do much with the technique in the future.

 I met with clients who built this house in the Highlands area of Langley. It was the result of several renditions of similar houses, and it came out really cute. The doors are painted a nice red, and the siding is a pale green, although it looks too gray here.

The front porch.

View from the rear and side.

The kitchen area.

I took a basketry workshop today. The teacher is June Ward, a Makah Indian from Neah Bay, and she taught wrapped twining, which is a technique they used to create patterns on their baskets. Above is an example she brought. The spokes are cedar bark, the wide flat weavers are beargrass. The pattern part is the wrapped twining, which is also beargrass but thinner, with some dyed parts to create a pattern.

 June and her mother pre-wove the bases for us, so we were able to start right in with the weaving.

Got my first row of a cedar bark strip with regular twining using raffia,

and my second row of a bear grass strip. The third row is the wrapped twining - she had us use a different grass which she called chabup - slough sledge, or carex obnupta. It is much more flexible than the bear grass, which made it easier to learn the technique. She also had beargrass, and those adventuresome students who wanted to could try it. Beargrass also involves a lot of preparation before you can use it. Most of the students tried it , at least a little, except for me - I just stuck with the chabup.

I got the rim started, but haven't finished it yet, so I will have photos of the finished basket soon! It was a good class, and I am glad to finally learn this technique! Thank you, June!

I forgot to get out and take a photo during daylight, but captured this image at night in Cory's car. Can you guess what it is?

 Went to look at a new job today - an artist wants to enlarge her tiny but very cute studio. The front porch roof is painted the same coral color as the door. It will be a fun job!

Although it seems pretty bright outside, it was really pouring rain, making it a day only fit for curling up in the chair, which was what he was doing when I interrupted to make this photo.

 At our Basket Guild meeting, the speaker was David McLanahan, who is a traveler and collector of SE Asian textile art. He has a store in Seattle: Jungle Arts.  He brought a lot of baskets and other items, along with his friend, the owner of the Ancient Grounds gallery in Seattle, who also brought baskets. Above is a hat adorned with bird wings and feet.

 Most of the work is from Borneo, and the work and details are incredible. He had a great slide show with some video clips showing the artists working, and also the musicians.

David is the man in the gray shirt at the back, standing with his arms crossed.

On my way to my Book Club meeting, I got hijacked by the full moon over Holmes Harbor . . .

You can see the cloud cover starting to build - it was the end of our streak of sunny weather.

 Yet another sunny clear day - how long will it last?? The dawn bird chorus has already begun, and we even have a lone tree frog peeping away in the evenings in the garden. The alder trees are growing their red-tinged catkins, above, while the hazelnuts are in full flower, below.

No leaves beginning yet, though!

Super Bowl party! The guys came over, and we had so much food! Everyone was stuffed, and they went home with a bunch of leftovers! Kevin, Russ, Jon, David (on the wall), Lane, Greg, Mark, with Blair and me in front.

 Another gloriously sunny day. Here, last summer's ocean spray blooms are backlit by the sun.

 Turned out to be a clear, sunny day! The morning brought leftover mist rising from the frozen ground, and I am always attracted to the bright rays and shadows that form.

Searching for shadows - will we have 6 more weeks of winter?

 Had some bright sun this morning after a lot of rain in the night. Everything is wet - below, Tookers isn't too happy in the wet grass!