rooky-raveny-crowy affairs

This is what I call big black birds whose identity I am uncertain off. It should include jackdawy affairs as well. In the summer we see swifty-martiny-swallowy affairs. I do try to learn which is which, but it all goes out of my head again.

Anyway, today there were lots of rooky-raveny-crowy-jackdawy affairs on the telephone lines. But, only about two or three on each line, and, most significantly, always near the pole. After seeing these for a few hundred yards, it dawned on me that they were staying near the pole because the line is saggy and they would not be stable if they were nearer the middle of it. So, then I wondered how they learnt to do this. They have a reputation as intelligent birds. Do they learn by landing in the middle of a line and then doing an ungainly swing around it and gradually finding the edge a better bet, does their mum/mates teach them, or is it in the genes? If it's the first of these, I hope I one day see one at the swivel stage.

Satish Kumar

I have just watched the most beautiful programme, which Simon had recorded. It was presented by Satish Kumar, whom I have known of via the journal Resurgence and the Schumacher College and have vague recollections of from earlier times when I expect my parents read his work, as they were peace activists. But I have really known little about him myself. He walked across the world for peace, he was a Jain before that. In this Natural World programme he walked around Dartmoor, and drew parallels between the things he saw through the year and what is happening in the world and his philosophy on life. It was simply presented, he did not preach, yet it was very powerful and moving. The importance of the honey bee to the future of all life on land, the need of the damsel fly, which predates the dinosaurs, to live in clean water, people as part of nature, not just controllers of it. The photography was stunning, it was very uplifting, and makes me want to read and understand more.

“Sadly, the human species considers itself as a superior species – and, in that, we try to control nature, manipulate nature. The way we treat our animals… forests… our oceans and rivers, and land and soil – that appears as if we are at war with nature. And in waging war against nature, we create problems for ourselves, because we ARE nature. And global warming, pollution of rivers, depletion of resources, is like cutting the branch upon which we are sitting.”

'You are, therefore I am - a declaration of dependence'. The title of one of Satish Kumar's books.

Exhausting

Phew, all that felting has exhausted me, then getting it on here, that was worse. I will just lie here for a while.

Needlefelt Challenge

This is the first time I have taken up a challenge set online. It is from M Embellish, and the subject is 'Sandwich'.

I started by making a sandwich of needle felted
wool with an inner of bought felt (hope that is legal!?) on my embellisher.

Then I cut the sandwich into thin slices.





I laid the slices sideways.








I made a red piece of felt on the embellisher.
I lightly hand needle felted the strips into place, to hold them when using the machine. I wanted a few gaps to let the red show through. Then I used the embellisher on it.













I cut it to size, about 2 by 3 inches. I added a few beads.

I'm quite pleased with it, for a first go. I think it has come out with more definition than it would have if I had simply used pieces of roving on a background. The beads could have been a bit more zingy and there could have been a few more red areas showing through. It is an open sandwich and 'normal' sandwich in one! It will probably appear as a card in due course.

common ground

Yesterday I made a start at adding comments to other people's blogs, as I want to make this process interactive and make contact with people. I put a comment on the Cowboys and Custard blog, as I have enjoyed reading it for some time, and it seemed a friendly place to start! Michele contacted me by email and we have lots of things in common - love of and periods living in Cornwall, love of felt making, and, perhaps strangest of all, an appreciation of the work of Geoffrey Oryema, a musician from Uganda with a tragic past, who plays and sings the most moving music. Oh, and cats who look similar! Thank you Michele for making me so welcome to the world of blog communication.

This picture is of young lads leaping into the sea at Trebarwith Strand. Tombstoning I think? At first when I saw them, I looked away in horror, and thought it all extremely dangerous, and the rocks below seemed to be directly beneath them. Then, I thought, 'just one photo'. Then, of course, I was desperate for them to jump, and silently goaded them on. It took several shots to get an actual one of someone in mid air! They all seemed fine and full of the excitement of it all when they got out. I think it is a local rite of passage.

There was no intended connection with my above post when I chose this shot, but I can see a 'jumping in' connection! I just wanted a reminder of summer, so dreary is the weather at present, so wet and generally gloomy. But, you do have to jump in to get the full benefits of life. I won't be doing this particular jump next summer though.

A New Addiction

Using the embellisher day and night?
Washing the floor?
Doing the laundry?

Nope. None of these, although I would at least like to be using the embellisher. I have been introduced to Scrabulous (Scrabble to you and me) on Facebook. Now I have 8 games going, and have to keep checking if it is my turn! I suppose it is slightly brain expanding, and it can fit around other activities, well, it must. I will be back on here later, must go and check if it is my go...

felted brooches

These are some of the felted brooches I have made with my Janome embellisher. I have sold/given as presents quite a few, so these are what is left! Until I make some more. I love using the embellisher, but seem to get through a lot of needles. I now also have a sewing machine, so hope to bring the two together and add machine stitching to the felt. This is a rubbish photo. I notice people apologise for their photos on other blogs, but they mostly look fine to me! I guess it is acceptable to blame the light at this time of year.