short stories 6

Now that the shelling has begun I've started to lose my enthusiasm for the collecting. In fact I'm getting very selective. I've abandoned my methodical back and forth, up and down of the yard. The welcome storm that blew in last night amid much lightning and thunder was the first we have had in long enough that everything was suffering from lack of rain and it gave the branches a good shaking. Enough leaves have fallen from the trees to see that there appear to be still some hangers on, but I think most have fallen now.

The cotton was harvested last month. Two years ago he used a huge machine, a house sized machine. This year he did it all with this small tractor and collector. This past week he has been turning the earth, turning under all the cotton that still lay on the ground, getting the field ready to rest for the winter.

I was out taking some pictures of the moonflower vine for the next set of pieces (which I haven't found much time to be working on lately) and this yellow jacket flew up and was extracting nectar from the base of the unopened buds. It let me take a few pictures but when it looked right at me I figured it was about to lose patience with me.

Here's the wren cast in black glass. This is straight out of the mold and after a bath in vinegar. I still have plenty of finish work to do on it as well as a good 1/8 inch to grind off the bottom. It'll probably take me 45 minutes, maybe longer. I had to cast it thicker than I wanted it to insure that the glass would not draw up out of the narrow areas and as it is, the beak didn't cast all the way. I think if I had packed the glass in the mold a little differently it might have filled that area. I may need to adjust my mental picture for the blue heron inlay box to allow for a thicker inlay. Maybe save me some time at the grinder.

So, we were coming back from the city Saturday, the day before Halloween mind you, when we passed one of the many subdivision/suburbs on our way out. There in the green space between the highway and the wall of the subdivision was a christmas tree. A decorated christmas tree. Before Halloween. Is that really necessary? I know that christmas is a joy to believers and children but can we just please limit it to the few weeks preceding it? If the company responsible for erecting the holiday decorations for that subdivision has so much work lined up that they have to start this early, then they need to hire more people. There are plenty of unemployed out there who would love some seasonal work. So please, don't start cramming it down our throats before Halloween or even Thanksgiving for that matter.