This
has been the content of my days for the last few weeks...sculpting
wax and foraging for pecans. Doesn't make for great blog posts.
Oh,
another one of those.
I
have one more to go and then we will have 7 new pieces to cast. I've
narrowed the selection down to two images, neither of which is
remotely like the one it is replacing. I can't really remember the
criteria I used when I made my original selections except that I
really liked the image. I still like it but I couldn't make it work
in the wax to my satisfaction and I'd rather try something new than
try that one again.
We
have amassed quite a lot of pecans. A big storm blew through last
Monday and did an excellent job of knocking them out of the trees.
It seems as if the tree that lost three large branches last year is
trying to outdo itself and the other two this year. I started
shelling them this week and now that I learned how to actually use
the fancy pecan nut cracker I bought last year (thanks to a youtube
video that I stumbled across earlier searching for nut crackers),
it's going much easier. When I asked the guy at the place where I
sell my extra pecans how to use it he showed me a technique that I
could never get the hang of. Turns out it was completely wrong. OK,
not completely wrong, just half wrong.
Last
week, we had a couple of days of cooler weather and I dug up more grass along the concrete bunker over at the
shop and planted some of the things I moved from the city property.
Well, two things. The spider lilies and one of the rooted cuttings
from the yellow angel trumpet. The little angel trumpet went into
immediate wilt since it basically went from shade to full sun so
right now it's being protected by shade cloth while it recovers.
We
don't usually have commission work in the summer because it's too hot
for one thing (and we have the grandkid visits) and our clientele is
on vacation or has kids out of school. That's fine with us as long
as it picks back up in the fall. Which it usually does except when
it doesn't. So far this fall, there has been little activity and no
results. I'm not too worried because of the sale of the city
property this summer and I did want some time to work on my
other work. I don't want no work, just not 6 months worth dumped on
me at one time. Or maybe even that. Now that we are out here and
not wasting two days out of the week traveling, it would be easier to
handle.
This
sweet little rain lily popped up around the yard of the new shop after
one of our rains.
glad you're getting the time to do your own stuff. i always like to see the rain lilies pop, too. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful little flower, your rain lily. Do you know more about it?
ReplyDeletehmmm...I've never seen a rain lily. Must be a Texas thing???
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flower.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the down time, it won't last. You will be busy soon wondering how you're going to get it all done.
Cool lily!
ReplyDeleteA rain lily. Hmmmm. I don't think I've seen one of those before! Glad the pecans are producing and some of the nuts survived to maturity. (I seem to remember some were falling early, right?)
ReplyDelete15.99/5lb for machined pecans here.Love the lily, as does everyone.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth, always too much or not enough, both in work, and in harvests.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little I got sick of figs and grapes, because we had so much of both. Now, when I see figs in the market, I drool so much that I cry with joy. Even the tiny, tasteless figs we grow here are better than no figs at all.
Ellen,
ReplyDeleteIt has always been a pleasure to read about your artful life. Pecans and casting in season and children and flowers that surprise. It's a good world! I hope work picks up in the nick of time.
Thank your for saying hello :).