Masterclass Horsehair Braiding

I don’t think I would have the patience or the dexterity to do this type of art, but Kestrel has it in spades. She’s sent us a gorgeous example of the horsehair braiding that she does and I’m in awe. Thanks so much for sharing, Kestrel.

 

Years ago a lady had me braid a horsehair bracelet for her from her horse. She told me she was really having trouble with a watch that she truly loved: an Ecclissi watch that was just simply falling apart. She told me she had bought it over 30 years ago but loved to wear it. This is how it started out:

©kestrel, all rights reserved

You can see the chains were falling apart. The lady asked me if I could possibly repair it with braided horsehair. She said she would really like it if it looked like twill. I set to work counting hair and working out how to perform this repair.

©kestrel, all rights reserved

The finished watch had 4 bands of 8-strand braiding on each side of the watch. Because I used two different colors I got the twill effect.

©kestrel, all rights reserved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack’s Walk

Autumn mums, ©voyager, all rights reserved

I love the autumn, especially the colour show of the trees and bushes, but so far our trees are still green. There’s the odd red or yellow leaf, but this year the trees are making me wait. It isn’t all drab, though. Autumn is also the season that big pots of colourful mums start to appear around the neighbourhood. Mums are hearty at this latitude and can even withstand a bit of freezing and they come in so many rich shades of reds, oranges and yellows, even delicate whites. I love them all and I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last photo of mums that I’ll post this fall.

Spider Silk

Due to drought, there probably will not be any meaningful aftermath this year. The meadows are green, but the grass is not even knee-height. But everything is covered with spider silk this fall, something that I did not notice other years. I tried to take a few shots.

©Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

Jack’s Walk

Jack at Southside Park, ©voyager, all rights reserved

What you can’t see in this peaceful photograph are the dozens of geese that were honking and charging us from behind. Jack’s never gone up against a goose so he’s fearless around them, but I’ve been bitten by geese and it hurts. They’re also fairly strong, so they make me a bit nervous. I’ve never had trouble with them at this park, though, especially in the fall when they’re not protecting nests or babies. Whatever the cause I decided not to linger and we skedaddled over to the concrete skate park.

Fall Colors of a Rowan Tree

Today I managed to get home before the sun set completely  and I was not hungry overmuch, so I managed to grab my camera and go for a walk for a change and I experimented a bit with this and that.

Today I wish to share a few shots of a roadside cluster of rowan trees. I love rowan trees, every part of them. In the fall, they are the first ones starting to change color around here. The fall has truly arrived.

©Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

Jack’s Walk

The rolling hills of home, ©voyager, all rights reserved

Autumn is definitely in the air around here. The days are cooler and the nights are crisp and Jack couldn’t be happier. You see, the boy hates warm weather. His fur is thick and because he ocean swims in the summer he doesn’t lose his undercoat. He also has a bit of a fat pad that makes it even harder to stay cool. So when the weather turns and autumn comes Jack gets energized. Even now at 10 years old he is full of piss and vinegar. I don’t mind at all. Go ahead Jack and use that tail to clear the coffee table. Scratch my floors with those talons of yours and bark at every passing car. It was a long hot summer, but it’s finally time to have some fun.

Chinese Fabric Art

Opus has sent us a special treat… a few pictures taken while he was visiting China. The photos are full of energy and bright, bold colour and I can’t help but think that it must have been very special to see this art with people who understand its true value. Thanks so much for sharing, Opus.

 Pictures from Lijiang in southern China.  I visited with a couple of fabric artists who wanted to see the work done by local women. We were not disappointed!  The woman with the elaborately embroidered headwear is Naxi, best I can remember.  Lijiang is on an ancient trade route, the Tea-Horse road, which was used to trade tea from southern China for Tibetan horses.

©Opus, all rights reserved

©Opus, all rights reserved

©Opus, all rights reserved

Jack’s Walk

 

Autumn leaf, ©voyager, all rights reserved

Well, there it is. The first colourful leaf of autumn laying on our forest pathway. The trees themselves haven’t turned colour yet, but slowly the signs of autumn are beginning to appear. Around our neighbourhood the hydrangea blooms are withering and big pots of colourful mums are appearing. In the country John Deere green tractors go back and forth and back and forth preparing the land for winter.  It’s sweater season and it’s my favourite time of year.

Tree Tuesday

Our tree this week was sent in by Affinity’s newest team member, rq. It’s a majestic old tree in a fairy tale setting and the last shot is brilliant. Perfectly framed, perfectly lit and perfectly peaceful.  Thanks for sharing, rq.

 

©rq, all rights reserved

©rq, all rights reserved

©rq, all rights reserved

©rq, all rights reserved

Stages of a Flower

I’ve been thinking a lot about Caine today as I tended to some admin tasks. And then I found this in my inbox. It’s from Nightjar and it’s perfect. Thanks.

I’d like to dedicate this set to the memory of Caine, it was 100% inspired by her and she was in my thoughts as I planned and took each picture. It’s the kind of photography I would probably not even think of doing if I hadn’t met her. And yes, flash at dusk, a technique I picked up from her. I wish she could know how much she’s missed.

These are Helianthus tuberosus flowers from my garden.

©Nightjar, all rights reserved

©Nightjar, all rights reserved

©Nightjar, all rights reserved

©Nightjar, all rights reserved

©Nightjar, all rights reserved

©Nightjar, all rights reserved

Jack’s Walk

Big Bob the red oak, ©voyager, all rights reserved

One of the nicest words in the English language is home, and that’s exactly where we are today. Home. We’ve been away for nearly 2 months and, as nice as it was to be seaside, I’m happy to be back. Jack feels the same way. This morning we went to our favourite forest path, Trillium Woods, and Jack ran around like a puppy with his tail held high and a bounce in his step. He peed on trees until he ran empty and then he air-peed some more. Jack grew up on this little forest path. It’s where his big sister Lucy taught him to climb and chase and I imagine these woods still carry her scent even though she’s been gone for a year. This is home to Jack as surely as our little house is and today he’s a very happy boy. There is no better welcome home.