Barb's Weblog

So I was talking to my friend Tim in Anchorage about that Joni show yesterday. It reminded me of seeing her and Pat Metheny (!) and Jaco Pastorius in Portland at the Coliseum back in the late 70's. I was SO excited to see Pat and Joni, and Jaco blew me away as he laid down bass lines and played over them creating this amazing experience. It must have been the first time I had ever seen that done. He was dead not too long after, but I have always been greatful I got to see him that amazing night. I probably still have the ticket stub!
It was also the first time I ever got patted down and searched at a concert, and it was like a real Childhood's End for me. A sort of "Wow man, its over!" No more freedom at concerts. Only strictly enforced reserved seats, no festival seating, no open floors. No walking with your friends and dancing. Sigh.
I think that night it was Tracy and Mark, Holly and maybe Sam and us...maybe more.
No wonder we got searched!

Today's walkie was back in the woods again. Went back to see if the skunk cabbage was up in the bog, and tho the planks were really slippery and it was chilly, it was really nice back in there. Skunk Cabbage flowers about a foot and a half tall, and very bright. Lots of birds, but not too many mushrooms yet, must be this unusual chilly weather. Boots was wanting to go check out the deer we saw, but he was good and didn't run off and scare them. Saw deer waiting to cross the road on the way home, too. Really guys, just like he was at a crosswalk! I looked in the rear view mirror and saw him saunter across when I went by!
Laters.

10:37 AM — e-mail me your comments

What a nice day! Me and Boots were bored with the beach so we opted for the woods today, and tho it was sprinkling on the road, it was dry and green under the branches in the woods. We took the north end of the Wilbert Trail to the branch that goes up to the Fern Gully Trail and went as far as the north road, then came back down. Boorts wanted more, but I had to get back here and work.
Salmonberry flowers, mosses, that wonderful electric green of new huckleberry leaves...it was really nice. Boots was really enjoying all the smells. Brought home a handful of usnea to make a salve out of...got none in my herb chest, and could use it right now.

I saw the greatest thing on PBS's American Masters last night, I hope they replay it again soon, wish I hadn't thrown out the PBS guide...its likely still in the recycling stuff...
Anyway, it was about Joni Mitchell, and it brought back so many wonderful times, such a great era of music and love and fun and protest.
Very like what is happening now, only now its with a backdrop of Gulf wars instead of VietNam. I have a bootleg copy of an old Joni Mitchell BBC broadcast from about 1970 or so, and it is a great treasure. Its on an old cassette...and unfortunately all my older Joni, pre-1990 is on vinyl. And I haven't even SEEN the turntable since we moved up here like 12 years ago. The show made me hungry for old Joni, and the sweet years between the teens and the end of the 20's, when life is so delicious and the love is so strong. Sigh. It was certainly a magical colorful adventurous and free time. Miss all that youth and energy! All I can do now is stumble thru the woods and crawl home to make stuff.

Which brings me to the cool new things I made yesterday! I came up with a really strong Industrial-Styled collar for men or women, and made a couple cuff bracelets to go with it. Its soo neat I want one, so I will order up a bunch of that particular silver stock today...will want them for the Best of the NW Spring Show on Mothers Day weekend.
Also made a delicate circlet of vines that will have a single pearl hanging down from it on the forehead. Its very elvish and a typical Barb type item. Very magical! If you have a wedding or special occasion coming up, or love fantasy and myth as much as I, stop by early in the show to see it...It might not be around for very long, and its not the sort of thing I could scan in and get an image of!

OK I can't ignore the pull of the workbench anymore, gotta get to a batch of leaves and vines, and see where they take me today! I never know...and all the orders are pretty much done!
Bye!

10:29 AM — e-mail me your comments

Here it is another month, almost!
Spring is moving right along! It is typical spring out here on the island, tulips and daffodils up all around, fruit trees blooming. Our golden plum is flowering, but the others are not awake yet. Our deck looks wonderful, every color tulip and fancy daffs...Spent my last 2 free sundays repotting old and new plants in these great enormous stoneware pots, and now that the neighbor has finished his solid wood fence between the properties, I will be moving bigger deck plants out to the fence to soften up the severe look. Its really a nice fence, I'm just not much of a fence person. The deer and rabbits will be scarcer now, as access gets scarier for them.

The hummers, whitecrowned sparrows, robins and their cronies are back, the mourning doves and band-tailed pigeons too. My crows are having to share the place a bit more, but have still managed to tear apart the (indestructible) bird feeder twice so far this spring. They have the theme "If it can't be disassembled, destroy it!" and they take their work very seriously. In return they offer Tiko protection from hawks (I have learned the crow word for hawk...) clean up and food scrap patrol and great watch dog services, which is great cause Boots is usually sleeping in the workshop with me after his morning walks at the beach. Today we went a bit further than usual, and he was trailing along behind on the way back to Jaelith for the ride home past Nichols Bros Ship Builders and the view of Holmes Harbor and the resident herons.

Spent a nice hour or 2 with Jesse Miller of NWCA infamy, on the search for great crow photos last week. He came here to get them, knowing I harbor about 40 of them, but the neighbor's fence construction drove them off, so we went to a spot where I feed crows at a beach, and found some that were willing to be bribed with kibbles. They are very camera shy, but he found a few that were willing to pose...their photo will be the background for that article on 'jewelry as heirlooms/ Barb stuff' that will be out in the new Artists Guide, coming out at the start of May in time for the Best of the NW spring show at Magnussen Park on Lake Washington. If you can attend, please come and get your copy of what will be the best yet art guide, 5 years into publication...it is full color, filled with beautiful things to see and fun to read, and of course our drop dead gorgeous new ads...can't wait to produce next years photos already! I have 4 really good ideas...but 3 of the models will need serious convincing...and one has already been my victim, just came up with a new product he'd look great in...In fact, come to the Spring Best of the NW and see my newest things! Really neat pins and necklaces shaped like swords (old idea from about 15 years ago) and new bracelet styles, great new necklaces.

See you there!I will offer a weblog discount right before the show!
Off to the bench now...lots of new things to make today!
Bye

11:30 AM — e-mail me your comments