Summer Solstice

G'Dawg and Eman at Big Trees. I walked a mile trail with this foot.

Summer is officially here. Yesterday was the solstice. The days are the longest they will be all year. I always feel energized and ready to tackle the world at the beginning of Summer.  However this year I have a broken foot.  And I really need to cool my heels so it will heal.  It is not in my nature to be sedentary.  I normally run from shop, studio, garden, chickens, laundry, errands, socializing, cooking as if someone is chasing me.  I am known to wear out small children. :-)  I have ALWAYS been this way.  There just seems to be so much I want to do, and I am excited to be and do.  Boredom is not something I know very well.

A front page favorite on Etsy.  Sold, sold, and sold :-)

Recently we had a visitor who Bob has known for years.  Joan is an easy going aging Santa Fe hippie.  She floats from one thing to the next. Rarely with a plan, and seems to always get there.  Bob had mentioned she might stay here on her way from Mexico to Santa Fe. She's done it before.  I always enjoy our conversations.  She is a dear.  I wanted to share the fun story of how Bob met Joanie years ago, before I had arrived in his life.

E's favorite chick "Precious" posing.

Bob's son Dan, a new driver, backed into Joan's car that was parked on the street.  Bob was paying for the damages, and Joan had come to pick up a check at his house.  Bob's ex-wife Gail was visiting also.  When Gail left, she was in a hurry.  Bob and Joan were talking in his shop.  They heard a huge "crunching sound", and looked out the window.  Gail had backed into Joan's newly repaired car in Bob's driveway.  You can't make this stuff up!  Joan and Bob were forever bonded as friends from that moment on.  They both chuckle every time this story is told.

Our visit with the Elephants is still in my mind.

I feel Joan arrived to give me a message...chill out Baby! And time to do some drawing and painting.

Thanks for reading. Each day is a gift. Open now.
xo,
Suz

G-Dawg and Mr. E

A new favorite...Silkies, E really loved them all grown up.

16 days with  Grandma: aka "G-Dawg."  Ethan left today after  being with us for16 days.  Our trip to the Elephants and Giant Sequoias in California started it.   The time flew.  We went to ceramics, played in the pool, played with chicks and chickens, movies, 2 nights of serious Texas Hold'em, a visit to the "In Plain Sight" set,  photography, bacon cheese burgers, birthday party, many of my colorful friends, chasing me through Target and Walmart on my electronic scooter, and countless real time talking and sharing, and laughing. Lots of laughing!

Add caption

Cast chairs at the set of "In Plain Sight"

G'Dawg burning rubber in Walmart

My boot cast makes an excellent perch

4 new Aussies, "Precious" posing on the right.

E and Precious...both are precious !

It takes me a day to get used to not having him here. It was an incredible visit.  

Memories to last a life time.  

Thanks for reading.

Each day is a gift. Open now.

xo,

Suz

Elephant Video

Here is a short video we took in the rain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_OrbcGXRWY

Nick playing with Brian and hose :-)

Enjoy!
xo,
Suz

Australorps and Elephants

The 4 new Australorp chicks.

Last week I went to pick up 4 baby chicks from a local chicken breeder who was supposed to trade chicks with me in early May.  Typical New Mexico style he emailed me 6 weeks late (after I had sold the pullets to trade) and said "your chicks are ready." They are Australorps, a large breed, black, clean legged, and usually very gentle. They also lay very large eggs. My son had asked for them when I told him I would be getting chicks. However, Murray-McMurray were out of that breed.

They were 10 days old when I got them.  They had never been near a human.  It's obvious, as they are totally freaked out by me and Ethan when we attend to them.  I will try to hold them and tame them the best I can.  I'm on a mission!  They hide under anything they can.  I recommend to those who have never had chicks to get day old ones, so they can pattern with you.  My other chicks...who are adolescents hear my voice and are all lined up at the coop gate waiting for me.  Some hopping on their a-frame and talking to me to get my attention.  They, as you may remember came to me a day old and I am the Mother Hen.

Maggie and Lulu

What glaring dichotomies baby chicks and full grown elephants are. 

The entrance to P.A.W.S.

We went to P.A.W.S. in San Andreas California.  Ethan and I had waited long for this event.  The weather said rain all day and 50 degrees.  I haven't had that weather since I was in NYC.  Our tour began with looking at several Asian females: "Maggie, Mara, and Lulu."  Maggie and Mara had worked in a circus over 25 years ago.  We were told when they saw  each other, they ran together like old girlfriends who hadn't seen each other in years.  They are now inseparable.

Our group in the rain

Maggie on her way to see us.

Maggie getting as close to us as she can.

Maggie and Lulu

"Nicholas" is an Asian bull.  He was trained to ride a tricycle in a circus by 2, and by 4 he had enough of riding a tricycle and became aggressive.  At that time he was locked in a stall until he was rescued at 13 by PAWS.  9 years is a long time.  Ethan and I had a hard time getting our heads around what this elephant did for 9 years in a stall.  Humans in jail even get an hour out a day.

Nick's ear to ear grin

Nick clowning for us

Nick's own water park

Fire hosed and loving it.

When Nick saw his trainer, and our group coming over the hill, he began to walk back and forth. Then he sat on one "cheek", then another.  He was clearly smiling.  We could see it.  A fire hose was turned on and a shower of showers started. Nick sucked the water up his trunk, then hosed himself repeatedly with water.  He'd lift one foot at a time and got an elephant pedicure.  Leaning on the huge steel bars to get closer to us.  The smile never left his face, or ours.  We stood in the rain ( elephants like the rain) freezing, and not really caring about anything but elephants.

The elephant jacuzzi they built for therapy

Nick's polkadotted ear for examination.

We ate lunch inside an elephant barn, as it was inclement outside.  Then followed the director and staff to the newest barn where Nick met us.  We passed a huge bull (whose name I don't remember) who had his tusks cut and capped with steel and chained together.  He eyed us suspiciously. One could see by his posture, that he was broken. He'd only been with PAWS 6 months.  They had a long road ahead to gain his trust.  The director fed him lots of fruit, and bran. We watched his trunk scoop up food from the floor with amazing accuracy.  This is the barn where they are seen by the vet, and given medicine if they need it.

The new bull hiding from us.

It was an adventure we will never forget.  I'm happy to check it off my bucket list.  Our first trip together. Amazing memories.  I gave Ethan my camera I used on the set for years.   He took beautiful photos, and learned iPhoto on our trip home in the airport.  I think he is planning an Etsy shop that sends most of the proceeds to PAWS. If you can, go see them. Worth the time and expense.  Here is their website: http://www.pawsweb.org/

Thanks for reading.
Each day is a gift. Open now.
xo,
Suz

Sunsets and Elephants

facing west at 6pm

The huge Arizona fire that started 10 days ago is still raging out of control. We get these plumes of smoke and ash when the wind kicks up.  Advised by the NWS to close windows, turn off coolers.  The sky gets to be a strange color and the sun and the moon turn orange.  It's a bit post apocolyptic looking.  The heaviness of the ash in the air, and the mountains and valley disappear from view.  I have only had my phone on me when I have seen these red sunsets.

Nicholas

Ethan and Nicholas in the pouring rain.

I haven't had a moment to write a proper elephant blog. However, I will share a few pics from our trip.
Thanks for reading.
Each day is a gift. Open now.
xo,
Suz

4 More At The Door

Australorp chicks

Last night I got an email from a chicken farmer in the East Mountains of Albuquerque.  I had contacted him in March about getting some of his Australorp chicks.  He was out of them but said he'd have some mid May to late May.  I wrote back saying I needed them before of after our trip to see the elephants.  However, I never heard from him again.  I also left several voice mail messages.  Imagine my surprise when he emailed me!  

Full sized Australorp hen.

So here we go again.  I now have a broken foot, and am in a walking cast. So I can't do the things I normally can do.  I will enlist help of Lloyd and Ethan to move the nursery back into the walled patio area.  There will only be 4, so that is much less clean up or work. They are a large breed, and will grow fast.  Eventually they will be commingled with our flock.  Of course Ethan is thrilled to have chicks again.  

I could have told him no.  But these are a favorite gentle breed of mine.  And for another week, I have a 13year old farm hand. :-)

Thanks for reading.

Each day is a gift. Open now.
xo,
Suz

Big Trees

The Dogwoods were just beginning to show their colors.

We have just come back from visiting Big Trees, the Sequoias in northern California.  We stayed at our friends ranch while we were there: Scott and Barbara Slobodian.  Scott is a Japanese sword maker, and his wife Barbara an engraver.  Barbara fixed us beautiful meals.  We enjoyed their two Rotties, and a young Great Dane.  As you know I broke my foot before our trip.  But I "played through" walking a mile long trail with a cane and boot.

Grandma and Ethan in the drive through tree.

The weather in California was cold and rainy.  When I booked the trip months ago I expected hot and dry.  The trees defy description.  Really.  One has a feeling of Natural History taking place right before their eyes.  I loved seeing Ethan's face as he eyed these giants.  They are magnificent in every way.  I knew he would be impressed, and he was.

One of E's photos with new camera.

E in the fallen tree.

Me taking a picture of Scott taking a picture of E tree hugging.

Barbara taking a picture of me taking her picture!

There was a car trip out to dinner with "Cochise" their 2 year old Boston Great Dane, and Kiowa their Rottie/Australian Shepard.  Cochise was rescued from a horrid past. He was shy, and didn't like eye contact.  We would say to each other: "I don't see anything." :-)  We began referring to him as 140lbs of invisibility. Eventually he began to trust us.  Sitting on Ethan's lap for the 1/2 hour car trip!

140lbs of invisibility :-)

Ethan has quite an eye. So I handed down my set camera that has taken thousands of continuity photos for TV/Movie work.  The beauty of digital is that there are no mistakes.  Only deletes.  He went to town with it, and got quite a few stunning photos.  I taught him how to use iPhoto in the airport on our way home.  The proud Grandma thinks he will do right by his new camera.  It has great history.  He practiced on the "trees" in preparation for seeing the Elephants the next day.  That will be my next blog.

E in the trees.

E's photo of tree tops

Abe framed in a knot. Ethan composition again.

 Thanks for reading. Each day is a gift, open now.

xo, Suz