the philosopher agrees to travel





have been busy in the garden, amongst many other chores have tackled the hazel shrubs out back and end up  with a useful collection of hazelwood sticks, I love their smooth, shiny bark; they also look very sophisticated as they stand so straight, proud almost

solidago, bullet thistle, soapwort and hibiscus

I felt it was time for a present to you, my dear followers, whether you comment regularly or not doesn't matter, as long as you do so now, then we'll know you want to participate in the tombola; entries open till next Sunday 30 July; I will then write down your names on snippets of paper, throw them all into one of my hats, shuffle and shake, close my eyes & pick one at random....


'the philosopher' contemplating the world as it unfolds before him, before us all, withholding judgement, eating a fresh plum from time to time; after careful deliberations, weighing the pros & cons , he has agreed to be given away, he feels it's a great opportunity to see more of the world and perhaps even experience it more hands-on; he is quite the cerebral type and not one for getting his hands dirty, so maybe now he might do just that. 'If nothing else, it'll be my adventure' he explains to me

He won't take up too much of your space, he's reasonably clean, not a picky eater, has a tendancy to wander off on his walk-about-musings, a lousy sense of direction so it might take him a while to arrive...other than that, important to know he likes his sleep and will only wake up to coffee; a friendly character who enjoys intelligent conversation, he will be missed, however we will be happy once we know he's going somewhere he's welcome



my poster for the nearby campsite, inviting folks over to come and visit the studio



the eldest is experimenting with smoking wood pigeon breasts in this contraption, he's using the old plum tree wood, from  the one we had to chop down earlier this year as it was dying, useful now; much like the hazelsticks in the picture below: support for the dahlia that had survived the snail onslaught and barely managed to stay upright after the bindweed had been dragging it earthwards





happy Django in the water a couple of days ago when the weather was really hot and sunny



there they were again 
these orange insects enjoying their annual orgy on the common hogweed, they were at it all over these plants in particular, fascinating


our niece recently gave birth to a second son, time for a small gift for the young family




dogs, a hare, dreaming bird and a tree-of-life, on it's way to Texas

Comments

i would SOOOOOOOO much love to see that poster of Invitation
to visit the Studio...i would be there, in a FLASH,

this whole post gives me such a smile, all of it, and the
Philosopher.... dog swimming like a beaver....little Family in their
little cardboard house....

i have said this before...i just LOVE how your mind takes such
delight in small things....
Love to you, Saskia....Big Love to you




Liz A said…
Oh how this makes me smile ... so much to love
KAM said…
wonderful, engaging post today. Always I enjoy your photos and words yet somehow today was a true standout! The hazel sticks you collected are what the Native folks of the Hupa, Karuk, Yurok, Tolowa and other northern California river tribes use the hickory sticks for the making of their baby baskets! I lived on the Hupa reservation and ran a small rural library there for 12 years serving people from all the various tribes, and non-Indians
as well.
Kristin
Marti said…
Dear Philosopher, you would be most welcome here in this desert land of New Mexico. I live in what is known as the high desert and my city is over 5,300 ft in elevation. It is sunny and quite hot in the summer but we do get a little snow in the winter. I have fresh tomatoes, corn, zucchini, peppers, Swiss chard, beets, lettuce, red onions, garlic and many herbs growing here so I'm sure you would have plenty to eat. Lovely flowers too especially our very tall sunflowers, bright yellow, variegated rust and yellow and deep rust.
I can promise you freshly ground coffee in a French press and homemade jams, breads and an occasional peace or apple crisp, a breakfast or desert dish that I make with fresh fruit, butter, nuts, oatmeal etc. We love fruit dishes in the summer.

You can nap in our garden, lulled by the swaying corn stalks and when it gets too hot, you can sit under our grape arbor where you can pick a few to enjoy for a snack. In autumn, we turn our grapes into raisins and you would be a big help by telling us your thoughts about sustainable living and eating what you grow.

You would have a special place on the altar on my dresser filled with drawing and gifts from my grandchildren. Mexi the cat, a drawing by my granddaughter comes alive when you read the story written about her and there is a tiny green Pokeman statue who would like a new friend. He was given to me by my grandson who knows how much I love anything green.

We will make you comfortable albeit you will be in a very different place but then adventures should be about new places and experiences. We don't have a lot of water but nearby we do have the Rio Grande which means Big River in Spanish. Sometimes the river is full, other times it is not. One thing New Mexico has in abundance are glorious sunrises and sunsets and dancing, at times, fierce winds. We like to sit out, especially when the winds dance and watch the skies. You will be welcomed by the lizards in our yard and the many birds who hang from the sunflowers that we have planted

After you have gotten used to being here in New Mexico, we may even introduce you to the culinary pride and joy of our state, the chili pepper...no, don't get upset, we will start slowly, with a very mild one and then work our way up to the hotter ones but only if you like the taste. Best of all, if you do come here to New Mexico, you can dictate your travel journal to me so I can send Saskia updates of your adventures; you know she would want to see how it is all going. Bienvendio, welcome.
Unknown said…
I would love for you to come live with me and I know we would get along splendidly. I too love my sleep and oh would not think of starting my day without a cup of coffee. You are a delight.
Marti said…
Dear Philosopher, it is Marti again. I got so excited about the possibility of meeting you that I had a few typos in my note. I meant to say that you could have peach not peace crisp and my Welcome in Spanish should read Bienvenido...see you are needed here to help me with my spelling!
Mo Crow said…
(((Saskia))) you are a treasure, this post is such a treat!
Nancy said…
Everything here makes me feel so happy! He would be quite welcome here, but I also understand if you want to give another a turn. I love all you so. xoNancy
susan hemann said…
such a lovely post! That's the bird I love!
Debbie said…
Oooh yes please I would love to have him here. Your garden is looking lovely, which one is soapwort.
Saskia said…
9 names in the Hat already, he feels fortunate and excited


they don't feel like small things Grace, perhaps I'm just not made for the Big Stuff in life....yes having you visit here would be WonderFull

Excellent Liz, and I wonder if that Dreaming Bird in the bottom image is dreaming the Hare, those Dogs and the Tree, or maybe it's the other way 'round....you will know soon enough

hi there Kristin, what a fascinating job you had! you know I have also dreamt I was part Native Indian myself (albeit white, blonde and blue eyed) as a child I used to tell my mum lots of stories about my second family; how lovely hazel sticks were used for the baby basket weaving, I have only yet managed to weave plantsupports along the garden paths; by the way he is sure he would feel most welcome in your home!

well Marti, your comment is a post in itself! what a tale and he is tempted to slide into the envelope and post himself straight away, however, as is his considerate nature he feels the heartfelt warmth in every comment and is certain every home offered could hold the Adventure he so looks forward to, so we will just have to wait and see what Sunday brings


Tina, after good night's sleep to wake up to a strong cup of coffee, he likes the sound of that, a lot......

arti: PEACH crisps you say......very tempting, I say no more

thanks Mo, well I kind of know your place and therefore know he could happily make it his home as well, plus you share your life with a musical Crow, he thinks this is very cool

the Hat rules, Nancy, and if he did turn up on your doorstep he would at least know one other bird in your household ;-)

oh wow Susan, I thought it was another one; he feels loved and loveable, he feels spoilt for choice and is relieved he doesn't have to choose!

your name will go into the Hat as well Debbie, he likes your weaving and dyeing and would be interested to learn more on these matters; the soapwort is the pale pink flower in the right, apparently it was used for washing




Melanie said…
Dear Saskia, I only began following you two weeks ago, having arrived via the Spirit Cloth site. What a treat it has been to see your wonderful textile creations. I was immediately enchanted by the small pillows. Oh, I do hope the philosopher might make a voyage across the sea to coastal Massachusetts. He would find books by lovely friends here...Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson being our well-known transcendental philosophers. He could live near a scenic river, close to the wild Atlantic ocean, and view the many beautiful birds who visit our refuge. In our home we have a term "embrace the nap" and we don't speak much before morning coffee! But after coffee, there is much time for intelligent conversation. The philosopher would be safe and cozy here, and join our collection of well loved handmade treasures.
All the best to you. I'm so glad that I found your site.
Maria buysse said…
een GOUDKORREL van Ralf Waldo Emmerson :
Het mooiste in de vriendschap
is niet de uitgestoken hand,
de vriendelijke glimlach,
noch het menselijke contact,
maar het warme gevoel
iemand te hebben
die in je gelooft
en je vertrouwen schenkt .

Saskia ook hier is de Philosopher welkom
hij kent zowel het Nederlands als de Engelse taal
m'n ontvangst en omgaan bevind zich in de " goudkorrel "
mag dat voldoende zijn om hem welkom te heten
genegen groetjes maria
Fanny said…
Dear Mr Philosopher ,
Would you like to visit France ? You will be welcome ! I hope you speak French , because my English is terrible , but I can offer plenty of good coffee to you .
Please , can you tell Saskia how much I like her little pillows , her beautiful garden and the Big Black Dog .
Fanny
Saskia said…
well I'm glad too Melanie, and I appreciate your kind words, they mean a lot; your house and surroundings sound marvelous and he most certainly would appreciate stimulating conversations, after coffee of course! Rest assured your name will go into the Hat as well

Ah Maria, ik zat laatst nog te denken dat ik al een poosje geen commentaren van jouw hand had gezien, noch hier noch bij Grace; ook jouw naam gaat in de Hoed, hij voelt de warmte al uit België opstijgen

bienvenue Fanny, surement il parle francais, peut etre c'est un tout petit peu 'rustique' a ce moment la, mais j'en suis sure que ca va ameliorer du moment qu'il arrivera chez toi; ton nom va aussi dans le Chapeau (Django, le chien te remercie)
Unknown said…
Been keeping up with this conversation ... what a gift to all of us that we get to share each other's thoughts and talents. For me it started with Jude followed by Grace Marti you and so many others that fill me with joy and inspiration. In my dreams I get to travel getting to know and learn one on one from each and everyone of you talented kind sharing women.
Special thanks being sent your way.
Julie S said…
Please put my name in the hat. Please also include: Little Bird,Molly, Tui, Himself, my mom, my dad, and the ghosts of Clutch and Billy, if paranormal phenomena are allowed.

Everything in all your work, your studio, your home, your garden, it all comes together, one patchwork of life.

And also my cousins Janis, Robin, Susie, Christina, Michal and Thing 1 and Thing 2. Conveniently enough, everyone can be reached right at my home address.
Sue McQ said…
Saskia...love the little philosopher! He is so sweet. A kin to mine who dwells here in the Midwest. At first, I was tempted to ask you to include my name in the draw; however, to be fair, I hope one of your other readers receives it so they can enjoy him as much as I enjoy mine. Those tiny pillow peeps for your family and new addition are adorable.
Saskia said…
and the conversation continues Tina, for sure

I gather you really want him Julie, he feels flattered beyond compare (I do believe he's blushing)

thank you for your generosity Sue, and also nice to know you like yours

tungsten

tungsten

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