Summer has ended with such glorious days! Along my daily walk the views seem extra lovely, with dappled light coming through the canopy of tall trees, playing on the thick undergrowth of fern. The light is getting long so it is particularly nice in the morning and late afternoon. The goldenrod is glowing along the roadside…
And goldenrod is just what I need to donate to my guild’s annual natural dye day. Bob came along with me to tote the large shopping bag as we both cut flowers. I was aiming for two pounds, but before we knew it we had four!
I sat on the front porch to cut the flowers into smaller bits. The smell of cut goldenrod is delightful!….green and sweet/spicy!
I never get tired of seeing the houses along this walk. I like to imagine how I’d live in each of these houses, where I’d put my looms, how I’d make some gardens!
On the last full weekend in summer we finally had our first sail since returning home to New England. We sailed down the Connecticut River, then spent a night at Fisher’s Island, then four days in Newport. It’s been decades since either of us have toured any of the mansions. We chose The Elms, which is considerably smaller than either The Breakers or Marble House but still quite impressive. You can lunch in the carriage house. The ambience is great, but the food not so much, so we opted to take a picnic to a nearby park.
I found a mansion that is just my size! Unfortunately, it is not for sale… I can just imagine myself weaving on that upper floor…
We walked along the cliffwalk and along the harbor, where we were anchored. We volunteered for few hours at the annual Newport Boat Show which gave us free admittance to all the exhibits. Bob loved that!
Back at home, I am settling in to the first week of autumn. My goldenrod dyebath is ready, my yarns are mordanted. I’ve got a year old indigo vat that I’d like to reconstitute, and I’ve got fresh indigo ready to harvest. That will be a new process for me! I have a couple of tapestry designs swirling around my brain. Bob is gathering firewood, and I am gathering apples. I love the change of seasons!
Our son Rob visited over the weekend and saw his finished portrait for the first time.
Back at my looms, I am weaving a bit text and making good progress on the final painted warp. It’s time to think about painting another warp!
