Figured out how to stipple the sunflower: with a scribing awl and a slight twisting motion to avoid dents along the grain. So here is the butterfly and sunflower again, framed.

chip carving of a butterfly approaching a sunflower, square format, frame chip carved with triangles and painted green

Boots on wet pine straw
Loud enough. A heron flies,
Frightened into beauty.

You—yes, you!—are one step away from becoming super.

Unclog your liver
For lightweight, breathable comfort.
A long time before me…
Three days left.

Since it was forecast to be 93 this afternoon, I finished my 10 mile hike by a quarter past eleven. Took longer than I expected because it was prettier than expected, and I dawdled. This was my turn-around point.

view of a lake through weeds and wildflowers, blue sky

I have carved several versions of skinks and am still not 100% satisfied. Getting the lines to intersect cleanly is just hard, and I need more practice. But it makes for an interesting carving, and I’m fairly happy with this one.

chip carving of five-lined skink with flowers

Saw a sign that says Fight Hate. But if I’m a pacifist, shouldn’t I Hate Fight? It’s all so confusing.

“In the Garden.”

chip carving of, at least iconographically, a peacock, in a frame carved with flowers and painted light blue

Eggplant, mini bell pepper, cayenne, basil, and sun gold cherry tomatoes from the garden, plus the last of a stick of dry chorizo, garlic, a few dry cured olives left from Christmas, and a little white wine. To be served over brown rice and topped with diced farmer’s cheese.

or as i like to call it, lunch

Dreamt last night that I was looking through a rainy window. Slowly the background blurred and the water droplets on the window came into perfect focus, the way they would in a movie. Hang on, I thought, I am not wearing my glasses! How is this possible? I must be dreaming. And then I woke up.