Song for Friday...still happening...

Well, refreshingly enough there's still some amazing

young talent out there being influenced by our modern musical ancestors.

Namely Bob Dylan...the early years.

This young lad was on Graham Norton the other night and

I am quite smitten with him.

He's Jake Bugg from the UK, 19 and chock full of talent.

So enjoy this and Happy American Thanksgiving to our neighbours!

Have a great one everyone!

Stay warm, stay safe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anofkW0d2ow

So it goes...

Sometimes I feel that I don't write in this space as often as I used to.

My reasoning for this lately is basically that I've been Very Busy!

You see my boss at the flower shop has opened another shop. The flower shop is still open as well

with this one focusing on a more 'boutique' style with emphasis

on the local arts and crafts scene, featuring some of the creative talent in these parts.

The shop is called 'Inspire' and we've worked hard in the last few weeks getting it looking

like the kind of shop we'd like to spend some time (and money!) in...

One of my co-workers Tricia is an event planner and makes the most elegant settings...

Shes also making these beautiful little birds and purses by hand...

My friend Irma from Geewillowkers is also part of the creative collective

with her stunning box lamps made with layers of specialty paper and real pressed leaves...

Also in the line-up is Dee from The Vintage Shed who

does great work re purposing and up cycling furniture...

...by the way those are Trish's handmade Christmas stockings hanging up below...

She's also always keeping an eye out for fun vintage items like these suitcases...

 Candice from Jordan River Soapworks makes lovely beauty products

totally natural and handcrafted just up the road...

I've contributed some of my fuzzy felted things as well...

Fingerless gloves and mitts, wet felted with silk merino...

 

Some for the fellas as well...

As well as a few needle felted sculptures...

Chillin' with my Gnomies...

So there you go...come on by if you're in the hood...

Right next door to Sooke's finest coffee slurping joint where

the beans are roasted right here at The Stick in the Mud.

(if you wish to inquire about prices and availability on these items just

email me for further info)

 

 

 

 

 

One word Wednesday....Disappearing

High rise...

I saw it in the bare grove of small alders a few weeks back

and put it down to an old robins nest.

Last week I looked a little closer at it and 

my curiosity got the better of me.

Ever so gently I bent the skinny tree down so I 

could reach for it.

And there it was...this beautiful, dry, stacked pile of tiny twigs.

A winter treasure.

A birds nest.

I tucked it in my arms and gingerly carried it home

to gaze upon its magnificent structure...

As far as I could research in my books of birds nests,

it's probably a Black headed Grosbeaks...

It's about 7" high and there is no mud or moisture used...

It was sitting in the fork of the tree, perched ever so carefully.

The bottom 6 and a half inches is made of the more coarse

twigs and then in the cup of the nest it's lined with

delicate roots and grasses...

When collecting a nest I only do it in the winter and knowing that almost

all songbirds make new nests in the spring as part of the mating ritual.

These old nests are not used again in the spring nesting season.

Some may make several before they decide on the perfect one.

Larger birds like crows, ravens, jays and birds of prey,

use the same nest for several years and also use them to teach

young birds how its done.

Crows and ravens spend 2 or 3 years learning before they go off on their own.

So I sit and marvel at the ingenuity and engineering that

goes into the making of a nest...

 ...and all done with just a beak and tiny feet.

Amazing!

 

 

History relocated...

On Sunday Norene and I travelled up Island to Irma's but first

we made a stop at the wool shop just north of there.

The Loom is a tiny little shop chock a block full of wool, roving and 

all things wool related. 

It's located within a tiny little town that was once somewhere else.

Whipple Tree Junction, just south of Duncan is made up 

of 14 buildings which were actually Duncan's China town.

They were destined to be demolished in 1969 and fortunately 

for all of us, one man decided to save them and relocate them here...

They have been a variety of different business' over the years

but the integrity of the buildings has stayed in tact, including the brightly colored paint...

Along with the buildings there are a number of artifacts and relics of the past

strewn everywhere you look...

There's even a teapot garden of sorts...

We were there on a Sunday so sadly, most shops weren't

open until noon, including our beloved wool shop...

 At least drooling through the window was free!...

LOVE this doorknob on the coffee shop...

In a corner of the courtyard there's an old rusting contraption...

Upon further investigation, I discovered it was an old printing press.

Made in Brooklyn, NY around 1920, this 'line casting' machine was capable of

printing whole lines of type at once! Wow! can you imagine?!

It was used to print newspapers.

As I look at pictures of this thing and watch my fingers typing

on my laptop, I can't help but marvel at how far we've come.

I couldn't even fathom how this type machine worked with all of its levers

and levels and cranks and buttons!

And the noise it must have produced!

Will someone. someday find one of our laptops in a field

and wonder the same thing a hundred years from now?

We continued our walk around Whipple Tree  loving

all the rusty bits and antiques...

This cute little shop would be a gorgeous studio...

 Speaking of studios...would love to come back sometime

to visit this weavers, spinners space...

So for now I leave you with a taste of this history

relocated in all its quaintness and beauty of the past...