We have granted another clear day, or mostly so — for now, at least. Yesterday’s crystalline air had turned to a heavy brown haze by sunset, the result of the smoke plume from a new fire southwest of here, carried on the afternoon winds. This morning, the air is not quite so sharp as this time yesterday, but we can only hope the still-faint haze does not intensify.
And still, there is no rain.
We do, however, have one new gift: The water came yesterday, a smallish amount, but it is still flowing this morning, and the earth is drinking it in as fast as it can. If the flow persists, by tomorrow, the pond will no longer be empty, but for the moment, the fields are reaping the benefits of it. Once it reaches the pond, Wings will set the pump to distribute most of it to the trees and flowers, and perhaps by next week we will have a bit more of the color that is this season’s customary adornment here, petals and blossoms in all shapes and shades and sizes here to follow and filter the light and give the small wingéd spirits a place to land.
Today’s namesake featured work will perhaps encourage them — a little reassurance, in silver and stone, that the wildflowers are not merely welcome here, but much wanted. From its description in the relevant section of the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
Wildflowers Cuff Bracelet
Wildflowers paint a summer earth with color and light. Wings summons a profusion in soft yet brilliant shades, scattered along the length of this cuff in sharp relief. The band is formed of sterling silver hand-milled in a repeating pattern of large blossoms, each formed of multiple bold teardrop-shaped petals and arrayed in a random fashion. Across the length of the band, four of the flowers show their center pistils to the light; at each of these points is set a small round cabochon of a different color: citrine, aquamarine, amethyst, and peach moonstone. Each jewel is set into a saw-toothed bezel, creating an effect of petals within petals. The band is buffed to a high polish, allowing the flowers to seem to dance in the light. Cuff is 6″ long by 1″ high; cabochons are 3/16″ across (dimensions approximate). Other views shown below.
Sterling silver; citrine; aquamarine; amethyst; peach moonstone
$825 + shipping, handling, and insurance
In this instance, the petals are silver, the pistils small colorful jewels: the sunflowers’ gold, manifest in citrine; the pale blue of the prairie cornflower in aquamarine; amethyst as wild thistle; and the pale orange of early Indian paintbrush in the form of peach moonstone. Each has its own place in this lush desert ecosystem, which, despite ordinary understandings of those words, here is no contradiction in terms.
Each, too, has its place as medicine, a flowering tradition of ceremony and healing.
For the moment, the sun is hot, the breeze gentle, any chance of rain near zero. The forecast has moved the storm’s arrival up a day, suggesting now that precipitation might arrive on Friday. If so, it will be an other gift.
For now, though, the water has come, the fields are coming alive again, and those hardy wildflowers that have managed to survive are blossoming anew.
That, too, is medicine.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
