Side projects.

Yesterday was a foggy, drizzly day. Not a day for battling the salmonberry bushes if you had any regard for your physical well-being. The fish is all up in the drying house, with heat and fans on it (note: fog=no wind) so that it will continue to dry and not spoil. So…what to do. Not clean house! It was Saturday, so no grandson to watch – although he did end up spending the night! Instead of making chocolates, Mom and Diane shamed me into working on a project I started at least 4 weeks ago.

gutwork 001a — My design phase of a fur seal throat pouch.

You can see my basket start, which will be used on the pouch, as well as my mock up. Diane and Mom have already finished theirs, basically, so yesterday Diane was working on a wild rye grass basket that she is ready to start the turning stich on.

gutwork 002b — There is nothing like the sheen of a wild rye basket.

Diane was commenting, that no matter how many baskets she makes, she always drags out the Svarny-girl bible…Aleut Basket Weaving, or Sophie’s book, when it comes time to turning.

Mom was forced to get out the graph paper to work on her blueberry design for the basket she is weaving. She hates to do graph work, although not as much as Diane. Diane says she needs to do more planning and design work – but it just ain’t gonna happen!! As you can see, Mom decided that piano work was a bit more interesting than anything else!

gutwork 003c — Lalala....even the best of artists procrastinate at times!

We will get it together. There is just so much else to do, though.

Beautiful days and nights…

We have had some absolutely gorgeous days leading up to the beginning of the school year…and, of course, positively gorgeous after school started! The family has been busy fishing, hiking, picking berries, and just exploring. It is nice chumming around with four generations.

After 16 021a — 83 year old Sam Svarny, after hiking up in Pyramid Valley.

I think SP appreciates all the fun things the island has to offer. He certainly has a good time and is way beyond the whining stage, having just started 3rd grade.

After 16 012b — 75 years younger, SP enjoys a wade at Summer Bay.

In our search for ripe salmonberries, Diane, Mom, and I enjoyed hot days on Pyramid and cool ones at Humpy Cove. It seemed that I was always catching Diane in the act of taking pictures.

humpy cove 8212010 018b — Diane and I spent much time trying to get pictures of flying ravens.

humpy cove 8212010 017a — Gert at Humpy Cove, enjoying a day of beach walking and berry picking.

After laughing ourselves silly over our inability to tell if we were actually getting any shots of the ravens, (note Diane wearing her reading glasses trying to see the screen), I got a shot of two playing. Really, though, you can barely see them.

humpy cove 8212010 011c — You can never get tired of watching raven antics.

I love to wade through the grass at this time of year. The numbers of wildflowers always surprises me, even though I know most of them. I think of the environment that they survive in and I just have to shake my head in wonder.

There is nothing quite like a sunny day in the Aleutians. The blue skies and a few scattered clouds act as a backdrop for the brilliant green hills and the craggy mountain peaks.