When I heard it was the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I skimmed my scanned family photos to see if I could find one from 1970. Lo and behold, I found this photo of the only family vacation we took after some of my siblings were “adults.” I was 13 going on 14. This was taken in the summer of 1970, shortly after my brother Skip got back from Vietnam (he’s the one in back sporting his Army hat). My dad took us (except #1 son, who was starting his career as a Prof.), to Bayfield, Wisconsin, gateway to the Apostle Islands, for a week. I remember the sailing, the fresh air, and playing (beating) my siblings at Blackjack. An earthy (and watery) crew we were. (I’m the one on the far right with the silly hat.)
Bayfield 1970
This afternoon, 40 years later, I sat on my patio and stripped the windfall branches that fell from my neighbor’s birch tree. Birch is supposed to yield some lovely earthy pinks, according to Jenny Dean’s book, Wild Color. Over the coming weeks I’ll play with this and see what happens. Still too chilly today to revisit my (2nd) vat of freeze-dried indigo.
windfall white birch branches
Kit, what a joy to see that picture from Bayfield again! I’ve been thinking about earth day too – I was a senior in high school in 1970, and I walked to school that day right along highway 100! Crazy.
The photos you take for you blog are fantastic, your artist’s eye is evident in their composition.
yep… It’s a funny photo … I just noticed that it looks like Skip’s torso was Photoshopped in, but I think his legs are in wide jumping-jack position!
waiting on that indigo…..
.-= jude´s last blog ..the magic cloth…day 92 =-.
I tried a dip again yesterday afternoon and it was so disappointing – seems like the subsequent dips are building up little if any more depth. I think the temperature of the vat is a main factor but I want to know why…. must dig into my resources again. Don’t really want to use the stove for this! Today we have sorely needed rain.