running away from home....

I did that yesterday--ran away from home, with my husband's encouragement. We were having to have a massive maple tree cut in our front yard and he (my husband) knows how deeply connected to trees I am. He felt that I should get out of town while that tree came down and other tree trimming was done around my studio.






Here are some photos of the maple tree after it was on the ground. It was very large, probably at least 100 years old. But it lost one side of the upper part earlier this year and the tree was not sound, I know. We were afraid that the next big wind would take it across the power lines and possible onto someone who might be passing in their car. I knew it would have to be removed but still--it's the home, at night, for the owl that leaves all the owl pellets at the base of the tree. Now, which tree will this owl sit in to have her/his night-time meals?

My escape from this cutting and trimming at home comes in the form of a welcome retreat at Hambidge Center where I've been a resident four times over the past fifteen years or so. I called the residency director yesterday and asked if anything was available at the last minute (I have a scheduled residency coming up in October). And, thank goodness, there was something...so I threw clothes in a suitcase, and my loom with the fiddlehead tapestry that needs completion this week, in the car and came here yesterday. Hambidge is only about an hour and a half from home so I was able to get here by 4:30 yesterday afternoon.





My time this week will be in Son Studio...here's the outside of the studio, also called Cove Cottage. It's a small and totally efficient studio and living space.






Today had proved to be very productive with the tapestry...in spite of the Georgia Power folks being at the Son Studio for about three hours this afternoon setting a new power pole and running a line! Talk about running away from chain saw sounds to chain saw sounds! But...they were very efficient with what they were doing and were in and out as soon as they could be.

Tonight, I'm at the Rock House after dinner, posting this...we have access to wireless here. I have no cell phone service at the studio, nor radio reception, but I have a few CDs I brought along and also have a couple of books on tape that my friend, Pat Williams, has gotten me addicted to--the Patrick O'Brien Aubrey–Maturin series.