Before I leave...

As I rushed around to get things in order before I leave for my Whidbey Island adventure....

I thought to peer down the lane for a sign like this.....

and then collected some of

these...

A bit early in the season, and they've just started to drop

hopefully my competition won't have beaten me to the rest of them

before I return...

however grateful for what I have now

as it really does seem enough

The Result............

Of a....

Pent Up.....

Boil Up......

A walk on the ditch.........

The North Valley of Albuquerque has a network of ditches that at one time irrigated the farmlands north of town........

these ditches pull water off the Rio Grande......and leave the river dry in the summer some miles south of the city.  

The Cottonwood lined 'ditch-ways' now create avenues for walking and running and riding horses........

and are a special feature if you live near one. 

This day I took a walk......to find the lone walnut tree I discovered last year........bags in hand......

in anticipation of a large haul.........

.......I was disappointed to find someone else had the same idea......

.....so I picked the old nuggets overlooked and left to dry from the year before.......

and took solace 

that I beat them to it last year!

Awwwwww........NUTS!!!

Before I left on my Epic Journey..............I had an idea........a thought........a longing...........

I was headed to a new Spring in September, instead of an Autumn and I longed to work with nuts.......really, in particular, Walnuts.

I had done a smatter of dying with some I had collected my previous spring and longed to do a large scale project this year..................

So days before my departure for OZ, I put out a call for 'spotters'............where would they fall this year?  I would wonder.......and wander to find them...........when I returned to winter........

And upon my arrival home, I received...................................

This Gift..............

Of Precious, Precious, painstakingly dried............



Walnuts............515 of them if one was counting.......







From a very Good 'Joe'.....................

Another deep heartfelt Thank You to a dear friend!



And now.........what to do........?  Goodness, it was SOOOOOOOO much easier to do a boil up in the summer...........

To be continued................