Thursday, February 19, 2009

no signs of spring where the bison roam

I slipped on the ice last month and did some damage to my elbow, impairing my ability to make things temporarily. I had an appointment with an orthopaedic doctor today. In the examining room I was knitting away intensely and mouthing the instructions, k2,yo,k6, k2tog, when the doctor came in. After he prodded and twisted my arm he said "I really shouldn't encourage the knitting, but it seems to have helped the healing process and you probably wouldn't stop if I told you to anyway". Right! I like this guy...he get's it. The xrays show that I broke the radial head in my elbow almost a month ago. I'm sort of surprised. It's the first time I broke anything and I didn't get a cast! That was disappointing---if you've broken something you should really have a cast so you look like you attempted some daredevil feat or...something stupid. Okay, so the cast idea was stupid.

On the way home from the xray appointment, I drove the farmland route in case there was a sign of spring to shoot. Little activity at the farm stands, no snow, no nothing. So I turned on the road that passes by the pastures where the bison herds are. (Yes! On Long Island.) I should have taken a photo of the sign for the owner's restaurant that advertises bison meat. Owww! I grew up in the bisonless California suburbs and I'd rather not picture the pasture-to-plate process that makes bison burgers possible. I was thinking more along the lines of bison yarn, which probably doesn't involve death, I would hope. Bison "fiber" is used to make some exotic yarns...like Mooi. Wonder if this bison herd owner is utilizing their fiber? You know, to make Mooi?





I'll have to ask the local spinners if they know anything about the local bison herds fiber potential.