March is coming in like a lion at the worse possible time, but it is March and it is what March does.
It comes in, with wind, at 20 miles an hour on a day we wanted to fire.
Two days ago we had the most perfect firing weather...sigh, but two days ago we were still glazing and we just can not glaze all day and then load all night and then fire on top of that.
We have to leave that to someones much younger than "we"!
So yesterday with several many distractions, because life is messy and things never go as planned,we did load the back stack of the kiln- but it was 5:30 when we got that done...
We are watching the weather to see where the winds are going and coming from to pick another firing day. Once loaded the pots can sit and stew a few days if need be. The only time we would not do this is if the weather was going to freezing or below. Then we would worry about glazes freezing and possible crawling and or glazes that jumped off the pots on to the shelves as things heated up, we have had this happen, trust me it does not come out well.
So we bend with the weather and things will work out, we will get this fired, we will.
And this is why we find pottery so relaxing..........
I enjoyed reading the comments about what everyone was up to the other day. We are a varied lot!
I dream of days off where I can just go off for a day and maybe have lunch with a friend, maybe I need to do that soon.
Time to get those other shelves in the kiln and see what the plan is.
Cheers and all that.
Make it a great day, or at least passable depending on how messy things are for you.
M
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| Why this pot? More on this later. |
16 comments:
So much to consider when firing out of doors, wind rain sleet snow ice, yikes, we finally got some much needed rain and things are perking up around here, but we are getting warm much too early. I love a good mystery and what are those statues behind the pot, angels?
its an awesome day, hope you it is for you too!
Just read a post on FB about some Wall Street hot shot who was complaining about his $350,000 bonus being insufficient to cover his summer rental in R.I. (What? They don't have Hampton Inns?), an upgrade to their 1,200 sf apt in Brooklyn and private school tuition for his three kids. See? rich people have problems too. I'd rather be a potter than a Wall Street schlub. (If I had any talent that is.)
Whynot that pot?
Weather really controls clay doesn't it? My slabs won't dry in the rain, can't fire my kiln when the wind blows too hard, clay dries too fast in August...... it's always about the weather! Hoping for a fabulous firing whenever it happens!!
Our weather has gifted us with a snow day from school!! WaaHoo. My plan B is to sit on my a** and read over the stack of things building next to my bed, snuggle with the dogs, and keep an eye on Chris- who has come down with a nasty cold.
I hope you have a great plan B day too!!
Wind makes the kiln impossible to fire, freezing makes the clay and glaze crack, damp makes the pots dry too slowly but lack of humidity makes them dry too quickly...it's kind of like farming, when you work with the earth you have to consider the sky.
and here I sit at the computer, really I am cleaning my office, while I wait for Mark and we go and finish loading. The weather has fooled us we think- no wind right now- but i bet you a dollar to a do-nut that the minute we start loading....yes you are all so right in that we are controlled by weather and I am convinced that there are trolls in charge!
Thanks for for some pep in my day! Snow+ covers= bliss...hummmm
Even with my small electric kiln in my garage studio I keep an eye on the weather. We often lose power during storms.....
My favorite thing about your posts is the WE. It would be so wonderful to share the world of pottery with a spouse. :) I think it's cool.
I have been fortunate to have always had a kiln that is protected from the elements. We have fired in all kinds of weather... not that it was particularly fun, especially when it was sub-zero!
It's so hard to wait when you are all ready to go... I hope the wind lets up soon.
Yes, Anna I do enjoy the we of pottery. Although there are times I would give it all to him or him to me...
That wind is whipping out there, but the kiln is just 2 shelves left to go.
Then the door to brick by the WE at Whynot!
I love the decoration in the final pot. It'll be interesting to see it when it's fired. Thanks,
Dave
and March here has come in like a lamb...now we're waiting for the lion!!!
Hi Dave- that last picture with the jar is fired- cone 10 reduction.
GZ- I would love to have your lamb today- what a March wind we had here today!
Love Love Love that last pot!
That last pot is sweet!
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