Ms. B, good help

 Ms. B did her job, although we are still learning what works best where. I would say overall we are happy.
We did have some great help unloading the kiln. Our oldest granddaughter was here during the firing and watched her Opa as he was making turn ups. She was even able to be there while he shut off the kiln.
When we went out to look after dinner last night bricks just started coming out and next thing we knew  we were being encouraged to let her help with the unloading.

 It's fun to watch her working along side us and her enjoyment of the work. I think she claimed a pot or two as ones she needed.

As a reward we joined her cousins for a morning at the zoo, a picnic lunch and then maybe hugs good bye.

See Ya!
M

We are working

 We are working on a wholesale order this month and it is all in the iron red glaze. We feel lucky that it is in a glaze that Ms. B seems to like.

The iron red has stayed, but we are changing up the wood ash for one that works in Ms. B. We both would prefer to work with the old wood ash glaze but it is not as happy in this kiln- things need to be worked out and we may do that as time allows.

I hope you are all having a great start to our new year. We had the most wonderful weather this past weekend and I made sure to go walk over at the NC Zoo.
It has paid  to have a membership for us, and, if I want to walk alone, it is a safe place to be. Also, what a great place to people watch while I shake off the winter blues.
I am a fan of the two legged critters as well as the four. I am that person who tries to nod and say hello to everyone.

Be safe, be happy.
M

How's the view?

 We walked yesterday at our favorite place the NC Zoo. When we walked across the bridge that takes you over to the zoo we looked up to see this Canada Goose perched up on top of the hut.

It's mate was swimming around in the water,while this one was keeping watch.
We are pretty sure he/she was keeping watch for the people who come  to help move the geese along.

The geese are a considered a bit of a pest as they love to "help" you eat your picnic lunch and then deposit their bodily functions on the sidewalks for you to step in.

They Zoo hires someone to "relocate" the geese in the nicest way possible.

As we were there a remote control boat went zipping over to make sure that the geese moved on.
As we walked back out there were no geese.
Although we did hear the roar of the lions.
   

I'm listing some pots on our etsy  if anyone is looking.
Send your friends over we would be happy to ship for them.

Walking with the Hippos

I was a walker for many years and somewhere in the past 2 years with many fits and starts and, I will do it tomorrow thoughts, I just fell out of the habit.
In the past few weeks I am trying to make walking a habit again.
I don't think about it, I just go do it.
I started slowly by walking the drive, going past the end of the drive and now off to explore other walks.
Mark has been going with me when he can.
We find that there are days we like to drive away to get a walk in.
You know the, how can I miss you if you won't go away, it applies to where we live as well.
How can we enjoy driving back to the farm unless we go out now and again.
One of our places we like to walk is over at the NC Zoo.
When we went last week we found that the trail that we wanted to use was not open yet.
Not to be defeated, we walked out through the parking lot, looping to the far side we followed it to the entrance to Africa. We saw that the bridge to Africa was open and decided to walk down and back. When we arrived at the closed tickets booths we found a path to the right.

On that path down to the picnic area, and glory be, the bathrooms!, we saw these wonderful Hippos.
That little one is just way too cute!

I love the fact that the NC Zoo has a place for public art.
It makes me feel good about my tax dollars at work.

We are walking with the Hippos.
Cheers,
M

Beer and Dinosaurs?!

It is a good weekend when you can get beer made and go see Dinosaurs.

Mark and Joel finally got in a brew day on Saturday.
Yea! they have been planning this for months and our own brew master son taught the old one many new tricks in the making of beer.
Fingers crossed it is working its magic right now.

On Sunday we went over to the zoo since I had scored some free passes to the Dinosaur exhibit and they expired on the 31st.
It was a great day to be out with loads of animals both 2 legged and 4.
Good people watching at the zoo.
I wanted to take pictures of the shoes that some of the people were wearing to walk through the zoo. If was funny to see some of them in 3 inch heels- just where did you think you were going?

It was also great weather to see animals and many of them were up and active.
On the Dinosaurs; they are not real.
I am telling you this now because there have been people, yes, more than one, who wanted their money back because they really, yes, really, thought they were going to see real dinosaurs at the zoo.
Yes, really.

They were as well done as they could be for not real and we did get a kick out of them

Take a look at this wee one that seems to have snagged an acorn to eat.
Those acorns are everywhere right now and you will find them in everything.
They are tiny bombs going off on the house all day long.

They put up a great exhibit of honey bees and it is maned by the Bee Keepers Society of NC. The bees were busy and after we left there I noticed them all over the park.

If you look you can see the Queen who is marked with a yellow dot.
Queen 2012.

I really have to go- work has to be done!
Chow!
M