No, your other left.

Mark often says this to me if I am driving and he is giving directions.
To say I am challenged when it comes to right or left it to say the sun will rise and the moon will set.
I am challenged when it comes to many things, but especially when it comes to left and right.

When I sit down at the computer on any given morning I have many things I plan to do while I am here like write a press release for the 30th anniversary we have coming up in October on the 13th& 14th here, at Whynot, on the farm, with guest and... well you see I am taking a left.
If I sit down and open FB then I am just mindless in my scrolling to see what has happened while I was sleeping.
And, if I left over to Pintrest- good grief that one will suck out your brain, I can be darn right lost.

I have to take a left back to the reality of paying bills and making pottery.
Because if I don't make pottery the bills do not get paid.
This is simple math, impressed?

In this next kiln firing in Ms. B we have two clay bodies we are testing. One is dark and one is light and if you ask me what they are I have to go out and look- wait! 308 and... something else, taking another left in the brain I see.
We looked yesterday and pots are drying slowly so we are going to throw a few more days before we glaze.

I have a stack of tiles under plastic all carved up.
I found that if I rolled the tiles, placed them on the right size Sheetrock, then layered them in a tomato box that has handles, I could take them to the Co-op with me.
Something to work on while I was there.
It worked really well, as long as I swept up after.

 The green beans are busy making tiny beans and I see lots of them there but I am wondering if this heat is just holding them back. I, we keep watering and hope we get some to eat at some point.
I see baby gourds, that are about the size of young squash right now. I am getting excited to see them get bigger.
See how well I made that left turn from pots to garden? I do know my left from my right.

It's time for tea and thoughts about the day...but maybe...a peek at FB.
M

The true signs of fall are when the poison Ivy shows its color. We know that the trees will be close behind. Can't you see why this would fool someone into thinking what a beautiful vine, I need me some of that. It does call you for better inspection and you might just want to touch, don't!

 

On another note I have a banjo that belonged to my sister lee which I have to sell. 

Spread the word if you know any one who might be interested. 

Leave me a comment and I will get back with you.This is a great banjo and needs a good home.

I am working on some things that will tie me up for a few days but I hope to be back to what I do after that. So, cheers and keep on blogging. I will check in on them as I can. I will also do a post about the tile mirrors when I get some real time to pull that together.
later-M

Where did it go?

Where did it go?
When we came back from the trip across Virginia I looked at the Tomatoes and knew the season was done.
So sad you just want to cry.
I enjoyed every tomato I could gather this summer and I feel the need to wear a black arm band now that they are gone.
Mark pulled these out yesterday but was very careful with the two girls who had been living in the tomatoes.
They both had spun their webs and were more or less carrying them om their backs.
We have found if you make these girls happy they will show up the next year.
Well probably not the same spider but one of the offspring.

I have one last thing blooming for the butterflies and bees to enjoy and the blooms were just covered with activity.
Of course as soon as I snap a picture they all change positions.

I had my next to last day with PT today.
As I was riding the bike I notice the fine print written on the very bottom of the instruction.
It read- if you feel pain or faint stop.....
Good advice.

About those pots- they are being made, bisque fired and glazing starts Thursday.
I just can't get the energy to shoot pots when there are still bugs and flowers....
Maybe later this week.
Cheers!
M

June Pots

Even with the strom that blew through this was a good firing.
Mark did find and plug a hole that was in the flue.
The hole was at least 1 inch x 10 inches hiding under some soft brick.
He plugged it up using some castable.
It seemed to him that the kiln had a better draw, providing a better air flow through the kiln.
The Iron red glaze, which had been coming out really muddy was so much better through out the kiln.
The other glazes seemed richer as well.
Seems a good idea to check all aroung an old gas kiln before firing.
Who knows how long the hole was there.
But after this firing it will be hard to tear this kiln down.
It is worthy of a few more firing.
Stop by if you are in Seagove this weekend !

Pots from the gas kiln

 

  

  

  

  

Long day- no words just pots......

Did you notice and the painters come back

Well Mark had to point out to me that the vase on the left side of the picture posted below was missing a tad of glaze, just under the handle.

Whoops, we touched that up before it went in the kiln today.

The other vase on the right hand side is something Mark is playing with.

I am saying play away.

He went to a workshop last month on making handmade brushes with Kent Mclaughlin from Fork Mountain Pottery.

Mark use to fly fish and tie his own flies. This lead to making brushes and sometimes pins for me and our daughter Anna.

Mark's brushes did not make it out of the fire.

And fire is not kind to brushes. They all looked like a bad hair day.

Mark came home with some nice brushes and has been " playing" with them.

He needs a bit more down time to really work into their use.

And, we are looking at other satins to use.

So far this is just a black slip base stain, if that makes sense.

And good or bad, I will post it up after it comes out of the kiln.

The other exciting news today is when we walked out the door the painters were busy painting the building.

It feels really good to see the building with this fresh look.

It feels like the last thing that we needed to do to finish the building.If there is anything we have forgotten it just does not come to mind.

I told the guys doing the painting that the building looked so pretty!

Which made them all smile,

The head guy told me this is gonna be one "spiffy" looking building.

You know, I think he's right.

And very big bug

Here are some pictures of the kiln while we were unloading.
Mark did a slower longer fire.

The ash was better.


We used a new batch of iron Red without changing anything.

It looked pretty good. Some iron trapping, but not muddy like the last kiln firing.
And that mystery stuff the mouse brought in.... we still don't know what it is, but its burning did not seem to effected any thing in the kiln.














Asheboro has just voted in beer and wine sales along with serving liquor by the drink. We were suppose to meet a friend at one of the new restaurants in downtown on Friday night for dinner. The place was packed with an hour wait list.
We asked to be put on the list and the waitress told Mark, " Just remember there are three in front of you." He said what if I want to go away for 30-minutes or more and come back.
She said "fine, but..... just remember that there are three ahead of you."
At which point Mark took my arm and strolled me out saying we are going somewhere else.
You want to say, " Get with the program Asheboro." I know this is all new for you, but you have to learn how to handle a crowd.
Instead we found our friend and headed up to another new place.
Bistro 42 near the mall.
It was quiet, nice and the service was great and the food good.

This bug is on a wall in downtown asheboro. He is about the size of the one which joined me in the basement last week. See they do get big here.

Pots in the Hops

Kiln opening and the one that did not get away

Tomorrow is the big day. The cookies are baked the pots are priced and ready.
Bill and Di will be here with meat and eggs we are ready for the kiln opening- well maybe we need a bag of ice.....
I was cleaning up from the last of the cookie baking and watching Mark fish down at the pond.
I thought, "he has something..." Then I saw it jump! Wow! he really does have something!
I watched him pull in the big brother of the one caught a couple of weeks ago.
What a brute!
So you fishermen and fisher women take a look at what came out of the pond.



And know that no fish were harmed. We took his picture and put him back.
He was a little over 8 pounds- 24 inches long and at least 6 1/2 inches at his widest point.
A nice fish if I say so myself.

See you tomorrow in Whynot!

Pots from the kiln- Kiln Opening

We opened the kiln yesterday and there was a moment that I thought ,
" I need to borrow a hammer from Sofia."
Just what a girl needs is a hammer to unload a kiln----
In our early days I use to unload the kiln with a hammer and a bucket. Pot- smash- bucket. Repeat. Pot-smash-bucket... the other way to get rid of pots was a good tree or a good toss across the yard.
Back to the kiln- with the opening of the kiln we found good pots and we found pots where the ash glaze ran all the way to the shelf.
Not fun and frustrating and sad.
I needed a few moment to mourn the loss and move on.
And- I needed a hammer.........
If you look all the way down on the bottom shelf you will see two crocks fast glued down to the shelf- ouch and there were others- Two large vases on the top back stack. One might be okay. It was hard to lose the crock. Harder still is a nice large piece.
Maybe it will go in my pot garden.



Deep sigh- there were some really good pots and I will share those-





















But as you can see these big boys came out just fine.




I was happy with this tile.