Rain makes sunshine

 I know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Then again neither does days of rain. What does make sense is how quickly you can forget the rain and all your troubles when the sun comes out.
We started out our day with no power, we ended our day with plentiful sun and warmth. The gratitude you feel as you walk in sunshine can not be explained, just absorbed.
What I noticed as we walked were small creatures happy that we had some sun.
We saw turtles piled on the banks at the zoo, even turtles need some sun to make them happy. I saw squirrels hanging in the nooks of trees getting their fill of sun. After endless rain we all wanted our fill. The cows were happy, we were happy, sun and power restored all in one day.

 At the zoo the trees were blooming red.
Look below at the turtles sunning.
Then look up -clouds!
Pretty clouds. The clouds were filled with animals, kings, faces, all drifting off for other places. I love a good cloud watch as the weather clears off. You see such things that can never be repeated.

 I am heading out to the studio this morning to finish some work I started weeks ago. I feel as if I an on a short ledge making yet another decision about the pottery, the school and what comes next.

Wish me luck,
M

Leaf peeping

 We seem to think of the Mountains as the only place to find trees full of fall color. Here, in the area we live in, there are many hardwood trees among the pines. We love to get out and ride the back roads and find a path to take a good walk.
Today we headed over to a walking trail out past the high school that our kids went to. This trail has been cleaned up in the past few years and is a good place to walk.
We set a 20 minute timer when we go to signal when we should turn around. We have found out that if we don't we could get deep in the woods and then the need of water, food, too far back to the car, bathroom, hits us all of the sudden.
The 20 minutes went too fast today before we had to turn around to head back to the car.
After our walk we went to run a few errands, making sure we drove past the NC Zoo on our way home. We remembered that some of our favorite fall trees are there sitting in the parking lot. We were not disappointed to find a blaze of color ready to greet us. We also know that the leaves can be here and then quickly be gone.

Mark wearing one of his favorite hats from Four Saints in Asheboro.
He has a new one now and I was thinking I needed to make a collage of him with all the spots he wears his hat.

Below are the trees at the NC Zoo, make a trip to the area, find Four Saints Beer, the NC Zoo and Whynot Pottery, It would make for a great day out in the Piedmont area. If you do come ask us for our favorite place to eat out, Bia's Hardware.

Enjoy this fall, winter is up next.

Know how-knowledge of how to do something smoothly and efficiently.

There are many sayings out there that came to my mind this past week as I watched the tree guys work smoothly and efficiently around our house and small sales gallery to remove some good  size trees and branches.

One of my thoughts was, hire someone who knows what they are doing and is confident that he will do the job well.
Also, look at the people he surrounds himself with and see if they respect him.
And, trust him.
There are times when it is all about the trust as you watch a master at tree removal dance his way through the steps it takes to bring  a good size oak down, not hit your house, know within a fraction of an inch where it will land and bring his crew along with him, with no questions asked.
It was a true work of art.

We had 5 trees that were standing too close to the house.
One of those was a big heavy oak that was hanging heavily over the top of the house.
It was a bit scary walking over to the house daily knowing that just the right kind of storm could bring a tree or two down on the house.
This past spring there were several large oaks that came down on houses in the area or so close it took your breathe away.
As much as I love trees I knew we were living on the edge.

Some times it really is what you know and not who you know.

  I spotted this green snake as they were moving out trees.
I am sure that he and other critters were not thrilled at being relocated from their homes.
As for us, all in all things look a bit better.
We trimmed up oaks that were over the other side of the house and one that was just hanging so close to our small shop that even one branch could have done some major damage.
All we need now is some rain to settle down the dust.

From the last kiln load.
We have a customer that wants some wall vases for their sun room.
We were pleased with what Mark made and might have to add these to the list of things to make.

I can't wait to see these in use.

Later!
M

Is it possible

to fall in love every spring with this tree?

Last summer something hit the leaves and they all spotted.
This year we hit it with some composed cow tea in hope that it would hold its leaves better through the summer.
Just in case that is not possible I thought I needed to pay more attention to the tree as the leaves open.
It is so easy to walk through the day and not notice what is surrounding you.

I try to remind myself to look.

and if I am looking you are too.

What a love those leaves are.

Then there is the redbud tree that was planted several years ago.
Every year it has bloomed more until this year it is going to really show off.
I have to make myself walk out a different door of the studio so I can see this tree.
 Just pay attention.

We are working some extra hours trying to finish off the glazing before Monday so we can load the kiln.
We don't like to push this hard any more preferring to be ahead of the deadline if we can.
But, this one is going to be a close one for us.
Who knows, we really might be unloading the pots on Saturday morning.
It could happen.
 

Meanwhile, the trees and the greens of spring are holding me together.



M

It is never just about the pots.

I know, I know, you are getting tired of all these trees, but just think in about a week all this color will be gone and those leaves will just be something we have to get rid of. At least the ones that are right around the house.The treasures of today just become someones trash to deal with later. Hum- better not start down that road today.
This first tree is right out the kitchen window and as I was staring out the window taking in its intense beauty  Mark walks in and says, "I just don't ever remember a fall with colors like this one, just look at this tree." Good Lord after living together for 40 years he can pick up my thoughts through walls, scary right?!
But he was so right- beautiful...

Then he comes in with the camera and tells me he has caught a few fall moments.
This one is just a shot through the woods.
Tasty.....

And then we both know that this tree will be bare as bare can be in just a day or two. There is a cold front coming through with wind and that will just take all this goodness with it.

And now about those pots- the kiln load is glazed, the cone plaques are made, wadding ready, kiln post washed, shelves cleaned and washed, anything else?
It is all in wait for us tomorrow.
We just ran out of steam.
We started glazing Monday and were done by lunch today. We planned to start loading but I feel a need to take a stretch out on the floor and let my back muscles relax.
And the damp mood of the day seems to fit my mood.
I have had at least 3 dreams with my brother Jay in them the past week.
As I get ready for the festival next week end I have to face that Lee will not be there with me.
Although Leslie is coming to help me and that does brighten my mood, she is my rock.
So it is never just about the pots.
So wish us low winds for a good firing.
I will try to post some pottery related pictures soon,
M

A sign of the times

It's time.
It's time to get a new sign made for the end of the driveway.
This one was done in 1994 and it seems a bit dated and worn.
Tired- time to retire.
We have yet to find the time to come up with a new sign but I think we need to chuck this and start over.
When we had our first sign done it was before computers made it easy to design your own.
Yea, we are talking back in the dark ages, before the earth cooled.
It was 1982 and a fellow potter student had a back ground in graphic Arts and she designed our sign, stamp, business card and logo. There is no font that matches what she did back then and we have had others try to repeat the logo without much success.
But- things change and what seemed up and coming then seems more like the hair-do of the 80's.
You know how you look back and think- gee, did we really wear that, did we all go for the poodle perm look- guys fess up some of you were right there getting yours done too.
It is time to maybe start anew.
Time to think about changing the look- new colors maybe.
One of our hesitations has been that we have had problems with folks who think our sign looks better with rocks and eggs added.
I know- we were not thrilled with the additions, but they liked it enough to come back more then once.
There is also the issue of the open/close sign.
We paint one, they steal it.
We paint another one and take it down every night for a year and then get lazy- they steal it again.
We go to the hardware and buy one of those tacky looking ones, you know the ones, and they even steal those.
We have thought of ways to keep them from stealing them but it might mean jail time for one of us.
So we are still thinking about how best to attach an open/close sign which does not grow legs in the middle of the night.

The orchid is still blooming away.
She has one more pod to open.
She has started dropping a few of the blooms.
Seems our days are numbered, but I have enjoyed her everyday.
I am thinking about taking her back to the Orchid place when she is all done to see if they can lay hands on her and bring her back for someone else to enjoy.
Our days are numbered.

Mark and I took a long walk the other night.
We went up the back pasture and walked what will be a new road into the back of the property.
Today the we had someone here to plant grass on the road bed and sorta fix things up a bit.
I took this picture because it showed how different the soil is from one area to the next.
Look at how red that soil is at the top.
It might be worth trying to make a slip out of it.
Then I have to show you our trees.
See that sweet little pine tree sticking up?
We had all the land replanted after it was cut last fall.
Oh, I didn't tell you all about the cut.
Too painful- but life is full of pain and changes and sometimes you just have to roll with those changes.
Me- the tree hugger had to have the timber on the farm cut last fall.
I dealt with it pretty well considering all that had gone on before and since we cut.
Changes- you don't get to live this long with out them.

So what are we doing in the pottery?
Throwing- how about you?
M

Tenacity

When we were in Maine we took a side trip to New Hampshire to Mt. Washington. Then on our way back to Maine we stopped at some of my sisters favorite haunts in the National Forrest.
We hiked in for this spectacular view, which I really enjoyed, but this tree has stuck in my mind. In fact the tree has stayed with me so much it is now on the desktop of my computer.
Why, you might think?
Well first off I have always been a tree lover.
What is not to like about a tree?
And sometimes you have to look at a tree like this one and say to yourself, "even though they paved the parking lot, even though there is not another tree standing here, here you are,"
"and- some how you have found a way to survive."

Tenacious
: te·na·cious
Pronunciation: \tə-ˈnā-shəs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin tenac-, tenax tending to hold fast, from tenēre to hold
:persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired

a. not easily pulled apart : cohesive b : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance

Just look at these roots! How can you not fall in love with this tree?
I did.

When you work for yourself you don't really get weekends.
Mark started glazing yesterday for the gas kiln..
I'll get some pictures of pots up soon.
I left my camera over in the studio.
Here's to a good week coming up.
The back is slowing getting better and I should have my results from the x-rays today.
Cheers! Go make pots!
M