Looking for Rainbows

We have now been through the middle of 2 hurricanes that came through our area. The first one bought us buckets of rain, the second one brought in the wonders of wind.
One of the granddaughters asked me why we had a hurricane, do we need them? I thought about that and my thoughts are no, we don't need them, but we have no control over them.
They are nature making its own path, cutting rivers where there should be none, moving sand, making change.
 It has been devastating for many folks who have lost all that they have in the world.
How do you come back?
I worry that some of them never will.
I hope after this last storm that we have a break coming for the many that need to start over.
We are once again cleaning up debris, cutting and dumping the small trees that came down.
It has tossed us into the land of behind, behind on everything.
I sometimes think I should just let this year rest, put it to bed and let it wake up slowly next year.
We are working when we can, as we can, and if you need us we are here.

 Share a little love today, tell someone you care.

Up to old tricks

 Yesterday was the last day we had to get the kiln loaded and fired in time for the show this weekend.

It was cold yesterday, with no wind, that made it easier to get it all loaded. We both added a extra layer or two. Mark checked the weather for today and did not like the forecast of wind and thunderstorms. With the no winds to continue overnight, Mark decided that this would be a good time to light up the kiln and pull an all nighter.
He just rolled in to bed as I rolled out . I am off to work this morning as he sleeps.

Here is the kiln load--------back

---------middle

front---------------------------------


















Tree---------

Unloading coming up in a few days.
M

24 hours later, snow

Mark had spotted a Bald Eagle on the pond Thursday late afternoon so on Friday before we went to work we walked slowly around the pond to see if we could spot the eagle. Not only did we spot one we spotted two. One very large one and one smaller one.

As we were stopping to look for birds I noticed that we were having one of those days where the pond looks like glass.The water was so still, giving those great reflections in the water that I just love, with a blue sky and just hints of clouds.

 How could it possible be calling for cold and snow on Saturday when this weather was so savory.

We worked in the studio in the morning and then took advantage of the weather to get some outside work done.

Then today just after I had been over to check on a kiln a light rain started and now we are having a nice light snow.
Just like I like my winters.
Here today, gone tomorrow.

I hope you are all warm and safe.
M

Feeling the groove while in the Grove.

The last two weeks we have been moving right along in that good kind of groove.
Pots are moving along, bisque kilns are being fired and bisque ware set aside for glazing.
That hurry up and wait kind of working.
I love the hum of work.
This is how I like it in the studio.
Mark on his side of the room and me on mine.
We have this invisible chalk line that runs right down the center of the room.
You can't see it, but we know it is there.

I love when Mark starts making these tall bottles.
I do have some favorite shapes and bottles are top on that list.
In fact we both make a lot of bottles and I am sure if we could we would make them all day long, everyday.

But, potters can not live on bottles alone so we are also making bowls, jars, pitchers, baking dishes and more.

There is this place where the pots are bone dry before they go in the bisque firing that they look almost ghostly to me. Maybe that is where the bone dry comes in.
They  look full of promise.
Like teenagers waiting to bloom and figure out who they will be

On the weather front we had rain.
It has been ages since it has rained and I think we all perked up a bit after.
We did have tons of rumbling and grumbling around us and we all know what a July thunderstorm can do so we were on a bit of high alert.
We had to walk out and shut every thing down for a bit Monday as things were too close for comfort. I no longer think it wise to continue to stand at a window, with my hands in water, throwing at an electric wheel, when the world is booming with thunder and lightening.

But once it settled in all we had was steady rain.
Life is good!
M

Chuck how could you leave me?

One of these days I will quit expecting items that we had for over 25 years to magically be where I think they should be. The other day, after I had made the lids for the butter dishes, I wanted to trim the inside edge.
That right there is where the problems started.
Mark and I both had chucks we had made when we first opened the pottery.
They were all thrown on the wheel and then left to dry.
They were never fired and worked quit well for trimming and then would do doubled duty when I need to wax lids and other things when getting ready to glaze.
As I said, the day after making the two parts for the butter dishes, a plate and dome lid, I wanted to trim the lids- I just expect those chucks to still be around.
But we all know that fire and water are not kind to bone dry clay.
I really want to be that person who is not marked by the before or after.
But- somedays it is all about the before and after.
Didn't we use to have....
Where is ..........
With that said I started looking for something to use.
Well my fall back had been an assortment of plastic plumbing parts of different sizes.
Well, we all know what fire does to plastic.
I have two left from the fire one very small one and one bigger, but not deep.
Good grief, you think I would give it up and go to the plumbing supply place or throw some chucks.
But no- I like to drive myself  crazy by spending time trying to make something I have on hand work.
So in my search I came across the plastic parts Mark made for our extruder, which could be another post on how to use plastic plumbing parts and an old piston to made an extruder for lugs and handles.
Much to my delight I popped this on my trusty giffen grip and it worked great.
That and a lid from a jar to help hold it in place and I was able to trim the lids right up.
Now to write myself a note about throwing some chucks.

It is hard for me to complain about the weather since we had such a messy winter.
I am truly enjoying the warm weather and some dry warm weather is an added bonus.
But- 90 degrees tomorrow??!!
It is as if spring just gave it up and went straight into summer.
The frogs and bugs are making lots of racked all night long.
The other night I thought there were aliens landing in the yard.
The high pitch whine combined with some other noise had worked its way into my dreams.
There were spaceships coming down to take us all away.

The marathon glazing started today.
I spent the day waxing pots and Mark did the run on glazes.
Tomorrow a bisque to unload and more waxing for me.
Then things get pretty hot and heavy with lots of glazing going on.

One of my favorite trees.
Is it okay to have favorites?
This one has been opening the past week and today is putting out the end of the leaves with red.


 

 

Sunday Evening

I should have..
I should have taken more pictures.

We are back from the show.
It was down as far as the numbers of folks coming to the show.
I wonder if the beautiful spring day was just too good to pass up.
I imagine that many folks wanted to spend time outside.

We sold some pots, talked to some our favorite customers, enjoyed some time with fellow potter friends, that we don't see often enough, and added some new potter friends to our list.
Shows can be about making connections with potters as well as customers.
And it was great to have a few drinks and a good laugh or two... okay maybe three.

We made our trip home before the rain.
I am sitting here listening to the weather folks talk about tornados in our area.
Sounds like some areas are getting hit with heavy rain, hail and wind.
I had better shut down and see if there is any thing that need to be done.
Over and out.