January 2012

I feel a simultaneous aversion and aesthetic appreciation.  It really is very beautiful but with no snow, I’d been wistfully thinking that spring was just around the corner.  It almost didn’t matter that it wasn’t because my psyche felt it there.  Now there’s no pretending.  It really is mid-January.  The lazy paddle down the verdant and wildlife infested Cobb are a distant daydream. The kayaks are covered in snow and won’t be taking me anywhere.   I suppose I must remain present and entertain myself with my favorite winter sport – my pottery wheel.   

Christmas 2010 is over

It's one of those perfect days when the "weather outside is frightful" and it's nice to cozy up inside with the fireplace blazing and let the day just develop as it may.  Maybe I'll start my book I got for Christmas, or throw some pots or watch a movie or make a big pot of soup.  

After getting home from our Bond's Christmas get together at Jeff's house yesterday, I spent some time in the studio.  I really liked where this piece was going until I blew a hole out its side and had to crash the whole thing.  I think I'll blame it on the effects of the wind and snow howling outside the studio.

We've gotten about 8 inches so far I'd guess.  It's hard to tell because the wind is blowing pretty hard and moving the snow around quite a bit.  

I decided to try some carving on a piece I'd thrown a few days ago.  The best tool I could find was a kitchen paring knife until Rick brought me up a rather nice woodcarving knife after I was done.  I'm eager to try it with another piece.  

Here are a couple of pieces I made a while ago and are waiting for the first firing in my new kiln.  

The lighting wasn't very good here to see the hand made roses and leaves on this piece.

Here's Rick trying to shovel a path one handed.  He can't get a glove over the brace on his right hand which is still recuperating from wrist surgery, so he keeps his hand in his pocket, holds the shovel with his left hand and kicks it to break a path.  He managed to feed the birds and squirrels but didn't bother to blaze a trail all the way down the driveway to the newspaper box, assuming he would find it hadn't been delivered.  (I hope newspaper delivery people don't risk their lives delivering our local rag on a day when the biggest news is the storm raging outside.)  

I'm glad that I'm still on vacation and don't have to even think about the things I "should" be doing. 

White Winged Crossbill

Check out the little white winged crossbill who stopped by the beach last weekend along with a bunch of his friends. I can’t remember ever seeing these little guys before. They have very interesting long, pointy bills, with the top being longer than, and overlapping the bottom, hence their name. They were incredibly friendly, letting us walk within a yard of them while they concentrated on the pine cones. There is an abundance of pine cones this year. We gathered a garbage bag full of them for burning in the fireplace and there are still thousands of them left, especially now that some of the snow has been melting.
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However, as of this morning - Thursday, February 19th - the pine cones are once again covered and I suspect the crossbills have moved on, taking with them possibly the robin Rick and I saw out the back window while sitting at the breakfast table last week. I'd had visions of spring in my mind for the past week after seeing so much bare ground on our walk at the beach. They were shattered this morning though I still couldn't help but admire the beauty of the snow.

Worked from home today and I wasn't nearly as productive as I wished I'd been, but I can do some more reading and editing of web pieces tomorrow morning.

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Camp in Winter

I used to go to my little one room camp in the winter and spend a weekend of solitude, kind of roughing it without running water. When the stream was still flowing I'd carry water to flush the toilet. (No outhouses here!) Later, when it was all iced over, I'd have to carry some water from home and melt the rest from snow to flush or do dishes. But other than that I'd have all the comforts of home: nice gas fireplace, electricity, and most likely I wouldn't see another soul the whole time I'm there - a day, 2 days, whatever. Nice. Some books, music, my djembe, a bottle of wine and whatever.

Sometimes my friend, Grace, would come out with me, though she'd get restless and have to leave within the first 24 hours. I'd fill the bird feeders as soon as I got there and within a few hours and birds would start calling. Often I'd get visits from racoons or skunks, sometimes a deer. And my camp kitty, Cobby, who must belong to a year round neighbor would find his way over - often to spend the night. I always made sure to bring special treats just in case he decided to visit.

The only other place you can see from my camp is another seasonal that never gets used in the winter. Across the stream is all woods and my nearest year round neighbor is a quarter mile away. So even though you're really quite close to people on a snowy day like today, it would feel very secluded, all holed up just listening to the intense silence caused by the heavy falling snow.