Recent pieces

This piece has little feet under it so can be used as a serving platter for h'orderves or such. This piece was part of a benefit raffle for Grace and won by Sarah Strunk.  She seemed very pleased!

Some recent pieces - pre fired.  You can see them glazed and fired below.

I just made this one tonight. Hope to bisque fire it in my new kiln I just got yesterday.

My bounty from Malley's kiln last week.  Mostly done in spameraude.  

A couple of the pitchers seen unfired above.

This is a piece that August made and was going to throw out because the bottom  crumbled a bit. However, I grabbed it and thought I'd try some glaze combos on it.  I quite like how it came out.

Stock 

Last morning at camp for 2010

There are bluejays, chickadees, woodpeckers, - hairy – all flittering about.  I put out piles of sunflower seeds earlier – on top of the altar, logs, stumps, and built a little cairn by the fireplace and loaded that with seeds.  I even put some on top of the mushroom that grows off the altar.  I couldn’t unscrew the top of the actual birdfeeder so it is empty as is most of the squirrel feeder that I am unable to reach.  There have been nuthatches also, as well as mostly gray squirrels with an occasional exception for a couple red squirrels.  A flock of 4 very large crows (or ravens?) have been swooping in and landing on the altar to feed, but then flying off again realizing it’s only seed.  I see some creature ate the little mouse that I found dead inside the camp.  Perhaps Cobby who was here early this morning.  

A big fat turkey just walked right through the front yard.  I’m surprised he’s all alone but I don’t see any others.  Damn!  Didn’t even get a photo.  First time I’ve seen a turkey here though we used to get visits from some fat white geese that live on the stream.  They were about the same size as this turkey and it was entertaining to watch them interact with Cobby.

Then there’s a still.  One or two birds flitter around the perimeter but all is pretty quiet.  The dracaena is still thriving and an sporadic blossom on a geranium.  But mostly there are colors of autumn – yellows, reds, oranges, browns, and a definite chill to the air.   It was nice waking up to the bright sunrise shining on the colorful trees across the stream this morning.  The water was very calm and reflected the reds and yellows beneath a thin layer of fog. 

The propane level is at 80%.  If we turn off the pilot light, we should be able to relight it in the spring and go for several nights before needing a refill. 

A gray squirrel found the seeds on the cairn and then moved onto the next stash on a stump just a few feet away. 

And then the activity begins again with the bluejays swooping in, the chickadess shortly behind them, the nuthatches, crows, a hairy.  Bird tv.  Gotta love it.

We got camp closed down for the winter.  I still need to go back out and pour some antifreeze down the shower drain because we ran out before we got that far.  Hopefully the mice that come and go won't decide to nest in the bed or anything.  

"Columbus" Day

I slept in till about 10 this morning, got up to a nice fire in the fireplace and coffee waiting for me.  Enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then we went for a little hike up French's Mountain

Came home and enjoyed some grilled cheese sandwiches on the deck and then went down and hung out in the hammock swings for a while.  Won't be long before we have to put them away for the winer.

Gorgeous fall day!!!

Getting ready to glaze

I'm afraid the big easter egg falls into the category of "just because you can doesn't mean you should."  I glazed it with chun in hopes of toning it down a bit.  It's intended to be a plant pot.  In the far left  corner is a large pitcher with which I was very pleased.  A small pitcher, a couple of covered pieces and some mugs, oh yes, and the large platter in the back round out the collection.  

My newest piece

I love this piece I made the other morning when I couldn't sleep.  Yesterday I put some little round feet on the bottom.  I rather like it in the gray that it is right now but when it gets bisque fired it will turn to a flesh color.  I don't really have any glaze that would equal this gray.   In the past I've glazed these in different colors for each section but then the glaze kind of takes over.  I think I might try a single, subtle color glaze on this one and see if it brings out the detail work more.  I'll post a photo of the completed piece when it's done.

I love having the space to do handbuilding at home and can't wait till I can afford a kiln and a wheel!

I really kicked butt on throwing during this class session.  I must have 10 or more pieces - some quite large pieces - to glaze this week.  I find glazing the most difficult part of the whole process as you just don't know what's going to happen.  The glazes can be fine one firing and the next firing they'll run or turn icky shades.  The chun has turned a really icky mucus green in the past.  Last firing apparently the spambo ran terribly.  The cappuccino turns white instead of brown if you get it too thick.  And when you've worked really hard on a piece it stinks to have it ruined at the final step with crappy glaze results.  But I guess all we can do is hold our breaths and hope for the best.

Update

90210 – 4^th day straight of hot humid – high 90’s. 

90310 – slept in till about 8, made coffee, puttered around in the kitchen – actually swept and washed the kitchen floor which feels like such a big chore in this house – perhaps because of the big kitchen, perhaps because even AFTER you wash the kitchen floor, it still looks dirty.  That’s another thing on the list that needs to be upgraded.  Maybe next year.  Anyway after washing the floor I sat in the shade on the deck for a few minutes, noticed there wasn’t a soul at the beach, so went down for a nice long swim.  So refreshing.  Came back and enjoyed my hammock swing for a while, reading and drying off in the warm breeze.  Last I knew we were supposed to get some high winds and some rain today as a result of Hurricane Earl.  The air is very heavy and there’s a gentle, almost imperceptible breeze.  I went out to camp yesterday morning on my way to work to secure things at the camp in case we get hit but as things look right now, it certainly doesn’t seem to be a problem. 

Rick had to go  up to campus for a while for meetings.  I guess we should take the kayaks off the car when he gets back.  I was kind of hoping to go over to the boat launch near Castle Island sometime this weekend for a paddle on the lower side of Long Pond.  I also need to change the kayak rack for Rick’s kayak to the new set we got that folds down, so that when there are no kayaks on the car I will be able to drive into the garage. 

Last Saturday we drove up to Bangor and had a wonderful time at the American Folks Festival.  Saw a wonderful jazz quartet from New Orleans – twice, an excellent bluegrass band – Linda Lay I think her name was with a banjo and mandolin player from a couple of rather well known bands.  Also Dale Watson from Austin.  Apparently Dale had asked Mark to tour Europe with him but Mark turned him down.  They would have kicked ass together I think.  We saw SandyT., Peaches, Pam and Jeff, and Chris and Bobbie (though they were a way off and we didn’t get to talk with them). Rick also saw a couple other faculty members from UMF there. 

On Sunday, Linda, Glen, Jared, and I all went up to Justin’s house and did a little makeover on his kitchen.  He has pretty limited cupboard space and was storing half his food and dishes on his countertops.  Was pretty messy.  Plus their sink had been back up for a few days and they were still in the process of catching up on the dishes. 

We brought a bunch of stuff with us cause we didn’t know what we’d want to do and ended up turning the closet in his dining room into a pantry where he was able to store most of his food, leaving plenty of cupboard space for his dishes.  I bought him a tall round table with fold down sides to use as a table/island in the kitchen.  Brought him a nice tablecloth to cover up his scarred up dining room table.  We put his tall skeleton candles back on the table afterwards to be sure it still had that Justin flare.  J

Keeley helped us quite a bit and she seemed pretty pleased with the result.    

End of vacation

I have been very negligent in posting recently.  I see my last post was my second week of vacation.  We ended up going to Stonington instead up Cobscook Bay.  Spent two nights down at The Old Quarry Campground; a nice place right on the ocean, great docks, nice people.

Here's a picture of me hanging out at the campground . . . and hanging out . . . and hanging out.

Bill, the owner took us out on a guided kayak tour of the islands one day and Captain Steve took us out the next day in a lobster boat tour to Isle au Haut and around the archipelago.

kayaking around the islands

Isle au Haut

He dropped us off on Green Island, a deserted island where the only other visitors left in a sailboat just as we were arriving.

There’s a fresh water quarry where we went skinny dipping while Steve took his only other passenger back to Stonington.

The freshwater quarry

Rick taking the plunge

Me, enjoying the water

The other passenger was the owner of another island, one of the potato islands I think.  Steve had arranged to pick her up and bring her back to Stonington. We met up with her out in her dory about 50 feet offshore.  The dory shot out from under her as she was boarding our boat and Rick and Steve had to pull her up out of the sea and get her into the boat.  She was very good natured about it; not that unusual an event on the islands perhaps.   

After retrieving us from the island we went to see some nesting ospreys, then a circuitous route back to Stonington.  We had to head right back home, take quick showers and drive up to The Granary in Farmington to celebrate Christopher’s 21^st birthday. 

Chris enjoying his first legal drink

I returned to work on Monday where my office was torn apart with stripped walls and floors.  So I worked through Wednesday out of Sara’s office and Rick and I left mid morning on Thursday to go to the Podunk Bluegrass Festival in E. Hartford, CT.  Nice festival grounds and nice people.  It was very hot but the band played well though they only earned 4^th place in the band competition.  Don placed 2^nd in the songwriter’s competition with his song, Ice in Your Veins.  Ken Irwin of Rounder Records was very interested in Rick’s original song, Highway to Your Heart so they’ve been emailing back and forth and he’s trying to get a national band to record it.  He’s also interested in other songs Rick has so he’s started recording some demos to send him. 

Rick playing at Podunk

The NitPickers

I went back to work on Tuesday at which time my office was ready for me to move back into with newly painted walls and hardwood floors laid.  They also bought me a nice new desk and it was good to get things set back up after purging a shitload of old files. 

Still boxes to unpack

Jared’s 25^th birthday was on Wednesday so we had a little party for him here at the house with Justin and Keely, Chris and Sara, Auntie, Donnie, Glen, Tom, Lisa, Chelsea, Bill and his girlfriend Frederique who had just arrived from France the night before.

Bill and Frederique

Bill and Frederique stopped over again on Friday afternoon and accompanied us to The Depot for pizza and beer after which we strolled through the Gardiner Art Walk.  Bruce was have an opening at Mad Dog.  He and Bill had known each other 20 years ago but of course he never knew we were brother and sister. 

Today Rick went to play at a pig roast and I went up to Aristo and had Justin do my hair.  I stopped by his house afterwards; it’s coming along nice and he’s been taking good care of his yard.  He’s got some delicious blackberries growing out back. 

Tomorrow the NitPickers are playing at The Village Inn.  Eddie and Michelle, and Bill and Frederique are supposed to be joining me up there for dinner.  

Summah Vaca Continued

So I hung out at camp reading, kayaking (two days in a row - a (pathetic) record so far this summer), and chillin.  I went over 36 hours without speaking to another human being - nice.  Doesn't seem that long but having never lived alone it's quite unusual for me to go that long.  Some year I'd like to try to go a whole week!

I returned home Wednesday night and Thursday we took the camper down and set it up at White's Beach in preparation for the bluegrass festival over the weekend.

We purchased a camp table and a quickshade which was an excellent investment; made our campsite much more spacious and homey.  We stayed up until 2 a.m. Saturday morning and had a huge crowd picking around the band's campsite.  At one point I counted at least 15 pickers.  

On Saturday we ended up taking an emergency run home to fix the water at the house.  The boys called to say that there was no water pressure.  Sure enough it was just the filter.  However, why the filter would have plugged so quickly I'm not sure.  We left shortly after the NitPicker's third set on Sunday at noon.  

By Sunday I couldn't stand it anymore and made Rick take down the top half of the wall blocking the new addition.  There's still a half wall and still a bunch to do but it feels more real being able to actually see it.  

Tuesday I went out to camp and finally planted a couple of perennials the boys had given me for Mother's Day.  Decided not to spend the night and returned home and pulled out my clay and started playing.  I'm really jonsing to get my hands dirty with it but I'm pretty limited in what I can do without a wheel or a rugged table to throw slabs on.  So basically I've been making some stamps that I'll be able to use for some handbuilding projects once we build my table.  

Of course they'll need to be bisque fired before I can use them.  I'm thinking I should go ahead and get a kiln asap which will allow me to do handbuilding right away.  I can wait a while to get a wheel as I want to continue to take lessons with Malley anyway.  But it will be great to have a space where I can spend time doing the time intensive detailed work that I don't like spending class time on.  

I'm now almost at the end of my 3rd week of vacation.  I'm certainly rested but I don't feel like I've done anything very eventful, which in fact I haven't.  I'm headed up to Stratton this weekend to see Cindy, Grace, and the rest of the girls and check out the Plazapalooza on Saturday and maybe the East Benton Fiddler's Convention on Sunday.  Next week Rick and I are planning to take off in the camper and head up towards Cobscook Bay State Park, maybe Campobello, maybe come back via Moosehead, depending on weather and whatever.  Unfortunately, we're unable to take the kayaks with us on the camper but maybe we'll be able to rent some along the way.  

The Beginning of Week 2 of 2010 Summah Vaca

Got to camp about 7 last night after a stop for some supplies from Hannaford: sesame chicken with brown rice, broccoli and raisin salad, grapes, yogurt, cheese, butter, and raisin bread.  I knew there were crackers and plenty of beer and wine already here.  Jared left the camp in very good shape after his party last night.  I put away my groceries and made the bed with the fresh sheets I'd brought, ate dinner and banged on my djembe for a while as the neighbors weren't around it seemed.  The feeders have been empty for the last few days so the critters have moved on temporarily.  They'll discover the supplies have been replenished quickly enough.  In fact the flying squirrels showed up after a few hours but the reds didn't discover them until well after I was up out of bed this morning so I didn't have to listen to them fight over it starting at 4 a.m. like I often do.

I woke up and made a pot of coffee, ate a yogurt and went for a paddle on The Cobb.  The prediction was for hot and humid so I wanted to be back before mid afternoon.  A nice breeze kept me cool enough and I enjoyed rediscovering all the familiar landmarks.  Very few swallows under the bridge this year.  This purple flower that looks like some sort of water lupine is more ubiquitous than usual it seems.

Upstream about a half a mile I saw a sweet little kitten on the screened in porch of one of the rickety camps nestled at the very edge of the water.  I had never noticed it in use previously but this little guy looked pretty content to be there.  

The only other person I saw on the paddle was my neighbor and his daughter who were apparently there after all.  

It's always nice to see camp come into view on the return trip.

I love seeing all the flowers in bloom.  

I took a quick shower and sat on the deck in my towel and let the warm breeze dry me off.  The broccoli salad and a couple slices of toasted raisin bread made a delicious lunch.  It's great being able to get internet out here through my blackberry.  The deck is shaded enough that I can see my screen and with the sun sparkling off the flowing stream, an occasional osprey or heron stopping by to fish, and the flowers dancing in the wind that has picked up some, I realize it's one of those perfect days where I have absolutely nothing I have to do and I'm exactly where I want to be. 

Vacation - Week #1

Just got back this morning from a week at Popham Beach.  It's the second year we've spent the week of July 4th there.  We rent a little one room cottage with a deck that overlooks the ocean.  I love hearing the constant lapping of the waves all night long.  If we leave the curtain open we can see the ocean right from bed.

I took an early morning walk down the beach and sat in the lifeguard station and drank my coffee.  That island you can see in the distance is accessible via a sandbar at low tide.

On Friday Rick and I did the short hike up to Fort Baldwin and climbed the tower hoping for some fantastic views.  Unfortunately, the trees have grown up so much in that area that the views are just of foliage.

We probably wouldn't have seen much anyway as it was a fairly foggy day.

The first five days the weather was sunny with temps into the 80s and 90s.  The fog didn't move in until Thursday and Friday though it gave us a brief break on both days.  I read two books:  The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Steig Larsson and Pocketful of Names by Joe Coomer.  The latter takes place on an island off Stonington, Maine so it seemed particularly apropros.

Lots of music around the campfire at night with the NitPickers and others who happened by.  And a great fireworks display for the 4th.  We thought we put on a pretty good show but was matched by one other group on the beach and actually outdone by another.  I think between the many parties shooting off (illegal) fireworks we got as good a show as any I've seen in recent years.

This part of the coast is not great for kayaking.  I tried it there last year and found it very difficult to  maneuver due to the shallow water and breaking waves.  It's been a couple of years since I really had a good ocean paddle.  We talked about whether to look for a different location for our oceanside vacation for next year - perhaps around Stonington where the kayaking is good - but decided to go ahead and book the cottage for another year.  Maybe we can go to Stonington for a day or two and do a guided kayak tour around the islands.  Rick has never ocean kayaked and doesn't have an ocean kayak so he'd need to rent one.  And I'd feel better if I wasn't the most experienced person in the group.

Overall a nice week but it will also feel great to sleep in our own bed tonight.