TailGate and new windows

This will be a disjointed day with all windows torn out and replaced.  I fortunately have two areas of refuge.  I'm sitting on the day porch/studio right now, where the windows are all ok and so this, and the bathroom, will be sanctuaries for me.

Of course I can drive away and do things different places as well.

I can't say how thrilled I am to have the windows upgraded.  It will make this 50s cottage so much more livable.  I've got a great land-lady, no doubt in my mind.  She cares about her property, and me too probably!

So my comments are working again, (Vicki Lane wrote and said I was myself on her blog...isn't that cute?) and blogging is a good thing.

 Here are some pictures of the Black Mountain Tail Gate Market

 If you weren't there last weekend, be part of this weekend!

Mud Buddies booth with Wendy watching the sales.

 Good friend, Jerry Pope had the only dynosaur, as he sold not only his great children's book but post cards of his art from another book, (Walking Tour of Black Mountain).  The paintings of historic Black Mountain (on the post cards) are fantastic.  I want to share these tidbits of memorabilia, as well as Jerry's talents!
Did you find the dynosaur alright?  Look behind children's book on the table.  It's green.

The TailGate is dog friendly, as long as the dogs are friendly.  I guess I take issue when one of them pees on the grass upon which children play...but their owners seem to think all grass is ok for dog bathrooms.  I'm sure if it was something more solid they would be responsible.

It's great to have all kinds of art as well as fresh food available. 

 The produce as well as eggs, honey, and meats are all organic.  My favorite probably isn't, the chocolate croissants.  But it's only a decadence once a week or so.

Dynamite coffee is fair trade, and I also succumb to their goodness weekly.

Muffin has always chewed off her long white fur on her little pink belly, so when she lies there looking like she knows the answers to everything, and let that belly show, I couldn't resist!  This is the time of year she starts serious shedding, and her skin does something that makes the hairs clump up.  I've learned it's best to cut the clumps off early rather than later, because more and more hair gets involved.  This year I kind of tried prevention, and cut off a bunch of long fur on her flanks (where it's worst) before it had clumped.  She really doesn't like the clump cutting procedure, and maybe this will keep her happier.

Lake Tomahawk walkin'

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

 When the sun hits some roses, I couldn't just pass by without a picture.

 My first glimpse of baby ducks, with mama mallard watching me carefully.  The youngsters are feeding, diving into the water for whatever lovely stuff is in the muck.

The gazebo is a nice quiet place to meditate, or have a conversation with someone special.  It looked like meditation this morning.

 The grey geese were posing right by the path, and I couldn't get the one in the background to look up.

 He/she just kept being more interested in poking his/her head under wings and around the tail area.

 So I gave up and zeroed in on the adult and youngster who were happily posing for me.

I turned the corner on the path, and there were the Canadian Geese family sitting also by the path, with the one in the path keeping an eye out for walkers, who just went right by them.

These little fluffy fellows were happy to doze in the shade by the path and lakeside.

 As I crossed over the footbridge, I looked up along the stream which feeds the lake...thinking how this water does eventually go into the Swannanoa River.

 And here comes another Mallard family...

This is looking south while walking the west side of the lake.  It was quite hot in the sunshine at 9:30 am for this walk.

 Yep, this is Mountain laurel.

The sign describing the Seven Sisters mountains placed where you can see 6 of them.  The 7th is behind another one from this view.  Tomahawk Mountain is the biggest and closest.

 Looking at the boat house that is now the recreation center...Lakeview Center.

The earthen dam has a sluice under this little bridge.

The rest of the pictures aren't coming onto the photo download page, so I'll have to finish this walk tomorrow, at least here.  I hope to do this walk earlier in the morning tomorrow, so it's actually not so warm.  Still to see, the mountains where the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses, the playground, and someone fishing.  Bet you can't wait!

Photos copyrighted Barbara Rogers, please ask permission to copy.

more pots & glaze problem

This little bowl got lots of "aaaahs" but it has a problem that isn't at first noticeable.

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

 No, it isn't that Ms. Mousie will continueally get away from the kitty.

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

I fed my own kitty in this bowl, a mixture of wet and dry food with water, for 2 days.

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

And now washed it to find she was able to lick off the glaze.

Several of my pots with Mexico glaze have had this "rub off" effect of the metalic grey finish.  But this has me worried about whether or not it's food safe.  Kitty sure won't be eating out of it any more.

Comments, anyone who knows what this means?

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

 Here are some pics of older pots, some having been redone.  The celadon glaze has been refired, and the end results are pretty nice, I think.

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

A fuit bowl, or colander, which I've enjoyed having around for a while.

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

 I like comparing the sizes of things.  The vase on the right is one I'm very attached to, with a combination glaze that's hard to get.

Photo copyrighted Barbara Rogers

Here's a comparison of the older (right) vase with the difficult to get glaze, and the newer vase with the studio celadon.  I've only made one other with the glaze combination, which I sold last year.  I've tried several times this year to get that combination glaze to work, and haven't been successful yet.  The other results are pretty nice, but not the excitment I get with this version.  But then, not every day can be exciting, can it?

After class pots

I took a class at BMCA clay studio.
And after the class, I've got some new pots.  Duh.

Some are influenced by Annie Singletary, my teacher.  Some that I've included here, I've just dusted off the shelf and decided to show, and maybe (big MAYBE here) sell.

This bowl shows how I've learned how to make interesting bottoms...or actually make the bottom design part of the whole piece.  That's one of Annie Singletary's lessons.

Unfortunately the pretty glaze job doesn't make it food safe, cause the Matt Bronze Green overlapped the top edge.  Nice and pretty, but has some toxins in it that people wouldn't be happy eating.

This tri-fold design has my "goddess" image on the bottom.  I'm trying to just use that rather than my full name and so forth.  Glaze is Eggshell, with some underglaze spring green, I think.  It kind of turned grey which I like.

 Another tri-fold design, and another non-food-safe coloration.  I was trying different things with glazing, and somehow that Matt Bronze Green sneaked over the edges of these pots.

This small moon vase has an inset which is glazed partially over cobalt stain, with celadon on the rest of the body, part of my exploration of negative space.

Nothing exciting on this bottom, since I made this actually before Annie's class.