22 June 2012

Hannah's Revenge!

Sorry for the lack of photos, that'll have to come later.
When Hannah and Doug visited us last year we heard plenty of whinging about inadequate clays. Today in her workshop she tried to foist more of that filthy red stuff on me and I did try...but I'm not up to such a radical change in just one afternoon, so she's given me some old, stiff stoneware, just to keep me on my toes!
The workshop is tomorrow and we're ready to go...Hannah's got a cake in the oven and several more should arrive before we get started. Life, as ever, is rough! It is wet, windy and cold...my favorite whenever it reaches 100f back home.

11 June 2012

A Preview Before I Go...

    24 hours from now I should be in the air, approaching Maine with Nova Scotia on the horizon and Edinburgh as the terminus of a too long but worth it journey. I will do my best to share some of the highlights of my travels, but it has become ridiculously jam packed with goodness so who knows how often I'll find my way to a computer. I won't forget you, dear reader, I promise ! 
    I'm more than ready for the break and the chance to recharge.  Hannah has written a nice blog about my workshop at her studio in the west of Scotland that will be lots of fun. I'll see Hannah a couple of more times, but our plans for a reunion tour with Doug seem to be kaput! I wonder if they don't believe that they can convert me over to the dark (red clay) side?!I will visit them both at Hatfield (what if I arrived Saturday evening to camp and spend Sunday visiting?) and I'll make my way down to Doug's place in Devon for a few days in mid July. Returning to my home away from home in the Cotswolds, The Milway residence in the village of Conderton, nestled up to Breedon Hill, is why I have been coming back for many, many years. I have so many friends there from the days when I was a part of the Winchcombe team and the cozy villages that dot the hills are also old friends by now. So are quite a few walking paths, churches and pubs! I'll spend about half of my 7 weeks there.
    
When I return it will be full speed ahead towards the Hill Center Show in D.C. at the end of October. Here is a sneak preview of the potters involved! Have a great summer, everyone, and don't forget your sunscreen...














09 June 2012

Under Attack!

One of the many pleasures of my studio in the woods is getting to watch the birds. This is the first studio I've had without a cat or three so I can feed the birds with impunity! My feeders are morphing into a bit of a sculpture right outside the window from my wheel. 
I was dismayed and puzzled last week to find everything knocked asunder and I could only imagine that a storm had caught ahold of it, but it kept happening and things were strewn in a very un-wind-like way!
I borrowed this great motion sensitive camera from Jason G. and below are the culprits! The little S.O.B's destroyed my little English phone booth feeder last night.
Now that I know the enemy, I can make a plan to thwart them!
But that's not all!!!
(keep reading)


Boots is on the trail!
Google won't let me show you this photo right-side up, but long time readers have heard me report on the pottery-eating mice in my studio in the past!  Below is more evidence...I never know when they'll take a bite!

06 June 2012

A Week to Go

    
Everyone needs a 'Sentinal' in their garden!
    I have been way too busy lately, but not a lot of my time has been spent on the pottery biz. A couple of big events at Libertytown (including a yard sale of seconds) and a great wedding (congratulations, Anna and Jym!) have filled up the days, and in theory I am getting ready for my trip to Britain next week. I did speak with Hannah yesterday to firm up my plans...she was not her lively self after a long 'Spring Fling', but I trust that she will be revived by the time I get to her place in the west of Scotland!
    In my last post I neglected to mention that I will be helping Toff Milway at "Potfest in the Park" at the end of July, so I'm hoping to see some of my new old friends there (Margaret, Christine et al)

Magnolia!