International Dog Day

 Winter is wishing all the doggies a Happy International Dog Day!  

Cookies all around!

As always, stay safe, and thanks for stopping by...................*s*

We've Come To Bring Stella Home

Four years ago today we drove to Connecticut to look at a little white half corgi that had been rescued along with her rambunctious brothers.  We took one look at her and said, "We've come to bring Stella home." She was a very shy pup and obviously needed a home away from her brothers.

In the car we decided to rename her Winter (an homage to Game of Thrones).  We knew we would change her name as the idea of walking around in the woods calling "STELLA" did not appeal!

Below is her annual birthday portrait.

This one I took the day she came home.  The daffodils were in full bloom.  As I recall it was in the 70's, and stayed that way for several days.  This year we are not going to have as many blooms.  We had warm days in January which made them come up.  Then it got cold which led to a lot of winter burn and killed the budding.  I should take them up and separate them this summer.
 

The crocuses are in full bloom.  I find their flowers so hopeful......yes, spring and summer will come!

Enjoy the day, and, as always, thanks for stopping by.............*s*

Winter

Three years ago yesterday we went to Connecticut to look at some half corgis that had come up from a southern state.  The very nice woman said to another, "They have come to look at 'Stella'."  We took one look at a little white with one spot sitting in the back of a horse stall being jumped on by her rambunctious brothers and said, "No, we've come to take 'Stella' home."  She was such a timid little pup that she obviously needed a home that did not involve bullying brothers.

We decided That 'Stella'  was a no go.  Wandering around the woods, if she got off her run,  Yelling STELLA!  did not appeal at all.  We named her Winter, because she is white and we could have a good time calling her the littlest Dire Wolf and saying, "WINTER IS COMING!"   Obviously there has been entirely too much Game of Thrones in our lives.

This is the way Winter looked yesterday.  Notice that the snow by the slab has melted and daffodils are beginning to show.

It's a far cry from the day we brought Winter home.  That was a particularly warm spring.  Of course we did have a drought later in the summer!

I made banoffee pie for Pi Day.  It was delicious!

  Yesterday we lost our electricity for several hours in the early evening.  We hooked up the inverter, got out the gas stove and continued life.  Every house should have a power inverter!

Today is sunny but very windy.  It's a good day for working indoors.  I am getting ready to fire the kiln Big Mama this weekend.

Here's to sunny days ahead!

As always, thanks for stopping by..............*s*

For The Birds

I finally rooted around in some boxes in the shed and found some of my old bird feeders.  These are all quite early and are seconds for one reason or another.  

'Bird and Catbird' is thrown in one piece with the bottom cut out for filling.  To fit in properly it has to be cut at an angle, which I did not do.  There are small holes in the bottom and the top.  A string runs through and is tied in a loop for hanging. 

The blue and white is thrown is two pieces.  The lid has a flange on it that fits inside the feeder tube.   This is way too squat so of course i had to keep it!   Again, a string runs through to keep it together for hanging.  I usually make some sort of a flat bead to act as a stop on the bottom.

These two are my usual low fire majolica.  The blue is so old that I was still experimenting with white earth for my clay body.  They have survived the elements because I always make two or three drain hole in the feeding tray.  

I made  Greenie in my first pottery class; so it is very old indeed!  It's one of the first, if not the first, things I ever handbuilt out of pads or wads.  I liked, and still do, being able to make something large using small amounts of clay.  This has survived everything, including the squirrels destroying my improvised hanger so they could get all the seeds out.  I kept this out of sentiment.    

My little majolica bird is what got me looking for the feeders.  Tim See  inthe  Facebook Clay Buddies group asked us to post our birds.  There are a  lot of birds there.  Does that make us a bunch of birdbrains?

Last I have to post Winter in winter.   Here she is swimming in fresh snow which she loves.  It's funny because she is such a timid pup that water terrifies her!  Far be it from me to understand the workings of a dog's mind!

The sun is out with thin, high, cold clouds.  It was -2 at 6:30 this morning.   I understand that it's going to warm up enough so that the coming storm will turn to rain by tomorrow.  It will probably get cold again which will make the world into a skating rink!  My that should be interesting!

Enjoy your week end and the weather, such as it is, and know that it will get warmer, colder, wetter, dryer at some point, because Mother Nature is a fickle lady.

As always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

We Made It!

Through the storm that was!

Technically it was a blizzard, but it was nothing like the Blizzard of 1978 or even 'Snowmageddon'!  It did snow heavily for a while and the wind blew merrily, but we were snug and warm inside.  We spent most of the time watching The Jewel In The Crown.  Local PBS stations have been broadcasting in bits and pieces so we decided to indulge in the complete DVD.  Nothing quite warms like watching hot India in the last days of the Raj!

Primroses have come into all the markets.  Forget groundhogs; these are a true harbinger of Spring.  I always find them so pretty and hopeful!

I've finally gotten over a migraine that has been around since the snow started.  I think it's weather related.  I will always blame the weather for any problems whenever and wherever I can!

Sunny and windy today, not one for going outside.  Poor little Winter is showing signs of cabin fever.  She wants to go out, but after just a few minutes of play she is ready to come in.  I wish I could find some good snow booties for her.

Football tomorrow.  We don't really watch, but do dip in now and then since it's the Patriots.  When Paul was alive it was fun to watch with him, because he was willing to explain everything to me.  Now we will probably watch something like The Hollow Crown and also The Puppy Bowl!

Enjoy the weekend what ever you do.

As always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

Don't Like the Weather?

Just wait a few minutes!  Last week it was 20 with an added wind chill.  Right now it's 60 and supposed to be in the fifties and sunny tomorrow.  I could really go for this kind of winter.

Lately this is KikiLaSois's favorite way of sitting on the couch to watch tv and give everyone the kitty stink eye.  She is the quietest cat I have ever had with a little tiny mew.  If you can hear her purring from a foot away she is truly ecstatic!

Below are two clocks that survived the firing.  I had them ready to go ages ago but life kept conspiring!
They are only about eight inches across.  They can go on the wall or on stands.  I'll show those next firing!

The S.C.A.A.  Christmas, excuse me, Holiday Sale starts Friday the day after Thanksgiving.  I hope all who are in the area will come by!

Stay warm and dry in all this rain.

As always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

Here Comes The Sun!

It's the Summer Solstice!

I actually was up at 5:04 AM (the exact time of the Summer Solstice) and watched the sun come up at 5:14 AM.

This is my favorite time of year,  long sunny days with long twilights.  It's also a rather sentimental time as around this date we moved out here to camp for the first eight weeks and build our little house in the woods.  We live in a different house now in the same woods that still hold their magic.

detail of a bird bath about 2005

Winter in Summer

The Crayfish Season Opens
Carl Larsson, Watercolor, 1890
Statens Konstmuseer, Stockholm, Sweden
Photo: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Happy Solstice to All!

As always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

It Must Be Spring!

Timothy Turtle is out by the pond.  I made this fellow several years ago.  He is the one I was not terribly satisfied with, but  entered into Earthworks to get a crit from that year's juror James Lawton.  I almost fell over when I heard that he had given it fourth place.  He felt the successful parts outweighed the unsuccessful.  I am still not comfortable with selling Timothy so he gets to sit out by the pond every year as soon as the weather warms up.  

The turkeys are mating so they have been wandering in and out of the yard and woods.....

 Which led to Winter's discovery of a great new activity......Rolling in Turkey Poop!

Which needless to say led to a trip to the rain closet.

 Sometimes it's just better to push the towels aside and finish drying off on Aloysius!

I've been busy rolling out tiles for the stove surround and for the workshop I will be giving this summer.  Pictures of tiles are about as interesting as watching grass grow so I'll leave it at that.

Oh, and a shout out to Jenny Mendes who has a studio visit in the May Ceramics monthly.

This post will also be over at Mud Colony......everyone should take a look at clay around the world.

Sunny days here in Southern New England.......I hope they are sunny wherever you read this.

As always, thanks for stopping by..............*s*

My! That Was......

FUN???

What is the curse? "May you always live in interesting times."  These times have been quite interesting enough thank you.  This is the third time in the last six month we have had the electricity go out!

The snow started at 7:00AM friday just as they said it would.  It was coming down steadily but not heavily until early afternoon.  The power went off just after I had posted a reply on Hollis's blog.  We were prepared and set up the power etc.  The hardest part was that we could not get out the driveway.  It's the first time I have not been able to get my 4RUNNER through snow.  Of course it's also the first time we've had this much snow since I began driving it.  We broke down and had the driveway plowed, money well spent.  He lives just down the hill from us so it is certainly convenient. 

 The power came back on around one this afternoon.  There's nothing like being without power for several days to appreciate electricity and running water! Fortunately we heat with wood so we were warm and cozy!

The photo of the trees was taken on Sunday when the sun came out.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but we ended up with 18 to 24 inches.  It's pretty to look at but a b*tch to get around in.  I use a cane for balance; three legs are steadier than two!

The wood pecker and jay along with many small birds were coming for seed throughout the days.  Now I'm glad I had to get a mix rather that straight sunflower as the larger birds pick out the corn and peanuts.  Happy birdies!

My little garden shed is snowed in.  Guess I'll have to wait until everything melts to get into it.

Winter is completely nonplussed by so much snow.  In the photo she is light enough so she is only in about half the depth of the snow.  After we beat a path for her all that was visible was her tail poking up   like a flag.

Everything is well with us.  Right now it's raining; it's supposed to be up in the 40's tomorrow.  I doubt that it will all melt away before it gets cold again.  Hey!  This is New England....live with it!

I hope everyone who was in the storm has survived it well.  Those of you in sunnier climes, those are little green tendrils of envy you see growing around me.

Enjoy the evening and as always, thanks for stopping by...........*s*

Behind The Love

Here's a series of photos of what lead up to the hug in Wordless Wednesday.  It's more of a wrestling match involving teeth, paws, and claws. 

The one photo I missed is when Aloysius makes his reverse wiggle and ends up on top of Winter.

They started doing this when Winter was much closer to Aloysius in size and weight.  At first I was concerned that Aloysius would hurt Winter.  Then as Winter grew I worried about the reverse.  However, they both instigate and seem to enjoy their rough and tumble play.

I've been drawing manatees lately, and other critters that I might add to my design vocabulary.

As alaways, thanks for stopping by.............*s*

My That Was Fun!

We spent yesterday morning doing some last minute clean up in the yard.  We made sure we knew the locations of shovels and blooms.  It started with freezing rain around 1:30 PM and switched to snow a few hours later.  At seven the electricity went out for about an hour, came back on for twenty minutes, went out, came back on after two hours, stayed on for half an hour and then went out and stayed out.  By this morning the power company was promising power would be on by 8:30 AM......this was at 10:00!  The entire southern part of the state was out, which is not big in square miles, but it  has many rural areas and difficult to access roads.....plus stuff that hasn't been totally put back in order since Sandy!

Again I was reminded that waking at 5:00AM, in the dark totally sucks!  I just was not up for going out and hooking up the power inverter to the car battery.  Six inches of snow to be cleared...not fun!  Since Sandy I have been keeping five gallon jugs of water in my studio, so we had plenty of drinking water and the gas burner.   I had tea but Proge couldn't grind any coffee beans.  He's thinking of some sort of emergency hand grinder.  We didn't bother to get electricity from the car as we were hopeful that it would be quickly restored.

We're fine now.  The photo below is of Winter in the snow last night.  I took it with our big flashlight and the flash on my camera.  I'm amazed that I can get photos as night.  It's never too late to learn something new.........I guess! 

I've gotten behind with my Twelve Days entries.  I'll play catch up tomorrow.  I just don't have the energy to do it now.

Stay warm, play in the snow!

As always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

Time for Pink

Thanks for the many comments on Wordless Wednesday.  The clocks and other items are in the kiln....I'm waiting for it to cool enough to open it.

This is the hardest  part of firing for me.  I usually find something to do that will keep me busy and away from the kiln.  Today it will probably be a trip to the dentist as I lost a filling last night.  Of course  it feels like a hole the size of a large boulder is in my mouth.

I'm also cleaning my studio,  Even though I don't do sales from my studio I like to get it cleaned up and decorated for Christmas.  It's nice to start a new cycle in a clean studio.

Ladybug houses.....I had a posting about them from one of my gardening magazines.  The one shown was some sort of plastic.....I think I can do better!

Yes, these are more Christmas cacti. (I just realized that I don't have any real reds...hmmmm) The pinks bloom later than the oranges.  I have one big plant that is still setting buds.  It may actually bloom at Christmas!  WOW!  I may have a Christmas cactus that actually lives up to its name! 

 

Winter is coming!

We woke up to about an inch of very slushy snow yesterday morning.  Most of it melted during the day but there are still a few patches in shady spots.  Cold and sunny today......a good day to do some active yard work.

Have a productive/happy/lazy/day....whatever floats your boat.

As always,,,,,,thanks for stopping by...............*s*

Winter is Coming

The words gave her a chill, as they always did. The Stark words.  Every noble house had its words. Family mottoes, touchstones,  prayers of sorts, they boasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty and truth, swore faith and courage.   All but the Starks.  Winter is coming, said the Stark words.

                                                                                          A GAME OF THRONES 
                                                                                          copyright 1966 George R. R. Martin

       

It's 62 F under cloudy skies, but supposed to drop to the 40's by this afternoon and lo 30's tonight.  We have had a few frosts, enough to kill off the annuals, but nothing lasting.  We have a few things left to do.  Pull the pumps and filters from pool and pond, get leaves off the deck....little stuff that makes functioning easier in the snow.  Winter is coming.

I do not love winter.  It's fine until about Twelfth Night, because the turning of the year is about ice, cold and dark.  After that I'm ready for an early spring.

Every morning I tend to my plants.  At the moment they are all blooming nicely.

Below are two more Christmas cacti that are starting to bloom, followed by hibiscus, passion flower, and fuchsias.

                                                                                        

Meanwhile back at the ranch.....I am making pots like crazy.  I don't have the stamina yet to spend more than four hours at a time in my studio, but I am learning to pace myself.  I surprise myself at how much I can get done knowing my time is limited.  If I take a break for a few hours, relax even have a siesta, I can go beck for another two hours.

Because this was a rather late sign-up and time was lost due to various storms, I am making my inventory  shallow and broad.  Better to have half a dozen of each than dozens of a very few pieces.  Besides its fun to vary what I am making.

This show goes on for a long time (too long in my opinion) so most potters keep working and restocking until the bitter end.

HOW LONG SHOULD A SALE LAST?  FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Keep on making stuff!

As always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*                                                                                      

GHOSTS!

There's something about the ghostly look that my animal whistles have after I've glazed them but before  I have started the decorating.  They have a blank look with only the large gesture being apparent.  I find that this frees me to design as I wish without becoming a slave to the original image.

They change so much after I have done with decorating sometimes it's hard to realize that they are the same work.  This challenge is another part of what I love about majolica.

Yesterday was so humid that I spent the whole day waiting for the glaze to dry.  For me it is better to let the glaze dry slowly.  If I put object under a heat lamp I often get uneven drying.  It's most disconcerting to be working on a hard surface and then suddenly find it's not.

Everything has dried very nicely, so I get to spend studio time today.  I don't think it's going to rain until much later so I will also put some reprocessed clay out to dry a bit.  It's such a sloppy process that I like to do it outside.  I'm going to prepare for the winter winds this year and get ahead in my clay.

In spite of everything, I managed to stay busy.  Proge and I spent the morning readjusting the pond filter and pump.  He was the one wading around in thigh deep water, but I still managed to get soaked.  If you are going to have water features in your garden you have got to enjoy messing about in water.

I made buns so we could have hamburgers.  The bread is from the other half of the recipe.  It's just my plain old Cuban bread, but the loaf is so handsome that I have to show it off a little.  The recipe is quick and easy so I have been trying herb additions.  Rosemary & Dill is especially tasty.

I am a fool for love (of plants).  Our pond guy is selling most of his plants at 25% off.  I bought three day lilies.  This peachy pink is my favorite today.  I also got a small rosy pink and a deep purple and gold.

Of course I need more plants!  I like to keep adding them until winter (the season) stops me.

And lastly here is Winter, totally mystified by how she got herself into this tangle.  Most of the time she gets herself out of twists and turns, but she needed some help with this one.

After a day of hot-stickies we had a heavy thunder storm yesterday evening which dumped almost an inch of rain in about half an hour.  No complaints here!  It dropped the humidity and added water to pool, pond, and well.

This post can be seen at  Mud Colony and Artists In Blogland.  Everyone should drop by and see what is going on; there are lots of new people to discover, plus old friends.

Did anyone watch the opening of the Olympics?  I was absolutely thrilled when Sir Paul led Hey Jude ...and opened with...."And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." 

Have a bountiful, happy weekend, and, as always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

Summer Solstice.....or

SILLY BALOON MUGS

I have finally figured out how to make mugs using balloon as a form.  The trick is to use big balloons and only blow them up a bit.....DUH!  I left the seams showing on the exteriors and put the little feet on at different angles.  Part of me wants them to be very straight up and down, but I am liking more and more the ones that are tilted.  I have enough to experiment with different methods.  Also may go in a slightly different direction with my decorations.  The ideas are flowing.  Now the thing to do is to get stuff into order so I can have some idea of how to get where I want to go.

I have to finish the rims and give each a final going over for stability, clay crumbs etc.  

We'll see, grasshopper......well see....

THE DEER ATE MY HOSTAS!

I have five hostas in planters along the driveway.  They are supposed to look like this.

Instead four of the five look like this.  Notice that they ate just the leaves not the stems.  The night before they ate all the buds off a day lily out in the woods and a bunch of violets.....no big deal but I did sprinkle ground chili peppers all over the area.  It never dawned on me that they would attack the hostas.  Silly me, I should know better!  I think the fifth one survived when Winter went out late at night.  The really galling thing is that the violets growing in the planters were completely ignored.  Why eat violets when there is this tasty salad?

And here is Winter looking like butter won't melt in her mouth after digging three Winter sized holes in the yard.

This first day of summer is being escorted in by a heat wave.  It's supposed to be up in the nineties today and tomorrow at least, with high humidity accompanying the temp.  Personally, I thrive in this weather, but then I can take frequent breaks, sip iced drinks and sit in the shade....and of course there is a huge difference between heat in the city and heat in the country.

Enjoy the Solstice.

Thanks for stopping by............*s*