More Snow

Yes, we did have a goodly amount of snow all day yesterday into the early hours of this morning.  So of course Aloysius had  to go out for his yearly snow expedition!  It was a lot deeper on the deck than he thought it would be.  I wish I had been able to catch the expression on his face when he landed in the snow bank!

The picture below was taken mid afternoon.  This is what it looked like until I went to bed.

And this is what the deck looked like when I went out around 9:30 this morning to clear a path to the bird feeder.  They are flocking to eat.  It is so important to keep feeders filled when the ground is covered.

We got between eight and ten inches.  Fortunately it's very light and fluffy so it should be easy to get out the driveway.

I've been hearing snow plows out on the road.  This is definitely a good thing.

Today is going to an indoor day.  If I can warm my studio up I want ti make some more forms for handbuilding.  I recommend indoors to one and all.

As always thanks fir stopping by.....*s*

Well It's Tuesday.....So....

It's TIME FOR TEAPOTS!

This came out of the kiln about a month ago.  It's two sides of the same teapot.  When I tried it out the pour was terrible with water running down the spout to the foot.  Not optimal for tea!  Upon closer inspection I saw that a blob of glaze just was inside and spilling onto the outside of the pouring lip.  I had already decided that it would be a keeper, so I said "Why not?" and took my trusty Dremel to it.  I ground down the inside and reshaped the lip, et voila!!  It's not perfect; it still has an occasional drip, but it's definitely usable.  It holds about 16 oz. which is a perfect size for my afternoon tea.

I decided to keep it as I am not happy with my brushwork!  It just isn't right for this pot.  Also, when using commercial glazes you still have to be careful about getting them too thick, particularly in the little nooks and crannies.  There are several small crawls where the glaze collected.

What I do like about it is the handle and the spout.  The handle was deliberate after I bashed the spout while I was attaching it.  I like the way the dent in the spout gives it a more fluid feeling. For me this is a pretty funky handle on a thrown pot.  I generally save the funkiness for handbuilding.

We've had many birds coming to the feeders since the snow started.  The goldfinches have been abundant in their dull winter coats.  Today I have been very happy to see what is either a purple or house finch visiting us.  I haven't been able to get a good view of its back to make a better identification.  Purple finches are rosier with color going down their backs to the tail.  Just got a look, definitely a purple finch, although I am not convinced that they are truly two distinct species.  They have become quite rare in this area.  We used to have masses of them so it's nice to see a comeback.

It's a warm sixteen degrees out so of course it's snowing!  There is not supposed to be too much accumulation and the wind has finally stopped after what feels like weeks of it.

It's a day for staying inside.  My studio is warm enough for me to work today.  It feels like forever since I've been in it, actually three days!

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

Snow and......

IT'S C.C.C.COLD! 

We spent yesterday afternoon and this morning hanging curtains....well, long strips of fabric to block off most of my studio thus creating a small space that I can heat and work in this winter.  I'm am so over having to move stuff upstairs for the winter.  I decided that if I could make it work today.....hasn't gone above 20 F. all day.....it would work over the rest of the winter......which hasn't officially started yet!  The space has started warming up nicely....particularly after we fixed the latch on the window....3/4 of an inch gap open to cold air does not lead to warmth!

I even found room for my tile.  Proge's father gave it to me for my birthday back when I had just come back to clay and we were still together.  It was collected by his grandparents when they went on a grand tour of Europe and other parts of the world around the Mediterranean.  I know very little about it.  I think it's Persian.  Any way I enjoy looking at it.  It tells me stories.

This is Aloysius sitting on the back of the chair watching the birdies.  Kiki was with him until I picked up the camera.  She like to sit by the glass slider and occasionally try try to penetrate the force field that is keeping her from the deck.

Four o'clock and it's getting dark.  I hope no one is getting snowed in too badly or experiencing any of the fires on the west coast.

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*