Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Summer that stood us up

I suppose that if this was going to be the summer that never was (weather speaking), better this one than next considering we've spent the last five weeks in a cast or splint of some kind. Sure the weather has been, well, crap, and at least we don't have to worry about forest fires. And for a potter living in the forest, with a wood kiln and another one in the works, it can rain all it wants during the summer.

Since the last firing, Robin has hardly even given the pots that came out of the kiln a second glance, he's been too excited about getting to work on his new train kiln. Plenty of phone calls and late nights spent pouring over the design and brick lists - he laid down the first layer a couple days ago and is hard at it.

Lucky for him he has one enthusiastic apprentice, that is willing to work.......

....rain or shine!

The other apprentice is not quite as interested in helping out, but comes around every once in a while to check on his dad's progress.

"Good job so far dad, get er' done."

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Garden Goodness

The rain is coming down so hard right now we've got a series of tributaries spanning our new driveway! Robin was forced to brave the downpour and dig a few diversion ditches to properly drain the surging puddles. Its been that kind of summer here - a wet one. And although its getting a bit old, and I'd really like a few hot days to hit the river with the kids, I am happy to be reaping the rewards of a happy garden.



It hasn't obviously been all that bad since by the looks of my greenhouse you'd never know it has been unseasonably cool in the Kootenays. Even the outdoor patches of this n' that are providing some food for the dinner table these days. We've enjoyed some fabulous pesto, salads every night and enough snap peas to keep the kids happy.


Even the odd vase or two are getting some use with some fresh flowers.



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The far from fast firing


We lit up our kiln "Hot Lily' last weekend after several days of intermittent rain. The weather was perfectly cool and besides the annoying mosquitos that took to feasting on us during the load, we were happy to be firing the ol' familiar once again after a couple years hiatus. What we thought would be a piece of cake firing turned into a long and drawn out one.

After stalling out at about 1600F around midnight the first night, we weren't able to gain much temperature at all until well past dawn. At least we had lots of helpers. 85 yr old Grandpa Wes (who hasn't missed a firing of 'Lily" yet) stayed up all night with Robin. And then Roscoe and I took the early morning shift.

I seem to recall another firing that took it's sweet time in this kiln (also with fairly wet wood) that ended up producing some pretty sweet pots, so fingers crossed that we'll see the fruits of our labour when we open up the kiln later today.


Through her eyes

Isla got a hold of my camera.......




I love seeing the world through her eyes. xo

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Back to Shovelling!

Weekend? What weekend? We said our farewells to Trevor and Donna on Saturday morning after a great week of visiting and socializing. Then it was back to work for us.

Isla I fear has become acclimatized to the party lifestyle and immediately inquired who would be arriving later that day? I had to break it to her that there would be a lull in the visitor logbook, and that she ought to find some kind of company with her brother for the next couple weeks. Not much of an ask, as the two of them are happiest together, most of the time anyways.

Now taking up a sizeable portion of our newly acquired flat land is several large piles of material. Sand, road crush and now tilled earth - since we dug a 4 foot deep trench out to the new kiln pad. It'll be a while yet before we get the property looking good enough for the August show and sale, so we better get to work.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

July Sun and Ever Mae!


Today was a hot and sunny, summer day. A perfect excuse to throw down the shovel and head to the river.

Our friends Trevor and Donna from Logan, arrived on Monday for a week long visit. Their visit followed right on the heels of some more terrific friends from our Utah days - Sunshine and Alix who came out the previous week for a little Canadian adventuring. Funny to think that Utah was what brought us all together, and we have all moved on or are in the process of moving since that time and place.

We sent Sunshine and Alix out on their own Lewis and Clark expedition on the Slocan River, which they seemed to fare reasonably well. But today we couldn't resist the lure of the cool waters ourselves and decided to take the day off and join Trevor and Donna on the water.


We were four in each boat. Our two kidlets armed with their own paddle each. Their two kidlets (still in utero) likely won't remember their first canoe ride, or their first trip to Canada for that matter. But we're hoping they'll make it back again some day.

Speaking of in utero....no more... Ever Mae DuPont broke free into the world this summery, sunny day in the wee early morning hours. We welcome her into our extended family and a big hug and congratulations go out to Uncle Jai and Auntie Kelsey and big brother Jake:) xo

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Are you my Mother?


We've had our very own resident 'SNORT' the last couple of days, and like a bunch of baby birds we've sat up in the forest watching it tear up the landscape around our place. This major excavation project has been long awaited and eagerly anticipated, as it now means that we can move along with other projects (like kiln building), now that several feet of dirt has been moved out of the way.

Not unlike a spectator sport, it was fascinating to watch our neighbour move and maneuver the machine around. The extra space it has created on our property will be well put to use, even if it takes us several years to get to some of the projects we have in mind. In the meantime, we've got ample parking now and lots of room for my baby birds to build a couple of bike jumps. (But not before the first arm cast comes off, of course).