recovery!

 Today was mostly a rest day!! Plus last night's...or should we say this morning's..sleep was good, right until 7.30 with only a brief awakening at 5.30!!

I don't think that it was two long drives to Leith and back, 150 mile round trip...it was a relaxing day, observing a kiln being fired, talking life, ceramics and everything!!

I need one of these to help firing my kiln...it shows the pressure in the bottle I think...and us a guide to how much is in there...

So today started late and carried on slowly!!

Still, washing was done....by the machine...and now I've just realised that my bed is still not made..ah well..nicely aired anyway! Not a big job to make it.

Today's sad news is that I think the rest of the potatoes have caught blight....I had wondered....hopefully it hasn't spread right to the tubers...I've cut off the tops and made sure nothing is above ground, then covered with cardboard. One reason is not to have any bare earth , the other so that spores don't get washed down into the soil if it rains.

We'll see...

just for a change..

 Something different

scrubbing six fence panels ready for painting.

And when I find the Safe Place that tbe hinges are hiding in...I can ask someone to install it all!!

The blogosphere...and her other friends and family...lost Joanne the weaver yesterday .

A feisty woman with skills and strong beliefs in justice.

Over the years it felt as if we had met. But we never did.

Good in Parts

 Anyone remember the story about the Curate's egg? He was invited to tea with the Bishop....boiled eggs, bread and butter, tea....and at the end the Bishop asked him how his eggs had been. Well...they had been a little...."off"...but he couldn't say that...so he replied.."Good, in parts"....

As was the firing ...took far too long, one burner didn't work properly, I need to remember how to do all this, how to adjust secondary air and fire efficiently...

plus the roof of the kiln is sagging a little more....

I doesn't help that it has just been sitting for 14 years...and that I've been doing other things..

I probably need advice on this!! 

First , though...check the burners tomorrow.

Elephant!!

 Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar.

How it arrived on the back door mat I don't know!!

Now moved to the wildlife corner with the clump of nettles....which I think have been home to the peacock and tortoiseshell butterflies that have been in my garden this past week 

first firing

 Tbe first firing didn't go completely to plan...it took a while to get it lit...and I'm remembering slowly (with the help of the firing log book) how to fire it.

A slight problem at the end was that the second burner refused to stay lit. This meant that it took longer to fire...and will probably be uneven. But we will see when it comes to opening time, hopefully tomorrow afternoon.

Good news..the first feed of beans!

This looks well'pollenated

I have the first three ripe blueberries too, but it looks like the collar doves have found them as well as there are broken twigs and missing fruit...

and the day finished in technicolour!!

Clouds

 We were at the forefront of the rain this morning... A few heavier showers ( but nothing compared to what Edinburgh apparently received this afternoon... water running down the streets type rain...) 

Nice to see a bit of blue sky... But I think that it is raining there in the distance... 

These go from the right to the left... 

Looking straight out north-west 

Then over to the sunset at the end of Arran

Going in a bit to try and get the detail

All a bit darker than reality... But better that that lose sunset detail and the blue sky.

Today has been a mass of bits and much Inertia. Doing a job and getting sidetracked by another.. and another...

Two positives.. Or maybe three...

Bread baked (in the bread making machine)

Local plumber organised.. Bathroom sink taps' washers, appear to be dying.

Found him by saying "help I need a plumber" on the village fb page!!

In consequence of that I have been tidying this and that..... Which did need doing. I don't want it so tidy that there is, nothing "in progress" around, but you can have too many things in progress. 

I will be glad when Brother has been.. Mid September... IT things to sort, old IT to be found a home or gone!!

I'll be glad when offspring let me know when the best dates for visiting them all will be. You think that they'd be a bit more forthcoming after complaining that I don't see them often enough!!

There will be an amount of Stuff heading towards them too... They can keep what they need and pass the rest on to local op shops.

I am trying not to have the radio on for background... Especially when I'm on the computer as well! But it does give a sense of company and security, especially overnight.

It also masks other humming noises... Being ND means that you can pick up sounds that others don't notice... Like the radio even when turned off but still plugged in.. I remove the plug from the socket.  Little things like that... 

wet

 We are having much needed rain.

However 13⁰...after 24⁰ a few days ago...is a shock to the system,!?

Indoor jobs today...hemming a sheet for the sofabed after I removed the flounce.

Then hunting for an hour or more for some elastic for the corners. Luckily I found the bodkin  to feed it through just after I found the elastic.

Inertia rules today. So much to do, that I want to do. Sometimes just starting is not easy.

What is too easy is being on the internet.

Not just scrolling..although there is some of that! Chatting (message) with friends. Reading interesting things. Learning stuff.

It is also company. As is the radio.