gardening catchup

 It was too nice to stay in all day...so indoor work went by the board before lunch and later in the afternoon! 

It was a nicely comfortable 24⁰ today..and weeding was done!!

The greenhouse residents are enjoying the weather too!!

Still more to do, but that was enough for one day. There is a decent layer in the compost bin, and the couch grass topped up the green waste wheelie bin nicely. Collection day is tomorrow.

The bad news is that I missed checking the kale for butterfly eggs, and both large and small cabbage whites were munching away....I cleared them off...and birds came down to eat them! The slackers!!

I might be lucky if I can keep them clear of caterpillars....

kiln saga

 

The four smaller screws did not come out of the ceramic connector block....

After seeing the galleon, I went on a hunt for a new one...

The electrical wholesalers (branches everywhere!) only had them mail order...£1.50...postage £4.50....

A place that fixes Appliances...doesn't keep them in stock.."we only fix large appliances...our mechanics probably have them in their tool boxes but sorry we can't help you"... sorry not sorry???

It is a type of thing found at the back of electric cookers ...if the rôles had been reversed I'd have asked the mechanics...

Back home I found that the spare part I'd been given along with the equipment I'd bought...had one...

I very carefully took that apart and installed it ..a very fiddly job ..in my own rather old one...and connected everything ...it works!!

Next step is to buy. a longer extension lead.

I am not risking that out in the rain!!

Galleon!!

 I had to go into Ayr for a teeth fitting yesterday..trying the wax model before it gets sent off (for three weeks) to make the real thing. It sat on a 3D model of my mouth done by laser, not the awful gunk in the mouth!!

So I took advantage of the time and place ...and went to see a ship...a replica of Christopher Columbus' galleon....

Ayr Harbour, Calmac ferryboat on the right

from today you can pay to have a guided tour

she is on the berth that the "Waverley" paddle steamer uses

look at the red writing..the latitude and longitude of the wartime lookout station

I think that this was at one time a dry dock? Until last year there was an old fishing boat here as a memorial to Ayr's history..but nit being maintained after its previous restoration it was scrapped

This is a memorial to the coal trade linking Glenbuck at the source of the river with the port. This has coal on it. Another at the site of the village has sand on it. The village, home to the Shankleys and many other football families is no more but you can visit and read the history.

Arran is over there

and this is the usual Scottish view of anything astronomically interesting.....

However the air pressure did change, it went quiet and subdued and cooler....that was the eclipse here.

You wouldn't believe it..

 The thermocouple I bought....is too short!

But it will do when I build a small test kiln....

The positive thing?..my old thermocouple and pyro, well wrapped, were in their box, right at the back of a lower shelf of glaze materials. Very safe so that they didn't get knocked....I was looking for something else!!

The gas hoses were all linked up, everything ready....and the pyro didn't work, but at least the display did....

Broken wires in the thermocouple attachments....but...very small screwdrivers for very small screws were missing...

A "Help!" message to Nae Sae New...and I went over there asap as they were. going out soon...and they gave me a small handful of tiny screwdrivers....

Home again, the ceramic connector was put to soak in wd40. The main attaching screw had freed...but not the tiny clamping screws.

Tomorrow's job, apart from a short dentist appointment, is to call by the electrical supplies company.....

I keep on thinking...What Next???

In other news I lifted one short row of "Rooster" tatties as I wasn't sure about the brown spots on the leaves...the crop looks (and tastes) good. 

The bare earth is the row...

mulched with cardboard 

Not a lot

 Being so near to firing the kiln is a scary thing.

Rain definitely scuppered that today. The bottles are outside in a gas cage (for security) and the doorway to the kiln is not ideal especially when wet. I'm not brave and have no wish to be foolhardy especially in cold wet weather.

So..late up..and eventually plait the garlic and get a batch of pears in the dehydrator.

(I'd picked up three 1kilo bags of small Williams pears for 99p each yesterday)

I would love to know how they make dried pears and peaches!!!

By 5pm the sky was clear which meant that I could go for a walk (to assist sleep) and check my foraging spots.

The brambles are still red. The apples are ripening, but look to have not had the "June drop" The wild pears haven't been pollinated

well, nothing on two trees but a little on the sweeter variety..first time in two years..and some on the other.

I did manage to get the ends on the hose that will link the two gas bottles...with  instructions messaged by the Oily One!

Packed and ready...

 A short road trip this morning to see a friend who sold me his old spare pyro and thermocouple...and I gave him a mug as well!

On the way back I made a visit to Nae Sae New ...just in case....as you do!!

Result, one chisel for kiln shelf cleaning if needed and a small balance with weights from 5 to 50g.  No batteries to fail!!

After the trip, a good blether with "Nan over the Road", putting the world to rights..and after supper, packing the kiln.

And now I could really do with a relaxing bath.....unfortunately there is only a shower!

Garden and good news

My garden....then those to the left and right

A bit higgledy piggledy..definitely not manicured!

pyrometric cone stash!! 

The four orange boxes are from the 1980s so should be for lower glaze temperatures 

The others should be for bisque firing (pre glaze) and stoneware glaze temperatures..probably only (!) 20 years old... 

 I've been offered a thermocouple and pyrometer by another potter over by Hamilton....only an hour or so's drive tomorrow! He also fires with Propane, so I can refresh my memory on hoses, bottles and spanners....

I went to an Italian evening in Ayr tonight..a couple of us from the French conversation class went to support the Italian learners!

Some Italian people turned up as well, these evenings aren't limited to class attendees.

They are meeting in an old shop which has been taken over by a community arts venture....called "Narture"...a combination of Nature, Art and Nurture.  They bake real bread to raise money for community art projects.

This was the first meeting...not a bad start..and French next month,!!