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,!!

garden growing

 At last...a little progress in the garden.

I did an hour's weeding before supper.

That was after "weeding" bathroom cupboard, a windowsill and the top section of the desk in the lobby.

Otherwise, apart from getting the washing done, dried, iron the few things that needed that, and keeping everything....mojo has been lacking.

Hoping the birds don't find the blueberries

Cavolo Nero Kale

Broad Bean seeds to sow before too long

Borage...Bzzzzzz!!

and beans

tatties....hope the tubers live up to the show on top!

beetroot

leeks

greenhouse

squash!!!

Tomato...I think there has been pollenation

All a bit late....better late than never....possibly!!

An the wind do blaw!!!

 Today has been rather wet....and cold....and windy. 

I'm glad that I lifted a short row of red tatties yesterday.."Rooster".. not prolific but nice.

Hot water bottle and early night cold!! Better than putting the heat on....in August !!!!

The good news is that the shorter and even shorter kiln props have turned up..but the pyro hasn't!!

Tomorrow's job is list the pyrometric cones which measure temperature and heatwork in a kiln. Small triangular section jobs which start melting at a given temperature...but if you give a kiln a "soak" i.e. hold it at a certain temperature the heatwork will make the cone bend further and glazes melt and mature more .

Rainshowers... And shifting Stuff

 There have been showers on and off all day... Well they wouldn't be showers without the off!! It feels quite warm between showers.

I sorted more and more that I could do without... But they only took two large  boxes plus two large Buckley pancheons (or "mugs")... One wider one would have been for settling cream, the taller one would have had a wooden lid and been probably for storage.

I received a fair price for it all. I know they should make money on this, but they have to make a living. 

So I've packed a box of crockery and a box of glassware. I haven't packed the earthenware yet. I brought down a glass topped coffee table... The legs are like a flattened upside-down U.... But the side stretchers are missing. I was sure that they were all in the same corner of the sewing room... But the cardboard box stash is there too, so perhaps that needs reducing... Again!!

A few more pot portraits... Some didn't go because it isn't their thing to sell, some because of a small chip... So they couldn't sell it. These things happen in the life of a pot after 50-70 years!! None of these are my work. 

This jug is from Ewenny near Bridgend.. that has gone with them

getting organised

 I went through the pot shed today, separating out which pots from my collection can be sold. 

I've started photographing them so I may still see them... and hopefully they and a lot of other stuff will be away late tomorrow afternoon.

Escape!!

 After more than a morning of sorting...a bike ride!

I took the bike in the car to Greenan Shire and rode up the NCR 7 which goes up the prom by the Clyde...saw the Blackstone Clydesdales being prepared on my way up....slowly through past Ayr as the beach was busy and along the prom at Prestwick to Mancinis....for a cherry Gelato!

Another cyclist was there having just finished his ride. We had a few local friends in common, but he wasn't a club member now just goes out with an informal group of blokes. Isn't that how many cycling clubs started?! A nice half hour chat anyway...and retrace steps in time to see the Clydesdales at canter! An awesome sight, but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo!!

Ayr Harbour

On the lang scots mile...(it is longer than the English one)

Tbe view from Prestwick to Aran 

A lovely sight...and sound!!

Frustration

 Back to square one to quote the football commentary....

after a slow (but quicker than yesterday!) start I started hunting for the kiln equipment. It is frustrating not being able to find its "safe" hiding place!!

Which has changed to sorting things to go to the secondhand/antiques emporium.

He has given me a good price for things in the past and I had mentioned to him about doing this , last week.

And in other news my daughter celebrated her 44th birthday today!

More sorting and clearing tomorrow.....

Hopefully more physical and mental space.