Big changes here at Happy Acres!

Although it's still snowing here on the shores of Lake Erie.

A new day dawns...... literally!

Since last posting the pro panels are gone, the trailer is gone, the Boston trip is over and new pots were delivered to Worcester Center for Craft .  

Gone! 

The trailer was the last to go!  

In hindsight I wondered if I would feel pangs of regret as the show stuff was parceled out to new homes.  Nope!  Not one iota of regret.  Money in hand I drove away and never looked back.  It was one of those rare times I knew instantly I made the right decision and probably should have been off the road last year.  A bit scary but absolutely right for me.  

I pulled in the driveway at 2 a.m last Friday and breathed a sigh of relief, the life I have been living for too many years was over.  Turn the page and move along.  April has been the month of transformation and change.  I wanted to make my carbon foot print smaller, stay closer to home, stay in the studio and off the road, stay in the garden and get a few home projects done.  Now how to pay for all this, I have no idea but oddly; I'm not worried.  I'm kind of kicking it to the wind and the wind has answered in amazing ways. 

I am walking daily, have a nice routine to my days that I am loving.  The garden is coming along when the weather cooperates.  Peas are in!  As are the rows of black seed simpson lettuce, radishes, 120 sets of onions, shallots, chard and spinach.  Broccoli will go in this weekend.  Compost is being spread almost daily.  

I have been following other garden sites and everyone is on a tear to get stuff in the ground.  Not so much here,  there is an order to the garden;  pruning happens first and foremost, seeds get started indoors, cold hardy seeds get planted outside as soon as I can break soil and finally the leaves will be raked up and beds cleaned out.  We have gone from 70F. on Sunday to 22F this morning.  Those old leaves are protecting tender roots and new tender leaves.  The garden will tell me when it's ready, panic sets in when I don't listen.  I'm a gardener, not a farmer and not sure how they are surviving during these roller coaster days of Spring.   I also know as the climate changes and the atmosphere continues to become over saturated with moisture the highs and lows will become the norm.  I wonder how much longer the Salinas Valley will have water to supply the United States with lettuce and am thankful for my tiny garden that provides so much. 

There is so much damage on established plants from winter cold.  There are old rhoddys lost, azaleas not looking too good, hydrangeas are already in the compost pile.  All the yews were eaten to sticks by the deer.  Still waiting for a few plants to show themselves but so far not looking good.  All the lavender and blackberries are but a memory and soon to be replaced.  I've already ordered replacements for the empty space; filberts, blueberries and gooseberry bushes for replacements of the dead ornamentals.  As my life and priorities changed so goes the garden......

There is still chard, kale, carrots, romaine lettuce and oak leaf lettuce plugging away in the hoop house, planted last fall.  Enough to eat every couple days.  The hoop house proved to be a wonder last winter and there will be a bigger one next fall.  Maybe one I can stand up in! 

The goose still sits on her eggs on the roof top across the street.  The male has disappeared, very odd for geese who mate for life.  She sits stalwart, through the wind, snow, rain and freezing temps.  Did he abandon her?  Did he succumb to some diabolical end, although no piles of feathers were found.   

This last month on the road I learned this half acre, this place I carved out is where I come to hole up and heal.  Yes, I do love it here.  And yet how is it the person I married, has to leave this place to heal and recharge his batteries.  He needs a beach and warm weather.  How has it taken me 30+ years to figure this out and once figured out am perfectly ok with all of it!   I know this month has been full of insights.   

oh so many lessons........

Since last posting I have attempted to pick up pots, deliver pots, sell equipment, start seeds, contemplate the constellations and astrology charts because I have no idea what is going on..... yes, Mercury has hit your chicken coop causing eggs to be laid in retrograde.  

March 30 we were walloped with another snow storm.  I went to the studio, cleared the table and started seeds; just in case the soil ever warmed enough to get a shovel in the ground.  There was much grumbling on the cyber garden waves.  Maggie emailed the woes of getting seeds to break dormancy on heat mats and grow lights.  Gardening has taught me many things over the years, the best is patience.  Even in the snow there is pruning to do and happy to say all the panticulata hydrangeas were cut back, dead wood trimmed off the roses, three lovely river birches cut down due to disease and a general clean up was in order..... well until it started raining.  The branches were too big for the compost so they were bundled and filled the tree lawn.  My poor trash guy must grimace when he turns down this street!  Most stuff goes back to the land but some things are too big and would take too long to breakdown here.  I wish I had a back 40 brush pile but alas I don't.   Common Sense plays a big role in this garden thing. 

April 5th I left for Boston, time to break down DeCordova ......or just break down.  I am leaving 7 or 8 pots on display at the gallery shop.  Happy to have representation in such a beautiful place and with qualified staff.  

The alarm went off at 3 a.m. and I was out the door by 3:20 a.m. hot coffee in hand.  Rolled through Erie, Pa and the low tire warning went off on dash board....... here we go!  I stopped at the Angola rest stop around 5:30 a.m. dug the pressure gage out of the glove box and found the air pump attached to a brick wall at the back of a very dark Sunoco gas station.  I gripped the flashlight between my teeth, unscrewed valve caps, promptly lost the valve caps and discovered the rear driver tire had 17 lbs pressure.  Fed a handful of quarters into the compressor and pumped away while waiting for the Angola axe murder to pop out from the shadows. Tire filled with fresh clean air, seat belt fastened, idiot light out, coffee in hand and back on the road.  Made Buffalo before rush hour and headed to Rochester.  The other side of Rochester..... low tire idiot light blared again.  Nuts!  Found another service oasis as they like to call these money sucking rest areas where gas is 20 cents a gallon higher and 3 minutes of air will cost you $1.00 in quarters.  The tire was back down to 17 lbs. pressure.  I mulled this over, called the Nissan Dealer in Rochester at 7:30 in the morning. They could not squeeze me in until 1 p.m; add an hour to fix it, add 7 hours to complete my drive ..... Nope I would never make it by the time the gallery closed.  I had not made enough to pay for a hotel so I headed back to the barn, a mere 3 hours home and $15 in gas.  I filled the tire two more times and happy it was not the gas tank. Pulling in the driveway around 1 p.m; jumped out to make the mad dash to the bathroom, a thermos of coffee will do that....... all doors locked.  We never lock our house!  Grabbed my keys from the car and realized I never got my key back from Abby when we returned from Florida.  Called Butch and asked him if he could meet me in the Bob Evans parking lot 15 miles up the road and hand off a key?  He did, I drove back home, opened the door and used the bathroom.  Anyone who has ever traveled with me knows I have a magic bladder, I don't know how it works but I think it was training after all those years of estate gardening. We never had a bathroom and woodland powder room wasn't always available....... and so it goes.  By mid afternoon I had emailed the gallery to tell them I would not be coming.  Friday morning the "smart valve" was fixed to the tune of $150 and all the others were checked for defects and declared tip top!  Awesome..... 

Morning breaks the other side of Buffalo..... notice the white stuff? 

These last few weeks have proven to be a bit challenging, along with the daily debris of life, daughter #2 lost her super fabulous job and much walking began....... 

Where else but the cemetery of course!  

I sort out and solve many challenges while walking.  The longer the walk the more epiphanies I tend to have.... oxygen starvation will do that for you.  My second lap I noticed a goose nesting on the old holding house.  I love geese and yes they make a mess but they are an indomitable spirit that pollute the skies and lawns of northeastern Ohio about this time every year....... or are just plain dumb. I love them all!   As I am dealing with some of these issues myself I mulled over the goose, sitting on her eggs on top of the roof and compared my indomitable spirt to pollute and sprinkle pots across the United States.  Yeah, make the leap......

Why would a goose choose to nest on the roof of a stone building?  Well we have packs of coyotes that roam freely, an occasional fox, pit bull and other predators too.  Did a spark go off in her brain and she said;  I HAVE HAD IT!  I CAN FIX THIS!  Flew to the roof and laid her eggs?  Was it like the spark that let homo sapiens walk erect?  Was I viewing something incredible for the first time?  On I walked... but wait, the eggs will hatch and goslings will be plunging to their certain death...... OMG!  She thought she solved the problem but indeed had created another.  This is why I love nature...... it's like little gifts, presents just for me!  After all I ran into two of my neighbors on the walk and asked if they had seen the goose nesting on the holding house, they had not!  Yup, clearly a sign, just for me!  Watch where you poop out eggs! 

The distressed male, diligently leading me away from his mate.  Noticed he had a leg band too.  

Saturday taxes were done and handed over to the accountant.  

Sunday morning we attended a program by Leedco ; 6 wind turbines they will be building on Lake Erie in the next several years.  I will save those epiphanies for another blog......  

nice shot of the lake, no boats yet but the ice is gone from Cleveland.  Fairport Harbor is still iced in as is Ashtabula. 

Today I head to Columbus, I sold my pro panels and am delivering them.  The trailer is cleaned out and going on craigslist tomorrow.  The studio and shed have been cleaned out to hold the contents of the trailer.  For every box and piece of booth I unloaded from the trailer I realized I hate this part of what I do.  I realize this is the best thing I could be doing for my sanity.  Daughter #2 has a job interview but in the interim is sending me updates of her cat....... 

Titled;  Neil and the screen door...... 

I am sure Warren Buffet sends pictures like this to his mother....... are Neil's taxes done? 

 Thursday I attempt my trip back to Boston and DeCordova,  with a stop at Worcester Center for Craft to drop off work for their gallery shop...... it's gonna be a week.  

Peace out for now........ 

And we are back!

"Let us find time to read and dance, and so we will not hurt the rest of the world."

Voltaire..... 

Yikes, where to start?!  It's been a month of rubber meeting the road, epiphanies, WTF's and happy to be home!  If you read this, get a cup of coffee! 

Looking back over the last month, if you believe in signs and choose to ignore them....... well?

  

As we packed and prepared to leave, a power outage hit 50,000 residents on the North East shores of Lake Erie.  Usually not a problem but we had just come off a 14 hour power outage 6 days prior to the current 16 hour lights out.  We were leaving Abby and her cat Neil to take care of the house and chickens.  There were breaker boxes, studio breakers, chickens etc.   Luckily, the wood stove was glowing and the gas stove fired up with a match.  We were warm, able to heat soup and make coffee.  We welcomed neighbors and sat around eating popcorn, sipping on homemade beer or hot coffee and deciding how we would ride out the next outage in sub zero weather, while candles burned into the night.  

The outage went all the way to Ashtabula; the day of departure Butch ran up to check his Mom's empty house.  It was fine but alas he and Abby were swallowed into the worm hole known as Ashtabula.  I was packed, sneezing at Neil and stewing while I waited. 

Butch finally started the car around 3:30 pm; Abby yelled, "Would you please get out of here!"  I opened the car door, laughingly said:  Ha!  We're not out of here yet, waved and promptly slipped on a patch of ice and slid under the car!  Cracked my shin like I've never done before, checked for broken bones and told Butch to punch it!  We were off.   We did not heed the signs...... 

Driving through the night, munching on cherry tomatoes, bran chex, apples and carrots, we arrived in St. Augustine 17 hours later, found a Starbucks and walked the beach to a beautiful sunrise.  Breathing  in the salt spray, wearing light jackets and sipping hot coffee..... heaven. 

I had packed the tent, well two tents in case we needed, SPACE.  The coffee pot, camp box and sleeping bags.  I had visions of sipping hot coffee around a campsite, eating sandy oatmeal and sleeping in my tent close to the beach.  Every time I opened the back door the little stainless steel coffee winked back in the Florida sun.  Closing the door I said; Tomorrow I will breath smoke and make coffee, tomorrow.  St Augustine had campsites available and it has always been our stopping point to rest up and relax after the long drive.  

Whoa..... not this time.  My intrepid travel companion said: "Well, let's hit the road and head to Tampa, it's Spring Training for baseball."  Are you serious?  He countered, it's only a 3 hour drive and we can find camping in Tampa.  Fine, and I got in the packed Versa, we headed out for Tampa.  

And then we were caught in a vortex of motorcycles...... Where are these motorcycles coming from?  I asked.  No idea and then we passed a massive field, blue haze dominating the horizon and rolling thunder throbbed in my ears.  Harley's, Land Yachts, tents, bikers and a huge sign; "WELCOME TO BIKE WEEK!"  Awesome...... they were like roaches in Florida, everywhere.

We were stopped in a 40 minute traffic jam outside Orlando with families headed to Rat World.  Vans filled with cherry faced children slapping each other senseless, harried Dad's, Mom's in heat shield sunglasses, sometimes a family dog franticly attempting to lick his way through a window, luggage lashed to the roof, the exterior covered in sticky handprints and salt haze from northern home states, apparently evacuated.  At one point I thought we were in Minnesota.  I closed my eyes for five minutes and woke up surrounded by blue and white license plates.... Where are we I muttered?  

We arrived in Tampa 5 hours later.  He drove straight to the baseball field.  I had now been awake and vertical for 31 hours and I wanted nothing more than to sit on metal bleachers in hot sun, sucking down a $10 beer and choking on a $9 hot dog.  We found the parking lot, filled and closed; we would need to park 3 miles away, walking to the ball park. We would get there for the 9th inning.  He said and I quote:  "You will be fine once you eat a hot dog"  At this point I said if you do not stop the car and find a campsite or hotel I 'm calling the police and telling them I am a hostage.  He looked over and saw my pasty, glazed face.  OK, I'm on it and we left the ball park.  He then drove to the beach and thought we would find a hotel.  SURPRISE...... again!  It's Spring Break!  The scenery changed from old farts in baseball caps and team tee shirts to bikini clad young women standing in parking lots chugging beer or mixed drinks.  Again, stuck in the biggest traffic jam ever.  We sat sweltering in the little black Nissan I started to notice abandoned underwear in parking lots, on traffic islands and street corners.  As we crawled on at a snails pace we pulled over to stretch our legs as I had been sitting so long I was clotting up.  Yup, before my very bloodshot eyes, standing in the parking lot, a band of young woman dressed in bandaids, drinking beer from cans ........ I blurted out;  Does your Mother know where you are and what you're wearing!?  And the Mother came out from around a car; Yes She Does!  And Mom had a more tattoos than I could count on her bikini clad, leather skinned, 50+ year old container.  Eeeeck!  I retreated to the car and begged to be taken to the nearest airport.  It never goes well for me in this state.  We found a hotel and I collapsed on the bed.  

The next morning we were off to Naples to meet up with our niece, celebrating her 40+ birthday and make the delivery.  I was refreshed, had dinner with our niece, called the buyer and everything was sunshine and orange juice.  

We walked Naples, hadn't changed since the last trip.  Watched Ferrari's and a red Lamborghini rev motors on 5th street while everyone stood around in wonder.  Thought it would look better with a chicken on the hood.  I appreciated the lines and workmanship but that was about it.  We wished our niece Happy Birthday and retreated to our room.  9 a.m. the next morning I would deliver the pots I had lugged down and we would begin our trip home.  I was breathless.  

8:30 a.m. we were navigating the roads to the Hilton Golf Resort Estates.  Hmmmm.... two guards gates to pass through.  Our little salt encrusted Nissan was clearly out of place.  It was a gauntlet to get through the guards and manicured lots to find the palace of an estate sitting on the edge of the golf course.  We were greeted at the door and I hurriedly unpacked boxes from the hatchback.  I was escorted to the room with the "custom lacquer bookcase".  It was massive, it was overwhelming, it was nothing like the pictures she had sent from her iPhone with directions:  pots could be not bigger than 9" tall.  She had ordered 12 pieces, most to be carved.  I brought 12 pieces and a few more in case one or two did not work out and had forwarded pictures of what I would be bringing.  All approved.  I put the  pots on the floor and she was quiet but then said;  Oh dear the scale is completely off.  Excuse me, I spent over a month on these pots. Oh these are not going to work.  I climbed a ladder to put them in the shelves, I killed a giant roach, depositing in the trash compactor as she recoiled, I removed pots from the shelves.  I packed them up, back in the Nissan and back to Ohio.  Holy Crap...... never saw this one coming.  She offered to write a deposit on 12 more pots, I declined.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what she was looking for and clearly I did not.  Would I ever?  Dunno..... walk away.  I did.  We waved to the guard as the heat shield feel off the undercarriage of the Nissan...... Awesome.  I cried a little.  So I zillowed her house.... value: 3.14 million and she owned 3 houses of equal value along the east coast..... where are my chickens?!  I think Butch was a little stunned too as we drove silently back toward Sarasota.  I've never had anyone reject everything..... it does jar ones soul a bit. 

We found a lovely hotel in Venice after an hour of calling hotels with no vacancies.  There wasn't a campsite to be had in the entire state.   We found a great restaurant on a back alley in Venice with great food and reasonable prices.  Retired to our room, tried to book it for another night but alas, filled.  Onward we pushed.  We hit Sarasota and I said if I did not walk on a beach today I was throwing myself out of the car into on coming traffic.  We found a beach.  I rolled up my jeans and walked for 5 hours, picked up sand dollars and started to clear my head.  Then and there I decided if someone wants to buy pots in Florida they would need to go through a gallery but then I was not sure if I even wanted to find a gallery in the fine state of Florida.  I am no longer able to handle transactions like this.  I heard myself say to the "collector";  you know, I am a maker, I want nothing more than to make pots, if you like them great, if not....... I will still make pots.   We did not go down with the express interest to deliver these pots. Honestly, the thought of packing and shipping 12 pots of this size was not something I looked forward too either; at the time it all seemed to work.  We went down to visit family, who own a condo and spend winters in Naples;  unfortunately they ran into health issues after I had made the arrangements to drop the pots off and were not there.  We were happy to have a very nice dinner with our niece.   Butch had a tough couple of months with his Mom's passing and as he loves Florida and wanted to see family,  I thought this would be a good trip for both of us.  

Finally back in the car and onward to find another hotel for the night, we landed at a Starbucks.  The only place available was in Tampa and we had never heard of it but it had three stars so we took the room.  We drove through a rough part of town and thought hmmmm..... we found the hotel around 10 p.m. and as we pulled in the parking lot I noticed all the welcome planters were dead.  We looked around and as he got out, said:  Lock your door.  He came back with a key and thought; Great!  We went up to the room and Yikes!  Stained sheets and no towels..... then a fight broke out in the parking lot over a girl.  While I was mulling this over and peering through the blinds;  I heard Butch say;  Get your stuff, we are not staying!  We were in the car in 5 minutes while the fighting cocks stared us down. We tossed the key on the desk and drove off...... jumped on the nearest freeway and headed east.  By this time of night I am a little cranky and as I was driving I headed to the Tampa airport.  I would buy a ticket and come home.  As we rounded the drop off we saw a sign for the Airport Marriott.  On a whim we checked it out.... saints be praised someone's flight had been canceled and they had a room available!  We lugged our backpacks upstairs and went directly to the bar.  Back to our room and crashed around midnight.  In the morning back to St. Pete to have lunch with friends and by 3 pm we were back on the road to St Augustine.  Again..... stuck in a 2 hours traffic jam.  This time a fatality....  We arrived in St. Augustine around 9 p.m. and found a hotel on the freeway.  We found a grocery store and got a bite to eat and walked around with the Spring Breakers.  We stopped at several "galleries" and I started to realize they all looked the same and were starting to run together.  So much so I couldn't remember what city I was in.  Oh and gluing seashells to a mirror does not make it "ART"!  In the morning we headed to Charleston in pouring rain. Found a room easily and had a great dinner at the Energy Restaurant.  Fresh food at it's finest.  The next morning we packed, went back to Charleston, walked the market in the pouring rain, ate a praline, had a terrific seafood lunch and local brew and headed for the freeway.  

We were on our way home as an ice storm was due to hit the Appalachians. I was like a horse headed to the barn and not stopping.  Long around 3 a.m. we hit a crater of a chuck hole in Kentucky and thought we were going to die but the Nissan with all 190,000 miles held together.  

When we got home we took her in and found out there was over $300 damage to the front end and we had them put the heat shield back on the under carriage we had lost in the Hilton Golf Resort estates.... I wondered if the guy in the Ferrari ever had these problems.....

Since landing back home on March 20th I have made a few decisions and had a few wonderful epiphanies.  I spent a couple days setting up my photo room and shooting work again, then spent another day getting the iWeb program to work again.  I napalmed the house of cat hair and dirt.  I rescued the chickens; poor Batina was trying to sit on 25 eggs as Abby forgot to gather eggs..... 

1. the pro panels went up for sale.

2. the trailer went up for sale.

3. I am in the process of signing a one year lease on gallery space at W.78th street studios in Cleveland. 

4. My website is updated and there are now pots to purchase!  I spent a day in computer tech's office getting all the bugs worked out and it's done!  Happy Dance!

5. My garden seeds are started! 

6. Going out to Boston next week to break down DeCordova and drop off new work at Worcester Center for Craft.  I love doing business like this! 

7. I have some awesome customers who sent emails about the DeCordova Show and pieces they were so happy with.  You will never know how much your emails meant during this trip!  I thank you from the bottom of my heart!   

8. I really need a dog........ it's past time. 

9. In May, I leave for Fort Collins.  Rachael is coming home from Benin for a few weeks. I am driving and I am camping and I will pick Butch up at the Denver airport smelling like a campfire and old coffee, but happy!  

10. I re-newed my fishing license and kayak registration...... 

11. Spring is late coming this year but so many seeds have been planted...... now onto nurturing.

A few memories from the trip......

Spent a wonderful day at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota! 

 This tree was by far the best jungle gym and hiding tree ever! 

We had a hard time locating local craft galleries, loads of 2 dimensional galleries though.  These were carved wooden masks from artists in Costa Rica, I have never seen so many sold stickers in my life! 

Best stop of the entire trip, St. Petersburg Clay Company!  So lucky they were firing a little wood fire test kiln the day we arrived.  Snagged an awesome mug from Matt Schiemann to add to my growing collection.  He was good to talk with too.

So much of Don Reitz's work was on display,  RIP Don...... 

The guys work was just amazing as was he. 

Home to ice jams...... 

A new work on the website! 

No paycheck, back to beans!

  Thought I'd cook a pot of Scarlet Runner beans before I plant the whole yard. 

New ruby slippers for daily walks again.....

I really need a dog! 

Roll'n with the pottery express.......

It's March 1st and we are bracing for yet another blast.  I have never been so happy to be home sipping coffee and watching chickens.  

The show at the DeCordova opens March 1st, that would be today!  The pots made it, all 25 of them! 

I watched the intrepid weather guy on the local news trying to figure out the window.  Deciding on Thursday, I packed, made a master sheet of inventory with all pertinent information, gassed up Itty Bitty (aka Nissan Versa with 200,000 miles logged), loaded a bisque kiln to fire while I drove and set the alarm clock for 3:30 a.m. 

The stars twinkled over the snow covered driveway, moonlight illuminating the road east to I 90, it was 4:15 a.m.  

The coffee was hot, the road was clear and the radio was cranked to smooth jazz.... let the pottery express roll.  Right about Erie, PA the snow started;  by the New York line the road was getting fuzzy, by Buffalo it was white out.  The coffee sat cold in the cup, as it was a two fisted, knuckle busting drive. 

 Hey weather guy, this is supposed to be the window!! 

Lurking under the snow I hit a mother of a pot hole.  Sure 'nuff the idiot light on the dash went off that I had a low tire.  Feeling like I won the lottery as I got through rush hour and dodged the New York Thruway Authority's decision to close down I 90 east and west and also I 290 by shear minutes.  I pulled to the side of the road to check which tire was low and indeed almost flat.  The 50 mph winds almost took the door off Itty Bitty.  A bit of delay, tire re-inflated and I was off, again.  Usually if you can get around Buffalo you're home free.  I got to Rochester, no break, by Syracuse it started to ease up and indeed the sun came out!  Ticked off Albany and onto the Mass Pike.  Hit the Berkshires and the sky opened up.  I swear the minute I take my car keys off the hook somebody in the weather ethers turns on the big snow machine.  Honestly, I'm getting a little shell shocked this winter!  

3:10 p.m.  Pulling into the driveway of the DeCordova, the sun was out, no wind and kind of warm.   I feel to my knees and kissed the asphalt parking lot!  Meeting me at the door was Jane Bramburg with a big smile and welcome.  The place is just stunning!  I had only seen images on line and thought I knew what to expect but this place far exceeded any expectation.  The staff is wonderful and the place is open, airy and light filled, perfect gallery shop space.  I spent maybe 40 minutes wandering the gallery and looking at the grounds.  This place must be postcard beautiful in Spring, not to mention Fall! 

How is it I have never heard of the DeCordova before they contacted me via email?  This place, tucked away on the outskirts of Boston is truly a jewel in the crown of Boston's art community.

Outdoor sculpture abounds; surprising the visitor around every turn there is something to greet you. 

I left the grounds smiling and excited.  The sun was out too! 

I made the decision to head for the barn.  Making it across the entire state of Mass. with the sun shining I pressed on to Albany...... and so it began.

Syracuse......

Rochester.....

Unbelievably I hit Buffalo around 1:30 a.m. and the roads were clear!  No snow, no traffic but still 50 - 60 mph winds.  I am not sure how people live in Buffalo, a stout and sturdy breed those Buffalo inhabitants.  Makes Cleveland look tropical!  

I pulled in the driveway around 3:30 a.m. home.... 

Friday morning I woke up and the sun was shinning brightly!  

Oh, is this the window?   The Itty Bitty sat in the driveway crusted in salt and tires encased in ice... 

We are road warriors on the pottery express! 

Leaving for Florida delivery next week ........ I can hardly wait! 

S.S.S...... Seed Saving Swap!

A day off!  After days and nights in the studio I took myself on a much needed field trip.  I had stayed up all night loading and firing a kiln so I could be out the door by 9:00 am Sat. morning.  I sort of made it, 9:30 am..... well I did get out the door at 9:00 am but forgot my potluck dish on the porch!  Like my Mom said:  What don't you don't have in your head, you will have in your feet!  Heard ya Mom! 

I belong to a group on the dreaded social media, Facebook called;  Food Not Lawns

As my yard has morphed into an edible landscape over the years I was pretty excited to find a group like this in my backyard.  They are group of like minded people, a tribe of seed gathers!  I attended a canning and "how to" save seeds last fall.  I'm not much of joiner but lurked along on FB.  Went to another lecture on world communities and really liked what I heard.  At each program I would hear;  "Oh this is pretty good but you have to come to the seed swap!"  I waited for the much anticipated seed swap in February only to be blasted by one of the winter vortexes.  The swap was cancelled and rescheduled.  I am crazy busy at the moment and normally would have not walked away from the studio for an entire day but I made myself go!  After all, I was a seed swap virgin...... 

Arriving half hour late but still a half hour earlier than the opening, the church gathering room was just waking up.  Gentle activity...... not chaos, we love that.  Coffee was perking, two women buzzing around the kitchen, stove preheating.  Another gal was setting up a free cycle table.  Charles was setting up the intro table and greeting gardeners.  

 

Mari, superb ring leader of this subversive group was laying out seeds by the billions.  I love this woman, she is a do-er, fellow schlepper, community leader, and above all, gardener who will stick anything in the ground.  Seriously, who plants lambs quarters? 

 She had loaded up her little Subaru and schlepped billions of seeds and "stuff" to exchange. 

I am now re-thinking the schlepping of heavy pottery.  She had kingdoms in that Subaru!

I set my potluck dish down and started looking around.  I don't see this many seeds at the garden center!  Tables were set up with fact sheets, shoe boxes of seeds and extra envelopes for labeling.  If a packet or grower had more seeds than you could use you could just take a couple.  Like red okra!  I really don't need 100 okra seeds, I took three, three seeds.  I am not a fan of okra but after a fun discussion on facebook I thought I would give it a try.  It will be tucked away in the sunny perennial beds.  

There were hybrid seeds, clearly labeled that had been donated by various companies.  Noses were not turned up but clearly labeled and offered up.  There is no whining in the garden so if you are a tried and true heirloom gardener.... move along, nothing to see on the hybrid table.  Me?  I'm still using a few hybrids sprinkled in the garden.  Each year, more and more heirlooms creep in but there are still a few hybrid tomatoes I love....... 

Why bother?  This is why! 

Gardeners drifted in on a rare warm sunny morning in Ohio. 

I watched them coming through the door with brief cases, suitcases, grocery bags, boxes, shoeboxes and glass jars filled with seeds.  There were tables filled with little plastic baggies of seeds..... our drug of choice.   Charles was hunting down an elusive collard green, I was hunting for scarlet runner beans and sheep nose peppers.  This was the best Trick or Treat, EVER! 

I asked about Russian Persimmon Tomatoes and heard from Judi Strauss, they were fantastic and worth planting.  But can I can them...... she retorted, rolling her eyes; You can can any tomato!  True enough! 

Everybody was talking seeds, sharing information and excited about what they were doing.

I stopped by and talked to Ellie from City Rising Farms

  I was so happy to hear she is talking with a Presbyterian church in Painesville to start a community garden.  It still won't get me to a church but glad to know somebody out here is thinking about community gardening. 

We heard from the librarian at Coventry Library who is organizing a borrowing seed catalog.  They are also offering a variety of growing workshops in March.  I love the idea of a seed borrowing library.  You "borrow" seeds in the Spring and hopefully replace them in the Fall, baring floods, locust invasion and a lunar eclipse.  The seed library will continue to grow as the local community supports it and expands.  Here is their link:  Coventry library gardening programs

At Susan Miller's table I learned to make seed pots out of old newspaper! 

Here is link to a youtube post if you would like to try a few:

newpaper starter pots

I met the Snarky Gardener, who runs the Kent, Food Not Lawns group and pretty informative blog for those living in north east Ohio.  Check out Don's blog: http://thesnarkygardener.com/

Arrived home, dumped my seeds on the floor, just like Halloween, made lists, got the garden blue print out and then had to go to the studio.  Unloaded a kiln, reloaded and rolled to bed around 2 a.m....... what day.  Thank you Mari, it blew my mind..... so much information!   

Now back to reading Oil and Honey......

We're gonna live!!!!

(well, some of us......) 

It hit 40 degrees yesterday and it was downright tropical!    

Around dark thirty, laying in the pitch darkness of a warm bed and apparently wearing lead eye liner,  I heard dripping.  My first thought..... the leaky shower had finally landed in the dinning room.  No, as the space next to me was empty and there was no bellowing or slamming doors.  The dripping was massive amounts of water running off the roof!  

Grabbed my wool socks, lumbering down stairs.  Poked my nose out the side door and breathed moist air, my nose hairs did not ratchet my face to a contortion...... delightful! 

Smelled the coffee and stumbled to the pot in the inky darkness of the morning.  Bird blaster Butch left me a fourth of a cup of coffee.....  Seriously?  I set the pot up before I went to bed because it is the only reason to get out of bed in the morning!  With my luke warm, quarter cup of coffee I opened the fridge.  Reaching for the milk, I followed the light spilling out onto the floor......  illuminating a tail and little feet smashed in a trap.  No coffee and a dead mouse....... another day of an awe inspiring glimpse into my fabulous life ......  

Since the thaw is on and there are critters a foot I have to give rave reviews to the d-Con peek-a-boo mouse trap.  You never have to see anything if you don't want too, brilliant!  I usually put a little snack in the teeny little cup in the little black box.  If the snack is too big, the trap won't set as it has a hair trigger!  Once the snack is in place, pull the lever back (it used to have a  little red flag), it will click into place.  No worries about snapping your fingers!  This alone is worth the price of the trap.  It's like a little mail box.... if the flag is up, you've got mouse!   Trot out to the compost, tip the black box on end, pull the lever, cover eyes and retreat to the house for a tasty fourth cup of cold coffee........ 

Of course I googled; making a green mouse trap and found this ingenious video..... 

 perfect for your next wine and crafts class..... or after nap, kids project!  Imagine the delight!  And what could Martha Stewart do with this project?!  I see glitter!  Do we need one more kitchen magnet? Really?

Anyway....... after depositing the mouse I ran out the back door and hit a patch of ice bigger than the rink at Sochi!  The Russian judge gave me a 7.3 on my way back from the chicken coop!  

By 2:00 pm the paths were a swimming pool! 

The chickens spent the day gleefully roaming the paths.  

I opened the studio doors, mopped floors, cleaned the place up and waxed pots.

Today we glaze........ We going to 48 F. today!!!  Break'n out the Croc's!  

Croc's on ice...... stay tuned ..... :) 

another day in paradise.........

The snow is grinding to a stop as I sit here watching the old man blast the birds off the feeder..... 

A man and a machine.... nothing else exists.   I experience this phenomenon in summer too;  he claims innocence each and every time. 

If he were a dog ....... 

 I swear there is a garden ....... in fact a hoop house.  

Picnic anyone?  

30 mph wind?  no problem!  

Temps still below zero?  no problem!  

I will spare you all chicken banter...... let's just say they are not happy, but then neither is the potter.