Now that Christmas is over, and there's lots of turkey leftovers to feed on,
I can focus on my big clay bird. He's dry enough to clean-
(sanding, smoothing, wiping the dust away with a wet sponge, touching up details, .)
I usually fire my kiln once I've got enough greenware to fill it,
but I've used all my clay so I'm going to fire what I've got now: The big bird,
a couple of round bowls, a couple of leaf shaped dishes, and a bunch of tiny sun faces.
I spent a good part of today- Boxing Day "cleaning greenware"
and am ready to fire the kiln tomorrow.
This is a major step in my birds' development, firing it into bisque…
a trial by fire- literally.
May the kiln gods be kind to us.
There's something very special about having a relaxing soak in a hot spring, especially one with a cave and hardly anyone there.
Awesome views... outside, and in... I finally brought my camera out,
to get some photos from inside the caves.
(Something I've wanted to do for years.)
However I didn't expect so much condensation,
so only a few pictures were good enough to share,
but here they are.
Touchstones Museum in Nelson, BC, Canada. Nov/11
Short version:
Growing up in Toronto, I enjoyed trips to the Museum - The Royal Ontario Museum...(not to mention the Science Centre, CNE, Zoo and more), but I'll stick to the museum, because that's been on my mind, since a recent visit our local Museum), which got me thinking…
We may have a tiny Museum, but it invokes some big thoughts.
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The rest of the story:
The new Exhibition in Gallery A - Two Views: Photographs by Ansel Adams and Leonard Frank.
Looking at the stark black and white photos of Canadians (of Japanese descent) during the "internment" of the 1940's, was moving and eye-opening.
It is disappointing to see how my country treated our Japanese residents. Taking away their civil rights, homes, property, way of life, dignity, families, livelihoods and detaining them in camps.
This isn't the 1st time, and maybe not the last either! Our country has treated it's native peoples the same way! Maybe even worse! I thought Canada was better than this...
However, some of the photos showed touching moments, capturing the love, strength and resilience of the human spirit, finding hope and even happiness, under bleak conditions.
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Gallery B- The White Line: Wood Engraving Prints from the Studio and Collection of Gene Leavitt.
Wood engraving and printing may be a primitive technique, but the results are amazing. It's inspiring to see the span of design and detail that is possible within its limitations. Complex, yet simple at the same time, this presentation made me realize how much printing and illustrating techniques and mediums have changed over time, and how much effort it takes to make even a simple design, in this.
I loved the subtle humour in some of the pieces on display as well.
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Both exhibitions were presented in black and white. The contrast of the artistic prints were a "relief" and most welcome after viewing the sober black and white photos of the Japanese internments.
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I didn't know how lucky I was to be able to visit the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)
… until I moved to Calgary.
As a young mom, I took my kids to Calgary's Glenbow Museum.
Small as it was (compared to the ROM), it had a lot of interesting displays to see…
I didn't know how lucky I was to be able go to the Glenbow… until I moved to Nelson.
Now Touchstones is a small Museum!
However, size isn't everything.
Poof… it's winter in the Kootenays.
It started snowing yesterday, with our 1st snow warning and as I type this, I hear a snow-plow clearing the road.
I love the clean, whiteness of a fresh winter snow… as long as I've got a hot cup of coffee and a window to watch it through.
The reality is, a white knuckled and slow drive to town in the morning, and a bus ride home after work, at the new scheduled time (5:12pm).
It was heartwarming to see people going out of their way, to accommodate new passengers, by switching seats, so that a young dad can sit beside his child (instead of being separated in the last available seats.)
By the time our bus got to the bridge (BOB- our Big Orange Bridge), it was standing room only.
By the way, it's pitch dark here by 4:30, and I forgot to bring a flashlight, so when I got off the bus I had to fumble my way along the highway and down our driveway. There are no streetlights here, and the snow muffles all sound but I looked up to see an amazing display of stars. Yup winter's here… it's a love/hate thing for me.
Note to self: "Remember to carry mitts, hat, scarf, and a flashlight at all times."
It's the beginning of October and truly feels like fall.
Spike and I collected the 1st batch of nuts from under the walnut tree.
I don't think they fell down on their own, because the squirrels have been up in the tree, chewing the stems, dropping them to the ground-the husks are green and very hard. I'll let them sit in a covered bucket for a few days and hope they soften up, so it's easier to get at the walnuts inside.
The squirrels are upset that I am gathering their nuts, but I don't care, they just bury them all over our yard, and I want to get our fair share. Every year I have to compete with those darned rodents- they love walnuts too… oh yeah, so do the bears! They'll eat them… husk and all!
This big old tree is a lot of work in the fall.
Any day now, all those leaves will suddenly start dropping until they are all on the ground, it only takes a couple of days.
It's pretty cool actually, and sounds like rain falling, since the leaves are substantial.
The walnuts of course will be dropping too and it's not a good idea to hang out under the tree. They hurt. They also make a lot of noise when they hit our garden shed.
Too bad the leaves are no good for composting,
so we either burn them, or take them to the local landfill.
Last year there were hardly any walnuts on the tree.
I don't know what happened, but we only found about 20 nuts! Very disappointing.
But it looks like this year's harvest will be much better.
