Glazing

I have a new phone. I got it so I could get one of those squares for the markets and not miss any sales. I bought one when I got the phone but it won't work. My brother tried to get it hooked up down at the barn last weekend, but not good reception way down there. So I have one of those white ones coming. And it's free! But not to use it. I can take cards but I have to manually put in all the info. Which is fine with me. So I am finally caught up to all you smart phone people! I love taking pictures with it. But still have a lot to figure out about it.

So I went to the pottery studio this afternoon to glaze all those pieces I took in a few weeks ago. There were so many! I only got about halfway through and had to leave to milk the poor goaties. I'm going to try to go back Saturday to finish the bigger bowls.

It sure is a time consuming job, this glazing. A lot of thought goes into each piece. First, I have to check each piece and sand any sharp edges. Then I have to decide what color each piece will be. That takes awhile to decide. There are way too many colors to choose from! All the little circle and square colored pieces are samples I chose

Then the bottoms all have to either be dipped in wax or paint it on. That's to keep the glaze from sticking to the bottom, then sticking to the shelves in the kiln and eventually breaking the piece and messing up the shelf. Not a good thing.

Then comes the fun part! Glazing all these. First though, each bucket of glaze has to be stirred quite a bit. Then I don't really like the little  tongs because they leave little spots where they were. So I just hold the handle of the mug and dip, then wait til it's dry and do the handle.

And I tried something different with the 6 bowls. I dipped half in a sea green and the other half in a       light blue. I hope they turn out pretty. I'd like to go back with each bowl and brush on each side with the opposite color with a dry brush. So I hope they don't get fired til I can get back to do that.  I'd like to try doing different things, but it really takes so much time. Which I don't have much of lately.

I also bought 50 more pounds of clay! I hope I can find time next week to play with it.

Barn sale and some gardening.

 I sure am glad this weekend is over! It's been a long busy one for sure.

I spent a few weeks getting ready for this barn sale up at Mt. Cove Farm, 5 miles from me. Made extra soap too. I was so nervous I wouldn't have enough things to sell. But when I finally got down there Thursday afternoon and set up, I had so much. I had a great spot right at the front door on the left. Friday was freezing cold and rainy, all day. Still had a lot of people coming in. I did pretty good. Sold a lot of soap! Then Saturday, it was a beautiful day! Lots of people coming in shopping. I kept having to fill my soap boxes up! I even sold that orange knitted hat! And 2 skeins of Adele's hand spun yarn! And some pottery too. It was a fun time, but glad it's over. I am pooed. I went to bed early, I was so tired. It was all day for 2 days.

I didn't leave the yarn up on the table like that.  I was just getting things ready.

Then today, we were supposed to go watch our youngest daughter, Abby, go for her hang gliding birthday present. It had been put off twice due to high winds and rescheduled for this morning at 10:30. There was a bike race out our way this morning, so we had to go all the way back up the mountain, then across the mountain and back down the other side because of the race. And when we finally go there, she had already gone up and they were ready to leave. I was so upset. But then very relieved that she was alive! She's already jumped out of an airplane, so this was a piece of cake. But sad we missed it. Darn bike races.

So on the way home, we stopped at the Lookout Mt. Trading Post up on the mountain on 136. Some new people have bought it and it's beautiful. It's a gift shop and they also have a good lunch menu. They also have a pottery studio there!!! I got to go in and look around. It's amazing! These 2 guys are really good. They do mostly hand built pieces. But anyway, the reason we stopped is I had heard they wanted to start a little farmer market there on Saturdays. SO I wanted to find out more about it. It's free! So I think I'll go. And it's only about 15 miles from me. I bought a whole flat of herbs from them too. I had already gotten a flat plus 5 more herbs from the feed store a few days before. So 2 1/2 flats to plant!

SO when we got home I went out to the garden. I wasn't going to have a whole day to work again til Thursday, so had to do it today. I mowed the whole garden. Then tilled some rows for green beans. Got 4 rows planted. Then mulched all the squash, zucchini and peppers. Then got to weeding the flower garden I made in front of the bee hives. Some of the little beds I planted seeds in didn't come up, or only a few did. I planted 1 peppermint, 3 sage, 5 thyme, 8 chives, about 12 each of lavender and rosemary. I think that was all. I don't know if I'll be able to move tomorrow, all that bending over. Then I watered everything really good. And that's all in the garden today. I am feeling good about gardening this year. I am taking my time and not stressing about it. Just kind of having fun out there.

I am so thankful for this cool weather we've had too. It's funny though, Friday it was so cold when my husband came to get me from the sale, I wanted the heater on in the truck. Then when we got home, I turned the heat on in the house. I wore thermal to bed too. The next morning, I had the ac on in the car. Crazy!

Also thankful because the 2 poor alpacas haven't been sheared yet. They will in June though.

The squash and zucchini all mulched now. There are 2 more beds of these too.

This is the herb-flower beds for the bees. It's really going to be so pretty with all the blues and purples and reds. Lots of zinnias to the left.

The green beans finally planted! I'll plant more in a few weeks to the left when I can get it tilled better.

The tomatoes are down here this year. I have Cherokee Purple and Orange Valencia in the 1st 2 rows, then Rutgers. I need to get some okra seeds to plant in the next 2 rows down here. The rows are ready for them.

Now we need some rain! I think Wednesday we should get some.

I hope you all have a great week!

Milk Apocalypse...

is happening right now at Outback Farm! SO much milk! And so much more to come. What was I thinking when I sold all the kids? I need to go on a milk fast I think.