So … what’s new??

It’s been a while since I posted an update and stuff has happened during the past 4-5 months.  Let’s see …

During the summer, I started using up some colored clay, making another sculpture and a huge bowl for dog water.

The colored clay pieces turned out quite nice (in my opinion). I watched a couple of videos and learned how to make a “skinner blend” that was used on the two pots on the left.  The pot on the right was made with coils and, as I blended the various levels of clay, an interesting pattern developed.

In that same kiln load, I fired a bust sculpture that was similar to one that I made during the last weeks of class in the Spring. It was interesting working with two different types of clay and varying other elements of the sculptures. I’m planning to experiment more with this using still different clays.

I made a huge water bowl for dogs and left it out front thinking that passing dogs might want a drink. But, they didn’t. so, I eventually took it into the back yard where Tucker and the squirrels like to use it. It actually takes about a gallon and a half of water to fill it up!

When I finished these pieces, I started working on others but quit because the outside temperatures were so hot. I didn’t want to run the AC in the studio at full blast and I definitely didn’t want to fire the kiln.

Instead, I participated in a painting/photo exhibit that Artists ‘Round Texas sponsored. Painters and photographers were given a list of several sites in and around Rowlett which could be use as subjects. I chose to go to a municipal park and found several likely subjects; then, I edited the photos, framed them and … actually won a second place prize for my photo of the squirrel.

More Succulents

A few weeks ago, I bought one of those “garden in a pot” things.  The plants looked great but they were so crowded in the pot.  Finally got around to replanting them and giving them a little more space to grow.

P.S. Hope I don’t kill them with kindness (i.e., too much water).

Visiting Dallas Arboretum

For the month of August,  the Dallas Arboretum offered a special:  $2 admission and $5 parking.  Early August days were cooler than normal and we decided to go over Sunday morning.

The Seward Johnson sculpture exhibit was held over  and, during our visit, we were able to see about half of the sculptures.  We’ll have to go back again in a week or so to see the rest.

Anyway, here (in no particular order) are photos of the gardens and sculptures.

The Saga of the Bunnies

About a month ago, Ginger (my large puppy) was scrambling around in the ferns up close to the house.  Well, it turns out there were a couple of baby bunnies nesting in them and she flushed them out.  Since it was dusk, I brought her in and figured the situation would resolve itself overnight.

Nope.  The next morning one bunny was “hiding out” in plain sight on the driveway.  It didn’t move as I approached it; so, I thought it was dead, scooped it up and put it in the trash can.

The other bunny was hiding in a clump of mondo grass and didn’t even move when I went to pick it up.  I brought it in and put it in shoebox until I could figure out what to do with it.   I started thinking about the first bunny … the one in the trash … and thought that maybe it was alive and just very scared.   Yup!  I pulled that bunny from the trash, wiped it off a bit and put it in the shoebox too.

After I posted a picture of the bunnies on Facebook, a friend recommended a wildlife rescue group and I called the phone number listed.  The volunteer who returned my call recommended a couple of people who could foster the bunnies; one was more than happy to take them it.  Hooray!!

So the bunnies in the shoebox got loaded into the car for the trip across town.  I left the shoebox on her front porch and, a while later, she sent me this picture of them settling in.  They were chowing down on alfalfa and drinking goat’s milk.   She lives near White Rock Lake and said that eventually she would probably release them near the lake.

Sure enough, when I contacted her a couple weeks later, she said that they had been released and sent me pictures of them, thus ending the saga.

 

Little Air Plants

When Significant Other and I went to Hawaii in December, we stopped by an orchid nursery. While lovely, I’m not all that crazy about orchids but I’m fascinated with air plants. So, I took out a $20 bill and bought some to bring home.

The first week, I anchored them to pieces of driftwood with copper wire. They looked fine and were even getting bigger when I discovered that copper wire is a no-no. But, little pots are fine.

I made these little pinch pots a few years ago as an experiment with crater glazes. They’re cute but not really practical … until now. They’re the perfect “home” for the air plants.

How Sad!

Yesterday evening, our neighbor called and told us that a limb had fallen off one of our trees.  He even offered to come over and do whatever to help clean up the mess.

  

This wasn’t just a smallish limb; this was one of the major limbs on this tree.  It just cracked and was now leaning on the fence, with a goodly portion of it hanging over in the neighbor’s yard.

It was late, hot and, even though our neighbor had the best intentions, we declined his offer of help.  I took pictures and send an email to our landscape company.  Hopefully, they can send someone today to take a look and remove the limb.

 

My Left Foot

Remember about three months ago when I broke my leg?  Well, I sure do.    After healing for a couple months and, while I was still trying to get stronger and more flexible, my doctor sent me to rehab.  That was the best thing for my leg/ankle.

The therapist worked with me a couple times a week for four weeks.  At the end of that time, there were a few twingy reminders of the injury, but I was 98% back to normal.  So …. as a “thank you” gift, I took her a small sculpture of my left foot and put a small succulent inside.

Hopefully, the succulent will continue to grow and I will continue to heal.

Buh-bye, Succulents

succulents

After struggling all winter and spring to keep my succulents alive (note: not thriving but surviving), I finally gave up and placed an ad on a neighborhood bloody thing offering them for $5 to $10 each.  Several neighbors took me up on the offer but there were still about 40 – 50 succulents left.

Next, I called a local charity group to see if they would take a donation of live plants, hoping to keep them alive until they were picked-up.  Yes!!  They would!!

About a week after my call, their truck showed up; the plants went into the truck and were taken away.  In fact, the truck driver was fascinated with the plants and several may end up with him.  Hope the rest have found good homes where they can be loved, appreciated and grow.

Ouch!

Totem

Last week, I decided to move one of the ceramic totem poles into a bare spot at the front of the house.  So, I carefully took it apart; carried the individual pieces to the front and finally carried the pole to the front and reassembled it.

About 10 minutes later, S.O. and I went to look at it.  OUCH!!  The totem pole had tumbled over and at least half the pieces were broken.  Nothing to do but toss those into the trash and start over.

Next day, I pulled the pole & concrete base out of the plastic pot and “planted” the concrete in the ground.  Then it was time to reassemble the totem.  Fortunately, there were enough pieces of “totems in progress” to rebuild.  It’s not quite the same but I still kinda like it.

Wildflower Garden or Just Wild?

Wildflowers1

In my mind’s eye, a wildflower garden has always had a certain charm.  So, a couple years ago, I bought about 1/2 pound of wildflower seeds (1/4 pound for sun gardens and 1/4 pound for shade gardens).  Last year, the plants were meager; they struggled because of all the rain and then the heat of summer shriveled them.  Fortunately, we didn’t have a harsh winter and most of them survived.

I threw out more seeds in February and they prospered.  Boy … did they prosper!!  Now I have this wild wildflower garden.  Time to thin them out and/or redo this whole plot because we can’t even walk through it.