back on the grid

You don't realize how dependant you are on electricity until it's not there.  We were in the path of the storm that raked through mainly in Ohio and West Virginia Friday evening. We were lucky- no damage to the house, just one pine tree got topped off and some smaller branches off other trees.  It's a little unnerving, though, to experience life without technology.  No air conditioning, no internet, no t.v., zero to spotty cell reception, gas pumps not operating.  At first, no radio news, either.  When we tried to find out what hit us and how widespread it was, the only local radio station with a back-up generator was broadcasting a baseball game that night!  On Saturday we heard we needed to conserve water.  In fact, our water pressure was dropping.  Ivin mentioned that I might want to plan a road trip. After considering the impact of the water situation (hey, if it's 95-100 degrees and I can't take a shower...) I called my brother in PA to inform him of his status as a potential refugee center. Thought that Sunday morning I just might be persuaded to make that trip, but fortunately the electric, along with the water pressure came back.
Many more people are still without, and it may be days before the repairs are made.
We went through this with a hurricane when we lived in Texas.  Only then, we didn't have cell phones and internet to add to the list of dependancies.  It makes you think about how unprepared we are to deal with the basics on our own.

Anyway, before this all happened, I did a firing and here's some stuff:

The tile worked out pretty much like I wanted it too.  You know, when you're layering engobes and slips and glazing over, especially as I am really not that experienced at brushing glazes, how things turn out has that element of mystery.  Sandwiching the tile between drywall squares to dry seemed to do the trick- no warping.

I have a customer who has first dibs on these hand built vases so after she makes her choices I'll put the rest up for sale either at the market or on etsy.  Although I did just have a sale on etsy and am in communication with a customer about a custom order, sales have mostly dried up in that area, while picking up at the market.  I haven't added to my etsy shop for awhile, and it looks it, but I know it's more likely I can sell those items locally right now. 

 Also reserved for same customer.  Hey, if you don't know already, click on these pictures to see them bigger so you can see the textures better.

I saw this baby bird sticking it's head out of the bird house attached to our deck posts looking a little desperate for it's next meal.  It's house made it through the storm unscathed.