2010-07-09 Friday - Home

The motor in our air conditioner started having problems when it wouldn't start by itself.  For a while, I could bang on the casing when it hummed instead of starting.  When that stopped working, I found I could reach in and spin the shaft with my hand to start it (thanks, Dad!).  Finally, the motor froze up while it was running and everything came to a halt on Thursday night.

Our repairman couldn't get to us until Friday.  It's been hotter than hell here and Stephanie was having a sleepover Thursday night.  After the sun set I opened the doors and windows and started the whole house fan.  It wasn't wonderful, but it got us through until Friday morning.  It sure was great when that air came back on and we stopped sweating for a little while.  The system is approximately 25 years old and we are continuing to nurse it along until we can replace it.

When the fan was taken out of the housing we found a dried bat on top of it.  Several years ago we had bats in the attic and one apparently came down the raceway for the furnace flue and took a couple of laps around the den while we watched TV.  We called Animal Control out at 11:00 pm and the officer couldn't find the bat.   She said not to worry about it since it probably crawled behind some furniture and would die since it wouldn't have water for twenty four hours.  She said we would probably find it when we moved, but there it was in the fan after all these years.  Poor little guy.

You might remember I put some pots in our front yard natural area and planted some impatiens in them.  They look nice, but they droop very quickly between rains.  I never realized how much watering they would need when I bought them.

The backyard fence was old when we bought the house eleven years ago and we have been talking about replacing it for several years.  Over the years I have patched it and put supports on it, but a section blew out of it a couple of years ago during a wind storm and it's gotten beyond my help.  We have gotten a couple of quotes in the last few years, but fencing is really expensive and we're at a another impasse between our bank account and the cost of fencing.

The dead fan (minus the dead bat).

Drooping impatiens.

Ditto.

Our poor fence.

At least it makes an interesting photo.

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2010-05-08 Saturday - Part 3: Home again, home again, jiggety jog

After my big Saturday I came home and checked on some of my plants (and pots).  I am trying to incorporate some of my pottery into the plantings in the yard.  I think they look good, and I like to be surrounded by it wherever I am around the house.

Remember this post about the final blow to the dogwood tree?  I said I remained hopeful, and it has apparently paid off for me.  There is tiny push of new growth on the maimed dogwood.  I remain guardedly hopeful.

Pots in the landscape.

The first attempt at a crackled pot.

(The bottom blew out in the bisque firing.)

Another pot that was rather heavy, but lovable.

More of those chartreuse hostas.

New ferns that look like they may or may not make it.

The witch hazel.

I really like these hostas.

Look at the form of it.

The injured dogwood.

But what's this on the top?

Yes! Nature strives to survive.

2010-01-09 Saturday - Clayworks

Lots of "slap trays" today.

I hope to make butter dishes out of the smaller ones and I'll put handles on the larger ones.  A friend tells me the larger ones make a fine sushi tray (he rolls his own).  I might make some creamer sets to go on some of the larger ones.

I also made a larger pot that is still pretty heavy for it's size.  It might get recycled or become a yard pot, not sure yet.

The trays that I didn't put away yet

(almost forgot to get the camera out again).

I think I made 10-12 of them.

Possible yard pot or could become something else.