Mango Thief

This summer, our mango tree bore more mango than we could imagine. Even more than half dropped off before they ripe, there were still a lot to expect. However, we only had 4 good ones so far. The story goes like this; you noticed an almost ripe one and thought maybe a few more days on the tree. The next morning, you noticed that one was gone, and there was a clean seed on the ground. Sometimes the little thief got really impatient ; he will take a bite into the green one and leave it to you. Although I haven't seen him in action, I can imagine how happy he was.

Fail

Trying a lot of new ideas lately. At the same time, failed some.
These clay doesn't like to be joined late in the game, but I'm new and too slow in the wood carving.
Too much tension on the back, put the seam open.
Same here. One out of 10. We will see what happen after bisque fire. 
Smashed 3 big plates even before photo opportunity, because of s-crack, c-crack, straight crack, you name it. Time to re-group, re- think, and try again.

More love stories

It's not the first time, and wouldn't be the last, that once I heard the songs of some movie's soundtrack and decided right away, I have to watch the movie. It's a coincidence that two movies in a row are about "Love in the time of cholera". In fact, their tag lines are somewhat interchangeable: "How long would you wait for love?" and "Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two persons" So, how long you're willing to walk during dangerous, tough time. Last French song in "The painted veil" is the most simple and touching. I read on the net that TVB used it as a theme song for mother's day (I haven't seen it myself). As the lyric says; At the clear fountain.......So long I've been loving you, I will never forget you.......I lost my beloved...... I wanted the rose to be still on the bush, And my beloved. To be still loving me. 

For all the mothers, who lost their beloved.

A Love Story

One of the story moves me deeply recently. Every line, I can imagine the parallel between two lovers. How the pianist obsess about finding the prefect piano , which he can really play in his way. A three legs with translucent sound, clarity of every register and extra light action. It's almost like someone says " I just want to find someone who can read my mind, multitalented, sensitive and has a pure heart. Finally, he found her in his mid-life. In fact, he remembered meeting her when he was a child. Love at first touch. But, there was a lot of works needed to be done to bring her health back. Since, she was old and has been neglected for years. Here's where the blind tuner came in to help. We know it's not going to be a happily ever after. She got accidentally drop and seriously damaged during transit, after a decade of very happy and productive life together. He was totally lost and heart broken, knowing she might not recover, or even she did, she wouldn't be HER again. He wouldn't let go of his prefect mate. For another decade he tried everything to bring her soul back from the gate of hell. In his last recording, he gave her up for someone much younger, beautiful and foreign - a Yamaha. He die weeks after the record was released. I think deep down he knew, he will never be able to find another one.
BTW, her name is Steinway Model D, CD 318 to be exact.
His name is Glenn Gould, my great piano hero.
The book is "A Romance on three legs"

廓爾忘言

君子之交 其淡如水
執象而求 咫尺千里
問余何適 廓爾忘言
華枝春滿 天心月圓

High Water

Inspired by Ah Leon's work, see pic. and Walter's great found in Taiwan, I'm set to make some tofu tray. Since I mostly work with porcelain, the tofu shouldn't be a problem, but I needed to do some research on red stoneware.  Something has the right color/ firing range cone 4-6, absorption rate like Yixing teapot 'purple sand' ~4%, no grog but be able to hold 12" x 12'"x 1/2" without warp. So far, I found HighWater Clay's red stone comes close, but still too red/not brown enough. It would be nice to have the natural clay color instead of doing an iron wash. Please let me know if anyone out there know something else to try.

Low water

My first solo exploration of the Loxahachee. Water is low but clear. Cypress forest smell fresh in the morning. Still have to portage more than I like to. What's in the back of my mind; tick tick tick ............  Captain Hook biggest fear lives here. 

Mountain to Coast

Did I just do these to myself again? I remember exactly 10 years ago, I signed ourselves up for the 9 days "Big Ride" in Australia, out of ego/ ignorant/ curiosity/ challenge/ restless (in this order). It turned out to be one of the toughest adventure because of the unexpected cold front. I was sleeping inside some big black plastic garbage bags with all the clothes I got. There was ice on top of the tent in the morning. So, as we got a little older, what motivate us to give up the warm bed again? After some deep thought, it's still the challenge/ curiosity/ ignorant/ ego (in that order) and we're just born restless. However, this time we will have 5 months to prepare for the 400 miles in North Carolina this fall.

Do what you have to.

Ceramic artists are special group of people, but wood firing potter is the most unique in my mind. Went to Justin Lambert's kiln opening down in Jupiter this morning. It's not a very big kiln, but he has a big heart to let other people to participate and share his hard work. Firing a wood kiln these days is kind of like insist on riding a horse, when everyone is driving a car. You not only go slower, it costs a lot more to feed, clean and keep up with it. For most untrained eyes, those are just boring brown pots with black spots. For people like Justin, they will spend a life time, enjoying chopping woods, staying up days and nights to keep the fire going, playing with flames and ashes, seeing pots born and die, beautiful or not so beautiful...... and spending days to clean up and making more pots........ Just because, there's no other ways. They just have to do what they have to.

Who needs words?

Last night was the last section of the "Jazz in the Sanctuary". They got two Brazilian guest, excellent guitar by Phill Fest (Manfredo's son) and beautiful voice from Terezinha Valois on top of the usual Jim's trio. Of course, they played the well known bossa "The Girl from Ipanema", in its original whispering Portuguese. Even I could not understand a word, it's still carefree, love in the air........   Also, the last part of "Clearwater Sunset", jammed between the keyboard and the guitar was breath taking. With such talents, you don't need words. 

PASAP

Potters As Sculptors As Potters (PASAP) was a pre-NECEA conference workshop held by NAU. The sign up paper showed 59 people. Not a bad turn out.
Brad Schweiger uses his wire like a samurai uses his sword.
Christa Assad is an iron girl.
6 presenters doing simultaneous demonstrations is a bit overload after 2 days.

Moon rise at sunset at 7000ft

I had no idea aspen is 楊樹, something only exist in cold region and high altitudes, not exactly my temperament.
Moon rise in Sunset Crater National Volcanic Monument.
Flagstaff as a small town has a lot to offer.
More dead tree.

Tiddly Pom

It was a surprise to have snow in Grand Canyon this time of the year. It was also a challenge to hike down the steepest trail with cold toes (Tiddly Pom as Pooh Bear would say).
Other than the Grand View, dead trees in the area amaze me the most. I got more pics of them than anything else.
Thanks for Ed's Gitzo, better sunset Canyon.
Very soon, I learned to operate my camera with glove on.

North of the border

After a good night sleep in Phoenix, got to Arcosanti just before the sun rose. Lunch in Sedona.
By the time we got up to the Grand Canyon, it was total white out and blowing 30 knots. Even the mules had a day off.

Houston, you've a problem!

Houston airport and I have some sort of bad karma. Twice in a row, my plane got diverted to some dinky airport because of some storms, sat on runway for hours with no food/water/AC, missed the connected flight..... and the airline was not apologetic, since it was the weather. No confirmed seat for the rest of the day. And they kept changing gates for whatever reasons. Last time, end up in the worst motel at mid-night, this time I got lucky, got on the 3nd flight after walking miles between gates and hours of standing in line. Avoid Houston at all costs!