Whistle Creek: New and Improved

Sunday, March 6, 2011

New and Improved

Well, once again I have been too (pick one) (busy, lazy, tired, preoccupied, insensitive) to keep up with my blogging. Let's go with busy if we can. Monday my brother and I took a road trip to Tennessee, North Carolina,and back to Ohio. We stopped and saw out great grandfather's grave in Newcomb Tn. Then we went on to the land title office for Campbell County in Jacksboro.We found the deed to some property my great, great, great grandfather had sold in 1833. Fifty acres and a house for 5 cents.It is presumed that it was sold to a son in law but a nickel is still cheap. The deed index did not show when he purchased the land so it had to be before Campbell county was formed in about 1805. There may be a record of it in Anderson county which Campbell was carved out of. That mystery is for another trip. We scooted on down to Asheville for a truckload of clay through a heavy downpour that lasted all day. The good folks at Highwater took care of us and we headed back north. Nice to spend some quality time with the family. I got home about 10 pm tired but pleased.

The next project came from the decision that my beloved Scion XB (Excellent Box) was hitting 95,000 miles and soon would be needing brakes, timing belt, maybe a clutch, etc. My search criteria included something a little larger and more plush. The little Ford Transit Connect van was a contender but I ended up with a new Subaru Forester. Roomy, AWD, Comfortable, still economical.

Finally, Mike Baum had asked if I wanted to slip a few pots into his firing this week so I put in a couple of gallon jars and some refires while teaching a couple of days and taking care of the affairs of everyday life. Maybe I really didn't have time to blog.Thanks for visiting.

4 comments:

Tracey BroomeMarch 6, 2011 at 7:29 PM
My husband has a 2010 Forrester, loves it, I have a 2010 Outback, love it and our daughter has a Legacy with over 150,000 miles on it, once her dad's. We have now owned 8 Subarus, never a problem with any of them. I like the color of yours, my VW van that I traded was that color :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
Dennis AllenMarch 6, 2011 at 8:03 PM
Thanks Tracey.Subaru may want to feature you in an ad.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda StarrMarch 6, 2011 at 8:08 PM
Really nice Ohio slip, good luck with the firing. Even at 140,000 miles can't afford a new car for me, Gary's pick up has 80,000 hope they both last. I am sure you'll like your new car, Gary had a used subaru and loved it, but getting in and out of it with his bad shoulder and my bad back just about killed us. I think the new onces are taller than the older ones. I've heard they are really dependable.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hollis EngleyMarch 7, 2011 at 7:30 AM
You'll like the Forester, Dennis. My wife got a 2008 a few months ago and it's a real good car. Especially in snow. I looked at the Transit Connect when I got rid of the last Tacoma, but ended up going with a newer Tacoma. I do like the TC, though.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Comments are the currency of the Blogosphere. Remember to tip your waiter.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Why Whistle Creek

Whistle Creek is near the area where my ancestors settled in East Tennessee. It is about 6 miles west of I-75 and 8 miles south of Jellico.At various times the land was claimed by England, France, Spain, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky,Tennessee, the Union,the Confederacy, and the Cherokee.My family was there around 1800 and possibly before.My brothers and I still own the top of the mountain and it is still very rough country. I named my studio Whistle Creek in memory of the Allens who scraped their living from the earth and managed to keep it for two hundred years.

Bricks,Bricks, Bricks

I have two loads of kiln brick at home and one more to go. Weather permitting I will get some help from my newly retired brother and haul the rest home next week. I'm still early in the planning stages for the kiln. I haven't decided yet whether to make the firebox perpendicular to the arch a la John Theis managama and groundhog kilns or to place it parallel to the axis of the arch. I do know that with #2 three inch arch brick It will be a 3"6" sprung arch on top of low walls with a sunken firebox. If i can find a saw that will cut 41/2" I can rip some of the arch brick to fill in the ends of the courses and use the arch brick on edge to make 9" thick walls. Any input appreciated.

The Pitcher and the Nun

Yesterday a couple of sweet elderly ladies came into my booth and fell in love with the pitcher from the last woodfiring. (See last Blog entry) They said they wanted to give it as a wedding gift, then they said the fatal words-" Do you take Mastercard? " I replied-" No, but I want this piece to go to a good home and I believe that if I send it home with you, you will send me a check." They agreed and we exchanged info. It turned out they were nuns.Instead of mailing me a check, they brought back a check and some homemade candy a couple of hours later.It was nice to make the sale, but even nicer to send out a little faith in mankind and have a good deed returned.

Ohio Slip

More Spring Fair Prep....

Today was spent loading a bisque kiln with pots I have been throwing the last few weeks.They are made with a really nice red clay that a friend sold me when I couldn't get earthen red at Highwater. I should be able to glaze Monday and fire the whole load again next week. This is the only clay that I fire in the electric kilns but it gives a look that a lot of people like and I can fire economically. This plus pots on hand and pots I have been glazing for the gas kiln should be plenty for spring fair so now I can concentrate on the booth.

Spring Fair

The main project of the week was to try to finish throwing a batch of red clay that I have been working on so I can get the pots fired and glazed for the big Spring Fair sale that the Clay Alliance is holding on May 2. This is the big annual sales event for the club and I am very happly to be included this year but I do feel a little pressure to up my game and have a booth that doesn't look like a yard sale. Once I get the pots fired, I will have to spend some time focusing on display space and building some nice shelving. The sale is 11 to 4 at the corner of Madison and Woodburn ( DeSales Corner) Just take 71 to Edwards rd., Edwards to Madison, Right on Madison and you will be there in a few minutes. You will have a great time and get to meet 40 of the best potters and ceramicists in the region. More info at http://www.clayalliance.org/.

*************************************