family fun and a little weather...

It's another busy week in studio - cranking out bowls & platters, cups and mugs and hoping the rain stops long enough to let things dry!

A happy respite in the normal craziness came with the arrival of my cousin Marcy and her gorgeous family - they're vacationing in the area, and came to the studio for an afternoon of clay play.

Marcy, Bruce, Noah & Rachel: pre-mud!

They each got on the wheel and made great work - Marcy has those pics and I'll share them when I get copies. Thursday they were to come back and decorate the work, but mother nature had another plan...

Lily and I were working away in the afternoon when things started getting darker and blowier ...

can't see the debris, but this is just before the big 'CRACK!'

...and then out went the lights. Happily, my wheel is powered by me, and Lily was helping prep some handle plugs, so we were able to keep working while cows and old ladies on bicycles blew around us outside.

When the power didn't come back on after about 45 minutes, I figured we were in for the long haul, so I sent Lily home, boxed up the cousins' work, took it home and they decorated by candle light - I didn't think to take those pictures as we were trying to race to finish before sundown, and of course when we went by the studio later for them to pick out some other prezzies, the lights were back on there!

Not so at home, and Lissa and I spent the rest of the evening just listening to the post-storm breezes, and I got to put my new Shawn Ireland candle holder to good use. Sometimes it's nice when all there is to do is just be quiet...and just be.

The aftermath around town is mixed - I am very grateful that the worst damage at the house is that the tomato plants fell over - all the recent rain has made them come up like a beanstalk, and the wind did some damage, but I've got them more or less re-staked and stabilized.

At the studio, a large tree behind the studio was hit high, and it fell mostly on the building next door and between us - since I was sitting on my wheel right where it would have hit the building at the time it happened, I am extremely grateful that it didn't (although I feel quite secure in my little cinder block studio - safe from wolves and trees!). There is damage to the building next door, but that too could have been much worse, so I think we're all grateful as a whole.

some of the tree that fell

I'm camped at Clingman Cafe as I'm still without internet and phone at the studio, but that just means less distractions when I get back to the studio to finish those mugs! There are still some roads closed for all the debris, and Lissa's favorite river access at the park is now under fallen trees, but all in all things are moving again (and she was quite happy to go romp in the swamp).

Hopefully, Marcy & family will have a smooth trip home, and with a little sunlight, I may get their work dried out for bisque by the weekend! Sun's out again so it's time to get to work and take advantage of nature's dry-box!