Thursday, September 5, 2019

more of the same


It's hot. In fact I think we are having some of our hottest weather so far this year, at least equally hot...in September. And it's only getting hotter as the week goes on. My oft wrong weather app says 98˚ by Saturday but all the other predictors are saying 102˚. Plus even though the wind yesterday was out of the east it was hot and dry and you could almost see things getting desiccated. And still no rain. We've had three little pisses of rain all summer. Huge swaths of grass in people's yards are brown and dead if they are in the sun all day or even half a day. I'm back to leaving the hose on and moving it every 30 minutes or so all day. That week of cool mornings, and by that I mean in the mid-70s, is over. It was still hot, getting into the mid 90s during the day but the first several hours of the day were so nice while I've been working in the shop and I could hold out til about 1:30 or so.

I got the heron head fitted Tuesday. It sits in the recess but has a little bit of rocker to it which is bad as it could set up enough stress after I glue it in to cause it to crack and while I can locate the pivot point, nothing I seems to do makes it go away so I put it aside in frustration for now.


Most of the day yesterday I was back to grinding grinding grinding as the two gray slabs were out of the kiln and the mold was not level on one of them so it was thicker at one end than the other. I've about got it to a uniform thickness so now I just need to take it down a little more and then start on the second one which I'm working on today.

You might remember I reported that a huge limb broke off one of the pecan trees but hadn't disconnected completely being supported by a lower branch as it was. Well, Monday, it broke the rest of the way off and the heavy end has fallen into the crook of the trunk for which I am grateful as my azaleas could have been crushed. No damage to them but oh so bummed out to see that the fallen limb was loaded with nuts. Loaded.


And the rangoon creeper is doing its best to creep over to the cedar tree.





11 comments:

  1. I got up this morning to find another pecan branch down in the back yard. I'm wondering if I'll have any pecans this year with the branches dropping like crazy. Box is looking good. That blue on the box itself sets the head off very nicely.

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  2. All those nuts are probably what helped drag down the branch. The heron head looks great! Hope you can get it to balance out. Can you use some kind of filler underneath, aside from glue, to stabilize it?

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  3. LOVE the heron head. You will figure it out. You always do, Ellen.
    Same heat here. Supposed to get up to 99 Saturday and Sunday. No rain in the forecast. How ironic that we were so worried about Dorian and we aren't even going to get a drop. That's life. I'll gladly take this, however, over what's happening in the Bahamas.

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  4. That box is turning out to be one of my favorites! Bummer about the pecans :(

    I love that picture of the Rangoon creeper - reach for the sky little buddy! Reach for the sky!

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  5. The creeper has aspirations. The heron head looks really good against that blue. Hope you can find the high spot. And bummer about the pecan tree branch.

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  6. Sad news about the branch but maybe now the tree can grow better?
    I remember reading about the rangoon creper or some component being researched as an anti-tumor agent.
    And your heron box is stunning.

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  7. It's been hot here too. We have occasional shading from the clouds but it's not enough. It's like a blast furnace. I love the background with the heron. It's so pretty. Looks like the Rangoon is infatuated with the Cedar. Better be careful there.

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  8. My hickory is also loaded with nuts and the noise is constant as they fall off the branches. It must be a good year for nuts. I hope you can salvage part of your pecan tree.

    The heat has been horrible this year. It seems to get be getting worse and one has to wonder where this is going. The scientists have painted a very grim picture and I fear for my children and grandchildren.

    Your art is looking beautiful and I have no doubt that you will find a way through your problem.

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  9. Now that I see the blue as a glass box, it is stunning. I hope you find the rocker pivot quickly.

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  10. That rangoon creeper is kind of amazing and purposeful. The heron box looks beautiful. I'm sure you'll figure out the rocking.

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  11. That creeper is amazing! And determined. That heron box is spectacular! If we had that kind of heat in September, I'd dig a hole in the back yard and bury myself.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.