tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1048719077549250732024-03-17T23:04:19.925-04:00Hill Slug Chronicles<i>amicitia quam celeritate</i><br><br>
Welcome to the Hill Slug Chronicles blog. Herein you can follow the adventures of Our Lady of Perpetual Headwinds and her fellow Hill Slugs as they pedal their way around central New Jersey in search of new scenery and a good cup of coffee. Pace-pushers are not welcome.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-57777189645619566152024-03-16T17:27:00.003-04:002024-03-17T14:10:13.254-04:00Spring is Early<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cAMQIT1KugYfz_0N-FQ_0Bf1r_TKltqC7mUZ2VhAtqSWo46d3KkblaVVio-Da_8D9HdLfGH233RTcUx4hwGMPpOnKLzT-HBmntZ9l3Y6K_T7DmrBq_zuwDmXV17yzzHsx-nlrRMGSIawGxnNAFNO2Ozck_HKjjO4awiiJ-2xrQM9PSdB1ofx6ELYOw/s5184/20240316%2004%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cAMQIT1KugYfz_0N-FQ_0Bf1r_TKltqC7mUZ2VhAtqSWo46d3KkblaVVio-Da_8D9HdLfGH233RTcUx4hwGMPpOnKLzT-HBmntZ9l3Y6K_T7DmrBq_zuwDmXV17yzzHsx-nlrRMGSIawGxnNAFNO2Ozck_HKjjO4awiiJ-2xrQM9PSdB1ofx6ELYOw/s320/20240316%2004%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chesterfield-Georgetown Road</span></div><p><br /></p><p>16 March 2024</p><p>Daffodils are out everywhere. Forsythia are popping. I even saw a few dandelions. At work, the magnolias are blooming. At home, the redbuds are redbudding. Our crocuses have been out for weeks. The snowdrops started in January. A few Vinca flowers are out. The grass has turned bright green again. I might have to cut it in a week. There's an aura of color at the tops of the trees. I've already found a couple of juvenile orbweavers, and today a running crab spider was inspecting the back wall of the house. We've had a handful of days in the high 60s and low 70s already.</p><p></p><p>It's mid-March.</p><p></p><p>I really was planning to list a ride today, a hilly one, with a rest stop and everything. </p><p>Tom beat me to it, offering an unofficial, flat ride from Bordentown. He's definitely on the mend. He was planning 35 miles. I said I was hoping for 50. He put together a route for us extra-milers that started from Allentown and ended with exactly 50 miles.</p><p>Pete, Rickety, Heddy, and JackH took me up on the extra miles. We rode into the wind at a workout pace for 8 miles to what the Insane Bike Posse is now calling "Joe Larry" park. "Joseph Lawrence" is too stuffy, I guess. Tom, Our Jeff, Eric, and Blob were there.</p><p>We went west towards the Delaware and rode along the river in Florence. Then we cut east with a tailwind the Jacksonville Deli for a rest stop.</p><p>Somebody had a minor mechanical problem at mile 40, so I scooted across the road to get some photos without power lines in them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4MxheXoJ2n3V4_ITYcUodrzq1cLv3uoAfNVLa5MwyvIdBNBCRFiDB82nrEwXEt1CyYAIVxCLmmSw_yESc1aUYL4QZ1ElLkl6ekzqzvRjbsoPW-wikMzujVNy-dD43XyZc3f8wLV_8suFk_CTfcSBtCCfmOzoeJepMjlp2GJwyZOrhdHTm7_umxEzfQ/s5184/20240316%2003%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4MxheXoJ2n3V4_ITYcUodrzq1cLv3uoAfNVLa5MwyvIdBNBCRFiDB82nrEwXEt1CyYAIVxCLmmSw_yESc1aUYL4QZ1ElLkl6ekzqzvRjbsoPW-wikMzujVNy-dD43XyZc3f8wLV_8suFk_CTfcSBtCCfmOzoeJepMjlp2GJwyZOrhdHTm7_umxEzfQ/s320/20240316%2003%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHqc2xyW6sIlLzLrk-Zt29AsJe7r7p09MGOMfq65z1_pewcQBF_10gMn1K4o8baeP2CbQg45ZIiqfWalTPr8Q3YkAxl3JVPqvt5JP_nBfaJzvf5GMVUwqUvABQtPoiQ1lfaJwnkdCR-cvQXr3cgRlE9q52VfE8fcm_2TPVkGiUqaYlBYD2ycfCVSEgw/s5184/20240316%2002%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHqc2xyW6sIlLzLrk-Zt29AsJe7r7p09MGOMfq65z1_pewcQBF_10gMn1K4o8baeP2CbQg45ZIiqfWalTPr8Q3YkAxl3JVPqvt5JP_nBfaJzvf5GMVUwqUvABQtPoiQ1lfaJwnkdCR-cvQXr3cgRlE9q52VfE8fcm_2TPVkGiUqaYlBYD2ycfCVSEgw/s320/20240316%2002%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4wybNaFMkQCcvXZg3e28UWHOi7Q_kqklklEgk9HWGKlKnkCPSSCq77ETTmVjcWHQM-Um53RSW1ONid53-uREdmPZ-WfJhS0TVQyR-deyr9Nk6zu7Z7qajFxPSfDYZA3021oeJrWDR5WalTg9op-hevGSr9OIaXZkB6lTsIinTx67ooSj3wzzEZFIAQ/s4833/20240316%2001%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3647" data-original-width="4833" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4wybNaFMkQCcvXZg3e28UWHOi7Q_kqklklEgk9HWGKlKnkCPSSCq77ETTmVjcWHQM-Um53RSW1ONid53-uREdmPZ-WfJhS0TVQyR-deyr9Nk6zu7Z7qajFxPSfDYZA3021oeJrWDR5WalTg9op-hevGSr9OIaXZkB6lTsIinTx67ooSj3wzzEZFIAQ/s320/20240316%2001%20Chesterfield-Georgetown%20Rd%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We extra-milers parted ways with Tom, Our Jeff, and Eric in Chesterfield. Blob went along with us for a while then doubled back. The pace picked up again. I did my best to keep up, never quite off the back but never up in the pack either. I'm glad I took Janice instead of Kermit (whose front derailleur is rubbing the chain), because I needed the lighter weight and zippier wheels to keep up with the other two clones of Janice on today's ride.</p><p>Kermit has been my flatland bike, and Janice is geared for hills. It'll be a year next month that Janice arrived. People told me I'll never ride anything else. I didn't believe them, and for a while, I was right. Then my back started bothering me, I was spending more time climbing, and my steel bikes lived out the rest of the year inside until I finally got around to changing their stems. </p><p>I've been taking Kermit and Beaker out on solo Sunday rides after glassblowing class, when I'm simply trying to get an easy 25 miles in. That's not going to last. Class ends on April 28, after which I'll be focused on training for Nova Scotia.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-49930377107851092092024-03-14T21:35:00.002-04:002024-03-14T21:35:44.174-04:00Hot Mess Part Thirty-Nine: Thirteen Sundays 5 and 6<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLxDXA1CX3nWVD_v47vKZbz9anLN5_BGoU0ikkOLPfWVf7EuoM75UTfLx440mmTRTWrj7fKOIp7NIrk4l7h0ary-rYm57SHXJ4H_TQG4TrXim109cqVU_FvEssFDDz5mf8spPf7TVYeY4qGMHtzaUhn3ITo9N3FYs0wxvpD83RbPECpTV9WMKXNscew/s2048/20240314%2003%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20drinking%20glass%20with%20blue%20aventurine%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLxDXA1CX3nWVD_v47vKZbz9anLN5_BGoU0ikkOLPfWVf7EuoM75UTfLx440mmTRTWrj7fKOIp7NIrk4l7h0ary-rYm57SHXJ4H_TQG4TrXim109cqVU_FvEssFDDz5mf8spPf7TVYeY4qGMHtzaUhn3ITo9N3FYs0wxvpD83RbPECpTV9WMKXNscew/s320/20240314%2003%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20drinking%20glass%20with%20blue%20aventurine%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm a sucker for transparent reds.</span></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Week Five</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">3 March 2024, 2:13 p.m.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Sage called out sick again. I was expecting a calm Sunday, just me and CP working together.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When I walked in at 8:15 for the 8:30 class, CP had already started working and there was a stranger setting up at the other bench. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"Are you Murano?" I asked.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"I am."</p><p style="text-align: left;">And the calm Sunday went straight up the exhaust vent. Murano is intense, like Glass Ninja, and dominant too. My first piece fell off the punty on my final trip to the glory hole when I stopped suddenly as he crossed my path. I went again, CP helping me with a lip wrap on my second try at a long, tall drinking glass. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lTvHyvS3x60y6mft6eizunWHvVzFvsOvBUaXGFg8XWbMzs80KHL7MNmoGPCXtBrZz9u3lDz8sllfOH6XttLKk0fEbLWqqLPhPB0rdOyW2ogidvwaGf-Bnlm8QqWNVSisMNeD3unHOoIpQP26XRHZ_db1sultxlpwL3pEufplSwesgwHjiQNajyX40A/s2048/20240304%2002%20drinking%20glass%20with%20missed%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lTvHyvS3x60y6mft6eizunWHvVzFvsOvBUaXGFg8XWbMzs80KHL7MNmoGPCXtBrZz9u3lDz8sllfOH6XttLKk0fEbLWqqLPhPB0rdOyW2ogidvwaGf-Bnlm8QqWNVSisMNeD3unHOoIpQP26XRHZ_db1sultxlpwL3pEufplSwesgwHjiQNajyX40A/s320/20240304%2002%20drinking%20glass%20with%20missed%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The wrap looks like it's sliding off the top. I'm getting worse at this, not better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-myj57rE4mZmDaKadNzIV-KlLYwUQkpVSjSXLKpR2BsihMjdYcloqm42VkZrya697Cc7MIBNUm5lhiup7NGBPsHU8q8IpbIkB4DEgS9nsVn63VK9eHwpGq9qngQtpgMCnbABOmlqn6xH5-fzyRGIg1iqK_5TpIlKTh0MDm_ECaDzhjVYkgmePkqOig/s2048/20240304%2003%20drinking%20glass%20with%20missed%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-myj57rE4mZmDaKadNzIV-KlLYwUQkpVSjSXLKpR2BsihMjdYcloqm42VkZrya697Cc7MIBNUm5lhiup7NGBPsHU8q8IpbIkB4DEgS9nsVn63VK9eHwpGq9qngQtpgMCnbABOmlqn6xH5-fzyRGIg1iqK_5TpIlKTh0MDm_ECaDzhjVYkgmePkqOig/s320/20240304%2003%20drinking%20glass%20with%20missed%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Murano was setting up a fancy stem for a goblet and wanted one of us to bring him a blown foot. Neither CP nor I have done this before. I was eager to learn, but I was still finishing my glass when he needed it. He showed CP what to do. It didn't go as planned. I volunteered to help. He asked for a small bit to go between the stem and the foot. For anyone else I've worked with, what I brought would have been fine. But he was very particular. He set one up for me the way he wanted it and handed it off to me to bring to him. He still wasn't satisfied and cut it off, deciding to go straight for the foot. On my first try, there was miscommunication and I blew the bubble too thin. On the second try, I got my part right, but he said he had his stem too hot, and the bubble went on off-center. The rest of us would have carried on, but he dumped the whole thing in the waste bucket. Now I know what Low Key was talking about last week. I guess when you're that good, you don't need pratice pieces cluttering up your house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had sawed off the top of the vase I'd blown into the collar of a square mold last week. I didn't like it. I'd put it back in the big oven, figuring I'd try again. I told Murano what I was up to. "You could do an encalmo," he suggested.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our Instructor did encalmo demonstrations a few times. I had put it in the I'll-never-try-this category. Well, Murano knew what to do and guided me through it. I picked up a rod of color, blowing a bubble into it that kind of got away from me a little. The plan was to open up the bottom while I was still on the pipe, so we did that, and I cut away a fair portion of the open part so that we could get the right diameter opening. That took some fighting with the glass, but we got it where we needed it. I went into the big oven, doing my best to match the opening of the piece on my pipe with the opening of the cup in the oven. I almost got it. Murano showed me how to get the sides to melt together. Once I started getting that under control, he went to help CP with one of his random sculptural pieces. Eventually, I got a cylinder out of it, with Murano's help at the end. "It looks like a half-full glass, with the full part on the top," he said. "Reverse optimism," I suggested.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGsh8quBZ9FZoJIWQrKbirRdYGcnhMta7h3q6b5h8VV7ZzKHot5FBp8NnqJe9BJCm7T2ZbIr-OZyDxsWqA5sWAFah4wQsOQZNo0v0SeU5sFa6MjO5qMsgKUHhjlqb30sE_J6PvXBV6cjBUPsKub5ArOpfMKjiQtbob1AHaHYn_QHozYXNs_FL04CnPA/s2048/20240304%2006%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGsh8quBZ9FZoJIWQrKbirRdYGcnhMta7h3q6b5h8VV7ZzKHot5FBp8NnqJe9BJCm7T2ZbIr-OZyDxsWqA5sWAFah4wQsOQZNo0v0SeU5sFa6MjO5qMsgKUHhjlqb30sE_J6PvXBV6cjBUPsKub5ArOpfMKjiQtbob1AHaHYn_QHozYXNs_FL04CnPA/s320/20240304%2006%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMXqSsrdD9xYXVtLS1CjRVhDjS17pkPPa6sLlQTAECGs_s_VoPomAsZEO9aa6RCPk1-FURrVO0GMVLZTrcPRr7-YmY9bDV47x0ZNAwZ-LfxWfRVibkNJVxHYo5O5MnvBkbReO-4z_0RxHvtZ-CSM6FsmNPIHF2RMAByK2rVP2CYuK-GR6F7rWhqeNnQ/s2048/20240304%2007%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMXqSsrdD9xYXVtLS1CjRVhDjS17pkPPa6sLlQTAECGs_s_VoPomAsZEO9aa6RCPk1-FURrVO0GMVLZTrcPRr7-YmY9bDV47x0ZNAwZ-LfxWfRVibkNJVxHYo5O5MnvBkbReO-4z_0RxHvtZ-CSM6FsmNPIHF2RMAByK2rVP2CYuK-GR6F7rWhqeNnQ/s320/20240304%2007%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">CP was disappointed with his sculptural piece. We'd been trying to stay out of each other's way, but he needed more time in the glory hole than he could get with the two of us wrangling our large pieces at the same time. "We can't have two ambitious pieces going at once," he said. I agreed. I invited him to join us on Monday so that we could work together and he could make another one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I helped him make a couple of hollow hearts while Murano did a double encalmo the right way. I scurried between the two of them to help them both when they needed it. I made sure CP got what he needed when he needed it, even if it meant Murano had to wait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With 15 minutes left to go, I picked up the last bit of color I had in the little oven to make a tall drinking glass, and with CP's help, added a blue aventurine lip wrap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiQa_5otFvyO7oAc0-TJT_-tqCVwzcpxpshOWnKQUiFBRkB74KRvIlXk7UNHdjt4zOIDb_yczfPsf5BoFPM1f9_Fy-GK-ZA5x8KG2DxEY8zHfPDKOqFKZR7nyHL89mambJz9NFY6rhHQkla9Lthew9yOSJW32fjcbSVaRcWUjUP0WuISkM10R54dlxg/s2048/20240306%2005%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20drinking%20glass%20with%20blue%20aventurine%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiQa_5otFvyO7oAc0-TJT_-tqCVwzcpxpshOWnKQUiFBRkB74KRvIlXk7UNHdjt4zOIDb_yczfPsf5BoFPM1f9_Fy-GK-ZA5x8KG2DxEY8zHfPDKOqFKZR7nyHL89mambJz9NFY6rhHQkla9Lthew9yOSJW32fjcbSVaRcWUjUP0WuISkM10R54dlxg/s320/20240306%2005%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20drinking%20glass%20with%20blue%20aventurine%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge39d4kHmxSdMz8U9zihMov8G8OQd5dc-IUJ4X6FAPZGVMkdqNuqoMhS4Rbm04qKJzEls8SIDs6wbyc72dO-0w2UHHo32OA1yh_oP7ybrODH9QM0l42z4CKHSBneJ-unfs5sFAdGCYPGPlE_93zwPVLrzQoMk1oUwsyivCr3yjYVxuKqmzc4EPZi6Cpw/s2048/20240306%2007%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20drinking%20glass%20with%20blue%20aventurine%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge39d4kHmxSdMz8U9zihMov8G8OQd5dc-IUJ4X6FAPZGVMkdqNuqoMhS4Rbm04qKJzEls8SIDs6wbyc72dO-0w2UHHo32OA1yh_oP7ybrODH9QM0l42z4CKHSBneJ-unfs5sFAdGCYPGPlE_93zwPVLrzQoMk1oUwsyivCr3yjYVxuKqmzc4EPZi6Cpw/s320/20240306%2007%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20drinking%20glass%20with%20blue%20aventurine%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I asked Murano if he's planning to take the class in the fall. He said he wants to. I asked Pumpkin Master if he knows what's going on with the advanced class. The beginner class shows up for Thursday nights, our usual time, with the Colonel as the instructor. There's still no time nor instructor listed for the advanced class. He said, "I think they might do the workshop again."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't know how I feel about that. I like being able to jump into free sessions to work with different people. I also like being able to do whatever I want instead of being assigned to make something that doesn't thrill me. But I really don't want to be the one to try to corral ten students again. And I'm not keen on giving up any more Sundays. It's beautiful out today. I'm going to go on a short, solo bike ride now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9 March 2024, 5:49 p.m.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decided to go straight to the Dean for an answer about the fall. On Monday morning, I sent her an email, thanking her for the workshop and asking her what was going to happen next semester.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was pleasantly surprised when she replied less than an hour later: "There is just one section of glassblowing in the fall. All levels of students are encouraged to enroll." I passed that on to everyone in the workshop and to the absent regulars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All The Glass said he's coming back and asked if I wanted to be his partner again. Yes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Registration for auditors like me has always been something like a week after everyone else gets their chance. I wrote to the registrar to find out when that would be. This time, everyone registers for the fall semester on the same day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had visions of high school, lining up at the rear door of the local department store before sunrise, running through the fine China section to be the first at the Ticketron counter. There are 20 open slots listed for glassblowing. Last fall there were 18 advanced students and 7 beginners.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Midnight, March 25. I set a reminder on my phone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, the fall semester is beginning ridiculously early this time: August 21. The first day of class is the day we clean the classroom and choose our "lab" slots. I'm going to be in Canada. I think it's the day we climb two mountains. I hope it's that day. I don't want to be stressing out about whether or not I get an evening slot the day before I have to climb two mountains. I'm also hoping that I can call in or that All The Glass can be my proxy, and that someone from the workshop will have my back if the Colonel objects. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Monday night, Low Key came in to make up for the Saturday two weeks ago when the glory hole belched fire. She worked with Rose while I attempted a few more tree of life ornaments, this time with two gathers and color. I put two large ones in the annealer and two in the discard bin. For the first one, I used some leftover transparent frit mix I had in a baggie from a flower I made years ago. I used that up and switched to a purple mix that didn't work well at all. It was too opaque. I put a small one in the annealer.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The scrap pink one came out as a witch's ball.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeDDYAXRT0-O5PQwVIFGBG_8maEUrpovdreCSorXpl3qfgFpRaKc_IBlCOqOZwGCurFzhWq8WuuwDyW4jmPH3PGtlaNxDqPyukXxAGc3q6lwJq1XGeU2_9-GyrdScSWg4bbpaI1mkB3A_SI1hZocm5tkSA-t3lLUi8h2GKd4ldHaeM4GZ-1sGAZxILA/s2048/20240306%2008%20large%20tree%20of%20life%20attempt.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeDDYAXRT0-O5PQwVIFGBG_8maEUrpovdreCSorXpl3qfgFpRaKc_IBlCOqOZwGCurFzhWq8WuuwDyW4jmPH3PGtlaNxDqPyukXxAGc3q6lwJq1XGeU2_9-GyrdScSWg4bbpaI1mkB3A_SI1hZocm5tkSA-t3lLUi8h2GKd4ldHaeM4GZ-1sGAZxILA/s320/20240306%2008%20large%20tree%20of%20life%20attempt.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhpWYfiElxOrwJ5Gtzj0nXzSq7WkWiloIdnzM-BexdAqWbARAnmLFfP6-aESEjmo5RScXC_eIrp4rvU_6SsCITi9Eczg8kfBYs_D7NJcgN6jhVlssOBQmwPpIpaH17-i8_gbPJB3U66uGJgUWs1MbdqEFaU1KEvkvTWJdKLoaOIrnXTktVVHNoitKQQ/s2048/20240306%2009%20large%20tree%20of%20life%20attempt.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhpWYfiElxOrwJ5Gtzj0nXzSq7WkWiloIdnzM-BexdAqWbARAnmLFfP6-aESEjmo5RScXC_eIrp4rvU_6SsCITi9Eczg8kfBYs_D7NJcgN6jhVlssOBQmwPpIpaH17-i8_gbPJB3U66uGJgUWs1MbdqEFaU1KEvkvTWJdKLoaOIrnXTktVVHNoitKQQ/s320/20240306%2009%20large%20tree%20of%20life%20attempt.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The large one with purple frit went from the annealer to the waste bucket. The little purple one was at least round, if nothing else.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM45gU_EB2uVUfV6nQLd_OX1IMhz0j3gjURsS1cpKYSzErDf7R8qF71K05fVqx_tQas8keoPMftBdvTJfIsAbl54hicbtN83ckZy5UQ8zYXhVv5F66IwNVzzlC_ZyhMbz6H6p3-dnFV-tmEIAy5h7G4_Q1x_QFc1jngJZcI7iEWaqVKo8ulj79uYVdfw/s2048/20240306%2010%20small%20tree%20of%20life%20attempt.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM45gU_EB2uVUfV6nQLd_OX1IMhz0j3gjURsS1cpKYSzErDf7R8qF71K05fVqx_tQas8keoPMftBdvTJfIsAbl54hicbtN83ckZy5UQ8zYXhVv5F66IwNVzzlC_ZyhMbz6H6p3-dnFV-tmEIAy5h7G4_Q1x_QFc1jngJZcI7iEWaqVKo8ulj79uYVdfw/s320/20240306%2010%20small%20tree%20of%20life%20attempt.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">CP arrived at 6:30. He made a pitcher. Then we got to work on a lip wrap glass from a topaz rod. It wasn't my best work. When I accidentally splashed water on the bottom as I was applying water to the punty to break it off at the end, the bottom cracked. CP carried it to the waste bucket. 20 minutes later, I asked Pumpkin Master if it would be OK to put it in the annealer. "It's still hot," he said. "It should be okay." So I did. I had an idea. On Sunday, I could stand it on the round end in the big furnace and blow into it.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzDmUU2_rzzwWOPM1mjeeIfv60224LFutblSa58r3_L_0ULxJxoqUKItXxTlXSBmpsSIimyJj6mV3t_n6zWNRt74y26A2nMgIUt85gYkEpZG8e2AvK7R6v04MhwbTnwcGbBKMyDGkfu5UpI7x4ZR598LrSE70BiFtEH9OliIKIPKlOmgarmK4AZcHtg/s1275/20240304%2001%20broken%20cup%20in%20annealer.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzDmUU2_rzzwWOPM1mjeeIfv60224LFutblSa58r3_L_0ULxJxoqUKItXxTlXSBmpsSIimyJj6mV3t_n6zWNRt74y26A2nMgIUt85gYkEpZG8e2AvK7R6v04MhwbTnwcGbBKMyDGkfu5UpI7x4ZR598LrSE70BiFtEH9OliIKIPKlOmgarmK4AZcHtg/s320/20240304%2001%20broken%20cup%20in%20annealer.JPEG" width="294" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I tried again, in clear, with a red mix lip wrap that came out thick and brown. My wraps are definitely getting worse.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-o2tRfG0JdvF5umO7ocq6JZES-4xF0NLLHzyAzGPcUU39Sa0a6Vk_XqC0fqsrYoQyNupG-sa3svCKcj8wDcs-j6Dg5DdLEQcAHK2BnrU_-AvzdVskl1-_NW4PxacTervWeYJaQI9DAvAyZMiVF7cbz9138PetqXHCaWIC2YUNu2cMYJX7u5jvjPaTw/s2048/20240306%2013%20drinking%20glass%20with%20red%20mix%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-o2tRfG0JdvF5umO7ocq6JZES-4xF0NLLHzyAzGPcUU39Sa0a6Vk_XqC0fqsrYoQyNupG-sa3svCKcj8wDcs-j6Dg5DdLEQcAHK2BnrU_-AvzdVskl1-_NW4PxacTervWeYJaQI9DAvAyZMiVF7cbz9138PetqXHCaWIC2YUNu2cMYJX7u5jvjPaTw/s320/20240306%2013%20drinking%20glass%20with%20red%20mix%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOEXrEoPwArtyqy713KlSQiwJTcG_58VsTUGyLbP5aSCuFTwEmd9RFl8MBWwm0AAkNKM_jy-cptcG4lsz11flDDi_MINtwutD8m3d1qxZgLyZi5PtA1fRY7SDjNk07rSjyNN-IWBlmlpzMpZOzohKNZda2FL4JdZzGkBBTjadDfp4ZOQJMrT6Jh-ugg/s2048/20240306%2015%20drinking%20glass%20with%20red%20mix%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOEXrEoPwArtyqy713KlSQiwJTcG_58VsTUGyLbP5aSCuFTwEmd9RFl8MBWwm0AAkNKM_jy-cptcG4lsz11flDDi_MINtwutD8m3d1qxZgLyZi5PtA1fRY7SDjNk07rSjyNN-IWBlmlpzMpZOzohKNZda2FL4JdZzGkBBTjadDfp4ZOQJMrT6Jh-ugg/s320/20240306%2015%20drinking%20glass%20with%20red%20mix%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>CP made some hearts. I still had a rod left in the little oven. I picked it up with 20 minutes of class left to go. The color was one I hadn't used in a while. I thought it was Ultramarine, but it was actually Opal Dark Green, a color that I'd bought a while back for threading. I'd used it by itself only once before, and, as I had back then, I lost control of the bubble pretty early. Greens are like that. When we went to break the piece off the pipe, once again I missed with the water. The top, very thin, broke off unevenly. I decided it wasn't worth trimming. Instead, I decided to just spin it out and call it a night.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNien6JS87Az4Tm3aCqQgs99qtKn0u4A56CBcmHmg97nKG6zXmVeRpu4lxqoxB4Jsp1zbeEoDJCk_MC4HiHXpPQTz1Bl3P4mvfZdyUHnwSr1bXnu5PDa7f5l-bdv-VkDuEZWN8jx6kEAwLTxBH9yNEqybGuiVkvy-xaUMfFUJOakxPcAj-SP79Ax7t_g/s2048/20240306%2016%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNien6JS87Az4Tm3aCqQgs99qtKn0u4A56CBcmHmg97nKG6zXmVeRpu4lxqoxB4Jsp1zbeEoDJCk_MC4HiHXpPQTz1Bl3P4mvfZdyUHnwSr1bXnu5PDa7f5l-bdv-VkDuEZWN8jx6kEAwLTxBH9yNEqybGuiVkvy-xaUMfFUJOakxPcAj-SP79Ax7t_g/s320/20240306%2016%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyIShELR9-gQSn7nqIc3Jx9VPHGLEfwOgtgMk_La-T4xsPWskOnGPAeTeShNzT3sDhK9q8_-wXcL55tF2agRk4vvkt9QT2SqXR1IrPsfDGq62uQ6j3zhhE0fyyNjRlfAZTDYWJ9YEq7oWnDXxGfTkXdGfnvgn5mokYK4ZUll6574Ba3qheuiTP2e9WQ/s2048/20240306%2017%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyIShELR9-gQSn7nqIc3Jx9VPHGLEfwOgtgMk_La-T4xsPWskOnGPAeTeShNzT3sDhK9q8_-wXcL55tF2agRk4vvkt9QT2SqXR1IrPsfDGq62uQ6j3zhhE0fyyNjRlfAZTDYWJ9YEq7oWnDXxGfTkXdGfnvgn5mokYK4ZUll6574Ba3qheuiTP2e9WQ/s320/20240306%2017%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When I took it out of the annealer two days later, I spent forever grinding the bottom down so it would sit flat. I'd sand it for a while, set it down to check for wobble, find wobble, pick it up, grind it some more, and see that I'd started a whole new surface. I was reminded of the time Pumpkin Master was running into the same problem with a piece he was grinding. "This thing has more planes than the Philadelphia airport!" Eventually I settled on one, but by this point the bottom was a geometric mess.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, one of the sides had folded in on itself. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FY_0HYIWG9oIhdA6O2JL759hE51uGek5ger39ykp7gQqbPP99mFo8cUjIwnlJCVekln9kmtc-zEJjVt4znKIsDk935_rhMIQTQVPkzKX0KLwgv7LjRMEw4mztqcb06JbK3gAcFVsc_czKccPkrjb13QsXU8r4PhetYDN8Elr-o2zqUGE7YI13675sA/s2048/20240306%2018%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FY_0HYIWG9oIhdA6O2JL759hE51uGek5ger39ykp7gQqbPP99mFo8cUjIwnlJCVekln9kmtc-zEJjVt4znKIsDk935_rhMIQTQVPkzKX0KLwgv7LjRMEw4mztqcb06JbK3gAcFVsc_czKccPkrjb13QsXU8r4PhetYDN8Elr-o2zqUGE7YI13675sA/s320/20240306%2018%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpaZXk2x9sE11oEYjg_XwIrQuSKTiNjDaXj3LBoj68vI2JJdTOhG0N0af8a82weYQFBKQ4BESE2UDFtCRjdl3aOBJ6aBWRkamVa1mOCEB4G2fjPHxaKelnu6-e-NvMTpVeCJ8Oi0NEyvIYvNWmeDr-8cqbikuiQHCv4qbOW-OijU7g_iVdD5E4Jom8w/s2048/20240306%2019%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpaZXk2x9sE11oEYjg_XwIrQuSKTiNjDaXj3LBoj68vI2JJdTOhG0N0af8a82weYQFBKQ4BESE2UDFtCRjdl3aOBJ6aBWRkamVa1mOCEB4G2fjPHxaKelnu6-e-NvMTpVeCJ8Oi0NEyvIYvNWmeDr-8cqbikuiQHCv4qbOW-OijU7g_iVdD5E4Jom8w/s320/20240306%2019%20opal%20dark%20green%20rod%20fail%20floppy%20bowl.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I brought it home. It lasted about ten minutes on the Window Sill of Judgment before I wrapped it up with some Blue Jade rod and packed it into my tool case. I'd use this as a wacky overlay on Sunday.</div><div><br /></div><div>This semester I seem to be reusing a lot of my failures rather than discarding them or trying to explain them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, back to Monday night. The temperature in Sunday's annealer had come down enough for us to take our work home. Usually this takes two days. My guess is that, with so little glass in there to hold the heat, when the oven steps down, the temperature drops more quickly. Pumpkin Master thinks the Colonel adjusted the program so he could take his work home sooner.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I got to see the encalmo piece a day early. I didn't like it. Something about the seam bothered me. On Wednesday morning, I wrapped most of the bottom and top in tape. Using poster putty, I created wavy lines at the boundaries. When I went to pick up Monday's work on Wednesday evening, I used the sand-blaster.</div><div><br /></div><div>I like it better this way. The wavy line doesn't hide the bad seam; it goes along with it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD79hN_ZGCGTImfKXr6wEr45G9K4rb5RXstg5jkNs8ASlyabtKumce0i4WkWZfiNFbGAw3cw5CkLgM39f5HTgcC4FsOGSRcNWdfkRVwv21wCVNHHkm-07Rv8cec13zLjJozeV7k7Jb9kztRuuEKOLNaLS9u6AMkVGfy-K0rSXvpf4NjIpDajtOJAM79Q/s2048/20240306%2001%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold%20sand%20blasted.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD79hN_ZGCGTImfKXr6wEr45G9K4rb5RXstg5jkNs8ASlyabtKumce0i4WkWZfiNFbGAw3cw5CkLgM39f5HTgcC4FsOGSRcNWdfkRVwv21wCVNHHkm-07Rv8cec13zLjJozeV7k7Jb9kztRuuEKOLNaLS9u6AMkVGfy-K0rSXvpf4NjIpDajtOJAM79Q/s320/20240306%2001%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold%20sand%20blasted.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QkZQNrqgvKFTLvEztWJDKC_juIcte5ZL5V5IN6t949Ff9G6CY0Ud5A7KGdHT5xivbIkO0IijgkBiqAUhzX-uQbf6r-SrmWsOAU-ir_DztPqi3GOcUljHUZVOwz0MMM5ux2YD0hlZDyajDGGTBGEIQG38ZOHSwqAT3j9dj29uQwoGV7Ls8Gw-zPXryg/s2048/20240306%2004%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold%20sand%20blasted.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QkZQNrqgvKFTLvEztWJDKC_juIcte5ZL5V5IN6t949Ff9G6CY0Ud5A7KGdHT5xivbIkO0IijgkBiqAUhzX-uQbf6r-SrmWsOAU-ir_DztPqi3GOcUljHUZVOwz0MMM5ux2YD0hlZDyajDGGTBGEIQG38ZOHSwqAT3j9dj29uQwoGV7Ls8Gw-zPXryg/s320/20240306%2004%20first%20encalmo%20from%20discarded%20vase%20in%20discarded%20square%20mold%20sand%20blasted.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Still kind of ugly, but it's my first and maybe only encalmo, so I have to keep it. The pattern reminds me of one of those three-flavor ice cream bricks we used to get at birthday parties.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the lip wrap cups and glasses get their turn at the breakfast table. Right now, I'm using the red one with the blue wrap that I made on Sunday. It doesn't seem to fit in with the crowd on the shelf. It's thick at the top, but the hand feel is decent enough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last night I looked at this semester's shelf. I've taken all the lip wrap cups from last semester and put them with the ones I've made this semester. The older ones are thinner. I wonder how much the temperature of the furnace has to do with that. Excuses, excuses. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The top shelf is all the sculptural stuff the Colonel had us make, plus the Junks in the Trunks. The second shelf is all the vases I made, half of which happened after we found out class would ge canceled. The third shelf is all the lip wraps and the pieces I've made during the workshop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They're so different! I never know what I'll get up to when the semester begins. I never know what the story is going to be. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jfie0A35rt5PE6TpsyopWrEpNUU2ce152n1VOdt9mMr-aFes9EtbXfLmGzcgWGOEv_7128eNyPJdh1ROHgZMstD8lrc8uTR9y2dm7Zwro1AUjVEMpjwvFC-qoyHZyrhIyS8Lb-fNtfTQ64dUdmGW57BCV68XnMSebfZ-l41C1qIjkCEC5icnExf-og/s2048/20240308%2001%20semester%20contrast.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jfie0A35rt5PE6TpsyopWrEpNUU2ce152n1VOdt9mMr-aFes9EtbXfLmGzcgWGOEv_7128eNyPJdh1ROHgZMstD8lrc8uTR9y2dm7Zwro1AUjVEMpjwvFC-qoyHZyrhIyS8Lb-fNtfTQ64dUdmGW57BCV68XnMSebfZ-l41C1qIjkCEC5icnExf-og/s320/20240308%2001%20semester%20contrast.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think last semester's story was "Hurry up and make all the things." This semester's is "I have time. Let's get back to basics." And also, "Reuse failures."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXxq-EXI91ReWTS_K73eP8lF_vVbYU_qYbT6dVv6EfpxwMZTS5G_sdZ0sRFi40mjJ537MAAfLn-J1QZZEwhVAoW4zt8oX_WY3en4dmeleDjzbqaSy19Jga8dYf2adRmVMJvLzWxraHAX0ePz2I28XtBKgbgnRQUh5MXaRHoKoDOIT_7yy_KHcCx-xbA/s2048/20240308%2002%20semester%20contrast.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXxq-EXI91ReWTS_K73eP8lF_vVbYU_qYbT6dVv6EfpxwMZTS5G_sdZ0sRFi40mjJ537MAAfLn-J1QZZEwhVAoW4zt8oX_WY3en4dmeleDjzbqaSy19Jga8dYf2adRmVMJvLzWxraHAX0ePz2I28XtBKgbgnRQUh5MXaRHoKoDOIT_7yy_KHcCx-xbA/s320/20240308%2002%20semester%20contrast.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10 March 2024 2:28 p.m.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried to go to sleep an hour early last night so that I wouldn't lose anything to Daylight Savings Time. I had to wake up before sunrise, which threw me off. I figured I'd be stumbling through class today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sage is still injured. It was just CP and me in the hotshop. We took our time and neither of us sent anything to the floor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I came into the semester unsure about lip wraps and how to get a round opening out of the square mold. I've been practicing both for five weeks now. It was high time I put the two together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today I made two of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoQhGkvlVilxS5JImlCpF-r73NoZDwEicA0Ft0JN6_4wMSIlRLh7vWLriKWcqxYXYxTS1BuS9-y_djOd6lnbpvErf3aqF_PF-QStRkN0INKgDj5TE3MDNNPxkSq66vi3JHHm3Mc4JXBOGEdm1s37JrYJw-qEE_1eIgVStIFzK273oDJG84T38Ty9AYw/s1609/20240310%2001%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1609" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoQhGkvlVilxS5JImlCpF-r73NoZDwEicA0Ft0JN6_4wMSIlRLh7vWLriKWcqxYXYxTS1BuS9-y_djOd6lnbpvErf3aqF_PF-QStRkN0INKgDj5TE3MDNNPxkSq66vi3JHHm3Mc4JXBOGEdm1s37JrYJw-qEE_1eIgVStIFzK273oDJG84T38Ty9AYw/s320/20240310%2001%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap%201.JPEG" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I was hoping for taller, thinner pieces, these will do for my first time out.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOERYkJE43JIelsC0kceXdqbrmA7K_zXOZ-OnYHL3Gd7qZ038SN7JxYh8ZllYRvbpASvjEJGRY9oW1NQCZ60ra15F2E_twUWHJVJqVCihzudLhfPZiMJk3P59qhyphenhyphenYS4YbODfi1P7PHK8AGYAn3yaiDQ_ekvHlhiy-Ux0UxZrZgndU8kGDWbpuqVFuZg/s1682/20240310%2002%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1682" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOERYkJE43JIelsC0kceXdqbrmA7K_zXOZ-OnYHL3Gd7qZ038SN7JxYh8ZllYRvbpASvjEJGRY9oW1NQCZ60ra15F2E_twUWHJVJqVCihzudLhfPZiMJk3P59qhyphenhyphenYS4YbODfi1P7PHK8AGYAn3yaiDQ_ekvHlhiy-Ux0UxZrZgndU8kGDWbpuqVFuZg/s320/20240310%2002%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap%202.JPEG" width="223" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm getting better at bringing CP the right amount of glass for his pitcher handles. He's getting better at bringing me the right amount of glass for lip wraps. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pumpkin Master wandered in. "Did you get the email about the lockers?" he asked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Nope."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apparently, we are all to empty our lockers completely at the end of the semester. "Any locks left, they'll cut off," he said. In the fall, people will have to sign up for lockers, which will be available to all the craftspeople in the building, not just us glassy folks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well that sucks. I won't be here for the first two weeks. I guess that means I'll be dragging my pipes, color, and tools back and forth every week. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took a chunk of Blue Jade rod and went into the big oven to pick up the mess of the green bowl from last week. I let the bowl fold into the rod's bubble in an uneven ruffle. I shaped it a little but left the texture, including little air bubbles from when the bowl's sides collapsed onto the rod. I let the unevenness dictate the top. Rather than fight with it, I let a finger of dark green that was pulling one side up do just that. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEJ_q4TS_Bz1F6JfB8y_ZVNOWKDEw2zoZv8rBIQz1769PAFMn0sp6_CNEyE8kkqNp4b6J0SNzlFV4GSYk1vUobMU0o6hzKNL3Lbp18q07CXasIUQwGy6s4vIAlI_OWXHFBvK0yI8njBTb11YPey65DiCrlrAs5Beti7zz1vAzglg5McECh2u5muRROw/s1876/20240310%2004%20placeholder%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20reworked%20with%20blue%20jade.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1876" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEJ_q4TS_Bz1F6JfB8y_ZVNOWKDEw2zoZv8rBIQz1769PAFMn0sp6_CNEyE8kkqNp4b6J0SNzlFV4GSYk1vUobMU0o6hzKNL3Lbp18q07CXasIUQwGy6s4vIAlI_OWXHFBvK0yI8njBTb11YPey65DiCrlrAs5Beti7zz1vAzglg5McECh2u5muRROw/s320/20240310%2004%20placeholder%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20reworked%20with%20blue%20jade.JPEG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">CP made one of his nifty random melty sculptural pieces. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found Pumpkin Master in the hallway. "If you want to forward me the email, I'll send it to everyone."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Nah," he said. "I want to find out for sure what's going on first. These lockers were brought here specifically for the glassblowers. They've been customized." Mine isn't, but others have built-in shelves to hold rod and frit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Maybe they can provide a place in the classroom for our pipes," I suggested. "I don't want to be hauling my pipes around."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Me neither," he said. "I'm gonna talk to them."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I went back into the big oven to pull out the top of the cracked cup from last week. I used white frit, which ended up being much more malleable than I expeced it to be. I got a very long, thin bubble to go inside the cup. It was so thin that I was losing the round shape. I dunked it into the square mold, which, fortunately, I hadn't put away. We stuck a lip wrap on it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbzUVzJSaP94Vz1ondqY-W0sNjLceBborXF70zrzmjFMNUfgwxBKx9uZs_qbzCBGHy5NyoqWTznvv5N0JNSV1_zUzQ8ypeIH3xK54bYls4zG-BeZQRjvWDacpZ5ckVR4vDj8NwAQwV9yTG2iKBOdcuhQhAbqtArI8L_78NiH1OXaC82IcPJHLtWHXsw/s2078/20240310%2005%20placeholder%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20reworked%20with%20enamel%20white%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2078" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbzUVzJSaP94Vz1ondqY-W0sNjLceBborXF70zrzmjFMNUfgwxBKx9uZs_qbzCBGHy5NyoqWTznvv5N0JNSV1_zUzQ8ypeIH3xK54bYls4zG-BeZQRjvWDacpZ5ckVR4vDj8NwAQwV9yTG2iKBOdcuhQhAbqtArI8L_78NiH1OXaC82IcPJHLtWHXsw/s320/20240310%2005%20placeholder%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20reworked%20with%20enamel%20white%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I invited CP to come back tomorrow night so we can work together again and leave Rose to her pumpkins. She made seven last week. She says her record is fourteen in one session.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">14 March 2024, 8:30 p.m.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The annealer we use on Sundays comes down fast. I was able to see Sunday's work on Monday evening. Now that we've leaped forward an hour, there's sunlight enough to snap some photos outside before class begins.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The lip-wrapped square mold cups look like mason jars. Full of water, they have a decent hand feel, even though they're heavy.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-OWUALPpiryWCzmSXKp98TIPOMe4yBN5KjG3GeuiKheg-m69dJWfyxmzN1BIffhNWKGUMnW0rIbod_jHmTu3wrI67tpHa8Ql9S3TBf9lxZKUdDMANYnmkXGKeD6t6t6dMqTk1kHbqibA4MtaW_3tr5sYbbuIWaEy_ivuIlEDFpD5HUXqagfr9Oqclw/s2048/20240311%2003%20square%20mold%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap%20cups.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-OWUALPpiryWCzmSXKp98TIPOMe4yBN5KjG3GeuiKheg-m69dJWfyxmzN1BIffhNWKGUMnW0rIbod_jHmTu3wrI67tpHa8Ql9S3TBf9lxZKUdDMANYnmkXGKeD6t6t6dMqTk1kHbqibA4MtaW_3tr5sYbbuIWaEy_ivuIlEDFpD5HUXqagfr9Oqclw/s320/20240311%2003%20square%20mold%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap%20cups.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The broken cup rescue came out kinda fun.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwXDRvPrRXXYUXt3OnR7b6uZcw7z5KN5V_S2RBbv7BRfU7Qm1ySnERua6v3FyIQ5KYvw50lIIIYzNtJAZMNMDRosHGVEXTIooyndB6FReWpFW64xyRZW73328hQU99_N3umDh29KncsEK-kgyv9EoTPOwh9RngC0xXp7M89VRjjLLs32jf-00CnNvXA/s2048/20240311%2005%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwXDRvPrRXXYUXt3OnR7b6uZcw7z5KN5V_S2RBbv7BRfU7Qm1ySnERua6v3FyIQ5KYvw50lIIIYzNtJAZMNMDRosHGVEXTIooyndB6FReWpFW64xyRZW73328hQU99_N3umDh29KncsEK-kgyv9EoTPOwh9RngC0xXp7M89VRjjLLs32jf-00CnNvXA/s320/20240311%2005%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRE75zCwng3nouJeahnu0YyVtSJx-xgq648nSQ_TVTeSdCwoTM6QSjUW3M87ogVEdb13XkyjS6kKKUkLj9TC3WhKWzo0PibCIVOc24s-ZjNQGhciX-35bZx0yahV_Ra5IQGxdpW0DjMDD_2e7e0ILhRRoSG-7Oee_q1CCe-_hyVFN_Fnq7dAP8U6WZQ/s2048/20240311%2006%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRE75zCwng3nouJeahnu0YyVtSJx-xgq648nSQ_TVTeSdCwoTM6QSjUW3M87ogVEdb13XkyjS6kKKUkLj9TC3WhKWzo0PibCIVOc24s-ZjNQGhciX-35bZx0yahV_Ra5IQGxdpW0DjMDD_2e7e0ILhRRoSG-7Oee_q1CCe-_hyVFN_Fnq7dAP8U6WZQ/s320/20240311%2006%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMUP7w1LMMwJdsKpieY-lTKozE6SoBuFdMWJ3Yjn0_NIVqR2TIqlHxSNi3immQSablws_DOWJXR4FMW5dr60rFJHz2lydFKBmXrBACU1ZFgTGQnu7eXU1Ii1TODLDRyrpyBolGMHk3VQ_qFTvfa8CmA2KAO3El3d1ao1WV8OQgOrg9K_CA-rgXKyUMg/s2048/20240311%2007%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMUP7w1LMMwJdsKpieY-lTKozE6SoBuFdMWJ3Yjn0_NIVqR2TIqlHxSNi3immQSablws_DOWJXR4FMW5dr60rFJHz2lydFKBmXrBACU1ZFgTGQnu7eXU1Ii1TODLDRyrpyBolGMHk3VQ_qFTvfa8CmA2KAO3El3d1ao1WV8OQgOrg9K_CA-rgXKyUMg/s320/20240311%2007%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJyOoSD11C3_0V1-e8PH1bji881KwS5nyUL5BqqIiN2XB9kmoMEBII5q3LFHwK8yFJMWr6_6ZoQ78zkByzFhnSNQkdX1RkQ-CfQ88_vhHN9xfPJGZJwCNN7E2mYTrKQEk4xRDdgV2bw7FsDWRAqO_AS1cZ1M4NPJqZJ-ds_rxQny3f2r2zrFMjImB8A/s2048/20240311%2008%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJyOoSD11C3_0V1-e8PH1bji881KwS5nyUL5BqqIiN2XB9kmoMEBII5q3LFHwK8yFJMWr6_6ZoQ78zkByzFhnSNQkdX1RkQ-CfQ88_vhHN9xfPJGZJwCNN7E2mYTrKQEk4xRDdgV2bw7FsDWRAqO_AS1cZ1M4NPJqZJ-ds_rxQny3f2r2zrFMjImB8A/s320/20240311%2008%20gold%20topaz%20broken%20cup%20wtih%20enamel%20white%20bubble%20and%20gold%20topaz%20lip%20wrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The collapsed floppy bowl experiment, not so much. There's a lot of texture to it, which I like. I think I don't like the dark green color, which translates to me not really liking the piece as a whole.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy99AZ0egqRrLUWrr4RlQKoit8R7SjACcz7vsiShqaBAcCK7rxYJ9Dp8dOVMtgdPcwgyaUbJ5h7YsK4WaPcqlBNaSgYgOwillXkisb36vrXalRy5dObTFy8Tzu3ogRjKxdTGNcwSSeQlyZ_Rz9au3QmgEJ109jkCGXBg77O2qfS3kHzovwnlpH7C_Pg/s2048/20240311%2009%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy99AZ0egqRrLUWrr4RlQKoit8R7SjACcz7vsiShqaBAcCK7rxYJ9Dp8dOVMtgdPcwgyaUbJ5h7YsK4WaPcqlBNaSgYgOwillXkisb36vrXalRy5dObTFy8Tzu3ogRjKxdTGNcwSSeQlyZ_Rz9au3QmgEJ109jkCGXBg77O2qfS3kHzovwnlpH7C_Pg/s320/20240311%2009%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uQc9Yu-99gbdRpT3SDpewgKcNfUBZH9InaMNowVbVeqvZ8zdbhWTPmH0Zg5iElMIU7q_b1QcOikF2DwaeV8Kdlbx5G_uCI9QMQFF4_0YbOFIHyqOOOg8oy7TIXkJOI8KNiJNMLBhdWW26lKWuesgbk6_bLJrOls6x87gf9dBHGoNw6JJZgIeF51_OA/s2048/20240311%2010%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uQc9Yu-99gbdRpT3SDpewgKcNfUBZH9InaMNowVbVeqvZ8zdbhWTPmH0Zg5iElMIU7q_b1QcOikF2DwaeV8Kdlbx5G_uCI9QMQFF4_0YbOFIHyqOOOg8oy7TIXkJOI8KNiJNMLBhdWW26lKWuesgbk6_bLJrOls6x87gf9dBHGoNw6JJZgIeF51_OA/s320/20240311%2010%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdX7YsRzyii3FPTntPzHAIBdgShqggQiXMEcUKAJ_zxEBvVopH4jhT03JZi3U0Br_od2CbTox5EgVw0iDtsifq7DQo0UoG53I6ue80VM-nyZf1G__WwrBlQWXmd8ilxHM6cmi6KbAYQq3rExFn98hXFeAXQJlbPZyaoAalrUbj2DNHuud-YSFRsqMjUw/s2048/20240311%2011%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdX7YsRzyii3FPTntPzHAIBdgShqggQiXMEcUKAJ_zxEBvVopH4jhT03JZi3U0Br_od2CbTox5EgVw0iDtsifq7DQo0UoG53I6ue80VM-nyZf1G__WwrBlQWXmd8ilxHM6cmi6KbAYQq3rExFn98hXFeAXQJlbPZyaoAalrUbj2DNHuud-YSFRsqMjUw/s320/20240311%2011%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpPa80qv1n1c_VlFat2ge0FXGO9JDUVT44qBVzszxkQHlDMxiiHCuGXRxVWSyJxiD7mXkr8Qx8j6Qq_ly6Dno7WSieESFUGeA03n9qQ4-nsNyyPDR6l9c3Gd3Jttj9kt50SZ9WuRjyodkLAqjXuUEc4KwBkjXt8-MuXbmd2wee9dZyshxhLsWUzF2Nw/s2048/20240311%2012%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpPa80qv1n1c_VlFat2ge0FXGO9JDUVT44qBVzszxkQHlDMxiiHCuGXRxVWSyJxiD7mXkr8Qx8j6Qq_ly6Dno7WSieESFUGeA03n9qQ4-nsNyyPDR6l9c3Gd3Jttj9kt50SZ9WuRjyodkLAqjXuUEc4KwBkjXt8-MuXbmd2wee9dZyshxhLsWUzF2Nw/s320/20240311%2012%20opal%20dark%20green%20floppy%20bowl%20fail%20melted%20onto%20blue%20jade%20bubble.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">CP got held up at work, so I had to pull Rose away from her pumpkins to help me put lip wraps on cups. I'd rolled the first gather over the bed of nails, which is my favorite classroom toy. It's been a while since I've used it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first one I made was tall. When I went to fire-polish the punty after breakoff, the bottom cracked. I put it in the annealer anyway. I tried again. This time I didn't even fire-polish the bottom and it still cracked. I put that one away too.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWy-UpdYdGOnp4aInUJ8HnR85v8p1L_YSM4mVhEcxUNQ5RAyfJh20a8I7iSCN4jBbWHjwXxKuIWODyUAZZxyBf3P-vSqIE3VwqXuS9mqZ_R2O9iS96UIVP2i4myejCi5MnfT7XPfHxNDroxghrIy3FDCaaib-jXJiMXKYqYizMnXR0dfG8nXdO-E7DA/s2048/20240313%2001%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20cracked%20drinking%20glasses.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWy-UpdYdGOnp4aInUJ8HnR85v8p1L_YSM4mVhEcxUNQ5RAyfJh20a8I7iSCN4jBbWHjwXxKuIWODyUAZZxyBf3P-vSqIE3VwqXuS9mqZ_R2O9iS96UIVP2i4myejCi5MnfT7XPfHxNDroxghrIy3FDCaaib-jXJiMXKYqYizMnXR0dfG8nXdO-E7DA/s320/20240313%2001%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20cracked%20drinking%20glasses.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The second one cracked so badly that I discarded it when it came out of the annealer. I filled the taller one with scraps. I'll put it in the big oven on Sunday and hope it stays together long enough for me to blow a supporting bubble into it and melt it again.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlHpA73pneU5MvL-SkUMoYcbYZyneL9Ypwf0_4ja_BKEx7icTSuG7n46RBHToeAk77wmqD1UqNgO_omV3isFW6lrr-baupWDqxnq6RZP-wz456Q4MyslpUFdv3ksGpDKjCbU89L1BFd-QrSuncmekxkda99b9k_eG5b8xXoN8Y4BIhqFt9QVrvx8oyg/s2048/20240313%2002%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20cracked%20drinking%20glass.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlHpA73pneU5MvL-SkUMoYcbYZyneL9Ypwf0_4ja_BKEx7icTSuG7n46RBHToeAk77wmqD1UqNgO_omV3isFW6lrr-baupWDqxnq6RZP-wz456Q4MyslpUFdv3ksGpDKjCbU89L1BFd-QrSuncmekxkda99b9k_eG5b8xXoN8Y4BIhqFt9QVrvx8oyg/s320/20240313%2002%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20cracked%20drinking%20glass.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The third time, my jack line was bad and it broke off the pipe unevenly. We put a wrap on it anyway because I didn't want to distort the bubbles by pulling on the top. Instead, I resorted to one of the tricks I use when things go wrong late in the game: I spun it out. The bottom of this one stayed intact.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh1a5ecB19JHaWy85vf_EFIBC8v5e8Okw5tLjpwR69oODGMYKLvr4ZGdA94Co8A1OjBQk_ZATThP7okTrGStObUVBiL6Z3I1R5ODYqdOa4rF6roJz6XgyxhR0ACL_IKo3OxirtRVMZWFdZ17lhCRVvzncYTvi8WYZ2Z5F2DO6rz17dkxAJ4gYz77X5w/s2048/20240313%2004%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20floppy%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh1a5ecB19JHaWy85vf_EFIBC8v5e8Okw5tLjpwR69oODGMYKLvr4ZGdA94Co8A1OjBQk_ZATThP7okTrGStObUVBiL6Z3I1R5ODYqdOa4rF6roJz6XgyxhR0ACL_IKo3OxirtRVMZWFdZ17lhCRVvzncYTvi8WYZ2Z5F2DO6rz17dkxAJ4gYz77X5w/s320/20240313%2004%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20floppy%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjfWvcDCiBbOt0PHn_IyW6uBoxAa0tfXxEnKnQx4Xbh9SYUQo00_Rq-D2FHE0Unp8q_4ffG4_IoZ7pQKHSmjyde1Ac2iV3ogynUfiEO-G3gfxo-OMEyMHG6Fkj5ALXpsLLSTnl2KWkq3d8SSaMNuswd0dENgmitBqvBHXJKssVcYzMevfdrGjMCRQcw/s2048/20240313%2005%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20floppy%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjfWvcDCiBbOt0PHn_IyW6uBoxAa0tfXxEnKnQx4Xbh9SYUQo00_Rq-D2FHE0Unp8q_4ffG4_IoZ7pQKHSmjyde1Ac2iV3ogynUfiEO-G3gfxo-OMEyMHG6Fkj5ALXpsLLSTnl2KWkq3d8SSaMNuswd0dENgmitBqvBHXJKssVcYzMevfdrGjMCRQcw/s320/20240313%2005%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20floppy%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqce66Ul6pe3nAizUhhvdoea9_sMGkD-pwSA1efy201lLbErmXef5PdUfWFidTVgwKyInKeZRHzXvI3gwNBIYiOoV8hsIG-lsmaJKU5mzyJeiguWBqqpoO0TwgxpU2B2uH18INqpK9utaRN8w_v-drAjM3bl-yjiPCpZLaz3619bZ3A-t3ulNkg9sWUw/s2048/20240313%2006%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20floppy%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqce66Ul6pe3nAizUhhvdoea9_sMGkD-pwSA1efy201lLbErmXef5PdUfWFidTVgwKyInKeZRHzXvI3gwNBIYiOoV8hsIG-lsmaJKU5mzyJeiguWBqqpoO0TwgxpU2B2uH18INqpK9utaRN8w_v-drAjM3bl-yjiPCpZLaz3619bZ3A-t3ulNkg9sWUw/s320/20240313%2006%20bed%20of%20nails%20with%20aqua%20metallic%20lip%20wrap%20floppy%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I go through phases like that. For a while, I couldn't center a piece on a punty to save my life. Then there was the stretch of time when my stuff would fall to the floor at various times. Monday was bad punty day, apparently. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got into a rhythm. For every piece I was working on, Rose could crank out two pumpkins before I'd need her help. When I was finished, she'd be most of the way through another one, so I'd give her a hand at the final step.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last week, she gave me and CP a bunch of color rods. She says she likes frit and not rods. I hear that. It's taken me a lot of time to get used to rods, and I'm still a little wary of them. But last week I took a chunk of what looked like a transparent red. I'm a sucker for a transparent red.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I picked up that rod on Monday, gathered over it, rolled it over the bed of nails, gathered more glass, and found myself with a too-big blob on the end of my pipe. I can work big if I have to; I prefer not to. As things go, this wasn't all that big. I managed to stay in the 8 block (which, admittedly, is so burned out that it's closer to a 10). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got a decent shape out of it. I thought the lip was too thick, though, so I started in on pulling and trimming. I'm nowhere near good at that, especially when the piece is so hot I have to keep pulling my hand away while I'm trimming. It didn't go well, so I resorted to another of my bad-ending defaults: flare the top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I put it away, I was sure I'd want to saw that top right off the minute it came out of the annealer. It turned out not to be as bad as all that. It has three good sides anyway.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegjZGAkr6D2dIu75oj_AajpOS76wH1i6bwzim70iJVp8qT5d-S-A_diUmu6J4Kb8trUj0gjhPhnbcw8lhE44JnFSp7XxTtc2DejYET4wGj8mWZUps373Hofw_NypWOC6sJw3FGpC5SbJUEHlpTteQzfbFGHao-JCGnCl7x8RHsSEst_M55kEVorJHbA/s2048/20240313%2008%20bed%20of%20nails%20Pinky's%20garnet%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegjZGAkr6D2dIu75oj_AajpOS76wH1i6bwzim70iJVp8qT5d-S-A_diUmu6J4Kb8trUj0gjhPhnbcw8lhE44JnFSp7XxTtc2DejYET4wGj8mWZUps373Hofw_NypWOC6sJw3FGpC5SbJUEHlpTteQzfbFGHao-JCGnCl7x8RHsSEst_M55kEVorJHbA/s320/20240313%2008%20bed%20of%20nails%20Pinky's%20garnet%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the bubbles survived all that pulling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00Jponv2TBliDm3wFPq3LIkqXs_IG8IdB1oBxTvsDoX7Phx772I4MyJ77G-GuGXO2MNolH5Xfdv8MQ1zJG4LU_IVjNDM8Kb-yYIX1wcUxWKX2s15ZDMYXrt2720ieA73FBPi0GEEo5-13sChX6qsczSVITCVg9cVqVu646AZ4R_u88eguXj4am1EzZA/s2048/20240314%2001%20bed%20of%20nails%20Pinky's%20garnet%20vase.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00Jponv2TBliDm3wFPq3LIkqXs_IG8IdB1oBxTvsDoX7Phx772I4MyJ77G-GuGXO2MNolH5Xfdv8MQ1zJG4LU_IVjNDM8Kb-yYIX1wcUxWKX2s15ZDMYXrt2720ieA73FBPi0GEEo5-13sChX6qsczSVITCVg9cVqVu646AZ4R_u88eguXj4am1EzZA/s320/20240314%2001%20bed%20of%20nails%20Pinky's%20garnet%20vase.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm trying to use some of the rods that I hadn't bothered with in a while. Back when I was feathering all the time, I bought some dark colors. One was that awful opal green. Another was "Ultramarine." I put a slice of that in the little oven and attempted to make a long-neck vase out of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Monday was one of those nights where nothing was going to plan yet it was all in the annealer anyway. The streak continued when I neglected to open the narrow lip in time, nearly melting the top closed. In my rescue attempt, I shortened and thickened the neck into an off-center lump. I stared at it for a minute, then pulled on one end, creating an exaggerated pitcher lip.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"What this thing needs," I said to myself, "is a handle." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just then, Pumpkin Master wandered in. Perfect. "Can you bring me a bit for a handle?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I should say, at this point, that the last time I tried to make handles was a year ago. It didn't go particularly well and I lost interest. This semester, I've been watching CP make handle after handle for his idiosyncratic pitchers. I keep saying I'll give it a go myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, Pumpkin Master brought me a perfect bit, and he gave me some hints as I dropped it onto the lower half of the pitcher. I let it get a little too cold, so the attachment wasn't great, and I wasn't sure I wanted to fight with it to shape it any better than it was. The pitcher was tiny and sort of cute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mZScGhdFnX17-9kCCr5btDTes-lDr9FYBnIw1Z06lX0dhsQFXW3sdaV37wTK1J2m6GHkyF4K-EPFHAKXrke535o6rw29SytDAp2hEYyL8cH6yf_qzPN9t6ptpptYYfVqJWPubvLypM51C7K-rINakH-YHADw04p2ea-uRjGjumlwOzMladOY9BSP5w/s2048/20240313%2010%20ultramarine%20long-neck%20vase%20fail%20pitcher%20with%20handle%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mZScGhdFnX17-9kCCr5btDTes-lDr9FYBnIw1Z06lX0dhsQFXW3sdaV37wTK1J2m6GHkyF4K-EPFHAKXrke535o6rw29SytDAp2hEYyL8cH6yf_qzPN9t6ptpptYYfVqJWPubvLypM51C7K-rINakH-YHADw04p2ea-uRjGjumlwOzMladOY9BSP5w/s320/20240313%2010%20ultramarine%20long-neck%20vase%20fail%20pitcher%20with%20handle%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not until I went to put it away did I notice that the handle wasn't aligned with the opposite side of the pitcher lip. Seriously? I was standing right on top of it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOR-HM3zR3k06Y6o8sD7HIQHDtAbHZvMsb65-P7wI1iqrZju_cwg9ZcwTaGWCgtVKzDg0sHkVGpjEd_43dn1IYwQIEBxOsT3MDEd2S_8Fwgkv36IipiI20ukSzn9VWXQysQQkQiinXBRPgFRxjpY3CSYzcgH7L5snB9Yq53SBFAghlnYkR1GwMRyb9A/s2048/20240313%2011%20ultramarine%20long-neck%20vase%20fail%20pitcher%20with%20handle%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOR-HM3zR3k06Y6o8sD7HIQHDtAbHZvMsb65-P7wI1iqrZju_cwg9ZcwTaGWCgtVKzDg0sHkVGpjEd_43dn1IYwQIEBxOsT3MDEd2S_8Fwgkv36IipiI20ukSzn9VWXQysQQkQiinXBRPgFRxjpY3CSYzcgH7L5snB9Yq53SBFAghlnYkR1GwMRyb9A/s320/20240313%2011%20ultramarine%20long-neck%20vase%20fail%20pitcher%20with%20handle%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Derp.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreOhawOAfH5JVWgQkXjGpC0h5mCLuzniAhb-1ofK5UYhr6zxzlptTJ5TSs6sS8dyfUa19AVDsLNzqZdHaF8qh4_LnpW98ZAog_Arz2r0Vx7eFm99q2w_JoIxdjgoa-OFmdYB2_N89XlUAxjntke5Kedc1ursedusm4ABNuaKN_hbjwtlDcMoCMAaTzQ/s2048/20240313%2014%20ultramarine%20long-neck%20vase%20fail%20pitcher%20with%20handle%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreOhawOAfH5JVWgQkXjGpC0h5mCLuzniAhb-1ofK5UYhr6zxzlptTJ5TSs6sS8dyfUa19AVDsLNzqZdHaF8qh4_LnpW98ZAog_Arz2r0Vx7eFm99q2w_JoIxdjgoa-OFmdYB2_N89XlUAxjntke5Kedc1ursedusm4ABNuaKN_hbjwtlDcMoCMAaTzQ/s320/20240313%2014%20ultramarine%20long-neck%20vase%20fail%20pitcher%20with%20handle%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With about 15 minutes to go, I figured I could bang out another long-neck vase. Rose offered me a frit mix called "Jewel." I rolled the gather over the bed of nails.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then managed to get the bubble stuck halfway down the neck. This is a shape I've made dozens of times now. What was wrong with me?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I refused to toss the piece. Instead, I gave myself a lesson on heat management. Keep the bottom cool, keep the very top cool, heat the neck, blow hard, move the bubble down bit by bit, now keep the whole neck cool and heat the crap out of the bottom...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rose watched me from her bench. She'd already made 11 pumpkins, cleaned up, and was ready to leave. I narrated what was going on. She didn't seem interested.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Got it!" I said, with about three minutes of class time left to go. The shape was a little off, with a ring of glass where the bubble finally broke through to the bottom. The top was a little off-center too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1BMH1MCUrp9Iz5IdbrmeHMtZvKRMqStDmkKNswVYI7qbykVnpDdOUZdtzD7ExV3b_So7PnMreyhbjIBziflbbaf2p4axUov_JEaQl7qlp-p4iLevbPm0LkikNxHQMfxYGmxZCjzIuWaoMqvm7GziHcJizT9IeqRp1oBvGmydqrcbcYmY-BsoFMMGWQ/s2048/20240313%2016%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1BMH1MCUrp9Iz5IdbrmeHMtZvKRMqStDmkKNswVYI7qbykVnpDdOUZdtzD7ExV3b_So7PnMreyhbjIBziflbbaf2p4axUov_JEaQl7qlp-p4iLevbPm0LkikNxHQMfxYGmxZCjzIuWaoMqvm7GziHcJizT9IeqRp1oBvGmydqrcbcYmY-BsoFMMGWQ/s320/20240313%2016%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_7MgJKii-ixwVyOUyfJnzOBEYoRMFnGGGVnl2WEz6LkjVSBI3KGvB4wzKOc0XddVWjEfdpw4_ATdN3Ro4bDRlsgNBjKdjOhY5KxByRNDyc4cBEv-4pXvhJGpaHBvrZybpRND0dbQTOPuD5KsiWVWJVJtyAHjYKuwI584wsVwj5FvLeNJ2mtyoKTpEw/s2048/20240313%2017%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_7MgJKii-ixwVyOUyfJnzOBEYoRMFnGGGVnl2WEz6LkjVSBI3KGvB4wzKOc0XddVWjEfdpw4_ATdN3Ro4bDRlsgNBjKdjOhY5KxByRNDyc4cBEv-4pXvhJGpaHBvrZybpRND0dbQTOPuD5KsiWVWJVJtyAHjYKuwI584wsVwj5FvLeNJ2mtyoKTpEw/s320/20240313%2017%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a perfect candidate for a spot on Saint Miscellaneous. Rose mentioned that this frit looks good on a white background. Maybe I can use it again that way, with a sparser coat of color over a layer of white frit. Or white rod. I need the practice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVl66Ro3pGIb71GySamP-ZDI2h4RYL_ZWBsozoSSnatMoCQA1evj6QHUNEvd3IMyqAUqjljYwIGe_wVXxgPx3tk2zLgm2G66gcHMJ1UYFUydE31H0cfkvOFLBZoY-z6XQYwOd6DUD6gGMuILkpeL0bymSxirSU99pczuCvggI5zOWflfUui83-Kf-CQ/s606/20240313%2018%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase%20on%20St%20Miscellaneous%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="451" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVl66Ro3pGIb71GySamP-ZDI2h4RYL_ZWBsozoSSnatMoCQA1evj6QHUNEvd3IMyqAUqjljYwIGe_wVXxgPx3tk2zLgm2G66gcHMJ1UYFUydE31H0cfkvOFLBZoY-z6XQYwOd6DUD6gGMuILkpeL0bymSxirSU99pczuCvggI5zOWflfUui83-Kf-CQ/s320/20240313%2018%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase%20on%20St%20Miscellaneous%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydJGhrnYZ20J5tJ74os-O_S9K8l92zIdbZp6el3_Jvly_c85ZSVHtYJWouT9S4oRtxcMmzrVxJSRjpcoSx2DHExxu45PxfFUPaDNieQqBnd8DPwbMLSzLDTTA2HkA9srYTgfJYY6smP1StZE2KW-8qWG4VikU3Gb2glRYu9wTR09sbTcgRsgFGRJe-Q/s2048/20240313%2018%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase%20on%20St%20Miscellaneous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydJGhrnYZ20J5tJ74os-O_S9K8l92zIdbZp6el3_Jvly_c85ZSVHtYJWouT9S4oRtxcMmzrVxJSRjpcoSx2DHExxu45PxfFUPaDNieQqBnd8DPwbMLSzLDTTA2HkA9srYTgfJYY6smP1StZE2KW-8qWG4VikU3Gb2glRYu9wTR09sbTcgRsgFGRJe-Q/s320/20240313%2018%20Pinky's%20jewel%20mix%20long-neck%20vase%20on%20St%20Miscellaneous.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This afternoon, All The Glass got a response from his Right to Know request. We now have propane costs for the past three academic years, before and after the Colonel arrived. Long story short, it doesn't add up, but geez, running a glassblowing classroom is expensive!</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-42437873473179678272024-03-09T17:03:00.002-05:002024-03-09T17:03:27.799-05:00Off Script<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHzVTDxsjRKpkN0DyUZ1s4r0es59C7GK-X7CJxjIm-5eRdoKeFTz_J1YEStUd4I7QD3Det-A6LBQ72u8d0DKLkOOhNuEbWXWXT9f4Z9wVCjv6zCvLip8KQj8FCzZcT9mAVzUPXSVG51GeUHmZiRIhxomdx9pTC_gBnjKmZqEGLhJ51D0agydLr3-rsw/s5184/20240309%2006%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHzVTDxsjRKpkN0DyUZ1s4r0es59C7GK-X7CJxjIm-5eRdoKeFTz_J1YEStUd4I7QD3Det-A6LBQ72u8d0DKLkOOhNuEbWXWXT9f4Z9wVCjv6zCvLip8KQj8FCzZcT9mAVzUPXSVG51GeUHmZiRIhxomdx9pTC_gBnjKmZqEGLhJ51D0agydLr3-rsw/s320/20240309%2006%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hendrickson Farm, Lawrenceville</span></div><p><br /></p><p>9 March 2024</p><p>Unable to ride on Sundays for the next 8 weeks, I'm hell-bent on getting something in on Saturdays, no matter how short.</p><p>With a flood-warning rainstorm predicted, I didn't want to list a ride only to have to cancel it later, so I contacted a handful of regulars for an off-the-books ride. The goal was to do a relatively short route from Pennington that would take us for a quick visit up in the Sourland Mountain, and to get back to the start before noon, when the rain was predicted to start.</p><p>I had three takers: Our Jeff, Heddy, and Blob. I rode in to meet them at Twin Pines.</p><p>The Hendrickson Farm cattle herd was grazing by the stream next to Van Kirk Road, so we stopped to admire their headgear.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YB8fc6xIFvk_0J8jdYHSZyTO3aU7Qlm_dYQtpE2m2o-NjCEHXMPFHMhuX-F74Ty1Uiy3gr7sBZsh2ZygUKykZZlQZ8l2W4C2gCqHa4RVU_CGNxjn_DoBxHu7oC4ZKF7HwA5SVPFk-qCA3dzGnCN_0kRye_hEBFDZjX06pTCqX4L-kqthffQaYsVXhQ/s5184/20240309%2001%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YB8fc6xIFvk_0J8jdYHSZyTO3aU7Qlm_dYQtpE2m2o-NjCEHXMPFHMhuX-F74Ty1Uiy3gr7sBZsh2ZygUKykZZlQZ8l2W4C2gCqHa4RVU_CGNxjn_DoBxHu7oC4ZKF7HwA5SVPFk-qCA3dzGnCN_0kRye_hEBFDZjX06pTCqX4L-kqthffQaYsVXhQ/s320/20240309%2001%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGp2matZIGVXyDNhUN3WT93yeIG4PY3TntLANbuzHoOTFl2ZsAsxC-uHGF1d-O0N0Pr1hNK67GuFROcI-EvCw5TUxZ7OKRJeHpFlBZHQJ5YRzG0XqWW4hsd50ZAiQLxnwIJMwo0EGWOOJBrZJj2RzWTOUnNTzK25PZPwE-QwjOyElKON4J7kehol8lA/s5184/20240309%2002%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGp2matZIGVXyDNhUN3WT93yeIG4PY3TntLANbuzHoOTFl2ZsAsxC-uHGF1d-O0N0Pr1hNK67GuFROcI-EvCw5TUxZ7OKRJeHpFlBZHQJ5YRzG0XqWW4hsd50ZAiQLxnwIJMwo0EGWOOJBrZJj2RzWTOUnNTzK25PZPwE-QwjOyElKON4J7kehol8lA/s320/20240309%2002%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnbiHJXk4ZSJvODJ4Pu6hWLD0Ht79V0m-l9x19jA5zHHpA5LcXPyLKbkyRuywyRWrZmyVzaK3w-An8FtEGacp6Xb7wyjYR4Dja4DL8mvlxQGZdtZHTw5ASr84ZnbAS_CZk0Rk5Mz2AT8MVMYvGpfNSaithu2auYAWgU3k7mx80fub5SCTUoUtD40V8w/s5184/20240309%2003%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnbiHJXk4ZSJvODJ4Pu6hWLD0Ht79V0m-l9x19jA5zHHpA5LcXPyLKbkyRuywyRWrZmyVzaK3w-An8FtEGacp6Xb7wyjYR4Dja4DL8mvlxQGZdtZHTw5ASr84ZnbAS_CZk0Rk5Mz2AT8MVMYvGpfNSaithu2auYAWgU3k7mx80fub5SCTUoUtD40V8w/s320/20240309%2003%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e8qMWglfrCl6imVtOX3kP7S_aMap9wjjB3D8MElafuR8fuEVLSbXipJ7qd8bl8BLMjg0erCrBpoXDB62xKMQ30TJIuWPKsGrxhsF2vLVOeReSRXnWZA0duBstxTBlzdGB50KgmsPF7ZaTNNzrPorBAyvcMYwZVusA12xy7MA1hv-yb03W_ToaaYvdA/s5184/20240309%2004%20Jeff%20and%20Bob%20and%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e8qMWglfrCl6imVtOX3kP7S_aMap9wjjB3D8MElafuR8fuEVLSbXipJ7qd8bl8BLMjg0erCrBpoXDB62xKMQ30TJIuWPKsGrxhsF2vLVOeReSRXnWZA0duBstxTBlzdGB50KgmsPF7ZaTNNzrPorBAyvcMYwZVusA12xy7MA1hv-yb03W_ToaaYvdA/s320/20240309%2004%20Jeff%20and%20Bob%20and%20Hendrickson%20Farm%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were 14 miles in, near the foot of the mountain, on Moores Mill-Mount Rose Road, when we had to admit that it was raining. Blob, who had ridden in from Hillsborough, headed for home. We cut 9 miles out of the route, skipping the mountain and taking Crusher Road towards Pennington instead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course the rain petered out as soon as we went off script. As we got close to Twin Pines, Our Jeff suggested we go to Terra Momo after the ride. In deference to my not having driven to the start, Heddy decided we should all stay on our bikes. We turned towards Pennington, rain be damned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Terra Momo was crowded. Heddy and I ordered our cortados. I bought a loaf of "Sourland" sourdough bread. The woman behind the counter put it in a plastic bag for me, lest we get rained on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was wearing my winter jacket from 2000, the one with the double-zippered, deep pocket that runs the entire length of the back of the baggy jacket. Heddy watched in amazement as the pocket took the loaf.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we were riding back to Twin Pines, Heddy said, "I can't believe you got the whole loaf in there. It's a magic pocket."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"It's a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS" target="_blank">TARDIS</a>," I explained. "It's bigger on the inside."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the flat side against my spine, the loaf was keeping me in good posture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I waved goodbye to Heddy and Our Jeff at Twin Pines and kept going. It was starting to rain again. Minutes after I got home, the rain set in for real.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe next Saturday we'll have good weather and I can lead a real ride to somewhere out of this area code.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-70532493873167810672024-03-03T19:13:00.004-05:002024-03-03T19:14:54.118-05:00Pennington Eagle<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuo6dT97sR1KlCh9w5yL7cGAMSmxRLWa0Wvmn4paSUARw3KYa5YJYscgYUb_Ye16nj5LqJTVZjA6YQ7H9kFn2NE4ukZ6VOUEebAVOcd9svroY-7IwBKYxzFTcT9K_KLev8KObPZB-OkQ2cwvckshC-NYRtFM3bcjJ3m4gjVdzIblR7E1k0hkeHm8_Dw/s3196/20240303%2008%20Pennington%20eagle%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2884" data-original-width="3196" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuo6dT97sR1KlCh9w5yL7cGAMSmxRLWa0Wvmn4paSUARw3KYa5YJYscgYUb_Ye16nj5LqJTVZjA6YQ7H9kFn2NE4ukZ6VOUEebAVOcd9svroY-7IwBKYxzFTcT9K_KLev8KObPZB-OkQ2cwvckshC-NYRtFM3bcjJ3m4gjVdzIblR7E1k0hkeHm8_Dw/s320/20240303%2008%20Pennington%20eagle%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">It's the best I could do from the road.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> 3 March 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I took Kermit out for a solo bike ride after glassblowing today. Having already been scurrying around on a cement floor for four hours, I don't try to go far or make my Sunday rides too difficult. I need to save my legs for four more hours on cement after work the next day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The route is always some variation of the old Friday night Pennington ride. I went out around 3:15 p.m., when the temperature was in the mid-60s and the sky almost cloudless. I haven't seen so many folks out with their dogs or their bikes since lockdown.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And the spring peepers were loud! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't stop at all until I spied a dark blob near the eagle's nest as I went down Pennington-Rocky Hill Road. My camera has 40x digital zoom. I figured I could at least get a few pixellated closeups if I held my hands steady.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u0Nq4p5MlqUNLEDwOrsbC-vHLl_TuLJl9PBiXZzDmCKSn7AWTAQ4kjZS0K1wSB8iCW5pCNUNp7zhxfJeQ0nBE8JO9biYXtz6LYmtXyrCCyXfv0G2hRkxH-k6DCbRzyEfbnhvGQ-Z68_ExDlfQqdbrCYDQnwk48Ty4t7XhfyPOhyyAMTtC8VTH3gCQw/s5184/20240303%2002%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u0Nq4p5MlqUNLEDwOrsbC-vHLl_TuLJl9PBiXZzDmCKSn7AWTAQ4kjZS0K1wSB8iCW5pCNUNp7zhxfJeQ0nBE8JO9biYXtz6LYmtXyrCCyXfv0G2hRkxH-k6DCbRzyEfbnhvGQ-Z68_ExDlfQqdbrCYDQnwk48Ty4t7XhfyPOhyyAMTtC8VTH3gCQw/s320/20240303%2002%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This one is blurry, but it's the first time I've gotten a shot of an eagle with its mouth open.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rPZ9TsyvjzqbB3f9Ic_JHw632EUMbqr9w7vEZghGi7DC5kofaiEOJj3oovglKzWwWmg1a412Pl3TiA4IYY0i5odlt8pExMb1_4vtpmuZ7AV7PsSugpiTXulYsawX6u_LgqZUAaVnkxfsQfTYQA9Np_dJnO1wnVi3qahctjdhYDnnn1-kWJs_0hxSLQ/s5184/20240303%2010%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rPZ9TsyvjzqbB3f9Ic_JHw632EUMbqr9w7vEZghGi7DC5kofaiEOJj3oovglKzWwWmg1a412Pl3TiA4IYY0i5odlt8pExMb1_4vtpmuZ7AV7PsSugpiTXulYsawX6u_LgqZUAaVnkxfsQfTYQA9Np_dJnO1wnVi3qahctjdhYDnnn1-kWJs_0hxSLQ/s320/20240303%2010%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNE7sm_HaWSzvO_Qcbpj55nKZLdpnH1SESByfXvhXGzqQV-paMK48zfqf65e17HwIt0rWtaAl2ee-vESJLDufYIznilsp99sl7CazlEYhfuwUguiTn2wyQcMl3dv9232RbZvGlGPKYB3mJotC8M360kdidFgHa-0VAQhKrsbbr42f1RpN72xR7gjWAg/s5184/20240303%2008%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNE7sm_HaWSzvO_Qcbpj55nKZLdpnH1SESByfXvhXGzqQV-paMK48zfqf65e17HwIt0rWtaAl2ee-vESJLDufYIznilsp99sl7CazlEYhfuwUguiTn2wyQcMl3dv9232RbZvGlGPKYB3mJotC8M360kdidFgHa-0VAQhKrsbbr42f1RpN72xR7gjWAg/s320/20240303%2008%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekzfZvZo2rdwyRuua-XsFYk83LuK7Ph66rlofAD3kxbYU6uGfCn2vvb-PdUDiKBi4dswpKUytzoiyWUr1aB4ovxqyZzuzYgvvwESEO_4zcQ47qAqA7q4FUyK1a40xx91fw98yOF2SyHds5zeUiqjBKoPs84_wlqTHh6hdhOPSsemiupBBe7SLTQULlw/s5184/20240303%2007%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekzfZvZo2rdwyRuua-XsFYk83LuK7Ph66rlofAD3kxbYU6uGfCn2vvb-PdUDiKBi4dswpKUytzoiyWUr1aB4ovxqyZzuzYgvvwESEO_4zcQ47qAqA7q4FUyK1a40xx91fw98yOF2SyHds5zeUiqjBKoPs84_wlqTHh6hdhOPSsemiupBBe7SLTQULlw/s320/20240303%2007%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>It was grooming itself, which I could barely make out from the road.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_UVcr5hsF5pZcBfA2qxFcdLOWrs7ROZSI_npg6RtW0LvkMCE7Fj4eAUuagGX9Q7LNhOelL5dDIR1zD0NH-x4aQq98A-HpPqZMCSUlC_mjCys-2i6oZxH0iyuXF57ZxrCx6vCvXvPpucIWBrdUomeqxhqk7nkAmp0mKoV5PFLfBFxYw0g57RlNMWh7A/s5184/20240303%2006%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_UVcr5hsF5pZcBfA2qxFcdLOWrs7ROZSI_npg6RtW0LvkMCE7Fj4eAUuagGX9Q7LNhOelL5dDIR1zD0NH-x4aQq98A-HpPqZMCSUlC_mjCys-2i6oZxH0iyuXF57ZxrCx6vCvXvPpucIWBrdUomeqxhqk7nkAmp0mKoV5PFLfBFxYw0g57RlNMWh7A/s320/20240303%2006%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpsem_o_d2dog__2b0b96aY96-tzoQUB5VrCNVS-uVJz4BSgklTxA6cQhyphenhyphend1qMM6yVKTxhWJ2QObaUihG_8Q6IOwvnFpKFKOzdpgAX5kulHho1ntsTTAfizMeT9Vs1ngZ3Nfn96xDJZdpLPe9lW7gxa269LtJ5MOTKvTNacAELqTA64Q8xvefcUqoSw/s5184/20240303%2005%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpsem_o_d2dog__2b0b96aY96-tzoQUB5VrCNVS-uVJz4BSgklTxA6cQhyphenhyphend1qMM6yVKTxhWJ2QObaUihG_8Q6IOwvnFpKFKOzdpgAX5kulHho1ntsTTAfizMeT9Vs1ngZ3Nfn96xDJZdpLPe9lW7gxa269LtJ5MOTKvTNacAELqTA64Q8xvefcUqoSw/s320/20240303%2005%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2Kp2MUfXFWp9Y83yWAUv11XoRA5J2CEuYpXoVN6aCNoQqBaJ5oSv8848PUvNnur6me8QGT2jEXlPtMMu35Kd4f_D2biuZmiT24CDeW81gkOSw5EXoagyOIxigd-Mu5lqkSv9naT9W5j-qeGLmbJBdORh8D3lxBHt7bYG77-6P7vcE3JcpEWSw3X9zg/s5184/20240303%2003%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2Kp2MUfXFWp9Y83yWAUv11XoRA5J2CEuYpXoVN6aCNoQqBaJ5oSv8848PUvNnur6me8QGT2jEXlPtMMu35Kd4f_D2biuZmiT24CDeW81gkOSw5EXoagyOIxigd-Mu5lqkSv9naT9W5j-qeGLmbJBdORh8D3lxBHt7bYG77-6P7vcE3JcpEWSw3X9zg/s320/20240303%2003%20Pennington%20eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The eggs in the nest over at Duke Farms hatched this week. I wonder if we have chicks here too.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-33191446302573631452024-03-02T17:15:00.003-05:002024-03-02T17:15:44.308-05:00Hot Mess Part Thirty-Eight: Thirteen Sundays 3 and 4<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOSx6_IN7aT7FOC8Rht3hg_qAUWeMaNYWke-Jr28O5K7a70PS6mW3FpoZKfbeWCN0h1fi2u4azwOHlDRRccCHLxQkgxHGBRag2UgAnyWDynj7Df1ar_WXi5Wt8XOFZvrxt3SXQayqaBQXOMaXhAjE4ltCHX6MLbN5N3R4AOKGqxqTLJMqsq185IYcOA/s1805/20240228%2039%20success%20small%20tree%20of%20life%204.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOSx6_IN7aT7FOC8Rht3hg_qAUWeMaNYWke-Jr28O5K7a70PS6mW3FpoZKfbeWCN0h1fi2u4azwOHlDRRccCHLxQkgxHGBRag2UgAnyWDynj7Df1ar_WXi5Wt8XOFZvrxt3SXQayqaBQXOMaXhAjE4ltCHX6MLbN5N3R4AOKGqxqTLJMqsq185IYcOA/s320/20240228%2039%20success%20small%20tree%20of%20life%204.JPEG" width="207" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A Tree Grows in Glass</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Week Three</b></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">18 February 2024 5:40 p.m.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"We worked without the glory hole yesterday," Pumpkin Master told me as I walked in at 8:15. "I cleaned the ports, turned it on, and flames shot out the front."</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It was all fixed now. Our Instructor had come in to lend a hand. Again. "He thinks we need new controller boxes."</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"How much would that cost?" I asked, figuring there's no way the department would pay for it.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"About $800."</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Club money?"</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Yeah."</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yesterday morning saw a flurry of texts as people were trying to figure out whether or not the school was open after the overnight snowstorm. I'm the one who set up the initial text group. I mistyped New Grace's number. Some poor sod has been getting barraged all week. I fixed it yesterday afternoon. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sage, CP, and I had another mellow Sunday morning. "I like it like this," Sage said. "It's peaceful." She added, "If they do this again next January, I'm signing up."</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Before week one, I jotted down some ideas on a sticky note of what I should make this semester. Today I tossed it into the recycling bin, two of the four notions left unaccomplished. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm stuck on the square mold. I want to make a drinking glass. That requires a round top, a tall form, and light weight. I can get two out of three. The weight is always the problem. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Having sawed the top off the first blue square mold piece, I set about making a new one. The top is more even on this one, but something happened to the bottom while it was in the mold. It seems to have collapsed in on itself on the corners, so that the vessel now has little feet. We'll see what it looks like when it comes out of the annealer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFWx7Ys-EpDF-EVI7s9ysckTaPCPPcT-3GiOw2HGco2IktQj4B3PL4uCY9kS1cp51yFVU2yZnvkKgrTPHMV4Eb2vyvuSK6P6oONayMbmnOp8TmCmbmhUSS4hehS5v_MyyJDEu1LUnfRcpdMLGzQZbrUmf3-yrI75CMYz9hhfIVICv_Lw7PsOEMwC4kA/s1741/20240218%2001%20placeholder%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20weird%20feet.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1741" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFWx7Ys-EpDF-EVI7s9ysckTaPCPPcT-3GiOw2HGco2IktQj4B3PL4uCY9kS1cp51yFVU2yZnvkKgrTPHMV4Eb2vyvuSK6P6oONayMbmnOp8TmCmbmhUSS4hehS5v_MyyJDEu1LUnfRcpdMLGzQZbrUmf3-yrI75CMYz9hhfIVICv_Lw7PsOEMwC4kA/s320/20240218%2001%20placeholder%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20weird%20feet.JPEG" width="215" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">(22 February: What it looks like is this. I ground it down so that it would stand evenly, and in doing so, put two holes in the too-thin bottom. I used UV-curing adhesive to plug the holes, and sandpaper to smooth it flat again. I'm torn between keeping this and sawing it into pieces to be reused later.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bZEIVrJxNuDTM3vBDIs0D4A0vTs8AkqYFeQeoZo6MpcqVGdA0wDC7S0pdxDobRJQIPqseCQX_RfjGczgg8lZoI9ZaPOaHqSQiv5klPh0D2w10COpjCo73d0fS-VAW5r8SyGdses-H_wkcT8uZN7FG18szwmPulDPzzMnUL2IRfEKyRvlBYsMyxF1Cw/s291/20240221%2011%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20with%20botched%20bottom%20EDIT%20showing%20hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="207" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bZEIVrJxNuDTM3vBDIs0D4A0vTs8AkqYFeQeoZo6MpcqVGdA0wDC7S0pdxDobRJQIPqseCQX_RfjGczgg8lZoI9ZaPOaHqSQiv5klPh0D2w10COpjCo73d0fS-VAW5r8SyGdses-H_wkcT8uZN7FG18szwmPulDPzzMnUL2IRfEKyRvlBYsMyxF1Cw/s1600/20240221%2011%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20with%20botched%20bottom%20EDIT%20showing%20hole.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd1zGnmJCE2CsnvWB2_yvYL7OjhoqmtahyphenhyphenFn0g6ec5XzBMqvoGXV4lwQeyawrpANrVUoXxNUfooba4r-KFA2xTz8h8LntNq84NfX8nCaJYuV7ZtrzWFF31UkbzikW33W8yALY05icjSl8ULIm1zKbJwY1mxQNYYBSlHb9BIgOKqYF4nphXCxDgsJPkw/s2048/20240221%2011%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20with%20botched%20bottom.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd1zGnmJCE2CsnvWB2_yvYL7OjhoqmtahyphenhyphenFn0g6ec5XzBMqvoGXV4lwQeyawrpANrVUoXxNUfooba4r-KFA2xTz8h8LntNq84NfX8nCaJYuV7ZtrzWFF31UkbzikW33W8yALY05icjSl8ULIm1zKbJwY1mxQNYYBSlHb9BIgOKqYF4nphXCxDgsJPkw/s320/20240221%2011%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20with%20botched%20bottom.JPEG" width="240" /></a>)</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">These pieces don't take long to make, so CP told me to go again. After four days drinking from the yellow lip wrap cup I made last Monday, I decided I can do better. The way the top curves in annoys me. I tried again. Maybe it's the yellow frit that's stiff, because I had trouble with the wrap again. I almost put it away with the top curved in before I noticed the problem. I heated it up again and fought with it. Now the top flares out a little. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgml5oUA_DiJQXKXVwkUmGFT_0LUcLhZfk65oIqLiC05LunbGl9DtSocrBdbdl6qyBmXdxydFqSONfvuF0D60_Su_g6o546xMaMuzYY0rSQNJfeW0qGKxUIqGl2zsHGn_cPxj9FWkYbU0Pom9CWiQMsNoDh3KPdidBYI_WvwYDS5wswppvhbwZtecNQ/s2048/20240221%2016%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup%202.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgml5oUA_DiJQXKXVwkUmGFT_0LUcLhZfk65oIqLiC05LunbGl9DtSocrBdbdl6qyBmXdxydFqSONfvuF0D60_Su_g6o546xMaMuzYY0rSQNJfeW0qGKxUIqGl2zsHGn_cPxj9FWkYbU0Pom9CWiQMsNoDh3KPdidBYI_WvwYDS5wswppvhbwZtecNQ/s320/20240221%2016%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">The wrap is still too thick. So is the cup. It feels okay to drink from. I can do better.</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">CP made one of his famous sculptural vases, the ones where we have to get out of the way as he swings the molten goo until it hardens. This time, he set it up slightly differently. When he took the piece out of the glory hole to swing it, little pink threads flew out and down, well beyond the top of the vessel. It was as if a pink spider web had exploded onto the floor. After we put the vessel away, we spent a good five minutes picking pink scraps off of the floor. He gathered them up to use on his next two pieces, the hollow tube hearts he started making last year.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I helped Sage with a piece she'd blown so large and thin at the bottom that I told her she was getting into Glass Ninja's territory. "I forgot the jack line," she said. "We'll have to punty up All The Glass style." In other words, a waterfall on the pipe end, where the glass was thick. Miraculously, it broke off cleanly. Unfortunately, it fell of the punty just as I was about to slide it into the glory hole. Fortunately, it didn't break. I quickly gobbed some more glass onto the rod I was holding (Sage has her own rod, which is why I did this unorthodox thing). I slowly attached the punty to the bottom of the piece. CP helped hold it steady as I carefully introduced it into the glory hole. I guess that heat wasn't enough. When I brought it back to Sage, we heard the crack at the lip before we saw it working its way down the piece. "I'm sorry," I said. She shrugged. "Glass breaks." This is why I hate making punties for other people. I can't live with the guilt when the piece lands on the floor. Sage trusts me, though. I've been bringing her punties for three weeks. Every time she asks, I say, "Are you sure?" She made another one with the same colors, better the second time.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Meanwhile, I was experimenting with the sawed-off bottom of the square mold vessel I made two weeks ago, the one with the thin but wonky top. I made a thin, blue core bubble and blew into the square. My pipe was off-center. I evened it out as much as I could, fusing the bubble onto the square edges. Once I got the thing onto a punty, I decided that I should try to spin it out. What I got was a four-sided floppy bowl with a square base. I couldn't tell when I put it away if the clear outside was distinguishable from the blue bubble inside.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">(22 February: It's not. It's just a messy, heavy, badly-flopped bowl. Worse, it's a dreaded "hat bowl," a sign of underheating and inexperience.)</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmXfazILX-wccbc3z4OLSwhz27gjLnwlsZ-1kN_wsMR194sTtESZVCB0mgziA17RfB5djOhqK07CLNCoRhM5e_z3R_i4k2fQa8mHRSf0c5DpZ-2opnLm5HujJXiDeVTpUnimFlrjAJfvNbdP96PxPAMQF5-Yv_u_AcxA96xS3YNXJXCzGNKhM-NQxbw/s2048/20240221%2020%20bottom%20of%20clear%20square%20mold%20with%20capri%20blue%20bubble%20blown%20in%20floppy%20bowl%20fail.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmXfazILX-wccbc3z4OLSwhz27gjLnwlsZ-1kN_wsMR194sTtESZVCB0mgziA17RfB5djOhqK07CLNCoRhM5e_z3R_i4k2fQa8mHRSf0c5DpZ-2opnLm5HujJXiDeVTpUnimFlrjAJfvNbdP96PxPAMQF5-Yv_u_AcxA96xS3YNXJXCzGNKhM-NQxbw/s320/20240221%2020%20bottom%20of%20clear%20square%20mold%20with%20capri%20blue%20bubble%20blown%20in%20floppy%20bowl%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Then I tried something I came up with two nights ago: I blew a clear bubble into the sawed-off top of the blue square mold vessel from two weeks ago. I managed to get the inside bubble all the way to the bottom of the blue collar. I flattened that and kept blowing, giving myself what looked like a wonky cup stuffed into a blue bag. My jack line was tight enough to try a lip wrap. It wasn't perfect. It didn't matter. This was an experiment. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">(February 22: It looks like a mangled beer cozy. I totally missed on the lip wrap. It's on the side of the opening, not the top.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmND4o3EutjIHNmf_mTu7U_9epHOwAM-XUqz6wW1GMFmG8OdyB3Cvm00cvk5UI3AYGEGw4Wb3yXjpG-UkjWGK_9kr50ohbMLfpyAbeDuLM4txPpff0cGe87h-GJfVii5CAmDfatCaoSiDmFzxS2y_2kOZxVPY634Lw8ysMMCqzcMNIJ0JEGVX-iwm55A/s2048/20240221%2025%20bottom%20of%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20with%20clear%20bubble%20blown%20in%20and%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmND4o3EutjIHNmf_mTu7U_9epHOwAM-XUqz6wW1GMFmG8OdyB3Cvm00cvk5UI3AYGEGw4Wb3yXjpG-UkjWGK_9kr50ohbMLfpyAbeDuLM4txPpff0cGe87h-GJfVii5CAmDfatCaoSiDmFzxS2y_2kOZxVPY634Lw8ysMMCqzcMNIJ0JEGVX-iwm55A/s320/20240221%2025%20bottom%20of%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20with%20clear%20bubble%20blown%20in%20and%20capri%20blue%20lip%20wrap.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">We were getting towards the end of class. I went into the square mold one more time. I didn't have much glass between the corners and the top on this one. I decided not to try to pull it because I didn't want to distort the shape. The top was a little off-center and thick, but at least I got it round. It's probably still to heavy for a drinking glass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEIUzkuLw8c17UGsQvCNo5YXLffEAdywFEwboNp7CKAEHOJnmxzRgOr1mrjaQyPkvCebuZ7Ir1lUDuxCzJoxdo_h_A2Z-0lDfILxggWiwyOVqkFJSK5hAAAl-jz-QNeVAShTPXYKo45ESYb-rypnO6wnyi7rVaBxa5t5wEgo3NqYSVLv_h9qAqKkVmA/s2048/20240221%2027%20cranberry%20pink%20square%20mold.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEIUzkuLw8c17UGsQvCNo5YXLffEAdywFEwboNp7CKAEHOJnmxzRgOr1mrjaQyPkvCebuZ7Ir1lUDuxCzJoxdo_h_A2Z-0lDfILxggWiwyOVqkFJSK5hAAAl-jz-QNeVAShTPXYKo45ESYb-rypnO6wnyi7rVaBxa5t5wEgo3NqYSVLv_h9qAqKkVmA/s320/20240221%2027%20cranberry%20pink%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">(22 February: There's always a bad side.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxPwKKy3lqb9TBAPZRWsuHGuIXJB_yCkqZl9iHufEWpuyVdUySW8mIjhGh2eKW7DbU3WjIligAV2nob7GaVfq_GzgqeyggvmZj6-10kGmaePV7DTYufwi5Lel3cQm9-0wLnEXLAUJTVlF1oHCvuaIB-Yrbhzp1JAOoyiiXq4_MkiDN4llFEhM9icudw/s2048/20240221%2030%20cranberry%20pink%20square%20mold.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxPwKKy3lqb9TBAPZRWsuHGuIXJB_yCkqZl9iHufEWpuyVdUySW8mIjhGh2eKW7DbU3WjIligAV2nob7GaVfq_GzgqeyggvmZj6-10kGmaePV7DTYufwi5Lel3cQm9-0wLnEXLAUJTVlF1oHCvuaIB-Yrbhzp1JAOoyiiXq4_MkiDN4llFEhM9icudw/s320/20240221%2030%20cranberry%20pink%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">CP made another heart with fifteen minutes of class time left. "They're better when I'm rushed," he said. I'm so the opposite of that. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">It doesn't take Pumpkin Master much time to recharge the furnace with cullet these days. Two scoops and the crucible is full again. I used that time to polish the top of the sawed-off square mold. There wasn't much surface area, so the steps went quickly. By the time Pumpkin Master was ready to close the room, I had a shiny top, save for one little corner (upper right in the photo below). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlo1Dk6plggtDngB-iicDdVYn6pAArgTwOZ2x6xdAOqXcCVfUel9CxeFMvvQ1yjyDVfnxFWX67-wxMbkUD_WfD328Upo1hcCJL42yxpbSYLwX5PeB02mQDhl2IGqmhKlOv1VSFy128roPLI3x_cHjG4PfKu1RKN0ELH2ufi4avXTmIXWrLpcOeC-F0A/s2048/20240218%2007%20sawed-off%20square%20mold%20top%20polished.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlo1Dk6plggtDngB-iicDdVYn6pAArgTwOZ2x6xdAOqXcCVfUel9CxeFMvvQ1yjyDVfnxFWX67-wxMbkUD_WfD328Upo1hcCJL42yxpbSYLwX5PeB02mQDhl2IGqmhKlOv1VSFy128roPLI3x_cHjG4PfKu1RKN0ELH2ufi4avXTmIXWrLpcOeC-F0A/s320/20240218%2007%20sawed-off%20square%20mold%20top%20polished.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"What are you going to use it for?" he asked. I shrugged. I needed to bring it back to fix that corner. "You can leave it here," he said. "Nobody's gonna be here until tomorrow night anyway." I packed it up so that I could decide later.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I'd also sawed down last week's reworked Junk in the Trunk, saving the slivers for a mobile. What was left looked like the top half of an egg with a riot of color and a spot of green inside. The cracked top had held while I was cutting it down (I'd covered it in masking tape so that if it had broken I wouldn't have bled). I packed it up too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5nVfKC7GqaJajdpdGci6tRNM0Wn3zIG7SnRzKPFaPUDnI_MBexHxqpCwxjTZFRrH2RzI312LjAv3e3YbG_rd9mEft9ZBFyyBi3sqEcf31n5ZrVGyymhRkYMrxUDfJDotUu9wnVpCVKpNOATfv3hjj5IEo_aY1OOpYC6ENVAOPSnx1rBftFGpXsG-lw/s2048/20240218%2006%20sawed-off%20square%20mold%20and%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5nVfKC7GqaJajdpdGci6tRNM0Wn3zIG7SnRzKPFaPUDnI_MBexHxqpCwxjTZFRrH2RzI312LjAv3e3YbG_rd9mEft9ZBFyyBi3sqEcf31n5ZrVGyymhRkYMrxUDfJDotUu9wnVpCVKpNOATfv3hjj5IEo_aY1OOpYC6ENVAOPSnx1rBftFGpXsG-lw/s320/20240218%2006%20sawed-off%20square%20mold%20and%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Now I'm thinking I should bring it back tomorrow and stick it in the ground somewhere outside the classroom, the way Tall Vase does with our discards. I wonder how long it would take him to notice.</span><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">22 February 2024, 10:33 p.m.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I stuffed the sawed-off Junk in the Trunk into the mulch next to the vase, under the metal spider.</div><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2olGMcq5G_W7NaAWLWUdE_QY6XWsROGs_sg8kVJFRhJLVHZYqmxUttP9SrM6zur0H0wzaW7qw_VevCxuJEcGEwZVyRyeDbOjRgPB_rT4g_dKWJn9dG_9OYTvjOqhkIv4H7f0zIerdRo22TJ66EHkjzKgjAUm14KcfIrr0Icl1IdbQwPLJN3wFj0uTag/s2048/20240219%2001%20sawed-off%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20in%20the%20ground%20outside%20of%20the%20classroom.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2olGMcq5G_W7NaAWLWUdE_QY6XWsROGs_sg8kVJFRhJLVHZYqmxUttP9SrM6zur0H0wzaW7qw_VevCxuJEcGEwZVyRyeDbOjRgPB_rT4g_dKWJn9dG_9OYTvjOqhkIv4H7f0zIerdRo22TJ66EHkjzKgjAUm14KcfIrr0Icl1IdbQwPLJN3wFj0uTag/s320/20240219%2001%20sawed-off%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20in%20the%20ground%20outside%20of%20the%20classroom.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUvK1WQcwN7LHzj6D_Nv4tKAy8eCvWv6_e60gw8N_XKAtJkl0pdUlql70NYzGMiVw4vSfiu2541x4HzdC0l3ReYqLmZi7QbuG8yA4qTeLb_EtbEc0zg00wSOZL3_rYC7MrRVW4AklK3dgbo23q6BiMFFu3rWVKC3OiaNQ4gT1M6tHKJ3SHty6cnjyRg/s1363/20240219%2003%20sawed-off%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20in%20the%20ground%20outside%20of%20the%20classroom.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUvK1WQcwN7LHzj6D_Nv4tKAy8eCvWv6_e60gw8N_XKAtJkl0pdUlql70NYzGMiVw4vSfiu2541x4HzdC0l3ReYqLmZi7QbuG8yA4qTeLb_EtbEc0zg00wSOZL3_rYC7MrRVW4AklK3dgbo23q6BiMFFu3rWVKC3OiaNQ4gT1M6tHKJ3SHty6cnjyRg/s320/20240219%2003%20sawed-off%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20in%20the%20ground%20outside%20of%20the%20classroom.JPEG" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I was very early on purpose. I wanted to grind down the blue square mold top again and get the polish right this time. I went all the way back to the 360 grit disc. I'm pretty sure I made it worse before making it better again. I was still on the 360 disc stage when Rose arrived. I sanded a little while longer as she set up. I didn't get to the bench until close to 6:00.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCIASXJ7bbk3kMLiB-_FgH-kyQD7Fqb3E_S_jZvJGSyTaccGWZAk8BOpumwfdCqtBykRnZ7m21pUBKlzrO6Zp9HS73u1sMBoPZ0Rn8KvJIhdW0meGXHkXUmHHQZHbFuS6elw8Ey1Oxl_NL2bqkArZBRcYmD0xu5rW-pf4o6IwRRbr1J9vVFeMtXnDlg/s2048/20240224%2002%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20cut%20and%20polished.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCIASXJ7bbk3kMLiB-_FgH-kyQD7Fqb3E_S_jZvJGSyTaccGWZAk8BOpumwfdCqtBykRnZ7m21pUBKlzrO6Zp9HS73u1sMBoPZ0Rn8KvJIhdW0meGXHkXUmHHQZHbFuS6elw8Ey1Oxl_NL2bqkArZBRcYmD0xu5rW-pf4o6IwRRbr1J9vVFeMtXnDlg/s320/20240224%2002%20capri%20blue%20square%20mold%20cut%20and%20polished.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"I'm awake today," I told her, and set about trying to make witch's balls again. After I failed a few times, Rose came over to show me how she does it. That one failed too, but this time I realized why. I decided not to stop until my success rate was greater than my failure rate. I made a few one-gather balls, then switched to two gathers so that there would be more glass to push against and more time to work. "One more," I kept saying. Half an hour later, after four more one mores, it was 7:30 and I had 8 witch's balls in the annealer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67T7ouCGt2ZyAqkUWxvjowJMweui1j_Lx0HILtXUz2ZVV47eYK6Ic9sCtH25m-WEU8ut2IkWKpMzKwf1CvORKoTpXNrw3bnKik-VMTh3QAf6gYGIOieZOekMgLZHoJmQBtr4HAn6-oNnUxPcd9rAAA4jG0xRJLTmSJ0i9vVmTgoeuXJxQUQdRkNSm0Q/s2048/20240221%2001%20cracked%20witch's%20balls.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67T7ouCGt2ZyAqkUWxvjowJMweui1j_Lx0HILtXUz2ZVV47eYK6Ic9sCtH25m-WEU8ut2IkWKpMzKwf1CvORKoTpXNrw3bnKik-VMTh3QAf6gYGIOieZOekMgLZHoJmQBtr4HAn6-oNnUxPcd9rAAA4jG0xRJLTmSJ0i9vVmTgoeuXJxQUQdRkNSm0Q/s320/20240221%2001%20cracked%20witch's%20balls.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyObTfEwPGygKAh1MUWHa4Rwk1JTNmiZvpwaxTNHavnOZLjjXOfYn_tb_eybhfhQHahmzQ-bqC4y3KUnJB0s_SVQy58WCxql1pvsQK7BhVqFD33w8uSnDdKcQBdAIvD9pm-g_t1Z4sk8tKVjmqceT_Ipx9mnGjfaIgB1t-UgsQm90CBdBRnXSCYtlPNQ/s2048/20240221%2002%20small%20witch's%20ball.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyObTfEwPGygKAh1MUWHa4Rwk1JTNmiZvpwaxTNHavnOZLjjXOfYn_tb_eybhfhQHahmzQ-bqC4y3KUnJB0s_SVQy58WCxql1pvsQK7BhVqFD33w8uSnDdKcQBdAIvD9pm-g_t1Z4sk8tKVjmqceT_Ipx9mnGjfaIgB1t-UgsQm90CBdBRnXSCYtlPNQ/s320/20240221%2002%20small%20witch's%20ball.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SkAWddRyn_hOJyGMXuLAuIB0ny1LlaSDIgz3L8GY2Jm1xNrCMn0FMigHFqvI37f00X1xcZyFJSTCOw8jfQk7pKHvgY-bVyraFDEb05LBkd5PUQsgZ678mD2TLOEqG-ChFeodM8bNR7PEgKMsgdGPTVl9M_he5W88Fe5cbeRJPdu2Kjoa57R9kqXNyA/s2048/20240221%2003%20small%20witch's%20ball.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SkAWddRyn_hOJyGMXuLAuIB0ny1LlaSDIgz3L8GY2Jm1xNrCMn0FMigHFqvI37f00X1xcZyFJSTCOw8jfQk7pKHvgY-bVyraFDEb05LBkd5PUQsgZ678mD2TLOEqG-ChFeodM8bNR7PEgKMsgdGPTVl9M_he5W88Fe5cbeRJPdu2Kjoa57R9kqXNyA/s320/20240221%2003%20small%20witch's%20ball.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBB-MyGGft1UmcBsr27m1s-VZHmdakbOygcvw3P0xc_yEK3RGGqsoA4bn6_MLeO0bsxWf_F39OhSpplIg3eQjseVemfV6Rvtq0vSfahlKroER872vgx34Ph6s0sBX2jxMtMB43YPzqXcWFHgomzhZpxg-ul9Ea2FbGwJ81ysZUWa2eykx_6omjtrstA/s2048/20240221%2004%20small%20witch's%20ball.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBB-MyGGft1UmcBsr27m1s-VZHmdakbOygcvw3P0xc_yEK3RGGqsoA4bn6_MLeO0bsxWf_F39OhSpplIg3eQjseVemfV6Rvtq0vSfahlKroER872vgx34Ph6s0sBX2jxMtMB43YPzqXcWFHgomzhZpxg-ul9Ea2FbGwJ81ysZUWa2eykx_6omjtrstA/s320/20240221%2004%20small%20witch's%20ball.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My favorite was one of the later ones, where I kept stabbing at the hot glass and wound up with a tangle of threads. "This one is insane," I said, showing it to Rose before I put it away.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqBH-1r5QlSYNVfYJxyTY4ygPwnmQP6m8N8eWo9TFSZqj8ptTdgfM3vl9vDGUJpq6Hdlt4SSaprwMPcmscrA7uy5caw4kr5Z-m1e3CnWf8OZtQ6P93ZlrVVcnRn5URKfozxBzGgIOYXfJUHCYrPFrnpP2mL24OaXBUmY9957BOqVKGJYoHhVn_1wiZQ/s2048/20240221%2005%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqBH-1r5QlSYNVfYJxyTY4ygPwnmQP6m8N8eWo9TFSZqj8ptTdgfM3vl9vDGUJpq6Hdlt4SSaprwMPcmscrA7uy5caw4kr5Z-m1e3CnWf8OZtQ6P93ZlrVVcnRn5URKfozxBzGgIOYXfJUHCYrPFrnpP2mL24OaXBUmY9957BOqVKGJYoHhVn_1wiZQ/s320/20240221%2005%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkji3vIHv8uQLHjABQCYC-Q1Ckq4AtqI1mKdw7CMzdm_nZ-lgLAiBXCpT9OpNLCPGmnGH0oupKxAH84ErWq9DcvPiQZuvvf21A2rzoIX6fjFjWTqhG2Kk_oRdMGlqMffNbCI5RwacuWujUHJ3T4C9-88zhglKJ_JeDdGsLHwNc9Wdn-HbxX8R_IZ0xYw/s2048/20240221%2006%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkji3vIHv8uQLHjABQCYC-Q1Ckq4AtqI1mKdw7CMzdm_nZ-lgLAiBXCpT9OpNLCPGmnGH0oupKxAH84ErWq9DcvPiQZuvvf21A2rzoIX6fjFjWTqhG2Kk_oRdMGlqMffNbCI5RwacuWujUHJ3T4C9-88zhglKJ_JeDdGsLHwNc9Wdn-HbxX8R_IZ0xYw/s320/20240221%2006%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When I retrieved them on Wednesday evening, I found that half of them had cracked. The ones with the largest cracks went into the re-melt bucket. A couple had smaller, internal cracks. I brought them home. One of those was thick and heavy.</span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWLVlPDzmnaa9MNcDKRK1Co3L72jodvoCJJE1V2tBTBdrPrKsZ7p-5iHT0W1WgLjdxNyeTChbDt1ZNhO4UVCy_SkWjNj9rdLu9a8mvFFLczvpIbqeNkWuQScM3Kkkjs5I6uu8prmmndfPUX59GNii_WmUnq6srqleQDqxL4m0pHyOFFfye6FtUA5s0Q/s2048/20240221%2007%20witch's%20ball%20with%20thick%20threads.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWLVlPDzmnaa9MNcDKRK1Co3L72jodvoCJJE1V2tBTBdrPrKsZ7p-5iHT0W1WgLjdxNyeTChbDt1ZNhO4UVCy_SkWjNj9rdLu9a8mvFFLczvpIbqeNkWuQScM3Kkkjs5I6uu8prmmndfPUX59GNii_WmUnq6srqleQDqxL4m0pHyOFFfye6FtUA5s0Q/s320/20240221%2007%20witch's%20ball%20with%20thick%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Another, while not cracked, was one I did at the end of the night. I tried color. I guess I didn't put enough on, because the pink completely disappeared and the green only showed faintly in the threads.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI6mGKoH2UgwvVMa8QNmskRz35hif6EM8aeeWX1R1yW1jsbxO-sBy6J97YoFmkGkxXRLqgaZrWJ_eekpNtW2FyRh4IHI_YXTqZ1lzmywpWB6SNX_FImh6vKsjsOYgZT7Fr63wByVGE3nExflq66pawsjZB6Cw5m_z2r8BIT2Jdpo8dJ9hrmlUSA8-EA/s2048/20240221%2008%20witch's%20ball%20with%20invisible%20colors.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI6mGKoH2UgwvVMa8QNmskRz35hif6EM8aeeWX1R1yW1jsbxO-sBy6J97YoFmkGkxXRLqgaZrWJ_eekpNtW2FyRh4IHI_YXTqZ1lzmywpWB6SNX_FImh6vKsjsOYgZT7Fr63wByVGE3nExflq66pawsjZB6Cw5m_z2r8BIT2Jdpo8dJ9hrmlUSA8-EA/s320/20240221%2008%20witch's%20ball%20with%20invisible%20colors.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">They never made it to the Window Sill of Judgment when I got home. They're destined for discard.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Another one has only vertical threads, which is what I was after when I was trying to make Tree of Life ornaments.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDSUKsX0qWGrlO2FudUFS3a4EqHArVFlRakN5nlhmmUM5mSI8Fy4y6CjH5U78WvMD0mhVS3HIKUn_upy4nwv7UUFCcSFU93CNn5zIwDsern1i1y9aQbGptu2aGwtVICOGaDYGh6kjt-MN1kx1fBspMJE8DOlwJ3ryuejiHE-VLQGxIfNvIvMs5W2s1Q/s2048/20240221%2009%20witch's%20ball%20with%20vertical%20threads.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDSUKsX0qWGrlO2FudUFS3a4EqHArVFlRakN5nlhmmUM5mSI8Fy4y6CjH5U78WvMD0mhVS3HIKUn_upy4nwv7UUFCcSFU93CNn5zIwDsern1i1y9aQbGptu2aGwtVICOGaDYGh6kjt-MN1kx1fBspMJE8DOlwJ3ryuejiHE-VLQGxIfNvIvMs5W2s1Q/s320/20240221%2009%20witch's%20ball%20with%20vertical%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Obviously I have no real control over this process. I'm still trying to figure out the timing. Stab too soon and the sphere won't happen. Stab too late and the threads disappear. Stab at the right time, when the bubble is about two thirds of the way there, and maybe the threads will stick around. It didn't help that the calipers I was using -- which are too big for my hands so I wrapped the sides with athletic tape for grip -- would sometimes stick in the closed position. I think the tape got in the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">In the end, I kept three of the small ones and two of the large ones. Only the insane one warranted a permanent place above the Window Sill of Judgment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nRonx7XszXnl0rZdlti91Fba5QsLnAZJT-X_1BqOHf15R0pF-ohVMDZWbWiqgAWLbYVKIllb4QysN-2rp_yxd0wIIGKFpEPDO4mLVWffKNOTukc3IHPwHr58nBwBRxnyK45usI8DnUY_jwdxJNyw_DtdYyhkShIbBC0g3sHjv7SB57ZayR4DAT0d6g/s2048/20240221%2040%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nRonx7XszXnl0rZdlti91Fba5QsLnAZJT-X_1BqOHf15R0pF-ohVMDZWbWiqgAWLbYVKIllb4QysN-2rp_yxd0wIIGKFpEPDO4mLVWffKNOTukc3IHPwHr58nBwBRxnyK45usI8DnUY_jwdxJNyw_DtdYyhkShIbBC0g3sHjv7SB57ZayR4DAT0d6g/s320/20240221%2040%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidylkbEEYCPkoYl2kgSBngVuEE4vUeS6fT7JD6q77NiIKPBx4sn5opK29e8m9BIvDdvLx4axxA4lHacoXKycYyVzW1Ca9PMuhIE-tf6xmYY_vy7G4KLe8S6CzgA4OL7SJNODegxYnbLEUoHLO7DKOSqF7ZDNgE7_-TqJy5bmINT9ic6OINX369qIxiQw/s2048/20240221%2041%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidylkbEEYCPkoYl2kgSBngVuEE4vUeS6fT7JD6q77NiIKPBx4sn5opK29e8m9BIvDdvLx4axxA4lHacoXKycYyVzW1Ca9PMuhIE-tf6xmYY_vy7G4KLe8S6CzgA4OL7SJNODegxYnbLEUoHLO7DKOSqF7ZDNgE7_-TqJy5bmINT9ic6OINX369qIxiQw/s320/20240221%2041%20witch's%20ball%20with%20all%20the%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Instead of heating up the big oven, I put the sawed-off top of a square mold reject in the little color box and hoped it wouldn't shatter. I blew a pale blue bubble into it, flattened the bottom, and opened the top into a vase shape after mangling it by pulling and trimming. The jury's still out on this one. (February 29: The jury has ruled it too ugly to live.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKpUt87G-PxnPLrFV3w310B21uFp7sU81ovAUoUo69-Gy9FDfu6HZq8QDwPuxc9mohjIJdH28JaBP5J84cmm4UF0x8oEsRURIwozYDcKx0GzwshI8Ft-olR5bysxUdwdEOuCuP6PyM1Q9xOJZ_cC_Db8JSjluZeo2Z7Y3d5z9V6aFPlcw4FOykRk61w/s2048/20240221%2034%20clear%20square%20mold%20top%20with%20capri%20blue%20bubble%20blown%20in.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKpUt87G-PxnPLrFV3w310B21uFp7sU81ovAUoUo69-Gy9FDfu6HZq8QDwPuxc9mohjIJdH28JaBP5J84cmm4UF0x8oEsRURIwozYDcKx0GzwshI8Ft-olR5bysxUdwdEOuCuP6PyM1Q9xOJZ_cC_Db8JSjluZeo2Z7Y3d5z9V6aFPlcw4FOykRk61w/s320/20240221%2034%20clear%20square%20mold%20top%20with%20capri%20blue%20bubble%20blown%20in.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Rose wanted to try threading. I was glad to help her out. She turned the pipe and I brought the thread. She was excited by the result. I didn't use the threader at all last semester, and I hadn't feathered in longer than that. I got a clear gather, had Rose babysit it, and made a Cranberry Pink thread. At the last minute, I decided to feather it, but only in one direction. I made a drinking glass out of it. I didn't pull or trim the top because I didn't want to mangle the pattern. The lip turned out thickish, but it has a good enough feel when I drink out of it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajwXzxMpPOpLag-A00DLXDaqlfy1KndVcc45dfvBIIhrvgIGLp-sAYS5WiaQjx-GbW5U4LgBE29gmsnmGu1fVYI3bmI1CpgEYgyIg32A3QOyctdtLwZR5KPKe5zOSFzlaFj9zOSrMQXeImqtfQrceMfx1FNwg1BAynO6GkWOhgZmxtMnei4BCJNULkQ/s2048/20240221%2035%20cranberry%20pink%20thraded%20cup.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajwXzxMpPOpLag-A00DLXDaqlfy1KndVcc45dfvBIIhrvgIGLp-sAYS5WiaQjx-GbW5U4LgBE29gmsnmGu1fVYI3bmI1CpgEYgyIg32A3QOyctdtLwZR5KPKe5zOSFzlaFj9zOSrMQXeImqtfQrceMfx1FNwg1BAynO6GkWOhgZmxtMnei4BCJNULkQ/s320/20240221%2035%20cranberry%20pink%20thraded%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">At home on Wednesday, I set out the three cups I wanted to try drinking from. The mangled beer cozy cup was the only one that stood a chance against Glooskap (seen here inspecting my work), who takes it upon himself to tip over every cup of water I dare set next to me when I'm sitting on the sofa watching TV with Jack.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EIqdjUNBXazsGV_5GZ1pnaX2hZJ5XeVEfisSejAmVw-MLAD9yuk0qMytycvDhBBU6ypqee8VzBukHslWPa8do_sHplTMze47rGahRmoTmLmxJXPnQKuVO64giKsmnST9QG4ubWQxJY6m5a3X58Do_Vs5QYAtdoihSPPMVSDbhvXQ8Qwt6LGqsxtHfQ/s2048/20240221%2039%20Glooskap%20inspects%20the%20cups.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EIqdjUNBXazsGV_5GZ1pnaX2hZJ5XeVEfisSejAmVw-MLAD9yuk0qMytycvDhBBU6ypqee8VzBukHslWPa8do_sHplTMze47rGahRmoTmLmxJXPnQKuVO64giKsmnST9QG4ubWQxJY6m5a3X58Do_Vs5QYAtdoihSPPMVSDbhvXQ8Qwt6LGqsxtHfQ/s320/20240221%2039%20Glooskap%20inspects%20the%20cups.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Empty, the beer cozy cup is plenty heavy. Full of water, it's heavier still. That didn't stop Glooskap from attempting to tip it over. We paused whatever it was we were watching to witness the cup versus cat contest. When the cup was almost empty, I let him try again, and he succeeded. Weight is no issue when all you need to do is stick your fuzzy foot inside. The cozy went back to the Window Sill of Judgment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">The yellow lip wrap cup is in the display cabinet with the other lip wrap cups, for now. It displaces the one I made last week, which is going to be filled with scraps on Sunday and put in the big oven.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">The feathered cup is currently my regular drinking glass, not as aesthetically satisfying as the thin-topped lip wrap cup that I've been using since Decmber, but definitely prettier. This one will probably end up in the cabinet too. It's too pretty to risk being broken.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Low Key texted to ask if she could make up a class this Sunday morning. I told her sure, but she has to show me how to make witch's balls. She's good at making a single, controlled, colored thread, straight across. Sage texted back that she wants in on the lession. Then CP said she has to teach him too.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><b>Week Four</b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">February 29, 9:35 p.m.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZCZZw5uyrW2bfIsDDKSI4Y4ch-M2RiqJjIkraXq0dsWycs_xlvZO1lmjTCiWrB0zVjFsFdvTZm6Zinuk0hWucgzY_gW9lRpqHxyeLMvmTXGnbmzsNmX6oICz_ClEbbPKlIDprP0IKWxYnbINAIRFyXKPNtN9JWYzNnkxQlsGNF1v1gKDqFsgQkcSbw/s2048/20240224%2001%20view%20from%20below%20of%20window%20ornaments.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZCZZw5uyrW2bfIsDDKSI4Y4ch-M2RiqJjIkraXq0dsWycs_xlvZO1lmjTCiWrB0zVjFsFdvTZm6Zinuk0hWucgzY_gW9lRpqHxyeLMvmTXGnbmzsNmX6oICz_ClEbbPKlIDprP0IKWxYnbINAIRFyXKPNtN9JWYzNnkxQlsGNF1v1gKDqFsgQkcSbw/s320/20240224%2001%20view%20from%20below%20of%20window%20ornaments.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">There's no more room above the Window Sill of Judgment for all the witch's balls I'm bringing home. They're balancing on the tops of the vases and cups still being judged. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">On Saturday night, I got into a text conversation with one of my biking buddies, during which I tried to describe the square mold. I promised him a picture, which I took when I got into class on Sunday morning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgS5IXA379R8HOiIZCU9qp4o0MIDH0KAbZZtdW6oLlzUQFjvxBEC0EraEIoF5ob1TYmmWRZWKOTqf5XEK_SQMrBE-6iL-xyDnXb9PHgSUcxzuxEp6TRNz-jP5y5hea8b7U7wRQG_ftyKGu0y5cS2VRm0YJbIuEy0HENFFdrgcKL4cwUvTUaJuQpWSgg/s2048/20240225%2001%20the%20square%20mold.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgS5IXA379R8HOiIZCU9qp4o0MIDH0KAbZZtdW6oLlzUQFjvxBEC0EraEIoF5ob1TYmmWRZWKOTqf5XEK_SQMrBE-6iL-xyDnXb9PHgSUcxzuxEp6TRNz-jP5y5hea8b7U7wRQG_ftyKGu0y5cS2VRm0YJbIuEy0HENFFdrgcKL4cwUvTUaJuQpWSgg/s320/20240225%2001%20the%20square%20mold.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Before class started, I sawed last week's blue square mold into three pieces and chucked the bottom. I set the middle and top into the big oven, along with the yellow lip wrap cup that I filled with scraps from last Monday night. CP put something in the oven too. I fired it up.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Low Key was setting up too. We're never hurried these days. Low Key's regular partner, on Saturday afternoons, is an OG from back in the days when the classroom was in "the barn," somewhere on campus that might or might not still exist. I've seen his work in the cabinet, and there's one up on a high shelf in the classroom. His work looks straight out of Murano. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"He made this piece," she said, "and threw it out. I asked why. He said it was crooked. It wasn't crooked! He said it was. I told him he's like you and Glass Ninja. Very precise."</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"Wow," I said. "That's high praise to put me in the same category as Glass Ninja!"</div><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"You're very precise," she said. I try to be. I didn't think anyone noticed.</div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">While we waited for the oven, CP made one of his signature pitchers. I brought him too much glass for the handle, but he went with it anyway. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I made yet another Capri Blue square mold cup. It was heavy again, too heavy for a drinking glass. At least the top was round and the bottom square. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibF1hkkOm7Lj3Z2-_UIXCG01R_sIHEdjHkTmU8rUykZMTj2VJEK-wX879DtUspFgVwABqFY6TNZzXkIYsjVnW6Fg-0IbhcjtvTFFnJ3F8u6CagGDYrh7ai7Silpfcu_JRXlWwxqB-bR7dobMHRtpngd-U0JICPsSBsfrpkn9MWQyb1CBXIA_XZzzvMuA/s2048/20240228%2001%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20success.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibF1hkkOm7Lj3Z2-_UIXCG01R_sIHEdjHkTmU8rUykZMTj2VJEK-wX879DtUspFgVwABqFY6TNZzXkIYsjVnW6Fg-0IbhcjtvTFFnJ3F8u6CagGDYrh7ai7Silpfcu_JRXlWwxqB-bR7dobMHRtpngd-U0JICPsSBsfrpkn9MWQyb1CBXIA_XZzzvMuA/s320/20240228%2001%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20success.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Sage called out sick, so she missed Low Key's witch's ball lesson. Her style is to pick up a dab of color on each side, then have an assistant help her poke in at those points so that the colored threads join in the center. It's simple and elegant. Her threads are horizontal. I'm aiming for vertical so that I can make tree trunks. When she tried vertical threads, she found herself in the same gummed-up situation I do: too much glass pushed to the top. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I set about making witch's balls using my calipers and two gathers of glass. Rose came in while I was stabbing away. I put three in the annealer, not really happy with any of them. I rejected a couple while they were still on the pipe. I walked straight to the re-melt bucket and knocked them off there. Rose looked at me with dismay. "Why'd you do that?!"</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"I don't like it."<br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"It was fine!"</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"Not round."</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">She told Rose the story she told me an hour ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pXbFtUPlcUyRdziANI5sSaDhEvCXGBRBXuqZeahMCkxI5FeVIM4-H7lKsgAVDz-R9DndNQY5l1m-EYMiD3Dgd58t5pHOyrMK5ZBwYZrhvIeN74x2M0sOT4pct4S_IsZVf24FRpFIKXOnfXgD8vObdw9vALO590HA5tivMQjVgHduThEw9mlBp80fag/s2048/20240228%2014%20large%20witch's%20ball%201.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pXbFtUPlcUyRdziANI5sSaDhEvCXGBRBXuqZeahMCkxI5FeVIM4-H7lKsgAVDz-R9DndNQY5l1m-EYMiD3Dgd58t5pHOyrMK5ZBwYZrhvIeN74x2M0sOT4pct4S_IsZVf24FRpFIKXOnfXgD8vObdw9vALO590HA5tivMQjVgHduThEw9mlBp80fag/s320/20240228%2014%20large%20witch's%20ball%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdWsxcMxaVn0ikl1fpMpZGUqYwrk6oWT0ic6BdAskKvcGtuovgujJd7MF94YaF1WxS34KIsb8PGRD-Mhyphenhyphen_i7_BNBj3DA7mbIHLkUkEjHInQ_PrTY0IiQl4ov96w7uLcuU_qjmvQqD4O-_6w_FkpU_NxClFLhqAy7NLHyzps-H4kcopOg0WIdYe5cGtw/s2048/20240228%2015%20large%20witch's%20ball%202.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdWsxcMxaVn0ikl1fpMpZGUqYwrk6oWT0ic6BdAskKvcGtuovgujJd7MF94YaF1WxS34KIsb8PGRD-Mhyphenhyphen_i7_BNBj3DA7mbIHLkUkEjHInQ_PrTY0IiQl4ov96w7uLcuU_qjmvQqD4O-_6w_FkpU_NxClFLhqAy7NLHyzps-H4kcopOg0WIdYe5cGtw/s320/20240228%2015%20large%20witch's%20ball%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nrBFoOzOP_7Q7r-Hkahjp5r2HoaDAR3fZFZ2v2chmjsEo9unQ6l4RZejZQxnwLtMcTSEihxQLpaOWohGkKuM3Z_wrdgr01xJfN8A1uGdSBBWWAWwqGFbIjlCz7RtASfKab37gSFamRpEN1UMdrhMwzXAR9WfkJ6NOW8Vr3jWfIKVyxDbfsGxSioAog/s2048/20240228%2016%20large%20witch's%20ball%203.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nrBFoOzOP_7Q7r-Hkahjp5r2HoaDAR3fZFZ2v2chmjsEo9unQ6l4RZejZQxnwLtMcTSEihxQLpaOWohGkKuM3Z_wrdgr01xJfN8A1uGdSBBWWAWwqGFbIjlCz7RtASfKab37gSFamRpEN1UMdrhMwzXAR9WfkJ6NOW8Vr3jWfIKVyxDbfsGxSioAog/s320/20240228%2016%20large%20witch's%20ball%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Three out of five, none of them great, but at least my success rate is increasing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">With the big oven up to temperature, I went in and picked up the lip-wrap cup. I blew another cup inside of it. "That's sick!" CP said as we put it away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVmXSO2guJG_SHLWEEydeyC1S6yWnuQQf4MxUAU8ZQV0ncmMaNPUyoGamMntE3QAApTm6JT8BePy1VEWJbwNaDptpZLvCA6b89osX5PtyyL_2CSfc3qTCkeKmLsSmckkap4gVWdSIqQ25j2GYSIlJP8DyG689porRvjgptzScoQo5vFyfkd4vhAwQqQ/s2048/20240228%2009%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20from%2020240218%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVmXSO2guJG_SHLWEEydeyC1S6yWnuQQf4MxUAU8ZQV0ncmMaNPUyoGamMntE3QAApTm6JT8BePy1VEWJbwNaDptpZLvCA6b89osX5PtyyL_2CSfc3qTCkeKmLsSmckkap4gVWdSIqQ25j2GYSIlJP8DyG689porRvjgptzScoQo5vFyfkd4vhAwQqQ/s320/20240228%2009%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20from%2020240218%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9AIMfJQIMcIDL2yX86ZJoKK39_FgHSk3oErljSHbJfxsEDZhZ71-p4WnlHZJDrnV5VBzUf_MIzuiyvMTIYcWH_xqcZc6VFHDvQDy64Cd_RPm49epCaqhPejvh2LCfHJFsAY9iEyn1gC-VD3BKHBJwa_FETpD-SH2CEQtr5HAv0eDgftttNuANmyv2g/s2048/20240228%2008%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20from%2020240218%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9AIMfJQIMcIDL2yX86ZJoKK39_FgHSk3oErljSHbJfxsEDZhZ71-p4WnlHZJDrnV5VBzUf_MIzuiyvMTIYcWH_xqcZc6VFHDvQDy64Cd_RPm49epCaqhPejvh2LCfHJFsAY9iEyn1gC-VD3BKHBJwa_FETpD-SH2CEQtr5HAv0eDgftttNuANmyv2g/s320/20240228%2008%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20from%2020240218%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">It's far too heavy to drink from. I guess that means it's art.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">CP made another one of his sculptural pieces. Low Key was working on something that collapsed. She saved it anyway so that she could break it up and use the colors again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I went into the big oven with an Enamel White bubble to pick up one of the Capri Blue square mold pieces I'd sawed off earlier. I had a bad jack line. The top broke off so unevenly that, if I'd cut it down, there wouldn't have been any of it left. I liked the shape. I decided not to pull it to even it out. Instead, I heated and swung it until the jagged edges became smooth waves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNLf8NQz6qcui04NtCE9Js9yjSRtK4neNa7n5ZJoHY_4M4XE0H2V-Xe_Bl0Hr-ec0qY0B6KPCXYyB-REl_DJJJTgRHRt4dGWRdYMGxvsPYuc9bG8dj96nLF-Psw3ynr_xY7q5-GRpTHlPqT0Ya_PI_ty5QEpIlYQRk5VxaizHa0JqOfZns4Ki-a9oRg/s2048/20240228%2010%20Enamel%20White%20bubble%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20middle.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNLf8NQz6qcui04NtCE9Js9yjSRtK4neNa7n5ZJoHY_4M4XE0H2V-Xe_Bl0Hr-ec0qY0B6KPCXYyB-REl_DJJJTgRHRt4dGWRdYMGxvsPYuc9bG8dj96nLF-Psw3ynr_xY7q5-GRpTHlPqT0Ya_PI_ty5QEpIlYQRk5VxaizHa0JqOfZns4Ki-a9oRg/s320/20240228%2010%20Enamel%20White%20bubble%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20middle.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTk3wEaF9Oqpa0AxkE24jOLWskEuMUoWL-8OTI4UzKtm-SBU74WO9bOoPuRRZ4MGoNEIlOXfAVbuBnTRVHZlStO9e6v48Bjnao_FLA0Gd4jWdnPW1cSVd8dZRDz0bCB2NmbPrm6aZdp5oICDOWog_eBBT_eiTci05OrHZ0uI02GXcT_nKk-_V5CXg2Q/s2048/20240228%2011%20Enamel%20White%20bubble%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20middle.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTk3wEaF9Oqpa0AxkE24jOLWskEuMUoWL-8OTI4UzKtm-SBU74WO9bOoPuRRZ4MGoNEIlOXfAVbuBnTRVHZlStO9e6v48Bjnao_FLA0Gd4jWdnPW1cSVd8dZRDz0bCB2NmbPrm6aZdp5oICDOWog_eBBT_eiTci05OrHZ0uI02GXcT_nKk-_V5CXg2Q/s320/20240228%2011%20Enamel%20White%20bubble%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20middle.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9lMgwzk3a3P9u84gM3i4Y1EsxqiQfPFK3xsiGMlobgws9vL18PTP8m_FFhlvn8Zfj3LYfqbRPQ5qZTfDlBPFN8CWShfqFzvOqN8kJjEv7EqnT4JoqIgoas1UNHDFz-VO8OpkhS9XmN1U4fWS2_rikHmZTjbB2QBqT2xhe3jbIy_oSGEKCrGaaoKJkw/s2048/20240228%2012%20Enamel%20White%20bubble%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20middle.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9lMgwzk3a3P9u84gM3i4Y1EsxqiQfPFK3xsiGMlobgws9vL18PTP8m_FFhlvn8Zfj3LYfqbRPQ5qZTfDlBPFN8CWShfqFzvOqN8kJjEv7EqnT4JoqIgoas1UNHDFz-VO8OpkhS9XmN1U4fWS2_rikHmZTjbB2QBqT2xhe3jbIy_oSGEKCrGaaoKJkw/s320/20240228%2012%20Enamel%20White%20bubble%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20middle.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I still had a Blue Jade rod in the small oven and another piece of the Capri Blue square mold in the big oven when class ended. I let Pumpkin Master know they were still there. "I'll use them tomorrow," I said. I like having back-to-back sessions like this. It keeps me in the zone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Where Sundays are collaborative and creative, Mondays are more stressful. I have to think of things I can make by myself. Rose, for whatever reason, has learned, and become quite happy, to work by herself. I try to be self-sufficient too, but the things I want to make require a second pair of hands. Or, at least at my skill level they do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I came into this workshop afraid to punty up by myself. Now I can do it successfully most of the time. I never used to break pieces off the punty to put them away by myself either. Now I always do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">After Sunday's session, Low Key told me that I should try using color in my witch's balls. I decided to try to repeat the first one I ever made, which was one gather and two colors. I succeeded the very first time, almost got it the second time, and failed utterly ever since. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I spread some green in a line on the marver and some brown in a small pile a few inches away. I took a single gather, rolled the top half in the green, melted that in, dabbed the bottom on the brown, melted it in, shaped the gather again, heated it up, and went back to the bench to make a bubble. I used the calipers to pinch the bottom and the top off to one side to avoid poking the bubble back into the pipe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I did this four times successfully and twice knocked the bubble off into the scrap bucket. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">The first three I put away had thin, brown "trunks" reaching up to the green "leaves."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrfHaJSNz7kMGFAIC7bVHCfhPDaFlIsedzOpcicWsqCzKlQCQRuuAIo0WoqahAbOsKl6mkGsp2ZrZQ_Lwn6wYbRaDLM8rxxSJo4JJgOJzkz_g_DeUK_7lo8Lw8Rh6K8Ci7ZRpV0XVNC1gtUAKqD61DVcqUUbQuCmpX3iY3jIykVG2GlFDfuvU9ZQRYQ/s2048/20240228%2017%20small%20tree%20of%20life%201.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrfHaJSNz7kMGFAIC7bVHCfhPDaFlIsedzOpcicWsqCzKlQCQRuuAIo0WoqahAbOsKl6mkGsp2ZrZQ_Lwn6wYbRaDLM8rxxSJo4JJgOJzkz_g_DeUK_7lo8Lw8Rh6K8Ci7ZRpV0XVNC1gtUAKqD61DVcqUUbQuCmpX3iY3jIykVG2GlFDfuvU9ZQRYQ/s320/20240228%2017%20small%20tree%20of%20life%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuls_KK0SBEhJGVy1hOMxREeOJcUUuzmjsJYMCDjAcblX05UHDeCVLT2EFtopXMHta5a4zfnr6xIyQzTykmbpIGwsyft4KURvtXPns4z25Hm76jUjOTQow5z-6Bsc9kj3V8YHf5Cc2I22rj4fuDy3cPOsV_b4jUWgVwSRP9NN-pMVAuR8jvO6sJqBxg/s2048/20240228%2018%20small%20tree%20of%20life%202.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuls_KK0SBEhJGVy1hOMxREeOJcUUuzmjsJYMCDjAcblX05UHDeCVLT2EFtopXMHta5a4zfnr6xIyQzTykmbpIGwsyft4KURvtXPns4z25Hm76jUjOTQow5z-6Bsc9kj3V8YHf5Cc2I22rj4fuDy3cPOsV_b4jUWgVwSRP9NN-pMVAuR8jvO6sJqBxg/s320/20240228%2018%20small%20tree%20of%20life%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKlsDCrFw90GrPiCygtz8pmq9zKD2-bZ-FCPUUnU58q_k4swjNKuCbkcw2Y8HSSwYHgaunwBOt7JuJ6HmSPNR8LYs-b09NN6ijasKxMYvzm0UDWb-eKd6gSQcOvJKOspLJ6Er5dz9wUR1PgszpLrDaUMJfKR-fMjCgOtachY-T9VVkz_Z9zzIr3QZ6A/s2048/20240228%2020%20small%20tree%20of%20life%203.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKlsDCrFw90GrPiCygtz8pmq9zKD2-bZ-FCPUUnU58q_k4swjNKuCbkcw2Y8HSSwYHgaunwBOt7JuJ6HmSPNR8LYs-b09NN6ijasKxMYvzm0UDWb-eKd6gSQcOvJKOspLJ6Er5dz9wUR1PgszpLrDaUMJfKR-fMjCgOtachY-T9VVkz_Z9zzIr3QZ6A/s320/20240228%2020%20small%20tree%20of%20life%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But the fourth one worked! I stabbed that one from the same spot twice. Noted.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvTYVpXoTf_T10YdbI-rMFCzhXEY8EucKw4n-mmO6uAaQHW8VIgisrkFf07rtos0-ejNk_9m0A-UwR-hvBQS2BrNgxOe3EleEtbebhBUUPZj5Ny4ylmbAN3EyDvy_cs-dkpUQVJXYeCOgMHKfjiIjXjp_4S2kfZ21Xrm68LcUATQPFvL8vaaJKuMdOA/s2048/20240228%2021%20success%20small%20tree%20of%20life%204.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvTYVpXoTf_T10YdbI-rMFCzhXEY8EucKw4n-mmO6uAaQHW8VIgisrkFf07rtos0-ejNk_9m0A-UwR-hvBQS2BrNgxOe3EleEtbebhBUUPZj5Ny4ylmbAN3EyDvy_cs-dkpUQVJXYeCOgMHKfjiIjXjp_4S2kfZ21Xrm68LcUATQPFvL8vaaJKuMdOA/s320/20240228%2021%20success%20small%20tree%20of%20life%204.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Rose asked me to bring her a bit to stick on to the top of a cylinder. Low Key had done this last year, carefully placing three colored bits evenly around the top of a bowl. When she spun it out, the bits, being heavier, spun out wider, creating fingers. Rose, who had seen a video of something similar, spun hers out, the single bit pulling longer on one side. I stayed with her from the bit to the end, so that I could open the glory hole doors when she needed it and catch the bowl when she broke it off the punty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Now it was my turn to ask her for help. I needed her to open the big oven door so I could pick up the last of the sawed-off square mold pieces. I made my Blue Jade bubble too thin at the bottom. When I picked up the square mold, I hoped it would help stabilize the bottom. It didn't. The bottom kept nearly blowing out every time I tried to lengthen the piece. What I needed was a "button," a little smear of clear glass on the bottom, to give it extra stability for the punty. All The Glass and I made buttons for each other a lot. Now I needed one. But Rose was in the middle of a pumpkin. I would have to try to make one myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">It was a right mess, but it did the job. Unfortunately, while I was getting the punty ready, the piece, still hot, sagged a little on the pipe. With a partner, this never would have happened because my partner would have kept the piece on center by rolling the pipe. I just learned the hard way not to get the piece too hot for a self-punty. The shape was now a slumped mess, the punty a little off-center. There was only one thing to do. Spin it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJ3yT96xpRK8cELj9B3SQp73KUmPF1Z7Kmk9fSKofDNKXU-E5nYCdoZJa2TfJXxrGsrWHGwAH-tnoRTV2jeYHmFPAIWE14UCcRh14suNqcMWdapfT5uNrUqbyAp8CiLEPJQkIYV_8YD8G5cxeDp3MxvfHnCvH7ufhMbspqOmf9jwQpwm135FZN4UvSw/s2048/20240228%2028%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJ3yT96xpRK8cELj9B3SQp73KUmPF1Z7Kmk9fSKofDNKXU-E5nYCdoZJa2TfJXxrGsrWHGwAH-tnoRTV2jeYHmFPAIWE14UCcRh14suNqcMWdapfT5uNrUqbyAp8CiLEPJQkIYV_8YD8G5cxeDp3MxvfHnCvH7ufhMbspqOmf9jwQpwm135FZN4UvSw/s320/20240228%2028%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ESsZFJcyEs-vykrjwWZXvBdW2zhT-er96nUz6F70KJRG45cxXRyqRN9aGzZ5xmOhIYmFlD_Fm6WszoVZQDIWPqDC-JaGHrNoHDPaDCndUClb4fT6En5mmhSjD4QCPvVo8PvV8YXAT51DWudL3Qf8C8KyjRGNY1bjXV44_Ss2-DksfaOuoXPPLbJh8g/s2048/20240228%2029%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ESsZFJcyEs-vykrjwWZXvBdW2zhT-er96nUz6F70KJRG45cxXRyqRN9aGzZ5xmOhIYmFlD_Fm6WszoVZQDIWPqDC-JaGHrNoHDPaDCndUClb4fT6En5mmhSjD4QCPvVo8PvV8YXAT51DWudL3Qf8C8KyjRGNY1bjXV44_Ss2-DksfaOuoXPPLbJh8g/s320/20240228%2029%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSfR3KesHIonFB9qYWaaUNtpWani9TdPcOZ2DdHpiLczYl8vj4YxNuMqP9GwQ_5V9Y7YHXOcp7EylIaHmo2u9BDQnE3zOCZUDKW0htHQrSqjBGFHGP2yT9c9WEA_3L5hXPQ2EXjvlEAzKdaQ5e1BC6b5GlZylj14vwbExeknRY837nbGNkO0vtj35AA/s2048/20240228%2030%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSfR3KesHIonFB9qYWaaUNtpWani9TdPcOZ2DdHpiLczYl8vj4YxNuMqP9GwQ_5V9Y7YHXOcp7EylIaHmo2u9BDQnE3zOCZUDKW0htHQrSqjBGFHGP2yT9c9WEA_3L5hXPQ2EXjvlEAzKdaQ5e1BC6b5GlZylj14vwbExeknRY837nbGNkO0vtj35AA/s320/20240228%2030%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzXVVg9WwolIsWYbHV6KY5dGy1Zj3YfTUaGSKawUVoWjmQonNLFNuCzgW0jTcXO95mMzbcuxdYkMuDukmwjRQfS3sWJzkAClkiKF5NYNBApim6CWULgzE6OwK2Apr4xSE5tgFKoYoe4V8hxx5EywQ6uJV1BNgT9klpz3_cTItxvc8C0FaIUA65viYyA/s2048/20240228%2031%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzXVVg9WwolIsWYbHV6KY5dGy1Zj3YfTUaGSKawUVoWjmQonNLFNuCzgW0jTcXO95mMzbcuxdYkMuDukmwjRQfS3sWJzkAClkiKF5NYNBApim6CWULgzE6OwK2Apr4xSE5tgFKoYoe4V8hxx5EywQ6uJV1BNgT9klpz3_cTItxvc8C0FaIUA65viYyA/s320/20240228%2031%20Blue%20Jade%20blown%20into%20sawed-off%20Capri%20Blue%20square%20mold%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Somehow, the bottom sides retain hints of having been square once. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">It's a wonder this thing survived at all. When I looked at it, I thought, "Y'know, I coulda done an overlay instead." So maybe that's what I'll have to try next. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Rose wanted to thread. This is a two-person activity. I walked her through threading and one-directional feathering twice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Then I wanted to try. As soon as she was finished turning the pipe while I brought the bit, she went to get a gather to make something for herself. "Wait!" I said. "I still need your help!" I'm not good enough to feather at the bench. There's too much time for the glass to cool during the trip from the glory hole. Instead, I feather at the glory hole. It helps if there's someone holding what we call "the pizza," essentially a flat piece of metal on a pole like one would use to ferry a pizza in and out of an oven. For us, we use it as a heat and light shield for the glory hole. One person shields the hole while the other, just outside of the glory hole, pulls the glass for feathers. Pull, flip, pull, go back in to warm the piece again. I can do this without the shield if I'm pulling towards myself, but when I pull away, I have to get closer to the glass and the hole. I only pulled towards myself this time, but later maybe Rose and I will both be feathering in two directions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I made two feathered cups. Neither was as tall nor as thin as the one I made last week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cskr06-wzSawU0F1H2LXdj4T8HkARlgoPcZYYTBVDm1UWVvs8C2UemY6_o35FKTpM_f25oPAff3l0k8db2FpI4QW3wGnAoLQKpJ139v6q5I_2x_beKY3I4viqfRm0-gPap5X3oChDXsGId3mR0S5xJ_Jh_mU00aoYXnb7H8RVC_y27VBylKLb4iyNQ/s1170/20240226%2003%20thread%20cups%20in%20annealer.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1170" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cskr06-wzSawU0F1H2LXdj4T8HkARlgoPcZYYTBVDm1UWVvs8C2UemY6_o35FKTpM_f25oPAff3l0k8db2FpI4QW3wGnAoLQKpJ139v6q5I_2x_beKY3I4viqfRm0-gPap5X3oChDXsGId3mR0S5xJ_Jh_mU00aoYXnb7H8RVC_y27VBylKLb4iyNQ/s320/20240226%2003%20thread%20cups%20in%20annealer.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I'd used thread scraps. I wasn't sure what the colors were going to turn out to be. Topaz and purple?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Nope. Green and pink.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQj8baAv30cdB7tI3UJlpOoV8kMizeSlwCRg5v-InPDad2xbhwng2RrqnAX7kyPx93Us2Ap9R9LEfdPUUiUKcD-tpiNS-QKU0WYY4k-CC_lErGoKMPKMTUjOHsRoKzmLMM7WchbXcPYgl7T0SVbf00JAZuM6YfcjR-R_2OUraCaY1ZF3VwaTBeRCvUhw/s2048/20240228%2023%20scrap%20rod%20lime%20green%20thread%20cup.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQj8baAv30cdB7tI3UJlpOoV8kMizeSlwCRg5v-InPDad2xbhwng2RrqnAX7kyPx93Us2Ap9R9LEfdPUUiUKcD-tpiNS-QKU0WYY4k-CC_lErGoKMPKMTUjOHsRoKzmLMM7WchbXcPYgl7T0SVbf00JAZuM6YfcjR-R_2OUraCaY1ZF3VwaTBeRCvUhw/s320/20240228%2023%20scrap%20rod%20lime%20green%20thread%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEf60F4JPQA0BnTxcEvnBL0p_sQWUmBAL_5Q55vuToxYadJbOOX4yf50brLJ_-RgMVJp6P1i0NazgZKGkFWdEUVjLJ04wuqE7N7OimVZtplS3YAW7yAyo0uH1RZ65LI0PxCidRAJL-IKC6SDril-qAr_vU40m_csHG6N2q79kn6uSCeiYc22mxWMJWw/s2048/20240228%2025%20scrap%20rod%20gold%20ruby%20maybe%20thread%20cup.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEf60F4JPQA0BnTxcEvnBL0p_sQWUmBAL_5Q55vuToxYadJbOOX4yf50brLJ_-RgMVJp6P1i0NazgZKGkFWdEUVjLJ04wuqE7N7OimVZtplS3YAW7yAyo0uH1RZ65LI0PxCidRAJL-IKC6SDril-qAr_vU40m_csHG6N2q79kn6uSCeiYc22mxWMJWw/s320/20240228%2025%20scrap%20rod%20gold%20ruby%20maybe%20thread%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I went back to witch's balls. I asked Rose to help me do what Low Key does. I picked up four little scraps of color, two blue and two orange. We simultaneously poked at the orange spots, then the blue (only I mistook one color for the other and missed a spot completely). It was heavy and not round, but I kept it anyway, it being the first of its kind in my collection.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gVkQ_HwA4s8REfqVD1TWr_rVEWrEyMejjFfPkwGpmuz42lw3rHeSIIzW_Xi3dOAjGuckjfAezQSHIyXFE1PvBNAuhD7GUTf9-kimLI2Y90aDk7GA1lHePqaOCq9QDcGrobnCSq7ypi5cP-Re-V5tq-0y-iucSJS7MjhWT2naXs-mj5E8oxDuDs2wcA/s2048/20240228%2034%20trying%20to%20imitate%20Kay's%20color%20witch's%20balls.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gVkQ_HwA4s8REfqVD1TWr_rVEWrEyMejjFfPkwGpmuz42lw3rHeSIIzW_Xi3dOAjGuckjfAezQSHIyXFE1PvBNAuhD7GUTf9-kimLI2Y90aDk7GA1lHePqaOCq9QDcGrobnCSq7ypi5cP-Re-V5tq-0y-iucSJS7MjhWT2naXs-mj5E8oxDuDs2wcA/s320/20240228%2034%20trying%20to%20imitate%20Kay's%20color%20witch's%20balls.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCdLBabo0xh7wRjAzKxeP1uaiZRB6PzUDAN7-Fi7DRLTIGFaGgS0IvEubV-P8TdEf6DNQ4Q2nYQ_oZc0ctAaVDn_GeXalkKRmAp7ULzzmzmG1yNtLdK_9YL9LWooW4zAiLyyAKJYp7AfcEqgVdwlbardQZIFb4ClJIlDiyGavdMh_q8jJyG-Ji0od4A/s2048/20240228%2035%20trying%20to%20imitate%20Kay's%20color%20witch's%20balls.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCdLBabo0xh7wRjAzKxeP1uaiZRB6PzUDAN7-Fi7DRLTIGFaGgS0IvEubV-P8TdEf6DNQ4Q2nYQ_oZc0ctAaVDn_GeXalkKRmAp7ULzzmzmG1yNtLdK_9YL9LWooW4zAiLyyAKJYp7AfcEqgVdwlbardQZIFb4ClJIlDiyGavdMh_q8jJyG-Ji0od4A/s320/20240228%2035%20trying%20to%20imitate%20Kay's%20color%20witch's%20balls.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">With five minutes left, I tried a one-gather with purple frit. I stabbed and blew and stabbed and blew. The piece was thin, with multiple threads. I sensed I might have blown a hole in it, but I couldn't see the hole when I put it away. (It did have a hole, and several cracks, and barely held together when I took it out of the annealer and carried it to the waste bucket two days later.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">When I got home after retrieving all of work on Wednesday night, I had to get creative in finding a place to house all the little trees of life while I track my progress. Fortunately, I have a cheap lamp with five bendable arms next to the Window Sill of Judgment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1uOZTKQqVhBEpaLgq7J7GoVzb0yf8evg_rf-MmGuPH9Qro0wSXMV_FXc0NiLIbAJIqdPc-afTAF7MhP6gOQi1pxaAcsVhzRaPy2UejHnExzqdJLdP_IaeAQcl28LS3bCOeHBI9Sply-4AbAaodgbsfHYnE7KsRG8AbuPvMDSMAxej42foRulog1KQQ/s1362/20240228%2040%20forest%20of%20small%20trees%20of%20life%20(left%20one%20is%20last%20semester).JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1uOZTKQqVhBEpaLgq7J7GoVzb0yf8evg_rf-MmGuPH9Qro0wSXMV_FXc0NiLIbAJIqdPc-afTAF7MhP6gOQi1pxaAcsVhzRaPy2UejHnExzqdJLdP_IaeAQcl28LS3bCOeHBI9Sply-4AbAaodgbsfHYnE7KsRG8AbuPvMDSMAxej42foRulog1KQQ/s320/20240228%2040%20forest%20of%20small%20trees%20of%20life%20(left%20one%20is%20last%20semester).JPEG" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one on the left is from last semester, one of only two that came close.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGKRIO8kMJCJSjQu1SX5inIEFyGqkpMYFPPHxKPuny6om6ZTx1iQmCrqfrhbQffJm9W6mnCos9sZ5poG4u1uFiVdWdvQdOLhZlraAvo7S-mZj8WkvJlNwTYHMh1vuKEosl2Wo6cF2ktSKbt9f6CtZMAkWh-HIkesCddBhx422nFYaXGSpnP6euP0eNg/s1143/20240229%2002%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine%20and%20trees%20of%20life%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGKRIO8kMJCJSjQu1SX5inIEFyGqkpMYFPPHxKPuny6om6ZTx1iQmCrqfrhbQffJm9W6mnCos9sZ5poG4u1uFiVdWdvQdOLhZlraAvo7S-mZj8WkvJlNwTYHMh1vuKEosl2Wo6cF2ktSKbt9f6CtZMAkWh-HIkesCddBhx422nFYaXGSpnP6euP0eNg/s320/20240229%2002%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine%20and%20trees%20of%20life%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: left;">The one that really worked earned itself a permanent spot among the other ornaments above the Window Sill of Judgment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHfxbG9jANsEvJlRXzg-Ykki_cNtz6i5rYisD-5S0okcxDec7JVIUIS4mC2QrMoXNjmEOfgxrE2tWhBkGnx0w7naOSh8xcHIhERSP8NKXsmOpRjGpqcgaQgxykkCJJ6cGyT0DQYQSZdVGimccQFVVxOQzfT28a6v_sBrIeMRVtjRU7x4w-0nszLDpWg/s1805/20240228%2039%20success%20small%20tree%20of%20life%204.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHfxbG9jANsEvJlRXzg-Ykki_cNtz6i5rYisD-5S0okcxDec7JVIUIS4mC2QrMoXNjmEOfgxrE2tWhBkGnx0w7naOSh8xcHIhERSP8NKXsmOpRjGpqcgaQgxykkCJJ6cGyT0DQYQSZdVGimccQFVVxOQzfT28a6v_sBrIeMRVtjRU7x4w-0nszLDpWg/s320/20240228%2039%20success%20small%20tree%20of%20life%204.JPEG" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Late this afternoon, I checked the school's website to figure out when fall registration begins. I sent the information to our text chain: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">"FYI: Fall registration begins March 25. Courses become fully visible (whatever that means) on March 3."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Rose responded with four thumbs up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I added that the class was "up there now, but without any details. I guess that's what 'not fully visible' is." I was hesitant to add this. It would be perfect conspiracy fodder for those convinced that the school was going to pull the rug out from under us again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">But then Pumpkin Master wrote, "It's running. We are ordering glass soon."</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">I won't fully believe it until the school takes my money.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><div><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-91362010267332109082024-02-24T18:34:00.000-05:002024-02-24T18:34:17.214-05:00Yeah, No.<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY7QEeeyxPh-9gOsn7_C9_sjBHf-ZIhFNyLf7N_Nmf2VMr5pinXlYMVB9eKkf7LERSaXsTIr-bIdH3lw7wuGb92M9Vdnp7bSW647IYgHxq_N8k4_tFCsWWox8Z_-P-PCQZ0eg2sT4sq3rZxL5p4U6P4aleg8NjunD6lv-XQqm8k6Q20QscW9EuZYlPw/s5184/20240223%2005%20Pennington-Harbourton%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY7QEeeyxPh-9gOsn7_C9_sjBHf-ZIhFNyLf7N_Nmf2VMr5pinXlYMVB9eKkf7LERSaXsTIr-bIdH3lw7wuGb92M9Vdnp7bSW647IYgHxq_N8k4_tFCsWWox8Z_-P-PCQZ0eg2sT4sq3rZxL5p4U6P4aleg8NjunD6lv-XQqm8k6Q20QscW9EuZYlPw/s320/20240223%2005%20Pennington-Harbourton%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pennington-Harbourton Road at Bear Tavern Road </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">24 February 2024</p><p style="text-align: left;">"I want to let you know," the rider said, "that I'll be passing everyone on the hills."<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">My reputation preceeds me.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Today was cold and windy. It started with dreary, damp roads. I'd come up with a short route that stayed out of the Sourlands. The plan was to ride the 35 miles and chow down at Terra Momo afterwards. There would be rollers and one long climb.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I hadn't counted on the dirt road, wet from rain and everything, that connected an office park with the Captial Health complex. Ridewithgps let me map it with a solid red line. I plowed right on through, nine people in tow, only six of them knowing that this was typical Hill Slugs shenanigans. I know I ought to have taken a picture, but I was too busy being amused.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Right after that, my GPS confused me and I had to double back a dozen yards on Scotch Road, not a pretty sight. </p><p style="text-align: left;">We went down to the Delaware River, stopping briefly at Washington Crossing park to use the overheated restrooms.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8P6MwkLDYh0DRi6wCArvUn01-UXH0OcYq_s7YPt2EDhaFBL0LaP4aimq8ET7rzMQvJkBikLa7nmzH5EHgYXZ5PbAO0LPh4s6izh2YGroofVLgmNvETpW7c8p3eOhyTqzzGQZCHTh5sqIp76-MpbR9I_pUzJccUIwrHDVwu2ZWAjU5YkvhkcfDfY4eA/s5184/20240223%2002%20Delaware%20River%20at%20Washington%20Crossing%20NJ.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8P6MwkLDYh0DRi6wCArvUn01-UXH0OcYq_s7YPt2EDhaFBL0LaP4aimq8ET7rzMQvJkBikLa7nmzH5EHgYXZ5PbAO0LPh4s6izh2YGroofVLgmNvETpW7c8p3eOhyTqzzGQZCHTh5sqIp76-MpbR9I_pUzJccUIwrHDVwu2ZWAjU5YkvhkcfDfY4eA/s320/20240223%2002%20Delaware%20River%20at%20Washington%20Crossing%20NJ.JPG" width="240" /></a></p><div>I'd used Jacob's Creek Road and Washington Crossing-Pennington Road to get there. These roads had more traffic than I was comfortable with. And, at the turn out of Jacob's Creek to Washington Crossing headed west, there's a surprise hill that Ridewithgps says has a 7.9% grade. It doesn't last long.</div><div><br /></div><div>The bigger climb was Church Road out of Titusville. It's a grind in stages, with jaw-dropping real estate to distract from the bumpy chip-seal pavement. We got spread out. I had time to get a couple of pictures of the sun breaking through gray clouds.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYb65UdF9ABj-Ymyk_zKUgAA6UoBXSLkn_LmKbd0O-ngbwCSJyBZdxnlAZQWeKVjuBAId5IPRlhv2Ez5-WlB6YZfhEtmcaPfrsFxSsmnVSmORBNS-vtrVIScOT4aDOAWfL4HhFvy6PGMNx-euY-69RRlq1226q8AJiDmJdp9QpT4i725NdCknraY-_Q/s5184/20240223%2003%20Church%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYb65UdF9ABj-Ymyk_zKUgAA6UoBXSLkn_LmKbd0O-ngbwCSJyBZdxnlAZQWeKVjuBAId5IPRlhv2Ez5-WlB6YZfhEtmcaPfrsFxSsmnVSmORBNS-vtrVIScOT4aDOAWfL4HhFvy6PGMNx-euY-69RRlq1226q8AJiDmJdp9QpT4i725NdCknraY-_Q/s320/20240223%2003%20Church%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rhX8br_5RQvCFegonXgkLrP3_N6DmZSisEVMnJ5fN5xRi7zwG_BVGNutxl54rl9caOAD5JFLSlQHYVALIv41ngMNlx2ujJwxVWrPrtCRrbPkcemPB3J6OiLt4y2QEp7xWoYYaDhXiPpL9da4mxYJDyo-b21AHF6CoKIafDG5kXsrFSsp0-Dxt9M59A/s5184/20240223%2004%20Church%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rhX8br_5RQvCFegonXgkLrP3_N6DmZSisEVMnJ5fN5xRi7zwG_BVGNutxl54rl9caOAD5JFLSlQHYVALIv41ngMNlx2ujJwxVWrPrtCRrbPkcemPB3J6OiLt4y2QEp7xWoYYaDhXiPpL9da4mxYJDyo-b21AHF6CoKIafDG5kXsrFSsp0-Dxt9M59A/s320/20240223%2004%20Church%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At the top, I apologized for the route. "I'm usually much more rural and hilly," I said. Then we turned north onto Bear Tavern and had to deal with traffic again. I think that road has become busier over the years. At least we had a wide shoulder.</div><div><br /></div><div>We turned onto Pennington-Harbourton Road and I got a few more pictures.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3_jwk2Xp9iNA2LfH0vLBIBJdTGG9LoUhwWVg7nlPyrX79eExaElCHc4lnC1uMZknibhp1rsBQCLXHI7qUf6fL8szME86UX1dQMmJEQpKQ8p-DIQVQQgf27w4L57Kk68OhFhc1QP6fQbrD9mf3hTru1SHQW3ZWQ8OyHKmAUnnXK8DG89DbHGypfeE8A/s5184/20240223%2006%20Pennington-Harbourton%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3_jwk2Xp9iNA2LfH0vLBIBJdTGG9LoUhwWVg7nlPyrX79eExaElCHc4lnC1uMZknibhp1rsBQCLXHI7qUf6fL8szME86UX1dQMmJEQpKQ8p-DIQVQQgf27w4L57Kk68OhFhc1QP6fQbrD9mf3hTru1SHQW3ZWQ8OyHKmAUnnXK8DG89DbHGypfeE8A/s320/20240223%2006%20Pennington-Harbourton%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We zigzagged east, then did that heinous Route 31 crossing at Woosamonsa where the choice is to get across the road without a light or ride the wrong way up the shoulder for a few hundred yards to the signal at Titus Mill. I did the latter, thinking everyone would follow me. They didn't. They were on the other side of the road. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That was the end of the traffic, anyway. The rest of the route was me finding a dozen miles between Pennington and Pennington. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One and done for this route. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seven of us hung out in Terra Momo for a while. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for the rider who claimed KOM status before we saw our first hill? Wishful thinking. </div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-64467906234127673752024-02-17T15:43:00.000-05:002024-02-17T15:43:11.949-05:00Playing Hooky<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiva0uFqnXhT_EtkpijgVCmOszBIeO3MtVXcVpczIbtQKinDyqz8LYnM3ibkDq9pEMYl59mlGKWnKc_3YwyMcP7WW0LUz0Li_JIFjLBGC54fhNTL3kd9ENoqR9FEqO_4F8x96bcgDeRT2fRbM5fdCulqOTve0KlW45IYPk-l4wQHbhMFCaA1fRX6cfM/s5184/20240214%2024%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiva0uFqnXhT_EtkpijgVCmOszBIeO3MtVXcVpczIbtQKinDyqz8LYnM3ibkDq9pEMYl59mlGKWnKc_3YwyMcP7WW0LUz0Li_JIFjLBGC54fhNTL3kd9ENoqR9FEqO_4F8x96bcgDeRT2fRbM5fdCulqOTve0KlW45IYPk-l4wQHbhMFCaA1fRX6cfM/s320/20240214%2024%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Batona Trail, Brendan Byrne State Forest</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">17 February 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My day job doesn't pay a whole lot, but I have excellent benefits, one of which is the accumulation of two vacation days each month. There's an upper limit to how many of those I can hang onto. I'm about to hit that limit. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I worked on MLK day, an employee holiday, so even though I took three days off this week, I only ate into two of my vacation days. Playing hooky also had the benefit of getting me out of having to be bored to tears at a colleague's baby shower. I've been to three of those dreadful things in my life, one of which was when I was 8 years old, so I'm not even sure that counts. As a non-breeder with a deletion of the mommy gene, I don't go all squishy at the sight of a pair of knitted baby booties. I tossed $20 towards some sort of spawn sack and ducked out of the lab days before the event.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The real reason I took Wednesday off was to join Our Jeff on one of his AMC Wednesday hikes. Usually they're local, but this time he chose a 7-mile walk down in the Pinelands. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I volunteered to drive him and another hiker to the start at the Brendan Byrne State Forest office. Back in the day, when it was still Lebanon State Forest, we called this place the Ranger's Station. It's impossible for me not to associate this area with my grad school field work, the last of which I finished 29 years ago. I was 29 at the time. In other words, that was half a lifetime ago. Still, that's where my head is whenever I pass through the forest. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We're usually on our bikes, a third of the way through Tom's Pinelands Cruise, when we stop for water at the park office. I always take a picture of the wooden shed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkh2O3d5P6ZIOqgbU52xyam9z0jN63qjdMgpqk3N_MamoFmlrZ5p2AECDejI9kUJTZTOps53GjQ48_EH9DF-2Clnr_k3sOYzX0hTQ-tTKXR8FVxKftSkybssaDGv9MkMP9PlRLqf50l6eVMI21SxbKqdLWNV-bAzCXviik_7NtrtCdUYl8TRd8VCS/s5184/20240214%2001%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20office.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkh2O3d5P6ZIOqgbU52xyam9z0jN63qjdMgpqk3N_MamoFmlrZ5p2AECDejI9kUJTZTOps53GjQ48_EH9DF-2Clnr_k3sOYzX0hTQ-tTKXR8FVxKftSkybssaDGv9MkMP9PlRLqf50l6eVMI21SxbKqdLWNV-bAzCXviik_7NtrtCdUYl8TRd8VCS/s320/20240214%2001%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20office.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I like the door.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lPWKA2X74JzDGzFuwxqc_mM24dWEAipLNtnKHbIWM6xO0X3PiP9_QPbjptN75LO5eJ51nrMilx48kn9kzHsodQYF6qBSUOSlN6hAyaus878p5JtGxhU_GsrVUA4Ne4cbyDWDOKfJgohfF-AYp__LLTHbLF3ptqm50kqiFFL8u7S2eNFFS1klS9A_/s5184/20240214%2002%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20office.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lPWKA2X74JzDGzFuwxqc_mM24dWEAipLNtnKHbIWM6xO0X3PiP9_QPbjptN75LO5eJ51nrMilx48kn9kzHsodQYF6qBSUOSlN6hAyaus878p5JtGxhU_GsrVUA4Ne4cbyDWDOKfJgohfF-AYp__LLTHbLF3ptqm50kqiFFL8u7S2eNFFS1klS9A_/s320/20240214%2002%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20office.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>Up north, we'd had a snowstorm the night before. Down here there wasn't a trace of it. There were twenty-something-odd of us gathered in a big circle in the parking lot. Tom, JackH, and Dorothy were there. Along with Our Jeff, they were the only people I knew. I think Tom and I were the only ones not yet retired. He has Wednesdays off, though. </p><p>This is one thing retired folks do. They hike on Wednesday mornings. I could get into that.</p><p>We started off on the Cranberry Trail. It was all in the woods. There were pitch pine needles and oak leaves at our feet. Once upon a time I was able to identify all the trees with their scientific names. I was never as good at the understory. All those ericacious shrubs look the same to me in the winter. </p><p>Once in a while we'd cross a stream.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF3QvawUWNPUpoTixRmbOFGtBEX9k1KdI6fyBp_5D2gRqIelahtGzv4YrjEzlmzjTOmwcPI4bT7Ye-32EBrQRApAhM8htnCIonGlBEafnOtBUjA-3W8cv2wHDFwETKby8RTfJ4CPuF7hFeP86UV4G58skzsfO1LnyYcVJ2h2Fj0oW49_UTaeR0C7J/s5184/20240214%2003%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF3QvawUWNPUpoTixRmbOFGtBEX9k1KdI6fyBp_5D2gRqIelahtGzv4YrjEzlmzjTOmwcPI4bT7Ye-32EBrQRApAhM8htnCIonGlBEafnOtBUjA-3W8cv2wHDFwETKby8RTfJ4CPuF7hFeP86UV4G58skzsfO1LnyYcVJ2h2Fj0oW49_UTaeR0C7J/s320/20240214%2003%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj11cN0fLfn6Gs2oO58pdXD6RTn0ApX9ismbUkfdTNBudjnyjooUMQtIfypsn-hTXWC9zwaEStVpXwCuGLNQkxTgkf9_WaMAtEO3TnzKCsj-s757guJFmhDs4vriG_3lbMIOaBde8gRJ3YHSUao0WDkQsIV9lg5aWYulIBEFY4i7v-I1TYRZ7s-fE/s5184/20240214%2005%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj11cN0fLfn6Gs2oO58pdXD6RTn0ApX9ismbUkfdTNBudjnyjooUMQtIfypsn-hTXWC9zwaEStVpXwCuGLNQkxTgkf9_WaMAtEO3TnzKCsj-s757guJFmhDs4vriG_3lbMIOaBde8gRJ3YHSUao0WDkQsIV9lg5aWYulIBEFY4i7v-I1TYRZ7s-fE/s320/20240214%2005%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>This one happened to run alongside a road. Every time I stopped for pictures I fell off the back of the group.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLy8wo2TJlVX9A8ZwcyYQNUuAX6CrxTshuObcwYzHLNrlzq11nmdA07d3Y9ajDjRVgaQpK8wQgyd3msqgBrcw0rVeBs9Er7ddpS_Ei4e6hYBVEUzlXaUHPYuARtzjFYItdJdnZO-xmPtZCqCv_SSzw8w4895LqSCE2C3GZUpeDel04MwCAYuYUhop/s5184/20240214%2006%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLy8wo2TJlVX9A8ZwcyYQNUuAX6CrxTshuObcwYzHLNrlzq11nmdA07d3Y9ajDjRVgaQpK8wQgyd3msqgBrcw0rVeBs9Er7ddpS_Ei4e6hYBVEUzlXaUHPYuARtzjFYItdJdnZO-xmPtZCqCv_SSzw8w4895LqSCE2C3GZUpeDel04MwCAYuYUhop/s320/20240214%2006%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually we reached Pakim Pond. The trail goes around it, and we got to see some of the wetlands that border it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1D9SYwwlcy0jSoItVkI6JTESYNiFrECBkFgkMaboDMdmkmpkQ4mBsvDvRaadZHFefy8Wq4j6HBASK24AgEM-XUNSwmY1-8e3vPkAp7JVrAOMsL-_7vHQHxWoe3Dh5n-fCNT-7rMAvF-tnzlkkiBfctA53wAagIrrCPezYntbiJHVasTnD34vuTRpP/s5184/20240214%2007%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1D9SYwwlcy0jSoItVkI6JTESYNiFrECBkFgkMaboDMdmkmpkQ4mBsvDvRaadZHFefy8Wq4j6HBASK24AgEM-XUNSwmY1-8e3vPkAp7JVrAOMsL-_7vHQHxWoe3Dh5n-fCNT-7rMAvF-tnzlkkiBfctA53wAagIrrCPezYntbiJHVasTnD34vuTRpP/s320/20240214%2007%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I took pictures of the same spots from different angles. I like them all, so I'm posting them all.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQtF1SGtIqRh7vWd-l0AgrRzbtywtjRXEYaFPJ8S0_xRcnll2xKeSVGTipoUV7BfkyBFDOOoRiqzsVwEPXp8cF3XFDmA-mjXhy5QtPL0-pfbApjGpnYpBCRBuLFJWfMxzM_az8Jemu4bOkiJpcymYMmdUysDAo0-AaZgjEsD5pl8BvlEOJZ57T4ev/s5184/20240214%2008%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQtF1SGtIqRh7vWd-l0AgrRzbtywtjRXEYaFPJ8S0_xRcnll2xKeSVGTipoUV7BfkyBFDOOoRiqzsVwEPXp8cF3XFDmA-mjXhy5QtPL0-pfbApjGpnYpBCRBuLFJWfMxzM_az8Jemu4bOkiJpcymYMmdUysDAo0-AaZgjEsD5pl8BvlEOJZ57T4ev/s320/20240214%2008%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB2LCxzc3oZsfh9e0Shnxc5fdUIJTW4CmHiW17XhR2b4HfIN25dWvNT44E5jdKlnQGQTabTTPnctUXBlpNudNtcSVHWAv4t-uzBtSfmC5Pqnmo55JX5IC5WIBqcMzRb-dS56XdaPzGVjOflHsErFp5-Aduxb66b076adcwPKPKdf9Ql30mQCHEHV5/s5184/20240214%2009%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB2LCxzc3oZsfh9e0Shnxc5fdUIJTW4CmHiW17XhR2b4HfIN25dWvNT44E5jdKlnQGQTabTTPnctUXBlpNudNtcSVHWAv4t-uzBtSfmC5Pqnmo55JX5IC5WIBqcMzRb-dS56XdaPzGVjOflHsErFp5-Aduxb66b076adcwPKPKdf9Ql30mQCHEHV5/s320/20240214%2009%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfj3BAwA-LFHCR8hyphenhyphenhEchJ-pZiYZsgbEO8zGeqSrHOuapiuL0Nu93EExcbsMahaEFml_DYgSlBaQVKLfNl6ZhrLLn6X4Bk8iTSnfEg45ZQmix4qPUGfGq-I-BiWq_1fx49fMHq8ICwlE_RUdTfBN4mjfxLJrQSEmI1dsoedhbNLN_RVaWdGJ_AHuv4/s5184/20240214%2010%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfj3BAwA-LFHCR8hyphenhyphenhEchJ-pZiYZsgbEO8zGeqSrHOuapiuL0Nu93EExcbsMahaEFml_DYgSlBaQVKLfNl6ZhrLLn6X4Bk8iTSnfEg45ZQmix4qPUGfGq-I-BiWq_1fx49fMHq8ICwlE_RUdTfBN4mjfxLJrQSEmI1dsoedhbNLN_RVaWdGJ_AHuv4/s320/20240214%2010%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojZQSyx_w-8jGiO5vjLAEInOyVk0ZFuGM-6X2LJxJYXvPfkO1mf_Ona2Ty2V5Ohc2skUqYZPo_LY9Fux8bozHT_cUxFnCq32bQl7ZKzjBNnEF4d2sT3xU0Ov7Rfwy40GgQwIQ-bZxSDv3910XN3yGCfCaBMOmjy2zYr7umZiGGh3KvcMnUsetDp16/s5184/20240214%2011%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojZQSyx_w-8jGiO5vjLAEInOyVk0ZFuGM-6X2LJxJYXvPfkO1mf_Ona2Ty2V5Ohc2skUqYZPo_LY9Fux8bozHT_cUxFnCq32bQl7ZKzjBNnEF4d2sT3xU0Ov7Rfwy40GgQwIQ-bZxSDv3910XN3yGCfCaBMOmjy2zYr7umZiGGh3KvcMnUsetDp16/s320/20240214%2011%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxSl6GYiV99idfFO82eQyv3ZTZJif47CFOfWgFThBwyOYXEQqsIMt-7eZcanTOCr0dwwpKGt5cqy2resTTaGBjLzg_PoKhnfvLvIvTwVSNvF47W9O5x_rQiYy2Catgy9PU8fmZ5Lwoti-b315p8SBCKhgZJUK2HgkIV5m0bC7m3XD_Fi3WJkQIqZ4/s5184/20240214%2012%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxSl6GYiV99idfFO82eQyv3ZTZJif47CFOfWgFThBwyOYXEQqsIMt-7eZcanTOCr0dwwpKGt5cqy2resTTaGBjLzg_PoKhnfvLvIvTwVSNvF47W9O5x_rQiYy2Catgy9PU8fmZ5Lwoti-b315p8SBCKhgZJUK2HgkIV5m0bC7m3XD_Fi3WJkQIqZ4/s320/20240214%2012%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOceZxulfisqySGIJsFzzB1YXTvWIpOk_0Z_921FaXMzkOgrNhxd8jjKbRdI7lj8roa5YeD57BqI16YZDjilA9gi43QzCd2RXHohPC40sqy-cCDBtkTpQnZMMiOREVbGrMvfK5c6tXOpRVzEM24ufeA0N7Q9wElAf11MvWES0WF0Bov0rnlZD6RjXZ/s5184/20240214%2013%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOceZxulfisqySGIJsFzzB1YXTvWIpOk_0Z_921FaXMzkOgrNhxd8jjKbRdI7lj8roa5YeD57BqI16YZDjilA9gi43QzCd2RXHohPC40sqy-cCDBtkTpQnZMMiOREVbGrMvfK5c6tXOpRVzEM24ufeA0N7Q9wElAf11MvWES0WF0Bov0rnlZD6RjXZ/s320/20240214%2013%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJxuyN-5MuAm6N_294aPdAAdBC0x0ccO0-TpZojLRYSCbiRGec2nnvMOVzyJp3f2MnzKlnV-7UB8FEKFCjs6RvrKbTDK-uJRk5DYx4RAWEABfizHO_LAIY1AgWhCZTugQlubyH6dTZReQCjK_NHgvhKYfzbKlFLAxqPlyAdPvEqj3P8bZwejVkDKV/s5184/20240214%2014%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJxuyN-5MuAm6N_294aPdAAdBC0x0ccO0-TpZojLRYSCbiRGec2nnvMOVzyJp3f2MnzKlnV-7UB8FEKFCjs6RvrKbTDK-uJRk5DYx4RAWEABfizHO_LAIY1AgWhCZTugQlubyH6dTZReQCjK_NHgvhKYfzbKlFLAxqPlyAdPvEqj3P8bZwejVkDKV/s320/20240214%2014%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqSTsuYySdGAbpy0CjSpQDiEQ3msqGwp5rff-NowFlgyiGQbGzSRKsWaGTPjO1WAA9bBDKsb8s9qaijOUQ1oz3w_xoSSrFlhUIAcIRiD-sbXDVuXJTZwDHKPkZFmVGdYx3zrfNSWEvo37SJAje-fdoSAr-M0os1jfGW7Qlbdr7qwm6er3Qofw421s/s5184/20240214%2015%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqSTsuYySdGAbpy0CjSpQDiEQ3msqGwp5rff-NowFlgyiGQbGzSRKsWaGTPjO1WAA9bBDKsb8s9qaijOUQ1oz3w_xoSSrFlhUIAcIRiD-sbXDVuXJTZwDHKPkZFmVGdYx3zrfNSWEvo37SJAje-fdoSAr-M0os1jfGW7Qlbdr7qwm6er3Qofw421s/s320/20240214%2015%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Cranberry%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWcWkBdS04F5HDFqohWrQ5oeEJuV3jmsO6QyHH86prJQigZzTvDMFMTopQxFS23H3vIukBlf6p93BiX45Zw8rWEnvDbJJHoUs1UoIKQE8kSSLtjluSGrVnefdUB1ZFqpU4pbfAgWZIsTrsHSNWshaT2-su5DT3CGgu_6Hsm5orPgMsPpADZnpzj4p/s5184/20240214%2016%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWcWkBdS04F5HDFqohWrQ5oeEJuV3jmsO6QyHH86prJQigZzTvDMFMTopQxFS23H3vIukBlf6p93BiX45Zw8rWEnvDbJJHoUs1UoIKQE8kSSLtjluSGrVnefdUB1ZFqpU4pbfAgWZIsTrsHSNWshaT2-su5DT3CGgu_6Hsm5orPgMsPpADZnpzj4p/s320/20240214%2016%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFGzEvWftBnjg8dNrg9WfwFOOk9q-J2vT6Bl5w7Ca2iZE6a97WsRd212iujPCTvGYAdRy-DLtrU7BxBiT8_K1guyD334OF0pt8SY1Z_pxAlyPWcW-EXF9gETtmmnw88Sz3yIasaIvlsBSfR0JNtKHvrjidcTShiNll1Uk_YZeFWF5MeE-6ZTWN2zx/s5184/20240214%2017%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFGzEvWftBnjg8dNrg9WfwFOOk9q-J2vT6Bl5w7Ca2iZE6a97WsRd212iujPCTvGYAdRy-DLtrU7BxBiT8_K1guyD334OF0pt8SY1Z_pxAlyPWcW-EXF9gETtmmnw88Sz3yIasaIvlsBSfR0JNtKHvrjidcTShiNll1Uk_YZeFWF5MeE-6ZTWN2zx/s320/20240214%2017%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>When we got back to the pavilion, we took a snack break. I stood by the edge of the water to get pictures. A flock of oak leaves made their way from the bank to the center of the pond.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZDmCJHKFI1Q7V4fQjdf9pdoT1_n167nAXPgoMQjnt2hb1d83n3rCDNvOy_NrzTQ1WSYb8KsRRpMFwcV26TtW6IpG7-ccGEhX9LFcxvEDiUt-fEyX-i9mP1NxSXNqWPTlzSc4f4Yce1wqLgd3L5BbmOiIfecxJraan-TezglsJPlnh8mt_bhcjKTb/s5184/20240214%2018%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZDmCJHKFI1Q7V4fQjdf9pdoT1_n167nAXPgoMQjnt2hb1d83n3rCDNvOy_NrzTQ1WSYb8KsRRpMFwcV26TtW6IpG7-ccGEhX9LFcxvEDiUt-fEyX-i9mP1NxSXNqWPTlzSc4f4Yce1wqLgd3L5BbmOiIfecxJraan-TezglsJPlnh8mt_bhcjKTb/s320/20240214%2018%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Jack H leaned against a tree and ate an apple.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOV7uMsK4YYgA9XRSwNlRwhoUlua9rPaH-0cnijzwAXHzrWOD0mx8HhRDw-emwxjeFfNrna-i7tZft1mk7rFRvUhQogrPaMb4FXbnR95J9bJd2RlzLSfZ2K828P-5QjvY8EQDKUos-DPKvTzY9ZobPW_LD-L0fvWOx1GbZv_op5qO6vnA3QA-HpWD/s5184/20240214%2019%20JackH%20at%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOV7uMsK4YYgA9XRSwNlRwhoUlua9rPaH-0cnijzwAXHzrWOD0mx8HhRDw-emwxjeFfNrna-i7tZft1mk7rFRvUhQogrPaMb4FXbnR95J9bJd2RlzLSfZ2K828P-5QjvY8EQDKUos-DPKvTzY9ZobPW_LD-L0fvWOx1GbZv_op5qO6vnA3QA-HpWD/s320/20240214%2019%20JackH%20at%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXd22QkKFqblz1Ej4KpmzTQ2XnP5lsU3ONC2FccJxAHrzwH4jzcDW01NZzibCESSG_XSxxCFoonTP3bSpEmNUX_g3zDFvZc-XUjpJ8QYqhQqPCR8-ePOEFZxEBpDBYjHOqCmt3Z0QQvkt4zpKv0x5wYM9uRNmvovAbB-I4pwi33dYAW5kiUn0LvDDm/s5184/20240214%2020%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXd22QkKFqblz1Ej4KpmzTQ2XnP5lsU3ONC2FccJxAHrzwH4jzcDW01NZzibCESSG_XSxxCFoonTP3bSpEmNUX_g3zDFvZc-XUjpJ8QYqhQqPCR8-ePOEFZxEBpDBYjHOqCmt3Z0QQvkt4zpKv0x5wYM9uRNmvovAbB-I4pwi33dYAW5kiUn0LvDDm/s320/20240214%2020%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVm2tVO4nheEEQEY5dj0a4YCLXjyTcF-LGmNt43sp3A5roYmw46RvvjCZ1V9XynoK1p4UL-QfRDuYjWfxP0DaO-2m34zwJ92izVDQTY1-MI2YBifGlVBKBVnkL82tbicRtTKCCMeTqqBej5I7TKaxjQUhzoZjrZHiyKy4mYphIETozJTmsUNNwjBkr/s5184/20240214%2021%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVm2tVO4nheEEQEY5dj0a4YCLXjyTcF-LGmNt43sp3A5roYmw46RvvjCZ1V9XynoK1p4UL-QfRDuYjWfxP0DaO-2m34zwJ92izVDQTY1-MI2YBifGlVBKBVnkL82tbicRtTKCCMeTqqBej5I7TKaxjQUhzoZjrZHiyKy4mYphIETozJTmsUNNwjBkr/s320/20240214%2021%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXLZMEr9bb88-IuQxTvtIvY35Br9Z7UaIcEpBxLdt_A0QehtsDG44zQABMmDkjJEkjjqsyvh5vueL0uhMaODUuUqFaYrX37BBts9ROOfTfmhw_HuIu9ClEHtDwZnuGmBBbE4GTygq_lR9mFr5wK0wvJT3Kyv_-f55bDnSJxgLwEmeAPwMInENhOfe/s5184/20240214%2022%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXLZMEr9bb88-IuQxTvtIvY35Br9Z7UaIcEpBxLdt_A0QehtsDG44zQABMmDkjJEkjjqsyvh5vueL0uhMaODUuUqFaYrX37BBts9ROOfTfmhw_HuIu9ClEHtDwZnuGmBBbE4GTygq_lR9mFr5wK0wvJT3Kyv_-f55bDnSJxgLwEmeAPwMInENhOfe/s320/20240214%2022%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYOWBcx6A1dGvYf8XHset5s-aUcBHzpDzOE_Sezv7ZeS9NLRWYxL8huNeJfd7ELLQu6cOQ-q2ejVAWT_v3-IimV6oBzLE8NzOCR92yit2SQJDQvRnHhRzly5QoryUbzVvMoSlapCX2HinqlC1ZG55l7r2Sm0zHe-xLHXAV9kht62ooYtzKPSG917s/s5184/20240214%2023%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYOWBcx6A1dGvYf8XHset5s-aUcBHzpDzOE_Sezv7ZeS9NLRWYxL8huNeJfd7ELLQu6cOQ-q2ejVAWT_v3-IimV6oBzLE8NzOCR92yit2SQJDQvRnHhRzly5QoryUbzVvMoSlapCX2HinqlC1ZG55l7r2Sm0zHe-xLHXAV9kht62ooYtzKPSG917s/s320/20240214%2023%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Pakim%20Pond.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>To get back to the start, we took the Batona Trail. It's mostly flat, except toward the end, where there are little inclines, once-upon-a-time sand dunes. I tried to show it with my camera, but of course it didn't work.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiva0uFqnXhT_EtkpijgVCmOszBIeO3MtVXcVpczIbtQKinDyqz8LYnM3ibkDq9pEMYl59mlGKWnKc_3YwyMcP7WW0LUz0Li_JIFjLBGC54fhNTL3kd9ENoqR9FEqO_4F8x96bcgDeRT2fRbM5fdCulqOTve0KlW45IYPk-l4wQHbhMFCaA1fRX6cfM/s5184/20240214%2024%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiva0uFqnXhT_EtkpijgVCmOszBIeO3MtVXcVpczIbtQKinDyqz8LYnM3ibkDq9pEMYl59mlGKWnKc_3YwyMcP7WW0LUz0Li_JIFjLBGC54fhNTL3kd9ENoqR9FEqO_4F8x96bcgDeRT2fRbM5fdCulqOTve0KlW45IYPk-l4wQHbhMFCaA1fRX6cfM/s320/20240214%2024%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxwFwmdq0eb-W23G1_uwnptoY58ourhrrvuSBfhkCYYNcqUTt2li7CvvwsbImzfzfX-tzspZbTlwRZLCw9L6GjW-TS44TWHw9vgTpHmeYVRw7a4z4OADhqryJGSYIm50GqcOJsnI0H4llOLFt5mbVtogy1Ss3LpihkrKOtdJuz3DN7BRdP6_OD_MH/s5184/20240214%2025%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxwFwmdq0eb-W23G1_uwnptoY58ourhrrvuSBfhkCYYNcqUTt2li7CvvwsbImzfzfX-tzspZbTlwRZLCw9L6GjW-TS44TWHw9vgTpHmeYVRw7a4z4OADhqryJGSYIm50GqcOJsnI0H4llOLFt5mbVtogy1Ss3LpihkrKOtdJuz3DN7BRdP6_OD_MH/s320/20240214%2025%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgqiNEjv72Srwl92IMzdGAZODdXpf_sruNwDuy4-cLgwgup0damc1bCaTnG36Gi77NrYqbHq2GuAIfRflkZCrPOcQjMybBdvL1Y-pcUquYS73ucYuewYM0O_TKIr6aX6uAVlRtDXMmVlFq03gdUJakFdwWy10UQx2TQ4q0WZ2GOl8WjLErOX8Fjp8/s5184/20240214%2026%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgqiNEjv72Srwl92IMzdGAZODdXpf_sruNwDuy4-cLgwgup0damc1bCaTnG36Gi77NrYqbHq2GuAIfRflkZCrPOcQjMybBdvL1Y-pcUquYS73ucYuewYM0O_TKIr6aX6uAVlRtDXMmVlFq03gdUJakFdwWy10UQx2TQ4q0WZ2GOl8WjLErOX8Fjp8/s320/20240214%2026%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was another little hill up ahead. I stepped off the trail to try ot show it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5I_ifOPTUBVJ6urHJtNFF7oYMaGiOOB4ZBomnqIxeNUhhUvtER5QBCIcd73jW4hgbAhu42LfyIh7Is7IeZSPFT6Opz3BwDKSPiMlEEa1cnAx1cktSDTKWekbGqC7p8EguzlpaYu8ZfNIYY-d05RreWBudjqCZaJVkY1hYDdG-yieg4xnhT534CLEa/s5184/20240214%2027%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5I_ifOPTUBVJ6urHJtNFF7oYMaGiOOB4ZBomnqIxeNUhhUvtER5QBCIcd73jW4hgbAhu42LfyIh7Is7IeZSPFT6Opz3BwDKSPiMlEEa1cnAx1cktSDTKWekbGqC7p8EguzlpaYu8ZfNIYY-d05RreWBudjqCZaJVkY1hYDdG-yieg4xnhT534CLEa/s320/20240214%2027%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It worked better when I got in line.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdzkuuB0PWjW8MYN3Bb1xz_mYvi3_arFeJsM2_pT9wlSdGHZ8rbjgE5yxnIroDKJE55m_6SCgBnj1Uh7kc-GAYTxuexauNwaEzlm8c8zzUJ4NyWIy5Bjzhm07WhC1RTZ_k-6oZ3z7HY4nOLiZNVYpdD1nHPp0U-ArRZ_zGMK-wgT53F3rMcBWu3ZK/s5184/20240214%2028%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdzkuuB0PWjW8MYN3Bb1xz_mYvi3_arFeJsM2_pT9wlSdGHZ8rbjgE5yxnIroDKJE55m_6SCgBnj1Uh7kc-GAYTxuexauNwaEzlm8c8zzUJ4NyWIy5Bjzhm07WhC1RTZ_k-6oZ3z7HY4nOLiZNVYpdD1nHPp0U-ArRZ_zGMK-wgT53F3rMcBWu3ZK/s320/20240214%2028%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarzgdhd_KunfF2gHTNQ_WzdViteUJhbyb11tCdQuDOcsezcM9QAOGVu0MTnOQmlyH74v6XN2ym7ek8yHzQ_oRikavOzXPr5Hx_ANR5QyEEAcCJdeIZk0Pn4feE0cdqKCBoYo8NGWlLdYH6ZflGWi94wCTi3eFLqENYRtHAX92RbwwRAb1e5bmSdja/s5184/20240214%2029%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarzgdhd_KunfF2gHTNQ_WzdViteUJhbyb11tCdQuDOcsezcM9QAOGVu0MTnOQmlyH74v6XN2ym7ek8yHzQ_oRikavOzXPr5Hx_ANR5QyEEAcCJdeIZk0Pn4feE0cdqKCBoYo8NGWlLdYH6ZflGWi94wCTi3eFLqENYRtHAX92RbwwRAb1e5bmSdja/s320/20240214%2029%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We crossed a dirt road at one point.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXS3Dy-F1YMkRf5GYolYiTOcxwGvfH2CM3EIGkLAI8bxwfuFN4_Hd4fhCwEbjLFwH63JB4-OMEbr677TO6JUTwtLDHTwicRdkYgJ57AbdtPbhrJWZElyFaZ16smrEBYWlYBpU3h9snH3c-sqZlE7iMZjPQhCi4HhEEf6XH6-XAwy2cKy4Hf4jKqjp/s5184/20240214%2030%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXS3Dy-F1YMkRf5GYolYiTOcxwGvfH2CM3EIGkLAI8bxwfuFN4_Hd4fhCwEbjLFwH63JB4-OMEbr677TO6JUTwtLDHTwicRdkYgJ57AbdtPbhrJWZElyFaZ16smrEBYWlYBpU3h9snH3c-sqZlE7iMZjPQhCi4HhEEf6XH6-XAwy2cKy4Hf4jKqjp/s320/20240214%2030%20Brendan%20Byrne%20State%20Forest%20Batona%20Trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I caught up to Jack H there. "He's supposed to put the hills at the beginning," I said, because a good ride leader puts the tough stuff in the first half.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the hike, a few of us went to the Vincentown Diner. South Jersey diners are dying by degrees. 29 years ago, the running joke among us was that the natural habitat for a diner was a traffic circle. As the circles got reworked, the diners disappeared. I remember when Olga's died. That was a mega-diner on a mega-circle. The circle became a lighted intersection. Olga's went out of business. The one in Maple Shade, where we used to go after our night class, is gone now too. Mastori's, another behemoth, went away a year or so ago. The diner two miles from home disappeared during the pandemic; it's a pancake house now. The latest demise in the Pinelands is the Red Lion diner, which I went to once in grad school. It was on a circle. The Vincentown Diner is at a 4-way intersection. Long may it live.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My legs were tired. I'm not used to hiking, even though I spend a lot of time on my feet during the day, and for hours on end in the glassblowing classroom. It's not the same as a steady trudge in clunky hiking boots. This walk was flat. I wonder how long I'd last on a hilly hike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did't take it easy on Thursday. Instead, I did one of my weightlifting sessions followed by a ride on the trainer. I'm trying to do multiple days in a row in preparation for Nova Scotia; Pete G was going to lead us on a short bike ride the next day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thursday was cold and very windy. I entertained the notion of riding up to the start, but 7 miles dead into 30 mph gusts with a wind chill in the 20s put that idea to rest. I drove up instead, and I'm glad I did. I had all of my warmest gear on, including heavy leggings that are a little snug at the knees, making it that much harder to move. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pete is the master of what Plain Jim calls "the real estate tour." He wove me and Rickety in and out of farmlands and neighborhoods without ever getting very far from Pennington. Whenever we were into the wind, which he did a good job of keeping us out of, it felt as if we were climbing a steep hill. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Halfway, we took a brief break at Twin Pines, where a sign at the artificial turf field warns people not to do some very specific things, like eat sunflower seeds or drink colored soda.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg2LGMiEc0TPZx8ZnWxLYCNwGp3OZGrQe4VuxI24I7ZAJop7_mwZmm-TFgnocPkFiUC34542FSoqtwmZHUFhl8Se9AiMWXNa4ryGZqUiuFvx3hmgEJCzejxEeqAjMnAgB8wLaz21enE9TBlrdsjHNSL9MllXmPyT29ct_umWhEO_YgzBkisYCRxxp/s5184/20240216%2001%20Twin%20Pines%20artificial%20turf%20field%20sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg2LGMiEc0TPZx8ZnWxLYCNwGp3OZGrQe4VuxI24I7ZAJop7_mwZmm-TFgnocPkFiUC34542FSoqtwmZHUFhl8Se9AiMWXNa4ryGZqUiuFvx3hmgEJCzejxEeqAjMnAgB8wLaz21enE9TBlrdsjHNSL9MllXmPyT29ct_umWhEO_YgzBkisYCRxxp/s320/20240216%2001%20Twin%20Pines%20artificial%20turf%20field%20sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Our average at the end was lower than on one of my usual hilly rides. The route was easy but the ride was tough.<div><br /></div><div>After the ride, we spent some time inside Terra Momo, where Pete, assuming correctly that I wanted one, ordered a cortado for me before I had the chance. <div><br /></div><div>So that was three days as a retired person. Somehow I managed to fill the time. I can't yet see how I'd pull this off every day for the rest of my life. That's why I'm going back to work on Monday. I need a few more years to figure this out. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-63245928915584578322024-02-16T19:13:00.002-05:002024-03-02T17:16:41.525-05:00Hot Mess Part Thirty-Seven: Thirteen Sundays 1 and 2<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasuDD6NCeR5BoF4_gpQbLIbE4fFryvT6Vf7FDJGxCh-q5DWTIX34P2h8Wwtdutgl3O0oxcRO-L_JnDm5JFCgxVrKW6F4f9KwZOo4NHbIczOxzSyBPGBk1s_u9SoLZ0KKHi0Z4yfNBy9DBo2uMCQjlE-x99L_tNfj0-BgKF1BUN8xC9NZJ9QPlxId-/s2048/20240120%2001%20Saint%20Polychromatous.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasuDD6NCeR5BoF4_gpQbLIbE4fFryvT6Vf7FDJGxCh-q5DWTIX34P2h8Wwtdutgl3O0oxcRO-L_JnDm5JFCgxVrKW6F4f9KwZOo4NHbIczOxzSyBPGBk1s_u9SoLZ0KKHi0Z4yfNBy9DBo2uMCQjlE-x99L_tNfj0-BgKF1BUN8xC9NZJ9QPlxId-/s320/20240120%2001%20Saint%20Polychromatous.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /> <div>The entries in this post were made in real time.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Prologue</b></p><p>21 January 2024</p><p>After the fall semester ended, there were nine people signed up for the spring workshop. I'd been the first to sign up, picking one of the four Monday night openings. We were allowed to pay for multiple slots. As long as there were ten registrations, we were told, the class would run. </p><p>I was checking the registration site every day. Nothing was changing.</p><p>In the late afternoon of December 30, after a bike ride, I met Extra at a studio in Philadelphia. The drive took an hour, and it wasn't an easy hour. </p><p>Extra had been there several times before, working by herself. She was in the middle of a piece when I arrived. She seemed comfortable in the space. Her plans for the spring were uncertain. She wasn't signed up for the workshop. While Extra worked, the studio manager showed me around.</p><p>There were some things I liked about the place: the quiet electric furnace, the one glory hole per bench setup, the raw glass that didn't fight me, the torch at the breakoff table, the cleanliness of the studio, and the studio manager. There were other things I didn't like: the distance from my house to the studio, the distance from the furnace to our bench, the way the yokeless furnace burned my hand when I went in for glass, the tightness of our allotted space, the small size and too-high heat of our glory hole, the subpar frit containers, the upcharges for everything beyond the basics, and the fact that I would have to drive all the way back to pick up my work or pay at least $35 to have it shipped. </p><p>I spent my first half hour getting used to the glass by making flowers and a wonky, too-large cup with a lip wrap. It was the thinnest cup I'd ever made. I was halfway through my next turn, working on a long-neck vase, when I realized how much I missed the classroom and the people up north. It was home. I thought about Sundays. </p><p>I made some more flowers.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhev3zMG55txYgWdqLcJBnTO6y4taJV_WFyl8mrwhPsxYpNCMxZvTjRk05ujqWtnBw7n8RahqsoGUvHbs2d2Qiq_T8lmwBR1DvzDeFR7GGptMCbhgGB8cf0ucK3AefAQnb70cuVZDTf-3t-K9VtBO_cJtiNcXZK8gLZT0fSxMjQ3PiIzB-dRH4VXm60/s2048/20240102%2001%20East%20Falls%20flowers%20and%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhev3zMG55txYgWdqLcJBnTO6y4taJV_WFyl8mrwhPsxYpNCMxZvTjRk05ujqWtnBw7n8RahqsoGUvHbs2d2Qiq_T8lmwBR1DvzDeFR7GGptMCbhgGB8cf0ucK3AefAQnb70cuVZDTf-3t-K9VtBO_cJtiNcXZK8gLZT0fSxMjQ3PiIzB-dRH4VXm60/s320/20240102%2001%20East%20Falls%20flowers%20and%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEita3s0RymXpxIiS7qSgi13RoYbO90to57ODNYeh06iQH1nZP-_4nhPTFoAQHDd20zr7z2jJ_olPMTMXdZHhGHQ8fqiygxRq6Jn6cPb4gtwBCuTdWauxKYQCDQjM6QBznIDk3r-hV-vbdIBtjN_Yj7ZEKMBxx2DZJf-zBkwr56s4ttpDjdbygNuoTRx/s1473/20240102%2002%20East%20Falls%20flowers%20and%20vase%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1473" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEita3s0RymXpxIiS7qSgi13RoYbO90to57ODNYeh06iQH1nZP-_4nhPTFoAQHDd20zr7z2jJ_olPMTMXdZHhGHQ8fqiygxRq6Jn6cPb4gtwBCuTdWauxKYQCDQjM6QBznIDk3r-hV-vbdIBtjN_Yj7ZEKMBxx2DZJf-zBkwr56s4ttpDjdbygNuoTRx/s320/20240102%2002%20East%20Falls%20flowers%20and%20vase%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I told the manager that my plans were uncertain. "I'm likely to be locked in until the end of April," I said. The manager offered to bring my work to her house, fifteen minutes from mine, instead of charging me to ship it. Could I see myself coming back here regularly? Sure, but only if it were my only option. </p><p>On New Year's Day, out on a towpath bike ride, I made my decision. When I got home, I became registrant number ten. I let the rest of the group know. </p><p>With the blessing of my biking pals, I would sacrifice thirteen Sundays to make sure we could keep glassblowing alive for another semester. I knew how much everyone else wanted this. It ended up costing me, in total, only a little more than I would have paid had this been a regular semester. To make up for it, I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more color.</p><p>Two days later, Low Key, who had been on the fence, signed on for Saturday afternoons, ensuring that the one other registrant for that time now had a partner. "You can take yourself off for the extra slot," she wrote. "I'll stay on that second slot for now," I replied, "just to be sure we have more than enough."</p><p>Pumpkin Master suggested people could buy me out of some Sundays so I could ride. New Grace suggested we find a time to show everyone our work. I made a contact list and sent it to everyone. </p><p>Today is January 22. If All The Glass is right and they're going to cancel, they'd better hurry up about it. My first session, on a Monday night, begins a week from today. </p><p>I texted Rose, my Monday partner: "See you in a week! I'll be there early to reload my locker." She replied, "I'm excited. I'm ready."</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Week Zero</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">28 January 2024, 10:45 a.m.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Rose calls. She's standing in the classroom the day before we're supposed to have our first Monday night workshop session. The furnace is off, the door under repair. Tools are strewn about. "Looks like we're not starting tomorrow," she says. It takes at least two days for a newly-filled crucible to fully melt a full load of cullet. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"They'd better let us make up for this," I tell her. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"They'd better."</p><p style="text-align: left;">"See you in a week and a day."</p><p style="text-align: left;">She sends me pictures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3qTCUwduhoZ8aYhdloOXZFY4PUyDmLc9mVtLyAoJb9vMsIwVpv3UM6MaNUYGKjPUjvdJGOJZ_TMnqSSDXyagqtgNNte6UBgaxT9nt-lsAXX4FtKAbgmtl_nMA_1a5q6dKIBwVvMXa0cALDuMUDTPoI99PMMBg0ZMVVofj43VoLCxSNwickiNhS3p/s1024/20240128%2001%20classroom%20not%20ready.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="1024" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3qTCUwduhoZ8aYhdloOXZFY4PUyDmLc9mVtLyAoJb9vMsIwVpv3UM6MaNUYGKjPUjvdJGOJZ_TMnqSSDXyagqtgNNte6UBgaxT9nt-lsAXX4FtKAbgmtl_nMA_1a5q6dKIBwVvMXa0cALDuMUDTPoI99PMMBg0ZMVVofj43VoLCxSNwickiNhS3p/s320/20240128%2001%20classroom%20not%20ready.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I ask Pumpkin Master if he knows what's going on, since he's going to be the building tech on Sundays and Mondays. He says things will start next Sunday.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Rose emails the Dean, who, despite this being a Sunday, emails back right away. She apoligizes and says that we will get an extra day at the end of the semester to make up for the miscommunication between the office and the arts staff. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Week One</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">4 February 2024 5:59 p.m.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm so glad I did this. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Pumpkin Master is the building tech on Sundays. I'm working with Sage and Classmate's Partner. I had the highway to myself. Mine was the only car in the lower lot (where, technically, I'm not supposed to park, but nobody cares at night or on weekends) at 8:30 a.m.</p><p style="text-align: left;">One of the frist things I noticed when I arrived was Our Instructor's phone number written large on the blackboard. This would not have been permitted under the Colonel's command. Apparently, Our Instructor was here to help with the furnace repair. If anything goes horribly, horribly wrong, we can call him!</p><p style="text-align: left;">CP took last semester off, not that anyone can tell by the way he got right back into it today. I was sort of the float between him and Sage while they worked. CP helped me. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Pumpkin Master and LT2 had been working on the furnace and glory hole all week. They dropped the temperature of the furnace down to what it used to be before the Colonel took over. I thought this might make the glass more difficult to work with, but it turned out to be fine. </p><p style="text-align: left;">CP eased back into it by making a cup. I followed, asking him to bring me a Capri Blue bit for a lip wrap. This color is one I've had since 2019. At the time, I really liked it but found it difficult to work with. Now I have that frit out again. I want to see if 5 years of experience helps any. A skinny lip wrap really isn't a good test, but at least I'll be able to look at the color when I drink.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4q8emuuuYRqnXGWA6RenS6wvdYGPLpu9JcOWXDmfTni4YK-SDRQD-koVLqNtW9JZGKc0s9HeOiATOLSrZoiQC6tuXzG7DuqBETwJzXprlS0NrAffYQa4QTEOyC8o3CelcCPKltto3eFc0ZqGg6hqh_JPTMZ-KhnTBha5QRKHM7MXuBAf7i5iOvZz/s2048/20240205%2001%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4q8emuuuYRqnXGWA6RenS6wvdYGPLpu9JcOWXDmfTni4YK-SDRQD-koVLqNtW9JZGKc0s9HeOiATOLSrZoiQC6tuXzG7DuqBETwJzXprlS0NrAffYQa4QTEOyC8o3CelcCPKltto3eFc0ZqGg6hqh_JPTMZ-KhnTBha5QRKHM7MXuBAf7i5iOvZz/s320/20240205%2001%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV31c4QtKmEoxZkTE7idpT-disx3b69p9UCpQ2g6G8-7OhSrSahHWTwB48ZCz7jyJ1zX9WszOgzzdCeZE3M-xyUNQa4b2ic2t8mjFaDJOzjl91hlbTP9XjE-r_Ol1lk5HFW7MCRxlZs5zwfsWzv1nawErwc-tBD3_SjLXR-WWUL5tfBhcocMdIWh4/s2048/20240205%2002%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV31c4QtKmEoxZkTE7idpT-disx3b69p9UCpQ2g6G8-7OhSrSahHWTwB48ZCz7jyJ1zX9WszOgzzdCeZE3M-xyUNQa4b2ic2t8mjFaDJOzjl91hlbTP9XjE-r_Ol1lk5HFW7MCRxlZs5zwfsWzv1nawErwc-tBD3_SjLXR-WWUL5tfBhcocMdIWh4/s320/20240205%2002%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Rose, who works for campus security on Sundays, stopped by on her rounds. "Wanna make a quick pumpkin?" I hollered over my shoulder as I stood at the glory hole.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Nah," she hollered back, and then she was gone. </div><div><br /></div>Sage warmed up with a clear vessel that she deliberately dumped halfway through. She's been at this for decades. She's in no hurry. She was wearing a t-shirt worth noting:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6M-42NRTVRrsm3OJoJS3tAqSfL6KV3QtyxR1dPqZx5gR8stsWOytpJVD8BzFhzlyhdhDaUMqmCuNWBwSgBcVODES4MAGxkaxLtIH_wV6nMQ3KekrTPUlZ6eo35R3uw5MYGaw_RZ3B0D5CqoguvXHd_ZLpAHhyphenhyphenVxPA_11B6xRCMO212MlIeyzCwe9/s1297/20240204%2001%20Sage's%20shirt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1297" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6M-42NRTVRrsm3OJoJS3tAqSfL6KV3QtyxR1dPqZx5gR8stsWOytpJVD8BzFhzlyhdhDaUMqmCuNWBwSgBcVODES4MAGxkaxLtIH_wV6nMQ3KekrTPUlZ6eo35R3uw5MYGaw_RZ3B0D5CqoguvXHd_ZLpAHhyphenhyphenVxPA_11B6xRCMO212MlIeyzCwe9/s320/20240204%2001%20Sage's%20shirt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">"Either you love glasssblowing or you are wrong." I'm not sure what the two sloths have to do with anything. I took it as a reminder to take it slow and easy the way Sage does. </div><p style="text-align: left;">Word on the street is that the budget shortfall was because of the hotter furnace. Punching the temperature up by 100-150 degrees and leaving it that way for two semesters can burn some propane. The Colonel wanted it that hot. It was good for sculpture work. </p><p style="text-align: left;">CP made one of his signature pitchers. His handles are perfect. "Mine are a mess," I said. "I've made like a hundred of these," he said. "I'll teach you." I said I'd have to watch a bunch more first.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I told him that I want to make drinking glasses from the square mold. I want to make round openings with lip wraps, eventually. Today I focused on getting the glass out of the mold in decent shape.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The first one didn't go totally wrong. The bottom third was too rounded, though. CP liked how it looked, so I kept going. I made a rookie mistake at the end, though, splashing some water on the bottom when I wet the punty to break it off. The bottom cracked. We chucked it. "Go again," CP said. It went better the second time, although the top is too thick for a good drinking glass.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoZXHfuDemjFl_ktcKxJjDYEEyDw_YqUmmcg7WC4HLV3_U5qM4EXmY5nbPgmGUFtbDmYLebeCzYVvMpfnvH52yhZdPFXdq_fSvL6VKUsTIGfUbuLxSVaJ4nSNh1rfQJfoSGkMqCvOgO2KoRULejYS1X0kgnH1qOcsEKKLKvD6hLiIi3vfxdAqMxiV/s1593/20240204%2003%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20cup%20in%20annealer.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoZXHfuDemjFl_ktcKxJjDYEEyDw_YqUmmcg7WC4HLV3_U5qM4EXmY5nbPgmGUFtbDmYLebeCzYVvMpfnvH52yhZdPFXdq_fSvL6VKUsTIGfUbuLxSVaJ4nSNh1rfQJfoSGkMqCvOgO2KoRULejYS1X0kgnH1qOcsEKKLKvD6hLiIi3vfxdAqMxiV/s320/20240204%2003%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20cup%20in%20annealer.JPEG" width="235" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The thing I like best about the square mold is the chill marks it leaves on the sides.</div><div><br /></div><div>The glory hole suddenly shut itself off during all of this. Pumpkin Master came in, did some voodoo on the control panel, and got it fired up again. Because it was already warm, getting the hole back up to temperature was a matter of minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>What a blessing to have him in the building while we're working. He's on duty Monday nights too. Last semester's technicians had no clue how anything in this room works. Things were really falling apart. Now we have Pumpkin Master two days out of three. He's also blowing glass on Saturday mornings. In other words, he'll be here every day that the glory hole is on. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sage made an elegantly-curved vase from a mixture of blue frits. CP attempted one of his hollow tube hearts that he had been working on last spring. The tool he needed for the job was at home, though. We improvised. He didn't like how it came out, so he dumped it into the re-melt bucket.</div><div><br /></div><div>The glory hole switched itself off again. Pumpkin Master did his magic again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last week I had an idea for a bunch of scrap discs I'd cut at the end of last semester. The discs came from somebody's leftover green aventurine that had been encased in clear and dropped into a mold for a pumpkin stem. I wondered what would happen if I picked one up like a rod, encased that in clear, picked another one up, encased that, and then picked up a third.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I've been thinking about it in bed at night," I told CP. "But I never get past the pickup before I fall asleep. I have no idea what's going to happen."</div><div><br /></div><div>What happened is that the first and second pickups got stretched to near invisibility, while the third sat at the very bottom where the punty eventually went.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I was picking up pieces, the glory hole shut itself off for the third (fourth?) time. Pumpkin Master was right there to fix it, but that meant I had to use the furnace right after the pickup. This is dicey; if the color pops off and lands in the crucible, I'll have ruined the whole clear batch if I don't fish it out right away. That didn't happen, fortunately, because I kept my pipe at the door, but it meant that I couldn't heat things the way I needed to. Sage graciously sat aside instead of starting another piece. </div><div><br /></div><div>I pulled the lip because the top was so thick. I'm not good at pulling and cutting. It results in mangling. I whipped it back into reasonable shape that should look all right from a distance. I turned the experiment into a vase.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTPaKsKpz_ezGLmQ6xFcnT95WbwjA_6XKg8y4SLRSo8sX8DJN7U4Mza-bIW6xTB3PvxdrA69U-kajH_fXLNp3Bj8G5MKhWqgkyAfiTnW7CFYOWHRzTgai4-p8UM2YyQattpGFWo0jBio3TDp7-4yK0QxktnZ3KlKdIc39GudSpeKQROxebBudCDdg/s1107/20240205%2004%20aventurine%20scrap%20vase%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTPaKsKpz_ezGLmQ6xFcnT95WbwjA_6XKg8y4SLRSo8sX8DJN7U4Mza-bIW6xTB3PvxdrA69U-kajH_fXLNp3Bj8G5MKhWqgkyAfiTnW7CFYOWHRzTgai4-p8UM2YyQattpGFWo0jBio3TDp7-4yK0QxktnZ3KlKdIc39GudSpeKQROxebBudCDdg/s320/20240205%2004%20aventurine%20scrap%20vase%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I had showed CP a picture of one of my "Junk in the Trunk" experiments from last semester. He wanted to try one. He was about to pack it in for the day when I commanded him to make a quick cup with a lip wrap so we can fill it next Sunday. He did it like it was nothing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And then it was 12:30. Time to go home. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some time last fall, Tall Vase had fastened two of his reject rondels to the metal wall in the courtyard. I saw them for the first time today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE12nBxj9CFf7YALrQ1pGXREkW2MR5llfHFv2lWhF4v4p7NhAe4EUxp2NJ_QWo1oo_Qqn6x9ewWhnG-rcBxk2SzgEfAK2zjTmSKDIF3HoQ9-FxHRJYkeXqKPD8swYCdm-A1XAYfLL8Tn9WIV-d-BgvqR3ulB90EP66GewjQ_0_guxmUryK1zROauGV/s2048/20240204%2006%20Tall%20Vase's%20ronels%20on%20outdoor%20wall.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE12nBxj9CFf7YALrQ1pGXREkW2MR5llfHFv2lWhF4v4p7NhAe4EUxp2NJ_QWo1oo_Qqn6x9ewWhnG-rcBxk2SzgEfAK2zjTmSKDIF3HoQ9-FxHRJYkeXqKPD8swYCdm-A1XAYfLL8Tn9WIV-d-BgvqR3ulB90EP66GewjQ_0_guxmUryK1zROauGV/s320/20240204%2006%20Tall%20Vase's%20ronels%20on%20outdoor%20wall.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The sunlight hit all the reject ornaments he had fished out of the trash and hung from the cherry tree at the side of the building. Sage pointed down to the ground. Little spikes of daffodil leaves poked up from the mulch. "The flowers are coming!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6:44 p.m.: Wow. Okay. I've written way to much about four hours. I might have to release this in installments after all.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">10 February 2024, 6:13 p.m.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I knew I wouldn't be able to blog after class on Monday night so I scribbled down a bunch of notes for later. My day job subsequently ate me alive, leaving me with neither time nor energy to write.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I was working on last Sunday's post, I was texting Our Instructor. Sage told me he got himself a puppy, so I had to text him about it. After some back-and-forth, during which I explained why I was taking two workshop sessions, he said he might stop by on Monday night.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That made me happy and nervous. The last thing I wanted was to be in the middle of a piece when he walked in, because for sure I'd botch it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I got to the classroom early. Our work from Sunday was already out of the annealer. It had come down too fast, but everything was intact. I took one look at the little square box, decided the top was far too ugly, used the saw to cut the top off, and ended up disliking the bottom just as much. Perhaps I could use it for another Junk in the Trunk piece.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lucky for me and Rose, Our Instructor showed up with the little dog as we were setting up. LT2, New Grace, and Pumpkin Master drifted in. We talked for 45 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The conversation revolved around the classroom, of course. LT2 was upset that the furnace temperature was turned back down. "I went to bring New Grace a [some Italian word] for a goblet and it was too cold. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"These people aren't making goblets," Our Instructor said. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Hey!" Rose said, "We're right here! These people."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Women over 50 are invisible," I reminded her, and that cracked everybody up. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The puppy wound himself between our legs while we were talking.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I asked him, "Can we get serious for a moment?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The puppy chose then to lunge for his crotch. Of course we all burst out laughing again. "Can we get serious?" he squeaked, and I doubled over. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Yes, we can get serious." He already knew what had gone down with the Colonel over the past year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"What can I do?" I asked.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He suggested we keep the Dean informed about how much we like the workshop, and let her know that the larger community is important. I think that's what he said. When I went to write it all down, I wasn't sure if that's what he said or if that's what I thought he said. Gah. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He gave us some information I can't repeat here. There might be more going on than just the money. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Rose said, "Are you coming back?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"FUCK NO!" he replied.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Everyone wants you to swoop in like some kind of god," I said, "Winding back time to the way it was. That can't happen."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"No, it can't."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The pessimists from last semester might very well be right. Unless we can convince the Dean to keep this classroom open, glassblowing here will soon be over. Without Our Instructor, who was full-time in another department for decades, there's no institutional connection. There's no institutional memory beyond the students who have been here for years, and they have no sway at all. An adjunct instructor has no pull.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"It's 6:45," LT2 said. "You should make some glass."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Right," I said, and headed for the bench. When I turned around, Our Instructor was gone. I went into the hallway. It was empty, as if he'd never even been here. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Rose and I worked separately at our own benches. That's not at all what I'm used to, nor what I was expecting. We've always been about partnership. One person works and the other assists. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Whatever you need, I'll help," she said. How could that happen if we were both on our pipes at the same time? This would require some serious coordination.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first thing I wanted to do wouldn't require any assistance anyway. I'd cut off the bottom of one of last semester's Junk in the Trunk experiments. I'd placed it in the big oven and set it to ramp up to 1050 degrees, which took the hour we were talking anyway. I coated a gather in Capri Blue, then picked up the piece from the oven to melt the two together. I wasn't sure what would happen. The bottom ended up crooked, but I could sand that down later. The effect was an improvement over the original form. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttXkWd409NzXv9og5IsTpWVT8FNKyOppAJcHad7GimH6Q7MDmdqCRG-Moa3kwl_vw1hua_3R7975HWA4vIYb4CPtav5ZH8SHzcuGbR9Q_i6XF0nMYiYcExNrb1tWg35feumDoc-CDaOLBgrKifall42CRIMRk_5NNigZju2VkVWEG6wtG-isV8KK3/s2048/20231207%2007%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%204.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttXkWd409NzXv9og5IsTpWVT8FNKyOppAJcHad7GimH6Q7MDmdqCRG-Moa3kwl_vw1hua_3R7975HWA4vIYb4CPtav5ZH8SHzcuGbR9Q_i6XF0nMYiYcExNrb1tWg35feumDoc-CDaOLBgrKifall42CRIMRk_5NNigZju2VkVWEG6wtG-isV8KK3/s320/20231207%2007%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%204.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">original </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VDSq_tbOyYJgNUSYWIirVXiuGJSC2v4Gu6fNcvS2bMpZDZz1nnluRBPtW8TxnlgPPPOD1V1bmkU57IFQMluDdda9uQheo7hMhWF1gG3RKQIU27lQ6SvdObYhL-bwaT-Y31hRlIvXsD_ynTItd97Y20jdJOmEI59F9PYDv35Z4nC6dnWg9uNCCPhv/s2048/20240207%2003%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20Revisited.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VDSq_tbOyYJgNUSYWIirVXiuGJSC2v4Gu6fNcvS2bMpZDZz1nnluRBPtW8TxnlgPPPOD1V1bmkU57IFQMluDdda9uQheo7hMhWF1gG3RKQIU27lQ6SvdObYhL-bwaT-Y31hRlIvXsD_ynTItd97Y20jdJOmEI59F9PYDv35Z4nC6dnWg9uNCCPhv/s320/20240207%2003%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20Revisited.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">reworked</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We took it upon ourselves to learn how to punty up and break off solo. These are the two most frought moments for me. Breaking the piece off the pipe onto the attached punty is something I knew I'd have to do by myself eventually. It turned out not to be as bad as I'd thought. I only dropped one piece, and it was so hot and heavy that it bounced and I rescued it (but it cracked when I broke off the punty at the end).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I decided to work with the square mold. It's a tall, rectangular mold with a side opening. One is to drop the glass in, blow until the glass hits the four sides, then have a partner open the mold so one can take the piece out. I tried this solo, by holding the handles between my ankles. I got a squat cube out of it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4CSJtWLwUxVHZ9hdvH1qEZ_jMplkqtBcmOlsFlufHEcqOYEf-PaNj7YZ311y-I8CU4347wjQoAv7oM-iVl2blWBDVO28mr0ycm8iXxjMTDyAd4WV2OU-ko3S1W4CQOmliRTCK6cUp5A79knOcQ5x83tMeUDHViInYC_1RPHjB540p03VBg9P6R2G/s2048/20240207%2004%20square%20mold%20practice%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4CSJtWLwUxVHZ9hdvH1qEZ_jMplkqtBcmOlsFlufHEcqOYEf-PaNj7YZ311y-I8CU4347wjQoAv7oM-iVl2blWBDVO28mr0ycm8iXxjMTDyAd4WV2OU-ko3S1W4CQOmliRTCK6cUp5A79knOcQ5x83tMeUDHViInYC_1RPHjB540p03VBg9P6R2G/s320/20240207%2004%20square%20mold%20practice%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It wasn't at all what I wanted. I asked Rose for help on the next one. That's the one I cracked at the end. The third time was the charm. I managed to pull the top thin and round. It was too flared and not even, but it was a start.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5aRHY5uSF7JGyrwCOvHC4ZB17axnqWD5cTooR4F-D4CPSngeFL3DwdERgwrsFbWa0NirjXFgmfiMm9iW_tGaSnaXzRuasQjkZ9SFG7C4tlYroxcTD91YEkFUaAE1lxikXlkLZPKYOSnGJ076M2cFZM6d7ze6zzjfw7yEI1o062o9DQrP-MnJwCAj/s2048/20240207%2007%20square%20mold%20practice%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5aRHY5uSF7JGyrwCOvHC4ZB17axnqWD5cTooR4F-D4CPSngeFL3DwdERgwrsFbWa0NirjXFgmfiMm9iW_tGaSnaXzRuasQjkZ9SFG7C4tlYroxcTD91YEkFUaAE1lxikXlkLZPKYOSnGJ076M2cFZM6d7ze6zzjfw7yEI1o062o9DQrP-MnJwCAj/s320/20240207%2007%20square%20mold%20practice%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFgSyzO3Lfe8OuEmpU-E6qraFei6NuECW20Cv4Qx7dipaaxB4wO0GnFvTPfufqkTrDqfzTlPYM04irCTDEu0eVYFLGwN7l3dipZezpQ4NnjnShF6C88HPgsk_F6DCVNanOC8xM9EmZGedETFep7DhdqUO1eQbxstKEng9QNC6LJhJT0inl3Jhp1uH/s2048/20240207%2008%20square%20mold%20practice%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFgSyzO3Lfe8OuEmpU-E6qraFei6NuECW20Cv4Qx7dipaaxB4wO0GnFvTPfufqkTrDqfzTlPYM04irCTDEu0eVYFLGwN7l3dipZezpQ4NnjnShF6C88HPgsk_F6DCVNanOC8xM9EmZGedETFep7DhdqUO1eQbxstKEng9QNC6LJhJT0inl3Jhp1uH/s320/20240207%2008%20square%20mold%20practice%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>Sad about Our Instructor's answer, Rose said, "You know I had to ask him, right?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"Yeah."</div><div><br /></div><div>I went for blue with the next one. I tried to pull in rather than out for the opening. It was straighter, but tilted to one side.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb3UNTeS0J0HwQga02iGkzreVwqtKJ3v6pgZWGxGkSIXBhX1AJFBs610rPYrfa_prML1R07PEj10Nyfp0g8mA0q7iNaOwR2HMTYJ6dhHmCFlZ_omRrFKYDqDKLSRQV0Y3GvUnxfHAuEkUjYD-yXVTy0CiWWNki_n8gMhLWsxbGrdWXcU0GoIW1qFG/s2048/20240207%2010%20square%20mold%20practice%203.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb3UNTeS0J0HwQga02iGkzreVwqtKJ3v6pgZWGxGkSIXBhX1AJFBs610rPYrfa_prML1R07PEj10Nyfp0g8mA0q7iNaOwR2HMTYJ6dhHmCFlZ_omRrFKYDqDKLSRQV0Y3GvUnxfHAuEkUjYD-yXVTy0CiWWNki_n8gMhLWsxbGrdWXcU0GoIW1qFG/s320/20240207%2010%20square%20mold%20practice%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Rose was making crackle cups. She showed me how. "Next week I'll try," I said.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the last piece of the night, I wanted to pick up the remaining aventurine scraps on a yellow gather. I rolled the gather across the top of the pipe warmer to pick them up. The fourth one exploded off the gather, leaving a smudge instead of a disc. When I started to blow the piece out, the scraps pulled the bubble into a square. Rose was cleaning up at this point. I asked her at the last minute to hold the square mold for me, since my glass was most of the way there anyway. There wasn't time to pull the top thin, so I just opened it round and broke it off the punty. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGA6xgjrVIz0eRqla0o4uIgcD3YKAVdy5Uig5_StKPzO40tbgQVc_wYbJ33EDMTJnX4FqK8N4PeUqHZcrrOzKlKvqC9ile4pf5ieCoMHBbMRnOVYrKaIIiqDI3HnT40ljgcXkEL779zEcBMaomHbbPcrhfRbX_kIeVitFBNSoLJSouc9qJO0fXAig/s2048/20240207%2013%20aventurine%20scrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGA6xgjrVIz0eRqla0o4uIgcD3YKAVdy5Uig5_StKPzO40tbgQVc_wYbJ33EDMTJnX4FqK8N4PeUqHZcrrOzKlKvqC9ile4pf5ieCoMHBbMRnOVYrKaIIiqDI3HnT40ljgcXkEL779zEcBMaomHbbPcrhfRbX_kIeVitFBNSoLJSouc9qJO0fXAig/s320/20240207%2013%20aventurine%20scrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbFI8ExAVTwNilLPCWFZ0WbwCytOl5lx1cxyltiJTBZjUDD76NZ-aTteW4mOsKV5Wq_3qzfxF5HyK9C2rjvT6Rri3_mnvVmn_EFEpjrajnAPs3Nl-oCk0-9I0H4N17YR_3k6tjyIN2EYxc5VrFOcCXOUQ-cB_xwlimhbRvsJdnxJUC5RZPRjgvHwE/s2048/20240207%2015%20aventurine%20scrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbFI8ExAVTwNilLPCWFZ0WbwCytOl5lx1cxyltiJTBZjUDD76NZ-aTteW4mOsKV5Wq_3qzfxF5HyK9C2rjvT6Rri3_mnvVmn_EFEpjrajnAPs3Nl-oCk0-9I0H4N17YR_3k6tjyIN2EYxc5VrFOcCXOUQ-cB_xwlimhbRvsJdnxJUC5RZPRjgvHwE/s320/20240207%2015%20aventurine%20scrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPhsWBjrWOcRoS7D0eetyc_4E0sWI0sPKNT3nY1Vw0rvdWC5z6UYrtdhdsLMO0fK_ZJSQO1zM3Z6famy3CTvu4-xBRDaNfUz6uyhpjLayvBcWSHXviqHUx-1vGXGoqp48ZuDrf0Vl1au0aYBv3TBgjjo1k-tK8b6qAcDZ903wL4UJ8bfuXFCJ0-zS/s2048/20240207%2017%20aventurine%20scrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPhsWBjrWOcRoS7D0eetyc_4E0sWI0sPKNT3nY1Vw0rvdWC5z6UYrtdhdsLMO0fK_ZJSQO1zM3Z6famy3CTvu4-xBRDaNfUz6uyhpjLayvBcWSHXviqHUx-1vGXGoqp48ZuDrf0Vl1au0aYBv3TBgjjo1k-tK8b6qAcDZ903wL4UJ8bfuXFCJ0-zS/s320/20240207%2017%20aventurine%20scrap%20in%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As we were leaving, Rose asked, "Do you think the Colonel will come back?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"He needs the money," I said, and shrugged. "Starving artist and all that."</div><div><br /></div>When I got home, I texted Rose. "I think I actually learned some things tonight." I learned how to punty and break off solo (only burning myself once), and got better at pulling and trimming.</div><div><br /></div><div>She wants to make pumpkins next week. I'll work on figuring out how to make tree of life ornaments. I guess I'll save the partner-intensive ideas for Sundays for now.</div><div><br /></div><div>I brought the lip wrap cup into work. The glass is full of minuscule bubbles because we hadn't raked the raw glass after the cullet had been thrown in the night before. Air gets trapped in the molten glass, and unless the top surface is skimmed, the air stays trapped. I liked how the sunlight hit it, and my office window would be the best place for it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjDi_mOj04VACeXqKnhvkgxRh80nGfYgwGTCXeVwcSsx0QXIqGtnTzrC-XUAWeG-KUKhKqvj9wl7mxMKq9tImSxTapOXuz2dD1Gicl9BKNlABB3h4OqNER5BBGvEj8DplJviqhXKY1mGEqA3sfyOnbmf0X_bzjKodcL-betwLGPonzrWGS-4KgMiI/s2048/20240206%2001%20lip%20wrap%20cup%20at%20work%20in%20window.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjDi_mOj04VACeXqKnhvkgxRh80nGfYgwGTCXeVwcSsx0QXIqGtnTzrC-XUAWeG-KUKhKqvj9wl7mxMKq9tImSxTapOXuz2dD1Gicl9BKNlABB3h4OqNER5BBGvEj8DplJviqhXKY1mGEqA3sfyOnbmf0X_bzjKodcL-betwLGPonzrWGS-4KgMiI/s320/20240206%2001%20lip%20wrap%20cup%20at%20work%20in%20window.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I was in a daze at work on Tuesday as I sat at the vibratome lifting delicate slices on a brush into little wells. Our Instructor's visit felt surreal. Like everyone else, I want him to wind back time to the way things were. It can't happen. All I can do is tell the Dean how much the ten of us appreciate this workshop. Maybe I should try to meet with her?</div><div><br /></div><div>Work was so intense and stressful that, on Wednesday night at 7:30, rather than go straight home, I drove to the classroom to pick up Monday's glass. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHvbiOHMYvpuQl_-JQPB6IweTDG3QbkQDr_6S2zzORrSc5FklIjrsnWD7vpWK0A3EFXcdXZaa27vLHrdJN0L0cFGqsvNw3JBfXRCo-aOUWEGuBYHmJkrVEsSlsqMztbDluwUAm-L8wzHoOC_OCsdMCYxzWOZIomwhqUfzrh6lybAUiGjigqhjtPaU/s2048/20240207%2018%20square%20mold%20practice%20group.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHvbiOHMYvpuQl_-JQPB6IweTDG3QbkQDr_6S2zzORrSc5FklIjrsnWD7vpWK0A3EFXcdXZaa27vLHrdJN0L0cFGqsvNw3JBfXRCo-aOUWEGuBYHmJkrVEsSlsqMztbDluwUAm-L8wzHoOC_OCsdMCYxzWOZIomwhqUfzrh6lybAUiGjigqhjtPaU/s320/20240207%2018%20square%20mold%20practice%20group.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I decided that Junk in the Trunk Reworked needed to live in my office. I took the cup down. This looks better.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2Xzh78aJpgedEvGLUPO_yiaXkiLsLRqU-TZbqDknIBoV2vptmTBDJiCU_siI7CpQCwbJmjPARIsH8v03PnOQx8MT5o-IoZwoI3nkLEkCZ3kE0BKuCiCDXzJeeuJ7uT1aQ6Qj9SnpYldvr5Ig1PLf48lfmakXwYGDAOAMnBVlJ4bz1SMjNJID4eNg/s2048/20240209%2001%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20Revisited%20at%20work.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2Xzh78aJpgedEvGLUPO_yiaXkiLsLRqU-TZbqDknIBoV2vptmTBDJiCU_siI7CpQCwbJmjPARIsH8v03PnOQx8MT5o-IoZwoI3nkLEkCZ3kE0BKuCiCDXzJeeuJ7uT1aQ6Qj9SnpYldvr5Ig1PLf48lfmakXwYGDAOAMnBVlJ4bz1SMjNJID4eNg/s320/20240209%2001%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%20Revisited%20at%20work.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>Tomorrow I plan to cut the bottom off of another Junk in the Trunk experiment and do the same thing, I'm also going to fill the clear square mold block with scraps and see what happens. I'm going to teach Classmate's Parnter how to do this.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Week Two</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday, 11 February 2024, 9:23 p.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>My legs were still sore from yesterday's long bike ride. I floated between Sage and CP when it wasn't my turn at the bench. This arrangement is working out well. There's always someone to lend a hand. </div><div><br /></div><div>I brought in my tube full of leftover stringer scraps. CP and I filled our cups for Junk in the Trunk. One of mine was the small square mold from Monday. The other was the third Junk in the Trunk attempt from last semester. I sawed off the bottom; the goal for today was to blow some color into it. The big oven takes an hour to come up to temperature, so we worked on other things while our cups warmed to 1050 degrees.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had another go at the square mold. This time I made sure to lengthen the glass and send the bubble far down. I tried to make the walls thinner too. The top was still thick when I broke it off. I did better with pulling this time, and used my diamond shears to center the top before I cut it. CP held the paddle while I opened the top. (I should put this in my notebook, not here!) It came out straight and thin. It looked more or less even all the way around when I put it in the annealer. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalzFW87XgNUL32WZ6N7liJShDFOVOsiDvD0J-BhCQh2mneXQ3ALQv7QBACkM2IS_LShwrsy7_-UyiPm4_SrlbjigDFNyl7KrsWXGpIJBQfyPZnBENsBm2XzwghP2CSL-krE4FcnZokWsBX5fuUgMRPO6YBm-jvjKmM4coqQH9tYC3v6mfbkZsyRIW/s1958/20240211%2001%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20gold%20ruby%20extra.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1958" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalzFW87XgNUL32WZ6N7liJShDFOVOsiDvD0J-BhCQh2mneXQ3ALQv7QBACkM2IS_LShwrsy7_-UyiPm4_SrlbjigDFNyl7KrsWXGpIJBQfyPZnBENsBm2XzwghP2CSL-krE4FcnZokWsBX5fuUgMRPO6YBm-jvjKmM4coqQH9tYC3v6mfbkZsyRIW/s320/20240211%2001%20placeholder%20square%20mold%20gold%20ruby%20extra.JPEG" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When our cups were up to temperature, I demonstrated how to make a Junk in the Trunk. And I messed up right away. My gather hit the inside lip of the cup before I could blow the color in. The whole thing was a lopsided mess. The color was a blob through the center instead of a full bubble. I'd have to grind it flat, too. Sheesh.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGe4Ofcm5riW-Q0Z6V4iEJrkVKr-SlXhGyf9hUScT0TBJPCaznO06OjmMKt3SNNGMjdhj6RKFaTrDQFcbnzlUW_7F1C9MqO2OfCFTOH7FM24CapJoLnIurrgPe6osa52XTUM4gk_FkvjytpPCMKyZKEuA1gV3p0wK9f88kr5C7xatXubs88wA-l8oU/s1642/20240211%2002%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203%20reworked.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1642" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGe4Ofcm5riW-Q0Z6V4iEJrkVKr-SlXhGyf9hUScT0TBJPCaznO06OjmMKt3SNNGMjdhj6RKFaTrDQFcbnzlUW_7F1C9MqO2OfCFTOH7FM24CapJoLnIurrgPe6osa52XTUM4gk_FkvjytpPCMKyZKEuA1gV3p0wK9f88kr5C7xatXubs88wA-l8oU/s320/20240211%2002%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203%20reworked.JPEG" width="228" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I tried again with the square mold cup. This time, my gather was too short, and the pipe was inside the rim of the cup. I tried to swing the pipe, hoping gravity would do the job, but it didn't. When I put air into it, the whole piece went round. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Go into the square mold with it," CP suggested. For that, I'd have to get it hotter. But instead, it started to collapse. I let it collapse completely until it was a twisted heap of molten glass. I reshaped it, put a jack line in it, and broke it off the pipe. "There's a lot going on in there," I said, explaining why I didn't blow it out into a vessel shape. "I want to be able to look at it." It'll need some grinding flat too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_kYVCfvpppfcgOZnJVvWgd2j7V-KbPxBza4gZpjUFhTAndxE83YSp2SpNeroS3PEgiSN2IleiDZx8F94K3xB1G0G6Vz0IOb9E79Go88UXH4UxSUMzR20Tne97NBjETsV1baqz43gvM1S6zZLFd4hHYEvRejCGeqMhjjaK9J5s8D3UMyDj0NuRtD4/s1675/20240211%2003%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20square%20mold%20gone%20wrong.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1675" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_kYVCfvpppfcgOZnJVvWgd2j7V-KbPxBza4gZpjUFhTAndxE83YSp2SpNeroS3PEgiSN2IleiDZx8F94K3xB1G0G6Vz0IOb9E79Go88UXH4UxSUMzR20Tne97NBjETsV1baqz43gvM1S6zZLFd4hHYEvRejCGeqMhjjaK9J5s8D3UMyDj0NuRtD4/s320/20240211%2003%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20square%20mold%20gone%20wrong.JPEG" width="224" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This was embarrassing. "I made four of these, no problem," I said. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Use mine," CP offered. </div><div><br /></div><div>"You sure?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"Go ahead." </div><div><br /></div><div>I hadn't seen what colors he'd dumped into the bottom. I mixed the two red-adjacent frits onto a gather and made a long, thin bubble. This time, I got it right. Things were still a little off-center, but at least the color went where I wanted it to. There was even enough glass between the pipe and the piece that I was tempted to punty up and turn it into some sort of vessel. But this wasn't my cup, so I stuck to the plan. </div><div><br /></div><div>The third time's the charm. Since CP made the cup and the lip wrap, and it's his scraps in there, this should be his.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt-Q2dOZUygG6HVQiSfANyuTJIgbrSQ-7Aj6c1Lu2_rSf7G-CD3dkLc5WLHM2oiXGyWOP-3rLF7aRDGNa36UT4pBabh1lI0vEZ7G1X3xLYfufn19RYPNu2tydqA8YQPxYW9QHgGHLUQ8n5j1wOIAbXQmHHp6Lx8IACPImfSrWYvMtHH5E1H2rfnJT/s1263/20240211%2004%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20chris'%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="985" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt-Q2dOZUygG6HVQiSfANyuTJIgbrSQ-7Aj6c1Lu2_rSf7G-CD3dkLc5WLHM2oiXGyWOP-3rLF7aRDGNa36UT4pBabh1lI0vEZ7G1X3xLYfufn19RYPNu2tydqA8YQPxYW9QHgGHLUQ8n5j1wOIAbXQmHHp6Lx8IACPImfSrWYvMtHH5E1H2rfnJT/s320/20240211%2004%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20chris'%20cup.JPEG" width="250" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A year ago, CP was making tubular hearts. He tried one last week that he didn't like. Today he made two that were, as far as I could tell, perfect. He also made one of his signature pitchers as a warmup, and one of his get-out-of-the-way-he's-gonna-swing-that-random-thing pieces where he cuts the top, wraps a thread around the cuts, gets the whole thing hot, and swings it into a random droop with fingers of solid glass held together by thin threads. Our Instructor and the Colonel both hate these things, if for no other reason than the threads are tiny and often sharp. One thread stabbed me through the thick, heat-resistant gloves as I was helping him put the piece away. I didn't think it was possible to draw blood through a quarter inch of heavy cloth. "I have a kitten," I told him as I washed my hand. "This is every day."</div><div><br /></div><div>During a text exchange before the workshop began, I told Dale I was looking for ideas. She suggested a bulb-forcing vase and sent me a picture.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAOmEbUqdB3Ue3LccY6QRAYkxuU339G6wDejvy3F7nNf0bK-fL5yqpaTUNrlTryMxvlWi2No1UTI5acUzrVEQRVqUND97gv3N5pR3Kg1nsnqEyPwaCfGSoFMfG4zO7_djDfH-L_B0jjLdLEq8VTVVJRPS-SXTdvo00R_BcMolpS5kpYVuImQ4d1Oz/s1266/20240131%2001%20bulb%20forcing%20vases%20from%20dale.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAOmEbUqdB3Ue3LccY6QRAYkxuU339G6wDejvy3F7nNf0bK-fL5yqpaTUNrlTryMxvlWi2No1UTI5acUzrVEQRVqUND97gv3N5pR3Kg1nsnqEyPwaCfGSoFMfG4zO7_djDfH-L_B0jjLdLEq8VTVVJRPS-SXTdvo00R_BcMolpS5kpYVuImQ4d1Oz/s320/20240131%2001%20bulb%20forcing%20vases%20from%20dale.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I looked at the vases for a while and realized that I could make something like this relatively easily. I told CP that all I had to do was make one of my usual long-neck vases, "but screw up."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I set about deliberately making the neck too short, and then getting it wide enough for a bulb to nestle in. It's funny how mistakes during the learning process can be useful for something else later.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(Now I remember Our Insructor telling me, after I flubbed a threading attempt, "It wasn't a failure. It was a learning experience." Sigh.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I texted Dale a picture of the vase in the annealer.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLh69ackEr_Ha6woth9a3SUBPjoy4GbsY1-fR5KzJIAH2St-WrbMYAafs5IXvqbwTIZ47Xnsqm69uGmyzy3bzuo_Pph0tZUY_2pwyKtGYC6dl0Qf2iYrjSupaJQ3HSy174kJ7k4IOWYXCYrpPNr1A5U-rfSIW3y9UL3Yi2G0-TqnlLOhfSVcwSMRr4/s1665/20240211%2005%20placeholder%20bulb%20forcing%20vase%20for%20dale.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1665" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLh69ackEr_Ha6woth9a3SUBPjoy4GbsY1-fR5KzJIAH2St-WrbMYAafs5IXvqbwTIZ47Xnsqm69uGmyzy3bzuo_Pph0tZUY_2pwyKtGYC6dl0Qf2iYrjSupaJQ3HSy174kJ7k4IOWYXCYrpPNr1A5U-rfSIW3y9UL3Yi2G0-TqnlLOhfSVcwSMRr4/s320/20240211%2005%20placeholder%20bulb%20forcing%20vase%20for%20dale.JPEG" width="225" /></a></div><div><br /></div>"Perfect!" she wrote. I explained our superstition of never praising a piece until it's made it out of the oven. I break that rule all the time. We all do. For me and Alchemy, it's a running joke. "Looks like dog shit," he'll say. <div><br /></div><div>At the end of class, CP handed me the warmup cup he made last week. "Use it for Junk in the Trunk," he said. I might.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow, Rose is dead set on making as many pumpkins as she can. I figure I'll work on the tree of life ornaments for a while, play with the trunk junk, then beg her to help me with the square mold again. If I can get consistently good at opening the top, I want to try to put a lip wrap on.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday, 13 February, 12:24 p.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a snow day and the university is closed, but I'm going into the lab later anyway. For now, I can blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was tired. I knew that it would be an off night. I could feel it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Monday night dynamic is different from Sunday mornings. After a series of bad partners, Rose became self-sufficient. I've had bad partners too, but the things I want to do I really can't do by myself at my level of experience. On one hand, I feel bad about asking Rose for help. On the other hand, we're supposed to be partners. On the third hand, this isn't a regular class where partnership is expected; this is a workshop, where there are no rules.</div><div><br /></div><div>I arrived half an hour early to set up some cups for Junk in the Trunk. CP gave me one of his that he didn't want. I fished out of the waste bucket the sawed-off square mold cup I'd discarded yesterday. It had a smudge of rust on it from part of the saw, so I hadn't put it in the re-melt bucket, which is why it was still around for me to reclaim. I sawed off the uneven edge. I filled both cups with frit and scrap, then turned on the big oven. It takes an hour for it to reach 1050 degrees.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rose wanted to churn out pumpkins, which she says she can make by herself in 8 minutes. My plan was to work on tree of life ornaments until the big oven was ready.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I tried to make these ornaments last semester, most of my attempts ended in failure. I was fortunate to salvage a few witch's balls from the wreckage. The only tree of life that succeeded was my very first try, a qualified success that I haven't come close to repeating. I don't know how I did it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now I tried again. And again. And again. And again. Rose, who has made some witch's balls, paused in her pumpkins to give me a hint. That one failed too, but the next one netted me a small witch's ball, even though I'd been trying to make a tree trunk. My next attempt failed too. Tonight was not the night for this. Sometimes that happens. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPLIPuI3RRQyUj_WHMaIL53BX3dVOIV5GPSrPH5SoifYtwBcXgahvMHnX-fp-ADJabNxrvDtSdMII1Y_uy70so6yBI6lstRK8QKDKxYNuni7ITUWpIE8V-EMjd39NPJSoldD6edM0RS22xrEJJpl3K7cwEnZ2rSAVK9CzZx4eeQ6AVD2ESRBIdxex/s1269/20240212%2001%20placeholder%20the%20one%20witch's%20ball%20that%20worked.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPLIPuI3RRQyUj_WHMaIL53BX3dVOIV5GPSrPH5SoifYtwBcXgahvMHnX-fp-ADJabNxrvDtSdMII1Y_uy70so6yBI6lstRK8QKDKxYNuni7ITUWpIE8V-EMjd39NPJSoldD6edM0RS22xrEJJpl3K7cwEnZ2rSAVK9CzZx4eeQ6AVD2ESRBIdxex/s320/20240212%2001%20placeholder%20the%20one%20witch's%20ball%20that%20worked.JPEG" width="295" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I asked Rose to lift the big oven door for me so I could go in with my hot gather to pick up the first cup. I went in too hot, and the edge of my gather hit the lip of the cup. I pulled it out, cut the glass off, and put the cup back in the oven. Rose went back to her bench. I went down the hall and asked Pumpkin Master, who was helping out a metal worker, if he could lift the door for me in a few minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>I succeeded this time. The loose scraps were rolling around the inside of the cup as I turned it in the glory hole. Rose came over to watch. "I have no idea what this is going to look like," I said. At least it worked the way I wanted it to. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihlZRBZRqJhlZhfOpWePfq62JtAKhikXTamPXzkKlefRexrZ_Ie81RPg6CQ0XlJ7OM2KCnpeXpfCtpSHwjnppX_30nzj8XMthAFXNEApQ9_eVwi74katBKGmkPgtGWTAW9q0pC_GAAaATsUMYKllXwbIHNURAPe-YYQmR-Vk-eofD-N2lsfwguEvq/s1170/20240212%2002%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20chris'%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1170" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihlZRBZRqJhlZhfOpWePfq62JtAKhikXTamPXzkKlefRexrZ_Ie81RPg6CQ0XlJ7OM2KCnpeXpfCtpSHwjnppX_30nzj8XMthAFXNEApQ9_eVwi74katBKGmkPgtGWTAW9q0pC_GAAaATsUMYKllXwbIHNURAPe-YYQmR-Vk-eofD-N2lsfwguEvq/s320/20240212%2002%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20chris'%20cup.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Pumpkin Master lifted the lid for me again as I blew a yellow bubble into the square mold cup. The sides collapsed around the bubble. I pushed them in farther with my tools, so that each side of the square was now curved in to meet the bubble. The bubble itself peeked out over the top of the square. I went with that, making a lopsided opening. I could have evened it out if there were someone hanging around my bench to lend a hand, but there wasn't, and I was tired, so I left it looking tilted.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVy57oR0Q4w6sw4sj9D27vVYWtP-T8IMbr5KOnVXwz99ja8kUStrkaUdpGT6kTxebp_CJfst9gXEH1OsmD0NhAg9uh7TqBJp9jJMsIBGjomqNTx7oEIySQaQmH0GnIlWtzmyLPCPWzH_r4ZGxo4yAvbNMO7sGdBqbxgn1vKt41LTgVQExJ-SWddwnV/s1483/20240212%2003%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1483" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVy57oR0Q4w6sw4sj9D27vVYWtP-T8IMbr5KOnVXwz99ja8kUStrkaUdpGT6kTxebp_CJfst9gXEH1OsmD0NhAg9uh7TqBJp9jJMsIBGjomqNTx7oEIySQaQmH0GnIlWtzmyLPCPWzH_r4ZGxo4yAvbNMO7sGdBqbxgn1vKt41LTgVQExJ-SWddwnV/s320/20240212%2003%20placeholder%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="252" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>When I was free at the same time that Rose was finishing a pumpkin, I lent her a hand. "I usually do this myself," she said.</div><div><br /></div><div>"But you don't have to," I replied.</div><div><br /></div><div>I asked her for help on a lip wrap. Between the gooey color and my exhaustion, it didn't go on very well. I wasn't sure how much Rose knew about making bits for lip wraps. She said she knew what she was doing. I said I didn't know what she knew. Everyone does it differently, too. The cup was tilted and the top not fully open anyway.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCULsQ8KLVG1mAHXQs1QsbsrlvhH2wi3uGn-0eHJwtmuz8kSKeFjNRy_WGm7EQ23Q3jDD2kMSdPiF-ckWQV0jsS4lS6iOb2A7Nzv-Bq-s_zC_N34vEgBvn-tGZtZ7k2csN_RYYl6Tswp9LZJwHNJWL1p15oT12OT4gltCrZ17Lhm9V33Pjqm7s7txR/s1364/20240212%2004%20placeholder%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCULsQ8KLVG1mAHXQs1QsbsrlvhH2wi3uGn-0eHJwtmuz8kSKeFjNRy_WGm7EQ23Q3jDD2kMSdPiF-ckWQV0jsS4lS6iOb2A7Nzv-Bq-s_zC_N34vEgBvn-tGZtZ7k2csN_RYYl6Tswp9LZJwHNJWL1p15oT12OT4gltCrZ17Lhm9V33Pjqm7s7txR/s320/20240212%2004%20placeholder%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="274" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>When I tried again, I put the wrap on worse than before. It was so bad that I asked her for another bit. I added to the wrap, going down and around the cup in a random pattern. Chaos reigned. I liked it when I put it away.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiIXUzM1BpReNTw9YEqIlx3-APqzKReSRQTmX1xfz_Y1YihfDPQ66NxX6uQD1r3590veQVbwTaOH-0JYH1vnIelNqEF1HzrtIeI4EEfKnQebMtGiXhjDD3iyt4Z81zBa5wOKhqHI6ZhlTLgsv3KPtzlrreOkHlm-Wm09YcmoWZtm7gUKc3A5aBog-/s1457/20240212%2005%20placeholder%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup%20gone%20chaotic.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1457" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiIXUzM1BpReNTw9YEqIlx3-APqzKReSRQTmX1xfz_Y1YihfDPQ66NxX6uQD1r3590veQVbwTaOH-0JYH1vnIelNqEF1HzrtIeI4EEfKnQebMtGiXhjDD3iyt4Z81zBa5wOKhqHI6ZhlTLgsv3KPtzlrreOkHlm-Wm09YcmoWZtm7gUKc3A5aBog-/s320/20240212%2005%20placeholder%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup%20gone%20chaotic.JPEG" width="257" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I tried one more time, botching the wrap again, then making the mistake of asking for a paddle when the top was too hot. We were both pushing too hard and the top started to lean out. That wasn't what I wanted, so I heated the hell out of it and started swinging, letting the asymmetry of the top pull the lip into an angle. I did this over and over again until I got a curvy pitcher shape. It's a shape I've made before when my tops have gone wrong.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOPEY-rd0UP2AlKe30BSXDuXzd0XCpy__LQwtrWwsixuzBYs1jqSlPhz46YbszJQpFp24kjR0YdEw2d6dvkkNI8jQGnBaFVayUlhp9yIp_0jwy69NFoI-gyVVW6yq37EwUvKFiyqqbFYmVpnoOq_0sm52ystLNZSCgb8A669B_Z8X7nSSEeMxar2w/s1885/20240212%2006%20placeholder%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup%20gone%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1885" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOPEY-rd0UP2AlKe30BSXDuXzd0XCpy__LQwtrWwsixuzBYs1jqSlPhz46YbszJQpFp24kjR0YdEw2d6dvkkNI8jQGnBaFVayUlhp9yIp_0jwy69NFoI-gyVVW6yq37EwUvKFiyqqbFYmVpnoOq_0sm52ystLNZSCgb8A669B_Z8X7nSSEeMxar2w/s320/20240212%2006%20placeholder%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup%20gone%20vase.JPEG" width="199" /></a></div><br /><div>In the end, it was a bad night as far as goals went, but a good one for rescues and groovy-looking chaos.</div><div><br /></div><div>I need more sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday, 15 February, 8:42 p.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm taking a few vacation days this week. If I don't, I'll have so many that I'll stop earning any more. Yesterday I went on a hike in the Pinelands. In the late afternoon, I drove over to the classroom to pick up my glass. There was so much of it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVX8FMl8qVblO1_ExqqUnu080op6Cds8EGklxMxgFZ_2wjkwi2pk5p6ZgGSf8Byl25vLMXucA0dMe5-umfO5ImcC1tj-AGA_kJjpeznZS64W7JLfgVzzrCGvRcOJqo-R_Vs_IfdJHt_VML9fnza8r3X-mGNFeESU05TmTgFzIO9Mq2BK3y_5kkiLl/s2048/20240214%2001%20second%20week's%20work.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVX8FMl8qVblO1_ExqqUnu080op6Cds8EGklxMxgFZ_2wjkwi2pk5p6ZgGSf8Byl25vLMXucA0dMe5-umfO5ImcC1tj-AGA_kJjpeznZS64W7JLfgVzzrCGvRcOJqo-R_Vs_IfdJHt_VML9fnza8r3X-mGNFeESU05TmTgFzIO9Mq2BK3y_5kkiLl/s320/20240214%2001%20second%20week's%20work.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one surviving witch's ball was so disappointing that I didn't even take a picture of it. I dropped it into the re-melt bucket instead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The reworked Junk in the Trunk, the first one I tried on Sunday, was so lopsided that I used the disc saw to slice it down. I had to do that three times before I came close to getting it level, and even after that I spent far too long on the sanding wheel to make it look halfway presentable. When I went to photograph it, I noticed a three-way crack on the top that I was sure wasn't there before I started hacking it to bits. This isn't the first time I've used the wet saw on the base and created cracks elsewhere.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKfiYQIM979bKBFYYTGrfSO_744ybrQ8V99l4gCiHWnL7S8cG30mNQTtl_6LDGRl_KwXvmaWnrp1-QzPOT3qdjB4hs3TEVaW_t0mmDc4TWV68jfl1luvtQC7sothowMhroLIkB2L90C1KBwzfWFFVMOeNnuOsrK84r5ex5uITi6lVQB37LIBiWJqB/s873/20240214%2008a%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203%20reworked%20sawed%20down%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="590" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKfiYQIM979bKBFYYTGrfSO_744ybrQ8V99l4gCiHWnL7S8cG30mNQTtl_6LDGRl_KwXvmaWnrp1-QzPOT3qdjB4hs3TEVaW_t0mmDc4TWV68jfl1luvtQC7sothowMhroLIkB2L90C1KBwzfWFFVMOeNnuOsrK84r5ex5uITi6lVQB37LIBiWJqB/s320/20240214%2008a%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203%20reworked%20sawed%20down%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can hang these sawed-off bits as a mobile or something. Maybe I should saw the entire piece, since it's cracked. On the other hand, if I take the saw to it again, it might very well explode in my hands. Not worth the stitches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_FEazdfV1jfng54s0CF4-5Hr5srl0R6McJRHJh6i-xwqfrpBTi2gTOAiwKwYWPrp6xcTi_heGJ_8V8ud5azW3jhyWozs0upKsu5zZiFCh_g3JIywMmqfYtEnsYTlZuSRHMwKK9WxQuYUBbIGaQHgfcYRloqjRoUxICcrndzcYgQSehbS5Xl-ZBrW/s2048/20240214%2016%20sawed%20off%20pieces%20from%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203%20reworked.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_FEazdfV1jfng54s0CF4-5Hr5srl0R6McJRHJh6i-xwqfrpBTi2gTOAiwKwYWPrp6xcTi_heGJ_8V8ud5azW3jhyWozs0upKsu5zZiFCh_g3JIywMmqfYtEnsYTlZuSRHMwKK9WxQuYUBbIGaQHgfcYRloqjRoUxICcrndzcYgQSehbS5Xl-ZBrW/s320/20240214%2016%20sawed%20off%20pieces%20from%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203%20reworked.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other trunk junks from Sunday fared better. The one that collapsed is the most interesting of the lot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA21Z3eg0N3ob297tv3y9q534VHWN8GVvajamYT5eF-kwWHqWf7Ux8Dd8Iugl-y1s5kyWDjf9jOA0BxnFDiF7HjKnN3-9qWv45-PQ2JBCitHY8xTbB8osIzdIvmZOUbLh5Gjd5gFdPvV83IdVRcoo3pNOxkstEgQGCgQA8af9Krt9tTf_762cekHE0/s2048/20240214%2011%20collapsed%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA21Z3eg0N3ob297tv3y9q534VHWN8GVvajamYT5eF-kwWHqWf7Ux8Dd8Iugl-y1s5kyWDjf9jOA0BxnFDiF7HjKnN3-9qWv45-PQ2JBCitHY8xTbB8osIzdIvmZOUbLh5Gjd5gFdPvV83IdVRcoo3pNOxkstEgQGCgQA8af9Krt9tTf_762cekHE0/s320/20240214%2011%20collapsed%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one from CP's lip wrap cup ended up okay. This belongs to him. It's his cup and his scraps with my bubble.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DJajMfg9ouxcH_pf2z4WKbzyDbXvOSoj9ljns90AIXJyxbpxLI_78uegOsl2YkvHBP0jH-8kDPojL4odqLu2jgzas0u17fK3kybKelh_bQzqnWjjHEWAmljx2TKcEEbqUSyK246O2TVNOHQYj64KXQY6ykoBsxoVRCZQs9bKMQvibz55eezK8jnY/s2048/20240214%2014%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20Chris'%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DJajMfg9ouxcH_pf2z4WKbzyDbXvOSoj9ljns90AIXJyxbpxLI_78uegOsl2YkvHBP0jH-8kDPojL4odqLu2jgzas0u17fK3kybKelh_bQzqnWjjHEWAmljx2TKcEEbqUSyK246O2TVNOHQYj64KXQY6ykoBsxoVRCZQs9bKMQvibz55eezK8jnY/s320/20240214%2014%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20Chris'%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The square mold vessel is the most symmetrical one I've done so far, but it's not perfectly even.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXPh6uTTRNiANUuDjpjucef_CSjBQKD9repdQUX3cISHIIw4BNRqK0Dzd5zTKORgervHTBJ8yXuktx6osku69Amtot3zWKqQ4chEZN4nO9iJZ4LMeWV_gjUOAZnJOg_ZLTjbX6y0DuLoxI3GO6SrUUIffvs38KVFc6OB8Thc1WXt86Ad4Gvw4Cuxl/s2048/20240214%2002%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20square%20mold%20round%20top.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXPh6uTTRNiANUuDjpjucef_CSjBQKD9repdQUX3cISHIIw4BNRqK0Dzd5zTKORgervHTBJ8yXuktx6osku69Amtot3zWKqQ4chEZN4nO9iJZ4LMeWV_gjUOAZnJOg_ZLTjbX6y0DuLoxI3GO6SrUUIffvs38KVFc6OB8Thc1WXt86Ad4Gvw4Cuxl/s320/20240214%2002%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20square%20mold%20round%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86QjSHz61q1pauIcpEHE7pTskUSJBlEAXl-hYM5JK1hVoTCYdlBxaNrYoB2zBhu4YO6LvNWWubMoy11z_C4C3OLRQ9spsPuRFdN_WKFdGFR62fibgj52XNcdabtcZH6UGW1NbCYEpKNJ4zoZUuaR44GKXCZucODVBPJiHLErRydnpnCgEyCfmVscB/s2048/20240214%2004%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20square%20mold%20round%20top.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86QjSHz61q1pauIcpEHE7pTskUSJBlEAXl-hYM5JK1hVoTCYdlBxaNrYoB2zBhu4YO6LvNWWubMoy11z_C4C3OLRQ9spsPuRFdN_WKFdGFR62fibgj52XNcdabtcZH6UGW1NbCYEpKNJ4zoZUuaR44GKXCZucODVBPJiHLErRydnpnCgEyCfmVscB/s320/20240214%2004%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20square%20mold%20round%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiL9-fAvp9nkTseJhWR7IprJDIP38kvf7tUZyyz3fygyLkATlris-HOOePG6urAH_HBzHiiNQ0t9-Tp-s3pPULAul0ju7qdoATNnx6lUywrmUHenn0my1shcka35u4h15c56fRfodk2k5nDXT58U-0AyhoSwnj5cLzBeHWjTux4mIz9_gsiV49TTdy/s2048/20240214%2005%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20square%20mold%20round%20top.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiL9-fAvp9nkTseJhWR7IprJDIP38kvf7tUZyyz3fygyLkATlris-HOOePG6urAH_HBzHiiNQ0t9-Tp-s3pPULAul0ju7qdoATNnx6lUywrmUHenn0my1shcka35u4h15c56fRfodk2k5nDXT58U-0AyhoSwnj5cLzBeHWjTux4mIz9_gsiV49TTdy/s320/20240214%2005%20gold%20ruby%20extra%20square%20mold%20round%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bulb-forcing vase, on the other hand, came out exactly as I wanted it to. This is the exception that proves the rule that one never gets it right the first time. Truth is, I've made so many of these things that I knew what I had to do differently to get what Dale wanted. If I'd been aiming for one of my long-neck vases, this would have been a failure.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2n6C9VrMI0vzEB4V5FIvBb1DSOsck6NJa8dU1B3_xBmhNq5qQstvKm9qLrJUKJBKah6PR1tXBY83AiPYU896MFJzrdCCTHTZljSs6YK0tI8kNh5U-jDxe9SrU9YwKjuPrkb1tEZ6vRvIHhwPWYH_NyjNxyb5mXgA95SzRntPKzb0i_vLr4w4WmgK/s2048/20240214%2015%20bulb%20forcing%20vase%20for%20Dale.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2n6C9VrMI0vzEB4V5FIvBb1DSOsck6NJa8dU1B3_xBmhNq5qQstvKm9qLrJUKJBKah6PR1tXBY83AiPYU896MFJzrdCCTHTZljSs6YK0tI8kNh5U-jDxe9SrU9YwKjuPrkb1tEZ6vRvIHhwPWYH_NyjNxyb5mXgA95SzRntPKzb0i_vLr4w4WmgK/s320/20240214%2015%20bulb%20forcing%20vase%20for%20Dale.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On to Monday night's chaos:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I loaded the square mold with dark blue aventurine frit and scraps, that was a mistake. It settled in as a nearly black blob at the bottom, the scraps only visible from above. The inner bubble is yellow, but the way the light hits it makes the whole thing look yellow. The top is clearly uneven; the whole thing looks soft and blobby.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6YUhkQeIvsPM_mk0wm_8c7keknZ4V4lgBLv24KibqFAoIf5T5zxz5xrCA0CfSyKxH1rWvHTA1QJdP07NgumhXYj65cVUOB9j1ZV088-Yhy9Qi6j4G8t_mAVlY4VsInX3VgMfRfhXJpZISwIQA5CEJwbPGIU_deXH0NmC4iL-90lJiL08dPElVO-V/s2048/20240214%2019%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6YUhkQeIvsPM_mk0wm_8c7keknZ4V4lgBLv24KibqFAoIf5T5zxz5xrCA0CfSyKxH1rWvHTA1QJdP07NgumhXYj65cVUOB9j1ZV088-Yhy9Qi6j4G8t_mAVlY4VsInX3VgMfRfhXJpZISwIQA5CEJwbPGIU_deXH0NmC4iL-90lJiL08dPElVO-V/s320/20240214%2019%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTYta4xXgrE1IlZjiVVKDJnO0x7SNwp0fUlXpxy1qv2G1pd8j_omgV22j4315iruxEuc0UlZnuHe9Cpdw7EDtvHfc_GJpBGeCne_4p1IB3t49r_5o3vHvsZj2TpACFTVQNJQXj-wK0PMX1umWGlFACpObAvRtjgpNX-le_vzFanfOf-FOgEXm0N3e/s2048/20240214%2020%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTYta4xXgrE1IlZjiVVKDJnO0x7SNwp0fUlXpxy1qv2G1pd8j_omgV22j4315iruxEuc0UlZnuHe9Cpdw7EDtvHfc_GJpBGeCne_4p1IB3t49r_5o3vHvsZj2TpACFTVQNJQXj-wK0PMX1umWGlFACpObAvRtjgpNX-le_vzFanfOf-FOgEXm0N3e/s320/20240214%2020%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Jh-Zw_c7VAvFPxbIJMCPQtMVF7kbd8lzPXwh23kgMNYEbEybncrmGKsOzb6PTIl6h9AI_aqwHxuRb17J2LNo1HMFBEgWsENZEfudYzeD4m0XOKLxAU7-p_wE6brbG82haWFAami9ZBfx8EDehQ7TiqY4-kr4TtxNhoHytew0R83sLFnGbajFA9jj/s2048/20240214%2022%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Jh-Zw_c7VAvFPxbIJMCPQtMVF7kbd8lzPXwh23kgMNYEbEybncrmGKsOzb6PTIl6h9AI_aqwHxuRb17J2LNo1HMFBEgWsENZEfudYzeD4m0XOKLxAU7-p_wE6brbG82haWFAami9ZBfx8EDehQ7TiqY4-kr4TtxNhoHytew0R83sLFnGbajFA9jj/s320/20240214%2022%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>When I got home, I put an LED tea light in it.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv57o_gvlhaWDcS7_e0S-m4jPUKQkw-MQ25ulkNtD_5kVv2ykjQt2ciZqWJmhScd-kAqNSIiyTgUZekt9sYO5t1YbjFO5kNlo2uuNQnWO3e-N48ZSYN21DdWx3bcGFD7l2URbLsGwQzIIv6kq932Lu7eUmpI5siqWTlRthwkZ0TtMnH4IOAHQrU8cs/s2048/20240214%2035%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold%20with%20tea%20light.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv57o_gvlhaWDcS7_e0S-m4jPUKQkw-MQ25ulkNtD_5kVv2ykjQt2ciZqWJmhScd-kAqNSIiyTgUZekt9sYO5t1YbjFO5kNlo2uuNQnWO3e-N48ZSYN21DdWx3bcGFD7l2URbLsGwQzIIv6kq932Lu7eUmpI5siqWTlRthwkZ0TtMnH4IOAHQrU8cs/s320/20240214%2035%20double%20vessel%20from%20sawed%20off%20square%20mold%20with%20tea%20light.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I want to try this again a few more times. I might sacrifice the two square molds I made during the first week; the tops are all wrong anyway. And what if I use the sawed-off tops to blow into too? Something to think about as I drift off to sleep.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Junk in the Trunk that I made from CP's clear warmup cup came out well. This should be his too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o8L3eYrp14oPaRlY5Y6Imxon96KKphADsBxfN7qbSeg-1r1-XrHMvhIaGcvf6f6m3l_uXuDM6QjvFNJ6pmfJzEYIClyKnAr2tx7vCkvT-7JcBmHrHOztCr_VrwjhC2pKipz1f70TA9O9O21-9xfiVIIYtiytVrRmxIqE_Z2y-k8rdGPhIKyH22kr/s2048/20240214%2018%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20Chris'%20practice%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o8L3eYrp14oPaRlY5Y6Imxon96KKphADsBxfN7qbSeg-1r1-XrHMvhIaGcvf6f6m3l_uXuDM6QjvFNJ6pmfJzEYIClyKnAr2tx7vCkvT-7JcBmHrHOztCr_VrwjhC2pKipz1f70TA9O9O21-9xfiVIIYtiytVrRmxIqE_Z2y-k8rdGPhIKyH22kr/s320/20240214%2018%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20from%20Chris'%20practice%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The cup with the yellow lip wrap was neither as good as I wanted nor as bad as I thought it would be. The lip curves inwards. One more good heat would have been enough to fix that.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYROMBlXiuRciFtNiyDedNbczB9LPCNtIOmSqjdqFCaOQyzzE_46trg1ak9LMKOHBGtzGnuvcsYgUXkcMffBChd-3zK9yb1-7-8H7rtkrrwYeJ1_6Hy0-MFqvVqOAVK8Q-SQMTkfRK8ZoH_WlwzFeeeN1WPAXsW6FtGUxcPP_jRRemakrhpsv5n35/s2048/20240214%2025%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYROMBlXiuRciFtNiyDedNbczB9LPCNtIOmSqjdqFCaOQyzzE_46trg1ak9LMKOHBGtzGnuvcsYgUXkcMffBChd-3zK9yb1-7-8H7rtkrrwYeJ1_6Hy0-MFqvVqOAVK8Q-SQMTkfRK8ZoH_WlwzFeeeN1WPAXsW6FtGUxcPP_jRRemakrhpsv5n35/s320/20240214%2025%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDU6LtNqrSCfrMpJjh-3C3DSZUk03fzpGnY0XTQoK5gKeLoPsjHDaOoR6GzQvWw5VbAvK4NtjTCwANYo-BI5ZTA2I0EEAM-sBnN0RI_38ikoFJliKMW8e2K6edj9Gp8pzzFR1gpG5I5uIy8WZyJzWExSPts9FIu2vJ5hxF9fCcgqtZUmhURCmpgFc/s2048/20240214%2026%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDU6LtNqrSCfrMpJjh-3C3DSZUk03fzpGnY0XTQoK5gKeLoPsjHDaOoR6GzQvWw5VbAvK4NtjTCwANYo-BI5ZTA2I0EEAM-sBnN0RI_38ikoFJliKMW8e2K6edj9Gp8pzzFR1gpG5I5uIy8WZyJzWExSPts9FIu2vJ5hxF9fCcgqtZUmhURCmpgFc/s320/20240214%2026%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I drank out of it all day today though. It has a decent feel. I think I want to make loads of lip-wrap drinking glasses and give them away in pairs or sets. It's a simple enough project. With CP, I could knock off a bunch in one session. </div><div><br /></div><div>The chaos cup, the one where I messed up the wrap so badly that we coated the whole thing, came out pretty well. A piece of the thread on the bottom fell off in two pieces in the annealer.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeu15Rbp4ANXt-XJfyVh6222a-Iamt5FnnBy70DS1TybCWkBlswIn9B-8hEukrKd-KPV_dThBCBlpdCEoPvm2I_l6YvIlcdOKmVAyyvleAAp_TyDiY2OMVsGDq-F9dSJ5V3MAhnGeizrnCMtAgZDp9Np1CX2_jOnNS8iwSDp4GCF3zmqbVChBYLs4/s2048/20240214%2027%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeu15Rbp4ANXt-XJfyVh6222a-Iamt5FnnBy70DS1TybCWkBlswIn9B-8hEukrKd-KPV_dThBCBlpdCEoPvm2I_l6YvIlcdOKmVAyyvleAAp_TyDiY2OMVsGDq-F9dSJ5V3MAhnGeizrnCMtAgZDp9Np1CX2_jOnNS8iwSDp4GCF3zmqbVChBYLs4/s320/20240214%2027%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjav4jKv74HYikM1Jr14jEbXzLkIJ4E6tSvbcHUcvwVbKjIsRG27wnt4AYGMOTtIR80iANX6PQcte8sZnNlcRiC6Kg0UgCAUAKmIgS-kqAWkNLkpHN_S-G1O_h50FjCficEwBlg5em-bDLERRoyMP1kSOq6YcUPAWEkR5BXEZveCtgMR8qZyw9D9O8_/s2048/20240214%2029%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjav4jKv74HYikM1Jr14jEbXzLkIJ4E6tSvbcHUcvwVbKjIsRG27wnt4AYGMOTtIR80iANX6PQcte8sZnNlcRiC6Kg0UgCAUAKmIgS-kqAWkNLkpHN_S-G1O_h50FjCficEwBlg5em-bDLERRoyMP1kSOq6YcUPAWEkR5BXEZveCtgMR8qZyw9D9O8_/s320/20240214%2029%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRIxdPQoLZ0V1niq_jsx5ryopD4PujJwpSwGWsZmzxAi5RNltpPx2wTqvNQFEnXehoslOjhHpQOIQg9zTjI55m-uj-hcjNXOicjsi-9sbX6Dc_mjZwiAaHw4zdb5tzoPcL0r0o_D6yYa2LOOX8R3dSTUdjsHo7ezG2V6hWBpkpvT4Zn59Aof8OmFq/s2048/20240214%2030%20broken%20threads%20from%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRIxdPQoLZ0V1niq_jsx5ryopD4PujJwpSwGWsZmzxAi5RNltpPx2wTqvNQFEnXehoslOjhHpQOIQg9zTjI55m-uj-hcjNXOicjsi-9sbX6Dc_mjZwiAaHw4zdb5tzoPcL0r0o_D6yYa2LOOX8R3dSTUdjsHo7ezG2V6hWBpkpvT4Zn59Aof8OmFq/s320/20240214%2030%20broken%20threads%20from%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I glued them back on this morning. There's still a small gap. I guess that piece fell through the mesh in the oven. Because of the glue, the cup will have to live with me. I couldn't in good conscience sell it or give it away as a present. Oh, darn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then there's the second chaos cup that beame a sort of pitcher thing. The top is sort of wavy.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-UV4Wpwjv7SdJWNRGXHNRg5pRFkP5PzVPI4PH03qxcjJFgWVNg3j4bt0G3889njIWug_wRMsneGWjdGsz7JDoqoghWmodK-O9Gag9DNx56HSnyqVb5y_xb5mbFPAB1DpCQEFJW77kn4I02JJOnwa0ewZ3fBpNgF8HntpRjIud4wh_cYBHC_0Ftlw/s2048/20240214%2031%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-UV4Wpwjv7SdJWNRGXHNRg5pRFkP5PzVPI4PH03qxcjJFgWVNg3j4bt0G3889njIWug_wRMsneGWjdGsz7JDoqoghWmodK-O9Gag9DNx56HSnyqVb5y_xb5mbFPAB1DpCQEFJW77kn4I02JJOnwa0ewZ3fBpNgF8HntpRjIud4wh_cYBHC_0Ftlw/s320/20240214%2031%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYveZJ8R7dyxU7EAxOp2XnngijFgWVYlJ131WrS83tLmMcOY_7oKrCW3ksR5zTwZbqw5tgArhjva6OQlw-ImYoK5H5CQeNKFRAiaU3LyuzXSzrlEhSM3F2NPemDQfAyQcVACilZljq2xMqNulfgeiPalhpSjeEsb2e3N_EkRGi_GC4bqBJVcVvBXkM/s2048/20240214%2033%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYveZJ8R7dyxU7EAxOp2XnngijFgWVYlJ131WrS83tLmMcOY_7oKrCW3ksR5zTwZbqw5tgArhjva6OQlw-ImYoK5H5CQeNKFRAiaU3LyuzXSzrlEhSM3F2NPemDQfAyQcVACilZljq2xMqNulfgeiPalhpSjeEsb2e3N_EkRGi_GC4bqBJVcVvBXkM/s320/20240214%2033%20yellow%20lip%20wrap%20chaos%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I unloaded everything onto the Window Sill of Judgment. Two weeks in and I've filled the ledge. That's not even all of it. One cup is already in the permanent display cabinet, and a reworked Junk in the Trunk is in my office. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKYL72pLgcyEt7RKl3RVJ1oh0ouObm4zO2QI4E6dh9t6c_ObNWNHDx0hcKX0WEFkPMVBHS21shxVC2QZcMW0b56SnoUBdQOLeID40s4kNCxoy6zKAs5n7NO_oF2OBx5qVZYnTqkz9UfuN6G-oaAfCsvfcPr3Vqr9X3zPn5gATmTgPxlv-dnmP_yxo/s1969/20240214%2036%20window%20sill%20of%20judgment%20is%20full%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="1969" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKYL72pLgcyEt7RKl3RVJ1oh0ouObm4zO2QI4E6dh9t6c_ObNWNHDx0hcKX0WEFkPMVBHS21shxVC2QZcMW0b56SnoUBdQOLeID40s4kNCxoy6zKAs5n7NO_oF2OBx5qVZYnTqkz9UfuN6G-oaAfCsvfcPr3Vqr9X3zPn5gATmTgPxlv-dnmP_yxo/w640-h140/20240214%2036%20window%20sill%20of%20judgment%20is%20full%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>What to do with all of this?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Left to right: don't know, saw in half, saw in half, keep or sell, keep, cracked so discard, keep, permanent fixture from two years ago, belongs to CP, gave to Dale this afternoon, belongs to CP, keep, already in the kitchen, keep, keep or sell. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is how the Window Sill of Judgment works. As things get taken away, the remaining pieces move to the left to make room for new pieces. New work changes the context for older work. I might like something one day and detest it the next. Every so often I'll give the pieces a quarter turn and re-evaluate. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm going to get up now and make good on the judgment.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Much better.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6LWlOVTAMJQlxENgQdSdCd-9xs1DR4jJHbbnauToQaWxsnbAwHxKJUDlBlVRxV1HRzrUt64AhZxUejghZxX2LC0H5ysv1zDrs8kKWWG8R5HygnkH9_5k8CRKABfGW8h4knvrNHMSUqyZMsjsFsTVGGxUskM1O-uNxxkSe4Gxtk2Tr6_FpxpF5ypG/s738/20240215%2001%20judgment%20has%20been%20rendered%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="738" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6LWlOVTAMJQlxENgQdSdCd-9xs1DR4jJHbbnauToQaWxsnbAwHxKJUDlBlVRxV1HRzrUt64AhZxUejghZxX2LC0H5ysv1zDrs8kKWWG8R5HygnkH9_5k8CRKABfGW8h4knvrNHMSUqyZMsjsFsTVGGxUskM1O-uNxxkSe4Gxtk2Tr6_FpxpF5ypG/s320/20240215%2001%20judgment%20has%20been%20rendered%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is why nothing good ever ends up on my Etsy site.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>16 February, 7:10 p.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>The original plan for this Hot Mess installment was to post it after the thirteenth week. I've already written far too much for that. So here you go, all 12 of you who read the Hot Mess posts. Week 3 starts in two days. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-39970939832760618202024-02-11T22:49:00.000-05:002024-02-11T22:49:48.889-05:00Shorts in February<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQI9kufWbdpMYmNN1jAMfTB9css9IZxtx8sLQASa5r6UK8KF4le9B9bBlroclseg86Q3pj5zKp-xxML3TVF_t55cJUOmxjAtLskXpKWXFCmk_N2IfRIGvKJr4V_Pv64PlO89t-vQ4lJvljaoX0FhMKq51iV-1Pc9q4wz4R4C94iTAuXmp1HhqC5fb/s741/20240210%20Pete's%20Multi%20Route.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="741" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQI9kufWbdpMYmNN1jAMfTB9css9IZxtx8sLQASa5r6UK8KF4le9B9bBlroclseg86Q3pj5zKp-xxML3TVF_t55cJUOmxjAtLskXpKWXFCmk_N2IfRIGvKJr4V_Pv64PlO89t-vQ4lJvljaoX0FhMKq51iV-1Pc9q4wz4R4C94iTAuXmp1HhqC5fb/s320/20240210%20Pete's%20Multi%20Route.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pete's "Multi Route"</span><p></p><p><br /></p><p>11 February 2024</p><p>I was so busy last week, between two days of glassblowing and five jam-packed workdays, that I didn't have the bandwidth to post a club ride. Pete G jumped in with an offer to lead an unofficial ride.</p><p>The first 25 miles would be relatively flat. We'd return to the starting location, Terra Momo in Pennington, for our break, then head out for a hilly 20 miles. I rode in from home, 6.5 miles with an unusual almost tailwind. </p><p>The whole gang was there, even Tom and Bob, both slowly coming off the disabled list. While Bob might have been ready to get back in the saddle, his bike was having none of it. In the intervening months, one of his shifter batteries had gone dead, rendering the whole shifting system inert. This is a Sram thing, apparently. He didn't want to hold us up by changing the shifter batteries, so he told us to go on without him. Jim could not resist getting in a dig about how his cables never run out of charge.</p><p>Pete is a genius when it comes to navigating through neighborhoods none of us even knew existed. Somehow, he packed 25 miles into a very tight space. Tom held his own for most of those flat miles. He turned back towards the end, playing it safe.</p><p>Although it was early February, the temperature was in the low 50s. When we got back to Terra Momo, I stripped off my leggings and ditched the long-finger gloves in favor of half-finger gloves and liners. I kept my vest and booties on only because I had nowhere to stash them. </p><p>Terra Momo has a lot of fancy breads and heavy pastries that I've had an aversion to since childhood. I ordered a cortado and munched on the energy bar I'd brought with me.</p><p>We headed west after the break, climbing (Un)Pleasant Valley the "easy" way, cutting over on Pleasant Valley-Harbourton, and then climbing Harbourton-Woodsville. The latter is where I learned the term "hill slug," many years ago, from Barb C, as she shouted it to some fellow riders. Whenever I climb this hill, I remember "Hill slugs!" right where the road gets steep. </p><p>Last week, as we were climbing Dinosaur Hill, Heddy zipped past me. "Cortado!" she said. I'd had hot chocolate. "Shoulda had the cortado," she instructed me later. Well, this time, right at the hill slug memory spot, I passed her*. "Cortado!" she said.</p><p>That was the last real hill, never mind what anyone's Garmin said. I got home with 57 miles.</p><p>My legs were already tired before the ride even started. I think I'm overcompensating for missing Sunday rides. After glassblowing last Sunday, I had lunch, then spent 45 minutes on the trainer. I blew glass again Monday night, then had four long, intense days at work. During that time, I managed to squeeze in a couple more days on the trainer and some weightlifting sessions. By Friday night, my legs just plain hurt. When I got home from Saturday's ride, they were stiff. Then I was up early again this morning to blow glass. When I got home, I ate lunch and did an hour on the trainer. Tomorrow I blow glass again. I know where this all leads if I don't dial it back. This sort of behavior wrecked me when I was half my age. Aren't we supposed to be wiser when we get older?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(*I'm willing to bet anyone cash money that this was a one-time event.)</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-16166013902647870772024-02-03T22:57:00.001-05:002024-02-03T23:00:53.896-05:00We Have Questions<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPyF55YvnUrXJSzI8Ev4GuGXevh7RNhleOXzHAIJ4YuYravvHP-jygLR8zhqbdJU_3urIARqwUja6VmXa-1QLSRmv_94ytU-NK__X_V4n3xbgIbFjfhY74Uzoj9Vki0TGXLJdO03yuA4TEhofJ-1KclOJsErA9KaJr_DTp1IOww2VuhKTz0sPQ_YN/s1256/20240203%2001%20elevation%20profile%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="1256" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPyF55YvnUrXJSzI8Ev4GuGXevh7RNhleOXzHAIJ4YuYravvHP-jygLR8zhqbdJU_3urIARqwUja6VmXa-1QLSRmv_94ytU-NK__X_V4n3xbgIbFjfhY74Uzoj9Vki0TGXLJdO03yuA4TEhofJ-1KclOJsErA9KaJr_DTp1IOww2VuhKTz0sPQ_YN/w640-h90/20240203%2001%20elevation%20profile%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">How Many Hills is This?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 February 2024</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Garmin says we have six hills," Heddy announced. We all know her Garmin is a liar. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This blog post can be shelved next to Plain Jim's <a href="https://bikesnotherbiz.blogspot.com/2024/01/taking-geometry-to-province-line-road.html" target="_blank">deep dive</a> into the actual grade on the closed-to-cars section of Province Line Road. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd dug out a route from last summer because I had no time to get creative this week. We'd be facing a stiff wind from the north. The temperature would only reach the low 40s without the wind chill. I figured I'd stick to my usual roads. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ride was full at 10 people. 7 were regulars. There were two new folks. One had been a ride leader decades ago before getting sucked into the breeder vortex. The other, aiming for a triathlon, had reached their sanity limit with indoor training. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't used to pay attention to elevation gain. I'd plot a route, see that it had about 50 feet per mile, and forget about it. Now, though, questions have come up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why does the elvation reported by Ridewithgps differ so much from what we record on our GPS devices? And why, even among those of us with the exact same model, do our devices report vastly different elevation gains and maximum grades at the end of a ride? Google Maps are Google Maps. Satellites are satellites. Garmin is Garmin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were all working from the same route, the one I posted on the ride calendar. Ridewithgps thought that there were four true climbs in 42 miles:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTR9LpK_s-2aF4G-TAbsKDyrZqO-cKg21C03KdOZtZb3Y-dszqlu50OgOafWorsyDZnnxXej4-kaIDWBu64eJY3cQ_J1aSsSRMdxXLDbYH-QVrn-Jqj8ncqDW14aBv4B-0ZJSNvsBjtzb9MiiwRbP7mTc1xeSitIfJMi5hCX0SHlulqH0YseZoB2u/s451/20240203%2002%20rwgps%20climb%20list%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="451" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTR9LpK_s-2aF4G-TAbsKDyrZqO-cKg21C03KdOZtZb3Y-dszqlu50OgOafWorsyDZnnxXej4-kaIDWBu64eJY3cQ_J1aSsSRMdxXLDbYH-QVrn-Jqj8ncqDW14aBv4B-0ZJSNvsBjtzb9MiiwRbP7mTc1xeSitIfJMi5hCX0SHlulqH0YseZoB2u/s320/20240203%2002%20rwgps%20climb%20list%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My GPS dumped one of those climbs, leaving me with 3,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgTrzc2Wj7zyvA_Y_OqFE3bSlUDe5OCDq1Td9aE-H1doP6ocYQ9MPaTckjxIijX345esI6r3vJKgM3NyAQsSFXKpAZd8vmQ6WytNgYq1uc4crmO3LK4SEaTBejuoSKf1nYrORmfD13C6CGiNEhvoc9oS-bT54O3tqpcju_HnN14CHTg5Wf0TWrh7y/s1449/20240203%2014%20My%20Garmin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="998" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgTrzc2Wj7zyvA_Y_OqFE3bSlUDe5OCDq1Td9aE-H1doP6ocYQ9MPaTckjxIijX345esI6r3vJKgM3NyAQsSFXKpAZd8vmQ6WytNgYq1uc4crmO3LK4SEaTBejuoSKf1nYrORmfD13C6CGiNEhvoc9oS-bT54O3tqpcju_HnN14CHTg5Wf0TWrh7y/s320/20240203%2014%20My%20Garmin.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">while Heddy's Garmin added 2 more to the original count.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmSGPk9iEpVgOxcyXLvcZ26lb4NwhbmtwJuiIhUfczMrlHZKEF2RSDYXXrw2aS8JwboDXN3ra_r6UvexOkOV5chUYLRjrAPZQCptR66ry0iI5MvvGp1aCvrMAbZmSiH0kMGGMAenV0VroCGaTdMthyphenhyphen3H6pQvEH9snROglpWKEQfNgXcxxKWdTfDet/s1350/20240203%2013%20Heddy's%20Garmin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="966" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmSGPk9iEpVgOxcyXLvcZ26lb4NwhbmtwJuiIhUfczMrlHZKEF2RSDYXXrw2aS8JwboDXN3ra_r6UvexOkOV5chUYLRjrAPZQCptR66ry0iI5MvvGp1aCvrMAbZmSiH0kMGGMAenV0VroCGaTdMthyphenhyphen3H6pQvEH9snROglpWKEQfNgXcxxKWdTfDet/s320/20240203%2013%20Heddy's%20Garmin.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While it's true that there was very little I'd consider flat on this ride, I have to agree with Heddy's GPS that Carter Road from ETS to Bayberry is a hill.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeV5JdNTdN40ss3afk8mqMB3mQZ1OfRSJbr3DoJcde4hGIATVQQBo9LgWaKNGIq60iQEote-fSKBYA6h3MaHbSUtWBL7zi1ugLtDOZu7RyeT3kffqEFJ3POu6M7x6MxxS5m-bLbkoy18OkdqJbtBKwjkd9i07MWkgLUclLcW2AZK9nXlV4UP7Z8hO/s1300/20240203%2002%20Carter%20Road%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1300" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeV5JdNTdN40ss3afk8mqMB3mQZ1OfRSJbr3DoJcde4hGIATVQQBo9LgWaKNGIq60iQEote-fSKBYA6h3MaHbSUtWBL7zi1ugLtDOZu7RyeT3kffqEFJ3POu6M7x6MxxS5m-bLbkoy18OkdqJbtBKwjkd9i07MWkgLUclLcW2AZK9nXlV4UP7Z8hO/w400-h272/20240203%2002%20Carter%20Road%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were all in agreement that the slog up Woodsville Road from Route 31 to Mine counts as a hill. It was the one I warned the new folks about. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstfFUO7cRRyXTn3uxX5-yzSGOCRAMPDQsonDFW1mTH-vz7puK4ucaZu5z6LrtiVdMKM-oH3r6B2DgJTGIYebHMyZfiyl1bJd-IoonW-xjkC3r2KxhYipVlAHHgAo_Q8iT41ETkfcXgULr2LiZjiUxMdAYMHUYF6-uARdSGBh80anKTD0MoNI2Luyc/s1265/20240203%2003%20Woodsville%20Rd%20climb%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1265" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstfFUO7cRRyXTn3uxX5-yzSGOCRAMPDQsonDFW1mTH-vz7puK4ucaZu5z6LrtiVdMKM-oH3r6B2DgJTGIYebHMyZfiyl1bJd-IoonW-xjkC3r2KxhYipVlAHHgAo_Q8iT41ETkfcXgULr2LiZjiUxMdAYMHUYF6-uARdSGBh80anKTD0MoNI2Luyc/w400-h279/20240203%2003%20Woodsville%20Rd%20climb%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Interestingly (or not), Ridewithgps decided that the Woodsville hill is only part of one long ascent from the Stony Brook all the way to Mine Road.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzaYDAhNw0aK2x-lbnn7iEp6S_UxY7xnEec53z6K3v1BYo0VOWZYjC9KiIYS1jJ03d_vQmFAlgT2EDPkrFJZ2QUiblewHSkNI2bgidvV2j5FZda4Y8Llu-hfIJeFtwBD2vDALBpXlAym2w-36pU6A6M1KYgVhmK5fHzkTLH43r_Bm3YlFsab7e5PV/s1286/20240203%2009%20rwgps%20climb%201%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1286" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzaYDAhNw0aK2x-lbnn7iEp6S_UxY7xnEec53z6K3v1BYo0VOWZYjC9KiIYS1jJ03d_vQmFAlgT2EDPkrFJZ2QUiblewHSkNI2bgidvV2j5FZda4Y8Llu-hfIJeFtwBD2vDALBpXlAym2w-36pU6A6M1KYgVhmK5fHzkTLH43r_Bm3YlFsab7e5PV/w400-h275/20240203%2009%20rwgps%20climb%201%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up, Linvale from Route 31. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Is this a hill?" I asked of Heddy's Garmin as we passed the steep spot where Snydertown comes in.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Nope."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"We're climbing the fucking Sourland Mountain!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Not a hill."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ridewithgps says it is. Our Garmins beg to differ.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihk4qPprrg4hOxUf1SZeeDZfwaGKuyyoK298-ahNdK0pWMMj6jBeezlvXgF5hNmgCmQGYqn4AnuJ-8qufR0i-0XY71Ag9UubcpE1C6hmaMeXkhXnxxx5xbDJA_CXUPazAJ3eLFucKooeXMh269GH8SQOCnrlV3SMqsoo7etNOtIhWyjahhN7hLmQmF/s1268/20240203%2004%20Linvale%20climb%20from%2031%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1268" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihk4qPprrg4hOxUf1SZeeDZfwaGKuyyoK298-ahNdK0pWMMj6jBeezlvXgF5hNmgCmQGYqn4AnuJ-8qufR0i-0XY71Ag9UubcpE1C6hmaMeXkhXnxxx5xbDJA_CXUPazAJ3eLFucKooeXMh269GH8SQOCnrlV3SMqsoo7etNOtIhWyjahhN7hLmQmF/w400-h278/20240203%2004%20Linvale%20climb%20from%2031%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We went all the way up and over the mountain, then turned left on Rocktown Road. You know the spot. It's a vertical moonscape with a dogleg thrown in. I call it a hill. So did our Garmins. Ridewithgps says nah.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLY5RcJiG96A3ZiAmYWUcxnd_3WuCg8N22Cm9YQyXyRyurevgheTnWFSRV6TBfKnt6MzakuwXkYTt2X1zTsCcPMgS5BMMedqDTQcoK_FtEYz2TBQlrudRGnBkHFUWjANUe4ROXw7Gsb7zfLUJmML8d-eVN7tSL04W4F9xy95DejVrGkz1ep_uDBF7/s1273/20240203%2005%20Rocktown%20and%20Losey%20climbs%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1273" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLY5RcJiG96A3ZiAmYWUcxnd_3WuCg8N22Cm9YQyXyRyurevgheTnWFSRV6TBfKnt6MzakuwXkYTt2X1zTsCcPMgS5BMMedqDTQcoK_FtEYz2TBQlrudRGnBkHFUWjANUe4ROXw7Gsb7zfLUJmML8d-eVN7tSL04W4F9xy95DejVrGkz1ep_uDBF7/w400-h278/20240203%2005%20Rocktown%20and%20Losey%20climbs%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We rolled up and down from Wertsville to Boss. Our turn onto to Bowne Station sure looked like a hill, but who are we to belive what's in front of us?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took Alexauken Creek Road into Lambertville. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped at Union Coffee. There was some discussion about which of the city's three coffee shops (that we know about, anyway) makes the best rest stop. Luminary has a lot of indoor space but limited snacks. Union has the best snacks and limited space. LTC has no space at all, indoors or out. Lambertville Bakehouse is kaput after about a year in business.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All devices were in agreement that there's a hill on Rocktown Road out of Lambertville.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73SVgEXjY22X6dJaJchB9FHzEMEC9ZD3rEx4hGKaZAAamKC5V24qJ4bH6O334VMcOYjxXiJKio55lQxf6lxq0PWKokiejspFt9Ga1FsyuL9Zfj54iscoW_BJU90LYYk057Leg1Jg2MDdOGMOqA2b_I9wMqPWvjVeL85BlHfncPg3Erarc8ETjb1_h/s1276/20240203%2006%20Rocktown%20steep%20section%20from%20Lambertville%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1276" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73SVgEXjY22X6dJaJchB9FHzEMEC9ZD3rEx4hGKaZAAamKC5V24qJ4bH6O334VMcOYjxXiJKio55lQxf6lxq0PWKokiejspFt9Ga1FsyuL9Zfj54iscoW_BJU90LYYk057Leg1Jg2MDdOGMOqA2b_I9wMqPWvjVeL85BlHfncPg3Erarc8ETjb1_h/w400-h276/20240203%2006%20Rocktown%20steep%20section%20from%20Lambertville%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ridewithgps included more of the hill:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeghypwmBSRvx_0OFDdIQ2Ovb_mffXV2F7oX6moYBaqpk-ZHPnQJ-mXa7sxcyM0diejJQC2InnSZuFFsJvbE2dCFwpjggwflAlxEjVP0yWjRDhyZ-ORlONaS8Goh3oUiUZUgT-gPQuGQwQpUqX1Vc9hDCqK9bCyB40C2gHBl-9o7Dk9H9yAYietzC/s1292/20240203%2011%20rwgps%20climb%203%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1292" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeghypwmBSRvx_0OFDdIQ2Ovb_mffXV2F7oX6moYBaqpk-ZHPnQJ-mXa7sxcyM0diejJQC2InnSZuFFsJvbE2dCFwpjggwflAlxEjVP0yWjRDhyZ-ORlONaS8Goh3oUiUZUgT-gPQuGQwQpUqX1Vc9hDCqK9bCyB40C2gHBl-9o7Dk9H9yAYietzC/w400-h274/20240203%2011%20rwgps%20climb%203%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heddy's GPS added the rest of the climb to the high school. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dinosaur Hill is, apparently, not a hill by any measure except our experience. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWkoHjhUUlTtKwMN_VAhEnDWqZRrH5bAeBMQCq5eevr6N3ZgEyg6rkaZhHUDhCT-cOuuAi-fklMa564Hbrey0JY6agUPS5_rpCl7Iw2LEYJvi1tbUD2SQJ8WampAz19SCsMbvIcqcRJjGZTQ10VcBY6Mu-GJRHklUDDBzdEjCBDZZtSrljnDBd8qx/s1290/20240203%2007%20Dinosaur%20Hill%20from%20Rocktown%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1290" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWkoHjhUUlTtKwMN_VAhEnDWqZRrH5bAeBMQCq5eevr6N3ZgEyg6rkaZhHUDhCT-cOuuAi-fklMa564Hbrey0JY6agUPS5_rpCl7Iw2LEYJvi1tbUD2SQJ8WampAz19SCsMbvIcqcRJjGZTQ10VcBY6Mu-GJRHklUDDBzdEjCBDZZtSrljnDBd8qx/w400-h272/20240203%2007%20Dinosaur%20Hill%20from%20Rocktown%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But the steady upwards roll on Woosamonsa from Route 579 apparently counts.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiFR2fk3wFsRNf0zb8CQew9jubh0wkCIxYiBoJOdfq4WQ9xhDtplSLxlaHkF8b0jltX_VZ-CD3kklhYQTAALqJqtCfB30TXu1-Z7KtyCmGQDhZENyJetfS_gsk-fTd5WCQCAjYWvaHoD3iGhjkub69YvJ3vEU7Rhvn00nEYn_6PP3M0XvNLfRLUb4/s1285/20240203%2008%20Woosamonsa%20from%20579%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1285" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiFR2fk3wFsRNf0zb8CQew9jubh0wkCIxYiBoJOdfq4WQ9xhDtplSLxlaHkF8b0jltX_VZ-CD3kklhYQTAALqJqtCfB30TXu1-Z7KtyCmGQDhZENyJetfS_gsk-fTd5WCQCAjYWvaHoD3iGhjkub69YvJ3vEU7Rhvn00nEYn_6PP3M0XvNLfRLUb4/w400-h274/20240203%2008%20Woosamonsa%20from%20579%20Pennington%20to%20Lambertville%20Alexauken%20Open.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>And that's enough of this nonsense. </p><p>I prefer not to have my GPS tell me there's a hill ahead, and what the grade is, and how long I'll be on it. After giving it a try in Acadia National Park, where there are no flat roads, I turned that feature off. </p><p><br /></p><p>(And while I'm on the subject of peevish nonsense, why is it that my front through-axle takes a 5 mm hex wrench, but my back through-axle takes a 6?)</p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-21690744827588833672024-01-28T17:32:00.001-05:002024-01-28T17:32:38.193-05:00A Bit Much for January<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HivrytBxwL9ZNDCiJ1vkE4_7BRHhgJb_MhPmb3n5sAv-xskpMcRosGYHsP1dcCEdfcDio5ZSa2acKFHDl7nB7Oc0-7S90phqrnapNid_YOw9VCHKUMcpY0ODbjmoLF8d7k5y7EyHlOsh08vYJ-UqlcAAXtbAnz9Ecd_IBkneHPCvoFVzbZUPEkmq/s2109/20240127%2001%20Moores%20Mill%20Mout%20Rose%20Rd%20water%20on%20fence%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="2109" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HivrytBxwL9ZNDCiJ1vkE4_7BRHhgJb_MhPmb3n5sAv-xskpMcRosGYHsP1dcCEdfcDio5ZSa2acKFHDl7nB7Oc0-7S90phqrnapNid_YOw9VCHKUMcpY0ODbjmoLF8d7k5y7EyHlOsh08vYJ-UqlcAAXtbAnz9Ecd_IBkneHPCvoFVzbZUPEkmq/s320/20240127%2001%20Moores%20Mill%20Mout%20Rose%20Rd%20water%20on%20fence%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Water Droplets on a Wire Fence</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Moores Mill - Mt Rose Rd</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">28 January 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now that I'm officially sacrificing the next 13 Sundays to glassblowing, I feel the need to get the most I can out of the next 13 Saturday bike rides. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the past few weeks, we've had rain, then snow, then more rain. Yesterday was a break between storms, so I plotted an evil route from Pennington to Sergeantsville. Sending folks up Mine Road when we haven't had a road-worthy weekend in so long is a cruel thing to do. That said, I had 10 people signed up by Friday night. Nine of those folks were regular customers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I listed the ride as C+ instead of B, which is probably something I ought to have been doing for a while now. My rides in the hills only barely get into B territory when I map something that has fewer than 50 feet per mile of elevation gain. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of the 10 riders, 9 showed up. Of the 9, 5 of us are going on the Nova Scotia trip in August (me, Our Jeff, Heddy, Martin, and Glen). There's one day that has us climbing 2 mountains, the first with some 8% grade climbing and the second one throwing us a bit of 12.5% grade. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mine Road, if Ridewithgps is to be believed, has a maximum grade in the 12% range. I put at least one 8% climb in for good measure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been training indoors, putting Rowlf to work on my Wahoo Kickr as I explore hills via Rouvy on other continents. I know what 12% feels like on a stationary trainer with a freehub. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't sleep well on Friday night, and my guts were feeling a little off as I set out for Pennington on Janice. When, on Moores Mill-Mt Rose Road, Our Jeff had a flat that took some finesse to fix, I was grateful for the break.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When he flatted again just as we were about to ascend Mine Road, I feared the worst. This time, more care was taken to find whatever it was that caused the flat. Jim carries tweezers (smart; I should do that), which New Chris used to extract a tiny shard of glass from Jeff's tire. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mine Road had been closed for years. Now it's open to pedestrian traffic. There are bollards positioned at the base of the metal grate bridge. The cap to one of them was off, and the top four inches were nearly full of iron-tinted water. And, as someone noticed, a golf ball.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I fished it out.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, Glen, a bridge inspector by trade, climbed onto the guardrail to read a sign on the steel support beam. We were hoping it would tell us when the bridge was built, but it didn't. Glen guessed it was some time between 1880 and 1920. (<a href="https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=newjersey/mineroad/" target="_blank">1885</a>!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS3phMXENrIDGQ1hOgzt7WmmiFhQhN7KlIlkyw0Rml9YIWrqwhVIhICZ2ECiYzCJ7RBa2JUIBAhEcKxkZ3QeiTbLNwte-qzOEKEq0YDS8xXrKotLsW-hlyIxAUukHjslmwR7-091U8P1nU2kGIo-IlVswlX4wQPuAgtwTeELdVW4lSyT4Q43mOKan/s5184/20240127%2002%20Glen%20inspects%20the%20Mine%20Rd%20bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS3phMXENrIDGQ1hOgzt7WmmiFhQhN7KlIlkyw0Rml9YIWrqwhVIhICZ2ECiYzCJ7RBa2JUIBAhEcKxkZ3QeiTbLNwte-qzOEKEq0YDS8xXrKotLsW-hlyIxAUukHjslmwR7-091U8P1nU2kGIo-IlVswlX4wQPuAgtwTeELdVW4lSyT4Q43mOKan/s320/20240127%2002%20Glen%20inspects%20the%20Mine%20Rd%20bridge.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_Vep_FNII3PNhwlhH6rnVVflvUhHVTR1L3FFfqjqkMLZ9Aji9eoJvuJ6prWQk18xbgNY9ODo6u97QDd5aIeqXNukWxz86S1x0DgK4ho0BbMgb3JcPvHSYLLhQTUMWVzrmAVeOoO6ryhunosT_85Rh2HErpLatJfuRpq4uTI8IS-sntAMU1P12HwO/s5184/20240127%2003%20Mine%20Rd%20bridge%20and%20farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_Vep_FNII3PNhwlhH6rnVVflvUhHVTR1L3FFfqjqkMLZ9Aji9eoJvuJ6prWQk18xbgNY9ODo6u97QDd5aIeqXNukWxz86S1x0DgK4ho0BbMgb3JcPvHSYLLhQTUMWVzrmAVeOoO6ryhunosT_85Rh2HErpLatJfuRpq4uTI8IS-sntAMU1P12HwO/s320/20240127%2003%20Mine%20Rd%20bridge%20and%20farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The B+ group, having left Pennington an hour after we did, sped past us. They were Sergeantsville-bound too, but, as Jim pointed out, taking the sensible way, up the rest of Stony Brook Road.</p><p>When Jeff finally had his bike back together, Heddy gave him a wipe for his hands. I offered him the golf ball to clean. "You get to ride with it," I said.</p><p>By now, I was genuinely cold. We had only the length of the bridge before the climb began. As I approached the steepest part of the hill, I couldn't feel my arms. That was a weird sensation, coupled with my vague nausea and general light-headedness. I wondered if I were about to die. </p><p>I didn't die. I made it to the top just fine. Although we had a lot more climbing to go before Sergeantsville, none of it seemed particularly difficult. There's a benefit to putting the worst hill right up front. I felt pretty good.</p><p>I put in a residential road, between Old York and Toad, to get us out of traffic. This is another thing I ought to have done before. </p><p>The B+ group was finishing up when we arrived at the Covered Bridge Market. Nowadays, if Heddy is around and ordering a cortado, I'll get one too. We rate rest stops according to their cortados. </p><p>Leaving Sergeantsville, we went down another residential street that links Sergeantsville and Rittenhouse Roads. From side to side, the blacktop was so fresh and defined that I wondered how long the paved road had been there. </p><p>We had to climb from Queen Road to Mount Airy, then to South Hunterdon High School, and then up Dinosaur Hill to 518. In my mind, that's three hills. According to Heddy's Garmin, it's one long hill. I made things worse by crossing 518 to hit the 8.9% grade at the end of Harbourton-Mount Airy Road.</p><p>The rest of the way was mostly downhill or relatively flat. As we cruised along, I told Our Jeff that he was to carry the Golf Ball of Shame until someone else got a flat, at which point he was to hand it over. This would be a study in how long it would take for the golf ball to make it back to one of us. "I'll keep it in my car," he said.</p><p>At the end, folks reported 2500 to 2600 feet of elevation gain over 40 miles. I knew, when I mapped the route and got 2371 feet, that Ridewithgps was underestimating. I can't ever tell by how much, though. The weird thing is that most of us are using Garmin GPS devices. Jim and I have the same model, yet mine reported Mine Road as 11% when I uploaded the ride, while his said 14% after the fact. Heddy's GPS, a different Garmin model, reported 14% at the time. Whatever. We definitely got our training in.</p><p>I'm glad I listed the ride as C+. It gave me license to chill. </p><p>I'm feeling more relaxed about the whole Nova Scotia trip too. I've made all my hotel reservations. I'll be driving up with Glen and Martin in Glen's car. They'll be sharing my hotel rooms. We've booked the ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth using a 3-for-the-price-of-2 special. I'm still alone in Exile House, but I'm actually glad about that at the moment. </p><p>All that's left for me is to train well, not overdo it before the trip, and to stop focusing so much on the two mountains. As an erstwhile Hill Slug once said, "There's no hill I can't walk up."</p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-16169355757648781102024-01-21T18:52:00.002-05:002024-01-21T18:52:29.035-05:00A Walk in the Park<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SJvQ6zpBnJQ705ukBTqDI7b2Lod5MuX4ooUtOvOE-zjgFtX4xwniqRK-qWlhtWJNsOx8tWOttLILm0j4OJhOI4aoLqokThMR60HwHuniVjqyXA_z9_Y-6TL1wUS0S5lrx809J9MFTcU0Qmctm3OCztXtK2oXyo-_cLZsCB90n6RlxEhtnNTMnmot/s2398/20240121%2035%20Tyler%20State%20Park%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2398" data-original-width="1895" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SJvQ6zpBnJQ705ukBTqDI7b2Lod5MuX4ooUtOvOE-zjgFtX4xwniqRK-qWlhtWJNsOx8tWOttLILm0j4OJhOI4aoLqokThMR60HwHuniVjqyXA_z9_Y-6TL1wUS0S5lrx809J9MFTcU0Qmctm3OCztXtK2oXyo-_cLZsCB90n6RlxEhtnNTMnmot/s320/20240121%2035%20Tyler%20State%20Park%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Red-Tailed Hawk, Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">21 January 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Still on the mend, Tom announced he'd be at Tyler State Park's boathose at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday if we wanted to join him for a 5-mile walk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We all had to drive at a snail's pace when we entered the park because we'd hit the end of an organized polar bear run and the road hadn't been plowed wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic as well as the runners.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We did find each other relatively easily, considering the mayhem. Joining Tom were Jim, Pete, Rickety, Cheryl G, Eric, Heddy, Our Jeff, and me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We sometimes ride here when the roads are too icy because the asphalt paths are usually plowed. They were today, too, more or less, but not as tidily as in the past. It would have been rough going if we'd brought our bikes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was testing out a new ankle brace. My old one is from 1992, the year I had surgery to tighten up a ligament gone loose from 12 sprains in 11 years. All that flopping around destroyed the proprioception; my brain doesn't know where my left ankle is. So I do strengthening exercises for the muscles around it, and wear a brace any time I might encounter unlevel ground. The brace shores up my ankle, and, should it wobble, the pressure from the brace tells my brain where my foot is. To my surprise, the new brace, much stiffer than the old one (no surprise, considering), was comfortable, and there were probably times that it was doing its job.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We started by walking across the dam over the Neshaminy Creek. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrQ1Y9cg3AVlPuO7Vkq919NmuncaiHpeUxEiLeIl29wEl5iVjqY79CIlTcdnmR4qoP_xrayPMx3xYQv4GJZkcOKL0w1hk0MyeMn-XmqkoQpskWW-OsZU3O4jUg4tOybynHqhRmH8a1oL91T6xU-kEmfrqvApQymiHjay2ezjH9exqN9bOVDGz0b8n/s5184/20240121%2001%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrQ1Y9cg3AVlPuO7Vkq919NmuncaiHpeUxEiLeIl29wEl5iVjqY79CIlTcdnmR4qoP_xrayPMx3xYQv4GJZkcOKL0w1hk0MyeMn-XmqkoQpskWW-OsZU3O4jUg4tOybynHqhRmH8a1oL91T6xU-kEmfrqvApQymiHjay2ezjH9exqN9bOVDGz0b8n/s320/20240121%2001%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nXFHpndlMHv22GrNQF0hSmyb8i512ilR_3J2R-hfi9G11YLWG_8pbjacGI6dpZIpwAC8-L1ccfjTbvcpSbUE-pqqAiWMzY8iuseBEMhAl2075ju72vv3xq750Q8O50tnoanQi0pDT-Gjrwnv4LYpcNCjKgqNp-VB0VPgVt_YRUJEbp2AiynSQnBZ/s5184/20240121%2002%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nXFHpndlMHv22GrNQF0hSmyb8i512ilR_3J2R-hfi9G11YLWG_8pbjacGI6dpZIpwAC8-L1ccfjTbvcpSbUE-pqqAiWMzY8iuseBEMhAl2075ju72vv3xq750Q8O50tnoanQi0pDT-Gjrwnv4LYpcNCjKgqNp-VB0VPgVt_YRUJEbp2AiynSQnBZ/s320/20240121%2002%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>On the downstream side, what looked like rocks were, upon closer inspection, Canada geese.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fp4IXJfOaoxOmxiKNJ1gPeXKvn68mWDUmZh8KOXVbohyphenhyphenw5C2Ccd2OiuaPEUCpwyoY7ZCPfq-RlrkI8rzBzt6_3dwZMc7HxwgofyPvn4ZLNt1fg4jyYyjzK10Qy5zokOYeBtz-LMdJGBmkEXBwHk79kcw07XlrJF0qAJFsnu9Dia9nnYC4keTBWjD/s5184/20240121%2003%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fp4IXJfOaoxOmxiKNJ1gPeXKvn68mWDUmZh8KOXVbohyphenhyphenw5C2Ccd2OiuaPEUCpwyoY7ZCPfq-RlrkI8rzBzt6_3dwZMc7HxwgofyPvn4ZLNt1fg4jyYyjzK10Qy5zokOYeBtz-LMdJGBmkEXBwHk79kcw07XlrJF0qAJFsnu9Dia9nnYC4keTBWjD/s320/20240121%2003%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23LZyMlD6cV0GOKCL89aoTGo25C94GXJXiLg8hPRrD7WQfOaSDislep8pNevTcNDUzEjb11Tk3SKn4erfHKx-xuxFuaF4fJq8ooeh8X2ymJN34QTQZy61bU0d-2njL6qE6p38gdEhkKwLF1rk3q_6scvaDK59gTw2atOv16biOadikamUHTzalJkX/s5184/20240121%2004%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23LZyMlD6cV0GOKCL89aoTGo25C94GXJXiLg8hPRrD7WQfOaSDislep8pNevTcNDUzEjb11Tk3SKn4erfHKx-xuxFuaF4fJq8ooeh8X2ymJN34QTQZy61bU0d-2njL6qE6p38gdEhkKwLF1rk3q_6scvaDK59gTw2atOv16biOadikamUHTzalJkX/s320/20240121%2004%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Tom led us off the paved path, down a snowy trail to the covered bridge. This part is never plowed. We usually park our bikes up top, walk down for pictures, and trudge back up again. We did the same thing today, reversing course at the bottom.</p><p>But first we milled about, taking pictures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ttfDqCdAvsgPEg1Ad0q7uXR3iy4G-qvQzWIanWOjO1fDpUa293i60Ht0qKj_Unqpzm-gWWT7XkbtB5eawhE700-h6870qz1ZI4HVuHkh6vPR9tPhQ6qQBipzSxBjgS4ZNYp0DipkJQpPjcwPgAkh13dwAUq3Q-JBgp5uKHPvn-dl873M1vqN38CM/s5184/20240121%2008%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ttfDqCdAvsgPEg1Ad0q7uXR3iy4G-qvQzWIanWOjO1fDpUa293i60Ht0qKj_Unqpzm-gWWT7XkbtB5eawhE700-h6870qz1ZI4HVuHkh6vPR9tPhQ6qQBipzSxBjgS4ZNYp0DipkJQpPjcwPgAkh13dwAUq3Q-JBgp5uKHPvn-dl873M1vqN38CM/s320/20240121%2008%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The view from the far side of the bridge, on the sunny side, showed shallow ice floes on the water's surface.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-ueeHyYC1YGKIIrjZ4uIWPmidTpPM2PkdErTsrkKPHKCPOHMgp6FnQ5mJ-D9YUndMYaVbMZEJh5SLOn6dXptILBwpRiw8dyrIE3bUeFgjngm_6oc7xQ5Fv8kqTA9qFAl2tRR-X1snNh9tor5HRF7mE_c8P7Crudg6lv86Al25ILIMcRbMf0BqxXt/s5184/20240121%2009%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-ueeHyYC1YGKIIrjZ4uIWPmidTpPM2PkdErTsrkKPHKCPOHMgp6FnQ5mJ-D9YUndMYaVbMZEJh5SLOn6dXptILBwpRiw8dyrIE3bUeFgjngm_6oc7xQ5Fv8kqTA9qFAl2tRR-X1snNh9tor5HRF7mE_c8P7Crudg6lv86Al25ILIMcRbMf0BqxXt/s320/20240121%2009%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCkHvE4WHXergKjiRxGIUNJC5FqQHU-x_4qyBdjPck4NHUQArGQl3ynkjji-QZBdg5Gwf0rehcM0PPjYM8aiqQPwYm3kvSSJ6kZimdzbHQyy35-DjPaNGn_dRg8SHvMtm-Dm5e-oHbQXNILEwE7XbnOx02YHOchGtGPf9ntN6VfMNZA30WgZPy03m/s5184/20240121%2011%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCkHvE4WHXergKjiRxGIUNJC5FqQHU-x_4qyBdjPck4NHUQArGQl3ynkjji-QZBdg5Gwf0rehcM0PPjYM8aiqQPwYm3kvSSJ6kZimdzbHQyy35-DjPaNGn_dRg8SHvMtm-Dm5e-oHbQXNILEwE7XbnOx02YHOchGtGPf9ntN6VfMNZA30WgZPy03m/s320/20240121%2011%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>On the other side, the bridge cast a shadow on the creek.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneVI8o7LaKUvGbIbIy5T6zSEKolN8mndD6R0ZQnvmVX9HjyrRG461PjkZvbR3Wo1xOmHOUJ_qq2YtInRDX57lgIJdWgbVTCTPqHPTsQSD_HQuVM2yPNiS6H_z_iZY2pQhL0z31t6RVP7j_cFVlmsU2j18x6h5kCWLQcl4EGDSTz9Zi6pqy9AoSYR0/s5184/20240121%2012%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneVI8o7LaKUvGbIbIy5T6zSEKolN8mndD6R0ZQnvmVX9HjyrRG461PjkZvbR3Wo1xOmHOUJ_qq2YtInRDX57lgIJdWgbVTCTPqHPTsQSD_HQuVM2yPNiS6H_z_iZY2pQhL0z31t6RVP7j_cFVlmsU2j18x6h5kCWLQcl4EGDSTz9Zi6pqy9AoSYR0/s320/20240121%2012%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>There were more goose-rocks in the water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qG7N4Er6_d-HQhCLY00d_pHRlP3WUfASoDQ-g-WsYwOMnlYwn5TKX7vDfRp1MDtpD6MRn1cK4slRASVnyNapJNDwHSCxX-AvQ8JwKJV7fC-k9sTokTv6IDkjffLIcZk6czxHsOIx0s7FIg2ihILcanxrF2SeSAeXZca72cnOy69sRGsVAD8QGAy6/s5184/20240121%2013%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qG7N4Er6_d-HQhCLY00d_pHRlP3WUfASoDQ-g-WsYwOMnlYwn5TKX7vDfRp1MDtpD6MRn1cK4slRASVnyNapJNDwHSCxX-AvQ8JwKJV7fC-k9sTokTv6IDkjffLIcZk6czxHsOIx0s7FIg2ihILcanxrF2SeSAeXZca72cnOy69sRGsVAD8QGAy6/s320/20240121%2013%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DO3zlnPe5PJlrBVVO986mOb39D0NlBRMj4ff0tWMAJK_m2VNNYCEJH-l9q_IgkjCmWkNISWyhFLw6Bmo3sNn5kx2b6PkNI9egRX8M4IyqjaiR3HB3PNZ8tjRYZIo8SM4UYKcFd_G4-NUxW_Ii3bBN8Yp-3a86CUd5gWQ5Ia6egqYf7xE1Cf_AM5V/s5184/20240121%2014%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DO3zlnPe5PJlrBVVO986mOb39D0NlBRMj4ff0tWMAJK_m2VNNYCEJH-l9q_IgkjCmWkNISWyhFLw6Bmo3sNn5kx2b6PkNI9egRX8M4IyqjaiR3HB3PNZ8tjRYZIo8SM4UYKcFd_G4-NUxW_Ii3bBN8Yp-3a86CUd5gWQ5Ia6egqYf7xE1Cf_AM5V/s320/20240121%2014%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8Aks8r0PdRKbNPbW99jnyHz_CiwznafdAGDKD8XwpLMGjvTVaG6zSbX2TPe_RlYCtYZF4rWObYfiX8D_wJysAIg32fSLPNhHjKcHxLYqFyrjWMenp6qpl8c7Y0iQ-bo-YHaMs12a0ypw3G223r1aAPE1mwgfDXQGNsKr4TfbXy3db6ZlmYAoVn4i/s5184/20240121%2015%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8Aks8r0PdRKbNPbW99jnyHz_CiwznafdAGDKD8XwpLMGjvTVaG6zSbX2TPe_RlYCtYZF4rWObYfiX8D_wJysAIg32fSLPNhHjKcHxLYqFyrjWMenp6qpl8c7Y0iQ-bo-YHaMs12a0ypw3G223r1aAPE1mwgfDXQGNsKr4TfbXy3db6ZlmYAoVn4i/s320/20240121%2015%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1E_vbuc3VY8Y6fMpEnR3U4BZ_RwLI7flqyKDh0HYwmQZ2lxYvntkJ9SOGMaV_Eamkhmxzx6Zb3FnvJX1r-c-nk_XV3elq9YJdEWpOmuIRNIwe8_81SmUFrar66ICCoNzwY1OJbzwxqpHTds1k8egv6kTLZBttOwiXfKtf9zTt_N7gD5VtDsUOLE_/s5184/20240121%2016%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1E_vbuc3VY8Y6fMpEnR3U4BZ_RwLI7flqyKDh0HYwmQZ2lxYvntkJ9SOGMaV_Eamkhmxzx6Zb3FnvJX1r-c-nk_XV3elq9YJdEWpOmuIRNIwe8_81SmUFrar66ICCoNzwY1OJbzwxqpHTds1k8egv6kTLZBttOwiXfKtf9zTt_N7gD5VtDsUOLE_/s320/20240121%2016%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>Tom seemed to have disappeared. I followed a trail down to the water's edge. He was there with his good camera, gloves off so he could work the controls. He's been taking photography classes lately. He was already good at this. I expect the photos he'll share from today will put the rest of us to shame.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFEkoj_FAKHW1F9LvilQ8vptOfQoprs3wFoOLwQ1qxjy-xYfgZaScuaAXX-x48aE6efGZBDYgKeSCR_Ci1PEyVBSAwTTmDC4fx2f8lCLnqVc2T6LXIc22p1ijQyWRa3-YQx0TRjbu8DJ40W7bhGIOMHFuobzmNejgzWahyuQoXTgcrB25wVaStXr4/s5184/20240121%2017%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFEkoj_FAKHW1F9LvilQ8vptOfQoprs3wFoOLwQ1qxjy-xYfgZaScuaAXX-x48aE6efGZBDYgKeSCR_Ci1PEyVBSAwTTmDC4fx2f8lCLnqVc2T6LXIc22p1ijQyWRa3-YQx0TRjbu8DJ40W7bhGIOMHFuobzmNejgzWahyuQoXTgcrB25wVaStXr4/s320/20240121%2017%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbVJyHGlOMONIHX52w_PQu1hwM6GPOHny1NJRHs6-WQxh3l3jKLHHYuo6VfvHOqbn-csUr05zKUaX3ddQY70WFWhbT42B-amqfOKnmgk-8D5SgFlGGnzKX1HT-C0NYNNbVd8G1Zr6HIZCoE55YT60ydbF46C0uXyRP-OWXUtqI4KPNsxUSTJrktYh/s5184/20240121%2018%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbVJyHGlOMONIHX52w_PQu1hwM6GPOHny1NJRHs6-WQxh3l3jKLHHYuo6VfvHOqbn-csUr05zKUaX3ddQY70WFWhbT42B-amqfOKnmgk-8D5SgFlGGnzKX1HT-C0NYNNbVd8G1Zr6HIZCoE55YT60ydbF46C0uXyRP-OWXUtqI4KPNsxUSTJrktYh/s320/20240121%2018%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBJe_1Bpl5-Fk-d3HzFqAjCKJpxbbmWuQiFEICRQYCYDqnGhszYyU5lQ68qHcDPWIeJc7OwWs1pXOeYmVjZISG6P_3YKyC8K58tGSLzpozwIC_8TD7mFBarXkxL73HOnVs-uAXsdFqWxrOb9822L_1wXfwPEgKt2FgI0mOBiDaXUZL1JwCu984WhU/s5184/20240121%2019%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBJe_1Bpl5-Fk-d3HzFqAjCKJpxbbmWuQiFEICRQYCYDqnGhszYyU5lQ68qHcDPWIeJc7OwWs1pXOeYmVjZISG6P_3YKyC8K58tGSLzpozwIC_8TD7mFBarXkxL73HOnVs-uAXsdFqWxrOb9822L_1wXfwPEgKt2FgI0mOBiDaXUZL1JwCu984WhU/s320/20240121%2019%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>At the top of the hill, Our Jeff and Pete took a break on a bench. I didn't notice Jeff's finger until I uploaded the photo (click to embiggen).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1btECB01SWn8fhosEWUrlkTWQzPn1LL6pRbzDmsCQcFm-O4P-aHeMhp4kl5cq7HqJF1Jz7t1XBRuc-6yVrMWpg-YTuC4kAS0427DBJyH-8qHqBZLO6bSeKEKbsq17kwuBNrPC57Dcl0jPOMegv4binwnVLPP6oOEP3hsIPN689opUveyhLdZMQKx/s5184/20240121%2020%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1btECB01SWn8fhosEWUrlkTWQzPn1LL6pRbzDmsCQcFm-O4P-aHeMhp4kl5cq7HqJF1Jz7t1XBRuc-6yVrMWpg-YTuC4kAS0427DBJyH-8qHqBZLO6bSeKEKbsq17kwuBNrPC57Dcl0jPOMegv4binwnVLPP6oOEP3hsIPN689opUveyhLdZMQKx/s320/20240121%2020%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>He did that because he saw what I was doing to Tom's gloves.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC01wW8PCGwGcsMkMCv4lRetcsf7AvThFnWSwcrHM98fPLZCA25PHXcPARAEvnhNvWykzqkyWM7kRpL79mjVNiaaRYVXPUMxW5gG8MF0B_RWlIP4RxjX90mjANGNuDyZqVrCYhkGlY78NSEJQJL8IPLTH94-CpUkKFgDcER5AfomucyuS6wFpYVCT0/s5184/20240121%2021%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC01wW8PCGwGcsMkMCv4lRetcsf7AvThFnWSwcrHM98fPLZCA25PHXcPARAEvnhNvWykzqkyWM7kRpL79mjVNiaaRYVXPUMxW5gG8MF0B_RWlIP4RxjX90mjANGNuDyZqVrCYhkGlY78NSEJQJL8IPLTH94-CpUkKFgDcER5AfomucyuS6wFpYVCT0/s320/20240121%2021%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>We went back up the hill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLAL7_pYN2NzAsIK90fm3Su7-RcratzaTDp1Jn76ispZoXN_uBszO8-2xN_BLHR2dbpEUHuwL6L4wBVN67sW-YG5aOGf-7gyYLI2nHmcSDwsJA8XWKglYSsV1-w29a2OhP2c0yJMxx136z2YFI7sPUzqgx4_-fT1emeQcr1xfznbEk-vHVY7M6G0g/s5184/20240121%2022%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLAL7_pYN2NzAsIK90fm3Su7-RcratzaTDp1Jn76ispZoXN_uBszO8-2xN_BLHR2dbpEUHuwL6L4wBVN67sW-YG5aOGf-7gyYLI2nHmcSDwsJA8XWKglYSsV1-w29a2OhP2c0yJMxx136z2YFI7sPUzqgx4_-fT1emeQcr1xfznbEk-vHVY7M6G0g/s320/20240121%2022%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vj0v-Sf9Mw9NDk_BIammgnxi7eQ_GLYFk89NfvV1t_fPLxWFGEvxFZZIqCECgeDfFPblooNVWWbZXCLBzXyIbRxOBrdPHy2wfTilvMhfG_L8gP_YjMsn828MqgAO7QHGhq6ZXNsWMvalawlU46iYevGBer8R_JSPa4-lVtAl4q6u8J0aQU8tLIAT/s5184/20240121%2024%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vj0v-Sf9Mw9NDk_BIammgnxi7eQ_GLYFk89NfvV1t_fPLxWFGEvxFZZIqCECgeDfFPblooNVWWbZXCLBzXyIbRxOBrdPHy2wfTilvMhfG_L8gP_YjMsn828MqgAO7QHGhq6ZXNsWMvalawlU46iYevGBer8R_JSPa4-lVtAl4q6u8J0aQU8tLIAT/s320/20240121%2024%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was a horse farm I hadn't noticed before.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_txUmKGTWFo_ljHmH33OvbBwF7fTkMwRmIDYoOBjlB19LrlGkUX_b0xHpJxs0eqij0HEt2oYD7oF_6vzyehFM2rN-vwj6vE1XnRiQ_ZKFd5XKJ3tqfzVPxHR1KqHrwcm8zMU99orXn3Sh77YrDrf4CcvSEioGIgkPdeGSrzc_R0ihBEAcIsW01KPe/s5184/20240121%2025%20Tyler%20State%20Park_5943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_txUmKGTWFo_ljHmH33OvbBwF7fTkMwRmIDYoOBjlB19LrlGkUX_b0xHpJxs0eqij0HEt2oYD7oF_6vzyehFM2rN-vwj6vE1XnRiQ_ZKFd5XKJ3tqfzVPxHR1KqHrwcm8zMU99orXn3Sh77YrDrf4CcvSEioGIgkPdeGSrzc_R0ihBEAcIsW01KPe/s320/20240121%2025%20Tyler%20State%20Park_5943.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We came down a long, steep hill that we usually ride up. I ought to have taken a picture. I don't know why I didn't. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later, I noticed some duckweed in a shallow section of the creek.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnnbrJuGuetLSWw2r8Dd-SuoILcQ_cOhMcm8LIomMoJ2yemJvfAqKKdGN2M-Tg2AHHJKZe3DPL2PwyC8xCLXl2ghhjGElgLRUxUfFXbaAKK51by8btpQFTi1i2uoAAkVbLb_uKnlKlsfMRmxCupK0dMxNVEkzzWD2_urNh3I_B22tiPSWO2IwBPq_/s5184/20240121%2026%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnnbrJuGuetLSWw2r8Dd-SuoILcQ_cOhMcm8LIomMoJ2yemJvfAqKKdGN2M-Tg2AHHJKZe3DPL2PwyC8xCLXl2ghhjGElgLRUxUfFXbaAKK51by8btpQFTi1i2uoAAkVbLb_uKnlKlsfMRmxCupK0dMxNVEkzzWD2_urNh3I_B22tiPSWO2IwBPq_/s320/20240121%2026%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCJHhAs_C6HsPA7RcbyqFY6kdZDaVn5FVoAhvpbxjQdXdUVZqrvprMn9x4JH4vojJLjnMV5vzpuhjx1LxkM9m-px_RPfHoJ6R1B-ssWcvfNAT8k6-Fi7r6e5m2Q77a0Ce0TRf1AIMURSd-7WLzVj7eKP8kt6a1EbW1fYnbKNy5E3V4JWHRBy-Vvfl/s5184/20240121%2027%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCJHhAs_C6HsPA7RcbyqFY6kdZDaVn5FVoAhvpbxjQdXdUVZqrvprMn9x4JH4vojJLjnMV5vzpuhjx1LxkM9m-px_RPfHoJ6R1B-ssWcvfNAT8k6-Fi7r6e5m2Q77a0Ce0TRf1AIMURSd-7WLzVj7eKP8kt6a1EbW1fYnbKNy5E3V4JWHRBy-Vvfl/s320/20240121%2027%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We reached the dam again. I took some pictures of the path we didn't take that we usually ride up and back on. There's a big hill up that way.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbmmVMqka1DZP-4YcPN4v9zzGHQ2pq9NmrpZmcNN1eTUA6-76X087jSF3C_v5fyPOUk-l2K4OBFimDOeKSVMduSDwO3EnHoqHl7H9VqJJM41opa6TfZxg_vz-IKIliWfDgHYP8vkgMYbiQ1Rwq50Jm-0HI_lzvlUXgmS2xVemuZ71HW8mYB68UnTJ/s5184/20240121%2028%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbmmVMqka1DZP-4YcPN4v9zzGHQ2pq9NmrpZmcNN1eTUA6-76X087jSF3C_v5fyPOUk-l2K4OBFimDOeKSVMduSDwO3EnHoqHl7H9VqJJM41opa6TfZxg_vz-IKIliWfDgHYP8vkgMYbiQ1Rwq50Jm-0HI_lzvlUXgmS2xVemuZ71HW8mYB68UnTJ/s320/20240121%2028%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Bi9IX1hC9fHfj31Y4xky9Jgw6KhuqrP33f3MGcCQJCLXFRvn5lgKBYewFzbJ6Q1N8aNSa6bMmZDgq5oqx-vkhP6jqHGFzJvitqLwDqXVJBb4hzWByblBTeeqcwsNP0eAgq4iEh9bg4rF4aolS4dRtJwznBdGqFv231gcEIGnXDSR18BUg_y5GK4b/s5184/20240121%2029%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Bi9IX1hC9fHfj31Y4xky9Jgw6KhuqrP33f3MGcCQJCLXFRvn5lgKBYewFzbJ6Q1N8aNSa6bMmZDgq5oqx-vkhP6jqHGFzJvitqLwDqXVJBb4hzWByblBTeeqcwsNP0eAgq4iEh9bg4rF4aolS4dRtJwznBdGqFv231gcEIGnXDSR18BUg_y5GK4b/s320/20240121%2029%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPl-z4oIzJAR4FbAQZ6bV-jMcIOCev_cfsS21ws-i4YIVcDUflVhth7aEm_Tnm0pG5lZdW7Mi67dhtiIG63tM9d82PcatemIgzq-G_D-CdNxWyEPs-HJ8CtmLw1nlTizExNIf_MBxgKM3LT9raRg4Vq47824pWg0rEnwytb4ygkEvDxEtY7EvFxzj-/s5184/20240121%2030%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPl-z4oIzJAR4FbAQZ6bV-jMcIOCev_cfsS21ws-i4YIVcDUflVhth7aEm_Tnm0pG5lZdW7Mi67dhtiIG63tM9d82PcatemIgzq-G_D-CdNxWyEPs-HJ8CtmLw1nlTizExNIf_MBxgKM3LT9raRg4Vq47824pWg0rEnwytb4ygkEvDxEtY7EvFxzj-/s320/20240121%2030%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ieYxAe7WLd7-XPJGCyMW2iRfNdlIyTeIoAB-v93M1mOhWOTDNk0mY9uzJbmOk7OsYTm8tffsSAxYMHmpOYkMtobVBdGHWFMiZ_OwEXxpd76PbwDEWSvUBtTQ7RjuhIiMRRMh7nciGwCR7hhCz1AOq1pl0H3UTP7XULCPoMbB817uCKh-BVSZ74eq/s5184/20240121%2031%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ieYxAe7WLd7-XPJGCyMW2iRfNdlIyTeIoAB-v93M1mOhWOTDNk0mY9uzJbmOk7OsYTm8tffsSAxYMHmpOYkMtobVBdGHWFMiZ_OwEXxpd76PbwDEWSvUBtTQ7RjuhIiMRRMh7nciGwCR7hhCz1AOq1pl0H3UTP7XULCPoMbB817uCKh-BVSZ74eq/s320/20240121%2031%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Some of us thought the walk was over. Jeff and Pete called it a day. I almost did too, until I found out that we were going to walk along the path on this side of the creek for a bit. </div><div><br /></div><div>Heddy and I got to talking and got a little ahead. The guys called us to turn around.</div><div><br /></div><div>We found a red-tailed hawk perched on a branch over our heads and stopped for photos. The sun was in my eyes. My glasses are the kind that darken in sunlight, and they're polarized too. I could barely see my camera's display. I was mostly shooting blind.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomwlV-4trCDrr0-VVLXUWIGsmlXSf1vRryEGzg-zMAyiEgbSu3Lu8PYe1CxsIR8ZumOguGgYYPyzmF9OQ50HYwr6edJhDKGD0PeBm43ozvicQK17jIVZX_3kr-vwRNPQACDDuoqcnvShfHSn8qUQ2owwb7MNTopfQ10CMtSeZ8wrG_97rHU8TV6u8/s5184/20240121%2032%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomwlV-4trCDrr0-VVLXUWIGsmlXSf1vRryEGzg-zMAyiEgbSu3Lu8PYe1CxsIR8ZumOguGgYYPyzmF9OQ50HYwr6edJhDKGD0PeBm43ozvicQK17jIVZX_3kr-vwRNPQACDDuoqcnvShfHSn8qUQ2owwb7MNTopfQ10CMtSeZ8wrG_97rHU8TV6u8/s320/20240121%2032%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvokHRGBAbbngtFZF_ETUVc-Upl2BUtPBJg1RBgKjiuP7rX7VQJfQ7TEMcgYS96YmIrm6rIWZfEGM2BvQk0qnJHV0xuSX6pYj2jsWtt2AJlX9Q33F3YPzsq_F2a1xaiSOL0RzHqlYkH5BEbDQxGfUd6hDEjxpYu9ZIcN8xMt30M477mPPYI5Dy6aC/s5184/20240121%2034%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvokHRGBAbbngtFZF_ETUVc-Upl2BUtPBJg1RBgKjiuP7rX7VQJfQ7TEMcgYS96YmIrm6rIWZfEGM2BvQk0qnJHV0xuSX6pYj2jsWtt2AJlX9Q33F3YPzsq_F2a1xaiSOL0RzHqlYkH5BEbDQxGfUd6hDEjxpYu9ZIcN8xMt30M477mPPYI5Dy6aC/s320/20240121%2034%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9N4jzxsYH882Fui9LlrO7lpJXf958TUBFKv90o0ZiczePmfxTPDu5MHsIxXhAKsT1dHUkssW8KltsFohS9p3xB26F1SAe_iNFfINIt2WecCEYNWUNrRr06-uokN_cID8m2lmZ7ZAtnYwPjbeHcoANt2xFB4AyMX9_hBQYesVbkPj4VfcM8ETl6xhR/s5184/20240121%2035%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9N4jzxsYH882Fui9LlrO7lpJXf958TUBFKv90o0ZiczePmfxTPDu5MHsIxXhAKsT1dHUkssW8KltsFohS9p3xB26F1SAe_iNFfINIt2WecCEYNWUNrRr06-uokN_cID8m2lmZ7ZAtnYwPjbeHcoANt2xFB4AyMX9_hBQYesVbkPj4VfcM8ETl6xhR/s320/20240121%2035%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We walked on, and the hawk flew in front of us to land on a branch closer to the stream, and to us. We stopped again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmDsX5C1uXKP53L_nFX7u0aAMrT2Te9m-tO9I2ZEgviNStZ6Hh8rD0ooAe4mMb0fV4MGyMEDGGcgLkit-dfx2LY5B5HvgqmT4_mlpKPpwY2Z9hFuoZhHu__z5D9CHW47-wyHBB8hMInmgdM6_zccxxrduXYFM4kNQr66xSZqZN4bivjn5jUiGGnzz/s5184/20240121%2037%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmDsX5C1uXKP53L_nFX7u0aAMrT2Te9m-tO9I2ZEgviNStZ6Hh8rD0ooAe4mMb0fV4MGyMEDGGcgLkit-dfx2LY5B5HvgqmT4_mlpKPpwY2Z9hFuoZhHu__z5D9CHW47-wyHBB8hMInmgdM6_zccxxrduXYFM4kNQr66xSZqZN4bivjn5jUiGGnzz/s320/20240121%2037%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg39AixxokbeiJPouziLn_UWMWVpsK1E-H1ZcZa2Y1rnv4g1INNcVeytHor8yqdPCTifjzpeoW8GZrBRKDoo_z1lbd1YKwZ0_RbcEhxzkiEDS8R_xAx8K6tifG0er836LUIzkSXr8hsL7q6Fd1W22xBpGO4R79QEOl7bS1DnurtONUc1pPw2bq030V/s5184/20240121%2038%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg39AixxokbeiJPouziLn_UWMWVpsK1E-H1ZcZa2Y1rnv4g1INNcVeytHor8yqdPCTifjzpeoW8GZrBRKDoo_z1lbd1YKwZ0_RbcEhxzkiEDS8R_xAx8K6tifG0er836LUIzkSXr8hsL7q6Fd1W22xBpGO4R79QEOl7bS1DnurtONUc1pPw2bq030V/s320/20240121%2038%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This look says, "I'm giving you guys one more minute. After that, I have mice to catch."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj_RQUW_HAG3aHtFiuKg2kUYh_daAwpLhoANrjgY64iyYZ0KlptaxCDugZCBz2EXzBHaTdp66KuMEI3f2mNlj_B88zfzbWXktArYmSD0fqvAHU4OoFzTRU-QaO5ead2_dkN6E8R-2Femlt4aShuBxTqmIBYhm3ncr76Ns11OIJDtenvdLbbafrT18/s1166/20240121%2039%20Tyler%20State%20Park%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1101" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj_RQUW_HAG3aHtFiuKg2kUYh_daAwpLhoANrjgY64iyYZ0KlptaxCDugZCBz2EXzBHaTdp66KuMEI3f2mNlj_B88zfzbWXktArYmSD0fqvAHU4OoFzTRU-QaO5ead2_dkN6E8R-2Femlt4aShuBxTqmIBYhm3ncr76Ns11OIJDtenvdLbbafrT18/s320/20240121%2039%20Tyler%20State%20Park%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This bird must be used to people by now.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz5IpC72wqZxCKqxWaXgAIi3zCwkU4YVxODp2y52lCllG0QBYoVY1h3tumuAiW6p04CVw8QOvTBTckiIkoN2R0jVfgzuz-KQaehrJgQrDpf1uZanBZ0a17owI-pQgL0jEbHh-H2TFp9dEtMyh0OMI9BQu0isr6lgJPyHqw0AnEbTIlYX-6BwDyvV7/s5184/20240121%2039%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz5IpC72wqZxCKqxWaXgAIi3zCwkU4YVxODp2y52lCllG0QBYoVY1h3tumuAiW6p04CVw8QOvTBTckiIkoN2R0jVfgzuz-KQaehrJgQrDpf1uZanBZ0a17owI-pQgL0jEbHh-H2TFp9dEtMyh0OMI9BQu0isr6lgJPyHqw0AnEbTIlYX-6BwDyvV7/s320/20240121%2039%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtCOwAVHSzlN82z85zDUjnNtdiYr6Agz-WqlmUEGIclwxV_jH1gtE5kZuVEu3wX5rgwBzw1AfUSI6gkxXpPR49HKfo9kt7xvTOKm3H60QOgFjz-jp2mZbXV4lpGyjR3x2VWCDizY5rfIOxlNtVYGFQtLw0CaxUoetuTUrbv-zs99IfKvDIa2vI3Gu/s5184/20240121%2041%20Tyler%20State%20Park0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtCOwAVHSzlN82z85zDUjnNtdiYr6Agz-WqlmUEGIclwxV_jH1gtE5kZuVEu3wX5rgwBzw1AfUSI6gkxXpPR49HKfo9kt7xvTOKm3H60QOgFjz-jp2mZbXV4lpGyjR3x2VWCDizY5rfIOxlNtVYGFQtLw0CaxUoetuTUrbv-zs99IfKvDIa2vI3Gu/s320/20240121%2041%20Tyler%20State%20Park0.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Someone left a pile of dried fruit and nuts on both sides of a little bridge over the creek.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWrYPK8u5s2XVI6AM8SXHyAeOuNhdP4oEp30IG5VOXCEXPPYM9_LgxWr29-OyqdKesRxTEAPASHJdfnlMJLm5k-JMlAuHxRk5xPKRu2MpP4J2_lFTlBnBuDhkHXnVTpSO0a4R-0z4m3ZH8NAUCFisQiXB9wmAkQVtauq4plMKZbe3517jxhOfJ7hU/s5184/20240121%2043%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWrYPK8u5s2XVI6AM8SXHyAeOuNhdP4oEp30IG5VOXCEXPPYM9_LgxWr29-OyqdKesRxTEAPASHJdfnlMJLm5k-JMlAuHxRk5xPKRu2MpP4J2_lFTlBnBuDhkHXnVTpSO0a4R-0z4m3ZH8NAUCFisQiXB9wmAkQVtauq4plMKZbe3517jxhOfJ7hU/s320/20240121%2043%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxxdKLSsog8zNIqqN3l8BrEmDgaLvnf9rbJeR-evxahZKuvZDLZ9OxXJ_zoxtK4Wg0-zNi0tHhCyLh58DuDpkQA_q92LgU4il16kttNC5-cR8nbKGXblY9QER-cKyf2AgUKLh63rXXQFtjETQgZzjlFonab-tdq_YYml-mkGFvvUaGSPZ0s24D8sm/s5184/20240121%2044%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxxdKLSsog8zNIqqN3l8BrEmDgaLvnf9rbJeR-evxahZKuvZDLZ9OxXJ_zoxtK4Wg0-zNi0tHhCyLh58DuDpkQA_q92LgU4il16kttNC5-cR8nbKGXblY9QER-cKyf2AgUKLh63rXXQFtjETQgZzjlFonab-tdq_YYml-mkGFvvUaGSPZ0s24D8sm/s320/20240121%2044%20Tyler%20State%20Park.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The last time I went walking with the Insane Bike Posse at Tyler was in the winter of 2021. Jim and Mighty Mike had just received their first Covid vaccines, and I had severe vaccine envy. We were walking outside with masks on. I'm glad the Posse is still together three years later.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-73489889442326861492024-01-14T18:18:00.001-05:002024-01-14T18:18:16.181-05:00Weird New Weather<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvt0a6q0d2-CZWcoSSNlLDsrdevzUyXkeH1bYUBqNnN8jEj10CqiCi38SZjq2FH18JTZE6vmX6IC0dRBQtFV5pQ1h-Gq-FSrHpB549vfxuGydyieO7RZsHg_p3x_UAV3NlIg1vidJPxM-o1cF6uEZA2F2TbvxhubbVJpuiZDFJa0j_ILfXsQVXLYW/s5184/20240113%2001%20Sky%20Over%20Twin%20Pines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvt0a6q0d2-CZWcoSSNlLDsrdevzUyXkeH1bYUBqNnN8jEj10CqiCi38SZjq2FH18JTZE6vmX6IC0dRBQtFV5pQ1h-Gq-FSrHpB549vfxuGydyieO7RZsHg_p3x_UAV3NlIg1vidJPxM-o1cF6uEZA2F2TbvxhubbVJpuiZDFJa0j_ILfXsQVXLYW/s320/20240113%2001%20Sky%20Over%20Twin%20Pines.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">sky over Twin Pines</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>14 January 2024<p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Saturday</p><p>"That was more work than I expected," I said, pulling into the Twin Pines parking lot on Fozzie, my no-frills gravel bike.</p><p>The wind was out of the west at a steady 17 mph, with 29 mph gusts. The ground was still wet from the early morning rain. A tree had taken down a power line where Lawrenceville-Pennington Road meets Denow. There was debris to be dodged. </p><p>It was 54 degrees when I left the house. In January. In New Jersey. </p><p>Overhead, the storm was on its way out, with gray and white clouds moving at a noticeable speed.</p><p>We'd been dithering for several days over whether or not to ride. As Saturday drew nearer, I decided not to list anything on our club's calendar. The towpath and LHT would be a muddy mess. The trees up on the Sourland Mountain were probably spitting branches; my front yard was already week's supply of campfire kindling, and that was just from one tree. Our best bet, I figured, was to ride in the shadow of the mountain rather than on it. </p><p>At 7:00 a.m. we still weren't sure. We decided to meet at Twin Pines at 10:00 if things cleared up by 9:00. Pete G, Martin, and Heddy were in. </p><p>The sun came out at 9:00.</p><p>Four of us, on our gravel bikes, did the Old Friday Night Route (if you know, you know).</p><p>We took the new bike path on the north side of Keefe Road. I stopped to get photos of the head-high grass in the field against the puffy clouds, blue sky, and fresh blacktop. We used Heddy for scale.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlgY66p8b2U2AjdvKwgO_kiiJFpPm_XiFuJrgH9uHMRTMF4JTJycSF1K8TMfw_CEOnjsjNwHE3ZdNSn5GONII79-sxuAXGjf4DlGvk-nweN3BI_5ohMnyvr2Uq47Nj4a_o110cgi2zKHev5UDl7ejomLO9iX_R5NH3K2qXkWx2898bBJkXjog9JNy/s5184/20240113%2004%20Bike%20Path%20Keefe%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlgY66p8b2U2AjdvKwgO_kiiJFpPm_XiFuJrgH9uHMRTMF4JTJycSF1K8TMfw_CEOnjsjNwHE3ZdNSn5GONII79-sxuAXGjf4DlGvk-nweN3BI_5ohMnyvr2Uq47Nj4a_o110cgi2zKHev5UDl7ejomLO9iX_R5NH3K2qXkWx2898bBJkXjog9JNy/s320/20240113%2004%20Bike%20Path%20Keefe%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoo9vmcGZRAI0t7ff74-sjWMf6I3X1iBkvRLD6N5h16hlrolayZeNWMkLOD_Zy5yZ6nOuaSAImgRQRFk-t2FgD4N5Pnk3uOWjLJiyjFnUSSPi1UGIDA47t4XNy0Q-QhFREGYqCqVB-LhHojV0VXtCcGo0iBPV3TNy3vGHbfbcdFR7ahupEULLEmdX/s5184/20240113%2005%20Bike%20Path%20Keefe%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoo9vmcGZRAI0t7ff74-sjWMf6I3X1iBkvRLD6N5h16hlrolayZeNWMkLOD_Zy5yZ6nOuaSAImgRQRFk-t2FgD4N5Pnk3uOWjLJiyjFnUSSPi1UGIDA47t4XNy0Q-QhFREGYqCqVB-LhHojV0VXtCcGo0iBPV3TNy3vGHbfbcdFR7ahupEULLEmdX/s320/20240113%2005%20Bike%20Path%20Keefe%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The counterclockwise route went past the Pole Farm, around Carson Road Woods, through ETS, up Carter, over Bayberry, over to Moores Mill, up to Route 31, on 31 (briefly!), down Woosamonsa and Burd, into Pennington the back way, and then down Pennington-Lawrenceville Road to Twin Pines.</p><p>We got rained on a few times. If there's water on your GPS, it counts as rain. We had confirmation by looking at the droplets hitting roadside puddles.</p><p>The wind picked up and the temperature dropped.</p><p>At the end of the ride, Heddy, Martin, and I talked about the Nova Scotia trip. We're in the thick of logistics now, reserving hotels and our spots on the CAT ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth. To anyone who hasn't traveled to New England in the summer, this seems very early to be doing all that. It's not. The ferry only leaves once a day.</p><p>The sky between me and home was gunmetal gray now. It was raining. I surfed the tailwind when I had it, and leaned into the gusts that threatened to send me sideways when I didn't. </p><p>After I got home, had lunch, and warmed myself back up, I made the journey up to see Michael at Wheelfine. It had been a year. I had to confess to my sin, Janice. </p><p>Tony G was in the shop, picking out bar tape to go with a Di Bernardi frame he was going to build into a fixie. Tony G has a lot of bikes. Tony G does not admit to knowing how many that many is. "If I knew," he said, "I'd have to tell my wife." I'll let that one slide. </p><p>I bought a pack of 3 metal tire levers with thin ends for a whopping $5. Given the tint of the plastic wrap, the bag had probably been around since the Carter administration. I need levers this thin to get the damned Vittoria Rubino Pro tires off Janice's Boyd carbon rims. </p><p>Anyway, Michael and I chatted for a while as the wind shook the door to the shop. Tony puttered around, having decided on black tape to go with the dark blue frame. We'll have to coordinate bikes when he's ready to take his fixie out on a ride. It'll look good next to Beaker, my blue Tommasini.</p><p>At night, Eric H and I traded texts for at least an hour, trying to figure out if it would be possible, let alone safe, for him to lead his planned Sunday ride from Claremont. The route required crossing the D&R Canal at Griggstown. I went down a rabbit hole gawping at NOAA's <a href="https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=gtnn4&wfo=phi" target="_blank">water gauge tables</a>. The causeway was flooded. Would it still be in the morning? What about the predicted snow squalls? </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Sunday</p><p>I got up early and put my warmest winter gear on. That meant the wind-stop leggings that, unless I bunch them up at the knees, feel as if they were meant to immobilize me.</p><p>At a few minutes before 9:00, Eric texted me to tell me he cancelled the ride. The causeway was still flooded. Two of the six riders had already bailed.</p><p>No problem. I could work out on my trainer instead.</p><p>Or, wait! There was that hike that TEW was leading out of the Pole Farm. It was already filled, but maybe she'd let me in. I called, and she did. There were, it turned out, several last-minute add-ons, including Jack H and Plain Jim.</p><p>We walked in sunlight with a stiff wind.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq97XAVzqFCsvwAFt2FJ47zp9xaT8ksyFfshgvEpI8nh-9GIvY1wVH8ftmW_2fy_ZkLs5IFZOj4sh6f35sVeG_NN-xwTdaueq9mx7aldIjG3A6FR6d-bsXoWntpzAPM_b2UMY6ztwokKtwL1R6-sfcLeJjojCYQum-p_ArA36Afs_jCx4q7myV9Hkv/s5184/20240114%2002%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq97XAVzqFCsvwAFt2FJ47zp9xaT8ksyFfshgvEpI8nh-9GIvY1wVH8ftmW_2fy_ZkLs5IFZOj4sh6f35sVeG_NN-xwTdaueq9mx7aldIjG3A6FR6d-bsXoWntpzAPM_b2UMY6ztwokKtwL1R6-sfcLeJjojCYQum-p_ArA36Afs_jCx4q7myV9Hkv/s320/20240114%2002%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>I have no sense of distance on foot. The loop was five miles. Somewhere in there, maybe halfway, clouds started moving in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrpMelDIvQl45luCSzlHw31A18Teiu4Zom0w6BMZuSpkquH2ldA8lliiJzXB_nxu6tir2tMTyZ3YjOIgpxvbg-kgEjUJBDcgBcXfuBtpukpfCuACNU3_RzdhUkRiSYZhuXno5OjzQGYWzfmp1npm0QAkFVkdt2dBwc6yc7XO9CRnjI4PKz4-1aGPp/s5184/20240114%2003%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrpMelDIvQl45luCSzlHw31A18Teiu4Zom0w6BMZuSpkquH2ldA8lliiJzXB_nxu6tir2tMTyZ3YjOIgpxvbg-kgEjUJBDcgBcXfuBtpukpfCuACNU3_RzdhUkRiSYZhuXno5OjzQGYWzfmp1npm0QAkFVkdt2dBwc6yc7XO9CRnjI4PKz4-1aGPp/s320/20240114%2003%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8spO1Hipwu152HLNBROBoXeS2RhdKv8V6DXxiMXWK1mEDgxgIxWvlbUP9Tmf-YFwWmpdj8EaVhKcs62NWsMP0KpE1SRl1pnrkjScMp388qlaRixI0Fly7eJVLHtJ9g_oBv2eUVtk4WBXXvseisDnON-L9F9gVvkbfkmknXPd7uxIvJ_GkyR0MmrSG/s5184/20240114%2004%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8spO1Hipwu152HLNBROBoXeS2RhdKv8V6DXxiMXWK1mEDgxgIxWvlbUP9Tmf-YFwWmpdj8EaVhKcs62NWsMP0KpE1SRl1pnrkjScMp388qlaRixI0Fly7eJVLHtJ9g_oBv2eUVtk4WBXXvseisDnON-L9F9gVvkbfkmknXPd7uxIvJ_GkyR0MmrSG/s320/20240114%2004%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4-pyA1VRKPyzbyAsHeWnZ6b0J4rK1RZMlf_VVLAeB7iaDfjZqhz2_a8ZlKXYCM8y5KFAhyphenhyphen_O50yBWzhDcl49rdlis7uUhiBupFcc5LXR8mHrW7QRunvsvK3gzTRtrQOORntvqyNZSFA1pXlxhXUdmTXqIJmMO0eH6jCOsLxxR2t6qrNwB9fODO-F/s5184/20240114%2005%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4-pyA1VRKPyzbyAsHeWnZ6b0J4rK1RZMlf_VVLAeB7iaDfjZqhz2_a8ZlKXYCM8y5KFAhyphenhyphen_O50yBWzhDcl49rdlis7uUhiBupFcc5LXR8mHrW7QRunvsvK3gzTRtrQOORntvqyNZSFA1pXlxhXUdmTXqIJmMO0eH6jCOsLxxR2t6qrNwB9fODO-F/s320/20240114%2005%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">the pole</span></div><p>With half a mile to go, I stopped to take some pictures of the thick, gray clouds to our west. These were the snow squalls, and they were heading our way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNL1nW5vgOLHii7FkT1wluDlhQoDHMJNN8eFTOzA9Og8pQDwmGtCP9MbZwCRYZbi-hRUynJx6UnkAwvJfiQjGny5TEsTAz87UpVOApXD_8Fg0bjTGPzHqglF9FlsujKTdBXx0YXH7_vyRGbRq_Z3VgCGCBpDHde0pXdAGMYSFcjV9-WD2mdq7gAqh/s5184/20240114%2007%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNL1nW5vgOLHii7FkT1wluDlhQoDHMJNN8eFTOzA9Og8pQDwmGtCP9MbZwCRYZbi-hRUynJx6UnkAwvJfiQjGny5TEsTAz87UpVOApXD_8Fg0bjTGPzHqglF9FlsujKTdBXx0YXH7_vyRGbRq_Z3VgCGCBpDHde0pXdAGMYSFcjV9-WD2mdq7gAqh/s320/20240114%2007%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclePmLY8HB03RvXV50s6JPCBgqN04tfonvKlZ_7Nd25KTuI68MBCSQ4IPWsyMjJGnqGfftnCLxGcdWF55JsoN_34K8H26DoyJVHhhly2O8ZTf51fQEeeGryPULHXYXSlHnJst7LK6fvSGtKUdAVizIZYqIkYD4rK4B5jqTqtlRyVa6LFd96rNz_fZ/s5184/20240114%2008%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclePmLY8HB03RvXV50s6JPCBgqN04tfonvKlZ_7Nd25KTuI68MBCSQ4IPWsyMjJGnqGfftnCLxGcdWF55JsoN_34K8H26DoyJVHhhly2O8ZTf51fQEeeGryPULHXYXSlHnJst7LK6fvSGtKUdAVizIZYqIkYD4rK4B5jqTqtlRyVa6LFd96rNz_fZ/s320/20240114%2008%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfLcCTtWUAGiDS6uaSZQ0L6U7EgU5dKJK2Sf0G2VqxYYk12iYys-6A98ke-RL3T4_vD8sovKoBlclTs0OcmNf4IYDD4BErU_cZhbr-TvqbZ4g0yv4JtLT5TbO_XObMeu9XVejyuG6ipXAvmteyz9cNcxgttoWlPhNb_jFIPQX8mJnkk5rjaC8VYhs/s5184/20240114%2009%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfLcCTtWUAGiDS6uaSZQ0L6U7EgU5dKJK2Sf0G2VqxYYk12iYys-6A98ke-RL3T4_vD8sovKoBlclTs0OcmNf4IYDD4BErU_cZhbr-TvqbZ4g0yv4JtLT5TbO_XObMeu9XVejyuG6ipXAvmteyz9cNcxgttoWlPhNb_jFIPQX8mJnkk5rjaC8VYhs/s320/20240114%2009%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0PTe8ArNkQnR_n919ceO0IBl6UjDLM04IjX6fA8yrh4D4nUusQaMEVjoy_pn9EYZhczsb9dQQlhI4QluH6it4AFpnG0kMglgQ0eQjFTjL-NZdGJMqAVemt3XVzC3cjsUNE8rfx6Kmasmxay_5uXQD7mYUjOprozRMvadfgtVC92X2srrut12sgoE/s5184/20240114%2010%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0PTe8ArNkQnR_n919ceO0IBl6UjDLM04IjX6fA8yrh4D4nUusQaMEVjoy_pn9EYZhczsb9dQQlhI4QluH6it4AFpnG0kMglgQ0eQjFTjL-NZdGJMqAVemt3XVzC3cjsUNE8rfx6Kmasmxay_5uXQD7mYUjOprozRMvadfgtVC92X2srrut12sgoE/s320/20240114%2010%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo0EyZ3RNe1I2nqSOhau6DQpVQSQSx1_M38rnwD5Eoehzfq5boKSaPL5DCYaQ3W_MSLSLzA4ti_oLFs058JYqgTcUtorJcvmkTeewkUzsUovty1OggHORNnfqYsI57kxcAEqINfbEL6Zc1r_ARYBwq9wypHW-OrS_CsHvcKkMyHddVMgmEsgPEIi4/s5184/20240114%2011%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo0EyZ3RNe1I2nqSOhau6DQpVQSQSx1_M38rnwD5Eoehzfq5boKSaPL5DCYaQ3W_MSLSLzA4ti_oLFs058JYqgTcUtorJcvmkTeewkUzsUovty1OggHORNnfqYsI57kxcAEqINfbEL6Zc1r_ARYBwq9wypHW-OrS_CsHvcKkMyHddVMgmEsgPEIi4/s320/20240114%2011%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0-dcAMsQLnPh263e65mw1_N_6DnMA1RNAgz5ZeH-_PcEcvEaT-LTsHy9WpkP8AK6qRbme62LH7rxSVSszliMtLptuRTDebEWZqy_DKzNx42Lz6sHxPdIIIxy043TkLwEhcT0MBRUavJJFh7npTXlTVmc6slsF0DOZBhi4RzoOXEoOyVDoizkwIR0/s5184/20240114%2012%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0-dcAMsQLnPh263e65mw1_N_6DnMA1RNAgz5ZeH-_PcEcvEaT-LTsHy9WpkP8AK6qRbme62LH7rxSVSszliMtLptuRTDebEWZqy_DKzNx42Lz6sHxPdIIIxy043TkLwEhcT0MBRUavJJFh7npTXlTVmc6slsF0DOZBhi4RzoOXEoOyVDoizkwIR0/s320/20240114%2012%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I tried to get a picture of the less-threatening sky to the east, as seen through one of the round, screened thingies next to the Reed/Bryan Farm parking lot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OdpL49BHuWn1EZ2DxeJdIR2E_TinHs5gNisQ5XcFSJLaUfJ-fr_1VYYo27QRon3GF3X0FGlp2dE84Q5W8IOfty-rEh9E5ZXp_MCC-YinN7D3uVC-PdntDNPAjlF7gjbBYEXgy26lp8pDjUsxlRgMA3_TjqbjshP03PRs4rIvGT4ciQ7XTxnf1zUu/s5184/20240114%2014%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OdpL49BHuWn1EZ2DxeJdIR2E_TinHs5gNisQ5XcFSJLaUfJ-fr_1VYYo27QRon3GF3X0FGlp2dE84Q5W8IOfty-rEh9E5ZXp_MCC-YinN7D3uVC-PdntDNPAjlF7gjbBYEXgy26lp8pDjUsxlRgMA3_TjqbjshP03PRs4rIvGT4ciQ7XTxnf1zUu/s320/20240114%2014%20Pole%20Farm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We did get some snow squalls maybe half an hour later. They didn't amount to much. None of that zero-visibility stuff that the forecasters had been threatening, anyway. Nothing stuck to the ground. It doesn't count if it doesn't stick.<p></p><p>Some real winter air is headed our way this week. It'll be 25 degrees colder tomorrow than it was yesterday morning. This is, I guess, what passes for normal now. </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-19690734811869702462024-01-06T16:10:00.003-05:002024-01-06T16:10:51.641-05:00Rough Riding on the Towpath<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtWuZ2pZhAP-SFScbijQlr1TuVvNwY2rRPS7a4qmG2B-0QJhLvYBgZFMTenOB9e0-o4JENsCqNozGaTrx0ypWwkkKvGXZ3Rc247t736c1NaSUl38jw-Y9w9TeALRO5EIqpOYceQRwCPvSXqf1yhxZpR7oc3k9fM7OIqcyf-eLhafu560_lbMEUkQu/s1816/20240106%20Ode%20to%20a%20Retrogrouch%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="1090" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtWuZ2pZhAP-SFScbijQlr1TuVvNwY2rRPS7a4qmG2B-0QJhLvYBgZFMTenOB9e0-o4JENsCqNozGaTrx0ypWwkkKvGXZ3Rc247t736c1NaSUl38jw-Y9w9TeALRO5EIqpOYceQRwCPvSXqf1yhxZpR7oc3k9fM7OIqcyf-eLhafu560_lbMEUkQu/w240-h400/20240106%20Ode%20to%20a%20Retrogrouch%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ode to a Retrogrouch</span></div><br /> 6 January 2024<p></p><p>I didn't take any pictures during our towpath ride today. I was too busy navigating cobbles and washouts.</p><p>Our plan was to get something close to 20 miles in before the snow started. Six of us met in the Brearley House parking lot.</p><p>We went north. Normally, the stretch in Lawrence Township is, as Pete G put it, "the canary in the coal mine." It's subject to flooding from the high, wet ground above. The path is coated with rough sand that, if it hasn't washed away or become submerged, is deep enough to cause a fishtail or two.</p><p>Today, that section was the easy part. North of Quaker Road, we encountered a sawhorse set across the path by the kind folks of the State Park. "Trail closed," the signs said, rather unhelpfully. Yellow caution tape was tied to the right side and a tree. On the left side, the tape had been broken. </p><p>We, being Good Little Hill Slugs, went right on through. We were joined by dozens of other scofflaws, mostly on foot, traversing the towpath from the northern side.</p><p>It became clear very quickly why the state didn't want us there. In between complete washout craters spanning the entire width of the path, there were signs of large trees having been recently sawed down. </p><p>The bridge over the towpath at Washington Road is under construction. There's a temporary stretch of large stones and hastily-poured blacktop to get people across Washington Road (which is, again, closed).</p><p>Then there's the cobblestone spillway, a known hazard that's more of a mindfuck than a fall risk.</p><p>When we reached Kingston, I decided we needed to get closer to 10 miles before turning around or riding up the hill for a break at PJ's. </p><p>What a mistake that turned out to be. There was washboard washout after washboard washout, deep grooves in the cinder that I took at speed because I used to own a mountain bike. Then we had to turn around and do the same thing over again. </p><p>I had just re-bounced over half of the washouts when I heard the telltale sound of a flat tire grinding on gravel. At the same time, we came upon TEW's hiking group, Plain Jim among them. We stopped. I reached for my rear tire, which was firm. I hadn't yet considered the front when Jim said, "You're flat."</p><p>So there I was, sitting on the ground, changing my inner tube with my glove liners on so that I wouldn't come in contact with the rubber. This was, needless to say, not going well at the step where I had to put the new tube in. I took my gloves off. My fingers froze instantly. I put my gloves back on, fussed around a bit more, then finally asked for help. Chris has big enough hands that he was able to get the tire back around the tube without tools. In all the years I've been riding, with all the bikes I've had, I have never, ever been able to do that. Small hands.</p><p>When I reached for my pump, the entire mount came off the bike with it, the connection points having snapped. No problem. I have more side mounts at home. It took a while to get the tire up to a reasonable pressure. I shoved the pump into my Camelbak and off we went.</p><p>I made a mental note to lead towpath rides from Washington Crossing or thereabouts from now on.</p><p>We'd lost time, so we didn't stop at PJ's. I'd promised we'd get back by noon, and we did.</p><p>The snow started a few minutes after the last of us drove off.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-5242341991174415422024-01-02T19:15:00.000-05:002024-01-02T19:15:17.372-05:00New Year's Day on the Towpath<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PPRmxZl9ehp36W4eJmaBojK96OYooqAvsalaUMJ5L2fK3c9fZ_f4YQfjUreoL9ywLQy3LBP3ZS2sNAF7D75Q66bq-wuNeumXO0aaPQ3Mo7HKghyphenhyphen3tN7kRYBAnp69w_RvVB80MvSVSOcGi7KJUv85BUw3g1KFYE0vdBAGl0YceMfhPcVcEiJM6Cxj/s5184/20240101%2003%20Towpath%20north%20of%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PPRmxZl9ehp36W4eJmaBojK96OYooqAvsalaUMJ5L2fK3c9fZ_f4YQfjUreoL9ywLQy3LBP3ZS2sNAF7D75Q66bq-wuNeumXO0aaPQ3Mo7HKghyphenhyphen3tN7kRYBAnp69w_RvVB80MvSVSOcGi7KJUv85BUw3g1KFYE0vdBAGl0YceMfhPcVcEiJM6Cxj/s320/20240101%2003%20Towpath%20north%20of%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">somewhere north of Washington Crossing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 January 2024</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday was Ron M's 11th annual New Year's Day towpath ride. Looking back in my records, it appears that this might be my first, at least since before 2015, when I started keeping track of which bike I ride and how far on any given day. I see that I was out on Grover, my mountain bike, on New Year's Day 2015, for all of 14.7 miles. It must have been a very cold day for me to have hauled Grover all the way to Washington Crossing for so few miles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, I was part of a big group yesterday. We went north. Sometimes we got separated. Pete G and I stopped to wait across the canal from wherever this bike and kayak rental place is on Route 29 somewhere south of Lambertville.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehZt2QIOOX-FXTKnf_1e6a_KOZysIJzPwonkxAzNYsPjpsxJesbMjBR3b-5R9HgvGDWNBAc-HTGznSl1LZDV25Fa8t5LB9gRmJVlkvI3t2lkFnrjtdUZNZ-1CwYT3oH0qmE1d5g5H3DypZt8TYgKSaqQxQiHXgovD7X07axugyowCvJwcM_lllE8g/s5184/20240101%2002%20Towpath%20north%20of%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehZt2QIOOX-FXTKnf_1e6a_KOZysIJzPwonkxAzNYsPjpsxJesbMjBR3b-5R9HgvGDWNBAc-HTGznSl1LZDV25Fa8t5LB9gRmJVlkvI3t2lkFnrjtdUZNZ-1CwYT3oH0qmE1d5g5H3DypZt8TYgKSaqQxQiHXgovD7X07axugyowCvJwcM_lllE8g/s320/20240101%2002%20Towpath%20north%20of%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We got separated again in Lambertville. Apparently there was a minor pileup as the group in back tried to cross Bridge Street. <div><br /></div><div>Ron led us to the pedestrian bridge at Bulls Island. Somebody wanted a selfie with all of us lined up against the railing. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1INQx7Df4FmkscAioKCOiqSQvurMrZ3C1-l7BLUO7Kwd_gCv_FBOOfxggT7fX8TXH4B2HLsUYLLQqrXHqFvzhD7yKvRarq5C7z3d_kw7dtDxZzJ9abFBo3CPSZospnrocFxuY0Hucz3g5MdY6V6nQh5O_Gge1PH7g4cjOOA5V0nKOgj9lDRMlABFP/s5184/20240101%2004%20Delaware%20River%20at%20Bulls%20Island.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1INQx7Df4FmkscAioKCOiqSQvurMrZ3C1-l7BLUO7Kwd_gCv_FBOOfxggT7fX8TXH4B2HLsUYLLQqrXHqFvzhD7yKvRarq5C7z3d_kw7dtDxZzJ9abFBo3CPSZospnrocFxuY0Hucz3g5MdY6V6nQh5O_Gge1PH7g4cjOOA5V0nKOgj9lDRMlABFP/s320/20240101%2004%20Delaware%20River%20at%20Bulls%20Island.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We walked across for our rest stop at the Lumberville General Store. These days, if Heddy is on the ride, I might try a cortado. That's her test of whether or not a stop is worth the coffee. Unlike the Italian bakery in Raritan, where we were on Jim's ride yesterday, these folks weren't sure how to make one. I played it safe and got a cappucino.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think they put crack in it, because when we made our way back, I felt the need to hammer. I was just far enough ahead to get a photo of a mile marker we'd passed on the way up, where the feeder canal peters out into the Delaware River. </div><div><br /></div><div>"<span style="font-size: x-small;">RUN FAR. EAT PLANTS. LISTEN TO</span> RICE." </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNS_bOsErzFeuEaftNaEH1aQ4e0uHdnkad8zviLRiqC0Rgwyb-z07v9WGUcNeoT95AbpEUCLE1PTrV-VZ8UlNgVsMJJ6ROW-K3QDruxJCeAtr3VJVYZmKTzaKTF7QRqCt3RfQR_JmWkf0GP1nTs4avpcy5Qninjs4mqEKAGUjP89G4kVMjgPsjJHJ0/s5184/20240101%2005%20Towpath%20south%20of%20Bulls%20Island.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNS_bOsErzFeuEaftNaEH1aQ4e0uHdnkad8zviLRiqC0Rgwyb-z07v9WGUcNeoT95AbpEUCLE1PTrV-VZ8UlNgVsMJJ6ROW-K3QDruxJCeAtr3VJVYZmKTzaKTF7QRqCt3RfQR_JmWkf0GP1nTs4avpcy5Qninjs4mqEKAGUjP89G4kVMjgPsjJHJ0/s320/20240101%2005%20Towpath%20south%20of%20Bulls%20Island.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I darted ahead again to get a picture of the abandoned rail car across the canal, south of Lambertville.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeHpXIbunwbp0Wl7txdRMYu6XcEtkjdjzcgDQcPDZvBb5MJzFsXq8h2jtXw5WkNqs9PPfsZhHnBWeIpH3FB1XnJuvw_7I514u7ih7R8ZBOtkIMesFVS_L8vQnybMhY6NqiOMU6e7aLVw87cW4muouRnqUQv6U-Y-1jCLcGLKG_rn5uJRpYDo-cVoc/s5184/20240101%2007%20abandoned%20train%20on%20towpath%20south%20of%20Lambertville.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeHpXIbunwbp0Wl7txdRMYu6XcEtkjdjzcgDQcPDZvBb5MJzFsXq8h2jtXw5WkNqs9PPfsZhHnBWeIpH3FB1XnJuvw_7I514u7ih7R8ZBOtkIMesFVS_L8vQnybMhY6NqiOMU6e7aLVw87cW4muouRnqUQv6U-Y-1jCLcGLKG_rn5uJRpYDo-cVoc/s320/20240101%2007%20abandoned%20train%20on%20towpath%20south%20of%20Lambertville.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We collected half the group when we got to the dirt road that leads down to Titusville. Ron had told us to go that way. We waited a bit for the rest of the group, but we were getting cold. </div><div><br /></div><div>They weren't far behind us. In the parking lot, Christine passed around miniature stroopwaffels and beer.</div><div><br /></div><div>I should do this ride again next year.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-87646226458687552802023-12-25T18:54:00.002-05:002023-12-25T18:54:52.973-05:00Last-Minute Flatlands: Kermit Rides Again<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07madYm6bgtPflmCaGPK5xmnajfLQpwoBhvQSBYiOziEQIALkzDJ5MAysuaV3oDp2Rz16RYtTL7WiCreB1CP_HW1luozuSPWD9ZSUytXKYO8DoVWxREdMXEKzuKk18OmuN18SVjXtQmncRpOKQPH5ogBXo54kjxEd8FzPeuuMZ6KOOQ29Ptatx433/s5184/20231223%2006%20Kermit%20dressed%20for%20Christmas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07madYm6bgtPflmCaGPK5xmnajfLQpwoBhvQSBYiOziEQIALkzDJ5MAysuaV3oDp2Rz16RYtTL7WiCreB1CP_HW1luozuSPWD9ZSUytXKYO8DoVWxREdMXEKzuKk18OmuN18SVjXtQmncRpOKQPH5ogBXo54kjxEd8FzPeuuMZ6KOOQ29Ptatx433/s320/20231223%2006%20Kermit%20dressed%20for%20Christmas.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kermit, ready for the holidays</span></div><p>25 December 2023</p><p>The last week of work before the holiday break was a mad rush for everyone. I wound up with no time to list a Saturday ride, let alone come up with a route for one. </p><p>Tom rescued me by offering up one of his New Egypt routes, the one with fewer hills and more cattle. Still in the lab at 6:30 p.m., waiting for a timed thing to finish, I listed the ride from a dumb terminal tablet I use to keep track of our mouse colony. In my haste, I set the ride for the previous week. At 7:00 I fixed it.</p><p>I'd listed the ride as a slow, social B, adding that B+ riders should go find something else. By Saturday morning, the ride was full, the final two registrants being folks who either did not read, or chose to ignore, the final line of my ride description. </p><p>The reasons I wanted to go slowly were several. First, I would be on Kermit for the first time since the summer; and second, several of our riders were coming off the disabled list.</p><p>Tom, who is currently on the disabled list, met us at the start to say hello. He was on his way to do some waterfowl photography. </p><p>I would say it was warm for December, but I don't know what that means anymore. We were riding in the high 30s to low 40s under heavy cloud cover. There was a little wind that we were able to ignore. People behaved. </p><p>The cows were out on Brynmore Road, and they had calves with them. They were mostly gathered by the pasture fence, ankle-deep in runny mud. Whatever works for you, cows.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi7KhxAdcxOmIFa0cupfHlLZd9dT9t5zoAl5rIoGflC8VmSvXJopaPK3DkXb5FkXanUOngKMpxh5hqQPf7UlmMIM8ak8SJj4ibEwkzh6URqzBeAyJUlnDxkuM09cZFRcSqmrsf1u2kNgBw4GtWmovCBhzT83qAh-aITfyssOxxG7PUMe1ocjywLgO/s5184/20231223%2001%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi7KhxAdcxOmIFa0cupfHlLZd9dT9t5zoAl5rIoGflC8VmSvXJopaPK3DkXb5FkXanUOngKMpxh5hqQPf7UlmMIM8ak8SJj4ibEwkzh6URqzBeAyJUlnDxkuM09cZFRcSqmrsf1u2kNgBw4GtWmovCBhzT83qAh-aITfyssOxxG7PUMe1ocjywLgO/s320/20231223%2001%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfABN1IiSQjE_DuBDBUH1SsyIg7jOZw7J2oz_Fa6Jw3VqtscSNBOaoYc2H1bODy-yT1iaGB2hNEj-tsKh1qBYj_1V5PoIa3Cc1SCS8bqZqo2cfFa06OiTE9bBfgNPGjejTpR4hEiszvi0O5E1uZnosBwe4b5se5dodj52-RoIvjKarYgpPOrk5pb2/s5184/20231223%2002%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfABN1IiSQjE_DuBDBUH1SsyIg7jOZw7J2oz_Fa6Jw3VqtscSNBOaoYc2H1bODy-yT1iaGB2hNEj-tsKh1qBYj_1V5PoIa3Cc1SCS8bqZqo2cfFa06OiTE9bBfgNPGjejTpR4hEiszvi0O5E1uZnosBwe4b5se5dodj52-RoIvjKarYgpPOrk5pb2/s320/20231223%2002%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ2-prpgygSNsnUBglU0gVJ2D5TO4q2tN4bUOunlb2BMeDU-GgsiCmv04LGwz7r9sYHle00iU9v_IcFLakfW6JnnA8eLYDD_hkPtN5PqutZIIUbPV1y8FZSbO1CyyTHfml4Crf7vvOlSTSMKwYA9EOBA27uZoBpebaol-zuKr5-0s_gsubRRdSqGi/s5184/20231223%2003%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ2-prpgygSNsnUBglU0gVJ2D5TO4q2tN4bUOunlb2BMeDU-GgsiCmv04LGwz7r9sYHle00iU9v_IcFLakfW6JnnA8eLYDD_hkPtN5PqutZIIUbPV1y8FZSbO1CyyTHfml4Crf7vvOlSTSMKwYA9EOBA27uZoBpebaol-zuKr5-0s_gsubRRdSqGi/s320/20231223%2003%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKIBp8ebCLYNrgdiCrpbzozyn3o6Yf8Qs9lnZTiOcRHuBAF9mr4ChpYuAjKHN6clz2vofYp-G3TxC8nawx44I1vJ8u8kJiYTJ3B6l2nX-bnkhmfj1UATSfjiaxtyoauebQSKTMm1-DO504Ag86-b6-HR4eIPjARdw1ynThKBt8hQhahhDV1kR39Pn/s5184/20231223%2004%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKIBp8ebCLYNrgdiCrpbzozyn3o6Yf8Qs9lnZTiOcRHuBAF9mr4ChpYuAjKHN6clz2vofYp-G3TxC8nawx44I1vJ8u8kJiYTJ3B6l2nX-bnkhmfj1UATSfjiaxtyoauebQSKTMm1-DO504Ag86-b6-HR4eIPjARdw1ynThKBt8hQhahhDV1kR39Pn/s320/20231223%2004%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8aonBw_GA88qY2qjdlyTmvtrkO3ceoAEn82HVByS2YtuZNBRNxXpQvbOw3_NQX2teCELa0gTsdCyXOs6RnoHLxzMx9WU_3pGwUcN0o3DozTbDweTuowTHWoyzeX9Z-2hhQ1mbmtkB38fZ468zod1P_Yabd9OXOMkoGArbr_DT7a_IpdqRTdIuc-Z/s5184/20231223%2005%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8aonBw_GA88qY2qjdlyTmvtrkO3ceoAEn82HVByS2YtuZNBRNxXpQvbOw3_NQX2teCELa0gTsdCyXOs6RnoHLxzMx9WU_3pGwUcN0o3DozTbDweTuowTHWoyzeX9Z-2hhQ1mbmtkB38fZ468zod1P_Yabd9OXOMkoGArbr_DT7a_IpdqRTdIuc-Z/s320/20231223%2005%20%20New%20Egypt%20longhorns.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The deli and coffee shop combination at the intersection of 528 and 539 seems to satisfy everyone, but I need to find a second worthy rest stop in the flatlands. Some other ride leaders like a large blueberry farm not too far away, but I've never liked the place as a rest stop. There's nowhere to sit, no indoor plumbing, and the coffee isn't worth mentioning. It's the sort of place I'd go with my car to buy all the pies and a crate of berries. So, for now, it's Charleston and the deli.</p><p>I like how Tom front-loads his routes. We traveled almost 30 miles before the break, leaving 13 for the ride home. We had a bit of a tailwind then too. </p><p>We got a little spread out after the break. I came in at the advertized pace.</p><p>Kermit and I have over 47000 miles together. This year, however, we've had less than 700. When my back started hurting, it was Janice who I fixed first, and I stuck with her until two weeks ago.</p><p>As much as I hate to admit it, Kermit is harder to ride than Janice is. I found myself more out of breath on the small climbs than I would normally be if I'd been riding Janice.</p><p>The ride felt harsher, too. That's something, considering that Kermit is steel and Janice is carbon. I figure it's down to the wheels. Kermit's are aluminum; Janice has carbon. </p><p>The one thing that makes absolutely no difference is the shifting. Kermit has decades-old Shimano Ultegra and DuraAce components. Janice is Shimano Di2. People crow about the smoothness of electronic shifting. Well, Kermit runs like a, uh, well-oiled machine. The difference I feel between the two bikes is not at all the shifting. </p><p>I suppose I'll take Kermit out when it's safe to work harder, like on a relaxed ride when there's nothing big coming up the next day. I took Janice out for a muffin run on Sunday, and I could feel how much more tired my legs were than they have been on Sundays lately.</p><p>I want to keep one foot in the Luddite world, but Janice is not making that easy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-19881291595570507422023-12-25T17:55:00.003-05:002023-12-25T21:20:14.823-05:00Hot Mess Part Thirty-Six: Sic Transit Gloria Vitri<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBc23ta-VtdZOw3kWttkDFFz6AgNUPfI2d6t0PA5UzHP4baBOlFLdqBuo3z2BLomNXQChQsBmEycYN-3-_16wvhHhsJX2kBCiYGMH9Lt_uv7UDsBLgMyGkQfxAFuTUJACrnc83ajRePQiSdpWQEqxscPHdBi5eK9uZX7EjWZtxlxyDP-BLyJ8Cfgu/s8746/20230824%20emtpy%20classroom.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2878" data-original-width="8746" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBc23ta-VtdZOw3kWttkDFFz6AgNUPfI2d6t0PA5UzHP4baBOlFLdqBuo3z2BLomNXQChQsBmEycYN-3-_16wvhHhsJX2kBCiYGMH9Lt_uv7UDsBLgMyGkQfxAFuTUJACrnc83ajRePQiSdpWQEqxscPHdBi5eK9uZX7EjWZtxlxyDP-BLyJ8Cfgu/s320/20230824%20emtpy%20classroom.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">the hot shop</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>25 December 2023</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I: Prelude</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I spent the summer thinking about other things. Last semester had ended so weirdly that, for the first time since I started this hot mess, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue when August rolled around. I could see it in my work: the random twists and squiggles glued to an off-kilter plate were so unlike anything I'd made up to that point. I'd run out of ideas. When the first class of the fall semester began on the Thursday before Labor Day, I still didn't have any. </div></div><div><div><br /></div><div>When we arrived, we found that The Colonel was a changed man. He was calm and friendly. </div><div><br /></div><div>The crumbling glory hole door had been patched. The air pumps and hoses for spit-free inflation remained. I'd already decided I'd use my own blow hose instead. The pumps wouldn't be around forever.</div><div><br /></div><div>We cleaned the hot shop, as we always do, then adjourned to a classroom in the back of the building to choose our time slots. He had us pick folded paper out of a glass cup. The papers were numbered 1 through 18. Mine was 14. I was screwed. I raised my hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>"If there's someone we want to work with, can we add them when our number comes up?"</div><div><br /></div><div>He said we could. This worked out, because my partner, All The Glass, had drawn number 4. We got our Tuesday night, along with Extra and a beginner to be named later.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiGa5QFfjli8wGCNYg-uLX3-y0zVO70KzdwrmrXIPHo3UjBwzcYKpV_ihrTHA0DF8rLhRn388_54M1lLR8J9ecd_Y86xdgX2LyyanMrke488YyHJ4tz0pGGnZb_WzQKKSN-ikQwSMjmyXWfMh050KxJikn18ufXQBmlTm_uc94gkzJwNmdvNiRRNy/s2048/20230831%2001%20home%20display.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiGa5QFfjli8wGCNYg-uLX3-y0zVO70KzdwrmrXIPHo3UjBwzcYKpV_ihrTHA0DF8rLhRn388_54M1lLR8J9ecd_Y86xdgX2LyyanMrke488YyHJ4tz0pGGnZb_WzQKKSN-ikQwSMjmyXWfMh050KxJikn18ufXQBmlTm_uc94gkzJwNmdvNiRRNy/s320/20230831%2001%20home%20display.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">top two shelves: for sale</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">bottom shelf: spring 2023</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwpr8VoowcpAb0urZnrolzIJwhyphenhyphen3plzfNjZWrGB5mERHEuYxRLAQX5DhvCyXAcRmnljvj9nKvAQf4M-Bi8l37FNcb5yM1MWzsmR2_U4BABR_n10spyENK0WEvtgHw5Z9u9MbYU6a1Ct7Wf5x4yXXQQPBy2SsiIrNxf4c0lKYSoUkSqq7TTCZLu-wi/s2048/20230831%2002%20home%20display.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwpr8VoowcpAb0urZnrolzIJwhyphenhyphen3plzfNjZWrGB5mERHEuYxRLAQX5DhvCyXAcRmnljvj9nKvAQf4M-Bi8l37FNcb5yM1MWzsmR2_U4BABR_n10spyENK0WEvtgHw5Z9u9MbYU6a1Ct7Wf5x4yXXQQPBy2SsiIrNxf4c0lKYSoUkSqq7TTCZLu-wi/s320/20230831%2002%20home%20display.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">top shelf: fall 2022 and spring 2022 cat family</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">second shelf: I swear I'll never feather again</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">third shelf: in which I learn long-neck vases</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">fourth shelf: bowl fails, tall vases, a carafe, apples, and miscellany</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">fifth shelf: floppy bowls</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">bottom shelf: floppy bowls with inner spirals</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The first Thursday, I worked with Extra. "I'm gonna screw this up," I said, as I attempted a simple cup.</div><div><br /></div><div>"You've been doing this forever!"</div><div><br /></div><div>I attached the punty. When I hit the pipe to knock the piece off, the cup shattered on the floor. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we started our labs the following Tuesday, we were in a heat wave. All The Glass arrived at the classroom first and found it closed, fans off, even though there had been a morning session. He managed to get the temperature down to 100 by the time I arrived.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the assignment to make five things of identical size, using color, I tried lip wraps, which I'd only attempted once, in my second semester. The cups were thick. The wraps were thick and uneven. There was sweat pouring into my eyes as I worked. I made five that day. Tony had me moving constantly as he attempted to make a couple of daggers. When 9:00 rolled around, the temperature was all the way down to 97 degrees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>In four hours, I drank 100 ounces, and I was still thirsty on my drive home.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K0x14z_uToDDZFJa_EkTZ7_GRseS8Qoq_J96cxstHP9t48Ci0zScYxU48JjffmJdRIFxiV_jipPUcJ9BR0WkMoc1zQbBgFtvcf7JWe2oqIWFTlNDKnn76BRjAPrvANTbFb_HhyeSwFgNpVA4ghKXmy5NULgj-jeHHRgcbyX25n_DqK_fYy0aK7K-/s2048/20230907%2001%20day%201%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K0x14z_uToDDZFJa_EkTZ7_GRseS8Qoq_J96cxstHP9t48Ci0zScYxU48JjffmJdRIFxiV_jipPUcJ9BR0WkMoc1zQbBgFtvcf7JWe2oqIWFTlNDKnn76BRjAPrvANTbFb_HhyeSwFgNpVA4ghKXmy5NULgj-jeHHRgcbyX25n_DqK_fYy0aK7K-/s320/20230907%2001%20day%201%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZGop6zAmJUyhSQr8UnwsfgH3akmo3jKV2x8-W7JPi_Upgxz5fxuVQ3FwqiNCaff7OAjLoOm5t231khuuyHgPixoEk522CyZe2sHagf147CXZAQK0TmV220Bv2A6rRwgPZgZV9JJDMxFDJdupjdLszGYM6HetKwp6W0Eww-mV55CoL7CrPlN6tjMZ/s2048/20230907%2002%20day%201%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZGop6zAmJUyhSQr8UnwsfgH3akmo3jKV2x8-W7JPi_Upgxz5fxuVQ3FwqiNCaff7OAjLoOm5t231khuuyHgPixoEk522CyZe2sHagf147CXZAQK0TmV220Bv2A6rRwgPZgZV9JJDMxFDJdupjdLszGYM6HetKwp6W0Eww-mV55CoL7CrPlN6tjMZ/s320/20230907%2002%20day%201%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztHbvX8FL1vwNxoswYqFmxmFVkuYQ8c2oLPp1Drt0QwLocSSSuO2FKyaBRi-S7EkhHMZLp8-zcUTNvRl747wDjs2_VYBIMHkDHlwhBdOgzc_SynIBuuQqT_HITTdK2VSMPRSn25Khw-tHNtroBJa_K33-TZ24UNhj8QjXvKuMJNWp37fwJtpKC_YB/s2048/20230907%2011%20day%201%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztHbvX8FL1vwNxoswYqFmxmFVkuYQ8c2oLPp1Drt0QwLocSSSuO2FKyaBRi-S7EkhHMZLp8-zcUTNvRl747wDjs2_VYBIMHkDHlwhBdOgzc_SynIBuuQqT_HITTdK2VSMPRSn25Khw-tHNtroBJa_K33-TZ24UNhj8QjXvKuMJNWp37fwJtpKC_YB/s320/20230907%2011%20day%201%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">the only one I kept from this batch</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next week was the same thing, three degrees warmer but less humid outside. I did a little better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2kF_dX7tDs-_7BBEE_qhunpCsOU6IW_krKlx8dVLJxoA-zqOGAXgKDQpMPEC4hHH57k04XNEDlorNVG4iXOR0F0TRILCoZ8JwkeqTqgNVHgyoETV5iCtWs1CpHKTbWiBbpoF2L-Z1vKyHjrMopp3BFPFLrdfJu19D3jyqVddBueHaPt-bG-5NhLZ/s2048/20230914%2001%20day%202%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2kF_dX7tDs-_7BBEE_qhunpCsOU6IW_krKlx8dVLJxoA-zqOGAXgKDQpMPEC4hHH57k04XNEDlorNVG4iXOR0F0TRILCoZ8JwkeqTqgNVHgyoETV5iCtWs1CpHKTbWiBbpoF2L-Z1vKyHjrMopp3BFPFLrdfJu19D3jyqVddBueHaPt-bG-5NhLZ/s320/20230914%2001%20day%202%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6qQkfdMJ-m63HPB-D49Pzsjtk7E7PUDJqA3uM2p7ld3KsqwWT-1WfyRDWP6dAa80E0Ng-3kTFp9Az0CuK_8TUxOY2Rls5heMG-gZvDX9dmqbY_tLmiQ7oYCZvWdp9ldN9qTylZXKGDAitCCmgYbsO-JNtbC9lm1gUsQGToSrl5Pkct05dakUURnI/s2048/20230914%2002%20day%202%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6qQkfdMJ-m63HPB-D49Pzsjtk7E7PUDJqA3uM2p7ld3KsqwWT-1WfyRDWP6dAa80E0Ng-3kTFp9Az0CuK_8TUxOY2Rls5heMG-gZvDX9dmqbY_tLmiQ7oYCZvWdp9ldN9qTylZXKGDAitCCmgYbsO-JNtbC9lm1gUsQGToSrl5Pkct05dakUURnI/s320/20230914%2002%20day%202%20lip%20wrap%20practice.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I tried making flowers. The first ones were so bad I threw them out. The next were better, but dangerous: the frit didn't melt enough on the petals, turning the flowers into weapons.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4d_dW9rW08KLJpGOu58sLSXcCP0hM5u2ivo6rQRRsBSGDbFwksNjOG_O_Z1zNzBO6Gk-2uxFqMJ9-SywZNrCnoTa6HyCzzJgHQyeR_CFghwqsbS0Iy0nToW7r1om501ha85uFD6hUOYZ_hp45MBvLeIMHtnRRdDN0Sodea0Rc_19DuyDyzVLW117/s2048/20230921%2003%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4d_dW9rW08KLJpGOu58sLSXcCP0hM5u2ivo6rQRRsBSGDbFwksNjOG_O_Z1zNzBO6Gk-2uxFqMJ9-SywZNrCnoTa6HyCzzJgHQyeR_CFghwqsbS0Iy0nToW7r1om501ha85uFD6hUOYZ_hp45MBvLeIMHtnRRdDN0Sodea0Rc_19DuyDyzVLW117/s320/20230921%2003%20flowers.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">all but one of these met a bad end (more on this later)</span></div><div><br /></div><div>The stems were too short too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAtTYOytDtKl8flsDAc0xGjuVNbyts5ppWT6iDLiFPn489UsTkuk1l2hi01i38lzeJArPbVAv-roSgTbbZ1dozaG6xz8U1jJYijo_tuS9K7X3bgseMhksCuGnDtmvfxO8qUA5L5FCLjhqyfGSCT4g8STXmKJ2KQVMt6u-HSW5FlYHviwwF51PIOmL/s2048/20230921%2002%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAtTYOytDtKl8flsDAc0xGjuVNbyts5ppWT6iDLiFPn489UsTkuk1l2hi01i38lzeJArPbVAv-roSgTbbZ1dozaG6xz8U1jJYijo_tuS9K7X3bgseMhksCuGnDtmvfxO8qUA5L5FCLjhqyfGSCT4g8STXmKJ2KQVMt6u-HSW5FlYHviwwF51PIOmL/s320/20230921%2002%20flowers.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started messing around with color combinations.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQivZbO4YVEXa2m6wHbbgt-tM9RoqGKzEHJHFJAS-C4tDG27wd5N1jGCl1va0DRNLYCYVfzAoGN1fMaRhvKaka92Q8vy1FIhgOlG4K6xMUjgPDlJa2URqc25FwgPgeaa5Bf6Ox0LxH8QUHVO-OFQvlrfVBEiJYx3HWI0jLxEj0y2o09UVe1JLzl9U/s2048/20230921%2006%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQivZbO4YVEXa2m6wHbbgt-tM9RoqGKzEHJHFJAS-C4tDG27wd5N1jGCl1va0DRNLYCYVfzAoGN1fMaRhvKaka92Q8vy1FIhgOlG4K6xMUjgPDlJa2URqc25FwgPgeaa5Bf6Ox0LxH8QUHVO-OFQvlrfVBEiJYx3HWI0jLxEj0y2o09UVe1JLzl9U/s320/20230921%2006%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20bowl.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2OgDRCUiOLejWvCs4wB_WRtFf4KOmF8EJUf4QVxAQ3Fqmr9kOsyV0xDpvO9WnKTuziaPIFpL0XF5vY0JMoZbGim44_TjXXiEtTGtVQ0y2qzp4RUU_JEB9koWN-c1gjCAcSEJDJqcuf3hfmMOfd-lXFGTXXG3FmP0I3lASlJgZEdZOwqL0-0BcWpC/s2048/20230921%2007%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2OgDRCUiOLejWvCs4wB_WRtFf4KOmF8EJUf4QVxAQ3Fqmr9kOsyV0xDpvO9WnKTuziaPIFpL0XF5vY0JMoZbGim44_TjXXiEtTGtVQ0y2qzp4RUU_JEB9koWN-c1gjCAcSEJDJqcuf3hfmMOfd-lXFGTXXG3FmP0I3lASlJgZEdZOwqL0-0BcWpC/s320/20230921%2007%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20bowl.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9mvQFBvgMxVcxpoITDOgwRRuS2RX3l4_RX0vMgdXVCX9o7KZ5x_rKOIW6cvbtTruy_VSt-v6DyHd-s5BYP0BOkWAGAnfAdfHGYezorI5ZwmJEGs6zT4rWu70TQ9dal4EMAAJMjLqCDPRJxDxQH5p5vLSJEJ88DQc2gjJrn6uYklhWG7EmreiXw4O/s2048/20230921%2008%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9mvQFBvgMxVcxpoITDOgwRRuS2RX3l4_RX0vMgdXVCX9o7KZ5x_rKOIW6cvbtTruy_VSt-v6DyHd-s5BYP0BOkWAGAnfAdfHGYezorI5ZwmJEGs6zT4rWu70TQ9dal4EMAAJMjLqCDPRJxDxQH5p5vLSJEJ88DQc2gjJrn6uYklhWG7EmreiXw4O/s320/20230921%2008%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20bowl.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">II: Next</div><div><br /></div><div>The Colonel gave us our second assignment: <i>Trompe L'Oeil</i>, "trick the eye." He wanted us to make something out of glass that isn't normally glass.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I already did the assignment," All The Glass said triumphantly. "I made a knife!"</div><div><br /></div><div>"I made apples last semester," I complained. What next? A pear? The more I thought about how to do that, the less I wanted to try. If All The Glass made a knife, maybe I should make a fork or a spoon. Meh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Somehow I landed on a geode. It would let me mess around with layers of color, which is at the core of nearly everything I try to do.</div><div><br /></div><div>I set about making a plan, drawing it on a piece of paper at work and texting it to All The Glass.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs31xeiWZEbbChiolVWWIe6ldl2hAyXfX3vsI2rcfRGXP099KWSajO-sw8ZRICc3zkGYr0ZPhjQuuEi2jOJU1VHMZFTpuieWa92HcZiqMOVlJjXgTin1UCaf8nB0dCbOIgrTlzekHAuEWdHRhLfDbL7uUqe1Y_WlMw1cR4jP4cnvVKvqUoQM6IXGs7/s1940/20230925%2001%20geode%20plan%20first%20draft.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1940" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs31xeiWZEbbChiolVWWIe6ldl2hAyXfX3vsI2rcfRGXP099KWSajO-sw8ZRICc3zkGYr0ZPhjQuuEi2jOJU1VHMZFTpuieWa92HcZiqMOVlJjXgTin1UCaf8nB0dCbOIgrTlzekHAuEWdHRhLfDbL7uUqe1Y_WlMw1cR4jP4cnvVKvqUoQM6IXGs7/s320/20230925%2001%20geode%20plan%20first%20draft.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We went back and forth by text for two more iterations.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aIwi-9R4xDp5fMbJHk2Zj7H40WMMKei6jh-y1Cg48gFdhx_KaBXpQN7ZG0ZCA1vC7gtnO-dBSEo6pFwkZ_KsQu9orvbJdxzTq0ShOIhM2tS8aAfdt7-gOe9QC3jA3nm62NyZK5B5BVTl6Ma4WKA1AQxYoh8x-srmH62-yl3puuqwqJPoS7UCZUt7/s2002/20230925%2002%20geode%20plan%20second%20draft.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="2002" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aIwi-9R4xDp5fMbJHk2Zj7H40WMMKei6jh-y1Cg48gFdhx_KaBXpQN7ZG0ZCA1vC7gtnO-dBSEo6pFwkZ_KsQu9orvbJdxzTq0ShOIhM2tS8aAfdt7-gOe9QC3jA3nm62NyZK5B5BVTl6Ma4WKA1AQxYoh8x-srmH62-yl3puuqwqJPoS7UCZUt7/s320/20230925%2002%20geode%20plan%20second%20draft.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VNhjR4sxjp9iixzlesT9cW5KjnGkerb8DUbEcQngSBSwfTYO86CxU5NSCdco7tc784kNftfB4kF-wuU3IP76DWcumHvKESVdyNrCVmoqseeXLEGHZGg7JNn0TC0Cb_42zghcOQMYoTYmSIfgMalCJSLfeTs7A4j9gr7S5EK3Dmp2gx5IB-aX_qt7/s2010/20230925%2003%20geode%20plan%20third%20draft.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="2010" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VNhjR4sxjp9iixzlesT9cW5KjnGkerb8DUbEcQngSBSwfTYO86CxU5NSCdco7tc784kNftfB4kF-wuU3IP76DWcumHvKESVdyNrCVmoqseeXLEGHZGg7JNn0TC0Cb_42zghcOQMYoTYmSIfgMalCJSLfeTs7A4j9gr7S5EK3Dmp2gx5IB-aX_qt7/s320/20230925%2003%20geode%20plan%20third%20draft.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I sent the fourth version to the Colonel. He approved. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmauDsVuAMqxLh5tgF0F4l5Dj999jFQFKkebpiShS8QF5Yp9IRePx7-vSEjmOqLVff4zDC_NzWqK4Gqdauy45aTPCh0JaRZqQI6N4ucj3tTN5ml8No7nigOgyq4DRRM2_baJuos-iP5pLh-LSWQD2hkfasxYHn3mrfVK-Fu3Qhv8Rzb-leKUKwm76/s1982/20230925%2004%20geode%20plan%20fourth%20draft.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1982" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmauDsVuAMqxLh5tgF0F4l5Dj999jFQFKkebpiShS8QF5Yp9IRePx7-vSEjmOqLVff4zDC_NzWqK4Gqdauy45aTPCh0JaRZqQI6N4ucj3tTN5ml8No7nigOgyq4DRRM2_baJuos-iP5pLh-LSWQD2hkfasxYHn3mrfVK-Fu3Qhv8Rzb-leKUKwm76/s320/20230925%2004%20geode%20plan%20fourth%20draft.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More flowers happened during the planning phase.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMYv_cZf4qUGG51DmReJQWYiux7UhBtYCXZqaNS7b9huXFqJfN64YFCubXoWnwKpTeEmwtiEcfRdZEGSNqhfSp0LGsWQouRlmBjSU-Ow-jezmRnc-ElSZ56RypAqivD0eVIHe8dizzkBKNo8pqn9nEO45mGhEBX99v1qg2HsD8-L05q-L_PwN6Gtl/s2048/20230926%2001%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMYv_cZf4qUGG51DmReJQWYiux7UhBtYCXZqaNS7b9huXFqJfN64YFCubXoWnwKpTeEmwtiEcfRdZEGSNqhfSp0LGsWQouRlmBjSU-Ow-jezmRnc-ElSZ56RypAqivD0eVIHe8dizzkBKNo8pqn9nEO45mGhEBX99v1qg2HsD8-L05q-L_PwN6Gtl/s320/20230926%2001%20flowers.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtIHsCRczbQHmx2mVroWyN_KK5-mXNpHWmwHd2HxQ5fIbsMseZeMPQ5Y6liEm-zcrfHE-D88YVMewf24-6tOaLfK1XC-hv-cse-5D5suqarZEk2HOdXpaBtQa3GFGwkbv0Am7Cle-UQpzEyH8BHdini9teT3vueNjkc0-SPNvlPQF69yseNXJArx5/s2048/20230926%2002%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtIHsCRczbQHmx2mVroWyN_KK5-mXNpHWmwHd2HxQ5fIbsMseZeMPQ5Y6liEm-zcrfHE-D88YVMewf24-6tOaLfK1XC-hv-cse-5D5suqarZEk2HOdXpaBtQa3GFGwkbv0Am7Cle-UQpzEyH8BHdini9teT3vueNjkc0-SPNvlPQF69yseNXJArx5/s320/20230926%2002%20flowers.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm not sure what happened to these. They either cracked,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">broke, or are in a vase at work somewhere.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>I used some leftover thread scraps to practice drawing. It turned out to be the thinnest cup I ever made.</div><div>While the doodles aren't anything to look at, they provide just the right amount of grip. I took the cup home to use as my regular drinking glass.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhA8gByTAZbNL9Thny8CopUHdB0YBrD-TNUhws9k_v2TPlGDJDKKDW4OeNfHs1Ke9Mt2WATnTv1PpKZMrGT5Uni3z4Xu2xTqcY4VSJJXILkxVHnnKLItvntzU4vl9T6cdfN7vZqMMtSfoY8h75vCZ-gnP9aKkC9Ipphh2_IgL7WIeYIamz-R4Qb9QQ/s2048/20230926%2003%20drawing%20practice%20cup.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhA8gByTAZbNL9Thny8CopUHdB0YBrD-TNUhws9k_v2TPlGDJDKKDW4OeNfHs1Ke9Mt2WATnTv1PpKZMrGT5Uni3z4Xu2xTqcY4VSJJXILkxVHnnKLItvntzU4vl9T6cdfN7vZqMMtSfoY8h75vCZ-gnP9aKkC9Ipphh2_IgL7WIeYIamz-R4Qb9QQ/s320/20230926%2003%20drawing%20practice%20cup.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I jumped into a rainy Saturday afternoon to work with Alchemy on mixing color. I hauled in two boxes of rods from my locker. Alchemy chose five and sorted them into two piles. "Choose one from column A and one from column B," he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I did, laying a third color on top of both. That was fun!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkWu3BX9d2QCR0JKrhzn4qyp7RUrUCzNOgKew7MryOtehKJWaU0-tNwgiFPH4DPVlwaB-Vfr0ffDiJcufxv285XIPK91WnKHhxAaQ1FWC5ThhVhhZoCiMqHAlGc_U3yr1eoa0O1MCOH9BinVIiANaOz1JhcTky5TBgubPGw5ZkcuC9t8g03zG9AVX/s2048/20230926%2007%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkWu3BX9d2QCR0JKrhzn4qyp7RUrUCzNOgKew7MryOtehKJWaU0-tNwgiFPH4DPVlwaB-Vfr0ffDiJcufxv285XIPK91WnKHhxAaQ1FWC5ThhVhhZoCiMqHAlGc_U3yr1eoa0O1MCOH9BinVIiANaOz1JhcTky5TBgubPGw5ZkcuC9t8g03zG9AVX/s320/20230926%2007%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-_yxYYMc5KPRVexrcDBnTLVFTfwjaNiq0G30oubMh0iRDlfFxE9pUz5XPWxeXO5vecubbuDETtuDSEsVIqDUueBGVQIXbhUneQak9u_5O_2jxwZPfgsWJE0xdwUEcfIsyaF0AyB6xVIJShiIdWNL1wAhgsQ03vjEufCqiPHhkh08gMb_0eciNx_r/s2048/20230926%2008%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-_yxYYMc5KPRVexrcDBnTLVFTfwjaNiq0G30oubMh0iRDlfFxE9pUz5XPWxeXO5vecubbuDETtuDSEsVIqDUueBGVQIXbhUneQak9u_5O_2jxwZPfgsWJE0xdwUEcfIsyaF0AyB6xVIJShiIdWNL1wAhgsQ03vjEufCqiPHhkh08gMb_0eciNx_r/s320/20230926%2008%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCVEqMYxnLVfcL-wGrDvEs_9c9U-CtI7C_zID7qAo0pBirLB4F6owZa09EGrmrXuATF5esjo-6J2DEs7doOxa97JcwQJAgN98pwO983a9wEns-_PgQ9mFJHR112XjbQ_FpQ9r-M9O-tRbqu3WqunnNBhqoY_bRdSx5X58CfeqkIXEKuHWI8vN8d-g/s2048/20230926%2010%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCVEqMYxnLVfcL-wGrDvEs_9c9U-CtI7C_zID7qAo0pBirLB4F6owZa09EGrmrXuATF5esjo-6J2DEs7doOxa97JcwQJAgN98pwO983a9wEns-_PgQ9mFJHR112XjbQ_FpQ9r-M9O-tRbqu3WqunnNBhqoY_bRdSx5X58CfeqkIXEKuHWI8vN8d-g/s320/20230926%2010%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk3_Fc1wAfBCYkmUqBwtx3NMf0WkkdE7cGSNY3bT9lY-wZD35g4KNiXnHKvh8E5K19fQBuyQtB5cFIlGQWyPQ5xPvWQySXHzZwg7g_P5by-2TV6GIYEgZdw7A8xczdtaHatCzgi7B_ss-jiXTKF5-OiVMrPh2axFuq887iVkYBCmUswjU56S3CEyl/s2048/20230926%2011%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk3_Fc1wAfBCYkmUqBwtx3NMf0WkkdE7cGSNY3bT9lY-wZD35g4KNiXnHKvh8E5K19fQBuyQtB5cFIlGQWyPQ5xPvWQySXHzZwg7g_P5by-2TV6GIYEgZdw7A8xczdtaHatCzgi7B_ss-jiXTKF5-OiVMrPh2axFuq887iVkYBCmUswjU56S3CEyl/s320/20230926%2011%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Thick, though.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnltvxADIOq0WQ5DhJYBhJZtjTsyoM3uOZemgmVDk0b-BGi1BRLKQFRWENaG33ffzQFVCg6L40lEjh2beUi6bQZtOxRRw8xXCu4d1WxiAUGjbzHUO-D-rA0T811BTYJAgFLH92vt9iPvzTgEuSeymIrAzuUIvwFu1ilK4XPtREe62p5UPUJ3FiOIz/s2048/20230926%2012%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnltvxADIOq0WQ5DhJYBhJZtjTsyoM3uOZemgmVDk0b-BGi1BRLKQFRWENaG33ffzQFVCg6L40lEjh2beUi6bQZtOxRRw8xXCu4d1WxiAUGjbzHUO-D-rA0T811BTYJAgFLH92vt9iPvzTgEuSeymIrAzuUIvwFu1ilK4XPtREe62p5UPUJ3FiOIz/s320/20230926%2012%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Again, this time thinner and a little out of control:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrxHqknmeKbR81CocqOcrBZMzHRWHzxd5BnOlmKHKJTwwegwnV5jpE6UDl_zBXaB_S8CgDemgsNFq-cTMrKYdlvlI1W6C6GzXQfo6BOIyIu-clAD1wFU1V563b8npYDapSKyBf1xSuLZKdoFbUdBxV057XaJlR9L0DCvjHivHmHPwAvMNoF14TR8X/s2048/20230926%2013%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrxHqknmeKbR81CocqOcrBZMzHRWHzxd5BnOlmKHKJTwwegwnV5jpE6UDl_zBXaB_S8CgDemgsNFq-cTMrKYdlvlI1W6C6GzXQfo6BOIyIu-clAD1wFU1V563b8npYDapSKyBf1xSuLZKdoFbUdBxV057XaJlR9L0DCvjHivHmHPwAvMNoF14TR8X/s320/20230926%2013%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCI3R9QZQhbmzY4WfMC6g32Qm9OsslaBGd0K2lv2brNDz2R5Wld7XNqvvWklXKtq5SJt8cZB2KJa9g-kHXsBikNf3vaGLVdaP_2KwlSnk_SIpfqYsk6_kG-9YAVnsGC58be2AwABI5vsgbOBAQH5dIBebxMkz2P2s2h_hLh0pSMMh2FwjF6lcDtGyQ/s2048/20230926%2014%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCI3R9QZQhbmzY4WfMC6g32Qm9OsslaBGd0K2lv2brNDz2R5Wld7XNqvvWklXKtq5SJt8cZB2KJa9g-kHXsBikNf3vaGLVdaP_2KwlSnk_SIpfqYsk6_kG-9YAVnsGC58be2AwABI5vsgbOBAQH5dIBebxMkz2P2s2h_hLh0pSMMh2FwjF6lcDtGyQ/s320/20230926%2014%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZSc4LFhOdS8j57gkiEPkaVnOqcqTopCM_hP2bAEk9JarRKlp7RCjEaeOsrTKOo8LX_kwguNcAQYbHUsfR2FmniKu7nrjupOMLAXATh0QTzFNYGAjDaKIxH95JgRfS1rytNAyvlWhY9Cz8B3BgPKVIttGz-3RnWu5jieLM6RHjEuz2rb6_7CcBPiE/s2048/20230926%2015%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZSc4LFhOdS8j57gkiEPkaVnOqcqTopCM_hP2bAEk9JarRKlp7RCjEaeOsrTKOo8LX_kwguNcAQYbHUsfR2FmniKu7nrjupOMLAXATh0QTzFNYGAjDaKIxH95JgRfS1rytNAyvlWhY9Cz8B3BgPKVIttGz-3RnWu5jieLM6RHjEuz2rb6_7CcBPiE/s320/20230926%2015%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFu7yRmdsGvxYUNo3FB5ZlADmIxyFmWR4EK4AlVduHGO8YIn605gf3Wx4oL7K9PyVyfYtt8Y7h7GOl8_QJJm5tV3EPUgcqBmnfKvE04cIoA4h_g0xR6-ExzYJuiuZ5lqwo8AOa8WAH6RH_O8YEyE5LliKhD6icW9U60SnwrmvEwcp1jhAKnzupLhC7/s2048/20230926%2016%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFu7yRmdsGvxYUNo3FB5ZlADmIxyFmWR4EK4AlVduHGO8YIn605gf3Wx4oL7K9PyVyfYtt8Y7h7GOl8_QJJm5tV3EPUgcqBmnfKvE04cIoA4h_g0xR6-ExzYJuiuZ5lqwo8AOa8WAH6RH_O8YEyE5LliKhD6icW9U60SnwrmvEwcp1jhAKnzupLhC7/s320/20230926%2016%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ3rF6JW2W70g21T0Utf3z_aq6Dmq4LaA_42mh579905ybxkpTGGYhSzghiNfTghf3VwRItoaZIzYpevgHhEit_BcjIjjrVnV6xihW6U3eQ5IYt5m6TbNYU2c2aaXSReJAfksbn7qAhovmKCYnsgz43u6FvUCDDpadnO7UsuDGuowA9qP0cSAkawY/s2048/20230926%2017%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ3rF6JW2W70g21T0Utf3z_aq6Dmq4LaA_42mh579905ybxkpTGGYhSzghiNfTghf3VwRItoaZIzYpevgHhEit_BcjIjjrVnV6xihW6U3eQ5IYt5m6TbNYU2c2aaXSReJAfksbn7qAhovmKCYnsgz43u6FvUCDDpadnO7UsuDGuowA9qP0cSAkawY/s320/20230926%2017%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>"What would happen if I mixed these two?" I asked, showing him some frit. "Try it," he said. So I did.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfePaLuLlax17tk2vcjyQomS-VY_1U-P0kD8raJH3LltXvA2MeTUgPq8LNdZod1_Ovf8WEH6uaKzV0kNBqx2wqVwdlnV3uPZwRYv0BSwXgagiqI_0S4sAMeeMaRXcvLoDYXFtZe7cvBO1ofFyZ2X8US7UDwsh_g71RALSAyMEpyTI6oulKhUhcuco6/s2048/20230926%2018%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfePaLuLlax17tk2vcjyQomS-VY_1U-P0kD8raJH3LltXvA2MeTUgPq8LNdZod1_Ovf8WEH6uaKzV0kNBqx2wqVwdlnV3uPZwRYv0BSwXgagiqI_0S4sAMeeMaRXcvLoDYXFtZe7cvBO1ofFyZ2X8US7UDwsh_g71RALSAyMEpyTI6oulKhUhcuco6/s320/20230926%2018%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20with%20John.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I continued mixing and layering the following Tuesday:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7SgkRBak8i0gETOT59BbdUIr3kj26CER2rPACJkASWbujD8EGL2rejkWDYWa89IWD8qMwyWvob_fiqFhZleX-LqlNbFUzPEbAQCfR5s6fOp009q3JiSKWDv0DpkomuvDo3qqV_w-xX3O3kNfpPaExiS-xcWUfo_Sg5xq9e1i4cg_7Ittvm45Eg7N/s2048/20230928%2001%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7SgkRBak8i0gETOT59BbdUIr3kj26CER2rPACJkASWbujD8EGL2rejkWDYWa89IWD8qMwyWvob_fiqFhZleX-LqlNbFUzPEbAQCfR5s6fOp009q3JiSKWDv0DpkomuvDo3qqV_w-xX3O3kNfpPaExiS-xcWUfo_Sg5xq9e1i4cg_7Ittvm45Eg7N/s320/20230928%2001%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBfI6zhwFS4hjZmqQCipMPN4Dlam_xORdNGaygzJSGCm66iauE4FzWWj8ZlAn_TF_wuI1hI5vzMTNAAG5VjPEqwl0cNP-Rta99morIDaLPzwLQ9ChIbPJXcps8C6fOD_Sy9_Jfe3uXVFvysdP8Qyau07UxcMciQE5Gxqa35Ou6fBPQcr7zRXY-Ihq/s2048/20230928%2002%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBfI6zhwFS4hjZmqQCipMPN4Dlam_xORdNGaygzJSGCm66iauE4FzWWj8ZlAn_TF_wuI1hI5vzMTNAAG5VjPEqwl0cNP-Rta99morIDaLPzwLQ9ChIbPJXcps8C6fOD_Sy9_Jfe3uXVFvysdP8Qyau07UxcMciQE5Gxqa35Ou6fBPQcr7zRXY-Ihq/s320/20230928%2002%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSGrlSsD0G0LiGWzRbweWmqMES7X2tRxTUpZzo-4T5joll813nteaOXsxJJiAFrnBfOQLKq30VxDijG2lrcVrw-BesZoCBufVQ21qUJ2MxtBdiwd4SOafDNBDTqyEk9tLnW1NvWUBUJs0HQH-RXmZo7Ok-FiStN-BVOxh7ZVfiVmUZSp-whRPGnEK/s2048/20230928%2003%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSGrlSsD0G0LiGWzRbweWmqMES7X2tRxTUpZzo-4T5joll813nteaOXsxJJiAFrnBfOQLKq30VxDijG2lrcVrw-BesZoCBufVQ21qUJ2MxtBdiwd4SOafDNBDTqyEk9tLnW1NvWUBUJs0HQH-RXmZo7Ok-FiStN-BVOxh7ZVfiVmUZSp-whRPGnEK/s320/20230928%2003%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLZueJ8FQfNWgdM-dY25-trsBzxf3GOguBez5cAnY74z5SAJh5NyH4UvGiGOuyb8IbD9_cQDmxSE0wu83H0p3L3eGYtX4vnO0xtYbDwrozjsZfjqFe8kbdSMJEtujTVj1E-E51osZIMbeISbd4xD9KrVBXVy4F0YzL9WGrqnm4rjg1X6jVt5o0aLP/s2048/20230928%2004%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLZueJ8FQfNWgdM-dY25-trsBzxf3GOguBez5cAnY74z5SAJh5NyH4UvGiGOuyb8IbD9_cQDmxSE0wu83H0p3L3eGYtX4vnO0xtYbDwrozjsZfjqFe8kbdSMJEtujTVj1E-E51osZIMbeISbd4xD9KrVBXVy4F0YzL9WGrqnm4rjg1X6jVt5o0aLP/s320/20230928%2004%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My flowers, meanwhile, were getting worse. Many didn't make it out of the classroom. Some that did ended up in the trash later.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf86Kg2BdoEWtk72H9ucDt00RS2l8QV6s8-X2KtwnwSPhr0VAowfZgjxpGThC3stlaM1em6zBHg5pLY3IHbJTYAca6EpUUnOq1oMWWEZ7NGIYpVTRTR9byzBL1BZ1pzKvvDYIS_OXrn8Nd6UzM-IA-2v8YVAX3Ba78NZLf4Hdm-s1aCm4mEfe-TvkS/s2048/20230928%2007%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf86Kg2BdoEWtk72H9ucDt00RS2l8QV6s8-X2KtwnwSPhr0VAowfZgjxpGThC3stlaM1em6zBHg5pLY3IHbJTYAca6EpUUnOq1oMWWEZ7NGIYpVTRTR9byzBL1BZ1pzKvvDYIS_OXrn8Nd6UzM-IA-2v8YVAX3Ba78NZLf4Hdm-s1aCm4mEfe-TvkS/s320/20230928%2007%20flowers.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QYptnd-1yEDfmaKTP1SAmdZYeUQAUi2oyk1Uoi0VpbPJphy8VMBYrMKP2XSPdwfg9ugukLGYpvvmjCW_5KT4TBcHqQzVb-01q_BY4ZPQQXtmjm7Avw-8vmHNtDRzhfFXujCqxUkkGh2A6fU-b8Bcu_pET5M2qeC24JTjGzx_ncWyo3UfBSr61wJF/s2048/20230928%2008%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QYptnd-1yEDfmaKTP1SAmdZYeUQAUi2oyk1Uoi0VpbPJphy8VMBYrMKP2XSPdwfg9ugukLGYpvvmjCW_5KT4TBcHqQzVb-01q_BY4ZPQQXtmjm7Avw-8vmHNtDRzhfFXujCqxUkkGh2A6fU-b8Bcu_pET5M2qeC24JTjGzx_ncWyo3UfBSr61wJF/s320/20230928%2008%20flowers.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The Colonel demonstrated his <i>trompe l'oeil</i>, a candle on a candlestick.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Dpw6PTfYOf8xVb0PEjFuMW9Ea6D7JBYxjZ9hJSIjmoA1qCS8HCf9lEogVVVZ3EauEusAtxZJJj8hO9XqrENxaALUZmARXC3Tp43SNjUYTy4QP4kYOzlY5IPZ8J7wLZLTswKtVoOlM8HKU2Pc8PvecYft2MSnkDNDAi3H9VIoMshZavfHPO7SF0kI/s2048/20230928%2009%20the%20colonel%20makes%20a%20candlestick.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Dpw6PTfYOf8xVb0PEjFuMW9Ea6D7JBYxjZ9hJSIjmoA1qCS8HCf9lEogVVVZ3EauEusAtxZJJj8hO9XqrENxaALUZmARXC3Tp43SNjUYTy4QP4kYOzlY5IPZ8J7wLZLTswKtVoOlM8HKU2Pc8PvecYft2MSnkDNDAi3H9VIoMshZavfHPO7SF0kI/s320/20230928%2009%20the%20colonel%20makes%20a%20candlestick.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>My first geode was not at all what I'd imagined when I sliced the bottom off to reveal the layers inside. I used nail polish rather than go through all the steps of sanding it down to a shine. Yeesh. At least now I knew what colors not to use.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMltFYnOnVmbtYlDQhcTEkGQ_ZG4iPedYgMf4MsStvjkdTx8DcmXyXOaO2r2FfYgtNUvJ5pk_lBXNX_XUpbwUUjjM2RKJJ7VCik6PI9W0fVYCagIt85t2sgSMny0OcEG65lHvVumeSM4JT7ECM7Eucwmf83-m8G3OGA8cqpTe7ZSWq_UWbfenBLBN7/s2048/20230928%2010%20geode%201%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMltFYnOnVmbtYlDQhcTEkGQ_ZG4iPedYgMf4MsStvjkdTx8DcmXyXOaO2r2FfYgtNUvJ5pk_lBXNX_XUpbwUUjjM2RKJJ7VCik6PI9W0fVYCagIt85t2sgSMny0OcEG65lHvVumeSM4JT7ECM7Eucwmf83-m8G3OGA8cqpTe7ZSWq_UWbfenBLBN7/s320/20230928%2010%20geode%201%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvRILoGbUzeHtpsVfZ3m-ldHA2EmXXMZpelUY_osSM_RFWKz-OkGWOeLF6mcc94EJ0r8SXd_GqSE_8x3VDudJrJO59EotXH9Xjz95ud2UeSrsqp4BX_Cupqh0Fycfi5286IXB4n4yzykywDGSopau7rnaB17-JuJhvnBoaPP93F4d9sZEIWC5419B/s1170/20230928%2013%20geode%201%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1170" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvRILoGbUzeHtpsVfZ3m-ldHA2EmXXMZpelUY_osSM_RFWKz-OkGWOeLF6mcc94EJ0r8SXd_GqSE_8x3VDudJrJO59EotXH9Xjz95ud2UeSrsqp4BX_Cupqh0Fycfi5286IXB4n4yzykywDGSopau7rnaB17-JuJhvnBoaPP93F4d9sZEIWC5419B/s320/20230928%2013%20geode%201%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made another geode. These were taking me an hour, and there was no way to tell how well they'd worked until they came out of the annealer two days later. This meant that I was only making one per week. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Colonel's candlestick came out well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-j2CcbGSYg-mKd2ymFCDdfPkJjljeUcbgxrJC1fEWUa0lZI4zp5-ObHSUO3MffJe6nP7iknwARSN0HUIMi8ledrB3IjCOf5ATxAIjDWzoUwQm2GzbIpEwSxu2HlpP6ZmmnpoI6_FkJGv_Jhg2m1lrtqIddRyMhVHjA7GEQkSp7_3NFB500uItFVZU/s2048/20231005%2001%20the%20colonel's%20candlestick.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-j2CcbGSYg-mKd2ymFCDdfPkJjljeUcbgxrJC1fEWUa0lZI4zp5-ObHSUO3MffJe6nP7iknwARSN0HUIMi8ledrB3IjCOf5ATxAIjDWzoUwQm2GzbIpEwSxu2HlpP6ZmmnpoI6_FkJGv_Jhg2m1lrtqIddRyMhVHjA7GEQkSp7_3NFB500uItFVZU/s320/20231005%2001%20the%20colonel's%20candlestick.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I continued mixing colors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCxY6wvh_5ShHdpudQcEKVLN-oK8iAYyp-zbEQi5dadYrqmO5-kMO3ICwXYqMy7FLH1tqNo43abUZijpnMjMbd0BWDcTbE4zMyRBDk7EjUIKJfn4Que0nzcWHzY2GytVf0XGeqSKmPeW3QDOHUMtRpGVGHmR3nPgczoSpnUC4YaqmRxh9DJ7Nm5Z3/s2048/20231005%2004%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCxY6wvh_5ShHdpudQcEKVLN-oK8iAYyp-zbEQi5dadYrqmO5-kMO3ICwXYqMy7FLH1tqNo43abUZijpnMjMbd0BWDcTbE4zMyRBDk7EjUIKJfn4Que0nzcWHzY2GytVf0XGeqSKmPeW3QDOHUMtRpGVGHmR3nPgczoSpnUC4YaqmRxh9DJ7Nm5Z3/s320/20231005%2004%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't sure which way to cut the second geode. <br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInPli6cINTq77CN1tuHCsGpM0VDMvKD3UiEhrl1HCqY-HvXHuvcKkNqZuiNTc6eFxmUH54BYJGucCh_oB02crDBrOSFAGKv0Npy2xfydI71GU5Wfdiz8WLW-ixOhYhjsmW5-rLo4ezALtJ_Z2x1oj-Xcy8KRd0yrx1m12iWRe-aeI5BkFRAwUnPSn/s2048/20231005%2007%20geode%202%20uncut.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInPli6cINTq77CN1tuHCsGpM0VDMvKD3UiEhrl1HCqY-HvXHuvcKkNqZuiNTc6eFxmUH54BYJGucCh_oB02crDBrOSFAGKv0Npy2xfydI71GU5Wfdiz8WLW-ixOhYhjsmW5-rLo4ezALtJ_Z2x1oj-Xcy8KRd0yrx1m12iWRe-aeI5BkFRAwUnPSn/s320/20231005%2007%20geode%202%20uncut.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc0H9C-rmr6wp0n5OJpdRqBfK6HwSYQ5xRMyNJqxxV0gqyZLkbFI3E_TWqezXKWaQ5s2aP-v7FMMuuL6HzEqgRtP0mZ4P77OikNmc-Jf1ZIKMiXSy3PZecwWEFFrq5kK_xGKEPW2MjZrTXnav9hHC13DBC0Gy7wdMw0QBQPRDv0yACiy9eRXipewZ/s2048/20231005%2008%20geode%202%20uncut.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc0H9C-rmr6wp0n5OJpdRqBfK6HwSYQ5xRMyNJqxxV0gqyZLkbFI3E_TWqezXKWaQ5s2aP-v7FMMuuL6HzEqgRtP0mZ4P77OikNmc-Jf1ZIKMiXSy3PZecwWEFFrq5kK_xGKEPW2MjZrTXnav9hHC13DBC0Gy7wdMw0QBQPRDv0yACiy9eRXipewZ/s320/20231005%2008%20geode%202%20uncut.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The frit I'd poured in mostly spilled out. If I cut the bottom off, there'd be no frit in the rest of it. I chose to cut it down the middle.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last week, the Colonel had reminded us, "No food in the hot shop."</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, he joined in a glory hole wiener roast.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F4lTV47uM60rOA0akTauVg1k_5vSkSIrJ2u1CmR_GpjWRBhNM9DMt-3JJvYYvYBmXWFTZiONVAYcu8BMq3a_Wm2wsXb5Zlmmkza1sJHiB2a6x47-nSXMf8gebj78gyU1au7ZOARMA1nOGmDM29ERuEfBPc1D6Yck6ajvDvq1GwaXFXOLdFd1y7tZ/s2048/20231005%2009%20roasting%20hot%20dogs%20at%20the%20glory%20hole.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F4lTV47uM60rOA0akTauVg1k_5vSkSIrJ2u1CmR_GpjWRBhNM9DMt-3JJvYYvYBmXWFTZiONVAYcu8BMq3a_Wm2wsXb5Zlmmkza1sJHiB2a6x47-nSXMf8gebj78gyU1au7ZOARMA1nOGmDM29ERuEfBPc1D6Yck6ajvDvq1GwaXFXOLdFd1y7tZ/s320/20231005%2009%20roasting%20hot%20dogs%20at%20the%20glory%20hole.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>While those shenanigans were going on, I was trying to polish the geode. I gave up about halfway. Extra helpfully backlit one of them for a picture.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7W7Sy29agnkT8SXVJlhvdft0NBKiIyLP0aIoeNPi3xAxgIRLaOXbHuE7540H9peOFDWV_opRQIp7d9zyBIL7AJ1ckRECPaPptn9onf_1QBslzbvaM-bQRH_caZztHLFkinbvUBiKkYr5hobeqL943Tix4VTGTL3AoHF2qRBPuCSzYk5zXjsv9yaV/s2048/20231005%2010%20geode%202%20cut.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7W7Sy29agnkT8SXVJlhvdft0NBKiIyLP0aIoeNPi3xAxgIRLaOXbHuE7540H9peOFDWV_opRQIp7d9zyBIL7AJ1ckRECPaPptn9onf_1QBslzbvaM-bQRH_caZztHLFkinbvUBiKkYr5hobeqL943Tix4VTGTL3AoHF2qRBPuCSzYk5zXjsv9yaV/s320/20231005%2010%20geode%202%20cut.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjebBWXOpLRPWMUFuqqBKo-WgVT0YnhYZb1wyUut0SeLdNXQJUuz9Z8bAJG7zSmZqIyUJK7LjigR5dql8iRQIoPfXO43q9_1FqJaqoOM1hrC0YtqXxBM_rKpGWl2-gCzKq_fVsM01TOpJtlw1k4Qfh-2ouKgE_c5rP5__U06OpGcqFPFir6RrPssg/s2048/20231005%2011%20geode%202%20cut.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjebBWXOpLRPWMUFuqqBKo-WgVT0YnhYZb1wyUut0SeLdNXQJUuz9Z8bAJG7zSmZqIyUJK7LjigR5dql8iRQIoPfXO43q9_1FqJaqoOM1hrC0YtqXxBM_rKpGWl2-gCzKq_fVsM01TOpJtlw1k4Qfh-2ouKgE_c5rP5__U06OpGcqFPFir6RrPssg/s320/20231005%2011%20geode%202%20cut.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rZtGigtmzDBN4lUCFxvO_JUfDe2TZl9t3A4pAEOgCm7EGSW0pipE18ZZJSP5eM1Q4DGmdS34U1vwdWRsYr00diPuOxopW0QriKfEGaEYyyKg2Tyk7_NEBvLGdKy40hT2QAerZ9cWoRxeGcVVq8ywboL3t0pmFEtqv4j1k_HcpURoKGHUt5EyLTps/s2048/20231005%2012%20geode%202%20cut.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rZtGigtmzDBN4lUCFxvO_JUfDe2TZl9t3A4pAEOgCm7EGSW0pipE18ZZJSP5eM1Q4DGmdS34U1vwdWRsYr00diPuOxopW0QriKfEGaEYyyKg2Tyk7_NEBvLGdKy40hT2QAerZ9cWoRxeGcVVq8ywboL3t0pmFEtqv4j1k_HcpURoKGHUt5EyLTps/s320/20231005%2012%20geode%202%20cut.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At home, I gave these the nail polish treatment and decided I'd've been better off cutting it the other way after all. At least the opening was bigger. I needed to pick different colors and open it more on the next one.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">III: And Then Everything Went To Hell</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div>I was at work on Monday, October 9, when All The Glass texted me to call him.</div><div><br /></div><div>He was in the hot shop, jumping into an open session, when he heard the news from the Foundry Guy. "They're cancelling class in the spring."</div><div><br /></div><div>Rumor had it that our glassblowing class was running a $7000 deficit. For the semester? For the year? Who said this? Is it in writing? He had no answers. "They're meeting on Saturday." Who's meeting? "They're taking it off the calendar."</div><div><br /></div><div>I had just ordered some new frit, too. Dang.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, I checked the course listings for the spring. It was still too early for out-of-state auditors like me to register, but the beginner and advanced classes were there, and I was able to add the class to my course plan. </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite my sarcastic demeanor, and always to my surprise, I tend to be optimistic about these things. With nothing but rumor to go on, I wasn't about to jump to conclusions or fill in the blanks. The reality of the moment was that the course was still listed. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday, I tried to stay focused on our <i>trompe l'oeil</i> assignment. I was on my third geode at that point. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we met as a class on Thursday, the Colonel told us that nobody had given him any warning either. The way he saw it, he was out of a job, and he was pissed.</div><div><br /></div><div>We still didn't have the cancellation reason in writing. There was a deficit, we'd heard. It was the propane bill, we'd heard. Glassblowing is the most expensive class to run, and the administration wanted to offer the classes only in the fall, we'd heard. </div><div><br /></div><div>"They want to kill glassblowing."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Seven thousand dollars."</div><div><br /></div><div>We huddled outside. In a matter of minutes, we old-timers agreed to chip in enough to make up for that deficit. We already had $2000 in the coffer from glass sales. Maybe we could save the spring class if all they needed was seven thousand dollars.</div><div><br /></div><div>"We need to talk to the Dean."</div><div><br /></div><div>"We need to raise money to buy an electric furnace."</div><div><br /></div><div>"They only respond to email."</div><div><br /></div><div>I said, "I'll write a letter on behalf of the class."</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKX6Cmpa_nQQ0L-0dSwyjf7Xt8zsZa8xJbWX4Ifbpqr3M-PYk0HCMuyoWUmJi_vUwev1evTFY_8kcKq-cOoCl1bfbQ5pLOtazk9BKAO5m7a4xA0bnTp-7FtWc3DsfEIcVNdpwevox3_0IajzmurdQWJiXPGDL131MTLEqbhzVscrgJdIaQMZuFbM9/s2048/20231012%2001%20geode%203%20cut.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKX6Cmpa_nQQ0L-0dSwyjf7Xt8zsZa8xJbWX4Ifbpqr3M-PYk0HCMuyoWUmJi_vUwev1evTFY_8kcKq-cOoCl1bfbQ5pLOtazk9BKAO5m7a4xA0bnTp-7FtWc3DsfEIcVNdpwevox3_0IajzmurdQWJiXPGDL131MTLEqbhzVscrgJdIaQMZuFbM9/s320/20231012%2001%20geode%203%20cut.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All the frit I'd poured into the third geode when it was hot</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">had come right back out when it was cold.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBTbyMuzye3hBWdccvenRsV5KGMyUXjyPEBLrEA1_A0lKycimmAHRrlfpDdZgskNUkXsGdflWfdQQXHtU1RpARybr7FjRWKfn-vdoUQLiGP0zasDaArOarDUKXTXLL4KD113CgtJNI84wB4mq1im_Cryq-VyAo2-ZvJRC-h03ANOnXFENRr2SAJLu/s2048/20231012%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBTbyMuzye3hBWdccvenRsV5KGMyUXjyPEBLrEA1_A0lKycimmAHRrlfpDdZgskNUkXsGdflWfdQQXHtU1RpARybr7FjRWKfn-vdoUQLiGP0zasDaArOarDUKXTXLL4KD113CgtJNI84wB4mq1im_Cryq-VyAo2-ZvJRC-h03ANOnXFENRr2SAJLu/s320/20231012%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I used some of the new frit for a random threaded vase.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PlbnmvXwy59M8CLr7wCdtR5m2TdLoQvTXzSwgtZcLk9I0byD-aQVJ-J9qctgtOQcTHz6JjAnInntLNdMzXsSiCruYxd6qSt8Mobu7KtD73G7ygcjaadWcPuPGPUZK1B8WxsDxuxhF0fBeUk-07VDih-Vcf_dYx9wxIrRuabKk9BAtD8xXxgtPHWT/s2048/20231012%2005%20flowers.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PlbnmvXwy59M8CLr7wCdtR5m2TdLoQvTXzSwgtZcLk9I0byD-aQVJ-J9qctgtOQcTHz6JjAnInntLNdMzXsSiCruYxd6qSt8Mobu7KtD73G7ygcjaadWcPuPGPUZK1B8WxsDxuxhF0fBeUk-07VDih-Vcf_dYx9wxIrRuabKk9BAtD8xXxgtPHWT/s320/20231012%2005%20flowers.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Garbage flowers for the reject bucket<br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfNCaZ1icvi_rfMJg1NISRaqr34peJ6Gw0eH209VkB1iTSnVhobcxTAXR-NMfBFfR4szT276DPyuu1FEkfSm0ecwDh4Uf8ppjOeChOq-BAjP5k6g_h6GV8BAKTbmxYZgPG2J146-SodIQ43LC9rV6jpQvhvjY8haLpJfu838LfV1i78OymDWi9WLL/s2048/20231012%2007%20geode%203%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfNCaZ1icvi_rfMJg1NISRaqr34peJ6Gw0eH209VkB1iTSnVhobcxTAXR-NMfBFfR4szT276DPyuu1FEkfSm0ecwDh4Uf8ppjOeChOq-BAjP5k6g_h6GV8BAKTbmxYZgPG2J146-SodIQ43LC9rV6jpQvhvjY8haLpJfu838LfV1i78OymDWi9WLL/s320/20231012%2007%20geode%203%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I poured in a layer of UV-curing adhesive and</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">followed it up with a layer of the frit I'd just bought.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsSCSXLeCfNTGf4VNWLp3ptloqDg9xy1XcPxXzLeraXw2w0TXqPP1gJtjMq27ShryJD9Vn-QEeWpcNiOsOmkC77fWRNebU0pve017iXJSu9u5wOGzYzIkzzAo1Ll_drYIqRLgFNZTURFUgITrBnCOiy0Ab_1x4Ag_2Zao-0p3wtRAVm052TG8B-JB/s2048/20231012%2008%20geode%203%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsSCSXLeCfNTGf4VNWLp3ptloqDg9xy1XcPxXzLeraXw2w0TXqPP1gJtjMq27ShryJD9Vn-QEeWpcNiOsOmkC77fWRNebU0pve017iXJSu9u5wOGzYzIkzzAo1Ll_drYIqRLgFNZTURFUgITrBnCOiy0Ab_1x4Ag_2Zao-0p3wtRAVm052TG8B-JB/s320/20231012%2008%20geode%203%20with%20nail%20polish.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It could use another round of polishing.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3jmLp8AmGM0PZZjG3tWxJvIOVljDqjUwIQDgnlYj2n9QcME_GLq4DvdkBWkkwfK4neu3w1sqIGpyI-7j5tNMo4qUPLJhnUTPPSFsyFwddtnvwx0LYiOF5TD3X5-LakNuYytYVgXyIHxWzSVzTWoccGW5F_sc2sYoMpdJ2KnPqpTDA3Hg-5uwQsC4/s2048/20231012%2009%20geode%203.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3jmLp8AmGM0PZZjG3tWxJvIOVljDqjUwIQDgnlYj2n9QcME_GLq4DvdkBWkkwfK4neu3w1sqIGpyI-7j5tNMo4qUPLJhnUTPPSFsyFwddtnvwx0LYiOF5TD3X5-LakNuYytYVgXyIHxWzSVzTWoccGW5F_sc2sYoMpdJ2KnPqpTDA3Hg-5uwQsC4/s320/20231012%2009%20geode%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I filled in for an absent Pumpkin Master that Saturday morning. Tall Vase helped me as I painstakingly wrote "<i>sic transit gloria vitri</i>" with a glass stringer. By the time I got to "<i>vitri</i>," the "<i>sic transi</i>t" had fallen off and I had to write it again. My left hand hurt from holding the MAPP gas torch. My right hand hurt from holding the stringer in place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Foundry Guy wandered in. I told him what I'd just finished. "Try <i>ars gratia artis</i>," he said. "Art for art's sake. It's shorter." I hastily wrote it in my notebook. We had a long talk about what we knew and didn't know about the cancellation, and what our strategy should be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We didn't know anything, really, beyond class being canceled. The department wouldn't give Foundry Guy a breakdown of the propane bill so that he could see how much we were using and how much his bronze pours were costing. We didn't even have the $7000 deficit amount nailed down. The number came from somewhere, but where? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rumors and innuendo rushed into the fact vacuum. Some classmates were convinced that the Dean was trying to kill glassblowing. All The Glass crunched what numbers he had (tuition plus fees plus salary plus $7000) to get a grip on how much our classes were costing the college, and determined that a so-far-unannounced and undefined workshop could not possibly be financially sound. Others hinted that the real reason for this mess was that the department wanted the Colonel gone, and offering an instructor-free spring workshop was the way they were doing it. News came trickling in from the ceramics tech that her supply line was being squeezed. The Dean was temporary. The College President was stepping down. The school was being audited by the state. The situation was dire all the way out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I polished the geode some more.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMe761oB7XoX7tyjsbiY5X_rGxYCSjBbXmC05j_mk826YC7EWNWIdt8D2QcuH3uJ8_iw6P72CuOPvIPAD4BldSw7pr5-n-UwwoQwaZtlk6CDpbw3mNTC9bZ7PfOEzNX_mG33T-vR18KfARzT1jvtgmlULXSzT8aJumTHaxmnfkRPHD4yrCdkiQHfC/s2048/20231014%2001%20geode%203%20polished%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMe761oB7XoX7tyjsbiY5X_rGxYCSjBbXmC05j_mk826YC7EWNWIdt8D2QcuH3uJ8_iw6P72CuOPvIPAD4BldSw7pr5-n-UwwoQwaZtlk6CDpbw3mNTC9bZ7PfOEzNX_mG33T-vR18KfARzT1jvtgmlULXSzT8aJumTHaxmnfkRPHD4yrCdkiQHfC/s320/20231014%2001%20geode%203%20polished%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wpYWvIvDtuPWIJ9AJilWW0Hq66H85askr6KFtdv99eD-JNOtlkRS-ETRjQRhRrXnJbBnz_l8QoaDc8ldvwNKGzB890KJWs3lZIAy2HFe5nIXdbk646mPPBhRePz9U7n2EROpWAUpAB2sY88nlMNXSIaBx5dH2PswwkHrzhuzLz6dqJHpSkrG5Bm0/s2048/20231017%2001%20sic%20transit%20gloria%20vitri.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wpYWvIvDtuPWIJ9AJilWW0Hq66H85askr6KFtdv99eD-JNOtlkRS-ETRjQRhRrXnJbBnz_l8QoaDc8ldvwNKGzB890KJWs3lZIAy2HFe5nIXdbk646mPPBhRePz9U7n2EROpWAUpAB2sY88nlMNXSIaBx5dH2PswwkHrzhuzLz6dqJHpSkrG5Bm0/s320/20231017%2001%20sic%20transit%20gloria%20vitri.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w0HXsEzzHP3x-BW5WNUT_k-aPFiqgsHGSF6vwYYxSgt4eGsopcKzX9ugyr8R3hDhFWeLPRt-LwNc0fKahkigIk02DuJqxgOdukv6PnAVoL7H2QPweZawrt5lDU5U__q2cuah-CCG0JVH3sEk7b5phE_hdqZsR2pKixTjZfUIblPSaTEHDLCCeu4I/s2048/20231017%2002%20sic%20transit%20gloria%20vitri.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w0HXsEzzHP3x-BW5WNUT_k-aPFiqgsHGSF6vwYYxSgt4eGsopcKzX9ugyr8R3hDhFWeLPRt-LwNc0fKahkigIk02DuJqxgOdukv6PnAVoL7H2QPweZawrt5lDU5U__q2cuah-CCG0JVH3sEk7b5phE_hdqZsR2pKixTjZfUIblPSaTEHDLCCeu4I/s320/20231017%2002%20sic%20transit%20gloria%20vitri.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOS2iwL_EzoUhGxbDBF-8rLqngtSqesg18tP1My6ibo8ukhIgiRkSY2N0ACGqsPCLeZb27QizHXgawvZb5-rkcFvLrtcUud_F6-125MJ6D7ZiZe9KCt7dqgV6tU673JMC8VazkqMnG_F_-ZiUrvp8fcmTsW4byNafbprCH1mKEH2_lqq-IiYXQVB-/s2048/20231017%2003%20sic%20transit%20gloria%20vitri.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOS2iwL_EzoUhGxbDBF-8rLqngtSqesg18tP1My6ibo8ukhIgiRkSY2N0ACGqsPCLeZb27QizHXgawvZb5-rkcFvLrtcUud_F6-125MJ6D7ZiZe9KCt7dqgV6tU673JMC8VazkqMnG_F_-ZiUrvp8fcmTsW4byNafbprCH1mKEH2_lqq-IiYXQVB-/s320/20231017%2003%20sic%20transit%20gloria%20vitri.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That night I drafted a letter to the Dean. I sent it around to everyone in the class, plus the Colonel and Foundry Guy. It went back and forth a few times, and on Sunday evening I sent it.</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dear Dean [Interim Anyway]:</span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">We learned this week that, because of a budget shortfall, the future of the glassblowing program at [Our Esteemed Institution] is uncertain. We are writing to express our concern and to request a meeting with you so that we might propose several solutions that would keep Glassblowing I and II on the Spring 2024 schedule. </span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Our Esteemed Institution] is unique in that it offers students the opportunity to experience the art of glassblowing. To sideline the classes would be to hinder a program that draws not only from [Esteemed Insitituion's home base], but from surrounding counties and from [adjacent state] as well. </span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Glassblowing II has gone beyond being just another class that students take in order to fulfill a requirement. Advanced students have helped recruit beginners and have forged a tight-knit community. The glassblowing program has produced notable, gallery-represented, professional artists such as [a whole bunch of people I mostly never heard of because I'm not tapped into the art world].</span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">We understand that running a propane furnace is expensive, and that keeping it on has created a budgetary shortfall. We are prepared to provide the funds needed to ensure that Glassblowing I and II remain on the Spring 2024 schedule while long-term solutions can be planned.</span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">We understand that time is short and that decisions about the spring semester will have to be made very soon. To that end, we would appreciate the opportunity to work with you to keep the program running without placing an undue burden on the departmental budget.</span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please feel free to contact me on behalf of the current Glassblowing II students. I can be reached at [my Esteemed Institution email address plus my cell number]. We are eager to meet with you.</span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you.</span></i></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Signed, everyone in the class]</span></i></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>On Monday, glassblowing disappeared from the online course planner.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday, I got a long-winded response that said, in short: your $7K won't save next semester, I don't want to meet with you, we're setting up a workshop for the spring, and go talk to the Esteemed Institution's fundraising folks about long-term fundraising.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><div>Hmph. At least the Dean answered. And maybe there would be something for us in the spring. </div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps it was pointless now, but I set about making one final geode. </div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdpoOFwZabqIpvXSOVMkX_G8l8duNKV1VkmCwrlUHVNSMaKlUAU3bwnTeLLO2cYsJILsgdYW9vi6fMwwHQs15xkyLPq4M7oQHfYUTmuIk8fp0OLcHp7MKjtwHeU740SSQLin_kn3yUpR4HWEyQv9SJ1l_PIx8J7BSFbGgbQqFRH12jQuCLWQPbSe4/s2048/20231017%2005%20geode%204%20with%20frit%20glued%20in.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdpoOFwZabqIpvXSOVMkX_G8l8duNKV1VkmCwrlUHVNSMaKlUAU3bwnTeLLO2cYsJILsgdYW9vi6fMwwHQs15xkyLPq4M7oQHfYUTmuIk8fp0OLcHp7MKjtwHeU740SSQLin_kn3yUpR4HWEyQv9SJ1l_PIx8J7BSFbGgbQqFRH12jQuCLWQPbSe4/s320/20231017%2005%20geode%204%20with%20frit%20glued%20in.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I had to glue frit into this one too.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bGGw3Zs8rozra56JK9aiPiN9aK4P_sPiyvxdAozFiwwCe30xjpAxJjw2KYBTCQDSjLscAgmzUVw1IAPBT8Hrsfw9qEWu9ZqTFIYU5KMmfT9djI4F7pGTq3OIW3145cLDhM_mFO9gTfTl_ZTrNEUNGPjlo0flfEFwSr8v3qFx47ttRiGxIGYrwbF9/s2048/20231017%2006%20geode%204%20cut%20top.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bGGw3Zs8rozra56JK9aiPiN9aK4P_sPiyvxdAozFiwwCe30xjpAxJjw2KYBTCQDSjLscAgmzUVw1IAPBT8Hrsfw9qEWu9ZqTFIYU5KMmfT9djI4F7pGTq3OIW3145cLDhM_mFO9gTfTl_ZTrNEUNGPjlo0flfEFwSr8v3qFx47ttRiGxIGYrwbF9/s320/20231017%2006%20geode%204%20cut%20top.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The only place the frit stuck when the glass</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">was hot was at the opening.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Chunks of the glory hole door were falling off again. It was hard not to think of it as symbolic.</div><div><br /></div><div>GGP wrote to the Dean. She received the same response that I had, verbatim.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday night was critique night. I'd brought the geodes for display. In the past, we'd have shown our other work too, like the color mixing I was trying on vases, and my attempts at flowers. But the Colonel was strict about showing no more than five pieces. I photographed the other stuff and hid it away.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcglm3C3yDem5DFsT2Z79CZPXr_IyAOeJL-vpkbVNKo3EFaSoxp336R-FMFUBgo9iLFFivgNcUo50FMGF0u1rRJ9ePnzijJZp_Vb1ASvJrdGKTrb8zHJ6ap5EDXgqjlgzDSHFzwN9eymt-3WrEaVCC0trdC3nxevvZ8PEDMucoQ_G_qAB_-Zn8fNL/s2048/20231019%2002%20critique%20night.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcglm3C3yDem5DFsT2Z79CZPXr_IyAOeJL-vpkbVNKo3EFaSoxp336R-FMFUBgo9iLFFivgNcUo50FMGF0u1rRJ9ePnzijJZp_Vb1ASvJrdGKTrb8zHJ6ap5EDXgqjlgzDSHFzwN9eymt-3WrEaVCC0trdC3nxevvZ8PEDMucoQ_G_qAB_-Zn8fNL/s320/20231019%2002%20critique%20night.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm84NDGMtm7ZvhrfuE3FgRcJ9jaKXmNInoexzqT3vsT5chcXyo_v0yMNRoTabCsVcKfgNNsu8ZNio5rnYv0Kvu46LV9nuX_sHt19eM_DAUF4ZJthJuI4RMGZSBRbdZIp6lHC-HgKrrxr-0WAg3Srv9HFH9KKnCleZDKOsR_0jyeyN2kTljwbUJp5uU/s2048/20231019%2003%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm84NDGMtm7ZvhrfuE3FgRcJ9jaKXmNInoexzqT3vsT5chcXyo_v0yMNRoTabCsVcKfgNNsu8ZNio5rnYv0Kvu46LV9nuX_sHt19eM_DAUF4ZJthJuI4RMGZSBRbdZIp6lHC-HgKrrxr-0WAg3Srv9HFH9KKnCleZDKOsR_0jyeyN2kTljwbUJp5uU/s320/20231019%2003%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfPhb24SDbTCLt1HH-VCUXUcUoEiyXBxjezUqbz5Kw58PuyXGiiB7gtwc1b-kuVF-NapEdXBkP5QRCJEp_OrgvfiXV5E3nW50i86FRh4YfrQBtLiR-SaClL5d1Uo_iX0XWd91WM87mok2AhPyy2TULtIOn7TaXVFoVD0Jmg3Mj6Qf2_yTkKhzucuH/s2048/20231019%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfPhb24SDbTCLt1HH-VCUXUcUoEiyXBxjezUqbz5Kw58PuyXGiiB7gtwc1b-kuVF-NapEdXBkP5QRCJEp_OrgvfiXV5E3nW50i86FRh4YfrQBtLiR-SaClL5d1Uo_iX0XWd91WM87mok2AhPyy2TULtIOn7TaXVFoVD0Jmg3Mj6Qf2_yTkKhzucuH/s320/20231019%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRcth4i28d6V4PRXLEjqmYABQ_JcLBhCxatyQIBtmEk-YKN5471OuCiy3DRGwPijMeUwHvC2ngNxaN4bRPr3Nwmi-GtQ6KIactvLn1pljHGlfgjxTkoDOt-ETMUWbBMsHnXSIJVp7d0WhjlsnZ8gYZmjlEX15i1UrWpPAxzATCh9ypaMux2sUE5sH/s2048/20231019%2006%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRcth4i28d6V4PRXLEjqmYABQ_JcLBhCxatyQIBtmEk-YKN5471OuCiy3DRGwPijMeUwHvC2ngNxaN4bRPr3Nwmi-GtQ6KIactvLn1pljHGlfgjxTkoDOt-ETMUWbBMsHnXSIJVp7d0WhjlsnZ8gYZmjlEX15i1UrWpPAxzATCh9ypaMux2sUE5sH/s320/20231019%2006%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDw8vyg_NrOYEvDyXlJBN_oP5BiHUXLbRT7mL1VdIk2eisPRV1fbS_9zDR-Xjrevp-ENNxjAOIXG7SCeR0eCuIxHHzbOygRzTHu07MfZdwY-FqtKyp0a-sNaeDYkgePS948w2J4xfi4JdsZqFOFZ8XYJPfzSAd7RfaRYKYrseIsj4lJBJj88IDFmB/s2048/20231019%2007%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDw8vyg_NrOYEvDyXlJBN_oP5BiHUXLbRT7mL1VdIk2eisPRV1fbS_9zDR-Xjrevp-ENNxjAOIXG7SCeR0eCuIxHHzbOygRzTHu07MfZdwY-FqtKyp0a-sNaeDYkgePS948w2J4xfi4JdsZqFOFZ8XYJPfzSAd7RfaRYKYrseIsj4lJBJj88IDFmB/s320/20231019%2007%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjKkZhpICiD52flMxtFMa3IM003c5Z0jhdX-I-ZNMwbAwTPCDuXBiUbWalmSubiuzVFS-uMnSxfPXDAMPywMthrCjfJbbXNyADKujolkdMNE_g85xquk9cHlDgtAK-7gCV5a9cxZprET0xMlTsQWiStqjfFBK3xQzoODnV-QeR5qvvZIK0xVhiDws/s2048/20231019%2009%20enamel%20white%20vase%20with%20ultramarine%20thread.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjKkZhpICiD52flMxtFMa3IM003c5Z0jhdX-I-ZNMwbAwTPCDuXBiUbWalmSubiuzVFS-uMnSxfPXDAMPywMthrCjfJbbXNyADKujolkdMNE_g85xquk9cHlDgtAK-7gCV5a9cxZprET0xMlTsQWiStqjfFBK3xQzoODnV-QeR5qvvZIK0xVhiDws/s320/20231019%2009%20enamel%20white%20vase%20with%20ultramarine%20thread.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJfkL8_2Xi2N3nKTsnlBXNcDNYBFv9QQ13r6kpD71c26sUpGR2A4rm25-4VTPEdPQKmar9A8FJtEbLKPvH7RSA7J9XaX9_d1Jshc13BHYrLjUmzGjDvussFdPigQZCF4INrx0UWhqVJdcjLI3pNPjDVVZcORcosYNy_VRXT8yNukLEFHzBDN_t3s1/s2048/20231019%2010%20enamel%20white%20vase%20with%20ultramarine%20thread.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJfkL8_2Xi2N3nKTsnlBXNcDNYBFv9QQ13r6kpD71c26sUpGR2A4rm25-4VTPEdPQKmar9A8FJtEbLKPvH7RSA7J9XaX9_d1Jshc13BHYrLjUmzGjDvussFdPigQZCF4INrx0UWhqVJdcjLI3pNPjDVVZcORcosYNy_VRXT8yNukLEFHzBDN_t3s1/s320/20231019%2010%20enamel%20white%20vase%20with%20ultramarine%20thread.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Before we got into the show-and-tell, we talked about the going-to-hell. </div><div><br /></div><div>"There will be no class in the spring," the Colonel said. "That's final." A few classmates tried to protest this, but there was nothing to protest. "I don't like it any more than you," he said. "I'm out of a job."</div><div><br /></div><div>I filled the class in on the Dean's response. I pulled out my activist chops and told everyone not to give up and not to get discouraged. We decided I'd send a letter to the Foundation, proposing we work with them to funnel our donations and to raise money to turn our aging classroom into a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient hot shop. The letter wouldn't be much work; I would only have to modify the one I'd sent to the Dean.</div><div><br /></div><div>We set the unpleasantness aside and started the review. People really got into this assignment. The Cololel was happy to see how far we'd taken it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pumpkin Master made a complete breakfast of waffles, sausage, syrup, and butter. He even made the plate.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64ZRQNmR9RNziiqkSXjoPFIOnHuZ6TO1DEqQORmILROxzqGjvkmMafrpuWNvb_vmuAQmSGmPbTIR9tQP7ZIO3bpeS8Gp81Hkz6T4VmArH8t9uFbYqDJ6qeurFP-ObWLYaZj0R1kfAGGn_3okiE18GWCg93liw1CxpsVBLHQomF8RcmHQp30jcy10h/s2048/20231019%2012%20terry's%20breakfast.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64ZRQNmR9RNziiqkSXjoPFIOnHuZ6TO1DEqQORmILROxzqGjvkmMafrpuWNvb_vmuAQmSGmPbTIR9tQP7ZIO3bpeS8Gp81Hkz6T4VmArH8t9uFbYqDJ6qeurFP-ObWLYaZj0R1kfAGGn_3okiE18GWCg93liw1CxpsVBLHQomF8RcmHQp30jcy10h/s320/20231019%2012%20terry's%20breakfast.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tall Vase served up candy for dessert:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPhz6e53N2BIetb1MJzhvR6Fwv2eQ0KdJW7mBXoPtGnH8RpA_jpeWUbe1NQYMayxRFAdflNdhH4QuOCD0b3Pt4eBpx1E8t1viG7ZZ1FZAzfozX-ImVEUDIaWcbNcv1oUnRBMIEHQ3uLulJ85BXPYu-0g3ZoIWpsQAAKmXPsIf-mV1LCkXW09kx-ib/s2048/20231019%2013%20guy's%20candy.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPhz6e53N2BIetb1MJzhvR6Fwv2eQ0KdJW7mBXoPtGnH8RpA_jpeWUbe1NQYMayxRFAdflNdhH4QuOCD0b3Pt4eBpx1E8t1viG7ZZ1FZAzfozX-ImVEUDIaWcbNcv1oUnRBMIEHQ3uLulJ85BXPYu-0g3ZoIWpsQAAKmXPsIf-mV1LCkXW09kx-ib/s320/20231019%2013%20guy's%20candy.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>GGP made sunny-side-up eggs with the only white powder she had, which turned out to be Glow Green powder. We turned off the lights.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xG-VIDuqGh-ATWioQ4NEj2c44UpocfH2DL1ckqWNACbSf-uLtbDsXlceWog1rNJevDr1-frf_DpJ8iJ-TtmTdH7BtFndVO0RdtGlmKgoqftfmXnyK9WS4e18b7vuBzkHYMM-zn16Gh-XDR-Y-bYe7T3ErBh3MjQO8VkjrNaqoPlyzOJiJJq3yiyu/s2048/20231019%2014%20linda's%20glowing%20eggs.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xG-VIDuqGh-ATWioQ4NEj2c44UpocfH2DL1ckqWNACbSf-uLtbDsXlceWog1rNJevDr1-frf_DpJ8iJ-TtmTdH7BtFndVO0RdtGlmKgoqftfmXnyK9WS4e18b7vuBzkHYMM-zn16Gh-XDR-Y-bYe7T3ErBh3MjQO8VkjrNaqoPlyzOJiJJq3yiyu/s320/20231019%2014%20linda's%20glowing%20eggs.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the newer advanced students made pickles:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwB6WX1Mieq_qK0Q_ZblN3F4D2qh0cpNh-3g0zsDqIzuch4ALbdrHao722PI66OrEMVWP6f4l83XXRItHRNqEH2795l4otFei-AS6vFnQN-XnK0BhxcFEJ50__RpCo0wirRe6I6S056b6YO6-MmbFbBeDv2ILCd2Bo4Ux3PcvEh5HTRVjn8odq1lB/s2048/20231019%2015%20emmie's%20pickles.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwB6WX1Mieq_qK0Q_ZblN3F4D2qh0cpNh-3g0zsDqIzuch4ALbdrHao722PI66OrEMVWP6f4l83XXRItHRNqEH2795l4otFei-AS6vFnQN-XnK0BhxcFEJ50__RpCo0wirRe6I6S056b6YO6-MmbFbBeDv2ILCd2Bo4Ux3PcvEh5HTRVjn8odq1lB/s320/20231019%2015%20emmie's%20pickles.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I displayed geodes 2, 3, and 4:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi298owtIukeRIiJS2zS5IDavBq_tJ-kMddZjd8gEFKMA5O2pEWBIHmBok2Ci-y4AAnXUaM6E58KZuiFsQzVk0gg5Hl0Yd2GElYzy3Yi4Au5eGq2Dk0K7IbOzAtPNb25XSgkdeXr7i4sBxRBArdoYgCNv7Wqr2j4dJM7vYEOBw6aoDXGbQOMJQ1XW5b/s2048/20231019%2016%20geodes.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi298owtIukeRIiJS2zS5IDavBq_tJ-kMddZjd8gEFKMA5O2pEWBIHmBok2Ci-y4AAnXUaM6E58KZuiFsQzVk0gg5Hl0Yd2GElYzy3Yi4Au5eGq2Dk0K7IbOzAtPNb25XSgkdeXr7i4sBxRBArdoYgCNv7Wqr2j4dJM7vYEOBw6aoDXGbQOMJQ1XW5b/s320/20231019%2016%20geodes.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>All the Glass had his daggers, which, for some reason, I forgot to photograph. Low Key made little tennis balls. The Kid had been working on doorknobs. Rose made pastries, with spackle for icing. New Grace made giant strawberries. </div><div><br /></div><div>My semester's work was starting to fill a shelf.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HCmcHZoL28ON4R2lgA_LIQtngQ7EYrq2jCnNJaB8HZ4Ykj6p9rkSQRb63OmGypUqQJw_bWU7T3XzAqXkr8vs3BbHAVnDGuEDeaVWc7oSR20HCosS9L1mg_uYcUfgVXsQ14zqVceO5Joe3UDynuksjpDEM8P_H81YY2Qbeba7F5qH7QATwSmLmdzK/s2048/20231019%2017%20geodes%20et%20al%20in%20cabinet.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HCmcHZoL28ON4R2lgA_LIQtngQ7EYrq2jCnNJaB8HZ4Ykj6p9rkSQRb63OmGypUqQJw_bWU7T3XzAqXkr8vs3BbHAVnDGuEDeaVWc7oSR20HCosS9L1mg_uYcUfgVXsQ14zqVceO5Joe3UDynuksjpDEM8P_H81YY2Qbeba7F5qH7QATwSmLmdzK/s320/20231019%2017%20geodes%20et%20al%20in%20cabinet.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In all the years I'd been glassblowing, I'd never blew glass in my dreams. Now I was glassblowing in my dreams, only things were going wrong far worse than they usually do. I picked up a punty rod instead of a pipe and couldn't get a bubble. The furnace door was clogged with gunk, leaving the tiniest of openings. In teaching another student, my vessel went wonky and I had to fight my way out of it. (Okay, that last one is what happens in real life too.)</div><div><br /></div><div>When I arrived early one Tuesday, I found the room locked, the lights off, the pipe warmer off, and the glory hole off. I wondered for a moment whether or not I was dreaming again. On another occasion, perhaps the same day, a chunk of hot glass fell from the inside roof of the furnace into the pot (why was there glass up there?), missing my piece by inches. No worries, I thought. I already dreamed this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two days later, we found out why the hole had been turned off: earlier in the day, it had belched a fireball across the room. That it didn't do the same for me when I'd started it up that afternoon was sheer luck, because it nearly singed the Colonel the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div>With all the uncertainty, I decided on two things: jump into as many extra slots as possible; and live in the moment.</div><div><br /></div><div>I nabbed a Saturday afternoon with Glass Ninja so that he could teach me how to do overlays (where we smoosh a rod of color over a clear core). I cut the first geode into four pieces and used one of them for overlay practice. </div><div><br /></div><div>Boy, was that an ugly color combination!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihURiRXbX15b3YOVlVQZwWrchKjN1Yz_hgLvTlj-B4S5CPt0SpB_IkHN_purnPtu-VH-t2ZXk1lVbfAuEV-DWOwU9MiRSr2BXeXGylW6XrHbY6ZLoQjtnvLS2wQ70juzVWq4CUlkKq_75pDJLUKBuYi-XfstXu6qvjmJTUxeeVP-5S6tz6Wbq6NzzN/s2048/20231024%2003%20overlay%20practice%20with%20piece%20of%20geode%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihURiRXbX15b3YOVlVQZwWrchKjN1Yz_hgLvTlj-B4S5CPt0SpB_IkHN_purnPtu-VH-t2ZXk1lVbfAuEV-DWOwU9MiRSr2BXeXGylW6XrHbY6ZLoQjtnvLS2wQ70juzVWq4CUlkKq_75pDJLUKBuYi-XfstXu6qvjmJTUxeeVP-5S6tz6Wbq6NzzN/s320/20231024%2003%20overlay%20practice%20with%20piece%20of%20geode%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0e5aTYM-ve47pNI5Irwfl8IrV36Z2q7cYnFtXJsL6nz-FOPkPy2cZxU0FWtsaBVaO6hz_WTIOBKPevGTk7KQPtIMFLWYHrFzXvp1nPJ0XCHu41RAx3yrRvhbkqjzx7L2U9Lu12w8ZKgNoHn0bmS_T8E5ET-Guq01Bycgz9Hsv4JhlwGO2llijLXR/s2048/20231024%2001%20overlay%20practice%20with%20piece%20of%20geode%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0e5aTYM-ve47pNI5Irwfl8IrV36Z2q7cYnFtXJsL6nz-FOPkPy2cZxU0FWtsaBVaO6hz_WTIOBKPevGTk7KQPtIMFLWYHrFzXvp1nPJ0XCHu41RAx3yrRvhbkqjzx7L2U9Lu12w8ZKgNoHn0bmS_T8E5ET-Guq01Bycgz9Hsv4JhlwGO2llijLXR/s320/20231024%2001%20overlay%20practice%20with%20piece%20of%20geode%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtVekyNqNUzwMBO_B1V6bUYui2MfPCBkLAheDpT4QsRu2AOj8TvYBLhExOYy3vBWUisdq1IKpUt3oPPjRd_Oe3-DtSnk6xuPT9icNTn2MJBpK31YkZ-yjxfSuGrnvLt_xYWLMgxJesEt0zrsSr6wRTdKOcHo4nnYXtcTN7dYtCJUMZSdWVuyE9Q9j/s2048/20231024%2002%20overlay%20practice%20with%20piece%20of%20geode%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtVekyNqNUzwMBO_B1V6bUYui2MfPCBkLAheDpT4QsRu2AOj8TvYBLhExOYy3vBWUisdq1IKpUt3oPPjRd_Oe3-DtSnk6xuPT9icNTn2MJBpK31YkZ-yjxfSuGrnvLt_xYWLMgxJesEt0zrsSr6wRTdKOcHo4nnYXtcTN7dYtCJUMZSdWVuyE9Q9j/s320/20231024%2002%20overlay%20practice%20with%20piece%20of%20geode%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My second overlay went better, but the neck was hella off-center.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrS9uEpGmAlyUf89cgsoQnSvcEKlYV-pbxqOxZOHH8VnmqQhU_cCcHKw_rVQtx0oEepsoRJojkggq1s7YxesuI_L7DUozRqlzVwu7s7omWo3DqjBo1SQfzM6MwCcsLqB7A2FwA2HCVKnHWjiMiZ_5gZ7U5Y9ipzAnB1QT1_sCRNNC4bxrIepdfJf5/s2048/20231024%2004%20overlay%20practice%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrS9uEpGmAlyUf89cgsoQnSvcEKlYV-pbxqOxZOHH8VnmqQhU_cCcHKw_rVQtx0oEepsoRJojkggq1s7YxesuI_L7DUozRqlzVwu7s7omWo3DqjBo1SQfzM6MwCcsLqB7A2FwA2HCVKnHWjiMiZ_5gZ7U5Y9ipzAnB1QT1_sCRNNC4bxrIepdfJf5/s320/20231024%2004%20overlay%20practice%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yegxw0JwRJQnxv3DwPyd6tIKfQ1yDIt451aj6t_KaGMZZ0lVklkVmc8WOTHy1jMWenD1vIci2VGmvgRU91Wk5TkXvs7AFfTlnWKE5lPWkoqzDWibTW-s2p013MI4463fF0GFyhvuUwl5lnXNFRDxqjO8kJvh8ii9QdrOltsils7Pd984_psseBfj/s2048/20231024%2005%20overlay%20practice%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yegxw0JwRJQnxv3DwPyd6tIKfQ1yDIt451aj6t_KaGMZZ0lVklkVmc8WOTHy1jMWenD1vIci2VGmvgRU91Wk5TkXvs7AFfTlnWKE5lPWkoqzDWibTW-s2p013MI4463fF0GFyhvuUwl5lnXNFRDxqjO8kJvh8ii9QdrOltsils7Pd984_psseBfj/s320/20231024%2005%20overlay%20practice%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tired and out of time, I stayed simple for the third one.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXt4TTAgHXsO5A7EHtaobudrB4ao82b7t2YyxJVl6v0-pSARp4GbKfayZmfqn1flVHTTPd0EU2nL4Z7z_mr9MPytC5Mx4cj2M9uS8P34MXaB93h-2EPB0MiSUXmVp9HUc3ILDCK4RgaUmCx95tuTJCHxiSpV5w64apo-s_b5bFQ7UlQYVhfAPHtUs/s2048/20231024%2008%20overlay%20practice%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXt4TTAgHXsO5A7EHtaobudrB4ao82b7t2YyxJVl6v0-pSARp4GbKfayZmfqn1flVHTTPd0EU2nL4Z7z_mr9MPytC5Mx4cj2M9uS8P34MXaB93h-2EPB0MiSUXmVp9HUc3ILDCK4RgaUmCx95tuTJCHxiSpV5w64apo-s_b5bFQ7UlQYVhfAPHtUs/s320/20231024%2008%20overlay%20practice%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZab2f2oMnlixCMB90UA3EtKzGnqs-GYMJg62aH-deVuHinroTxsUjmyIreYeeOx-7_icwDJot1caUWhXqhNXG4KS7L-xZaeZ1okqdFkGYsO0M_hCigOVTEfw7_k7PRaclCPC0tTdRQUEaXOXlcFudryOE5fKjizUZ7bScWGL4_8Nz_qyl1fmejdQ/s2048/20231024%2001%20overlay%20practice%20with%20Dan.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZab2f2oMnlixCMB90UA3EtKzGnqs-GYMJg62aH-deVuHinroTxsUjmyIreYeeOx-7_icwDJot1caUWhXqhNXG4KS7L-xZaeZ1okqdFkGYsO0M_hCigOVTEfw7_k7PRaclCPC0tTdRQUEaXOXlcFudryOE5fKjizUZ7bScWGL4_8Nz_qyl1fmejdQ/s320/20231024%2001%20overlay%20practice%20with%20Dan.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>On Sunday evening, I sent a letter to the Foundation on behalf of the class.</div><div><br /></div><div>Classmate's Partner had taken this semester off. He'd been planning to come back in the spring. He stopped by the classroom on Tuesday as I was finishing a repeat of the off-center vase I'd made on Saturday. </div><div><br /></div><div>I filled him in while Extra and I worked together. All The Glass was absent. All In was at the other bench with a beginner. </div><div><br /></div><div>Classmate's Partner watched me flub a thread mix vase. I was trying to combine red and black. Black is notoriously runny. The shape went wonky and I ended up blowing a hole in one side. I dumped it into the waste bucket. I tried again after he left, this time keeping it to a simple, giant ornament. As I was putting the hook on, we heard a crack. We put it in the annealer anyway. I made one more small ornament in the last few minutes of class.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOJMF56YlaA2Y0IDNKEomq4FR-OCRvAjU7-nH_1pwSNJAfV2XfPQMdJ1EHv9Oz8FSqpEx_P8IjB1lLXVMdFI5pOVszcIEs1CMVh9RGCsCTNHTTami6MzDedW32ScLJgGAFXtMVbBgIyrukHFMyy5o2V880yh5osrpKz_JlF8GZ4cuUtMukXIpq7uJ/s2048/20231026%2001%20color%20mixing%20thread%20ornament%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOJMF56YlaA2Y0IDNKEomq4FR-OCRvAjU7-nH_1pwSNJAfV2XfPQMdJ1EHv9Oz8FSqpEx_P8IjB1lLXVMdFI5pOVszcIEs1CMVh9RGCsCTNHTTami6MzDedW32ScLJgGAFXtMVbBgIyrukHFMyy5o2V880yh5osrpKz_JlF8GZ4cuUtMukXIpq7uJ/s320/20231026%2001%20color%20mixing%20thread%20ornament%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMdB4zHuXzZRyjX_THaAzJkpO_FvFEdonaNWuy7VDPhQ7u9CjX90occLaHTdnhtyuTd3pAGpK70Z7R2rmWiiDMnAFsNLJs9iEljtCtmjZpSU6apaFPakCP3VuFPNRQG8OjkKTmYNxwdXfSnODWObF7dsEnw0fjXzyU1JEC64BPhzn3Yy4ygmUCtQS/s2048/20231026%2002%20color%20mixing%20thread%20ornament%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMdB4zHuXzZRyjX_THaAzJkpO_FvFEdonaNWuy7VDPhQ7u9CjX90occLaHTdnhtyuTd3pAGpK70Z7R2rmWiiDMnAFsNLJs9iEljtCtmjZpSU6apaFPakCP3VuFPNRQG8OjkKTmYNxwdXfSnODWObF7dsEnw0fjXzyU1JEC64BPhzn3Yy4ygmUCtQS/s320/20231026%2002%20color%20mixing%20thread%20ornament%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nothing a little glue can't fix?</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cXZaV9gmZmZbnX__T6JV_nE96r8uhn8f3WXQUI0fsuMFRnxW1gbl9IpJETI__fGqTr37ehmFNx9jXVPrh0RpYNRxtb1QJ9_-FCrLJ5NOyc6he0n6z-45TyPmbdjwHd2LW5tdKwwrDmu3HGT2zGjC6ziFN4hFNZTJcp65vpJi1OkwEOJ666KjVia-/s2048/20231026%2004%20overlay%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cXZaV9gmZmZbnX__T6JV_nE96r8uhn8f3WXQUI0fsuMFRnxW1gbl9IpJETI__fGqTr37ehmFNx9jXVPrh0RpYNRxtb1QJ9_-FCrLJ5NOyc6he0n6z-45TyPmbdjwHd2LW5tdKwwrDmu3HGT2zGjC6ziFN4hFNZTJcp65vpJi1OkwEOJ666KjVia-/s320/20231026%2004%20overlay%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">vase repeat</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8P8BJucL64o0IAhqBgxKAZm6pfPfz3hsd1MQVZx6zioYAgmRnYu4JDvC0u_br3TVLomcPZ4xj1tkjn1es4RvXDBr679LQLb7Na8cBppLmD4JPD7O5Lr_5HaT4YB91xG5u9IRBOns7ES45JKqBMzlH4yB0rdeVrK6258e-DnXGtS78BOO3ljmhfKH/s2048/20231026%2005%20overlay%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8P8BJucL64o0IAhqBgxKAZm6pfPfz3hsd1MQVZx6zioYAgmRnYu4JDvC0u_br3TVLomcPZ4xj1tkjn1es4RvXDBr679LQLb7Na8cBppLmD4JPD7O5Lr_5HaT4YB91xG5u9IRBOns7ES45JKqBMzlH4yB0rdeVrK6258e-DnXGtS78BOO3ljmhfKH/s320/20231026%2005%20overlay%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">sold to a bike club friend</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrKbSY6-p0FviqBcTcXTXFim6e1Meq08aaODOlsowfH1v5wm2oWNCXAYvD4SY8aXoiAMM8vWCHhX-114Jbg8F032129Yv_bOZL5uojIxWpk2yeXG4ZJtk7BnhIZG2x2Em38Ljyq6WSHVVbrncDBkht06sm-yYjGRQi3Nrhhak8Uy_9KT-8FktuZRD/s2048/20231026%2006%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20fail%20ornament.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrKbSY6-p0FviqBcTcXTXFim6e1Meq08aaODOlsowfH1v5wm2oWNCXAYvD4SY8aXoiAMM8vWCHhX-114Jbg8F032129Yv_bOZL5uojIxWpk2yeXG4ZJtk7BnhIZG2x2Em38Ljyq6WSHVVbrncDBkht06sm-yYjGRQi3Nrhhak8Uy_9KT-8FktuZRD/s320/20231026%2006%20color%20mixing%20experiment%20fail%20ornament.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>I was hoping that the Colonel would let us all do our own thing on Thursday night instead of sitting through another demo, but sit through we did as we watched him pull cane. He did give us an assignment, almost as an afterthought, before the demo began. "Pattern," he mumbled. He didn't figure any of us cared at this point.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxtcmdF0OppPL1EonwkaVpgN_W70g6OlXS3WA5YrOuGZ2fBYIkYwrAG6G_jl-6VTlbUBUhEjDsVfqlDQeLysiUL5aQdQ-b7YT6VtgbmeVd47WWzA-ZkqKVCiHQsdPZxObyH43ZGMaXxIdkn5DncPMQh5esjQmfesNoHiWVO8VL1DoOHcVvRyGuS3q/s2048/20231026%2008%20color%20mixing%20thread%20ornament%20fail%20glued.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxtcmdF0OppPL1EonwkaVpgN_W70g6OlXS3WA5YrOuGZ2fBYIkYwrAG6G_jl-6VTlbUBUhEjDsVfqlDQeLysiUL5aQdQ-b7YT6VtgbmeVd47WWzA-ZkqKVCiHQsdPZxObyH43ZGMaXxIdkn5DncPMQh5esjQmfesNoHiWVO8VL1DoOHcVvRyGuS3q/s320/20231026%2008%20color%20mixing%20thread%20ornament%20fail%20glued.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nothing a little glue can't fix.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>A year ago, in the midst of my spider-making bout, I coated a giant ornament in black frit and then glow powder on top of the black. I drew spiders on the surface with hot glue, then sand-blasted the glow powder away, revealing four glow-in-the-dark arachnids on a black background. I'd made two of these giant blank ornaments, leaving the second one to hang as a whitish-gray sphere in a window. Now I took it down and wrote in hot glue, "<i>ars gratia artis</i>." </div><div><br /></div>I took a few minutes at the sand-blaster the following Tuesday.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaz1VYU6FMq60EQBYMIghGcgPMAFLK0SS7GNTrHn9p86uTygBR7iROXpXK8KyPnz1dcbpqFWf4AMIpZ2qNtm4QxnwrFLbn3mKIhzdGHaJeHL0an6s8cRL2JwuOjNnPKPL3O5Aa88esGVIfpSAemOHrhsT7XCIinPrxj9-eeTw2svNdtGbpy6R-frRh/s2048/20231031%2001%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaz1VYU6FMq60EQBYMIghGcgPMAFLK0SS7GNTrHn9p86uTygBR7iROXpXK8KyPnz1dcbpqFWf4AMIpZ2qNtm4QxnwrFLbn3mKIhzdGHaJeHL0an6s8cRL2JwuOjNnPKPL3O5Aa88esGVIfpSAemOHrhsT7XCIinPrxj9-eeTw2svNdtGbpy6R-frRh/s320/20231031%2001%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g4c5B2cYc9d6vDcbctYD0i9Lsv30jVhh2kMxhRiTS2NtpFnKG0J6dH14I0BzAxqyClyyEZ6DRjZitMLZQwSelrXK3v20QjBH8EVtVXEt89-9cVJYNyItCj_0AXsTXXL_O1wfQkzv0YcQAgbKL-LB2dY0YZ2dNCllvrav10uBhjSXchnb72WKnel5/s2048/20231031%2002%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g4c5B2cYc9d6vDcbctYD0i9Lsv30jVhh2kMxhRiTS2NtpFnKG0J6dH14I0BzAxqyClyyEZ6DRjZitMLZQwSelrXK3v20QjBH8EVtVXEt89-9cVJYNyItCj_0AXsTXXL_O1wfQkzv0YcQAgbKL-LB2dY0YZ2dNCllvrav10uBhjSXchnb72WKnel5/s320/20231031%2002%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKHctAUoazMn5Ioz56FBCHfuBtZiC5oxvBKehpnWnGBrucdY8me9qspedmLzye_funkzBfOlZ6hmxMyCUuNVRkkIIKiBk9UBieUETK3iawqpfbP7ASAnaMPI770aWoZ71Z1f10TKSU5gVw0_-ZbDxWQ_yMJV7eX2c2Bb3U2oqNHGiDaHe-Las9zXe/s2048/20231031%2003%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKHctAUoazMn5Ioz56FBCHfuBtZiC5oxvBKehpnWnGBrucdY8me9qspedmLzye_funkzBfOlZ6hmxMyCUuNVRkkIIKiBk9UBieUETK3iawqpfbP7ASAnaMPI770aWoZ71Z1f10TKSU5gVw0_-ZbDxWQ_yMJV7eX2c2Bb3U2oqNHGiDaHe-Las9zXe/s320/20231031%2003%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The coating of glow powder was so thin that the letters fluoresced for barely enough time to take a picture.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhswe8kzaDPXG5U1nXA33JAUyCkHL88aATCnsxmuMXaPr4AoVZfy8hNTFXHdgOYQ-8JAhoM-ZZW-x-Rq0i7FSi5-GODD-5xqbOUw2IpJCbjU3C8giXIrUXjisEWHl5SlDRhC79Zx043UfjLKXCkWjllAp9ODfGMR6T_OO06kqIaEEbFFy7Di7fPkj/s2048/20231031%2004%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhswe8kzaDPXG5U1nXA33JAUyCkHL88aATCnsxmuMXaPr4AoVZfy8hNTFXHdgOYQ-8JAhoM-ZZW-x-Rq0i7FSi5-GODD-5xqbOUw2IpJCbjU3C8giXIrUXjisEWHl5SlDRhC79Zx043UfjLKXCkWjllAp9ODfGMR6T_OO06kqIaEEbFFy7Di7fPkj/s320/20231031%2004%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8rqdMoC9Zoob2y5V680H31bW6qzyEDky_nSmzHfEmXDzhX1coGnOduQSAjHfVDXAGxeFVAuMhkWviJmQhbAISvjHsodp4Qiia811UapeqZRogICcntEbNzEF6LzBXdd5uyMj3LR0gE_LiR063OEOM37Sndr70bf7OxUQLkMHow9VXWq-JsGbwW0g/s2048/20231031%2005%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8rqdMoC9Zoob2y5V680H31bW6qzyEDky_nSmzHfEmXDzhX1coGnOduQSAjHfVDXAGxeFVAuMhkWviJmQhbAISvjHsodp4Qiia811UapeqZRogICcntEbNzEF6LzBXdd5uyMj3LR0gE_LiR063OEOM37Sndr70bf7OxUQLkMHow9VXWq-JsGbwW0g/s320/20231031%2005%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvQ0xhm8fgj6-j8_LxYjqvRnle9MzY-CU50Jw3jByOFZwIeKMXQIgkys9SX6FmlXydRbRLFbcD2CSBFo4ai4v7THwy-lTl_tu7fyvRND7GqMv4RRIjGe3Q4NWOMs4hIG_OC4tNN__1Rx2Z63P2QQuQq57Io4WsbnPpoKqiGlZN25K9ni5BqkLYXEU/s2048/20231031%2006%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvQ0xhm8fgj6-j8_LxYjqvRnle9MzY-CU50Jw3jByOFZwIeKMXQIgkys9SX6FmlXydRbRLFbcD2CSBFo4ai4v7THwy-lTl_tu7fyvRND7GqMv4RRIjGe3Q4NWOMs4hIG_OC4tNN__1Rx2Z63P2QQuQq57Io4WsbnPpoKqiGlZN25K9ni5BqkLYXEU/s320/20231031%2006%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy88RW-shtcVv7vzhJQNHEp8XzIjAkzt4w0W3Z_peJRCamzKnFrcuE6kpWFX80FssLoGR9WV1GFx-V2O1H1Mqo6LGSA_x8BqwmOuKs6_mnKfgeTQw2MICtXwMV_dizCnoFzQcUnkwHpEigcw11GAsoTmjsprUU5tXgHAAJ4IDA2clnUND-2meA7LZ4/s2048/20231031%2007%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy88RW-shtcVv7vzhJQNHEp8XzIjAkzt4w0W3Z_peJRCamzKnFrcuE6kpWFX80FssLoGR9WV1GFx-V2O1H1Mqo6LGSA_x8BqwmOuKs6_mnKfgeTQw2MICtXwMV_dizCnoFzQcUnkwHpEigcw11GAsoTmjsprUU5tXgHAAJ4IDA2clnUND-2meA7LZ4/s320/20231031%2007%20last%20year's%20blank%20ars%20gratia%20artis.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, I hadn't received a response from the Foundation. I decided to call. The receptionist was very polite about telling me that yes, they'd received the letter, and that they hadn't formulated a response. "You should talk to the grants office," she told me, and gave me a phone number that turned out to be wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div>I found the correct number and connected with the grants office, which consisted of one person, interim, of course. She was overly enthusiastic about helping us when I explained the situation. "I'm super motivated," she said, explaining, "I wanted to take that class in the spring!"<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>She asked to meet with the class to go over what our grant options were. She'd help us put and application together. "One thing, though," she said. "Any proposal has to get the Dean's permission." After some back-and-forth with the Colonel, we agreed that she'd arrive 15 minutes before class the following Thursday.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday, I decided to make dots for the pattern assignment. I had a to-do list now, and dots were on that list.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E7ooGv1cbkkB_Pe4skoSL5pD8Qwyo7r1Bo0CiZ2mWRtTT-BOYwUBjQ-zZZIfUmUOyOpew1GWurvFRc5moB9oIZ2m9Y850Y2ItiXCipOm7j-xNkz5Bf0Gawopx9OnGsDsWcNk-VvJuBmwSM_bk6_5Rt_eV38o61I4WufQtzoJCJ0epsxmbFBxKPEO/s2048/20231102%2001%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E7ooGv1cbkkB_Pe4skoSL5pD8Qwyo7r1Bo0CiZ2mWRtTT-BOYwUBjQ-zZZIfUmUOyOpew1GWurvFRc5moB9oIZ2m9Y850Y2ItiXCipOm7j-xNkz5Bf0Gawopx9OnGsDsWcNk-VvJuBmwSM_bk6_5Rt_eV38o61I4WufQtzoJCJ0epsxmbFBxKPEO/s320/20231102%2001%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8o_VAZE9RBWrKLZZ5oSi8p10jXUZZr0Rl0R1BikZUknqEVz3cfFLV_ptuliR6lWulnNyN4plQUBjpDCSGV_MJgIQi-fnv4i-BhUNL8UPl7e3PC8xf64AWwrvIi93la7CM_bW4cy85FAAdCoWCpfNLW9Pgy1HFUiAudNxUyc71-WeUIYeW1VBzPQS/s2048/20231102%2003%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8o_VAZE9RBWrKLZZ5oSi8p10jXUZZr0Rl0R1BikZUknqEVz3cfFLV_ptuliR6lWulnNyN4plQUBjpDCSGV_MJgIQi-fnv4i-BhUNL8UPl7e3PC8xf64AWwrvIi93la7CM_bW4cy85FAAdCoWCpfNLW9Pgy1HFUiAudNxUyc71-WeUIYeW1VBzPQS/s320/20231102%2003%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I was still mixing threads on long-neck vases. There's something satisfying about creating this shape. There's pulling and swinging and just enough lack of control to make the endeavor fun.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QZ72pZBnYPrWvfKtNxzGwxLnTV5b2yjY21kzTi5wCl6Q2S0VsAgMDu7hoGZtTaB-y3AfdEwOWK3dIbqqzUM84wvXnlkxhmBYiJ7kXxk1EY3_3UgftFMEpOVjSgB09fJiSpg1grI5RCZvDaea9-gYRBLrO-sdJq-aRIB7eGT4ogoqXjd7rqA91lpM/s2048/20231102%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QZ72pZBnYPrWvfKtNxzGwxLnTV5b2yjY21kzTi5wCl6Q2S0VsAgMDu7hoGZtTaB-y3AfdEwOWK3dIbqqzUM84wvXnlkxhmBYiJ7kXxk1EY3_3UgftFMEpOVjSgB09fJiSpg1grI5RCZvDaea9-gYRBLrO-sdJq-aRIB7eGT4ogoqXjd7rqA91lpM/s320/20231102%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygJlKHeR4a-2NUrGXt3QrqAZojc0XWd6Jz6khu3ZCJQ7TyCKCABYGUSUtvtgf9o9ddjaM131Q8xExcpm9rh9LJpsC5tAgvkX-QfMJr49FsQ6kWiojJjrg9fxP0lcddt9d23B7cwU_t3IItmDF6t4g8BUlCNKvG6lsiFUW6-We2ki5svy6p9Jx50X0/s2048/20231102%2005%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygJlKHeR4a-2NUrGXt3QrqAZojc0XWd6Jz6khu3ZCJQ7TyCKCABYGUSUtvtgf9o9ddjaM131Q8xExcpm9rh9LJpsC5tAgvkX-QfMJr49FsQ6kWiojJjrg9fxP0lcddt9d23B7cwU_t3IItmDF6t4g8BUlCNKvG6lsiFUW6-We2ki5svy6p9Jx50X0/s320/20231102%2005%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsocSl06iz3BJlvonilT4T-AAU8C7b0GWa4ChHqvPMiThXx4ydugi05yk-UaWRk_Kwy09f6qjjEiHR5qNokBe59ZDJ7vjhxu6Ra-XxvT7LfOQVH6ACY6pfTgO8mHP6wdCM_sVBf1LUqbk8czEx97Pu3sTbVrPAqyTcleHf4VkiBaKqvodCPmpC98m1/s2048/20231102%2006%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsocSl06iz3BJlvonilT4T-AAU8C7b0GWa4ChHqvPMiThXx4ydugi05yk-UaWRk_Kwy09f6qjjEiHR5qNokBe59ZDJ7vjhxu6Ra-XxvT7LfOQVH6ACY6pfTgO8mHP6wdCM_sVBf1LUqbk8czEx97Pu3sTbVrPAqyTcleHf4VkiBaKqvodCPmpC98m1/s320/20231102%2006%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvlsNX2h-MYc3xCVNz22Fho1aPh94rpzntkaw0wy8nnHWNKOYN181HucXN_Zwv-sFxl5LnEdpXE641cIvWoNtRgRqP1z7d5E1JwMFpR-tzLMcRLTM-dQlnFnh8OSYk6b2j0HkFSIyZ-qnzKIHoxXxg6JMFbHG0hS0fr06g2ltdpJNXgdIXm09Lpa3/s2048/20231102%2007%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvlsNX2h-MYc3xCVNz22Fho1aPh94rpzntkaw0wy8nnHWNKOYN181HucXN_Zwv-sFxl5LnEdpXE641cIvWoNtRgRqP1z7d5E1JwMFpR-tzLMcRLTM-dQlnFnh8OSYk6b2j0HkFSIyZ-qnzKIHoxXxg6JMFbHG0hS0fr06g2ltdpJNXgdIXm09Lpa3/s320/20231102%2007%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Also on the list, a "tree of life" ornament. That's an ornament with a trunk and branches inside, essentially a witch's ball with a set pattern. Although tiny, my first attempt almost succeeded. Flying in the face of the Colonel's "the first is the worst" principle, all my subsequent attempts failed. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R51uyelG9L2VjIzweep1N1p9BBMCfDnWm27KNQnfov9amVtuhEe5gGWqeBrwTEA16mshtjcg6I9p_NBl1UGfL5BauPxnOLwNgSi1VxpUR1yqpy1EMgaGLnxwR6R5-d7Re-qLWHNldzwYKppVBD4b4dOjH0C7amrVHL-c8f_XliLkudfelKDSNTOX/s2048/20231102%2008%20first%20attempt%20tree%20of%20life%20ornament.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R51uyelG9L2VjIzweep1N1p9BBMCfDnWm27KNQnfov9amVtuhEe5gGWqeBrwTEA16mshtjcg6I9p_NBl1UGfL5BauPxnOLwNgSi1VxpUR1yqpy1EMgaGLnxwR6R5-d7Re-qLWHNldzwYKppVBD4b4dOjH0C7amrVHL-c8f_XliLkudfelKDSNTOX/s320/20231102%2008%20first%20attempt%20tree%20of%20life%20ornament.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IHVOkAN0k-pZUtc1mNPao0z4w0HtqbApRMw9ND0S00huruqjARoxUnQgg-t3D64XZmeg3Y9hW5VpVcm7Qa_A6X5EMVd9TFGgS8Eip5eN_JtZKgVLKMUrrurG4I-WkTp4KDAn7I0eMDll5JyOrky7O0Jlb1nNk109-bWNQAVtneIjGYUX-vzbyFT6/s2048/20231102%2010%20first%20attempt%20tree%20of%20life%20ornament.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IHVOkAN0k-pZUtc1mNPao0z4w0HtqbApRMw9ND0S00huruqjARoxUnQgg-t3D64XZmeg3Y9hW5VpVcm7Qa_A6X5EMVd9TFGgS8Eip5eN_JtZKgVLKMUrrurG4I-WkTp4KDAn7I0eMDll5JyOrky7O0Jlb1nNk109-bWNQAVtneIjGYUX-vzbyFT6/s320/20231102%2010%20first%20attempt%20tree%20of%20life%20ornament.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took home two gigantic thread leftovers and shoved them into the ground next to one from last semester.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lMomOpAr4D58J3i2wjVTCZH3g3ausxRCP1l4p-4GVPb-7f0SKFiDHrhtLCJyfWt9kHlS2kzlm0EKEzqZt5lLhd59sxBA5v4Ni9GEClZ23cFS-kYXCGK-webHZMRj7fmZ_emGBvtUcBgkdnuMjkbhA-CcqSmxhO5NpfBGvZ9wXl5knZxiYqjUeuYw/s2048/20231103%2001%20scrap%20thread%20sticks%20in%20yard.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lMomOpAr4D58J3i2wjVTCZH3g3ausxRCP1l4p-4GVPb-7f0SKFiDHrhtLCJyfWt9kHlS2kzlm0EKEzqZt5lLhd59sxBA5v4Ni9GEClZ23cFS-kYXCGK-webHZMRj7fmZ_emGBvtUcBgkdnuMjkbhA-CcqSmxhO5NpfBGvZ9wXl5knZxiYqjUeuYw/s320/20231103%2001%20scrap%20thread%20sticks%20in%20yard.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I wandered around the yard, taking pictures of the morning sun hitting the saints.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzVtIM0kmEs86jD2gJeP5KyJnJo9u5YhXBvAe7NrjlXq0i7jbwZdWjvsUc8WsOVIL6E1bFodECIo23A1bJwRg0Ch-mCCSFWfcCnN6P10QDxmLCS_F1st2CsdjU87N-pQbWO_kjQPH-O67gCW7uZWoVTkNH9As7Mti9HvC51aloSeJgzimBvAwIKex/s2048/20231103%2002%20frosty%20Saint%20Vitreous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzVtIM0kmEs86jD2gJeP5KyJnJo9u5YhXBvAe7NrjlXq0i7jbwZdWjvsUc8WsOVIL6E1bFodECIo23A1bJwRg0Ch-mCCSFWfcCnN6P10QDxmLCS_F1st2CsdjU87N-pQbWO_kjQPH-O67gCW7uZWoVTkNH9As7Mti9HvC51aloSeJgzimBvAwIKex/s320/20231103%2002%20frosty%20Saint%20Vitreous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Vitreous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwAYW6sJlbu672UQIERu78t7BqHgqGznQPFvqpBuV_61Q1xxnJaIu5J3dnCnFlTSUkS6J0M_VHXDqGiY0C3Pk_E5sKIMOcZN_DhrgfyThqYd3GsS8dW8pyhZ3FpClMG0Y8hvBb4LnPdud7A9gbzzvDyPVd3Fx7jV6adK01VCoInvQdu61NBHbMDRg/s2048/20231103%2003%20Spiders%20on%20Drugs.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwAYW6sJlbu672UQIERu78t7BqHgqGznQPFvqpBuV_61Q1xxnJaIu5J3dnCnFlTSUkS6J0M_VHXDqGiY0C3Pk_E5sKIMOcZN_DhrgfyThqYd3GsS8dW8pyhZ3FpClMG0Y8hvBb4LnPdud7A9gbzzvDyPVd3Fx7jV6adK01VCoInvQdu61NBHbMDRg/s320/20231103%2003%20Spiders%20on%20Drugs.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Spiders On Drugs</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4YL-4fRw6W4ls1UzGasCU0yjq3MlKns4E6nvN53vDu8BTQAGDmlEe6lpDWDoMXbklYD-rfdqXPlUBwTVApfPvbFbXqOegJ67txXvO_l1xItHGZMQdpuzfJ4haZrmooNNrMKttQVGW1gRgnL1QtduzdIrnrRf6BTYIKETBc1UcLL0eHqO2dBcRSpK/s2048/20231103%2004%20Saint%20Orbitus.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4YL-4fRw6W4ls1UzGasCU0yjq3MlKns4E6nvN53vDu8BTQAGDmlEe6lpDWDoMXbklYD-rfdqXPlUBwTVApfPvbFbXqOegJ67txXvO_l1xItHGZMQdpuzfJ4haZrmooNNrMKttQVGW1gRgnL1QtduzdIrnrRf6BTYIKETBc1UcLL0eHqO2dBcRSpK/s320/20231103%2004%20Saint%20Orbitus.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Orbitus</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2TXvGm_0QijZmk2n0MJvZd8KJjenAbpBvXXBlc7O-GY7TKDT4c6ZmmAOsezEYx2Rfb5lv7JkQppdO-hLPPMmtderCKFw1tGfbFQ0niBy5X1We4la-JRw88nP_47rRKjB4RJhCvt9m4gTcCaGIjGqgBo8DtdvvinbG5ttzmEr_iMwuZtgpk8IKbCV/s2048/20231103%2005%20First%20Light.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2TXvGm_0QijZmk2n0MJvZd8KJjenAbpBvXXBlc7O-GY7TKDT4c6ZmmAOsezEYx2Rfb5lv7JkQppdO-hLPPMmtderCKFw1tGfbFQ0niBy5X1We4la-JRw88nP_47rRKjB4RJhCvt9m4gTcCaGIjGqgBo8DtdvvinbG5ttzmEr_iMwuZtgpk8IKbCV/s320/20231103%2005%20First%20Light.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">First Light</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCUJ25ED01tDzrfbSJuHTI5skG7plpD77SYxNDPJZukB5ZPIIRmhni8OWYbyKi6Sx3O5XQLwp7DbdpYVuS4ErgsfyDHaNxmm1dH1w6rqQPGtpLZcnyNvbuzKJnI5eIkMhk8bzK5HXEjmuqU3bbjmeUjjnBgL8ca_xQH-LxTPf2jiNbu_DjcYiHLoZ/s2048/20231103%2006%20All%20Cash%20Everything.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCUJ25ED01tDzrfbSJuHTI5skG7plpD77SYxNDPJZukB5ZPIIRmhni8OWYbyKi6Sx3O5XQLwp7DbdpYVuS4ErgsfyDHaNxmm1dH1w6rqQPGtpLZcnyNvbuzKJnI5eIkMhk8bzK5HXEjmuqU3bbjmeUjjnBgL8ca_xQH-LxTPf2jiNbu_DjcYiHLoZ/s320/20231103%2006%20All%20Cash%20Everything.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All Cash Everything</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNC7xbWZHNvMtt0WD75za2gfRSvEcdDkopnEWZ-2mqwW0MX_tGE3lnN5MC6vASTJFG4H2XtfXgjZdjc-2GZmisRlKHrb93Q9OCUOraQzlKnhqgeZZAckn0SbIQBF0_0_-16GBRXrAEl8_kv874GlgyHc9FraIhFAhZPtWnxuHxs221yMImENj8hiW-/s2048/20231103%2007%20frosty%20Saint%20Cullet.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNC7xbWZHNvMtt0WD75za2gfRSvEcdDkopnEWZ-2mqwW0MX_tGE3lnN5MC6vASTJFG4H2XtfXgjZdjc-2GZmisRlKHrb93Q9OCUOraQzlKnhqgeZZAckn0SbIQBF0_0_-16GBRXrAEl8_kv874GlgyHc9FraIhFAhZPtWnxuHxs221yMImENj8hiW-/s320/20231103%2007%20frosty%20Saint%20Cullet.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Cullet</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxL_1R-OtQBlGG3qQTlweFhJbdlFdicujKZuH-CSVMSIj8eoePGhPPiYmjL5SMpqNxu4UVAynkFOl4uCTp_iW7dHXxgefnnR4d8HGGu0sl87B-xJpGqjuxZQvSIRggDczFAr_hak5ysSbcOZPFoSqotOEkdm24NdDXOdXNLmN-s4w_0Slf6h1qxty/s2048/20231103%2008%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxL_1R-OtQBlGG3qQTlweFhJbdlFdicujKZuH-CSVMSIj8eoePGhPPiYmjL5SMpqNxu4UVAynkFOl4uCTp_iW7dHXxgefnnR4d8HGGu0sl87B-xJpGqjuxZQvSIRggDczFAr_hak5ysSbcOZPFoSqotOEkdm24NdDXOdXNLmN-s4w_0Slf6h1qxty/s320/20231103%2008%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHv22EI37dhEoMIoJ9j5h5osipkD062260841-_DhJZeUl908J5tLMUBpkU-_X0VhNYlAVDtD-34WKFTPy0eFH9-Tjotvor0pwTirMl0BCShPz4URXXVq2BDjuHT7ykeQ0ngfr0mrfdVG7HE0KR_4gLN-hb-SJm_GzhOianqbbNmMpgfvTC2p8_YM/s2048/20231103%2009%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHv22EI37dhEoMIoJ9j5h5osipkD062260841-_DhJZeUl908J5tLMUBpkU-_X0VhNYlAVDtD-34WKFTPy0eFH9-Tjotvor0pwTirMl0BCShPz4URXXVq2BDjuHT7ykeQ0ngfr0mrfdVG7HE0KR_4gLN-hb-SJm_GzhOianqbbNmMpgfvTC2p8_YM/s320/20231103%2009%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHi5pSPV3jAxmMVudFnO4rv3keL2VmIZE5uLfp85hhnYCb-R7fgNW8Ua62b_hifd4CM37KDAmJmGfD6NsdQLDDt2lVuErmXwkhZEqhHvijo2AGNob8hfsextHLvNfniJ0QYECbPyAMFCeTVWW7BhhmR2QFIfnG_WLpxmH8XNQdEE9WbYX6K0yuu5MJ/s2048/20231103%2010%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHi5pSPV3jAxmMVudFnO4rv3keL2VmIZE5uLfp85hhnYCb-R7fgNW8Ua62b_hifd4CM37KDAmJmGfD6NsdQLDDt2lVuErmXwkhZEqhHvijo2AGNob8hfsextHLvNfniJ0QYECbPyAMFCeTVWW7BhhmR2QFIfnG_WLpxmH8XNQdEE9WbYX6K0yuu5MJ/s320/20231103%2010%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmw2LSX6SKsg5aogwvDEo_T5gChKeKxQ6c_y4QWALdcNx5x6BTShRfzXy8CjWWETsB-QNoPiSLeSIerMnJAtDAyzPZ9fS5LxN6Q7ubuvHLWFezczWClNOu9nVSdJtDeQo5Qj6QxOduHWeLuQ1Y1678BuxdlT6McmhxIGGftKV1V_-PwNiLzC3ff-j/s2048/20231103%2011%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmw2LSX6SKsg5aogwvDEo_T5gChKeKxQ6c_y4QWALdcNx5x6BTShRfzXy8CjWWETsB-QNoPiSLeSIerMnJAtDAyzPZ9fS5LxN6Q7ubuvHLWFezczWClNOu9nVSdJtDeQo5Qj6QxOduHWeLuQ1Y1678BuxdlT6McmhxIGGftKV1V_-PwNiLzC3ff-j/s320/20231103%2011%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6N7Uu7R2SOyl57K0amwDUTEkKMToEvaSEhb5EL6EahU7Ly_sLE6K1RZWtgRwjuuROYtk8we3xd650T_0D6Ox-33nfP5tkyWFoDGfu9iIZ0zLnLHF6kIf9fttdlhji5OPxOQgrWojS6foF2tRuhg0a7yHbeinDBjNBTEIMMWAXrIo9SEj8ClcRkWr/s2048/20231103%2012%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6N7Uu7R2SOyl57K0amwDUTEkKMToEvaSEhb5EL6EahU7Ly_sLE6K1RZWtgRwjuuROYtk8we3xd650T_0D6Ox-33nfP5tkyWFoDGfu9iIZ0zLnLHF6kIf9fttdlhji5OPxOQgrWojS6foF2tRuhg0a7yHbeinDBjNBTEIMMWAXrIo9SEj8ClcRkWr/s320/20231103%2012%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirD0l9etho7Z1u-DmzIREIzEW2A3-sPkm6r0wreM1hlumEB5Vt_5nqJMsXwr38zu1uynvHV88XiYCu6TAvjv3JT-GgpmClknnpLe13x0kh8owCYl3tqBFYdKOZYG3Wl2G1WDK9BSwa7kxslYo3g7KR9waNLXNWjExmdVqD39Cxw9kBkPXSWs4ZHAW/s2048/20231103%2013%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirD0l9etho7Z1u-DmzIREIzEW2A3-sPkm6r0wreM1hlumEB5Vt_5nqJMsXwr38zu1uynvHV88XiYCu6TAvjv3JT-GgpmClknnpLe13x0kh8owCYl3tqBFYdKOZYG3Wl2G1WDK9BSwa7kxslYo3g7KR9waNLXNWjExmdVqD39Cxw9kBkPXSWs4ZHAW/s320/20231103%2013%20Frosty%20Saint%20Polychromatous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saint Polychromatous</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7prHJRdFkeMLuyjwrorn_JG1j56pifZBrVuN6IFsnVQPCondzxPwxFcSc1k1a6NftVeD08iXzxGgMXFINnKxCPIim3FV59vM6WW5suerXPyp5yBBYnXQwwpFfvn4IRIyvKNSJShZ75Ix4NCAnBbinKM8wpxlnjwAqT-M__2fRj_Dw5288xWINlXCt/s2048/20231103%2014%20outside%20ornament%20shadows.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7prHJRdFkeMLuyjwrorn_JG1j56pifZBrVuN6IFsnVQPCondzxPwxFcSc1k1a6NftVeD08iXzxGgMXFINnKxCPIim3FV59vM6WW5suerXPyp5yBBYnXQwwpFfvn4IRIyvKNSJShZ75Ix4NCAnBbinKM8wpxlnjwAqT-M__2fRj_Dw5288xWINlXCt/s320/20231103%2014%20outside%20ornament%20shadows.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shadows of Ornaments for Sale</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe all this is enough? Inside, the shelves are packed, two levels held open for the future. I could spread things out, give them room to show themselves. This hobby can't go on forever. There's no room for it to go on forever. There's only so much I can give away. Nobody's buying the stuff I have up on Etsy. Even if I decide to get rid of one old piece for every new one that comes in, that old piece has to go somewhere. Each piece is a story. What stories do I discard? </div><div><br /></div><div>I spent days with the Sunday's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHsip5xOenQ" target="_blank">Here's Where the Story Ends</a>" in my head, never mind that the lyrics had nothing to do with this.</div><div><br /></div><div>We still had a month left, and a crit coming up.</div><div><br /></div><div>I made another dots vessel. It got away from me a little towards the end. I embraced the anarchy.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qWobinz5ekPzrtvAjlsFjYoISfaswPNHZA2ZBuvM3E5zcqcwytn0Ahvww9o654pG3sn1LP5Rw8DFEXR4XwlWmHHWpUWDe290HGNyXCqeF2GSTstESLVaJss1onKoWbhmtOlUgBU9G5xkMVIs8_pOeOd6ACXwPGtpEF07YX8jrN3ZSN8PGy1YoGfp/s2048/20231109%2003%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qWobinz5ekPzrtvAjlsFjYoISfaswPNHZA2ZBuvM3E5zcqcwytn0Ahvww9o654pG3sn1LP5Rw8DFEXR4XwlWmHHWpUWDe290HGNyXCqeF2GSTstESLVaJss1onKoWbhmtOlUgBU9G5xkMVIs8_pOeOd6ACXwPGtpEF07YX8jrN3ZSN8PGy1YoGfp/s320/20231109%2003%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMswfbmA7DifjV8Ctwq5A0lVO2Z35ae6C3TbRnfAnPN7vflx8-LwPDR5hygL5l1wbG6NyvzvbLKt987jkQTe5LBvXarjPyxW5tatetorWCAanIc4_e0K3WliTmF1LnZBHQTM8TnWBA33XVe4hRkp-xPy4h1W8P6NfL_wiroAdl9RHgHEMy1ZW19T8/s2048/20231109%2004%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMswfbmA7DifjV8Ctwq5A0lVO2Z35ae6C3TbRnfAnPN7vflx8-LwPDR5hygL5l1wbG6NyvzvbLKt987jkQTe5LBvXarjPyxW5tatetorWCAanIc4_e0K3WliTmF1LnZBHQTM8TnWBA33XVe4hRkp-xPy4h1W8P6NfL_wiroAdl9RHgHEMy1ZW19T8/s320/20231109%2004%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7pjL0WYZEOzcnMb-6OjsPT6OBwRH1ecSvlYuVxXCIPVnCYECryVZV_iwYM912NA2q7ZUes5_ezTbxanyWkE3J6mdB6xNUgrgBHBoCCgHftChQhCibHFvdEN6exM8prliQhamvuYeuH8BUeecPMgF1orNTMtdrHAZ4BejdntY_troety9LJB9AScV/s2048/20231109%2005%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7pjL0WYZEOzcnMb-6OjsPT6OBwRH1ecSvlYuVxXCIPVnCYECryVZV_iwYM912NA2q7ZUes5_ezTbxanyWkE3J6mdB6xNUgrgBHBoCCgHftChQhCibHFvdEN6exM8prliQhamvuYeuH8BUeecPMgF1orNTMtdrHAZ4BejdntY_troety9LJB9AScV/s320/20231109%2005%20pattern%20assignment%20dots%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I was getting near finished with the random thread thing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ojjEtWJTEugGKAFE08SxLc8Lf1rBnGrPsbJGNYC_PBf_UtxmGE-U2A5nVoWPrQCKVPocPw8KyLDPJ3EVZFtEs_LGB4MQOUUFyQbTlYm0pOqWWLBS7q8RjvbAmOrpIkPaI4rBcydC6IIcgc7qV6P_t-GGeho_TaprJF_CeYlkNnKJGyzee7tMdLkM/s2048/20231109%2006%20narcissus%20with%20cherry%20red%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ojjEtWJTEugGKAFE08SxLc8Lf1rBnGrPsbJGNYC_PBf_UtxmGE-U2A5nVoWPrQCKVPocPw8KyLDPJ3EVZFtEs_LGB4MQOUUFyQbTlYm0pOqWWLBS7q8RjvbAmOrpIkPaI4rBcydC6IIcgc7qV6P_t-GGeho_TaprJF_CeYlkNnKJGyzee7tMdLkM/s320/20231109%2006%20narcissus%20with%20cherry%20red%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGRTYJaweE0X6_dvmqArXuXbADwcmjJiwpFggfbwoN_KToHhiWfPx2T4lzQQcKYUjmf7jqHliejbZTLdRZxarI93S0fpPFU41-yRmZSWbJjeZeJkGEwj7SKXn5vtHQmgSrNVGZ-N3Fb0YXeTslql5zFvonU2BndbFRcqv1Vx2B7IQ-0i6lxFuHJ1X/s2048/20231109%2007%20narcissus%20with%20cherry%20red%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGRTYJaweE0X6_dvmqArXuXbADwcmjJiwpFggfbwoN_KToHhiWfPx2T4lzQQcKYUjmf7jqHliejbZTLdRZxarI93S0fpPFU41-yRmZSWbJjeZeJkGEwj7SKXn5vtHQmgSrNVGZ-N3Fb0YXeTslql5zFvonU2BndbFRcqv1Vx2B7IQ-0i6lxFuHJ1X/s320/20231109%2007%20narcissus%20with%20cherry%20red%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvTjWIHRP4_6FHSQMV6MH3Wqnxu1ZDUtxCEBlfpWkPthJ3R_a3Ct1ieKvD9BVM_hMt5qgktoTrKHmbn6DAoi1PUrdlAPzMUsmiE7k6aE46Xnliln1kzr4SCPiKft-0JkZj_EG3VFrTLrJVVE2fTyKwMF2kitOcpinllZ44wTNomj9uNn_S1lqF3yR/s2048/20231109%2009%20narcissus%20with%20cherry%20red%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvTjWIHRP4_6FHSQMV6MH3Wqnxu1ZDUtxCEBlfpWkPthJ3R_a3Ct1ieKvD9BVM_hMt5qgktoTrKHmbn6DAoi1PUrdlAPzMUsmiE7k6aE46Xnliln1kzr4SCPiKft-0JkZj_EG3VFrTLrJVVE2fTyKwMF2kitOcpinllZ44wTNomj9uNn_S1lqF3yR/s320/20231109%2009%20narcissus%20with%20cherry%20red%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There were more tree of life failures than I could count. Some never made it off the pipe. Others got tossed when they came out of the annealer. I went back to making tiny witch's balls instead. There, the inner threads can be random.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSbZknDBu2UM0QuMW1hlXRs0W2nYq7OTUictdVVPOkisxCsgHL7WP7O8GldupwPUMF5X-YqjYz-NQr5q01lFqXCo_aBrHsCRJwg_CY_RGd0DJbmI6_PL2Ue9zCfPIxJYB4z70_h5KMMuK982WqkkNE5yz3NwSWWKXH3tkZqFuEf2WhJYSxOlk1i4V/s2048/20231111%2009%20witch's%20ball%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSbZknDBu2UM0QuMW1hlXRs0W2nYq7OTUictdVVPOkisxCsgHL7WP7O8GldupwPUMF5X-YqjYz-NQr5q01lFqXCo_aBrHsCRJwg_CY_RGd0DJbmI6_PL2Ue9zCfPIxJYB4z70_h5KMMuK982WqkkNE5yz3NwSWWKXH3tkZqFuEf2WhJYSxOlk1i4V/s320/20231111%2009%20witch's%20ball%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I think this one got tossed.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>The grants coordinator canceled our meeting hours before it was set to happen, saying she was going home sick.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>I snagged a Saturday morning. New Grace was on vacation. I worked with LT2. I had one last idea for a random thread vessel. I laid out the frit. Then I picked it up in the wrong order. Oh well. We used the big torch to reduce the surface. It shined up nicely and became one of my favorite vases.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRSWP5IPQVDQV7Nm8o6fTdTslm6bL-7ugpt0WPxFKGyBpdRczkNEbMOVcgnTag0AVMgD_wNxHRCTZAskX-N9MN6CMfIxZyDFjdIit-c07XrNKyL-nT7b9N5ev3zpdV0_WnQsYbswADeZZvV6_lngNoHW4MDhtlFWn7WWJJOECIJxSq6vi9OIrAvpx/s2048/20231113%2001%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRSWP5IPQVDQV7Nm8o6fTdTslm6bL-7ugpt0WPxFKGyBpdRczkNEbMOVcgnTag0AVMgD_wNxHRCTZAskX-N9MN6CMfIxZyDFjdIit-c07XrNKyL-nT7b9N5ev3zpdV0_WnQsYbswADeZZvV6_lngNoHW4MDhtlFWn7WWJJOECIJxSq6vi9OIrAvpx/s320/20231113%2001%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgro2fdYlZ0cVVWmruhS-sNYc79wIEbT3CEaxUfEXD2-BV_5EAWiRBVRJQOznxKT-9AiyxCOCaI3IIBIKbrMUZZv262tvx5FaIWf0RE_IRoi7pYvw4VMLwaZ5W-aQ2EehC_bCNZ3XUXVRNYfmSMsHx99C1WEt6iY075V6sF2ilNpphSacQ2GBmUlhVZ/s2048/20231113%2002%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgro2fdYlZ0cVVWmruhS-sNYc79wIEbT3CEaxUfEXD2-BV_5EAWiRBVRJQOznxKT-9AiyxCOCaI3IIBIKbrMUZZv262tvx5FaIWf0RE_IRoi7pYvw4VMLwaZ5W-aQ2EehC_bCNZ3XUXVRNYfmSMsHx99C1WEt6iY075V6sF2ilNpphSacQ2GBmUlhVZ/s320/20231113%2002%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq86RX4gBECPPLmxYNQToNTfM50U2RQnkAVUGZVXhBgB-qq02MW0Wc65QnLbb8Csk1A2lLH1F4vUPre1JRldycG5raX_qHqIaIX-h9vmlhYIpS286k62alegU15-VebTce1IGlCUNDTOPNV2X88y6kUhk0Zu7scfXvK5ogIXXvsPDuMvW8SmNyReqV/s2048/20231113%2003%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq86RX4gBECPPLmxYNQToNTfM50U2RQnkAVUGZVXhBgB-qq02MW0Wc65QnLbb8Csk1A2lLH1F4vUPre1JRldycG5raX_qHqIaIX-h9vmlhYIpS286k62alegU15-VebTce1IGlCUNDTOPNV2X88y6kUhk0Zu7scfXvK5ogIXXvsPDuMvW8SmNyReqV/s320/20231113%2003%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did another thread vase with green aventurine. It was too dark to show the opaline thread I put on top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKm_MHRbv2UhkitQO09xPpmPQJARMmPjMyfLAbOtgF6J5xLhyD6JCUYeCg747LZjN5wxJ1EPN2L4F0Uc6k5WROYp0YoPXzoYnJNUXxvbfvHE-kvdwCWOyRRYiEOTLYchbBuhek64zAV5LLoK59Dbkk0vvNQDulc-njkOcRthIALGMrRQprj50R9zV/s2048/20231113%2008%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKm_MHRbv2UhkitQO09xPpmPQJARMmPjMyfLAbOtgF6J5xLhyD6JCUYeCg747LZjN5wxJ1EPN2L4F0Uc6k5WROYp0YoPXzoYnJNUXxvbfvHE-kvdwCWOyRRYiEOTLYchbBuhek64zAV5LLoK59Dbkk0vvNQDulc-njkOcRthIALGMrRQprj50R9zV/s320/20231113%2008%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>All morning, folks from the other shops had been coming in to take random pieces to the display case in the hallway. We handed off a bunch of work from years before that had been gathering dust on shelves and corners in the classroom. We gave them Art Thing too. I was glad to see that gone. "I hate that piece," LT2 said.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was some sort of event going on in the building next door, "Art in Bloom," having something to do with the floral design program I guess. There had been a loose suggestion that we could exhibit some of our work, but in the chaos, we never found out the details. That didn't help our cause at all. We needed to be visible, not forgotten.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then a small crowd filtered in and sat in the folding chairs we'd set out. I'd just started making a small vessel for an idea I had. I'd never blown glass in front of an audience before. Except in that dream a few weeks ago. I kept it small, because that's how I am when I'm nervous.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkKBhFTydBVWiiPDgI5wt56g6oQq4txInWZLMOyH_nrmKBxqBkpEAQoDaTW6TY3G4SXsyOU7hgFj6w7E2Kvxi6_Fxist0THkJCJoG2XCk4eNxcnfauElW_OAFBTQI-qni3Kbq1K7UkyvF3MydH8CVKVr-Fxl2FvDm5l9rcn_7DzjmXJI5cfPdWmw7/s2048/20231113%2004%20kespeadooksit%20blank.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkKBhFTydBVWiiPDgI5wt56g6oQq4txInWZLMOyH_nrmKBxqBkpEAQoDaTW6TY3G4SXsyOU7hgFj6w7E2Kvxi6_Fxist0THkJCJoG2XCk4eNxcnfauElW_OAFBTQI-qni3Kbq1K7UkyvF3MydH8CVKVr-Fxl2FvDm5l9rcn_7DzjmXJI5cfPdWmw7/s320/20231113%2004%20kespeadooksit%20blank.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ty7NGIghZ5dCmfl9BSlLt97cyuQbvYppoPYYayNkSzcaj53goBKgvGkF2RuFdxhNOBOu-WeF4K36_71K4I_M4j7mqVmBOBC0USDI_wk2UCc2RommMujwCVXPp_jmdncnLIGBrTs4HA5-CtEaBaLe8tgZVu6R_9RjNdhdocHkfG5U3Iof3J-wqf9R/s2048/20231113%2005%20kespeadooksit%20blank.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ty7NGIghZ5dCmfl9BSlLt97cyuQbvYppoPYYayNkSzcaj53goBKgvGkF2RuFdxhNOBOu-WeF4K36_71K4I_M4j7mqVmBOBC0USDI_wk2UCc2RommMujwCVXPp_jmdncnLIGBrTs4HA5-CtEaBaLe8tgZVu6R_9RjNdhdocHkfG5U3Iof3J-wqf9R/s320/20231113%2005%20kespeadooksit%20blank.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>LT2 made a big fish for the crowd. It was far more impressive than my dinky little cup. I don't even remember what was going on at the other bench, probably something big and flashy from Tall Vase or Pumpkin Master.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Monday I retrieved my work from Saturday so that I could hot glue a word onto the little white vase.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday, as I was walking to my car on my way from work to class, I called the grants coordinator. She hadn't responded to my suggestion that she come to this Thursday's class instead.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm so glad you called," she said. "I didn't know how to say this in an email."</div><div><br /></div><div>Uh oh.</div><div><br /></div><div>She wanted to keep our conversation confidential. "The class knows everything I know," I told her. I wasn't going to hide anything. All she could say was that she'd spoken to her superior and had been told that she was not to work with us on any attempts to find funding to repair or upgrade the classroom. She didn't say why. </div><div><br /></div><div>I felt completely gaslit. The Dean had said, "Talk to the Foundation." The Foundation had said, "Talk to the grants coordinator." The grants coordinator had said, "I'm not allowed to talk to you."</div><div><br /></div><div>My classmates who were convinced of a grand conspiracy were going to say I told you so. I wasn't ready to give up, but I wasn't sure what to do next. </div><div><br /></div><div>All In, meanwhile, had a spreadsheet of equipment and costs. "It's what I do when I get bored," he said. He had been mulling over an idea to open a maker space somewhere near his house, which is conveniently near me, too, since he lives about three miles away. He'd even started to look for property. That's a lot for a second-semester glassblower.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a cool quarter million, we could build a state-of-the art classroom. For far less than that, we could simply fix the furnace and glory hole doors.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I got to class, All The Glass wasn't the least bit surprised at the current fuckery. He had thoroughly bought into the notion that this was going to be the last we'd blow glass here ever. "Where did you get your information?" I asked. "I can't tell you," he said. "Then I can't belive you," I replied. </div><div><br /></div><div>All The Glass was using up his supply of fused glass he'd made years ago, and of the copper wire he wove into molds and hearts. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd asked him if he had any little wire molds left, and he'd brought in two little ones. I chose a frit color, "Moody Blue," that mystefied me and Sleepless years ago. Whenever I'd worked with it, my pieces came out yellow, and only looked blue in certain light or with my phone's flash. I figured I'd try again. I had nothing to lose and I might as well use the stuff up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Making these was easy. I must have put enough frit on, because they did look blue, mostly. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6-hSgX-thzqNk6Jl8lHoN1a2S5seFou9KOoaQhFYHWTK-BxeIjmYL7btN6a9cWXxmcRdx-vRYqHa6YQKXSop3QpKOqRycSIoN8iHHdS2EDpsi6afGox28FLKjVCFw7mOGDgOVXnY_HOw5yq2WkxSAJiGsiKaAlofeWtPK0HpnNUkxQootwId8Le9/s2048/20231116%2006%20moody%20blue%20in%20tony's%20wire%20cages.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6-hSgX-thzqNk6Jl8lHoN1a2S5seFou9KOoaQhFYHWTK-BxeIjmYL7btN6a9cWXxmcRdx-vRYqHa6YQKXSop3QpKOqRycSIoN8iHHdS2EDpsi6afGox28FLKjVCFw7mOGDgOVXnY_HOw5yq2WkxSAJiGsiKaAlofeWtPK0HpnNUkxQootwId8Le9/s320/20231116%2006%20moody%20blue%20in%20tony's%20wire%20cages.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>I took a few minutes to run to the sand blaster with my little white vase. The window into the box was so filthy that I could barely see what I was doing. When I took the vase out, I decided I needed to go back in. That would have to wait, though, because All The Glass was up and he needed my help.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to make the thread vase again, only this time put the colors on in the right order. We did that, and hit it with the torch at the end. It came out all shimmery.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFa1fAmfJxG6WV48JeHyLzb5_EKjdXEKiHeUIcSPqUQKb3nZawURrM4ozTm3WdOLOyPtNxIQD1zHB52QrPoJobkDvJrOFTE83mweJGNarHgSC54UUUVvKExVdYQR2cjqHiVvJ7DaF4HzN_GIMcmVLGgAIp7J45aFxLxl0k4hU_0rhMoID2TC3rnQ6/s2048/20231116%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFa1fAmfJxG6WV48JeHyLzb5_EKjdXEKiHeUIcSPqUQKb3nZawURrM4ozTm3WdOLOyPtNxIQD1zHB52QrPoJobkDvJrOFTE83mweJGNarHgSC54UUUVvKExVdYQR2cjqHiVvJ7DaF4HzN_GIMcmVLGgAIp7J45aFxLxl0k4hU_0rhMoID2TC3rnQ6/s320/20231116%2004%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVSAIM6w6m2uRWvCsrvZFUvBhX2JeJMqR4EMw7qiHu6OsGzFWIDDW7Ejyv4rveBZCqowDg20x6SAOjK8mK8OPMm9m4Xfjd-W9h4hd9wJDU6p-a-KYPYlQNEflrClJZqnalj4SBkHEP4Wx9iq2ge_1dQC2EyrXQNjX911jq1V3mqcOGPF0in6l_EVu/s2048/20231116%2003%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVSAIM6w6m2uRWvCsrvZFUvBhX2JeJMqR4EMw7qiHu6OsGzFWIDDW7Ejyv4rveBZCqowDg20x6SAOjK8mK8OPMm9m4Xfjd-W9h4hd9wJDU6p-a-KYPYlQNEflrClJZqnalj4SBkHEP4Wx9iq2ge_1dQC2EyrXQNjX911jq1V3mqcOGPF0in6l_EVu/s320/20231116%2003%20color%20mixing%20thread%20vase%20reduced.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I had time again, I went back to the sand blaster. I'd gone over it thoroughy, removing any trace of white I could see, except where the glue protected the lettering underneath. I gave it one last inspection, and then it slipped out of my gloved hand, shattering on the floor of the sand blaster.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I retrieved the pieces, the night tech looking on. I told her what the word on the vase meant. She thought it was fitting. "I'll glue it back together," I said. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was time enough left for me to roll a lime green rod over the bed of nails and make a giant ornament.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg738vDLLPW-7A0JDQjCtOc8n-QZCULfotKLj069IoX5O7ajlhNizNGOZZxWb2_f7SumpO6zZCNKK3rqDM4aX1W77bo9UahYqvqCA3xdnZmOuQwwweindyKVcqsFmVSEq500xweDPJRwcIY9oeZkPokwUTnVe4HjznM24_drLrNasjNFzA9kP4Auth4/s2048/20231116%2001%20giant%20lime%20green%20bed%20of%20nails%20ornament.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg738vDLLPW-7A0JDQjCtOc8n-QZCULfotKLj069IoX5O7ajlhNizNGOZZxWb2_f7SumpO6zZCNKK3rqDM4aX1W77bo9UahYqvqCA3xdnZmOuQwwweindyKVcqsFmVSEq500xweDPJRwcIY9oeZkPokwUTnVe4HjznM24_drLrNasjNFzA9kP4Auth4/s320/20231116%2001%20giant%20lime%20green%20bed%20of%20nails%20ornament.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">one of my biggest, but not roundest</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I got home, I glued the shattered vase back together with UV-curing adhesive. I used up most of a 10 ml bottle trying to get everything to stick back together. I had to wipe the surface down with acetone to remove what had seeped through the cracks. I rescued it, save for what looked like a bullet hole. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the morning, it was still in one piece. The sunlight illuminated the cracks eminating from the hole. It seemed somehow symbolic that a vase emblazoned with the Mi'kmaq word for "<a href="https://www.indigenouspeople.net/iceking.htm" target="_blank">the story ends</a>" should be in pieces.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G3YV1BvbTE3XqLzhDPAssm7H2QTy1jvUPwGfWGIaZnK3m8bgevZsuagkHtPG_U7Uk8FCCDJobRyeIfCQtSUpxGersfeboRGykx3UBbMDKQYJ3aiDDMVihS17tv3nkDZEqGsdBynwGxddVavdNxOG7HEXDGH9m1loGbXgOgem6CdqUJfhVN8rIIjs/s2048/20231115%2001%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G3YV1BvbTE3XqLzhDPAssm7H2QTy1jvUPwGfWGIaZnK3m8bgevZsuagkHtPG_U7Uk8FCCDJobRyeIfCQtSUpxGersfeboRGykx3UBbMDKQYJ3aiDDMVihS17tv3nkDZEqGsdBynwGxddVavdNxOG7HEXDGH9m1loGbXgOgem6CdqUJfhVN8rIIjs/s320/20231115%2001%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I6p0xXnmyMZvZoq4Z2brhth2ZGSE1nbR4PU0TBS_w2yz3vfloiIgYYhT2mPz1nKi7NKYXxeP4ZN3f8z5Aia7A3sVpERL0QMRPQE22at0iLczFFkJOhPdq0fUzuLpw0uV6QSO_pG9qt1S1tKYNfX_7DrLrCG6D3I-fJki2SHCyPi2wNvrh6pWaHjq/s2048/20231115%2002%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I6p0xXnmyMZvZoq4Z2brhth2ZGSE1nbR4PU0TBS_w2yz3vfloiIgYYhT2mPz1nKi7NKYXxeP4ZN3f8z5Aia7A3sVpERL0QMRPQE22at0iLczFFkJOhPdq0fUzuLpw0uV6QSO_pG9qt1S1tKYNfX_7DrLrCG6D3I-fJki2SHCyPi2wNvrh6pWaHjq/s320/20231115%2002%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtoDVBeGD8-PF-YJwPCrZB31OLGjZiQiVQY2KsioMshfpIHhkQyx7293sydWo48NTRVF0zX0EGWkhYJ2hQ3BelaalvQc6KXYF5koMbAjtwN1d2hI6bInRIluXICx-uSkEZRT0lIfrex534WpSQeCZSCA7_XIWxpVLfZpUgk9RShrRwshanW1UK6cX/s2048/20231115%2003%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtoDVBeGD8-PF-YJwPCrZB31OLGjZiQiVQY2KsioMshfpIHhkQyx7293sydWo48NTRVF0zX0EGWkhYJ2hQ3BelaalvQc6KXYF5koMbAjtwN1d2hI6bInRIluXICx-uSkEZRT0lIfrex534WpSQeCZSCA7_XIWxpVLfZpUgk9RShrRwshanW1UK6cX/s320/20231115%2003%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKuUp7L2AFFbttY2LqYuDNZsef_iiV6XsmO5uoowOr1yKmx0R-yatPk-4LZJpLcnzpBO2bKBls9qJuLgVTx-d5DYlyxTCKFD08WUnsI6ndRBYtpX2L4BYXTen5rz-cvtEwOmxHRLDAO7esVYN7mpBAJ99XWLR_gdC4ByFFQoEiJt0p93T22UpFEJx/s2048/20231115%2004%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKuUp7L2AFFbttY2LqYuDNZsef_iiV6XsmO5uoowOr1yKmx0R-yatPk-4LZJpLcnzpBO2bKBls9qJuLgVTx-d5DYlyxTCKFD08WUnsI6ndRBYtpX2L4BYXTen5rz-cvtEwOmxHRLDAO7esVYN7mpBAJ99XWLR_gdC4ByFFQoEiJt0p93T22UpFEJx/s320/20231115%2004%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElD35NDEFOZ5RCQaowMXmXdMq3HmJE8GnXRezgpoPbPZAtc_OPlBQnH8kgnzQYmvTQoHpQa8STpxFpabeax8hTmngV7F4qbw0LZazavdvy7uVlC7dZXUbeI7B-OtG87oMePBUoYiDSIBINbnT9ylWEO3MrESkXoUXhZS-hTLfPlGa5RmbDTr7UJzR/s2048/20231115%2005%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElD35NDEFOZ5RCQaowMXmXdMq3HmJE8GnXRezgpoPbPZAtc_OPlBQnH8kgnzQYmvTQoHpQa8STpxFpabeax8hTmngV7F4qbw0LZazavdvy7uVlC7dZXUbeI7B-OtG87oMePBUoYiDSIBINbnT9ylWEO3MrESkXoUXhZS-hTLfPlGa5RmbDTr7UJzR/s320/20231115%2005%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That's supposed to be glass on a blowpipe.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaRARYKRQuKc_NvJ-0hhhnPaID0MjOxt31qlViTiupfvLfXG3DCodMJ3ucH2Z-VyEWoRn_70Wrf9MB8-V0aCojxWIXpF-LKW1Tm96_4LW0KIBQPVrn52m4jQGFZoWGQUXc8LPbTfSn8fmSzbPp2jOY6cBoSI3zPx33pkVTj4FdPGz1JaiZi1j0AQV/s2048/20231115%2006%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaRARYKRQuKc_NvJ-0hhhnPaID0MjOxt31qlViTiupfvLfXG3DCodMJ3ucH2Z-VyEWoRn_70Wrf9MB8-V0aCojxWIXpF-LKW1Tm96_4LW0KIBQPVrn52m4jQGFZoWGQUXc8LPbTfSn8fmSzbPp2jOY6cBoSI3zPx33pkVTj4FdPGz1JaiZi1j0AQV/s320/20231115%2006%20kespeadooksit%201%20glued%20back%20together.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv62lepOdgiGmqVY0nUuaqC0ZFstbvppBfjnchX2X4oOVDOsSnST7MFEOIBl2PU2p7ZzBE5ykBLEK1lXUdtn1q5s1r2CDG-oAhsXmJNGfrotaPIK_fuaLcWGjgQHEg5u5Lrvv4mIW1UgXSvjvgfDJzAx_ZDSEUTu4kG8qdPc7ZKLMQ-N2RVXBqx_sM/s2048/20231116%2007%20witch's%20ball%20fail%20looks%20better%20upside-down.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv62lepOdgiGmqVY0nUuaqC0ZFstbvppBfjnchX2X4oOVDOsSnST7MFEOIBl2PU2p7ZzBE5ykBLEK1lXUdtn1q5s1r2CDG-oAhsXmJNGfrotaPIK_fuaLcWGjgQHEg5u5Lrvv4mIW1UgXSvjvgfDJzAx_ZDSEUTu4kG8qdPc7ZKLMQ-N2RVXBqx_sM/s320/20231116%2007%20witch's%20ball%20fail%20looks%20better%20upside-down.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This witch's ball was such a mess that</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I cut the hook off and set it upside-down,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">where it looks like an alien or a </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Van Der Graaf generator</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F3mo1KrrMnbZhT2vAYK30jq-yNXAR-mt7QJ6MmeKZ6OgOye1XmJpN-QwPkInYTHrEXac0T7ur6I1JrX55rs031sd7fRnFBlkzqGRIT7tkLmA3H-eRntBgITNp-ofWLBFXqJIoUftyNs34krSnOJO4i_Mj4iEl0KqJaNaytgf5UnU6ppUqjtU0ikk/s2048/20231116%2008%20moody%20blue%20in%20tony's%20wire%20cage%20with%20LED%20tea%20light.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F3mo1KrrMnbZhT2vAYK30jq-yNXAR-mt7QJ6MmeKZ6OgOye1XmJpN-QwPkInYTHrEXac0T7ur6I1JrX55rs031sd7fRnFBlkzqGRIT7tkLmA3H-eRntBgITNp-ofWLBFXqJIoUftyNs34krSnOJO4i_Mj4iEl0KqJaNaytgf5UnU6ppUqjtU0ikk/s320/20231116%2008%20moody%20blue%20in%20tony's%20wire%20cage%20with%20LED%20tea%20light.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">wire mold with LED tea light</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ521OyXQ4yxTGDcd_cwhZ1e1xoVaHnpAjZZB5cPvDn3OMTWcrkhrp95nK9K6hVgUdBd8Gz1bBRpEOdFEqfGk4ot6212kc7jmjdb0-6W0qk5oUh9t-xnc0RlTXbejvFgi-E5TidI1OYgz1_aNFgegTbd72yXlfvnxdgrDxMCfcQn7zpLU0URn2I8kO/s2048/20231117%2002%20dots%201%20as%20flower%20pot.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ521OyXQ4yxTGDcd_cwhZ1e1xoVaHnpAjZZB5cPvDn3OMTWcrkhrp95nK9K6hVgUdBd8Gz1bBRpEOdFEqfGk4ot6212kc7jmjdb0-6W0qk5oUh9t-xnc0RlTXbejvFgi-E5TidI1OYgz1_aNFgegTbd72yXlfvnxdgrDxMCfcQn7zpLU0URn2I8kO/s320/20231117%2002%20dots%201%20as%20flower%20pot.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">dots as flower pot (bad idea: no drain hole;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">there's a Christmas cactus in a little pot within this </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">pot now, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">living in my office)</span></div><div><br /></div><div>I jumped into a Wednesday afternoon session to make two more blanks for another go at <i>kespeadooksit</i>. I didn't coat the outside as heavily this time so that I could avoid the risk of too much time in the sand blaster.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDek_gSrf6ScGth27vRQn2Wz9zjDXOzN-TDbfKVaoUUGW7Ckgja6qxm6FRP99nJAEmAnWSOhD0TCl_F02ydeQjXLifHLRygXvPiq3WTWPkogK32ca54FFgOglIJcjl1thTK4zKhEBMtvmd3z_L_hesxkF1O16rvh22oNMnJlTiRkONRQ7pv9gyD55e/s2048/20231118%2001%20kespeadooksit%202%20and%203%20blanks.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDek_gSrf6ScGth27vRQn2Wz9zjDXOzN-TDbfKVaoUUGW7Ckgja6qxm6FRP99nJAEmAnWSOhD0TCl_F02ydeQjXLifHLRygXvPiq3WTWPkogK32ca54FFgOglIJcjl1thTK4zKhEBMtvmd3z_L_hesxkF1O16rvh22oNMnJlTiRkONRQ7pv9gyD55e/s320/20231118%2001%20kespeadooksit%202%20and%203%20blanks.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9v6fc5K5UQG8yYFRRjVIaKMMIcYgizRGM7lJaAtU2ykjheJFGNP2OxszLF5ggKaKzgo3RRLmsJNGrmpySHyXkQSDw5_hyphenhyphenlHm7y-vUT9OUipE0lmbs9OsO7m28XFHHsncWij3It9Zi8C7CU5uQZJ6G4f56Xb1-223lEjynCblzAO320nsUiGAorxEN/s2048/20231118%2002%20kespeadooksit%202%20and%203%20blanks.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9v6fc5K5UQG8yYFRRjVIaKMMIcYgizRGM7lJaAtU2ykjheJFGNP2OxszLF5ggKaKzgo3RRLmsJNGrmpySHyXkQSDw5_hyphenhyphenlHm7y-vUT9OUipE0lmbs9OsO7m28XFHHsncWij3It9Zi8C7CU5uQZJ6G4f56Xb1-223lEjynCblzAO320nsUiGAorxEN/s320/20231118%2002%20kespeadooksit%202%20and%203%20blanks.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pumpkin Master asked me to fill in for his partner, Tall Vase, on Saturday morning. Picking up some scrap threads, I tried making a drop vase, something I hadn't done since my first year. I had much better control this time, but I still didn't much like it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rn4gQBgEaw2YOtQWARaicsFx8_k8F6qVtJdwLaT5frPQfdQ4UOTJaoTrC3Ap-7wBBIJeFLll6FDZoyKfBQCiT8EyE2b8GF7kWvIFFX5xRuas9WtU-bWbX7A_ncFs8Hgxe1N8HT8RP-n6E8zZPpzZKOC2fc05It6aZ_lJheDsGQfjEPgZChO9N8Kz/s2048/20231121%2015%20scrap%20thread%20drop%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rn4gQBgEaw2YOtQWARaicsFx8_k8F6qVtJdwLaT5frPQfdQ4UOTJaoTrC3Ap-7wBBIJeFLll6FDZoyKfBQCiT8EyE2b8GF7kWvIFFX5xRuas9WtU-bWbX7A_ncFs8Hgxe1N8HT8RP-n6E8zZPpzZKOC2fc05It6aZ_lJheDsGQfjEPgZChO9N8Kz/s320/20231121%2015%20scrap%20thread%20drop%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">LT2, inspired by my geodes, had tried pouring bits of thread into the bottom of a cup, heating the whole thing again, and picking it up on a collar. Riffing on his riffing on me, I took a reject lip wrap cup from the first week, filled it with bits and pieces, and placed it in the little color box. I'd wanted to put it in the big oven, where the temperature would come up more gradually, but it was already on. When I went to retrieve the cup out of the little box, it had exploded, sending its contents all over, just missing the two pieces of rod Pumpkin Master had put in there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I'm fond of saying when things don't go to plan, "I went to a state school," and there was more than enough going on right now to remind me of grad school for the second time in as many semesters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I warmed a gather in the glory hole, then mopped up as much of the shattered cup and contents as I could with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We turned it into a somewhat wonky bowl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-cnkmbS888Xq4M7XSYRyVWGVeclGT9D-or5gvFbgw6LJBZ48rn29uqXomK1aMOzZ8DMppM1S0ZtAnRosTLQ5zJ-29Mf750KuPOzNmNWdM4iURQU-hvQM0XMjr8nJYOrOA2inyXawWkab3yjDoiU3TFlxlkY3TEAjknpGiZwAxqdSQQXPRp6DtdlB/s2048/20231121%2011%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20rescue%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-cnkmbS888Xq4M7XSYRyVWGVeclGT9D-or5gvFbgw6LJBZ48rn29uqXomK1aMOzZ8DMppM1S0ZtAnRosTLQ5zJ-29Mf750KuPOzNmNWdM4iURQU-hvQM0XMjr8nJYOrOA2inyXawWkab3yjDoiU3TFlxlkY3TEAjknpGiZwAxqdSQQXPRp6DtdlB/s320/20231121%2011%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20rescue%20bowl.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSEveSq9pUmkz3HGQGpzLrFJO56wrfiWpGQpP30Q3Mf5-YhrHj7xYzAv60-ODtQ45yA68VcCeXvdyTOu5zstHiUVg6vkDfghXiqNmPf1ff-hVLkmdpNAwbFOf-8EyEcVD68hyphenhyphen3BdduH02dAt0Zc8RIXD7mwDxBILozfdBqnMXKhhVwDVwph9E7JSM/s2048/20231121%2013%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20rescue%20bowl.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSEveSq9pUmkz3HGQGpzLrFJO56wrfiWpGQpP30Q3Mf5-YhrHj7xYzAv60-ODtQ45yA68VcCeXvdyTOu5zstHiUVg6vkDfghXiqNmPf1ff-hVLkmdpNAwbFOf-8EyEcVD68hyphenhyphen3BdduH02dAt0Zc8RIXD7mwDxBILozfdBqnMXKhhVwDVwph9E7JSM/s320/20231121%2013%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20rescue%20bowl.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were still some scraps lying around in there after I'd finished, so when my next turn came, I mopped up again and made a drop vase. Quite by accident, the shape was one I'd been chasing for years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuomhlh0CNIJ9xp7cUhLEnTdS238y6DuuQT2gwVZ3-vA7LvoMUjU55ASsghOM-2fZYCAKMyOrQsHlIHqhKEhO0tBFzmv2T2cII2anOps87WTtIoKG1v9t132PHWdysDHLewmYhbxID88w2jGfBdxcwZwK1muWKpEwmFx9I04-UA1-Cm7poq2OYswb/s2048/20231121%2018%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20mop-up%20drop%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuomhlh0CNIJ9xp7cUhLEnTdS238y6DuuQT2gwVZ3-vA7LvoMUjU55ASsghOM-2fZYCAKMyOrQsHlIHqhKEhO0tBFzmv2T2cII2anOps87WTtIoKG1v9t132PHWdysDHLewmYhbxID88w2jGfBdxcwZwK1muWKpEwmFx9I04-UA1-Cm7poq2OYswb/s320/20231121%2018%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20mop-up%20drop%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBU4ThdSpOzVAHsLkBDRUkyoWGicGU4fCCJGJPwjHz6pcgvuKndbaKFqs8I5nVkvw6HJtQDV4GA-SfALtFn1hNdcFW_6nnwB_FeuyZWiqhEZq78F5sKSuId_3FV5wXqNRvrKMNy_UqBuFV3jOnqU2bcQ1VHvOhPLVMKLCfulvbhcDyzURgDsScXwBS/s2048/20231121%2019%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20mop-up%20drop%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBU4ThdSpOzVAHsLkBDRUkyoWGicGU4fCCJGJPwjHz6pcgvuKndbaKFqs8I5nVkvw6HJtQDV4GA-SfALtFn1hNdcFW_6nnwB_FeuyZWiqhEZq78F5sKSuId_3FV5wXqNRvrKMNy_UqBuFV3jOnqU2bcQ1VHvOhPLVMKLCfulvbhcDyzURgDsScXwBS/s320/20231121%2019%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%20mop-up%20drop%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After class, I used the sand blaster again. Because of the thinner coat of white frit, the lettering wasn't as sharp. I needed to cover the letters in glue again and go back in.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yn9RvM26l2Ex_NVvtMUixnXkZ9MdEyn9SaUQKPEvtJvoWW8CDOTQteRIZcqH_Zbm9fSCNrXkKeRTDMcn9JkLwjBjhZDprqnbG9_C3p4mE518hGadfzDMNhZkwxrKOHNSbGhFlEz7ODqGaOIRqr98F7CD_w70AD6Fq0NqaYMimJFKy37e3WavPlXC/s2048/20231118%2005%20kespeadooksit%202%20sand%20blast%20incomplete.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yn9RvM26l2Ex_NVvtMUixnXkZ9MdEyn9SaUQKPEvtJvoWW8CDOTQteRIZcqH_Zbm9fSCNrXkKeRTDMcn9JkLwjBjhZDprqnbG9_C3p4mE518hGadfzDMNhZkwxrKOHNSbGhFlEz7ODqGaOIRqr98F7CD_w70AD6Fq0NqaYMimJFKy37e3WavPlXC/s320/20231118%2005%20kespeadooksit%202%20sand%20blast%20incomplete.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KOj_NUl6tZh8gJ4RFyJL9HEAwZ4qHJfzomMogAUt6XBKNs7cle-BUBTwJemH7pen9L4uiG9Qgxd8DvNs-jrj0EP9e2pAGzrXJ9uGSqz9yOKlSY9OE23xXimO6O9ZqgXoB_xf-j4kXBsd0l1ry11AzoOCB2SD81XZyTGWh3fvxcu9jqy87cYMrf0X/s2048/20231118%2010%20kespeadooksit%203%20sand%20blast%20incomplete.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KOj_NUl6tZh8gJ4RFyJL9HEAwZ4qHJfzomMogAUt6XBKNs7cle-BUBTwJemH7pen9L4uiG9Qgxd8DvNs-jrj0EP9e2pAGzrXJ9uGSqz9yOKlSY9OE23xXimO6O9ZqgXoB_xf-j4kXBsd0l1ry11AzoOCB2SD81XZyTGWh3fvxcu9jqy87cYMrf0X/s320/20231118%2010%20kespeadooksit%203%20sand%20blast%20incomplete.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I repeated the blasting on Tuesday. The vases were cleaner, but the lettering wasn't nearly as good as the first time. So much for "the first is the worst," again.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Wx7_7YzyezVDFLOSNWByWcG674jMw1uISQNingMNCnOOBIR7Bw9-APgI1ewUUUp4qzGljE63KenwQmNDMvf8_qJOg3pWETY_bCUF6tq8oN7GfTshvU56vEl-1nt8L7Qe5IJrva4VsQPAGbGYOu8tb5Z9ltRHcsMJqVh1ozO6b2ozTiCd4Dql2u21/s2048/20231121%2001%20kespeadooksit%203%20sand%20blast%20complete.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Wx7_7YzyezVDFLOSNWByWcG674jMw1uISQNingMNCnOOBIR7Bw9-APgI1ewUUUp4qzGljE63KenwQmNDMvf8_qJOg3pWETY_bCUF6tq8oN7GfTshvU56vEl-1nt8L7Qe5IJrva4VsQPAGbGYOu8tb5Z9ltRHcsMJqVh1ozO6b2ozTiCd4Dql2u21/s320/20231121%2001%20kespeadooksit%203%20sand%20blast%20complete.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf8Le-KU_Mz5iE-CWndTCMxooioVi6ZmcJP6hInwtBlsj3ZHaejAQ6vH_ZmwBOs6zLhMnVTQ8WcrtnTzZqWzTDOW27r7NSCEcOLksNU0V3tUMb_B-RO-HymIVfnXfmZZtOKwSnIMXxaeaOAuFzF6N6TtYbHaZGRx1XIdlOrqCpbWF27PC1xrv-rTD/s2048/20231121%2008%20kespeadooksit%204%20sand%20blast%20complete.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf8Le-KU_Mz5iE-CWndTCMxooioVi6ZmcJP6hInwtBlsj3ZHaejAQ6vH_ZmwBOs6zLhMnVTQ8WcrtnTzZqWzTDOW27r7NSCEcOLksNU0V3tUMb_B-RO-HymIVfnXfmZZtOKwSnIMXxaeaOAuFzF6N6TtYbHaZGRx1XIdlOrqCpbWF27PC1xrv-rTD/s320/20231121%2008%20kespeadooksit%204%20sand%20blast%20complete.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>While I'd had the glue out, I took the ugly vase from the first geode and wrote out a Kurt Vonnegut quote: "We are here on Earth to fart around." It didn't come out well because it wasn't one color over another.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB3tPKGXZjG4UpdxKvFdV2-bmmTuEj8ejZCm0eZT4_350U1qxVDQnlv9xSKhZjAx7L3_Q1hgRRQv2Hp6GG0zJ_UARln9J50RSJfbFnHEKI4UDtGNthFh5i6kq4dou9wMOm23v8i-_bGU6CCDsTNXSCKnBoM9nZ_wfymEr9JN0uinT76Wv3rDD9KCd/s2048/20231121%2009%20we%20are%20here%20on%20earth%20to%20fart%20around%20sand%20blast%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB3tPKGXZjG4UpdxKvFdV2-bmmTuEj8ejZCm0eZT4_350U1qxVDQnlv9xSKhZjAx7L3_Q1hgRRQv2Hp6GG0zJ_UARln9J50RSJfbFnHEKI4UDtGNthFh5i6kq4dou9wMOm23v8i-_bGU6CCDsTNXSCKnBoM9nZ_wfymEr9JN0uinT76Wv3rDD9KCd/s320/20231121%2009%20we%20are%20here%20on%20earth%20to%20fart%20around%20sand%20blast%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQqhKgqq_1ixV94tGFtue1nZ0oWoKy4eqt2BmCMGmuzsp1IMS7mSZg6KbvJvvyCACkg_B-yj86E3EuoEpigvaNrp8x2QlI5AzxpKPG6YfcVAjhKKj7Tf7LvL_iabN3r-Dx8yOoo1kYYzCKxA1QhadIeUNUx8u9dqtOn3htiQOXFHTMSgrcnplBB-U/s2048/20231121%2010%20we%20are%20here%20on%20earth%20to%20fart%20around%20sand%20blast%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQqhKgqq_1ixV94tGFtue1nZ0oWoKy4eqt2BmCMGmuzsp1IMS7mSZg6KbvJvvyCACkg_B-yj86E3EuoEpigvaNrp8x2QlI5AzxpKPG6YfcVAjhKKj7Tf7LvL_iabN3r-Dx8yOoo1kYYzCKxA1QhadIeUNUx8u9dqtOn3htiQOXFHTMSgrcnplBB-U/s320/20231121%2010%20we%20are%20here%20on%20earth%20to%20fart%20around%20sand%20blast%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It was Thanksgiving break. Our Tuesday class would be the last until the following Monday.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Wednesday, New Grace found the spring glassblowing workshop listed online. It was under the aegis of Continuing Education, not 3D Arts. It was pretty well hidden.</div><div><br /></div><div>There would be five 4-hour sessions with four students each, for a shortened semester of 12 weeks. The shop would be open Saturdays and Sundays for two sessions each, and Monday evening for one session. There would be no instructor. The price was slightly more than half of what I usually paid as an out-of-state student. For all the locals, it was $400 more.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Thanksgiving evening, I was the first to register. </div><div><br /></div><div>LT2, New Grace, and Tall Vase snagged three of the four Saturday morning slots.</div><div><br /></div><div>And it sat like that. A lot of my classmates balked at the price. These were the same people who were willing to write big checks to keep the class going! All In said he was right out; he could get his own glory hole somewhere else for less money.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was talk of taking classes at the only other community college to offer such things. The advanced class was on a weekday morning, the beginner class at rush hour in the evening. The school was over an hour away from work. I applied anyway in the morning and received a student ID number in the afternoon. How badly did I want this? Not enough to spend three hours in a car for a four-hour class that would end at 9:30 at night. But I wanted to keep my options open.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were now 7 registrants for the workshop. Classmate's Partner was coming back. Rose would be joining me on Monday nights. Someone we couldn't figure out had picked Saturday afternoon. </div><div><br /></div><div>While all this was going on, I was playing with the scraps-in-a-cup idea. I called it "Junk in the Trunk." All The Glass showed me how to use the big oven.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhs4okvFxPZR8xGp230Ejeafd9opka6vLY9hxWQZAt3_GQm5q0askvjhybo0uV14-p_L487t6BLsP4aHWLnXVlG6JuZmVsfzXjOed5M2g7Ha5rVYaCU6qEWvxEhmo_-qKr-SMacIRLMBtiRwZgc6fBjROgpb4NOkNyuNc5nlwM9FHKmSeEpqDJB7x/s2048/20231203%2002%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhs4okvFxPZR8xGp230Ejeafd9opka6vLY9hxWQZAt3_GQm5q0askvjhybo0uV14-p_L487t6BLsP4aHWLnXVlG6JuZmVsfzXjOed5M2g7Ha5rVYaCU6qEWvxEhmo_-qKr-SMacIRLMBtiRwZgc6fBjROgpb4NOkNyuNc5nlwM9FHKmSeEpqDJB7x/s320/20231203%2002%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2plwituz9pbdm8XZenPHtcKWEcUyT1ADaygU7rp_Pu4VgNYJ9MWR1yfoNW-ALybG5Xqlnpd8nAfKoDkRnmXptDdsA_46FaPaQ_K69mDLjgNN4yybomVKRi_HjnqpNaYiS62uBgxlbwATi_bZV3RVYbSFDGxeNTEFBTS6YyRyJpmbiPVY62VM8DuZ/s2048/20231203%2003%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2plwituz9pbdm8XZenPHtcKWEcUyT1ADaygU7rp_Pu4VgNYJ9MWR1yfoNW-ALybG5Xqlnpd8nAfKoDkRnmXptDdsA_46FaPaQ_K69mDLjgNN4yybomVKRi_HjnqpNaYiS62uBgxlbwATi_bZV3RVYbSFDGxeNTEFBTS6YyRyJpmbiPVY62VM8DuZ/s320/20231203%2003%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai_CEVlaMvQtQBx8EerSvNHI4U5Ob2GEM96VdHueEhZ8oYkaeRKLE4gDRmj2whz5NR-P0o5OHNvAEtIF1o6DUxoKs3HKA9xQwwqkqQdV-NYOq-JUcz7ollP1-hkoNb6CnpjkignMsMvKXpCRmkeuUKaR3R97LrqGmltY2NpSkb9AL8E1bHnB9Y7mA/s2048/20231203%2004%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai_CEVlaMvQtQBx8EerSvNHI4U5Ob2GEM96VdHueEhZ8oYkaeRKLE4gDRmj2whz5NR-P0o5OHNvAEtIF1o6DUxoKs3HKA9xQwwqkqQdV-NYOq-JUcz7ollP1-hkoNb6CnpjkignMsMvKXpCRmkeuUKaR3R97LrqGmltY2NpSkb9AL8E1bHnB9Y7mA/s320/20231203%2004%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce7hcPq_7sQYfGgVcGJoBUv2QeBPFibCdaUtMkudabv8o2Vo5Q0KNYePNuW2GWqrqm2gk3qrWxF3ZQtZd5l6OsJG2NHHleJYmWlf9f3MKT37JivcMXMg5SWzQrO0XeT2mdrtePgBpXiZJcuVCFUsMOpfpOYFOobXUqqEe_VVm_78885rvF3IOEUbp/s2048/20231203%2005%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce7hcPq_7sQYfGgVcGJoBUv2QeBPFibCdaUtMkudabv8o2Vo5Q0KNYePNuW2GWqrqm2gk3qrWxF3ZQtZd5l6OsJG2NHHleJYmWlf9f3MKT37JivcMXMg5SWzQrO0XeT2mdrtePgBpXiZJcuVCFUsMOpfpOYFOobXUqqEe_VVm_78885rvF3IOEUbp/s320/20231203%2005%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%201.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another thing on my list was a summer vase. I had winter, a few springs, a thunderstorm, and fall. What did summer look like to me? Hot sun and green trees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I forgot to make a jack line! Rookie mistake! That messed up my plans for a long neck. I'd improved my rescue skills. I got a wonky pitcher out of it instead. It was just as well. The green leaves merged with the blue sky over the yellow sun; the color scheme didn't work at all.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMDCuMn_3p2IFVXzPL1ItaeRLJJ7WOkM0UzBku931HCFN2BOVK3GQP6roV1sttvVuIm8aG3JsfYJI512I_q5BTmkkblxCy_U0a6kT6fNbAQ7xOsmIrGSMxfL6Z_RtMo7h0PyLxmb8KxgYv4A1F7ZAJEBf2MrZUukKoFBRsorHtJUmzUcIKKyNZDMD/s2048/20231127%2006%20summer%20vase%201%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMDCuMn_3p2IFVXzPL1ItaeRLJJ7WOkM0UzBku931HCFN2BOVK3GQP6roV1sttvVuIm8aG3JsfYJI512I_q5BTmkkblxCy_U0a6kT6fNbAQ7xOsmIrGSMxfL6Z_RtMo7h0PyLxmb8KxgYv4A1F7ZAJEBf2MrZUukKoFBRsorHtJUmzUcIKKyNZDMD/s320/20231127%2006%20summer%20vase%201%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij72MzsHo7LtDHnQ3sGMA_6CxjEYqPDyLAVSwUnfQafOx0u3yYiKyIkb4J4sDUo0y75zTZhtD01q7tw9gcrRKG1GwtuKvH11S5-bp2hMWTUGMYCEcYvX6F6EpuzEomUpsUgamSqROCLRXU5IhVxcAYwo1sIaHHEEstfu5C72NmaDiKI0Ij6_twbXgB/s2048/20231127%2007%20summer%20vase%201%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij72MzsHo7LtDHnQ3sGMA_6CxjEYqPDyLAVSwUnfQafOx0u3yYiKyIkb4J4sDUo0y75zTZhtD01q7tw9gcrRKG1GwtuKvH11S5-bp2hMWTUGMYCEcYvX6F6EpuzEomUpsUgamSqROCLRXU5IhVxcAYwo1sIaHHEEstfu5C72NmaDiKI0Ij6_twbXgB/s320/20231127%2007%20summer%20vase%201%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This was a reject I could sand-blast the Vonnegut quote onto.</div><div><br /></div><div>I tried the summer vase again with more success, using only yellow and green, but when it came out of the annealer, I noticed a crack on the inside bottom.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gZ34CzOmlvFX2is4OoMDh6jSHOoYu5S-OZZrV1rHjiP_RAugrDW4CiloEHQcv17A6kN21OCCGTuBwekg_sz0k02P8VvxAmEQA8Vr5speSZiW2_gaqc7j0nQIsF52PsdKfnMPN5MBhyphenhyphend_L8M5r7r0kgG6peHq_nycumFAatMwCpRyDASu1uLUECOF/s2048/20231127%2011%20summer%20vase%202%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gZ34CzOmlvFX2is4OoMDh6jSHOoYu5S-OZZrV1rHjiP_RAugrDW4CiloEHQcv17A6kN21OCCGTuBwekg_sz0k02P8VvxAmEQA8Vr5speSZiW2_gaqc7j0nQIsF52PsdKfnMPN5MBhyphenhyphend_L8M5r7r0kgG6peHq_nycumFAatMwCpRyDASu1uLUECOF/s320/20231127%2011%20summer%20vase%202%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDyBiAijaati4YV4zWWYlrMW6eq_TOk3uxYepbgqgDivJEMEGjZ2qRCKeBWfTzeCF9vPHW25UTRwpziHEMt-XI-9Ae_Crt1MwBPBT-hC7tNjG5iNR5rTybWzbqAn36CfIetFPSH_MR7ylXNWLe2-tE8Lz5HquminDDc-hUZqodJgjyvDmg-xBIT8n/s2048/20231127%2012%20summer%20vase%202%20fail.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDyBiAijaati4YV4zWWYlrMW6eq_TOk3uxYepbgqgDivJEMEGjZ2qRCKeBWfTzeCF9vPHW25UTRwpziHEMt-XI-9Ae_Crt1MwBPBT-hC7tNjG5iNR5rTybWzbqAn36CfIetFPSH_MR7ylXNWLe2-tE8Lz5HquminDDc-hUZqodJgjyvDmg-xBIT8n/s320/20231127%2012%20summer%20vase%202%20fail.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd have to try again, again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The quote worked better this time. It fit in with the off-kilter shape.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUm530kLIJinQywIHNv8bYVQVpgGgrMskeWBDVzncxzC6QvAhAEiWtXJLqCNLHVgWNYAwpPgXHbrRVzbBEfPtD0mlnzijar0cSIjCtb5t26Sn2_g62jcYoQDfNpao7lSeSeoiut6VXby8gnyC7ThONBqPPABaX18rsH1PKaR1yduBton03NTnohf0/s2048/20231128%2001%20summer%20vase%201%20fail%20with%20Vonnegut%20quote.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUm530kLIJinQywIHNv8bYVQVpgGgrMskeWBDVzncxzC6QvAhAEiWtXJLqCNLHVgWNYAwpPgXHbrRVzbBEfPtD0mlnzijar0cSIjCtb5t26Sn2_g62jcYoQDfNpao7lSeSeoiut6VXby8gnyC7ThONBqPPABaX18rsH1PKaR1yduBton03NTnohf0/s320/20231128%2001%20summer%20vase%201%20fail%20with%20Vonnegut%20quote.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I needed something to water all the plants with at work anyway. Having this one, I discarded the first one in the scrap bucket.</div><div><br /></div>While I had the yellow and green frit out, I played with making vases.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO9O6dRd2_l9wy-v1ZZNZfX-fCExK_TgI6_r0gQO95WNAruWyf4IUfJqULKx13c4v-uzhpNruI4F578uubyFSeV9sUEs4irxsTI6QjvCd4NZXdaGz7z3UVXePHXfyyaR0GNsOLqk4Gi262KUtFWjuEaBvsacLNoOUqIxDYNvRDAzV8FX7yVMANveK/s2048/20231130%2001%20honey%20yellow%20drop%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO9O6dRd2_l9wy-v1ZZNZfX-fCExK_TgI6_r0gQO95WNAruWyf4IUfJqULKx13c4v-uzhpNruI4F578uubyFSeV9sUEs4irxsTI6QjvCd4NZXdaGz7z3UVXePHXfyyaR0GNsOLqk4Gi262KUtFWjuEaBvsacLNoOUqIxDYNvRDAzV8FX7yVMANveK/s320/20231130%2001%20honey%20yellow%20drop%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDVRW5yVvQQkU6Ik54VlXPur6rGRAGfgB_38dTMxPI-ihSxUmbMGfLHDZuCojzvZnQBw_ZtHTvRsMT3eBWX-L-vPJDzeq-rhsQ28hvE64nbRrz4OrARj5jAld6MIY5LG-8RW6M9vnAnNTgm3zjA2fgx-NqIaCz3HyOM45aRPzx5pxuQt-Vhg8KBrB/s2048/20231130%2002%20summer%20vase%203.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDVRW5yVvQQkU6Ik54VlXPur6rGRAGfgB_38dTMxPI-ihSxUmbMGfLHDZuCojzvZnQBw_ZtHTvRsMT3eBWX-L-vPJDzeq-rhsQ28hvE64nbRrz4OrARj5jAld6MIY5LG-8RW6M9vnAnNTgm3zjA2fgx-NqIaCz3HyOM45aRPzx5pxuQt-Vhg8KBrB/s320/20231130%2002%20summer%20vase%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sacrificed another reject lip wrap cup from the second week of class to make another Junk in the Trunk. This time, everything was hotter, and the junk melted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoqzAD2-s2mAXU8cO4JZmg-Q93NAIPnikxm2hwBeItj2fMhUtRtF_YD44YUoAG5lDaJStPVy4mmrfFB1I1RNhFm5yxgv86_TMFDGKoj5eNlMFYnt49fZ63uqWMnFzHzqU47kfSDVUGMgLBoZoz0E888PHA4cvMIRmVEvcAAOsuiqYtDFoJnLQbHjH/s2048/20231203%2009%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoqzAD2-s2mAXU8cO4JZmg-Q93NAIPnikxm2hwBeItj2fMhUtRtF_YD44YUoAG5lDaJStPVy4mmrfFB1I1RNhFm5yxgv86_TMFDGKoj5eNlMFYnt49fZ63uqWMnFzHzqU47kfSDVUGMgLBoZoz0E888PHA4cvMIRmVEvcAAOsuiqYtDFoJnLQbHjH/s320/20231203%2009%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9koGps4E7nGUAVoJNnOLu_Vf4kj5ERDQ0CEd6zSqiB93pczfNzuDv8YFMFM8rpP7b6uK2tmcKZTuOpBhrQyb32125uPD9IbceNfyKpR9hfD8PPnCmxlL89mNsegtiS_K1-ibYhVSaQJNsfuMXxqs4ettKMQ76J7jdDmtdMNNeJJfRmsBTw-9amPb/s2048/20231203%2006%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9koGps4E7nGUAVoJNnOLu_Vf4kj5ERDQ0CEd6zSqiB93pczfNzuDv8YFMFM8rpP7b6uK2tmcKZTuOpBhrQyb32125uPD9IbceNfyKpR9hfD8PPnCmxlL89mNsegtiS_K1-ibYhVSaQJNsfuMXxqs4ettKMQ76J7jdDmtdMNNeJJfRmsBTw-9amPb/s320/20231203%2006%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_ibmzuZwbKBUqmTa060UheJjp99J8_GE5HisOuoKMeki6LhyphenhyphenPDaLa37I2bBkqeXMwr7f7zvIqJ7lj_ynMGSM9XEq_B4A2FgzP5EBDHX7uUc62zjz15qbTp3aEk7VbPuJ_QuGnechgah9ATs4rbyIGyYZRr7UIZeJqwfjgUeHLr9IboXbhjVOcKVB/s2048/20231203%2007%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_ibmzuZwbKBUqmTa060UheJjp99J8_GE5HisOuoKMeki6LhyphenhyphenPDaLa37I2bBkqeXMwr7f7zvIqJ7lj_ynMGSM9XEq_B4A2FgzP5EBDHX7uUc62zjz15qbTp3aEk7VbPuJ_QuGnechgah9ATs4rbyIGyYZRr7UIZeJqwfjgUeHLr9IboXbhjVOcKVB/s320/20231203%2007%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwaE1OtrSpLNRPe_m-gahZIv3GATD-_NQ8HvFi-ZhXRwPSPgoawZDxNvaOtyNHnhZPXtSEae9PHYrokdwOB4RQytS8bHttpXKQrhg31ckKlTGgtOXNxxirNv60OmZY1ixQfrVfHYa1IQbcWhtYE0VNYZs3vRciJX6rEY3t6EyrI-mOqkEC3N3xAox/s2048/20231203%2008%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwaE1OtrSpLNRPe_m-gahZIv3GATD-_NQ8HvFi-ZhXRwPSPgoawZDxNvaOtyNHnhZPXtSEae9PHYrokdwOB4RQytS8bHttpXKQrhg31ckKlTGgtOXNxxirNv60OmZY1ixQfrVfHYa1IQbcWhtYE0VNYZs3vRciJX6rEY3t6EyrI-mOqkEC3N3xAox/s320/20231203%2008%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%202.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also made two lip wrap cups that turned out much better than the ones from the first two weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu35zEuLre_4U9UE_fZqeDcUPQv3oVHsW2ZhW0Bu-028r6uWOauTwx48bErTSXV4ix3qalod5CA1n5vxEF4qT3fbP7pbcvlvQeju-C27Detinn1rf_YjRByS-zkk35wUlWmI77n-9ErZhJ89VcfCjzezRoCGR87gPJ-U7GPMVP_8oUCI8JPda3Q7U/s2048/20231202%2001%20lip%20wrap%20cups.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu35zEuLre_4U9UE_fZqeDcUPQv3oVHsW2ZhW0Bu-028r6uWOauTwx48bErTSXV4ix3qalod5CA1n5vxEF4qT3fbP7pbcvlvQeju-C27Detinn1rf_YjRByS-zkk35wUlWmI77n-9ErZhJ89VcfCjzezRoCGR87gPJ-U7GPMVP_8oUCI8JPda3Q7U/s320/20231202%2001%20lip%20wrap%20cups.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab_TgWot-Ct_MW14xCIahtEvkV_B47eeAOVwRz7RNIa62csAs0IkI3RUklhhf0y2IkayJVvnzdsstFzAW1iUk5XlejQB04OAme-gxdJmx1jJkjoBdt2nJ5PJtA8XmLY-tX14AHnu6Hfprkjf71f2whAqgtSlTdyb4ZGp66oQhZJBuqSm0mYgez9h4/s2048/20231202%2002%20lip%20wrap%20cups.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab_TgWot-Ct_MW14xCIahtEvkV_B47eeAOVwRz7RNIa62csAs0IkI3RUklhhf0y2IkayJVvnzdsstFzAW1iUk5XlejQB04OAme-gxdJmx1jJkjoBdt2nJ5PJtA8XmLY-tX14AHnu6Hfprkjf71f2whAqgtSlTdyb4ZGp66oQhZJBuqSm0mYgez9h4/s320/20231202%2002%20lip%20wrap%20cups.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Time was running out. I'd hoped that the Colonel would give the remaining Thursday class times over to us, as Our Instrutor used to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No such luck, but for good reason. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The previous weekend, it turned out, the nighttime security guard had come in to check the furnace and found that it had dropped from its preset 2100 degrees to 1500. It was 2:00 a.m., but he called the Colonel anyway. In the middle of a party (!), the Colonel talked the guard through the steps to restart the furnace. Had the cullet been left to cool in the crucible, the crucible would have cracked, and that would have been the end of our semester.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, the Colonel set about making a gift for the guard, who was an avid fan of bowling.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybSgZtkDQ6yuqxxkq3gTwQhTWfQNgAITkUDMbysh5A70BbJOFI-9lADm6p3OPdfc_7SgpEPv1DwG01YsSfEhAoDUBdnd1tYElfGw3SbI36u6PkvlfX4IE7qdPm4QwyINIiMVwHFnjYW4TrRMr_i6HQtkwcbbjZIWjIQ_97K2QICafqVc36UL8Qooq/s2048/20231130%2007%20James%20makes%20a%20bowling%20ball%20and%20pin.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybSgZtkDQ6yuqxxkq3gTwQhTWfQNgAITkUDMbysh5A70BbJOFI-9lADm6p3OPdfc_7SgpEPv1DwG01YsSfEhAoDUBdnd1tYElfGw3SbI36u6PkvlfX4IE7qdPm4QwyINIiMVwHFnjYW4TrRMr_i6HQtkwcbbjZIWjIQ_97K2QICafqVc36UL8Qooq/s320/20231130%2007%20James%20makes%20a%20bowling%20ball%20and%20pin.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I sat off to the side, next to LT2. We spent some time talking about next semester's workshop. He was already registered for Saturday mornings. "I'm thinking of signing up for the afternoon too," he said. "Blow all day. I'm already in the groove when the morning class ends." If he were to do that, we'd be at 9 people. "All The Glass will sign up," LT2 said. "He said he would if he's the last person."</div><div><br /></div><div>"He's not gonna do it," I said. "He's dead set against it. He thinks they're gonna cancel."</div><div><br /></div><div>"He'll sign up." LT2 had been working on him.</div><div><br /></div><div>I asked Low Key too. She expressed a vague interest. "I'll do Saturday afernoon if I know who that other person is." All we knew was that person wasn't one of us, and that there would be no way to find out. Unless and until we did, I couldn't count on Low Key to come through. As a retiree, she had all the time in the world to spend an hour and half in her car each way to the other community college.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEYZXTGIdd1xpCn2tpPj8O6nzMP0j2lwNgpGri4syeiWeyeHugnHRdE0Js0qLPgYZw1MjBlGy6jqOJBGotxdaJQ9a9jSR_4B2OX5Di5RA-PCSjRd_Mtznsd2s_HSGUFdl3-UavnYGFQbwk-MFRZP9CUeJpzz7OQ2AW-P_HovlYcr2OlWkKtuc1wcX/s2048/20231202%2006%20bowling%20ball%20and%20pin.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEYZXTGIdd1xpCn2tpPj8O6nzMP0j2lwNgpGri4syeiWeyeHugnHRdE0Js0qLPgYZw1MjBlGy6jqOJBGotxdaJQ9a9jSR_4B2OX5Di5RA-PCSjRd_Mtznsd2s_HSGUFdl3-UavnYGFQbwk-MFRZP9CUeJpzz7OQ2AW-P_HovlYcr2OlWkKtuc1wcX/s320/20231202%2006%20bowling%20ball%20and%20pin.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We had a little extra time after the bowling ball was finished. I made two quick cups, not caring much about thickness or form, so that I could use them for more Junk in the Trunks. I went in on Saturday to retrieve and fill them.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9DAJno_JSy-uU52cTGi_5Q2IHiKLWOc3xBQDuy9b7vkyXb9Eh4T7b3H_fdKsVjK24ok6KwekMHumUfTMbvkB519CAnKgf63LjglpJfNDsbWUH7pIuUcsrJn7H-K6ZDBNI2g0DyxyYmKk17E7uUKw2ES-6EkqshzxCihc6pp2XjzYB3Ysul_E-zqk/s2048/20231202%2003%20setting%20up%20for%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9DAJno_JSy-uU52cTGi_5Q2IHiKLWOc3xBQDuy9b7vkyXb9Eh4T7b3H_fdKsVjK24ok6KwekMHumUfTMbvkB519CAnKgf63LjglpJfNDsbWUH7pIuUcsrJn7H-K6ZDBNI2g0DyxyYmKk17E7uUKw2ES-6EkqshzxCihc6pp2XjzYB3Ysul_E-zqk/s320/20231202%2003%20setting%20up%20for%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iErad5ZZpTqQT2UHmALD8_VqnQoQ63XfGN3ybSZ9DuuzBwwn210vGlr4kfald5MuLzd5tcOi5Vvji-6JtrTscKh5721I6Tqn5v5W1SWS4fKYkVdyGPKDZZvuMsD4___RMptyVp1AGRqOc0M7c9wLtU9yAmHW9WRsAacZVNi7KsZrjYJyJWRqgR7E/s2048/20231202%2004%20setting%20up%20for%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%204.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iErad5ZZpTqQT2UHmALD8_VqnQoQ63XfGN3ybSZ9DuuzBwwn210vGlr4kfald5MuLzd5tcOi5Vvji-6JtrTscKh5721I6Tqn5v5W1SWS4fKYkVdyGPKDZZvuMsD4___RMptyVp1AGRqOc0M7c9wLtU9yAmHW9WRsAacZVNi7KsZrjYJyJWRqgR7E/s320/20231202%2004%20setting%20up%20for%20junk%20in%20the%20trunk%204.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd spent Wednesday afternoon churning out ornaments. Thread Sherpa once said it takes him about a dozen to get into the rhythm. I'd made only 10, one of which cracked in the annealer or in the cabinet. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cbfYOL9Rv-tPTpfwCKA5csUIibOBBTry-QEya19WpXx0zJ-Y9yUWP0k7I2hjICWWwNUXqnYiqyhUYreB_lY13-PP1z2QvXtqQ5eOnfRpX9dmYcF7CnERrnvF1DXIgNmeDvwI0JIVqwhvaxd7i96w5wW72rXJWD1580gG7oVPvTWXGrCOdXdOX00K/s2048/20231202%2005%20ornaments.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cbfYOL9Rv-tPTpfwCKA5csUIibOBBTry-QEya19WpXx0zJ-Y9yUWP0k7I2hjICWWwNUXqnYiqyhUYreB_lY13-PP1z2QvXtqQ5eOnfRpX9dmYcF7CnERrnvF1DXIgNmeDvwI0JIVqwhvaxd7i96w5wW72rXJWD1580gG7oVPvTWXGrCOdXdOX00K/s320/20231202%2005%20ornaments.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sitting on the slab by the grinding wheel was the fart around vase I'd discarded. Confused, I told Rose, "I threw this away."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"I know," she said. "I'm going to smash it up and use it for my final project. It's all scraps from the bucket. It's called Shattered Dreams."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"This is a quarter of my first geode," I told her, picking it up. "I can give you a piece of the geode if you want to smash that instead. It might be easier."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"You should keep this," she said. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"I guess," I mumbled, and put the little vase in the bag with the ornaments. I knew where it would go:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">out in the yard, on Saint Miscellaneous, where pieces I was on the fence about discarding would live out the rest of their lives. I added one of the ornaments, whose hook was such a mess that I knocked it off with a file and stuck the sphere on the end of one of the dozen branches.<br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2QX9Ql2kUb9aar-dbUgzuiJ0I5HOMJrCVb4yb0n4A8FY2aQ7B8gbMzWvhcCuBCLHuslnYJt5Gv1Ww8GhfTPtuY3kbhmmY8c88YPSycIjFC3YovA8l8CHjB98k5EtSa0zjrdKNHw8ZhUDqwqE0IobBTf-Z9oPW223aR1jhAhv1CAiW3smGkSXfzuy/s2048/20231225%20Saint%20Miscellaneous.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2QX9Ql2kUb9aar-dbUgzuiJ0I5HOMJrCVb4yb0n4A8FY2aQ7B8gbMzWvhcCuBCLHuslnYJt5Gv1Ww8GhfTPtuY3kbhmmY8c88YPSycIjFC3YovA8l8CHjB98k5EtSa0zjrdKNHw8ZhUDqwqE0IobBTf-Z9oPW223aR1jhAhv1CAiW3smGkSXfzuy/s320/20231225%20Saint%20Miscellaneous.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it was the final Tuesday. All The Glass and I both arrived an hour early. He set about making as many angels from a mold that he could. We turned the big oven on to heat my last two Junk in the Trunk cups.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While they were warming up to 1050 degrees, I took one last swing at the summer vase. This time it worked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3w9cpDSh71UDPUsUmhmAOmMsjEBmOI5RXckQfEPHonDQzoGwUita0PYT9TJMwpBXcxA4-lQry4mxCmzu8mpPCOjX9XW7QxQDFd71P_AV2e_1OjHFEvf89J23EUSUmMJ7BoDhfvGnNDhiIN8G2pX1wT7K-mIZ5fIHXfw2B_CUhqoel_wkgZW9Dd7Zf/s2048/20231207%2010%20Summer%20vase.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3w9cpDSh71UDPUsUmhmAOmMsjEBmOI5RXckQfEPHonDQzoGwUita0PYT9TJMwpBXcxA4-lQry4mxCmzu8mpPCOjX9XW7QxQDFd71P_AV2e_1OjHFEvf89J23EUSUmMJ7BoDhfvGnNDhiIN8G2pX1wT7K-mIZ5fIHXfw2B_CUhqoel_wkgZW9Dd7Zf/s320/20231207%2010%20Summer%20vase.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the Glass kept asking me to take pictures of him while he worked. "The final" bowl or vase, or whatever, he'd say. It was depressing. I wanted to be in the moment. He wasn't helping. If he would register for the spring workshop, it wouldn't be final anything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the Junk in the Trunks, I didn't get them as hot as the last two, so that the glass inside wouldn't melt. They looked fun from the top.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJ9aWi6nbbJOj5nbfgp-VKlxO21SY9WwulLc3-VuycNLt22MHQmxPzEcCixtdIJrU1FvQOqZ7NVhnG77CXiT30y_zpAB4Pi-rFp7M0mIL5ZC5Bc3vt7aHTLtmKkrUDAwVrgv9Wlh2p1x3JX-Gc7yibLjUiQOrOvfBo40Dcd9uq_RpGWsm-eFEkaKG/s2048/20231207%2001%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%203.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJ9aWi6nbbJOj5nbfgp-VKlxO21SY9WwulLc3-VuycNLt22MHQmxPzEcCixtdIJrU1FvQOqZ7NVhnG77CXiT30y_zpAB4Pi-rFp7M0mIL5ZC5Bc3vt7aHTLtmKkrUDAwVrgv9Wlh2p1x3JX-Gc7yibLjUiQOrOvfBo40Dcd9uq_RpGWsm-eFEkaKG/s320/20231207%2001%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But I didn't like the side view. The original cup's mouth didn't melt into the new glass. If we'd had more time, perhaps I'd have cut the bottoms off and sanded them down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCyMxyYIK-N6MMRscWfJSPHySLSAoHA-LxY72ewrVyqsVa6L_Y1h-aU-GYGpZVKuQJyOQIiZ4gj1BrZPlhsXs-E3KQEdpJjU4A2wICgWw54OJ34TxwbsTW48jcwR41wQc42AUTMlDFEre4xBvzPWEJPdhWwfeL-z4Ubf3HyrYkuXkvYzEiqfEPqO3/s2048/20231207%2002%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%203.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCyMxyYIK-N6MMRscWfJSPHySLSAoHA-LxY72ewrVyqsVa6L_Y1h-aU-GYGpZVKuQJyOQIiZ4gj1BrZPlhsXs-E3KQEdpJjU4A2wICgWw54OJ34TxwbsTW48jcwR41wQc42AUTMlDFEre4xBvzPWEJPdhWwfeL-z4Ubf3HyrYkuXkvYzEiqfEPqO3/s320/20231207%2002%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%203.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AhxIlVd8yat-he6Qmx-JCFdD4UkW9TuHF7lClFHm3Yq2dx9ML685zLPDNYjR2fL63inYaXOhlevBRq4N6OnHroZSTqw1LPP3VHsA9jkfZeh_tma9lS-XfTdtMV8qNiyuT7NvrSRJ-yfoXqa3lvDDH_bRr0inHc03f8699scBZmzRF75gnXhuY3jL/s2048/20231207%2005%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%204.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AhxIlVd8yat-he6Qmx-JCFdD4UkW9TuHF7lClFHm3Yq2dx9ML685zLPDNYjR2fL63inYaXOhlevBRq4N6OnHroZSTqw1LPP3VHsA9jkfZeh_tma9lS-XfTdtMV8qNiyuT7NvrSRJ-yfoXqa3lvDDH_bRr0inHc03f8699scBZmzRF75gnXhuY3jL/s320/20231207%2005%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%204.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKN53_tA64uPJwPeJHVwH5pyzbATr7IGXuNyS_abLdKlf0TfcChEg7Sou73Kibkvi-ANhjhrP84B2DhMAGvhoP95fEi-g18QjtmNWteF7oOfAidLNfHsXQpYKdrVkXKWpWlcTuu2KjWsA7D4ZoG0EE7in5UvS-qdQ3b7r0UZF4vas7wDknNrPTmW/s2048/20231207%2008%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%204.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKN53_tA64uPJwPeJHVwH5pyzbATr7IGXuNyS_abLdKlf0TfcChEg7Sou73Kibkvi-ANhjhrP84B2DhMAGvhoP95fEi-g18QjtmNWteF7oOfAidLNfHsXQpYKdrVkXKWpWlcTuu2KjWsA7D4ZoG0EE7in5UvS-qdQ3b7r0UZF4vas7wDknNrPTmW/s320/20231207%2008%20Junk%20in%20the%20Trunk%204.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hadn't played with the square mold since the end of last semester. Now I had less than an hour to try. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd been watching Low Key do it, which helped. She never bothered to open the top, though. "I just knock them off the pipe and cut them later." That way, she kept the whole piece square. I wanted to open the top, which I'd been trying, mostly unsuccessfully, last semester. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First I made a clear one, but I'd dropped the pipe into the mold off-center. I did my best to open the top in the middle. I rescued it somewhat. From three sides it looked wonky. From one side it looked okay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIfmVomxrBd2xWMw49L3zoyI-ki781s9E4AJaew8qHbntv9lnuYJzBbfX6PC01rYOt4YCsMxxxI3_lJJInkIj9S06QCImmH5ozox_Xdds5vNAGVM6_m-v3N5VE52yktnA_QDGlFGDYg3L4fgyM8LSZ_LprZjIGcB1Uzt57LajDcJYAr0ZjxTr_wfG/s2048/20231207%2012%20square%20mold%20lopsided%20opening.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIfmVomxrBd2xWMw49L3zoyI-ki781s9E4AJaew8qHbntv9lnuYJzBbfX6PC01rYOt4YCsMxxxI3_lJJInkIj9S06QCImmH5ozox_Xdds5vNAGVM6_m-v3N5VE52yktnA_QDGlFGDYg3L4fgyM8LSZ_LprZjIGcB1Uzt57LajDcJYAr0ZjxTr_wfG/s320/20231207%2012%20square%20mold%20lopsided%20opening.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbWM-VD1iRNDIBkbrO-NBum7pP2G51_05UY_8q7KkGgtU8ImpQJAegNOifpI-UX_YJEs1CY4E3DiGU-kdqTuutkK9BAF-GOv5lKZQKUzgZN4zyDGvyK9ybSfKtNSgVDY0takB2ZfbMa0Ct9H6q4AXGEIjGmPYUZPNtS4UiyrL-45FsEeY_deSyEVG/s2048/20231207%2013%20square%20mold%20lopsided%20opening.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbWM-VD1iRNDIBkbrO-NBum7pP2G51_05UY_8q7KkGgtU8ImpQJAegNOifpI-UX_YJEs1CY4E3DiGU-kdqTuutkK9BAF-GOv5lKZQKUzgZN4zyDGvyK9ybSfKtNSgVDY0takB2ZfbMa0Ct9H6q4AXGEIjGmPYUZPNtS4UiyrL-45FsEeY_deSyEVG/s320/20231207%2013%20square%20mold%20lopsided%20opening.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEGdJx6N_XrNKTQNdQ421C2PSHOrnDax5PctyQFzbt__LlqlsCD5oed0_lQEfYR6mKG8GkqU5CuqaSUQe38YJOlZwpVuG19P1thynWHMKe08SXbYyEaRCd2RhiEb2YByAqnx-oMv7bDsySBCT_XJHozQBqtKEYmvvmc48MnRTmq5hPQWdFWAIYW5H/s2048/20231207%2014%20square%20mold%20lopsided%20opening.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEGdJx6N_XrNKTQNdQ421C2PSHOrnDax5PctyQFzbt__LlqlsCD5oed0_lQEfYR6mKG8GkqU5CuqaSUQe38YJOlZwpVuG19P1thynWHMKe08SXbYyEaRCd2RhiEb2YByAqnx-oMv7bDsySBCT_XJHozQBqtKEYmvvmc48MnRTmq5hPQWdFWAIYW5H/s320/20231207%2014%20square%20mold%20lopsided%20opening.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried again, this time with color. It was late. We were minutes away from the end of class. The top got away from me. I embraced the anarchy, pulling on the edges and swinging it. The result would either be beautiful or trash. I had trouble knocking it off the punty, too. "Great way to end the semester," I said.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turns out I like it. The bottom starts out square, and then it melts into round and then chaos. Sort of a metaphor for this semester, now that I think about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmabvxbcOnSYVllbjE-dQHKASHteQhcNHD-S2UzR_cWmMJ9inUVUoPKkent7LZxioL7hI2bSqoeph99RmshUA80VOaMQjm_mpIA3-H_UQxWKC7ZmzH9qdQTsksJ4UCeoHZKFA52e7g99Hlg-LscxGb9c-U6YuSxsLUQRZr_TvD9KnvxDDGzacFtxw/s2048/20231207%2015%20square%20mold%20gone%20out%20of%20control.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmabvxbcOnSYVllbjE-dQHKASHteQhcNHD-S2UzR_cWmMJ9inUVUoPKkent7LZxioL7hI2bSqoeph99RmshUA80VOaMQjm_mpIA3-H_UQxWKC7ZmzH9qdQTsksJ4UCeoHZKFA52e7g99Hlg-LscxGb9c-U6YuSxsLUQRZr_TvD9KnvxDDGzacFtxw/s320/20231207%2015%20square%20mold%20gone%20out%20of%20control.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9dTIGPHZDcdF1kaEAXvYUntng8jdLSiMV9PAKVFaOXSA2H9sEBh2dzD4o9NoljtBM4ZSzmxYSYFoojToJS5IrEZs5m51PYoMiV8aBpzqcF5ky6sSSRv2yMBDqvGCNNn9uEJtV6F7sUWS3zuS2UA0GXveyt81hzPNebRCwiup00rvVoC30N0Ln4Wi/s2048/20231207%2016%20square%20mold%20gone%20out%20of%20control.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9dTIGPHZDcdF1kaEAXvYUntng8jdLSiMV9PAKVFaOXSA2H9sEBh2dzD4o9NoljtBM4ZSzmxYSYFoojToJS5IrEZs5m51PYoMiV8aBpzqcF5ky6sSSRv2yMBDqvGCNNn9uEJtV6F7sUWS3zuS2UA0GXveyt81hzPNebRCwiup00rvVoC30N0Ln4Wi/s320/20231207%2016%20square%20mold%20gone%20out%20of%20control.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXw8CJqKKANtwExtJnIIo9O7ZvXpqBut07RmD1K23EoesukY2NXwyWJeJkqjqUjq0WVdyEhPlsge5NLNnI9Lo0gN8bt-SvKWTJlZvanOifAug5G54K4KwxKf6EeonuamwYKHCtJdm-8OFAK2gRYQR0U0ux7jcwLgugO0ClMFmGamICPCrngl8fCjW/s2048/20231207%2017%20square%20mold%20gone%20out%20of%20control.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXw8CJqKKANtwExtJnIIo9O7ZvXpqBut07RmD1K23EoesukY2NXwyWJeJkqjqUjq0WVdyEhPlsge5NLNnI9Lo0gN8bt-SvKWTJlZvanOifAug5G54K4KwxKf6EeonuamwYKHCtJdm-8OFAK2gRYQR0U0ux7jcwLgugO0ClMFmGamICPCrngl8fCjW/s320/20231207%2017%20square%20mold%20gone%20out%20of%20control.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it was time for us to clean out our lockers. I'd bought a cheap, plastic poster holder with a shoulder strap and drilled two holes in the lid for my pipes. I brought in a suitcase and filled it with all the frit and rods I had shoved into my locker.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowLjmDdC47IaQbi0By8oxa569rruliOhCkH12M-cF63m4BFuk5_iYcW3EtArgRJCO68nsxySe1_JMRG7VGLuE438bQXBg1p4tR1p3yVNkHCj3uHbQhTch66QJu8cinTurzwQolOsbFqj4yyqiO5nvcWlrueRONAxmNS_VSNr1ifVrjgVE7a8h39MD/s2048/20231205%2001%20emptying%20my%20locker.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowLjmDdC47IaQbi0By8oxa569rruliOhCkH12M-cF63m4BFuk5_iYcW3EtArgRJCO68nsxySe1_JMRG7VGLuE438bQXBg1p4tR1p3yVNkHCj3uHbQhTch66QJu8cinTurzwQolOsbFqj4yyqiO5nvcWlrueRONAxmNS_VSNr1ifVrjgVE7a8h39MD/s320/20231205%2001%20emptying%20my%20locker.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next to me, All The Glass emptied his. "You forgot something," he said, gesturing at the top compartment, over my head. I reached in to feel a plastic bag. I pulled it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Spider legs!" I dropped them into the suitcase.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnTnqq3pTefb54ct7LFy7aY-9KZWXstk5eFYod9TsM87VtSXUTutV3r9PIjECEy1IGr1afgY-YkdqWNvEM04oTsONbulNvbrnE4_Oj_gzRKfPVD9dvu70Ro1KhQz115pz-WzGIzmp3qOoKkE0pTI9M3nphaD-yUIzYMqyAog7_UPxwbfyMdDs-H8Q/s2048/20231205%2002%20emptying%20my%20locker.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnTnqq3pTefb54ct7LFy7aY-9KZWXstk5eFYod9TsM87VtSXUTutV3r9PIjECEy1IGr1afgY-YkdqWNvEM04oTsONbulNvbrnE4_Oj_gzRKfPVD9dvu70Ro1KhQz115pz-WzGIzmp3qOoKkE0pTI9M3nphaD-yUIzYMqyAog7_UPxwbfyMdDs-H8Q/s320/20231205%2002%20emptying%20my%20locker.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We left our locks on the doors, as a sign of hope, and, perhaps, defiance.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLCVV3F2zy2pvcimFdQhZg2eMId5b1dbDSKqWzvAfw0mZd61dF8eSCFdKT3zc09ehWzcb4OKSSVuHZ_xJNL9mXqnPEZTAau_NBoMk38Tq9mgv0cMYR96VvhTyN36FVFaUEbzO9A68rdhyphenhyphenNN6MWqv9ETAEFo2vPId9Sv4U1bcxjcPZLHqvjXocKbpo/s2048/20231205%2003%20leaving%20the%20lock%20on.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLCVV3F2zy2pvcimFdQhZg2eMId5b1dbDSKqWzvAfw0mZd61dF8eSCFdKT3zc09ehWzcb4OKSSVuHZ_xJNL9mXqnPEZTAau_NBoMk38Tq9mgv0cMYR96VvhTyN36FVFaUEbzO9A68rdhyphenhyphenNN6MWqv9ETAEFo2vPId9Sv4U1bcxjcPZLHqvjXocKbpo/s320/20231205%2003%20leaving%20the%20lock%20on.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As strong as I am, I had trouble lifting the suitcase into my car. It was so heavy that I had to carry it up the stairs one step at a time. If I were to blow glass again somewhere, I'd have to plan my colors ahead of time. There would be no practical way to bring them all with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had the registration page open on my phone. I was checking it multiple times a day, reading the list of empty slots, hoping to see them count down. 3 taken out of 4, 1 of 4, 1 of 4, 0 of 4, and 2 of 4. </div><div><br /></div><div>All The Glass had been watching it too. He adamantly refused to register. "It's not going to run without 20 people," he insisted. His math showed that there would be no way for the class to run without a financial loss with any fewer than full enrollment. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Internally, his model worked. But we didn't know how much money the Continuing Education department was starting with. We didn't have the propane bills to know how much money would be saved by not having the furnace door opening and closing all week and the glory hole off most of the time, or how much less cullet would need to be shoveled into the furnace at the end of the day. We didn't know the Colonel's salary. </div><div><br /></div><div>I decided to ask the folks at Continuing Education what the minimum actually was, and whether or not we could sign up for multiple sessions. I called from work in the afternoon.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I was on the phone, the vase full of flowers that I'd been fiddling with in the morning toppled to the floor. The vase survived. All but one flower didn't.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQJCvbFXc_Bvn4y2wNHiffZZd-6ogENKHwduta78SyL55WM5nnbM2_0JK7FAxMvOjyEV0wO7yMMyrI6XvnXk78qyBlHwdUBTmCD9-POieLrjBLxTlqcfwWZCiE-6f2kMWKvi_kdsmW1MsgPFh16VOlvngnbvKWMTTXRXuTBieZkeB6ZOiUiqE1qiA/s2048/20231206%2001%20whoops.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQJCvbFXc_Bvn4y2wNHiffZZd-6ogENKHwduta78SyL55WM5nnbM2_0JK7FAxMvOjyEV0wO7yMMyrI6XvnXk78qyBlHwdUBTmCD9-POieLrjBLxTlqcfwWZCiE-6f2kMWKvi_kdsmW1MsgPFh16VOlvngnbvKWMTTXRXuTBieZkeB6ZOiUiqE1qiA/s320/20231206%2001%20whoops.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div>I got an answer. They needed ten people.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Get it in writing," All The Glass said.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Y'know," I suggested, "You can ask them too."</div><div><br /></div><div>"I won't believe them. The numbers don't work."</div><div><br /></div><div>So I asked for it in writing. My contact said they'd double-check first, then let me know. The answer came back as 10 again.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I don't believe it," All The Glass said again. I told him I was finished with this topic.</div><div><br /></div><div>I sent an email to the class, telling them I'd spoken with someone at ConEd:</div><div><br /></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i>She told me that there needs to be 10 people registered in order for the spring workshop to happen. Right now we're at 7.</i></div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><br /></i></div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i>I know it's more money than you're used to paying, but think of it this way: you get to work with people you know; it's close to home; you can use the color boxes, sander, molds, that bed of nails thingie, and other equipment in the building at no extra charge; you won't be charged for a larger glory hole; and, if you were one of the people who promised a big donation to keep the class running for the spring, consider this your donation with the added benefit of blowing glass.</i></div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><br /></i></div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i>It's also okay to register for two separate sessions if you want to blow glass for more than 4 hours/week.</i></div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><br /></i></div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><div><i>If you're on the fence, now is the time to make the decision. We only need three more people to make this happen. Think of the seven of us who have already committed. Don't let us down!</i></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>That said, I decided to keep quiet on Thursday, our last night of class before next week's critique. Once again, I was hoping the Colonel would let us work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nope. He wanted to make another Philly Phanatic, this time with feet. He got as far as the pinstripe jersey when something went wrong. He started over again.</div><div><br /></div><div>I helped by bringing him a bit or two and minding the glory hole doors. But mostly I sat on the sidelines. To me, it looked as if the Colonel was out of fucks to give and wanted to use as much studio time for himself as he could. While he'd praised me for my efforts and said he understood where I was coming from, he wasn't on board with the workshop idea. "I mean, class without an instructor?" he said. That wouldn't help him at all.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lM1vyZhMXd11HgQJJzJyV0ARUhHbN1iH51bc0kAYMzbo6eCZM7W4CikdE3KrVpnkuCEeVJczScoxaYskC36YvMt0c2IhiJIgF3IxMppNu57T4CGmnHGw4uOD4rUhHrxZ7KK4k4yVIxL2jzcFMPTLGYwj8HeOcpbc5cRae8xvVxGzYN7LjUvphH7w/s2048/20231207%2019%20James%20makes%20another%20Phanatic.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lM1vyZhMXd11HgQJJzJyV0ARUhHbN1iH51bc0kAYMzbo6eCZM7W4CikdE3KrVpnkuCEeVJczScoxaYskC36YvMt0c2IhiJIgF3IxMppNu57T4CGmnHGw4uOD4rUhHrxZ7KK4k4yVIxL2jzcFMPTLGYwj8HeOcpbc5cRae8xvVxGzYN7LjUvphH7w/s320/20231207%2019%20James%20makes%20another%20Phanatic.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcIKlR0bjvkHkgmxmxAp-8sk_-IyJPaCMlhxkv4eWK0K23RCnNRbUKCCrGp4JLjmYskM8lysHOQqe4dYPwhk1gjZZaM6MD6A-7RjOcwivYpKLbTTjgTQAsveWO2-d8WiPSUyicGfa40sHTyeKKK48DjicApX9_0Qct9P35wpUK28dhfZ5UB1VdHQg/s2048/20231207%2020%20James%20makes%20another%20Phanatic.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcIKlR0bjvkHkgmxmxAp-8sk_-IyJPaCMlhxkv4eWK0K23RCnNRbUKCCrGp4JLjmYskM8lysHOQqe4dYPwhk1gjZZaM6MD6A-7RjOcwivYpKLbTTjgTQAsveWO2-d8WiPSUyicGfa40sHTyeKKK48DjicApX9_0Qct9P35wpUK28dhfZ5UB1VdHQg/s320/20231207%2020%20James%20makes%20another%20Phanatic.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At 8:40, he let three of us have twenty minutes to make something. Two of the new advanced students worked at one bench. Thinking about the shattered flowers and the nagging feeling I might never blow glass again, I pulled out my tools and blow hose to try one more time to make a tree of life ornament. The first died on the pipe. The Colonel suggested I use more glass. "When I've seen these, they're always bigger," he said. "More glass to work against" when making the indentations. I made a bigger one. It had a trunk, from top to bottom, but the branches blew out. With five minutes left, I made a flower to replace the ones that had shattered in my office.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Colonel started shoveling cullet into the furnace. It would be on for two more days. Some cullet spilled on the floor. "Mind if I grab some of this for something?" I asked. I'd almost forgotten I'd wanted some. "Sure," he said.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that was it. Maybe for a month and a half, maybe for nine months, maybe forever.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At home, one of the lip wraps and the square mold glass had a perfect hand feel and became part of the routine for water and cold brew.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHL3jwV8wPu0eyxOag3Z_rHBLX-vmXhZuJWWgW7EoJgHeLAb92IqXy0dR7yzCDBt6t3Krv2aBOmw6sOp6VOxyIU4zhJEIc9dAmGl8CWdxkK4mvJGEomdGHqB_IakJ6mYKF4PU5bvdnIgSyB2hbpQ0hNhj-gnJPwROmFGiZNoyT7_On8jPU_817yx-/s1415/20231208%20using%20what%20I%20made.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1415" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHL3jwV8wPu0eyxOag3Z_rHBLX-vmXhZuJWWgW7EoJgHeLAb92IqXy0dR7yzCDBt6t3Krv2aBOmw6sOp6VOxyIU4zhJEIc9dAmGl8CWdxkK4mvJGEomdGHqB_IakJ6mYKF4PU5bvdnIgSyB2hbpQ0hNhj-gnJPwROmFGiZNoyT7_On8jPU_817yx-/s320/20231208%20using%20what%20I%20made.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I unpacked all the scrap threads, sorted through them, pulled out the longest ones, and shoved them into Sic Transit Gloria Vitri, whose base I filled with cullet.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMxv8EXtOwZNRR3SQo1cyMBFQ91-vaaLRMcxxU6Liww_9BpslIYoEqaRSWDZtSVrCEm1jVGP592WCL-4YxBXdvW0TL3Jvet-LJpw9nxYz9AAE7hpAwwP2REyjaxEq-MnYRalHgYzx8LQErWIUrvQSm7TDOygYD3MM49DoXfxpWUF_WUBPpnimqV27/s2048/20231210%2001%20Sic%20Transit%20Gloria%20Vitri%20with%20threads.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMxv8EXtOwZNRR3SQo1cyMBFQ91-vaaLRMcxxU6Liww_9BpslIYoEqaRSWDZtSVrCEm1jVGP592WCL-4YxBXdvW0TL3Jvet-LJpw9nxYz9AAE7hpAwwP2REyjaxEq-MnYRalHgYzx8LQErWIUrvQSm7TDOygYD3MM49DoXfxpWUF_WUBPpnimqV27/s320/20231210%2001%20Sic%20Transit%20Gloria%20Vitri%20with%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYV6ZUODa_Pv5uDV5Zq6fg_l3fKXwjZjEyOVfHyjMiHKmYXHgclPDbTEn8Y-aDY8I8fiyubROTTUfx3drtih6UbXhgftkpUwg1DmtMJ86zKW9hlf7SSLK2hxqxRGx6ZJv81N9VP2XEkEsCC6LqWg4j-1ynLd7p5FrYdZb1eCp3VAwwGiqm7JxaOro8/s2048/20231210%2002%20Sic%20Transit%20Gloria%20Vitri%20with%20threads.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYV6ZUODa_Pv5uDV5Zq6fg_l3fKXwjZjEyOVfHyjMiHKmYXHgclPDbTEn8Y-aDY8I8fiyubROTTUfx3drtih6UbXhgftkpUwg1DmtMJ86zKW9hlf7SSLK2hxqxRGx6ZJv81N9VP2XEkEsCC6LqWg4j-1ynLd7p5FrYdZb1eCp3VAwwGiqm7JxaOro8/s320/20231210%2002%20Sic%20Transit%20Gloria%20Vitri%20with%20threads.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I hauled the ornaments into work, adding the giant ones that had been for sale on Etsy forever. One of the postdocs wanted three of the giant ones. The small ornaments were on sale for charity. She bought one of those too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKSsrZNIr1pNclh3-nQafytDwga_Jc7DCuUv64ox1sx3jHvYcspKe3MVO-4fOW9G94FuxvCLcbpbhKHxPiQum2xxLbN_ywOeO_k4kpOto_6qOCiv634eImMsZms6RB87agAJcY239h_CKOYGIEnjwlzpBMZW1eArVu9JbYXMKdMtjByXs-7sNFn_u/s2048/20231213%2001%20ornaments%20for%20sale.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKSsrZNIr1pNclh3-nQafytDwga_Jc7DCuUv64ox1sx3jHvYcspKe3MVO-4fOW9G94FuxvCLcbpbhKHxPiQum2xxLbN_ywOeO_k4kpOto_6qOCiv634eImMsZms6RB87agAJcY239h_CKOYGIEnjwlzpBMZW1eArVu9JbYXMKdMtjByXs-7sNFn_u/s320/20231213%2001%20ornaments%20for%20sale.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">By December 22, I'd sold out of the small ornaments, raising $130, plus the </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">$100 match I'd promised, for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">and the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Our final critique was December 14. Someone had invited the Dean and the Provost. The Colonel had put an end to that. He'd said he didn't want the evening to become a shouting match. He wanted us to focus on each other's work. He was probably right. Instead, Foundry Guy and another Important Person from the department would be there.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the day, I checked the registrations again. Somebody had joined the Sunday morning session. That put us at 8.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was an abundance of food set up on a table in the hallway. In the back classroom, we laid out our work. The Colonel had put white paper on the front tables and asked us to set up there. Only three of us heard him.</div><div><br /></div><div>While we were sitting around waiting for things to start, Sage, who was next to me, said, "I listened to you."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Huh?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"I signed up for Sunday morning."</div><div><br /></div><div>"That was you! You're going to be working with Classmate's Partner!"</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd never seen her smile that wide before. </div><div><br /></div><div>We finally settled into the crit. All In went first and then left. Extra went second, showing the beautiful clear vases she'd made all semester, plus the snowman All The Glass had helped her with last week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then it was my turn. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I've been going through some stuff," I said, and explained all the sad writing piece by piece: <i>Sic Transit Gloria Vitri</i>, <i>Ars Gratia Artis</i> (Foundary Guy smiling in the back of the room), <i>Kespeadooksit</i>, and We Are Here on Earth to Fart Around.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Colonel was enamored with the Vonnegut quote. He took pictures.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqxtO3cpv7gKBR2pG9l83tbvIcDG7VYpYD20LZXU9mxBQ76FAsTrTG12N9NFo0MoPgYrIbVf88EAZiIyz4tdtFv0IGEyaRLyOh2diBJcI8y3Q0u5VEs_jygoRtVhyphenhyphen61wfDyK90JLT9ob_dCTnB77-Pnlcy0jOi7p5XsJUKdHpyh4QatNQDfadl_3T/s2048/20231214%2001%20final%20crit.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqxtO3cpv7gKBR2pG9l83tbvIcDG7VYpYD20LZXU9mxBQ76FAsTrTG12N9NFo0MoPgYrIbVf88EAZiIyz4tdtFv0IGEyaRLyOh2diBJcI8y3Q0u5VEs_jygoRtVhyphenhyphen61wfDyK90JLT9ob_dCTnB77-Pnlcy0jOi7p5XsJUKdHpyh4QatNQDfadl_3T/s320/20231214%2001%20final%20crit.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I also showed the first Junk in the Trunk. "I think it's the start of something," the Colonel said. The start of something? When?</div><div><br /></div><div>I explained all my failures to make a tree of life. The Colonel empathized. "The people who make those," he said, "probably have dozens of witch's balls at home."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Yeah," I said, "I have a bunch too."</div><div><br /></div><div>"They're really popular right now. They're supposed to ward off hexes." Witch's balls as hex removers became a running joke for the rest of the night. Scraps were also a thing. There were mine, and Rose's Shattered Dreams, and Tall Vase's incorporation of the first go at the Phanatic's jersey. All The Glass displayed a photo of his front walkway, a collection of years of scrap bucket chunks spread like a vitreous flowerbed.</div><div><br /></div>As we finished, the subject of the future of our class came up, albeit briefly. "We need two more people," I said, holding up my fingers. </div><div><br /></div><div>"There's a bunch of pieces in the hot shop that I don't want," the Colonel said. "You guys can go in there and take whatever you want. Except the Phanatic." There was a rush for the door. I didn't want to take anything more home.</div><div><br /></div><div>I stayed behind to talk with LT2, Tall Vase, and New Grace, the people who were signed up for Saturday morning. "I want this to happen," LT2 said. He'd make his decision about buying a Saturday afternoon slot soon. Pumpkin Master joined our gaggle. "I'm signing up," he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>"That's nine!"</div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm thinking about Sunday morning to make this work," I said, "But here's the problem. I'm training for a big bike trip. I need my weekends. When I'm here, this is everything. When I'm on my bike, my bike is everything." So it would be down to me or LT2 or both, with less than a month to figure it out. One more person. We needed one more person.</div><div><br /></div><div>After I packed up, I wandered into the hot shop. Nothing remained of the Colonel's work except</div><div>the Phanatic and a bowl full of blue and red scraps.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx1qr24dktD2RItxcDelh_gMKto7BHdN9-nzBSXng_DkXc7xsviKmNTNY5H215jcOHh1HBd8T7UmMQQKdsrVi0qXdFQrqzO-Glqvozbuc6tTGX_P49Ty4wHpazxadrj1SoAVBIdoVhCAEP-oocodmG1nsr-A5YGlB-dBKl55ml7lRDr6yuTUOzleB/s2048/20231214%2003%20phanatic.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx1qr24dktD2RItxcDelh_gMKto7BHdN9-nzBSXng_DkXc7xsviKmNTNY5H215jcOHh1HBd8T7UmMQQKdsrVi0qXdFQrqzO-Glqvozbuc6tTGX_P49Ty4wHpazxadrj1SoAVBIdoVhCAEP-oocodmG1nsr-A5YGlB-dBKl55ml7lRDr6yuTUOzleB/s320/20231214%2003%20phanatic.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was quiet. I looked around. The furnace was off, and so were the vent fans. I was the only one in the room. I turned to go, and as I reached the door, a wave of sadness slipped through me.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLKO5nxajsm6beV3cHB6IoVhfGqD6OP_uqR_sjtGJiYE0B6S_hUVnng79UnCnu3PzU91Ezb89HQicZE5mJsqcWvbS8i61-rDs6NfyqFelgaoeqtTkDzhOawWCPPbvZ68Fm0mdj2W2MdvL0YhVmwjJ_usfsRD5H-juUtDENHHWGVhsGoToyqPrIroC/s2048/20231214%2007%20kespeadooksit%20the%20story%20ends.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLKO5nxajsm6beV3cHB6IoVhfGqD6OP_uqR_sjtGJiYE0B6S_hUVnng79UnCnu3PzU91Ezb89HQicZE5mJsqcWvbS8i61-rDs6NfyqFelgaoeqtTkDzhOawWCPPbvZ68Fm0mdj2W2MdvL0YhVmwjJ_usfsRD5H-juUtDENHHWGVhsGoToyqPrIroC/s320/20231214%2007%20kespeadooksit%20the%20story%20ends.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-13235678840770110242023-12-17T15:13:00.002-05:002023-12-17T15:13:54.342-05:00Last-Minute Hills<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRccVUyBhQoA97UiouLEtmMbdP0-iG9eEQOUILNu6gsBck21l1w3jDjeGyve50zNCYKs8ws7MXurvf5C857Ax4qSh17YuXoKwHezaPvLBbknTkxE1Jn1b85OTEiMEncK5RvqmnciRh_37f9mL9Rc9mrGoyo90CeCvPKiBArsy5Gp-7ly0Ut0wuo4fr/s5184/20231216%2001%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRccVUyBhQoA97UiouLEtmMbdP0-iG9eEQOUILNu6gsBck21l1w3jDjeGyve50zNCYKs8ws7MXurvf5C857Ax4qSh17YuXoKwHezaPvLBbknTkxE1Jn1b85OTEiMEncK5RvqmnciRh_37f9mL9Rc9mrGoyo90CeCvPKiBArsy5Gp-7ly0Ut0wuo4fr/s320/20231216%2001%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gulick Road, Rocktown</span></div><p><br /></p><p>17 December 2023</p><p>I came up with the route at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night and listed the ride immediately after. Jim, Rickety, Pete G, Heddy, and Our Jeff signed up. </p><p>The goal was to visit the Lambertville Bakehouse using roads I hadn't been on in a while. One of those roads was Mine Road from Stony Brook. It's been closed for years, reopening only recently. There are bollards at the bottom, meaning that cars can't use the road as a shortcut to Route 31. It also means we can haul ourselves up the 10% grade without cars getting in the way. There's more hill on the other side of 31, but that felt like nothing compared to what we'd just done.</p><p>We crossed 31 again at Woodsville Road, and once more at Rocktown. Here, Jim incited a mutiny, refusing to ride directly across. Instead, we all followed Pete the wrong way up 31 to where Rocktown Hill Road comes out on the other side. There is a wide shoulder on the northbound side or 31, and the line of sight is better there. Still, I'm not sure how much safer it is, what with us riding against traffic and all. </p><p>When we got to Gulick Road, there were cows.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAapLXIJ_RKa781J7dO81mHsFMMu1j07x4JEJZiR2iRDDsRBcX-l9bhmM71mtl65H14jRltL3rg3JMXGHMWBU83x11ya6SA5D555V4-sDyDMTuMXuf3CQFAV04GkyI33q_qWs76WbhthCg4c1GOR-zhMWd9OiddZmOj2AWxe3iOevJy-rsk0-i5cKj/s5184/20231216%2002%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAapLXIJ_RKa781J7dO81mHsFMMu1j07x4JEJZiR2iRDDsRBcX-l9bhmM71mtl65H14jRltL3rg3JMXGHMWBU83x11ya6SA5D555V4-sDyDMTuMXuf3CQFAV04GkyI33q_qWs76WbhthCg4c1GOR-zhMWd9OiddZmOj2AWxe3iOevJy-rsk0-i5cKj/s320/20231216%2002%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_A9v1GoN3rKrWT6NrANyQYzSEEXFmdN_c3YIveIJSlq4UVQT7NiVX7LlGkTlX_Tp4cpb_Z5DBtMPbRAFWhoBzW9ev48SoUg_2kLjht5A74tGP_TtVK8zC7Mr4oVr-1fy9BttQlkQ26xNibvkOfMB3fxiQ3Yl3GkNXgmdJVwcmMx6C9ZQNHLmpA64j/s5184/20231216%2003%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_A9v1GoN3rKrWT6NrANyQYzSEEXFmdN_c3YIveIJSlq4UVQT7NiVX7LlGkTlX_Tp4cpb_Z5DBtMPbRAFWhoBzW9ev48SoUg_2kLjht5A74tGP_TtVK8zC7Mr4oVr-1fy9BttQlkQ26xNibvkOfMB3fxiQ3Yl3GkNXgmdJVwcmMx6C9ZQNHLmpA64j/s320/20231216%2003%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXHCp-NLNNjZvvfMKJ9N7DwVRqkN3uiuOIc90WM7Jra_TeJZoHHpR-ilKE4N4J5GrBRze550h17OV_fv3stp8xxd7v3X66m982Hu9MN36iKNRld_iVl9rnXJ5-M5Zl4ccMlBaPcwZlxYwdEndftHzUeWEl1RBoNlXe2IpIUEjakoCLfEw4RvHZGZK/s5184/20231216%2004%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXHCp-NLNNjZvvfMKJ9N7DwVRqkN3uiuOIc90WM7Jra_TeJZoHHpR-ilKE4N4J5GrBRze550h17OV_fv3stp8xxd7v3X66m982Hu9MN36iKNRld_iVl9rnXJ5-M5Zl4ccMlBaPcwZlxYwdEndftHzUeWEl1RBoNlXe2IpIUEjakoCLfEw4RvHZGZK/s320/20231216%2004%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXdRFDr0XH6oxeizElnnZ3DA6fiJ2ScYsYH0TQLd4HjrHMLfsYDV7XupuHzhSvxJJG9WFBmPZWME_ntyQup2ueapxiCdAXTkM5wpAknG8518-9jTMuZfN82i057Ja5HJ0ULK0Y7_qcQd-feR3ybFg65-kV-aE7mNHLzGPSUXoWpv0MYSJurRAOU2a/s5184/20231216%2005%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXdRFDr0XH6oxeizElnnZ3DA6fiJ2ScYsYH0TQLd4HjrHMLfsYDV7XupuHzhSvxJJG9WFBmPZWME_ntyQup2ueapxiCdAXTkM5wpAknG8518-9jTMuZfN82i057Ja5HJ0ULK0Y7_qcQd-feR3ybFg65-kV-aE7mNHLzGPSUXoWpv0MYSJurRAOU2a/s320/20231216%2005%20Gulick%20Road%20cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Those who didn't stop for the cows were around the corner, where there's that gap between the trees at a long driveway and you can see the next set of hills beyond Lambertville.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YacbSWmYK9RE30YmhUOjJ8QAyigkV_aNndYMypC6hQRBghq2oT36uXp_E7CoibxVcK32-OUw7bvPQYXU2BtpMVYwWqTpTVpjzihLdD1C1yYVuIqMkHI6NkUJeuZYcW42rKODz4a5MP-P1Lp3FX24XVNOUSa_Wm2KKkMvpzm6n9XUynDB0iPqnmfi/s5184/20231216%2006%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YacbSWmYK9RE30YmhUOjJ8QAyigkV_aNndYMypC6hQRBghq2oT36uXp_E7CoibxVcK32-OUw7bvPQYXU2BtpMVYwWqTpTVpjzihLdD1C1yYVuIqMkHI6NkUJeuZYcW42rKODz4a5MP-P1Lp3FX24XVNOUSa_Wm2KKkMvpzm6n9XUynDB0iPqnmfi/s320/20231216%2006%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbSwhvvIX4e1F4VBqL7BHtiuZjz6r4eEffBv9jSS0y0MV7085atl71DqwzRKfJlGC1IUg3oUpS0DTwK3vN3C8NO3MZFoKaW0Kj5j2lC6MBJzdE8IHdGQ_MVwjHWiASo1cH5TbLedppHuPT52xTgOwo1pAvp4Ep5ZiG3O8oDMcFEPoR4VyZKK4VQz1/s5184/20231216%2007%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbSwhvvIX4e1F4VBqL7BHtiuZjz6r4eEffBv9jSS0y0MV7085atl71DqwzRKfJlGC1IUg3oUpS0DTwK3vN3C8NO3MZFoKaW0Kj5j2lC6MBJzdE8IHdGQ_MVwjHWiASo1cH5TbLedppHuPT52xTgOwo1pAvp4Ep5ZiG3O8oDMcFEPoR4VyZKK4VQz1/s320/20231216%2007%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuwnuo-a2rbKj3AxGFHeoOc0oKxqiPHcDnvfHWaBTh9N9qkXWcmMppGJ6CI6jr5Eh8ut9SUqFMs1ONYVHpq6ncdtk6qhcBk2_EBOQz_QzzCLR7HEjPfso9dIK6EsMjb0SHAtwztVZG6Kk6hGMn1jKxEbQfbQDOvgaoqmQ2sKswFxK6V8untAfJFS4/s5184/20231216%2008%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuwnuo-a2rbKj3AxGFHeoOc0oKxqiPHcDnvfHWaBTh9N9qkXWcmMppGJ6CI6jr5Eh8ut9SUqFMs1ONYVHpq6ncdtk6qhcBk2_EBOQz_QzzCLR7HEjPfso9dIK6EsMjb0SHAtwztVZG6Kk6hGMn1jKxEbQfbQDOvgaoqmQ2sKswFxK6V8untAfJFS4/s320/20231216%2008%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Before stashing my camera, I zoomed in for photos of the edge of the cow pasture we'd already passed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMV3NBbr7FrcCy_bJ5FarX5n_cE4y2Z2gjXuiphthyILcqCQq1FA1ammzKvM9UNgkOe7CUSe3gU4e9SAE66RAyYkFdsYqcaYSGt3-y4BRt7EvCf5uLmCvA9NZBhvyKESREN7Ybi_g8KpoHJreoJ5IvSTwegW6u0kPgXsuyhrkZiaZE5Zm8i9ehpAz/s5184/20231216%2009%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMV3NBbr7FrcCy_bJ5FarX5n_cE4y2Z2gjXuiphthyILcqCQq1FA1ammzKvM9UNgkOe7CUSe3gU4e9SAE66RAyYkFdsYqcaYSGt3-y4BRt7EvCf5uLmCvA9NZBhvyKESREN7Ybi_g8KpoHJreoJ5IvSTwegW6u0kPgXsuyhrkZiaZE5Zm8i9ehpAz/s320/20231216%2009%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VObHAhNqhdn-TPANQgeJsyn7OP80PsTyFayWHRvZPrsAdf9ANI97ljOl4HuGFD2sMOa2DGhcqeY5W-rDTKerUQ1xmNXc5LM2JaP3bjTOKbAOui3wcYGgDwkewtAZPxeHdbOJtScaoSe-nulSJbnwtjnORDaNw8mVI36VlLWf75l7AKll1Qhrp0WS/s5184/20231216%2010%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VObHAhNqhdn-TPANQgeJsyn7OP80PsTyFayWHRvZPrsAdf9ANI97ljOl4HuGFD2sMOa2DGhcqeY5W-rDTKerUQ1xmNXc5LM2JaP3bjTOKbAOui3wcYGgDwkewtAZPxeHdbOJtScaoSe-nulSJbnwtjnORDaNw8mVI36VlLWf75l7AKll1Qhrp0WS/s320/20231216%2010%20Gulick%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We spent a long time on Route 179. It presents itself as a busy road, but it's not, really. There's a wide shoulder almost all the way down to Lambertville. There's also a stealth hill between Mount Airy-Harbourton and Mill Road that I always forget about.<p></p><p>And, in the middle of nowhere, there's a new Dollar General. What a strange place for a store like that.</p><p>We turned off on York Road and wound our way to the Lambertville Bakehouse. </p><p>I like cookies and muffins. But I'm a fat woman trying to pass as normal. I have food issues. At a rest stop, I don't allow myself more than 200 calories, which is an energy bar from home, or the top of a muffin, or half a cookie. Those calories come out of my lunch allotment. This is why I buy muffins and cookies to take home. I can eat them later, after dinner, half at a time, if I plan things right. I've had this arm's-length reationship with food ever since I starved myself in high school. I was fat-shamed before that and have been fat-shamed since. It's especially difficult as a member of a bike club, where being lightweight is everything, and where I'm among skinny folks who have always been able to eat whaterver they want whenever they want. </p><p>So when I saw the label on the first row of cookies in the case, I had a problem. "Bikini Killer," it said. I knew it was supposed to be funny, and, for anyone who doesn't have a body like mine, or is a man, I suppose it is. When it was my turn to order, I politely explained why the name of the cookie is problematic. The woman behind the counter said she'd let the owner know. </p><p>Everyone in our group was happy with the baked goods. The coffee, from <a href="https://homesteadcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Homestead Coffee Roasters</a>, could probably stand to be brewed a little stronger. It's a cozy place, but we were the only ones hanging out at the time. We'll come back. </p><p>By our count, there are now four places to get coffee and baked goods in Lambertville: Luminary, Union, Bakehouse, and LTC. I should point out that Lambertville isn't big. </p><p>We climbed out of the valley the usual way, up Rocktown and Dinosaur Hill. We cut over on Rock and spent some time on Route 579, all the way to Woosamonsa. 579 can be busy sometimes. I never feel that it's unsafe, even when the shoulder disappears, but I heard a complaint later. It's really no worse than some of the roads we frequent on the other side of Route 1.</p><p>If I'd stayed off of that road, we'd have had even more hills to contend with, in less distance. As it was, we were over my usual 50 feet per mile pattern. There was some patter in the parking lot at the end about whether or not I was starting our spring training early. Nah, I'm simply an asshole who waits until the last minute to come up with a route that isn't the same old thing. There's a reason we do the same old thing, of course: the same old thing has all the good roads.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-37668967805597394182023-12-10T18:15:00.004-05:002023-12-10T18:23:05.141-05:00Fog and Fixes<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ExklZ7ZMX7k26wS8dxltk6RTDn9jKUeluIaMPM_AumjAbSTaObjr1LqXO9xI0YsxxplbvqD-PWPxi6NIMASoEtQqvpBRaVvWsiBIrDCo8E2JalBieh2uivS8IF1V0lbYqDbdHFXIhyphenhyphen07S3YL3EQKVZPTqX_ew-PtlYbgKsnpnN5aEojyRdEL_25o/s5184/20231209%2007%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ExklZ7ZMX7k26wS8dxltk6RTDn9jKUeluIaMPM_AumjAbSTaObjr1LqXO9xI0YsxxplbvqD-PWPxi6NIMASoEtQqvpBRaVvWsiBIrDCo8E2JalBieh2uivS8IF1V0lbYqDbdHFXIhyphenhyphen07S3YL3EQKVZPTqX_ew-PtlYbgKsnpnN5aEojyRdEL_25o/s320/20231209%2007%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Harbourton-Woodsville Road</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">12/10/23</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Patchy fog, my ass!" I said to Racer Pete as I rolled into Twin Pines at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRmVnnikn1-QKuD0kkpcG4hGNSwS_AQgA9NAzvvYmT334d2Q7n9PGXd4YTzMJSjnEZlicTVZCUiV4muoW1YuW6C1_hsmd5P_1cmUu1zHkNxTHF8_WjxNR_3_Sk0n6sOi4qUMDkeStdIOH3qPVSEk-TXuXX9_9RNySBriV3TLNksI3lpOJK8kUts4X/s5184/20231209%2001%20Twin%20Pines.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRmVnnikn1-QKuD0kkpcG4hGNSwS_AQgA9NAzvvYmT334d2Q7n9PGXd4YTzMJSjnEZlicTVZCUiV4muoW1YuW6C1_hsmd5P_1cmUu1zHkNxTHF8_WjxNR_3_Sk0n6sOi4qUMDkeStdIOH3qPVSEk-TXuXX9_9RNySBriV3TLNksI3lpOJK8kUts4X/s320/20231209%2001%20Twin%20Pines.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmCTK8vAV7DFkJserfqFHLUBimg4z2gfUjyPrFu9h8vJw5u1HGr6wrKdKjsmeRAyc-m8jgpTftqR8Z8I64tSJOvrAfFhIC5z9Ck6pajHxk-sjy3H2ffWC248ckJRwJFJOyhtddvPkYm7zcbcUZziDN6zqjNe1nA1PghmUC-XhrQKB8stkaBniB9s7/s5184/20231209%2002%20Twin%20Pines.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmCTK8vAV7DFkJserfqFHLUBimg4z2gfUjyPrFu9h8vJw5u1HGr6wrKdKjsmeRAyc-m8jgpTftqR8Z8I64tSJOvrAfFhIC5z9Ck6pajHxk-sjy3H2ffWC248ckJRwJFJOyhtddvPkYm7zcbcUZziDN6zqjNe1nA1PghmUC-XhrQKB8stkaBniB9s7/s320/20231209%2002%20Twin%20Pines.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd listed the ride late. Most of my regulars had better things to do. Heddy, Our Jeff, Racer Pete, Glenn F, and Andrew A were willing to follow me. The route was sort of Our Jeff's idea. He'd suggested Titusville so we could roll along the river for a while. I liked the idea because it would take me off of my usual roads.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although I'd seen fog in the forecast, I wasn't thinking about it when I created the route. I feared for our lives when we got to the flashing light at the intersection of Route 31 and Ingleside. The fog hadn't let up. Fortunately, there's a clear line of sight at that crossing. We all made it. I said, "Good thing Jim isn't here. He'd be cursing me out," and made a mental note to go a different way next time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we waited at the light at Washington Crossing and Scotch, I said to Andrew, "This is almost rain." We made the left, and as we climbed toward Nursery Road, I saw that my jacket was wet. I seriously considered turning the group around.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The closer to the river we got, the drier it got. There was still enough fog at Washington Crossing to make for decent pictures. There was a fellow with a tripod and a real camera down by the water.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pTkVI5wpzoyeyELU5pW8EkWnZH4DYWMQlPfdWHixURFMq8A2nuU-AnQ0W-YL-H1B1_sttdG8nWe5-FFAqsgnoYRx_LH2MgxXeVVTtYTkQLxDXPiEa8wrTbH6TKtdlv3ajRbLS6dckbqf-S1uyDhMVt1H2JPVYCbmVebxs06A5sTeChwjBfaZVNJc/s4100/20231209%2003%20Washington%20Crossing%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3688" data-original-width="4100" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pTkVI5wpzoyeyELU5pW8EkWnZH4DYWMQlPfdWHixURFMq8A2nuU-AnQ0W-YL-H1B1_sttdG8nWe5-FFAqsgnoYRx_LH2MgxXeVVTtYTkQLxDXPiEa8wrTbH6TKtdlv3ajRbLS6dckbqf-S1uyDhMVt1H2JPVYCbmVebxs06A5sTeChwjBfaZVNJc/s320/20231209%2003%20Washington%20Crossing%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHuAJmehk8UCJPI5mVCCc1qvio1MxigTax3_mqhxwIr17948t1rTh4VfsRCUzWgqxcvPcnhGqmDTbhR8gUK0Af2rz0r9zxJRqODFTmTP_rmTkTc_8WYcHt-ZuzYov9xFmLMinyV1uBJY8fyE7Ef3clMn3oYDZLvsd6aIofOf38nTkBIdW7G-h_r94/s5184/20231209%2004%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHuAJmehk8UCJPI5mVCCc1qvio1MxigTax3_mqhxwIr17948t1rTh4VfsRCUzWgqxcvPcnhGqmDTbhR8gUK0Af2rz0r9zxJRqODFTmTP_rmTkTc_8WYcHt-ZuzYov9xFmLMinyV1uBJY8fyE7Ef3clMn3oYDZLvsd6aIofOf38nTkBIdW7G-h_r94/s320/20231209%2004%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomI4WM0THenp9ubmvgo7ZEgn-bz1mg4rLDRpfzniZI62MlmvpH2uIPaHNLwnkFg2ZgtiRQB9HtP5aXdn1fUYQEeUn4O1mnlMIs0zU2S8EDkzMyT1m9sLjzOPrhIqNy0ovC6EyX-7lrbi4ilWoX_6PiTMvpJE9kL-O3q4kMKYJbtOZfYW7QpJqNzrx/s5184/20231209%2005%20Janice%20at%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomI4WM0THenp9ubmvgo7ZEgn-bz1mg4rLDRpfzniZI62MlmvpH2uIPaHNLwnkFg2ZgtiRQB9HtP5aXdn1fUYQEeUn4O1mnlMIs0zU2S8EDkzMyT1m9sLjzOPrhIqNy0ovC6EyX-7lrbi4ilWoX_6PiTMvpJE9kL-O3q4kMKYJbtOZfYW7QpJqNzrx/s320/20231209%2005%20Janice%20at%20Washington%20Crossing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While we were there, we decided to make the stop a bathroom break. That's when Our Jeff noticed that his saddle was loose. He'd had the bike pretty well worked over and halfway renovated. This was his first ride since getting it back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How many Freewheelers does it take to find an Allen wrench that will fit under a saddle? Four, and that included taking the seat post out to better get at the bolt. Heddy's nifty ratchet tool got the seat post bolt loosened. My Allen wrench, the one L-shaped of its kind that I carry (the rest being the straight kind in a folding tool), turned out to be the right fit for the job. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left the valley via Church Road, which is a long, shallow grind with varying degrees of incline. "My Garmin doesn't count this as a hill!" Heddy said. We all know her Garmin is a liar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To add to the climbing, I took us up Harbourton-Woodsville Road. The fog had lifted enough to expose some blue sky. I took a handful of pictures of the farm field at the intersection with Marshalls Corner-Woodsville Road. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_H9O9V9LATKO7iFMV8Mvcnyc1YnPQCvrQ1QAcp2212sXxIL9bO6Dnu43rJfMNF4_KEN327WERJLXCM4SXCCAAmvlf33JtmwpTMzuWCjF7FFZlZS8lPhgWIyBjbEc-EL9D1SI7bT8mxGQJwDRGFk33qgdzQD4VWQ8pRJVMzFWBruuUUdTuW2_aohW/s5184/20231209%2006%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_H9O9V9LATKO7iFMV8Mvcnyc1YnPQCvrQ1QAcp2212sXxIL9bO6Dnu43rJfMNF4_KEN327WERJLXCM4SXCCAAmvlf33JtmwpTMzuWCjF7FFZlZS8lPhgWIyBjbEc-EL9D1SI7bT8mxGQJwDRGFk33qgdzQD4VWQ8pRJVMzFWBruuUUdTuW2_aohW/s320/20231209%2006%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jgt1VbVqx8-iKExJ44lQn5BG889Z_52_2w9dQEy_HyApnnJqd-TseSZFuqu7SQN_oAT8O6yedL8OSjDyHaQdQiKBGWehp6yHPxkrW0n5uywRYpSNkrbYPy2X8Jj4VZzIUIaC4BM2HrBARFS78SaO8TdzUNaU2cpzqmu5vzpHwJKzIQwSMrhBxch4/s5184/20231209%2008%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jgt1VbVqx8-iKExJ44lQn5BG889Z_52_2w9dQEy_HyApnnJqd-TseSZFuqu7SQN_oAT8O6yedL8OSjDyHaQdQiKBGWehp6yHPxkrW0n5uywRYpSNkrbYPy2X8Jj4VZzIUIaC4BM2HrBARFS78SaO8TdzUNaU2cpzqmu5vzpHwJKzIQwSMrhBxch4/s320/20231209%2008%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZpFFtDyIvRIvjqhI6tDFv-d84X8dMuIojR2hIr3cnyRVI6neNxuyTdgdKiIGtreNoOO6999ue6SxHk_J0_h90hGc5XC-D3_356Nlzdoq8mZ2xThNbKngmJSFjmP8P7_BsYxuVwVW5kELUVbZv8FQjaMwDMu2TSnCTea5oWeA0ByMXC971Iyr_Iv2/s5184/20231209%2009%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZpFFtDyIvRIvjqhI6tDFv-d84X8dMuIojR2hIr3cnyRVI6neNxuyTdgdKiIGtreNoOO6999ue6SxHk_J0_h90hGc5XC-D3_356Nlzdoq8mZ2xThNbKngmJSFjmP8P7_BsYxuVwVW5kELUVbZv8FQjaMwDMu2TSnCTea5oWeA0ByMXC971Iyr_Iv2/s320/20231209%2009%20Harbourton-Woodsville%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From there it was mostly downhill to Hopewell, where we were met by two other groups of cyclists. EZ was there with Gina and Stacey, doing Marty's route (he had to cancel). Linda M had come up to lead a Philadelphia Bike Club ride out of Yardley; she had a few people in tow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Boro Bean is the old Seargeantsville General Store of Mercer County.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was wearing my jacket with the ginormous rear pocket. Two muffins went in with room to spare. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Boro Bean to Pennington directly is less than ten miles. To make our round trip 40 miles, I'd come up with a creatively roundabout way to get back to Twin Pines. I could have made it worse, although I did put in Province Line southbound from Route 518. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t65rzhl_PgTy9I1mFC-H8vHI_Kr4qn2PDkTsUJh4_7antWKstyA4UTBMzGXpiuR-jKZrKlb3ITf5ETU1zMHaw1wvawhwHMYLZCW5vJhsvElUBHwFRyhfuhKrhYoHkOB_fRfzhV7QKkCQ2nGHf3NVAT_p98P_vwtuV2uvZJYB1n5QgYQ9dwn1coe2/s5184/20231209%2012%20Province%20Line%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t65rzhl_PgTy9I1mFC-H8vHI_Kr4qn2PDkTsUJh4_7antWKstyA4UTBMzGXpiuR-jKZrKlb3ITf5ETU1zMHaw1wvawhwHMYLZCW5vJhsvElUBHwFRyhfuhKrhYoHkOB_fRfzhV7QKkCQ2nGHf3NVAT_p98P_vwtuV2uvZJYB1n5QgYQ9dwn1coe2/s320/20231209%2012%20Province%20Line%20Rd.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every so often, I stop at the southern end to get a picture of the road with the Sourland Mountain in the background. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We zigged and zagged some more, crossing paths with Linda's group at one point. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we climbed on Carter from ETS to Rosedale, Heddy said, "Garmin calls <i>this</i> a hill! It's barely 3 percent!" Best we could figure, a hill is only a hill if the grade stays constant over some mysterious distance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we reached Lawrenceville-Pennington Road at Blackwell Road, I deputized Our Jeff to lead the group the mile or so back to the start. I went the other way, towards Hart's.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was there to pick up Kermit; poor, neglected Kermit, now with a new stem to make my back happy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Janice, with nearly 2400 miles on her, could use a once-over and whatever firmware upgrades are out there. The tires are worn, too. The rear one is already flat at the contact patch. I had previously told Ross that Janice's new stem worked well enough, but that my back still hurt when I went to hammer in the big ring. With Kermit, he took that into consideration. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ross showed me what he'd done for Kermit and wrote down the new measurements. My task was to hammer home on Kermit, now that my back was already a little sore, and let him know if the new configuration worked. If it did, he'd change Janice's stem again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He handed me Janice's light battery, which I dropped into my rear pocket between the muffins. Then Heddy walked in with a holiday present for me*. I slid that into my pocket too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The three of us stood around for a while, mostly talking about cats.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it was time to ride home in the big ring. Kermit and I have almost 47000 miles together, but the last time I had him out was September, and before that, the July ride that got me 14 miles in before my back started screaming. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This time, I was expecting to feel at least a little sore, because that's how I felt rolling into the bike shop on Janice. But no. Over the 7 mile trip home, which is mostly big-ring territory, I didn't feel the slightest twinge. The only thing I felt was how much harsher the ride is on aluminum wheels, even though Kermit is steel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Janice is ready, it's Beaker's turn, then Miss Piggy's. I might even do Fozzie eventually. Rowlf, stuck on the trainer, will have to wait until spring. For now, I'm good for 40 minutes out of 45 of hard indoor climbing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This winter, I plan to take Kermit and Beaker out on Plain Jim's flatter Sunday rides. I have a lot of saddle time to make up to those two. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(*Muppet socks! Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem on one pair, Bunsen and Beaker on the other! I'm wearing Bunsen and Beaker now. Comfy!)</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-53903611394822999252023-12-02T22:47:00.005-05:002023-12-02T22:49:53.920-05:00Pie Crust<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxELPtGbY1jp0VcB8mLlv71yq0TcbTFSpBOsOFwlNWFfn74vidgDfRnjxvySED8duuroGDQT1-hnlElX6kCWDrXkRkPBasrVwS5UmX6NWFiQdIV3ngjSmVPrEFSWkv_AmiQqLWlkhjYMtm3vjr92zGR88Cule4kBYsLRFRcWgjJ7xY7VItM8vZWvK3/s2048/20231202%2004%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxELPtGbY1jp0VcB8mLlv71yq0TcbTFSpBOsOFwlNWFfn74vidgDfRnjxvySED8duuroGDQT1-hnlElX6kCWDrXkRkPBasrVwS5UmX6NWFiQdIV3ngjSmVPrEFSWkv_AmiQqLWlkhjYMtm3vjr92zGR88Cule4kBYsLRFRcWgjJ7xY7VItM8vZWvK3/s320/20231202%2004%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Van Kirk Road</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 December 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted to lead a ride from Cafe du Pain in the Lawrence Shopping Center for two reasons: the bakery serves Haitian food on Fridays and Saturdays; and a route from there wouldn't be the same old thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Except that it sort of was. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Minutes before I was about to coast downhill for a mile and a half to the starting point, Jim texted that he was going home because he'd forgotten his helmet. Nonsense. I have spares. He rode his bike up to my house. I gave him an old mountain biking helmet to wear. It sat on his head the way the top snowball sits on a snowman, but at least it was something. We coasted down to the shopping center together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were joined by Heddy, Pete G, Andrew A, Racer Pete, and Tony G.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We went north, winding through neighborhoods until we got to the Pole Farm. The day had started off damp and clammy. When we got to the farmlands, there was dense fog in the fields. I had to stop on Van Kirk and dig out my cell phone because I left my real camera at home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSQJTUNJfbUVGXoLM1_QXQFMkKxSLhat8iem3GgxrGag2Xwa9D8AIpVxWAQEycX1b_CxIJ_VD8pzfkPcXkOMNXxDvrrw8IsJs9XTbmjxz94EQJ89YzO5pPXDAK_tdc8EhQ9sKuT8euSf6aeqdowCpHWdt5kd1eQ_Ept4ZSwxA-hn_Bvw1E3U0Q43k/s2048/20231202%2001%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSQJTUNJfbUVGXoLM1_QXQFMkKxSLhat8iem3GgxrGag2Xwa9D8AIpVxWAQEycX1b_CxIJ_VD8pzfkPcXkOMNXxDvrrw8IsJs9XTbmjxz94EQJ89YzO5pPXDAK_tdc8EhQ9sKuT8euSf6aeqdowCpHWdt5kd1eQ_Ept4ZSwxA-hn_Bvw1E3U0Q43k/s320/20231202%2001%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><p>My iPhone 12 has digital zoom. Here are pixellated cows behind a pixellated fence in a pixellated field in pixallated fog.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXInDKHN2lzAvon2iCboYNJqyTC6B09VVua4LGjYKf-d5jVIKunesD11B9q5T40IjA8HZ60f-6djc5J5zuHPpLiVTUbqD18sa6ebzTrrA1Ru20A9hTohjmNhnhb-7YCzrCmlmOiqD4YX6ta-7yVm_sDqQG9L5sVEWnhQjhTA3EQ1JByC1dJrN2TMQw/s2048/20231202%2002%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXInDKHN2lzAvon2iCboYNJqyTC6B09VVua4LGjYKf-d5jVIKunesD11B9q5T40IjA8HZ60f-6djc5J5zuHPpLiVTUbqD18sa6ebzTrrA1Ru20A9hTohjmNhnhb-7YCzrCmlmOiqD4YX6ta-7yVm_sDqQG9L5sVEWnhQjhTA3EQ1JByC1dJrN2TMQw/s320/20231202%2002%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31qEgzhDw98ZnxbItwN8Pix8LylY3au7vGlfULjaigtopb1q0h2o4uliJUJEbFptw9YMGfyPkcWXXHP9YNJAG8Ok22IuIpmvi7U4lboU7Kzj6VRmEYMslVId3nS9i2yX6hdikzqUkb6DuMJBQuW7iYU97awB29wiHFWjoNaUdfRAe9e6x9j25rhJi/s2048/20231202%2003%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31qEgzhDw98ZnxbItwN8Pix8LylY3au7vGlfULjaigtopb1q0h2o4uliJUJEbFptw9YMGfyPkcWXXHP9YNJAG8Ok22IuIpmvi7U4lboU7Kzj6VRmEYMslVId3nS9i2yX6hdikzqUkb6DuMJBQuW7iYU97awB29wiHFWjoNaUdfRAe9e6x9j25rhJi/s320/20231202%2003%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYABIBR0qzziUwNOORM6eaOdHyN2ibZ5X3mREFnqyDmJULj6M6l4vm3F018v7KBLzlNj8CUExxPL67TxR5RGj0OFoq-CcnTtBv3J5pQtlRyjlvX-kMmW2Gw9yzSGz8UKa0WZOQIvljGGszD09cw8D2p7D7pnwRKYdLvlbYJ9fd4cwdLU_B0ioT6jg/s2048/20231202%2005%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYABIBR0qzziUwNOORM6eaOdHyN2ibZ5X3mREFnqyDmJULj6M6l4vm3F018v7KBLzlNj8CUExxPL67TxR5RGj0OFoq-CcnTtBv3J5pQtlRyjlvX-kMmW2Gw9yzSGz8UKa0WZOQIvljGGszD09cw8D2p7D7pnwRKYdLvlbYJ9fd4cwdLU_B0ioT6jg/s320/20231202%2005%20VanKirk%20Rd.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I'd mapped the route, I got about 1700 feet of elevation gain over 40 miles. This is less than my usual 50 feet per mile. So far, we'd had a few bumps, but no real climbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That changed when we took Province Line over the Stony Brook and then Pretty Brook and Cleveland. None of these hills are steep, but when one has been lulled into slightly rolling terrain, one gets annoyed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then there's the stealth hill up Carter to Cherry Valley. And Province Line the easy way. Still, nothing really daunting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Racer Pete got a flat on Camp Meeting, which was convenient. It gave us a break before we went up Belle Mead-Blawenburg Road to the Blawenburg Bistro. Again, a little hill. Plain Jim said I'd lost my right to complain about the annoying hills on his route. I said that this wasn't as bad as Oppossum. Same ridge, smoother pavement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My toes were cold. I was glad that most of us decided to eat inside. Pete G was served a hunk of bread pudding half the size of a cinder block. Heddy and I each had pumpkin ube scones once we found out that ube is the Japanese sweet potato. Jim had a cupcake with icing that sat on top the way his helmet fit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The route went east from there, then south on Cherry Hill. I hadn't been on this road in years and years. On a slight incline, Pete G zipped past us. "It's the bread pudding," I explained to Andrew. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Did he eat the whole thing?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Near enough as not to make a difference."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was a real hill on Cherry Hill once we got across Cherry Valley. Then we rode the ridge through more highest-end real estate. We looped through a neighborhood off of Province Line that had hills for no reason (neither geological nor mine), then made our way back towards Pennington. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By this point, Andrew and both Petes had peeled off for home. I promised only one more hill, a small one, as we approached Princeton Pike. "Then it really is all downhill."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I don't believe you," Tony said. "Promises are like pie crust: meant to be broken."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then the sun came out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I told Jim to keep the helmet in his car, and traded it for a string backpack so I could carry two kinds of Haitian beans and rice back to my house. I added some pastries, because why not. Heddy got the last of the plantains. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had to wipe Janice down before I brought her inside. We have more than 2300 miles together now. That's more than half my total for the year. This feels wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Both Kermit and Beaker need new stems so that my back won't hurt. In any other year, I'd have taken care of this six months ago. But it's so easy to grab Janice and go. When I got the new bike, I promised I'd still ride the others. Pie crust.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, when I uploaded the ride, it came out to 2000 feet of elevation gain. So much for something different.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-9501825038215004322023-11-26T23:08:00.000-05:002023-11-26T23:08:59.531-05:00Autumn Miscellany<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPgPFJC_HjjrHB6hJrRTCcryoJxMSuuZvOY4XPUZBBU9IoHgzHW8JO0-PTvpxa0_rNckcv9Er9sCisG3QFHE9RqdM4GBIlTGRFn-b-3jXKhgGTOmrPOO4D5yoNFSo3DHk11IsiSSMi1ge_8uLJ397VMoevBdORcc-BRIT1yxGZ1YH-_0p2TQDE1xv/s5184/20231124%2001%20Herman%20Black%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPgPFJC_HjjrHB6hJrRTCcryoJxMSuuZvOY4XPUZBBU9IoHgzHW8JO0-PTvpxa0_rNckcv9Er9sCisG3QFHE9RqdM4GBIlTGRFn-b-3jXKhgGTOmrPOO4D5yoNFSo3DHk11IsiSSMi1ge_8uLJ397VMoevBdORcc-BRIT1yxGZ1YH-_0p2TQDE1xv/s320/20231124%2001%20Herman%20Black%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Herman Black Rd</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">26 November 2023</p><p style="text-align: left;">We've finally had some decent weekend weather recently. Here's a handful of snapshots from a few bike rides.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">This is Canal Road, somewhere north of the Griggstown firehouse, I think. It's that wet spot on the northbound side. I was riding up to meet Plain Jim's group. It was the morning of the Princeton Half-Marathon, and the roads through town had been closed. I deliberately left home late enough to avoid the runners. I gave myself extra time in case I had to detour; I didn't have to. I got farther along on Canal Road than I'd thought I would, so I stopped for some pictures.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3r_TIvEXA2ZxA6pa25pszDRuK0EKKTEB21rGGT8Z6EELhDFm-m1tXD45hxo_gVbduo8_LL5aBGnh8PYhBtZWNh5zLPqT_jgoXLFEPi7MhraATywo5qANmDIZrs-Aq1GiYsFq4VsBFQP8Eoo5gr5XYgTGznPp9D6BgOzieVHXtGeTWtn_fIwyjlaq/s5184/20231112%2001%20Canal%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3r_TIvEXA2ZxA6pa25pszDRuK0EKKTEB21rGGT8Z6EELhDFm-m1tXD45hxo_gVbduo8_LL5aBGnh8PYhBtZWNh5zLPqT_jgoXLFEPi7MhraATywo5qANmDIZrs-Aq1GiYsFq4VsBFQP8Eoo5gr5XYgTGznPp9D6BgOzieVHXtGeTWtn_fIwyjlaq/s320/20231112%2001%20Canal%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></p>This Thanksgiving weekend, I got out three days in a row. On Friday, a small group of us rode one of Tom's Allentown to New Egypt routes. This photo was taken on Herman Black Road near the Sykesville Road intersection.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUmIUqakR9RnSLjDFhFwcV38Ux7aCmDNYgqWHilJHXeU7aOPgxL6mO_96Tj-nbPCKNCxhBXp8QlhUOswcDI6zPgq3BjlTD6H0HBCQXmWpEsRvzAV_D-MoXz3GRKhCW67qnAMR69iCLJ7XW1n2DhGQlVBNMuukyHD6O1ZbgeP7cetqdM-4W7_Jucnx/s5184/20231124%2002%20Herman%20Black%20Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUmIUqakR9RnSLjDFhFwcV38Ux7aCmDNYgqWHilJHXeU7aOPgxL6mO_96Tj-nbPCKNCxhBXp8QlhUOswcDI6zPgq3BjlTD6H0HBCQXmWpEsRvzAV_D-MoXz3GRKhCW67qnAMR69iCLJ7XW1n2DhGQlVBNMuukyHD6O1ZbgeP7cetqdM-4W7_Jucnx/s320/20231124%2002%20Herman%20Black%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Leaving New Egypt, Tom's route avoids nearly all of Hawkin Road by winding through several miles of hilly real estate. I'd only gone this way once or twice before. I had no idea where we were or which way we were pointing until we came out on the northern side.</div><div><br /></div><div>What made that ride extra fun was that, somehow, I'd disconnected my GPS from my Di2 shifting system. It's not a big deal. I don't need them to be talking to each other; it's merely convenient. I was befuddled until I got home and found that the sensor had somehow been renamed "Llllllllleeeeeemmmiiii." I'd seen that on my screen, figured I was picking up someone else's system, and disconnected it. I blame the kitten, who was on my lap when I was downloading the weekend's routes. When I deleted the nonsense and entered "Janice," the GPS found my bike.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday was cold. We'd been planning a ride on the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail. Late Friday afternoon, I decided to list the ride. Both new takers ended up canceling, so I wound up with the same folks I'd have been with had I not made the event official. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only time I stopped for photos was on the Province Line Road bridge over the Stony Brook.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadA9FuQ5c6LU08Kkyuuok6iwbitF1wQZ-ADkoCMgGHfF7gi63SA6t98OR8Ct4W693YjNngB-Vml9SxAoXq-20rHW_PKAl4HHsU7EldylnW7cFAC6xSoSyN8IydjTB1B6d6m3rCmYAjxf2jWaweXnlOXcbh03lkoacNiYjrQI470mB2ctKzwb5X5Rt/s3599/20231125%2001%20Stony%20Brook%20at%20Province%20Line%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2270" data-original-width="3599" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadA9FuQ5c6LU08Kkyuuok6iwbitF1wQZ-ADkoCMgGHfF7gi63SA6t98OR8Ct4W693YjNngB-Vml9SxAoXq-20rHW_PKAl4HHsU7EldylnW7cFAC6xSoSyN8IydjTB1B6d6m3rCmYAjxf2jWaweXnlOXcbh03lkoacNiYjrQI470mB2ctKzwb5X5Rt/s320/20231125%2001%20Stony%20Brook%20at%20Province%20Line%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N9DyhLGJHr2ksSpR7seSNNaBQpbpteCoyWNNpfB2pLhwB9GeoRs-PnJtZKDPM71x1ndy3oeMzqop6eK8Y1jDh4-H3Ny1mLXdW4DIdSEBdU2wd14oXYb-MifuUfiIexjW4lKtFKyDoZmcDIMkkPkoOI_Jj5xWLKo3o41J02jYxZ5QdNnavEF6Vs_t/s5184/20231125%2002%20Stony%20Brook%20at%20Province%20Line.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N9DyhLGJHr2ksSpR7seSNNaBQpbpteCoyWNNpfB2pLhwB9GeoRs-PnJtZKDPM71x1ndy3oeMzqop6eK8Y1jDh4-H3Ny1mLXdW4DIdSEBdU2wd14oXYb-MifuUfiIexjW4lKtFKyDoZmcDIMkkPkoOI_Jj5xWLKo3o41J02jYxZ5QdNnavEF6Vs_t/s320/20231125%2002%20Stony%20Brook%20at%20Province%20Line.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Ridewithgps says the climb out of the valley is an 8% grade. I think that's an underestimate. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FfAhByoGaDeSC-92j9rNIsJUBtk2gxBAfC79XTcCgbuGygaWuL7MhD1FQsDzKlGPu3Z3oZv6uEHYHav2sF8LKNKYhroO9CiVzyO4sWjgeujjE16gDNO7sEk2BCusXYgCG4e3UIhlkwFne0JnCwyeBvZjg4ynPXjjLOu3fHpK2gD42eSj-1AjsCOg/s5184/20231125%2003%20Pete%20G%20climbing%20Province%20Line%20at%20Stony%20Brook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FfAhByoGaDeSC-92j9rNIsJUBtk2gxBAfC79XTcCgbuGygaWuL7MhD1FQsDzKlGPu3Z3oZv6uEHYHav2sF8LKNKYhroO9CiVzyO4sWjgeujjE16gDNO7sEk2BCusXYgCG4e3UIhlkwFne0JnCwyeBvZjg4ynPXjjLOu3fHpK2gD42eSj-1AjsCOg/s320/20231125%2003%20Pete%20G%20climbing%20Province%20Line%20at%20Stony%20Brook.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today I went on Plain Jim's ride. There was rain in the forecast for early afternoon. While it wasn't as cold as yesterday, the clouds made things gloomy. I was out late the night before, so I drove to the ride instead of meeting the group somewhere on Canal Road. I'm glad I did, because the rain started half a mile from the end of the ride. In the summer, I don't mind getting wet on my way home. When it's this cold, though, I'd spend the rest of the day shivering. Since I had the car, I took the long way home, stopping at Boro Bean for a big ol' box of muffins. </div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-46260916685323872062023-11-05T18:16:00.000-05:002023-11-05T18:16:14.859-05:00Sleep is Everything<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1jmtb7Duv-arBAyMuJoGYuAP_mwRMih37RZplCguWlwKoiymcyQaKroXm5Jag9gVjxUyUwJf_QIrB9Fky-UfDtnoljeijtjx0MRR8LB4pdbPvWnolpyTopGhoY49v9E8gicTTOwSpvSCcdGoOn2HEUDt3JijXhphFWDgeRo7oHYPOGzxgeFsHnuB/s3285/20231104%2008%20Mount%20Airy%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2497" data-original-width="3285" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1jmtb7Duv-arBAyMuJoGYuAP_mwRMih37RZplCguWlwKoiymcyQaKroXm5Jag9gVjxUyUwJf_QIrB9Fky-UfDtnoljeijtjx0MRR8LB4pdbPvWnolpyTopGhoY49v9E8gicTTOwSpvSCcdGoOn2HEUDt3JijXhphFWDgeRo7oHYPOGzxgeFsHnuB/s320/20231104%2008%20Mount%20Airy%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mount Airy</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 November 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When it comes to my being able to ride my bike without falling apart, sleep is everything. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Duh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite knowing this, more often than not, I enter the weekend sleep-deprived. Lately, I've made a point to break this habit. This means sometimes going to bed ridiculously early, so early that I sequester myself in a small, dark room, on a sofa bed, until Jack is ready to sleep (because reasons), at which point I stumble into the bedroom. It's not ideal. The sofa bed isn't as comfortable, and walking around an hour and a half into what should be sleep is disruptive, but it's better than 7 hours or less.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That, and a lot of extra PT for my back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday was the second rain-free Saturday in a row. I had to be home early, and so did Heddy, so I led a relatively short* ride with 7 other people to Sergeantsville.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our destination was the Covered Bridge Market. This is a new cafe where the Bagel Barn used to be. There'd been some talk about it on the PFW's Facebook presence and I wanted to test their coffee game. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first thing we noticed was that there are two, count them, two, bike racks. They even have indented slats at the base to keep wheels from rolling. </div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM_WqlaBYmG2l-tdAmGehFyQYBgIK185FJ5OY6U1VM-aDMmmLchv4DerH5Eq7vdIJDDb16c78dhi7HfTODY3jwEJUxgYuIyVL95RegHfi_ucpbPi96-uvqhppHMieHlQHeAZZRDZtNd4t-5tzJeNAhYMM5rPzO8v3j_kj-YZYwbfFSfNIm-W1SjYq/s5184/20231104%2001%20Covered%20Bridge%20Market%20Sergeantsville.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM_WqlaBYmG2l-tdAmGehFyQYBgIK185FJ5OY6U1VM-aDMmmLchv4DerH5Eq7vdIJDDb16c78dhi7HfTODY3jwEJUxgYuIyVL95RegHfi_ucpbPi96-uvqhppHMieHlQHeAZZRDZtNd4t-5tzJeNAhYMM5rPzO8v3j_kj-YZYwbfFSfNIm-W1SjYq/s320/20231104%2001%20Covered%20Bridge%20Market%20Sergeantsville.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They redid the entrance well. I do miss the ceramic pig though,</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3eO8xnOb0v-YFzNcXLO1Zq22e0x88eTT4KJKMgc2mwHncMSLsHsr1g71Wl8vYK6ZwwQ6W3HfJC2i1hbVSSW8Fa_dCFiD2cObpZ08dyk-kXwbWYGtYWmDJ58otAuJE52UNwwJ_48Cz-BpSWjgUoJfjZrbm_4QPxpcqhrgyIyx_wGkaF8KTZfisJcy/s5184/20231104%2003%20Covered%20Bridge%20Market%20Sergeantsville.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3eO8xnOb0v-YFzNcXLO1Zq22e0x88eTT4KJKMgc2mwHncMSLsHsr1g71Wl8vYK6ZwwQ6W3HfJC2i1hbVSSW8Fa_dCFiD2cObpZ08dyk-kXwbWYGtYWmDJ58otAuJE52UNwwJ_48Cz-BpSWjgUoJfjZrbm_4QPxpcqhrgyIyx_wGkaF8KTZfisJcy/s320/20231104%2003%20Covered%20Bridge%20Market%20Sergeantsville.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Inside is spacious. The food selection is eclectic. They focus on coffee. Heddy's measure is whether or not a place can make a good cortado. These folks did well. There's a smattering of carbs, some lunchmeats, and a bit of prepared food off to the sides. </div><div><br /></div><div>The group liked the market. I've always felt like a traitor when I've gone past the Sergeantsville General Store. Not so much lately. When Sun retired and the new owners took over, there were some repairs to the place. Recently, though, it's fallen back into decrepitude. Sun made the decay charming. These new folks, not so much, </div><div><br /></div><div>The Covered Bridge Market has only been open since Labor Day. It might take a while for them to find their footing. It strikes me as the sort of place one would see in Lambertville or New Hope, not up in the hills of red-hat Hunterdon County. I wish them well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our way back was more direct. I stopped for the cows at the top of Mount Airy. One rider, new to the group, wasn't aware of our (well, my) tradition and continued along the road without us.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6P9KXtvcAR_QPSBIXwV3eFirnj_Zr6k0mgAtI9cEJk0FrRRnn5r8BwycOFlEb5oMiMrTEh6Ez_3sgaNMzjXaXNb5ZJ-EikzCKBJxQ8UsoOMm-oSSqR1OwmOr9qcDovEx4UPW4a08VAxVnEDTbqIc76RMtTBfnfE8-kbwnowzoAyHTboEKv_lwhNwR/s5184/20231104%2004%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6P9KXtvcAR_QPSBIXwV3eFirnj_Zr6k0mgAtI9cEJk0FrRRnn5r8BwycOFlEb5oMiMrTEh6Ez_3sgaNMzjXaXNb5ZJ-EikzCKBJxQ8UsoOMm-oSSqR1OwmOr9qcDovEx4UPW4a08VAxVnEDTbqIc76RMtTBfnfE8-kbwnowzoAyHTboEKv_lwhNwR/s320/20231104%2004%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2o9TQKNj4UWCEC5ywJ2HbvE8QZh39tcDZ8uGK6GQGuOsaTEbFGq7sKp9jJgOMl1Aaj4OXybQdox1ZXnrKIEi206ulI_YUXEQkNz79rdAZvgc60Q9zPuQM0d1HT53wpwth8nZkbxplWRbaUnGr6X202r-76TvxuNbiilZKUsJgrZE6d4BzAaWj4vXC/s5184/20231104%2005%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2o9TQKNj4UWCEC5ywJ2HbvE8QZh39tcDZ8uGK6GQGuOsaTEbFGq7sKp9jJgOMl1Aaj4OXybQdox1ZXnrKIEi206ulI_YUXEQkNz79rdAZvgc60Q9zPuQM0d1HT53wpwth8nZkbxplWRbaUnGr6X202r-76TvxuNbiilZKUsJgrZE6d4BzAaWj4vXC/s320/20231104%2005%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf8oIkOMMVIQlao0PJtLu-KJYMtf_nm7Fqy3uKMXFScjOhLdbMweWrpvSvai0nezNCCeDjkpPJHEIUC5xVOVI7cSCqDxG_2wuZPOum-2nRMKAjQlc-H8Hgq6LskZJ9cg6DOmHkWEA34z90caRaXJhWL4pa6G9IVpATgDtthE-EdWV3VlKVFTu47qi/s5184/20231104%2006%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf8oIkOMMVIQlao0PJtLu-KJYMtf_nm7Fqy3uKMXFScjOhLdbMweWrpvSvai0nezNCCeDjkpPJHEIUC5xVOVI7cSCqDxG_2wuZPOum-2nRMKAjQlc-H8Hgq6LskZJ9cg6DOmHkWEA34z90caRaXJhWL4pa6G9IVpATgDtthE-EdWV3VlKVFTu47qi/s320/20231104%2006%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstded0AgdCQ7i_V_ScL9kIEXhgOmyZmfi9xs5Hv4ySyQjZ4kdTX7wGaOCIj6SrWGbGHae_yylQmZti2BU75fxRkYVzTwQ11R3es4dJ133s-JL3Q-FNgE6CPWs4qMLTgt_HUsVOxrWpWV1jfXV5pk_yjuSBNW4DPX7l6t0yR3xp1iXOWYevvL_4S0b/s4659/20231104%2007%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2378" data-original-width="4659" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstded0AgdCQ7i_V_ScL9kIEXhgOmyZmfi9xs5Hv4ySyQjZ4kdTX7wGaOCIj6SrWGbGHae_yylQmZti2BU75fxRkYVzTwQ11R3es4dJ133s-JL3Q-FNgE6CPWs4qMLTgt_HUsVOxrWpWV1jfXV5pk_yjuSBNW4DPX7l6t0yR3xp1iXOWYevvL_4S0b/s320/20231104%2007%20Mount%20Airy%20Cows%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took the camera out again as we collected ourselves at the corner of Pennington-Harbourton and Bear Tavern.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6dUShLn4II-AVxc-LytADZzl9oucyB4-IENU3-vkgS5dVvY1rk9I_9G8QO-cvC6g1AC4t4wnHajAgOVPm_U1Je3a5T1fT80jGauohLgarESS7v82fKmTVg0QU38emZV0eiPlE4qqO9lIQBYdm4k1LklhFEWojn-E2wWUAHZ0FVO-6WyICDqEceBq/s5184/20231104%2009%20Pennington-Harbourton%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6dUShLn4II-AVxc-LytADZzl9oucyB4-IENU3-vkgS5dVvY1rk9I_9G8QO-cvC6g1AC4t4wnHajAgOVPm_U1Je3a5T1fT80jGauohLgarESS7v82fKmTVg0QU38emZV0eiPlE4qqO9lIQBYdm4k1LklhFEWojn-E2wWUAHZ0FVO-6WyICDqEceBq/s320/20231104%2009%20Pennington-Harbourton%20Rd%20at%20Bear%20Tavern%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After the ride, Heddy showed us the rough ideas for the 2023 ride leader jerseys. I don't normally take pictures of people, but the combination of Jim's dapper hat and his day-glow orange jacket over green suspenders was worth the shot.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnawyBmcIzyEb1ry1y6YRHiu0KrjYMp9HMlQ9z7aks9P_01weSD_jEYvU-PBIE70r6uIEGvgAa19oVkdTZocnlwhEYaY_jvZxyV5QMRjil9Pzrg_UHNi9LCly0oE0qqgIZesvVVGqfqkkFZSaD0MLpeUTDMgiCc5xtlSvpVz5vlr-8xcOWBCdo5oK/s5184/20231104%2011%20Heddy%20shows%20Jim%20ride%20leader%20jersey%20options.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnawyBmcIzyEb1ry1y6YRHiu0KrjYMp9HMlQ9z7aks9P_01weSD_jEYvU-PBIE70r6uIEGvgAa19oVkdTZocnlwhEYaY_jvZxyV5QMRjil9Pzrg_UHNi9LCly0oE0qqgIZesvVVGqfqkkFZSaD0MLpeUTDMgiCc5xtlSvpVz5vlr-8xcOWBCdo5oK/s320/20231104%2011%20Heddy%20shows%20Jim%20ride%20leader%20jersey%20options.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Too bad you can't see the suspenders.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1UyCzKj1fR9mQS_PUiwMpeKzSG1av-ZNVkABzgBytCPivLyHlGG_rRvLau4fpYHn5ymD1CZMXJ29ksZkoulzeeb2ndegEGsUiBzcW5vpJPTHk5E27yeFl40RYiU6TMpg8D0nSLk3V4xhQfG92TJqls4HFgE2qb9BYJ2Ps5ffliyAM5KMk0DESJCi/s5184/20231104%2012%20Jim%20in%20his%20post-ride%20duds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1UyCzKj1fR9mQS_PUiwMpeKzSG1av-ZNVkABzgBytCPivLyHlGG_rRvLau4fpYHn5ymD1CZMXJ29ksZkoulzeeb2ndegEGsUiBzcW5vpJPTHk5E27yeFl40RYiU6TMpg8D0nSLk3V4xhQfG92TJqls4HFgE2qb9BYJ2Ps5ffliyAM5KMk0DESJCi/s320/20231104%2012%20Jim%20in%20his%20post-ride%20duds.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't normally do two hilly rides in a row either. In anticipation of having to do four or five hilly days in a row in nine months (I know, I know), I signed up for Dave S's Sunday Sourlands ride to Lambertville. It was listed as a C+ ride with the same elevation gain as mine over a few more miles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got an extra hour to sleep last night. That helped. The ride was designed to be relaxed, and it was. The group was so large that some of us split off and went to Luminary Coffee while the rest crammed themselves into Lambertville Trading Company. It came down to which one did the better cortado (I don't know the answer). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our way back, I was at the front and turned onto Alexauken Creek Road from Route 29. I could swear that's what my GPS told me to do. A few hundred yards in, though, my GPS was telling me I was off course. Our Jeff was with me. The rest were close behind us. Dave S pulled up. He had planned the route when Alexauken Creek Road was still closed. We were supposed to have turned on Lambertville Headquarters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I apologized for leading the group astray. "I like this road better though," I added. "So do I," he said. We picked up the planned route at the other end, cutting off a couple of miles that nobody seemed to miss. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our last climb was the most difficult, up Rileyville from Saddle Shop. Before we started, I told Bolong, "The good thing about this hill is that you can see what's coming. The bad thing is that you can see what's coming." I think starting from Saddle Shop rather than Wertsville eases the agony a little; even though Rileyville is flat at Saddle Shop, there's enough of an ascent before it to take some oomph out of your legs. Anyway, we all made it up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was that little bump at the top of Lindbergh, but we'll let that slide. The rest was downhill.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My legs are less sore now than they were after yesterday's ride. Sleep is everything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(*Anything under 40 miles is short. This one came in at 39, although, with my ride in from home, I stretched it to 46 miles, which counts as a real ride.)</div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-58811412928856824462023-11-03T22:42:00.002-04:002023-12-10T17:13:24.167-05:00Between Rainy Saturdays, Century #68<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWao60gNRHPC_WVMNzQqsbs9Ve691XCEwot8jZ4jDS2QkrNZTSR1r_o5IUHo7At7Z19mOJXELqr1yPSKCMnWJrUkN_Hs0ewHtHYFeEmFsRFvHLs9cHVXQ9Ib5GQIBgTs2Suwm0hxv7ADOzYFW8yy1iKTiFDdpCrGIG4bEKQ1xzbGDtBoBeIITO4nh6/s2048/20231006%20Moxie%20at%20%20Princeton%20Animal%20Hospital.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWao60gNRHPC_WVMNzQqsbs9Ve691XCEwot8jZ4jDS2QkrNZTSR1r_o5IUHo7At7Z19mOJXELqr1yPSKCMnWJrUkN_Hs0ewHtHYFeEmFsRFvHLs9cHVXQ9Ib5GQIBgTs2Suwm0hxv7ADOzYFW8yy1iKTiFDdpCrGIG4bEKQ1xzbGDtBoBeIITO4nh6/s320/20231006%20Moxie%20at%20%20Princeton%20Animal%20Hospital.JPEG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH5RJIEouKZEkpIXtGW0ETKs_kOV9xAYYC5QWv-jy_CzwE8apj0y0KGLGjeUDrj2Cg8JK4F4_WmKxP4sz_iWtwxp1cOeM_FWVd3Z_djsdtDJBwcU2Q3rx2O7MN_YN4Z8_y2HI3Ze6DcnUKN996tshxQVg4VlB9qj0VkaRJ8-dk4ed0ODAhDdRXXih/s5184/20231025%2005%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH5RJIEouKZEkpIXtGW0ETKs_kOV9xAYYC5QWv-jy_CzwE8apj0y0KGLGjeUDrj2Cg8JK4F4_WmKxP4sz_iWtwxp1cOeM_FWVd3Z_djsdtDJBwcU2Q3rx2O7MN_YN4Z8_y2HI3Ze6DcnUKN996tshxQVg4VlB9qj0VkaRJ8-dk4ed0ODAhDdRXXih/s320/20231025%2005%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Moxie Shenanigans, 3/24/11-10/11/23 Etra Lake 10/18/23</span></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3 November 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I realize it's been over a month since I've written a blog post. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A lot has been going on, plus, I'd been spending so much time at my computer at work that I wasn't interested in sitting in front of it at home too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I: Rainy 77</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's rewind to September 30, the last time it was not supposed to rain on a Saturday. I had eyes on Mike V's Sprague Memorial Century scheduled for the following week. With that in mind, I led a metric out of Mercer County Park and added to it by riding in from home. After so many rainy weekends, I'd lost any distance training I'd had.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The forecast was right on that line between dry and wet. Only Plain Jim, Rickety, and Pete G were willing to join me. We rode in and out of something more than fog and less than mist. A few miles before our 20-mile rest stop at Roy's, we rode through actual rain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At the break, I asked them if they wanted to go on or go home. "Let's keep going," Rickety said. Jim and I agreed. Pete said, "Majority rules."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I got a photo of the sky to the west. We were headed south.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHgiCbJO84fX-T6JoEgJRm1mMQSdbmnoTSiKAqRMuEJOuskLrsEbIiottmckiPpK41k5b4R4N81varPWVbdpZ4fUJfs06Uy7LLQ4Zjuvsg7OdEQ9Xf7MHILWEZdDj1XcncOCk238juqRfqNKbtRiGZAue5Dq9_LKOLccQSYORMciyzRuQLg9f1Mql/s4032/20230930%2001%20view%20from%20Roy's.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHgiCbJO84fX-T6JoEgJRm1mMQSdbmnoTSiKAqRMuEJOuskLrsEbIiottmckiPpK41k5b4R4N81varPWVbdpZ4fUJfs06Uy7LLQ4Zjuvsg7OdEQ9Xf7MHILWEZdDj1XcncOCk238juqRfqNKbtRiGZAue5Dq9_LKOLccQSYORMciyzRuQLg9f1Mql/s320/20230930%2001%20view%20from%20Roy's.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Only later, when I took a longer look at this photo, did I realize how wet the roads were.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2ZV8mkOUpqheImb8ff_Nm_M2zRXugXKtQtpqX57oXv23V6W7gISQFgsSN1nZMmA9_qPzmHjYTBIeck_5f3ohhjtX_LpkccM4-rmbuPgikMJ9I9TX-0xBJjXj6J60Jl1_lum92DyyncuP0Pti57vS8igYMjaWJT6B8Yw0qruq4pfW8ZN67cJF2Jw9/s4032/20230930%2002%20Jim%20Pete%20and%20Ricky%20at%20Roy's.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2ZV8mkOUpqheImb8ff_Nm_M2zRXugXKtQtpqX57oXv23V6W7gISQFgsSN1nZMmA9_qPzmHjYTBIeck_5f3ohhjtX_LpkccM4-rmbuPgikMJ9I9TX-0xBJjXj6J60Jl1_lum92DyyncuP0Pti57vS8igYMjaWJT6B8Yw0qruq4pfW8ZN67cJF2Jw9/s320/20230930%2002%20Jim%20Pete%20and%20Ricky%20at%20Roy's.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>We got drizzled on again before we reached New Egypt. We were dry by the time we stopped at Charleston Coffee.</p><p>Our route back was more direct, but uphill into the wind on Province Line Road. That's when we got rained on for real. </p><p>Naturally, the sun came out as soon as I coasted into my driveway. I gave Janice a bath and cleaned her chain. I was grimy, but at least I got some training in before the century...</p><p>...which ended up being canceled due to rain...</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">II: RIP Moxie</p><p>...which ended up being a good thing, because Moxie needed my attention. I'd noticed a change in his behavior. He was around us a lot more, and licking more surfaces than was usual for him. In May, he'd lost his half-brother. We expected things to change between him and Glooskap, and sometimes it can take months for that to settle into a pattern. I was a little worried, though, because Burnaby had died suddenly at 13 and Moxie was now 12.5. Glooskap was scheduled for a checkup, so I added Moxie to the appointment.</p><p>The day before the rainy New Egypt ride, Moxie had a bout of messy diarrhea and then a forceful vomit. I packed him up and took him to the vet. He had a fever. The vet felt a thickening in his digestive tract, which could have been as benign as an infection with inflammation, or as malignant as lymphoma. We scheduled an ultrasound for the next available day, the following Tuesday. They hydrated him, took blood and urine, and sent me home with antibiotics and an appetite stimulant.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXoM4DEVuzgtxH_rrvaVsu7aHvfkfUOJIX3HM_IfPA_hOxYGkLa6ObxUM9fef6Q1OWWp7iJSuhirzmthM5tkcvxWOIBHABJ6Qm-8BVMBSatRs7G-RjRvvQleX6kxdu0bgvBsp2nqFSFi08Ij6_RVNmgGdV-bFiXFjQvH9_rEsivDZdrbxpjjCVcWF/s2048/20231007%20Moxie.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXoM4DEVuzgtxH_rrvaVsu7aHvfkfUOJIX3HM_IfPA_hOxYGkLa6ObxUM9fef6Q1OWWp7iJSuhirzmthM5tkcvxWOIBHABJ6Qm-8BVMBSatRs7G-RjRvvQleX6kxdu0bgvBsp2nqFSFi08Ij6_RVNmgGdV-bFiXFjQvH9_rEsivDZdrbxpjjCVcWF/s320/20231007%20Moxie.JPEG" width="240" /></a></p><p>He ate voraciously when we got home, and seemed to be more himself. That lasted for a few hours. By the next morning, the day I would have been on the century ride, I was force-feeding him, trying to stimulate his appetite. In the afternoon, we were back at the vet for more hydration. He wasn't in dire enough condition to warrant hospitalization, so I took him home again. The hydration helped. He ate a little, and even got a bit goofy when I spent a while petting him. </p><p>But when I got back from the PFW Fall Picnic, where I led a ride, Moxie had again stationed himself in the one carpeted room we have left, moving from one spot to another, watching the world and not eating. I took him back to the vet on Monday morning. The supportive care I was administering at home wasn't enough. They admitted him for an overnight stay, since his ultrasound was scheduled for the next day anyway.</p><p>In the hospital, he improved. He ate voraciously. "Clinically, he's doing great," the vet said. They gave him a dose of gabapentin for his utrasound, which would calm him down while they scanned his digestive tract.</p><p>They found two obstructive masses and a thickening in between. It was advanced lymphoma. The only course of action was to try steroids, which work well in cats with less advanced lymphoma than his to reduce inflammation and hold tumor growth at bay. </p><p>I took him home. He seemed more like himself than he had been in days. I went off to glassblowing class. Jack texted me pictures of Moxie eating, hanging out on the washing machine (one of his favorite spots), and being investigated by Glooskap.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKAc2OtFjnMOu_CEpzyBPMdzfsv-rIM4Qq8XNvxZkhbu8Av44bTd3nsfHe0lHRFCAKUSBLxS7LUsZyFUW9KHeEcDgE_1q80zWYF9DqAxjFviOyZ3V-XmNawGzv-jlGsl4lRR6cyg-eUadHIZGHMKWx7cvlHfOk7T2Zi8H27forMivPES-X1IV2gnb/s2048/20231010%2001%20Glooskap%20sniffs%20Moxie.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKAc2OtFjnMOu_CEpzyBPMdzfsv-rIM4Qq8XNvxZkhbu8Av44bTd3nsfHe0lHRFCAKUSBLxS7LUsZyFUW9KHeEcDgE_1q80zWYF9DqAxjFviOyZ3V-XmNawGzv-jlGsl4lRR6cyg-eUadHIZGHMKWx7cvlHfOk7T2Zi8H27forMivPES-X1IV2gnb/s320/20231010%2001%20Glooskap%20sniffs%20Moxie.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When I got home at 10:00, Moxie was still on the sofa. I brought down his meds. He didn't resist at all when I opened his mouth to pill him. All the energy had gone out of him. The gabapentin had worn off.<div><br /></div><div>At midnight, as I was dropping something off in the kitchen, he wandered in. "Well hello!" I said. "Can I interest you in some food?" He walked over to it, sniffed it, and walked out, back downstairs to his carpeted corner. His eyes looked sunken.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning, he was still in his corner, lethargic, with brown discharge under his nose, last night's food regurgitated through his nostrils. I sat on the stairs in my pajamas and called the vet. "I can't do this to him anymore." At 8:40 a.m., we euthanized Moxie Shenanigans Bananigans Benanabrain Mox MoxMox MoxOx MoxOxOx Moxford Moxpox Moxinpox Moxwox Moxinfay Lord Mox Moxington Moxo Pinknose Nosepink FirstUpTheStairs Fourthkitten.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">III: Hello, Clementine</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Glooskap needed a friend. On Saturday afternoon, we drove up to <a href="https://savehomelessanimals.org/" target="_blank">SAVE</a> to enquire about adopting a young cat or bonded pair. I filled out an application. Visits are by appointment only; without a specific animal in mind, we were told to check the website. The receptionist said she'd call us if they found a match.</div><div><br /></div><div>We hadn't been home more than a few hours when SAVE called back. Abbot and Costello, a pair of black and white brothers, six months old, were available. We could visit them the next day at 3:00. I checked their bios. They were described as skittish. I wasn't sure if Glooskap would bond with a pair of scaredy-cats. After all, Mojo and Moxie were that way too. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wondered what Glooskap would think if we brought these two home. Would he think he was seeing double? I looked at their profiles some more, and by the end of the evening I had picked out their names: Reginald and Bertie. As in Jeeves and Wooster. How original. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we met them the next day, they were more interested in playing on the floor than they were in meeting us. Abbot interacted a little. Costello kept his distance. </div><div><br /></div><div>I heard a little meow from another cage. Inside was a golden-eyed calico kitten crying for attention. "What's her backstory?" I asked. The volunteers weren't sure. "Can we see her?"</div><div><br /></div><div>They handed her to me, and she melted into my arms, purring. Her shelter name was Acorn. "We'll take her," I said. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_FCTJ4esHdjpbtsrJq8mFzDbns85if3dXCt6T5a6jvvc05LZt2nJnrAmwIF2-s-51NSsTpbFiIcWjA1gQCldHNHjHx3Up3-FQLiw3PjuNHSuvJZIwezprI5GW6osDavV0QkscCGVWgS6NAOA-iPJiJfCx_BcxKyDctHDvkpiHaX0XzXvoPGMoDHE/s2048/20231015%20Clementine%20at%20SAVE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_FCTJ4esHdjpbtsrJq8mFzDbns85if3dXCt6T5a6jvvc05LZt2nJnrAmwIF2-s-51NSsTpbFiIcWjA1gQCldHNHjHx3Up3-FQLiw3PjuNHSuvJZIwezprI5GW6osDavV0QkscCGVWgS6NAOA-iPJiJfCx_BcxKyDctHDvkpiHaX0XzXvoPGMoDHE/s320/20231015%20Clementine%20at%20SAVE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I named her Clementine because she has little oranges. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next day had already been scheduled for Glooskap's annual checkup. We added Clementine to the visit. She and Glooskap met between bars of their carrying cages. </div><div><br /></div><div>She lived in the bathroom for a handful of days.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIIVeDMoYjDZBhnGzI80ZG3IjX9gXxxCKKmIy8JOpaOTirYnIixADrmyD8Og39SO7nYFdFvRfHIKh-hbQO92PYBEhKG1hGOAbGWoIGjPZCOlJJiJNcUTROq9TRqujb5l4GDFLBYESOva54XQGHDoay3RXvuuYsCnjcitCXE2TtqtXyiN_VQ6zLfWh/s2048/20231016%2001%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIIVeDMoYjDZBhnGzI80ZG3IjX9gXxxCKKmIy8JOpaOTirYnIixADrmyD8Og39SO7nYFdFvRfHIKh-hbQO92PYBEhKG1hGOAbGWoIGjPZCOlJJiJNcUTROq9TRqujb5l4GDFLBYESOva54XQGHDoay3RXvuuYsCnjcitCXE2TtqtXyiN_VQ6zLfWh/s320/20231016%2001%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGp3FRBcdaJ_3zRwSIHHsJPQmprVmZWlh9NJroesOU-XbtX5-Lmc7d-Yv0SJuN4F5MDOhob1QUumZeaB5XRoM-Q83oAIHTC61LhnWNLe-iaIFEZ0yKfN34fZ4OdgRZlNE1F9iwhUex7pDNNPcxUs7i-rCykVfmhtsp838FUVhtuCR4LbWC9PVoZf3/s1938/20231016%2002%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="1620" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGp3FRBcdaJ_3zRwSIHHsJPQmprVmZWlh9NJroesOU-XbtX5-Lmc7d-Yv0SJuN4F5MDOhob1QUumZeaB5XRoM-Q83oAIHTC61LhnWNLe-iaIFEZ0yKfN34fZ4OdgRZlNE1F9iwhUex7pDNNPcxUs7i-rCykVfmhtsp838FUVhtuCR4LbWC9PVoZf3/s320/20231016%2002%20Clementine.JPEG" width="267" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn0vCgnYN8x8_uZU_xOwb0zRqX2pOlMBhaWaH_d3u5I0ydPX_VtAJ34kPb1czghLw3s_Bg63jCzmO7IfhzPUTSnn0yUmSiTxn6GwVnV1QDiH2BOZ-zmVtyhhT94PMJFmpMYB6HmzZlaUx5ykE7j56L-rMDsekqD144twja6wo1B2h46Q1wQekpsNY/s2048/20231016%2003%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn0vCgnYN8x8_uZU_xOwb0zRqX2pOlMBhaWaH_d3u5I0ydPX_VtAJ34kPb1czghLw3s_Bg63jCzmO7IfhzPUTSnn0yUmSiTxn6GwVnV1QDiH2BOZ-zmVtyhhT94PMJFmpMYB6HmzZlaUx5ykE7j56L-rMDsekqD144twja6wo1B2h46Q1wQekpsNY/s320/20231016%2003%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZT1t_0lyuZ9ZJ7dWkwPgFTDhBo9o8eCLFrzZiVOPw5o59kQXE6NI68G_noMSpNTRxgwuzma_MFgAofDFN7MO1wChbU5kjYpkN-eVTjX85swVceSyENRVXkQhdDNcBMiRaC3FRkW5s66sS0FebGxYh8eUWkCsWg9nMhPYGVsD7Ho79PX0zrrrcrBJ/s2048/20231016%2004%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZT1t_0lyuZ9ZJ7dWkwPgFTDhBo9o8eCLFrzZiVOPw5o59kQXE6NI68G_noMSpNTRxgwuzma_MFgAofDFN7MO1wChbU5kjYpkN-eVTjX85swVceSyENRVXkQhdDNcBMiRaC3FRkW5s66sS0FebGxYh8eUWkCsWg9nMhPYGVsD7Ho79PX0zrrrcrBJ/s320/20231016%2004%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Next, we put her in Jack's office with Glooskap. He was wary at first, then curious. Clementine, used to being around strange cats, explored the room, climbed and swatted at things, and sniffed Glooskap as just another object in the room. Glooskap inched closer. He put himself at the top of the cat tower, where he could maintain dominance.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zy4fsS_vUbIPnZUm4WMFGnQMxL85Q8MwHK3TWExDPSuJpQkwMY_DXNT8_5sPgFhWpR0qHPpgYRL-w1MpDwzb-CyeKzTKBwjrxD4StNdpeFlsgBzfD8X8rp-mU9QD-P5s_ZRNZ5hZ6UNHMhnjwafxC3nLojRkvmMYqDHlwsTEw9xQn68YRkPvjtS-/s2048/20231016%2005%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zy4fsS_vUbIPnZUm4WMFGnQMxL85Q8MwHK3TWExDPSuJpQkwMY_DXNT8_5sPgFhWpR0qHPpgYRL-w1MpDwzb-CyeKzTKBwjrxD4StNdpeFlsgBzfD8X8rp-mU9QD-P5s_ZRNZ5hZ6UNHMhnjwafxC3nLojRkvmMYqDHlwsTEw9xQn68YRkPvjtS-/s320/20231016%2005%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A few days later we gave her run of the house. </div><div><br /></div><div>Clementine is the eigth kitten Jack and I have brought in. She's the first directly from a shelter, the rest having been home fosters. We don't know how long she was in a cage, but when we let her loose, she zoomed around the house at such speed I was worried I wouldn't be able to catch her for her next vet visit in two weeks. </div><div><br /></div><div>When she finally figured out the place, she settled into a pattern of following Glooskap everywhere. She'd charge at him, just another toy, and he'd give her a tentative swat back. By the end of the week, they were following each other around. It didn't take much time after that for the two of them to play together, wrestling and tumbling across the floor for the better part of an hour at at a time. If I wasn't sure where Clementine was, all I needed to do was see which way Glooskap was pointing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLv8UvPZLY30mC6MedYoZ80RnHokcNq4I8SatR_4A3C0gHCXOqgwGErrq_ScZ6SYxfuC4wdlzML-tPEa5Tk7mVBoSNkLn3TcXwoTZXIsXnXhOVhagTHAh3KCY0VPbckWD5VuGeb1aNEVT1IlLW_t9OSaREMR9PhIW2QQ7Oja4PCLZB5f4H_jvzhV0/s2048/20231021%2001%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLv8UvPZLY30mC6MedYoZ80RnHokcNq4I8SatR_4A3C0gHCXOqgwGErrq_ScZ6SYxfuC4wdlzML-tPEa5Tk7mVBoSNkLn3TcXwoTZXIsXnXhOVhagTHAh3KCY0VPbckWD5VuGeb1aNEVT1IlLW_t9OSaREMR9PhIW2QQ7Oja4PCLZB5f4H_jvzhV0/s320/20231021%2001%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm4cliA2LlDVGB0IEF5_ooCsMqyiyByIZJasnIcqtZ6-cDMzXPfglNRbJBOTI7HQ-TvzTaewoL_5geLpzkv6qKpHAFrhMjKHyPXb0O9Re5O4PwevCCr6ylxTrjTOBHI4OC_4OQKnr-PsPIgHm2BsvE5LKD2J2nzCVH8ZWGLxQfyh162NRhHwBwHhr/s2048/20231021%2002%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm4cliA2LlDVGB0IEF5_ooCsMqyiyByIZJasnIcqtZ6-cDMzXPfglNRbJBOTI7HQ-TvzTaewoL_5geLpzkv6qKpHAFrhMjKHyPXb0O9Re5O4PwevCCr6ylxTrjTOBHI4OC_4OQKnr-PsPIgHm2BsvE5LKD2J2nzCVH8ZWGLxQfyh162NRhHwBwHhr/s320/20231021%2002%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In her quieter moments, Clementine is definitely a lap cat. She enjoys the bed, what with so many toes to pounce on. For the past couple of nights, she's taken to sleeping in the crook of my neck, between me and Jack.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL18t4nmo36LwcRwMUKI6jY6cHrIQWOY_-TokhJ3VXwXu2A8wXSD2zjRlH4ML22tbV2guczGQmEuFCC6xbcIkkhLrdyQzbw8K9KCi8j4TRa9ruVgfY3wvouhWQiTz36hl2W8-ardYKZ5UGzC-bi_x4rMxS0p8yk2BhvN7RPmtwKGfLRAfeNKDA8jto/s1882/20221022%2003%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="1668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL18t4nmo36LwcRwMUKI6jY6cHrIQWOY_-TokhJ3VXwXu2A8wXSD2zjRlH4ML22tbV2guczGQmEuFCC6xbcIkkhLrdyQzbw8K9KCi8j4TRa9ruVgfY3wvouhWQiTz36hl2W8-ardYKZ5UGzC-bi_x4rMxS0p8yk2BhvN7RPmtwKGfLRAfeNKDA8jto/s320/20221022%2003%20Clementine.JPEG" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmmUPQ7lPXJodRTCrr_COBgTMMAk3TTAAYhu8Aipe0Lcb9WfVElA6YmmF27xIjJ0glhVkECd7i53ESC0FMXoFxZETOc8-KF8F_dUV_ei3i0US-iahyIAfp-PoJcd91q5ZHXc2RpN1qiiBWqcaaZhfTXwM6ExCCDD9fFhhnSzlODmB628MZ-A3Fddi/s2048/20231026%2001%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmmUPQ7lPXJodRTCrr_COBgTMMAk3TTAAYhu8Aipe0Lcb9WfVElA6YmmF27xIjJ0glhVkECd7i53ESC0FMXoFxZETOc8-KF8F_dUV_ei3i0US-iahyIAfp-PoJcd91q5ZHXc2RpN1qiiBWqcaaZhfTXwM6ExCCDD9fFhhnSzlODmB628MZ-A3Fddi/s320/20231026%2001%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4OrN3AW8xA3ltNRFl8IKadg9nFZMTP72INDdOyTmCf5L7x_195Nwxo3M4zeAHqxEZAUwPCsY4aAIEVSj5Jw3wiRlzGzgXDhWzjChzudGbhLbnFQu945vGSAdG0w-kLmDy_c2Wc5q5NaoNhjm4Sqa6Yiz-Y-I9LSywKIG0qy3QPOEMxBg8-GP9JKq/s2048/20231026%2002%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4OrN3AW8xA3ltNRFl8IKadg9nFZMTP72INDdOyTmCf5L7x_195Nwxo3M4zeAHqxEZAUwPCsY4aAIEVSj5Jw3wiRlzGzgXDhWzjChzudGbhLbnFQu945vGSAdG0w-kLmDy_c2Wc5q5NaoNhjm4Sqa6Yiz-Y-I9LSywKIG0qy3QPOEMxBg8-GP9JKq/s320/20231026%2002%20Clementine.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>If Glooskap is tired enough, he'll even cuddle with Clementine.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNG2nu4inCM_I6RLb9aGZ8fMWHeVrts5KoEBcH9lVQViFEVWpF8B6qbMNBf2XIKWQFr4mmWpdyQRjpiQQAobaB2zuu3domwK3M778QE43rtW5cIyUcnjwNu9V7jWN74ut95jt9Kuw0deBFbZYi_ZnmVIyQC37NS5EE2sTLx7HZrp_vNrzi0ueGmsQM/s2048/20231027%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNG2nu4inCM_I6RLb9aGZ8fMWHeVrts5KoEBcH9lVQViFEVWpF8B6qbMNBf2XIKWQFr4mmWpdyQRjpiQQAobaB2zuu3domwK3M778QE43rtW5cIyUcnjwNu9V7jWN74ut95jt9Kuw0deBFbZYi_ZnmVIyQC37NS5EE2sTLx7HZrp_vNrzi0ueGmsQM/s320/20231027%20Glooskap%20and%20Clementine.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There are times, though, that she gets on his last nerve. She doesn't care. He deserves it, for all the times he badgered Moxie after Mojo died.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijNZnodk-xxgui1-7g4fjcNPuNldtxTWFG2lygHjeIHDrJHLKfkX3fnjWylka06qXdf_CZXeUb2CtMGmh-WRgk72bYnHWDnbHfJWC4qyKtvZ5UXedIvCxcvUGywlErrJtQxKwJGQ5PhwWQq3qWa2wnmmry4z1ijMstJb3j51fEcqPRAj0KOA9Cuwq/s1888/20231029%20Clementine%20and%20Glooskap.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="1888" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijNZnodk-xxgui1-7g4fjcNPuNldtxTWFG2lygHjeIHDrJHLKfkX3fnjWylka06qXdf_CZXeUb2CtMGmh-WRgk72bYnHWDnbHfJWC4qyKtvZ5UXedIvCxcvUGywlErrJtQxKwJGQ5PhwWQq3qWa2wnmmry4z1ijMstJb3j51fEcqPRAj0KOA9Cuwq/s320/20231029%20Clementine%20and%20Glooskap.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">IV: Getting Ready for the Century</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was way behind in distance training. I hadn't done anything more than 40-something miles in a month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The day we brought Clementine home, I rode into Plain Jim's Hopewell ride and took the long way home with Pete and Jack H. It still didn't even reach 40 miles, and, to make things worse, I got another flat 3 miles from home. I spent what felt like half an hour fixing it because it took so long to get the tire on and off the rim. When I got home, I asked Plain Jim for advice on a portable lever that works with tough bead-rim combinations. He recommended the Tire Monkey. Fortunately, I haven't had the chance to test it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One Saturday later, it rained.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Plain Jim listed a Sunday ride to Montgomery the next day, I decided to ride in from home and leave the group after the rest stop so that I could head to Hopewell for muffins and somehow stretch his 37-mile ride into a metric. Needing two pockets for muffins, I didn't bring my camera.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Luis was good enough to send me a couple of photos he took from the corner of East Mountain and the Great Road.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OpZr-96PCbZuETFY6CZTzPvp-UuoBfGkDR0uIWsDTl_3C7KUOw_3GyOFe8PjbnxY0pTtlA1DfbbBi0rPyVWGr8SN0lMf_Qc4HV4EGDnd1VB2uQDdYyo6TsP0HERqHUMDvd7xE5bdE-27RDOjH8qTlWbLV7dp6MhLAqlAz2PUXcXmHvCnYnUodKQG/s4000/20231022%20%2001%20Sourland%20Mountain%20View%20photo%20by%20Luis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OpZr-96PCbZuETFY6CZTzPvp-UuoBfGkDR0uIWsDTl_3C7KUOw_3GyOFe8PjbnxY0pTtlA1DfbbBi0rPyVWGr8SN0lMf_Qc4HV4EGDnd1VB2uQDdYyo6TsP0HERqHUMDvd7xE5bdE-27RDOjH8qTlWbLV7dp6MhLAqlAz2PUXcXmHvCnYnUodKQG/s320/20231022%20%2001%20Sourland%20Mountain%20View%20photo%20by%20Luis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgL9xtFV-4c3gmrRoIZNkZwe8N6gIgxEVJPOnUlUkLLQCPoWhFZ-lbgBs67iVcuE3tchyphenhyphenRAFuKEjyWgJsXz5qEdJNVINJWI-xlWLPj36vzwGue3jsyifIRGRPpJCwfPE0xEoJ-Eb5S6_u3MwqeQwLzAp1C7wAQkbSA5kmoe_Fqe46ZUzqP93-CIegJ/s4000/20231022%20%2002%20Sourland%20Mountain%20View%20photo%20by%20Luis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgL9xtFV-4c3gmrRoIZNkZwe8N6gIgxEVJPOnUlUkLLQCPoWhFZ-lbgBs67iVcuE3tchyphenhyphenRAFuKEjyWgJsXz5qEdJNVINJWI-xlWLPj36vzwGue3jsyifIRGRPpJCwfPE0xEoJ-Eb5S6_u3MwqeQwLzAp1C7wAQkbSA5kmoe_Fqe46ZUzqP93-CIegJ/s320/20231022%20%2002%20Sourland%20Mountain%20View%20photo%20by%20Luis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I squeezed 62 miles out of that ride. I felt a little better about the upcoming Sprague Memorial Century, although by this point I assumed it would rain again.</div><div><br /></div><div>As October 28 approached, the forecast for good weather held. </div><div><br /></div><div>I decided to burn up a vacation day on October 25. I have so many now that soon I won't accrue any more. Tom led a ride from Allentown that would cover some of the same roads as the century would. Pete and Rickety were there too. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pete chided me about not having the good life of a retired person.</div><div><br /></div><div>During a detour into Etra Lake Park for a bathroom break, I got some photos of the lake. I think this day was our peak color day.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNIGgvXZBwl0DWkWBJuU_jxCVVSaWsNmdxk88Nl-rk7zh-FUjp_UT7AOpdhyphenhyphenBkW88e9oKPSs4z3bDusnPlGvMheDniEONsxvJ-XJj05IJNryozfG9DlzaltXTuzb9s8C5mHHEFfvJZjvnQGqhpA1g9vvcu1sCKfjpFQLxyMpKP3t7oi-z4-HtkrZP/s5184/20231025%2001%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNIGgvXZBwl0DWkWBJuU_jxCVVSaWsNmdxk88Nl-rk7zh-FUjp_UT7AOpdhyphenhyphenBkW88e9oKPSs4z3bDusnPlGvMheDniEONsxvJ-XJj05IJNryozfG9DlzaltXTuzb9s8C5mHHEFfvJZjvnQGqhpA1g9vvcu1sCKfjpFQLxyMpKP3t7oi-z4-HtkrZP/s320/20231025%2001%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJ4XsDQAxIPiTaUgBJBAXsE_mE_eSVRNeU-qnsenl1yFqiNzffq8_m0qaYkPb3gef1-nTbZYCK2f4mE5jzYW8cj6iJ9ZjZLqFab3jsqDAnKEM_A1HZFMAXo844DrceMskf62C2IeILzE3oo7Eh85WdV-J8OtlhDAxdvfTGHHvQ1-Wthz8mWpQMi_Q/s5184/20231025%2002%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJ4XsDQAxIPiTaUgBJBAXsE_mE_eSVRNeU-qnsenl1yFqiNzffq8_m0qaYkPb3gef1-nTbZYCK2f4mE5jzYW8cj6iJ9ZjZLqFab3jsqDAnKEM_A1HZFMAXo844DrceMskf62C2IeILzE3oo7Eh85WdV-J8OtlhDAxdvfTGHHvQ1-Wthz8mWpQMi_Q/s320/20231025%2002%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTaWmXqjDwGZ7Sj_FFxIUYvPMz-d1COMNnzEDsW_WZhfDwK5r6uey3SfxPrpsA4-EqhDmpLBd9Gq7eRToxlTwuAbb4K0ScCH7b1VMJVuyH3xL0JcplSUE5GY9glQgVk0kp71G0TunL0Zcz2FXyQkxL_jR6lv_oGsCb4UQ-jijPOq1FmeskcUhhm6G/s5184/20231025%2003%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTaWmXqjDwGZ7Sj_FFxIUYvPMz-d1COMNnzEDsW_WZhfDwK5r6uey3SfxPrpsA4-EqhDmpLBd9Gq7eRToxlTwuAbb4K0ScCH7b1VMJVuyH3xL0JcplSUE5GY9glQgVk0kp71G0TunL0Zcz2FXyQkxL_jR6lv_oGsCb4UQ-jijPOq1FmeskcUhhm6G/s320/20231025%2003%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iwZJ_kkZ_39WWyt8C6PolHDOM-fE0st3ghKpXEHZe-s9MNkuL3bcCtumaOwPBUY9J9H8cVkSW8D3xe7wD-dhODEuVmNJUZ0WymGxdFO5uqv9P1BWJYqQH-yXKpF7dKaz8n_9tPP3pB5NMTAkIuQtZfxGtmzqUufUEPTWPLnu4aObq4URR5syUcJ0/s5184/20231025%2004%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iwZJ_kkZ_39WWyt8C6PolHDOM-fE0st3ghKpXEHZe-s9MNkuL3bcCtumaOwPBUY9J9H8cVkSW8D3xe7wD-dhODEuVmNJUZ0WymGxdFO5uqv9P1BWJYqQH-yXKpF7dKaz8n_9tPP3pB5NMTAkIuQtZfxGtmzqUufUEPTWPLnu4aObq4URR5syUcJ0/s320/20231025%2004%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv328T4PhbCQrUQwM_ySJ_ujU__U4d2cHjDf0yK2Np-gwWoxDx3DlO3nVFI1ZZD-86OMH1vCLS0Ayx9xgHr_yxa_K8Jr23MAecVgq6-5wkfygX2OY6y_5uMuzjlz0aPU4Cx2RQ-gEGFn731-QSqSkzAory0FrBdKXzfmGSHc8lDdwV6zqlTfkm77L9/s5184/20231025%2005%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv328T4PhbCQrUQwM_ySJ_ujU__U4d2cHjDf0yK2Np-gwWoxDx3DlO3nVFI1ZZD-86OMH1vCLS0Ayx9xgHr_yxa_K8Jr23MAecVgq6-5wkfygX2OY6y_5uMuzjlz0aPU4Cx2RQ-gEGFn731-QSqSkzAory0FrBdKXzfmGSHc8lDdwV6zqlTfkm77L9/s320/20231025%2005%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi-o7eNHKPijCA8S1YEC8D6AIpwIee6-0ajGG57ic9_Pd_6g_mgO-emr3MH3BGgMOUhOraG9YqmAI3QkQ1sZrkr31KfN_hy5xsg87JGTly4eAvcVzVWZrizoMVBSouwlq_ccKUBDcAlmEdgyXLTpMZ-9osk8VAvLWuL-PlvwaYypXmrxAZsdUcucN/s5184/20231025%2006%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi-o7eNHKPijCA8S1YEC8D6AIpwIee6-0ajGG57ic9_Pd_6g_mgO-emr3MH3BGgMOUhOraG9YqmAI3QkQ1sZrkr31KfN_hy5xsg87JGTly4eAvcVzVWZrizoMVBSouwlq_ccKUBDcAlmEdgyXLTpMZ-9osk8VAvLWuL-PlvwaYypXmrxAZsdUcucN/s320/20231025%2006%20Etra%20Lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Somewhere near Rickety's stomping grounds is a farm, where "he grows corn so nobody can take pictures of his sunflowers." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found a break in the corn and, out of spite, snapped some photos of the pumpkin patch.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7-JOOgMEdqqeAh0p38QkIGU7Po-wa1ThY7wOO105W8_RMP5jyulWyfUHwogsGp7WhyA1Z8NUC4BDnufpGvTGR8RpcmiIZA-NmwvAw7eYjsQj4ku-mVR649Ub2pmqyzTBW7efrz2dahyhyphenhyphenSXGXeqEzUly5jaJFyJXjhv6N3AXvyb2DoWcrH7OfoEa/s5184/20231025%2008%20pumpkin%20patch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7-JOOgMEdqqeAh0p38QkIGU7Po-wa1ThY7wOO105W8_RMP5jyulWyfUHwogsGp7WhyA1Z8NUC4BDnufpGvTGR8RpcmiIZA-NmwvAw7eYjsQj4ku-mVR649Ub2pmqyzTBW7efrz2dahyhyphenhyphenSXGXeqEzUly5jaJFyJXjhv6N3AXvyb2DoWcrH7OfoEa/s320/20231025%2008%20pumpkin%20patch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3-pXKppeSLf8M6LtTCMVG_phyxcXaThyphenhyphenlRo550WblbyuzcviF1N2BpsAyBFEYSdxYKVfJ1c_6oIUyoUiYEKtr_2g3Yfq5TwNIxiZy8cmJ2_K6xaqOtbJPDBCyJ1_C-GBrd4gSTV5lHHUe00tlg21Y0Cs6dL6CevPlAIVbiWZbl-BST4otkWp74RK/s5184/20231025%2009%20pumpkin%20patch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3-pXKppeSLf8M6LtTCMVG_phyxcXaThyphenhyphenlRo550WblbyuzcviF1N2BpsAyBFEYSdxYKVfJ1c_6oIUyoUiYEKtr_2g3Yfq5TwNIxiZy8cmJ2_K6xaqOtbJPDBCyJ1_C-GBrd4gSTV5lHHUe00tlg21Y0Cs6dL6CevPlAIVbiWZbl-BST4otkWp74RK/s320/20231025%2009%20pumpkin%20patch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxT4CqB-YJv2Bm6PHjScc6cIDiD4ao5XFBVzJ7Ntq1vZKeEec17FOrtZWMx6FGvb0U9Ag4QrjIorOtSxmfAEy9cIxQZaJzZhSCIphRDYaVF2CvK8nf_UrVCYKYbqhJ9b9pzvqJi4ZUiiJsdBzA3JvtoWoDAq98HPlKweoNvNpnaodqaDT4f3U-gJ6/s5184/20231025%2010%20pumpkin%20patch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxT4CqB-YJv2Bm6PHjScc6cIDiD4ao5XFBVzJ7Ntq1vZKeEec17FOrtZWMx6FGvb0U9Ag4QrjIorOtSxmfAEy9cIxQZaJzZhSCIphRDYaVF2CvK8nf_UrVCYKYbqhJ9b9pzvqJi4ZUiiJsdBzA3JvtoWoDAq98HPlKweoNvNpnaodqaDT4f3U-gJ6/s320/20231025%2010%20pumpkin%20patch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>On our way back, we went through the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNoTM9RTagoRiJ1qProBK04VgxBaI5z-Cn6Asrt4NK1L9iveb0mG9Dff7TpoXpaWBNximGIEMNgMgL7Kh9qA_wHD6vYaAtBE3VZuq-9ErTOSlsMGvbT6I3Jlb7MAP0eqRglTv_wr0uFCyjMdQV_wYpwvKuKy0Vb0-YcPZN5VtDJss_auanEE9pvw0/s5184/20231025%2011%20peak%20color.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNoTM9RTagoRiJ1qProBK04VgxBaI5z-Cn6Asrt4NK1L9iveb0mG9Dff7TpoXpaWBNximGIEMNgMgL7Kh9qA_wHD6vYaAtBE3VZuq-9ErTOSlsMGvbT6I3Jlb7MAP0eqRglTv_wr0uFCyjMdQV_wYpwvKuKy0Vb0-YcPZN5VtDJss_auanEE9pvw0/s320/20231025%2011%20peak%20color.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTnnGmcuYTxKbKUCNe9CZQ7L_d1JzON6SgCF61k1VYONn9Sj3u0Jh4Exr4cjIc4d1LH1L8SO3xORkGVE5QlfriVnqcNor1IwH6bdBugT6UWpMjhoP_YXIcesle1LNbKRUkyYLzKthKLGcv1iIM0tGQj7jDtvP5aHUKA6a22wJ-vEvy-G32xK2jUrt/s5184/20231025%2013%20peak%20color.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTnnGmcuYTxKbKUCNe9CZQ7L_d1JzON6SgCF61k1VYONn9Sj3u0Jh4Exr4cjIc4d1LH1L8SO3xORkGVE5QlfriVnqcNor1IwH6bdBugT6UWpMjhoP_YXIcesle1LNbKRUkyYLzKthKLGcv1iIM0tGQj7jDtvP5aHUKA6a22wJ-vEvy-G32xK2jUrt/s320/20231025%2013%20peak%20color.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFERv1wnBNUU0t3shGI7nAvoiqMkm9Q8aVqoBnVZqlMimrYSdU32bqRm_EuQ2k6-hBuHfeMB1tuQD9l5q40WXCNq5VJzM0oKELZHyUtA_mEKgsXiGOMquxklz0FQKhyphenhyphenPwGYpXKBQlHrGhO2QV1JtM-Ek0VWmrKAe0bHgdMuVtC-_z4bYPaDh3ikjvP/s5184/20231025%2014%20peak%20color.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFERv1wnBNUU0t3shGI7nAvoiqMkm9Q8aVqoBnVZqlMimrYSdU32bqRm_EuQ2k6-hBuHfeMB1tuQD9l5q40WXCNq5VJzM0oKELZHyUtA_mEKgsXiGOMquxklz0FQKhyphenhyphenPwGYpXKBQlHrGhO2QV1JtM-Ek0VWmrKAe0bHgdMuVtC-_z4bYPaDh3ikjvP/s320/20231025%2014%20peak%20color.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Next to the Reed Recreation Area parking lot, a tree in full color popped out from behind a field of corn,</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7BUHHaWllvOptUPBT8cc5kiuAsbSqd1C9WoMhgg6irlN_HmouQcERq-pBCN3xW_g4MVLhtyaRdK9usnvQ3xcUwejZ1e-tyHfZhWXR9AhusOx8c5-sfzu5V2pmZKwFUVmgBCAWMDh7g3hsglBbLL-1vjUK4F41zBm6z3hOYIMTidhkxZMzSbdueO9/s5184/20231025%2015%20Reed%20Recreation%20Area.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7BUHHaWllvOptUPBT8cc5kiuAsbSqd1C9WoMhgg6irlN_HmouQcERq-pBCN3xW_g4MVLhtyaRdK9usnvQ3xcUwejZ1e-tyHfZhWXR9AhusOx8c5-sfzu5V2pmZKwFUVmgBCAWMDh7g3hsglBbLL-1vjUK4F41zBm6z3hOYIMTidhkxZMzSbdueO9/s320/20231025%2015%20Reed%20Recreation%20Area.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRbk4RLh0o1tgLvKK7XVkbnVoiOQDwjeH1nDGKnvvoDrXzKjL-kzTRGIT1HH4ivU-WyWBWV2iUhoaSK48DgrOwHe2H5Me_V3Sldo9xgurbPjPJsHDRxN8BLv_RwvwG8M_UfHW_OXjAQ4zr3nRgWY2Ma1E3y75jXECHIbGUFGFt-sWhyjOs3WX9Rou/s5184/20231025%2016%20Reed%20Recreation%20Area.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRbk4RLh0o1tgLvKK7XVkbnVoiOQDwjeH1nDGKnvvoDrXzKjL-kzTRGIT1HH4ivU-WyWBWV2iUhoaSK48DgrOwHe2H5Me_V3Sldo9xgurbPjPJsHDRxN8BLv_RwvwG8M_UfHW_OXjAQ4zr3nRgWY2Ma1E3y75jXECHIbGUFGFt-sWhyjOs3WX9Rou/s320/20231025%2016%20Reed%20Recreation%20Area.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">V: Finally, the Century</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If I hadn't been determined to get my minimum of two 100-mile rides in each year, I wouldn't have signed up for this one. I've done my share of October centuries. The wind is always up, and the early morning starts are chilly. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Originally scheduled for September, then rained out twice, it looked like this one would actually happen. It would start at 8:00 from Cranbury, half an hour's drive from home. I planned to try to go to sleep at 10:00, no easy feat considering that my bedtimes have been creeping later and later this year. I was brushing my teeth around 9:30 when a text came through from Mike V. Due to a family emergency, he couldn't lead and was looking for volunteers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I volunteered.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't want to fire up my computer so close to bedtime. I'd looked at the route to get a general sense of where the hills and rest stops were, but a fair chunk of the course was on roads unfamiliar to me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I drove to Cranbury with the sun low in the sky. In the parking lot, I tasked Luis with taking the faster riders in our group. "We'll stick together for the first half," he said.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thirteen-ish miles in, he got a flat. I took a picture of a farm field (on Iron Ore or Daum) while we waited. Someone timed him at 8.5 minutes. He said that was a record.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR51uli5XgNF0-nbrHJgiZtyODMXJahFIJPi_e1XmzWppSlYure_oMrNCd__WBH15s2f9rdKKCe7iYU7s8g1V5NI-MiLEOx0GfBhfmuV0xvxnH3QxvOF-SFrBj_XFPV6hm-Fj3MsmjPoSSq-cT9me744ttmxzeiz4yuo9ro0fgO64eF5zX8P34_ud/s5184/20231028%2001%20Iron%20Ore%20or%20Daum.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR51uli5XgNF0-nbrHJgiZtyODMXJahFIJPi_e1XmzWppSlYure_oMrNCd__WBH15s2f9rdKKCe7iYU7s8g1V5NI-MiLEOx0GfBhfmuV0xvxnH3QxvOF-SFrBj_XFPV6hm-Fj3MsmjPoSSq-cT9me744ttmxzeiz4yuo9ro0fgO64eF5zX8P34_ud/s320/20231028%2001%20Iron%20Ore%20or%20Daum.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We had a gentle tailwind out of the west. At our first rest stop in Jackson, we picked up Tom, who planned to ride with us to Avon By the Sea.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm glad he was with us, because I missed the turn onto the Edgar Felix bike trail off of Atlantic Avenue. Sorry, not sorry. I've been on it before, also on a century. I remember it as bumpy. Tom got us back onto the trail farther down, where, lucky for us, there was fresh blacktop for part of it. I think we missed about half of the trail. It was crowded, which is a good thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>We reached the coast in Manasquan and rode north through Spring Lake to Belmar. Our planned stop, at not quite 50 miles, was the same spot I use, 16th Avenue. It never occurred to me that chains like Dunkin and Playa Bowls would close for the season, but closed they were. All that remained was a hollowed-out pizza place. Even the trailer of bathrooms on the boardwalk was gone for the winter. In its place were two porta-potties with no toilet paper. There was one bathroom in the pizza joint. It had no light bulb, and, by the time I took my turn, no toilet paper either. A sympathetic cook let us use the employee bathroom instead. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAXybTGy-Az0iH0eeES_YT3HetArt082UcDL4tGoDNTpp_5oovn_MlQ9dYHnJnqhtBiTiTIa3KFb4U8IjKxrydOomOOsjYNlROQ0txrUrazvV3bQBnLVzVanDwoFRY1N_oE57-y9v2cz1hVK6qE_ntLSq02W3hJdEZkcwJAubv6j13Jn5o7zCDrPz/s5184/20231028%2002%20Janice%20in%20Belmar.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAXybTGy-Az0iH0eeES_YT3HetArt082UcDL4tGoDNTpp_5oovn_MlQ9dYHnJnqhtBiTiTIa3KFb4U8IjKxrydOomOOsjYNlROQ0txrUrazvV3bQBnLVzVanDwoFRY1N_oE57-y9v2cz1hVK6qE_ntLSq02W3hJdEZkcwJAubv6j13Jn5o7zCDrPz/s320/20231028%2002%20Janice%20in%20Belmar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Janice in Belmar</span></div><div><br /></div><div>I took some pictures of the beach. There were so many people there that I had to zoom in to crop them out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyZN9UP9Vmn00Z5xmfYfIz43FaX8W6EJ7fNPTZ-pZ_bezMmauoa_HBDIBN_ESWHToh6eskIQGocccenMtA1GiON86B-zLs0DxloKT7yrYWJHdFdQh_UpzO7I4s0gobhf7lDl1kdZdBCr4V33_YzCI95x78HWKPjHy53CDWEnRocQQbF-gxU5SIIib/s3981/20231028%2003%20Belmar%20Beach%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2193" data-original-width="3981" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyZN9UP9Vmn00Z5xmfYfIz43FaX8W6EJ7fNPTZ-pZ_bezMmauoa_HBDIBN_ESWHToh6eskIQGocccenMtA1GiON86B-zLs0DxloKT7yrYWJHdFdQh_UpzO7I4s0gobhf7lDl1kdZdBCr4V33_YzCI95x78HWKPjHy53CDWEnRocQQbF-gxU5SIIib/s320/20231028%2003%20Belmar%20Beach%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOer2Syqz7LQjMVU0s8CRiTDDChldNdrr5N3DRMKhQldf8wixfQJcOCPCobvx6qTc1q53zFSbXcNGxm0YehDnVa-cHDNDErUEcIj2LWTyGd7wWLd_v8p4y-xtJpHOQnyjNTLUm6DX9tSFzBTcU_7g2fw7TX3ZpUZljHZOb9C8e5epfGPK1RMesuxc/s4720/20231028%2004%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2470" data-original-width="4720" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOer2Syqz7LQjMVU0s8CRiTDDChldNdrr5N3DRMKhQldf8wixfQJcOCPCobvx6qTc1q53zFSbXcNGxm0YehDnVa-cHDNDErUEcIj2LWTyGd7wWLd_v8p4y-xtJpHOQnyjNTLUm6DX9tSFzBTcU_7g2fw7TX3ZpUZljHZOb9C8e5epfGPK1RMesuxc/s320/20231028%2004%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCjIir0ycucrp5mlsdzIK4mpGwrOr1ai6koO1uW8pRVryXdNNBRS5qpHd1cMCEMQ3LJmw_i0Xti9d3GXwuCBly0ld9C4trj4nG-pckK4Z7ByUsBRwF40buB2aQd4HVizIPHMMalNWzSQixlJ9pwmq3Zb2e_K3JoM8SZeiZX1p4QM7W3qiqn6LRDTS/s4273/20231028%2005%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="4273" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCjIir0ycucrp5mlsdzIK4mpGwrOr1ai6koO1uW8pRVryXdNNBRS5qpHd1cMCEMQ3LJmw_i0Xti9d3GXwuCBly0ld9C4trj4nG-pckK4Z7ByUsBRwF40buB2aQd4HVizIPHMMalNWzSQixlJ9pwmq3Zb2e_K3JoM8SZeiZX1p4QM7W3qiqn6LRDTS/s320/20231028%2005%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOujSJv8tOptrzMITlKrBmVXyIJBAtOMecYXPvlChZXt7T1ezIwCZelvPI5RXVooCgRIGrOkRvzXZ05UbALVMsTW5F4wi5wQ6MXb6MHtzv_PARGhs7PbXMl1Cacdrmy2Augqm5xNSSFdhSQ3UAAyi6505OFzh4gLKkU-1a2IRKYCOOw2rUQ5mm_p4U/s5106/20231028%2006%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="5106" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOujSJv8tOptrzMITlKrBmVXyIJBAtOMecYXPvlChZXt7T1ezIwCZelvPI5RXVooCgRIGrOkRvzXZ05UbALVMsTW5F4wi5wQ6MXb6MHtzv_PARGhs7PbXMl1Cacdrmy2Augqm5xNSSFdhSQ3UAAyi6505OFzh4gLKkU-1a2IRKYCOOw2rUQ5mm_p4U/s320/20231028%2006%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3244" data-original-width="4809" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQbSmZhrdMuFqrSED8DFBxZUYPXIPdGmM_wQ-vyx8osY2nM2gQDInggx0FBVH5w0WBe7x48CKnJXNdD_-tn6kc32btZ6dd6juGL-0_tCBUuWzcboo0Hiy34Y1XsN7PBNIsZ7ckxN_VKdn9vsknnSCJg0FsPo3vGG9xHrsM8kVUPc6y1-imnGXoNxF/s320/20231028%2008%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NDf4-RCf9hpkCTay5wXlu0CR7t80-Wpv665_CHyMRJG-28q7xzJnXxUVqhj86yR5TCKesk766SRgbDRxebIBu3Yo-yVIyH7TJ6BBgOWU09e9pxLYW81fkJlM6JQKN54_SN0tfNTTT58TZjmaiXiBQt6nLTKQVrePz06Y3ybin3Gv7oIo1oMs8EM5/s3761/20231028%2010%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3761" data-original-width="3653" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NDf4-RCf9hpkCTay5wXlu0CR7t80-Wpv665_CHyMRJG-28q7xzJnXxUVqhj86yR5TCKesk766SRgbDRxebIBu3Yo-yVIyH7TJ6BBgOWU09e9pxLYW81fkJlM6JQKN54_SN0tfNTTT58TZjmaiXiBQt6nLTKQVrePz06Y3ybin3Gv7oIo1oMs8EM5/s320/20231028%2010%20Belmar%20Beach%20%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found an empty stretch, cordoned off by fences.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPi2M5It1ES-proSwK5pzUUSHZMwFuQDd20Nz-EEoRcogwGYcQXHgXMXJFa9m8bd4sBeNJwFofzEk0G3HVrxeJ4E3ObADL5ukqzKbKVJuYZe325J2na3vNyUpJTxxSz90gC32SOvYQRJzLT7ZWsAadadG2A7QdWchyphenhyphenWgW_KwcR6Uj5ys_k8C6Szjj/s5184/20231028%2011%20Belmar%20Beach.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPi2M5It1ES-proSwK5pzUUSHZMwFuQDd20Nz-EEoRcogwGYcQXHgXMXJFa9m8bd4sBeNJwFofzEk0G3HVrxeJ4E3ObADL5ukqzKbKVJuYZe325J2na3vNyUpJTxxSz90gC32SOvYQRJzLT7ZWsAadadG2A7QdWchyphenhyphenWgW_KwcR6Uj5ys_k8C6Szjj/s320/20231028%2011%20Belmar%20Beach.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>By this point, we'd already spent far too much time stopped. I motioned to the group that we needed to hit the road. Not everyone had made their entire way through their gargantuan pizza slices, but they were far enough along to pack up. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were missing Henry, Martin, and Mark. "Henry's body surfing," someone said. Mark was on the boardwalk, guarding Henry's clothes. Martin was on the shore, taking video of Henry's plunge.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nope. Not waiting. I told Mark, "You guys signed up with Luis. My group is leaving."</div></div><div><br /></div><div>We made it up to the Shark River inlet drawbridge before we had to stop again. It was a solid five minutes at least before the deck returned to horizontal, by which time Luis' group had caught up to us.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQp63NHonZYWdnQGCKiZ1tFkLbC9R47oeRT6SOQ_w5mV0OYnuTJhscZ6iGD3McyTWUVCEJ1-jXaLYfryYTyzK2RezThmhJXAfzWOtUUnAYiULL-kLg0al9tRy7F_AyRxqHyHYhQ8lvePsXGNf0g9xdmaS_1reHcj78NfON4TCHK4XWxGYOJ9TDrY8R/s5184/20231028%2012%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQp63NHonZYWdnQGCKiZ1tFkLbC9R47oeRT6SOQ_w5mV0OYnuTJhscZ6iGD3McyTWUVCEJ1-jXaLYfryYTyzK2RezThmhJXAfzWOtUUnAYiULL-kLg0al9tRy7F_AyRxqHyHYhQ8lvePsXGNf0g9xdmaS_1reHcj78NfON4TCHK4XWxGYOJ9TDrY8R/s320/20231028%2012%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTEhAotc6kN9wsE__i0TeOJuYbloOCwJi85M56v68xknl27NYhDngXwxoQUllzAzV52_oX7ke0KakCzauqzZkCGsuEmXeD0SbHDcmsuP57XUkVrMYSFZn86OzPxnIrVRJMHctD-Dkjx-3g-EA3O1v43FVLe-uhDTO_YS_FHARvDdKBITOpkQYS-Me/s5184/20231028%2013%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTEhAotc6kN9wsE__i0TeOJuYbloOCwJi85M56v68xknl27NYhDngXwxoQUllzAzV52_oX7ke0KakCzauqzZkCGsuEmXeD0SbHDcmsuP57XUkVrMYSFZn86OzPxnIrVRJMHctD-Dkjx-3g-EA3O1v43FVLe-uhDTO_YS_FHARvDdKBITOpkQYS-Me/s320/20231028%2013%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>People watched the inlet while they waited.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0jla6wtPE_6er4iCgTWpuD7GENjZeCk5q_6hv_hryGC8K6r_iQ2kp_VzfeVMKBvtainBNN6qMWtzi51zx7EUqSAQsQ94NfNe7UKstVr78fe_Q606pww05bTWI247LsQfBzKcO8qPKUq2lxj0KjUkIURjHLpx1CEJ4Oz3_UVH7QNUqwjxhguY26E5/s5184/20231028%2014%20Shark%20River%20Inlet.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0jla6wtPE_6er4iCgTWpuD7GENjZeCk5q_6hv_hryGC8K6r_iQ2kp_VzfeVMKBvtainBNN6qMWtzi51zx7EUqSAQsQ94NfNe7UKstVr78fe_Q606pww05bTWI247LsQfBzKcO8qPKUq2lxj0KjUkIURjHLpx1CEJ4Oz3_UVH7QNUqwjxhguY26E5/s320/20231028%2014%20Shark%20River%20Inlet.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWdZWbE8vPXZ4GvDIr2JNFzoF7FBDvY2qf1Y00cYEIOLuN2b9U97GFgIn1fZacOiDFKrPl_UixSnWUc97lMsYnkxyXnMZ_wqStcdK3QXho25jUV8y9k1tsTjv_N3zJQJpRoPdXgBG1McfMDewpbvD9wTKgqDsxiZPzrVfcrPougzWzvK_I9siOSKf/s5184/20231028%2015%20Shark%20River%20Inlet.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWdZWbE8vPXZ4GvDIr2JNFzoF7FBDvY2qf1Y00cYEIOLuN2b9U97GFgIn1fZacOiDFKrPl_UixSnWUc97lMsYnkxyXnMZ_wqStcdK3QXho25jUV8y9k1tsTjv_N3zJQJpRoPdXgBG1McfMDewpbvD9wTKgqDsxiZPzrVfcrPougzWzvK_I9siOSKf/s320/20231028%2015%20Shark%20River%20Inlet.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE6cjUZUvqjNWdEOLDkv1Wiaz92Kz2HCYSQ5F2YyN015JHQKMEVpbOm9CmBVuvqP8l_0EdZdhSP9qEgDrKyUwPHukGc24lQxDZNX3AkSvCHlTn2uBTXWlCCtDE5k1SSOTi4tPNMbipKqeHswta2eHukZ8qmY8ZCrPJRSEdun9Bf3xQJNRctp2Y5_p/s5184/20231028%2016%20Shark%20River%20Inlet.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE6cjUZUvqjNWdEOLDkv1Wiaz92Kz2HCYSQ5F2YyN015JHQKMEVpbOm9CmBVuvqP8l_0EdZdhSP9qEgDrKyUwPHukGc24lQxDZNX3AkSvCHlTn2uBTXWlCCtDE5k1SSOTi4tPNMbipKqeHswta2eHukZ8qmY8ZCrPJRSEdun9Bf3xQJNRctp2Y5_p/s320/20231028%2016%20Shark%20River%20Inlet.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAu6gH2v9aQfhrxX5_Jj7QsMV4_nrcZGnYIaVGgtlpwUwwfKTC7qDxXBHMGr4S_dIbhRjoR5kDQ_7_vDg3uatu-JmfxRwJV9LlPqb0azmF28GVwEpjHaKuObHo068AUp60OtQr-Bh9XOV-x4wLkqAr9H-Ip_4gnlSARpY1RY7Lvere-zMG59WmaQs9/s5184/20231028%2017%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAu6gH2v9aQfhrxX5_Jj7QsMV4_nrcZGnYIaVGgtlpwUwwfKTC7qDxXBHMGr4S_dIbhRjoR5kDQ_7_vDg3uatu-JmfxRwJV9LlPqb0azmF28GVwEpjHaKuObHo068AUp60OtQr-Bh9XOV-x4wLkqAr9H-Ip_4gnlSARpY1RY7Lvere-zMG59WmaQs9/s320/20231028%2017%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnEYqptDUWlIY1ADbGyNm3CkQAqxNiTudU02Ep7RFlwKoyxXP6xacwvXGe_p4CsnjWluCDSVpmoS78HMkaQtTQ4h9jBImDa3Kr1ohcy2t5Y5grp65Abvfm0s3PVBdOgS5t3jNATD39BeRE8ffmzTEK6WBTNqafIV0Rbc3wdHtUP6RJTX16zxkbVik/s5184/20231028%2019%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnEYqptDUWlIY1ADbGyNm3CkQAqxNiTudU02Ep7RFlwKoyxXP6xacwvXGe_p4CsnjWluCDSVpmoS78HMkaQtTQ4h9jBImDa3Kr1ohcy2t5Y5grp65Abvfm0s3PVBdOgS5t3jNATD39BeRE8ffmzTEK6WBTNqafIV0Rbc3wdHtUP6RJTX16zxkbVik/s320/20231028%2019%20Shark%20River%20Inlet%20drawbridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In a crosswind, we tried to hold a steady pace while avoiding pedestrians and cars that were backing out of parking spaces.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tom led us off-course to the convention center at Asbury Park for a group photo. I put Janice in the picture but kept myself out of it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6LNUkXSLM79Ws5bjAlhWveMbNJ5dLvohqXISfL5aetfUu1IjjpDBhDnXfXFnhL6YFoTflujbs536BIF4XurSV9w49KBbu8w44AR9-C-mEK9hOgS0ytloF9Wcd4Ln2vFkquOIYuAt_3KURmv269kje-jkHKHNATA-UnXNh87t8CeShL77TbEEAoRc/s5184/20231028%2021%20the%20group%20at%20Asbury%20Park.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6LNUkXSLM79Ws5bjAlhWveMbNJ5dLvohqXISfL5aetfUu1IjjpDBhDnXfXFnhL6YFoTflujbs536BIF4XurSV9w49KBbu8w44AR9-C-mEK9hOgS0ytloF9Wcd4Ln2vFkquOIYuAt_3KURmv269kje-jkHKHNATA-UnXNh87t8CeShL77TbEEAoRc/s320/20231028%2021%20the%20group%20at%20Asbury%20Park.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tom left us there, directing us around the building. We eventually got back on course, on a busy road a block from the water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For much of our trek up the coast, we hadn't been able to see the water. The beach is often behind high sea walls. It was sometimes easier to see the shore when we were farther from it, when gaps between the gargantuan mansions of Deal let us look to the east.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I'd ever been through Deal, I have no memory of it. I was gawping at the mansions, pointing out to Mark the more outrageous ones (think Borg starship, but with glass-lined balconies). "Hurricane food," I said. It was weird to see such opulence with basketball hoops in the driveways. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We turned towards the shore at Long Branch, where the view of the beach was unobstructed. Then we were stuck in traffic again as cars backed up for several blocks where the bridge over the Shrewsbury River took us off of the coastline. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd pulled the group up the coast. Now I was pulling them through Rumson. I got tired. I asked Mark and Len to take a pull. They got in front of me and dropped me right away. So there I was, pulling again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were relieved to find the Wawa in Red Bank, where we could get real food and use the bathrooms. Jason doused himself with what was left of a gallon of water. It was 80 degrees now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rolling hills started near Holmdel. I was in the middle of my 70-mile wall and started to fall towards the back of the pack. When we regrouped at a light, I was finished being polite.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I pulled y'all up the coast and halfway through Rumson, and now that I'm tired you drop me. Thanks."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heddy added, "Dial it down. Let's all finish together." Three cheers for Heddy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At one point I could feel cramps coming on. I told the group they could go ahead, but they waited for me as I lay on my stomach in the grass at an intersection, stretching my back and digging through my bag for salt tablets. I found them quickly. It took as long for us to find a break in the traffic for the left turn as it had taken me to find and swallow the pills, but I was glad for the extra time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At another light, a few of the faster folks left the rest of us behind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ten miles from the end, Luis got another flat. I took the opportunity to stretch my back in the grass again. Rama took his shoes off and lay on his back. Kamaljit sat down next to him. Heddy and Martin checked their phones and took photos of Luis and company fixing his flat. This repair went faster that the first one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We made it back to the parking lot around 5:00, a full hour and a half after the stated return time in the ride description. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that was lifetime century number 68, during which I broke 2000 miles on Janice. My back, while still sore at times, fared much better than it had in July. I felt better all around this time. I came in at the pace I figured we'd reach, given the hills, wind, and meandering along the shore. The elevation gain for this century was about the same as my century route to the shore. There's no escaping the sand dunes of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_New_Jersey" target="_blank">Outer Coastal Plain</a> when one rides to the beach from the western edge of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_New_Jersey" target="_blank">Inner Coastal Plain</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that my season's second century is out of the way, I can relax for a while. It won't be long before I have to start training for Nova Scotia, a mere nine months away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">VI: Another Thing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The day that Moxie was admitted to the hospital, I found out that our glassblowing classes are being canceled for the spring semester. We're apparently the most expensive class on campus. The Dean's office was not prepared for the outcry from 18 greedy glassblowers. With nearly 30 years of activism under my belt, I've became the spokesperson for the class. We don't know the full story. The bean counters have not heard the last from us. This will be the subject of a Hot Mess post, whenever it resolves, if it ever does.</div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-83508982683692042902023-09-24T19:02:00.002-04:002023-09-24T19:09:09.177-04:00Hook Mountain Eagle<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisspu94YUk8Pve7TEOfRtIL7M2NREEKgIh5dHXaH_Bxz3ZNcodo7clv_jKcomyp5qFWD6ASuEDSjlwxfBGLwUHHxqGvGlIL8zamjQQCJNTS5YR6NwFtvwOkeMC58T2ad_C5LCCE1bfDnvYWxLczTz-MEHvWSkJwkEls7mAHapySPKIzd_8A4vVTmD_/s5184/20230916%2025%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisspu94YUk8Pve7TEOfRtIL7M2NREEKgIh5dHXaH_Bxz3ZNcodo7clv_jKcomyp5qFWD6ASuEDSjlwxfBGLwUHHxqGvGlIL8zamjQQCJNTS5YR6NwFtvwOkeMC58T2ad_C5LCCE1bfDnvYWxLczTz-MEHvWSkJwkEls7mAHapySPKIzd_8A4vVTmD_/s320/20230916%2025%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hurricane Lee wave on Sandy Hook Shore</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">24 September 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can tell I'm behind in blogging when I have to clarify which Atlantic storm I'm writing about. While we hunker down as Ophelia spits on New Jersey, I'm writing about the waves Lee sent to our shores while visiting New England. Which was a weekend ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I: Sandy Hook</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tom listed a ride from Freehold to Sandy Hook. We do this route at least once a year. The summer heat was, for now, gone. We started the ride with arm warmers on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were a small group: Tom, Rickety, me, Xindi, and Craig. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our way to the shore, we wound through the old Bell Labs site in Holmdel. I always take a photo of the water tower. It's supposed to look like some piece of electronics I've forgotten the name of, but to me it looks like the Martians from War of the Worlds. This water tower would make much more sense in West Windsor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdw3ZVgh6v4siTVzDHQfrEwKR7r8U2KTJ0_O5-rE33L1mIfj4Ge15QUBDtfYvAmdmFUHJvy2Rgmi5hHTuCpV9qZ-_fppZOGf4NUlQR8mQwqo2T_s49luzHjSJqfCu9HUkLVhsDAxajiRCongtR4r2Y2eUfgL7nhPdmmH3f2YagT4GnZfZ-ha7wgpd/s5184/20230916%2001%20Holmdel.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdw3ZVgh6v4siTVzDHQfrEwKR7r8U2KTJ0_O5-rE33L1mIfj4Ge15QUBDtfYvAmdmFUHJvy2Rgmi5hHTuCpV9qZ-_fppZOGf4NUlQR8mQwqo2T_s49luzHjSJqfCu9HUkLVhsDAxajiRCongtR4r2Y2eUfgL7nhPdmmH3f2YagT4GnZfZ-ha7wgpd/s320/20230916%2001%20Holmdel.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz4RH8bHvAUs2ZmV-ZytnsM8jzoM2_a8CI1pt87xJHTimTnDB5fBtk37JGrEh0XWM9rmtaPSxXL-duaQYaUCzQKNSdHvZzb_HToKkuMJJLDRNih_uCPxO5cQNUIjqVOg-VtKw5kvy5W10DwEMZrTHTIqdSgT2gJvj4HdcCQhKWrBaIXMLHhJh7Ps8/s5184/20230916%2002%20Holmdel.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz4RH8bHvAUs2ZmV-ZytnsM8jzoM2_a8CI1pt87xJHTimTnDB5fBtk37JGrEh0XWM9rmtaPSxXL-duaQYaUCzQKNSdHvZzb_HToKkuMJJLDRNih_uCPxO5cQNUIjqVOg-VtKw5kvy5W10DwEMZrTHTIqdSgT2gJvj4HdcCQhKWrBaIXMLHhJh7Ps8/s320/20230916%2002%20Holmdel.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIXOEgRwRKnXoG0HHQG6BtJ2b9x4Y_NmCSFeFZkadCjbchcLhcg0SqatjpgqgdXva4YiZW64r3CEMe5qpRJy4mFa7E5p0ZdeYwVEO3bcyjYQNzH2qbZZHOkxr_46nx3RiZ5fxCGjWoCsqJgoY4UiTaRs7w8r58FUzlUJOwJCwOwsbZAQh9iHWNPmh/s5184/20230916%2003%20Holmdel.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIXOEgRwRKnXoG0HHQG6BtJ2b9x4Y_NmCSFeFZkadCjbchcLhcg0SqatjpgqgdXva4YiZW64r3CEMe5qpRJy4mFa7E5p0ZdeYwVEO3bcyjYQNzH2qbZZHOkxr_46nx3RiZ5fxCGjWoCsqJgoY4UiTaRs7w8r58FUzlUJOwJCwOwsbZAQh9iHWNPmh/s320/20230916%2003%20Holmdel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We had some hard rollers and small hills to climb. "I'm just not feeling it today," I said. It all comes down to sleep. I don't get enough when we start early or I have to drive a bit to the beginning of a ride. Try as I might, I never get to bed on time. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Middletown, we cut through the Circus Wines parking lot, past the sign that has an entry in both <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Clown_of_Middletown" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="https://weirdnj.com/stories/roadside-oddities/asbury-parks-tillie-and-calico-the-evil-clown-of-middletown/" target="_blank">Weird NJ</a>.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZApP8NR2OpQ-DQYfi2bMKrcGZrIR8hIfV81GaXTSRkWaEGqIp5No7ow-AZfGqS7GSmzh3mOObhN_jvNqxOLX26Y0qAABPSwpX1UxrdvyEIQ_CRm1QIQZgLh850tQ6tsvl5uWQg75Yj-qQVYeZttoyPC0mlR59XXfL_qlSexEYbkkqXswIXYAGu8I/s5184/20230916%2004%20Circus%20Wines.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZApP8NR2OpQ-DQYfi2bMKrcGZrIR8hIfV81GaXTSRkWaEGqIp5No7ow-AZfGqS7GSmzh3mOObhN_jvNqxOLX26Y0qAABPSwpX1UxrdvyEIQ_CRm1QIQZgLh850tQ6tsvl5uWQg75Yj-qQVYeZttoyPC0mlR59XXfL_qlSexEYbkkqXswIXYAGu8I/s320/20230916%2004%20Circus%20Wines.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQddPRfz9JC0QqGSx7MEeW_FY6cG72rfI6LvX5wjzGP2bNUDhkBOArRS4qK_PMqu_XWd2dszrBgr_B_PbCV1XdDG-C2h13UWBHflgJ4V09GYZJfr9DKPVxKUxI1B3_KRPLyMQ7Xy803zaj_lh0l4wTblgvRsPgDGtsMgh--O_o4I9uygUzflCLVvH/s5184/20230916%2005%20Circus%20Wines.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQddPRfz9JC0QqGSx7MEeW_FY6cG72rfI6LvX5wjzGP2bNUDhkBOArRS4qK_PMqu_XWd2dszrBgr_B_PbCV1XdDG-C2h13UWBHflgJ4V09GYZJfr9DKPVxKUxI1B3_KRPLyMQ7Xy803zaj_lh0l4wTblgvRsPgDGtsMgh--O_o4I9uygUzflCLVvH/s320/20230916%2005%20Circus%20Wines.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After the hard rollers and traffic that got us near the coast, the slow, fun, scenic part of the ride began.</div><div>I'm pretty sure we had a rest stop, but for the life of me I can't remember where.</div><div><br /></div><div>We rode through Highlands with the bay in sight, then got onto the Henry Hudson Bike Trail. The best photo is the one I didn't take, of water, sand, and Phragmites, as we entered the trail. To make up for it, I stopped a few times farther south.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraBORO22ozvDWmhWSjAH_6CgUfD_ajMd-SjrD3m1z5W-8pY9Ir-VwDcgmvYNTYFO51maLec6e2BtzI6FORedhWrH05VyLhYxpRwSZNsEp4tF_Q9TUNvt7Rq6oUr6u5mQd0Buct2iBd4aRsY5wwAwy026eVeGiIH-HFfY8loOenHeGF580NeMg37R0/s5184/20230916%2006%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraBORO22ozvDWmhWSjAH_6CgUfD_ajMd-SjrD3m1z5W-8pY9Ir-VwDcgmvYNTYFO51maLec6e2BtzI6FORedhWrH05VyLhYxpRwSZNsEp4tF_Q9TUNvt7Rq6oUr6u5mQd0Buct2iBd4aRsY5wwAwy026eVeGiIH-HFfY8loOenHeGF580NeMg37R0/s320/20230916%2006%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGd2PXjwqe07GTfOFJpMRYqw5XdA9PiZey78iKy6VLQQu9lzajBBkyToRZRZXDuMg646oqczUTtughc5Ska1mIA_JwfvqaaavAbeFCIn01ElV6FnCwo4JWV-__wDl1lwxddohy2_t5HDWtKX_nDweqr8SJ6h-PNajJ8IRKr6K1_JCREhtya5loOrlh/s5184/20230916%2007%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGd2PXjwqe07GTfOFJpMRYqw5XdA9PiZey78iKy6VLQQu9lzajBBkyToRZRZXDuMg646oqczUTtughc5Ska1mIA_JwfvqaaavAbeFCIn01ElV6FnCwo4JWV-__wDl1lwxddohy2_t5HDWtKX_nDweqr8SJ6h-PNajJ8IRKr6K1_JCREhtya5loOrlh/s320/20230916%2007%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Aq6I1Od_GEus25PUhQdnP72BD0zZXODbjIXNGwcbf65lkimp1F2frZ_ArLyivZB0PRf-4VK3aLF6S2qlfJYmT4pX_ZmBsMfsXJUh_ejY8sGCl4pp56LambjDN_cRYXbEJV4d1heY3wbBoVpTbWbpJAUSh_l_WLY_MGlccqUw3135cqRLJ2yup9hy/s5184/20230916%2008%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Aq6I1Od_GEus25PUhQdnP72BD0zZXODbjIXNGwcbf65lkimp1F2frZ_ArLyivZB0PRf-4VK3aLF6S2qlfJYmT4pX_ZmBsMfsXJUh_ejY8sGCl4pp56LambjDN_cRYXbEJV4d1heY3wbBoVpTbWbpJAUSh_l_WLY_MGlccqUw3135cqRLJ2yup9hy/s320/20230916%2008%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPeNkIfKiiRjOV-x1Z8e_tPMvsH76ossW99v1zEvLPmYcFdqWwh_EHoPnCjRL1yUNO25JfR8WJE9sd4tRRgxFqrAKWWlQhTezTCbQhpgvrCbL3VZfNlNtleKKQmY0KmISRavEPTYRc9iZsywrzoHJVDqvS_yutM7pQrClGniQWOUGtsbGT1T3SRmy/s5184/20230916%2009%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPeNkIfKiiRjOV-x1Z8e_tPMvsH76ossW99v1zEvLPmYcFdqWwh_EHoPnCjRL1yUNO25JfR8WJE9sd4tRRgxFqrAKWWlQhTezTCbQhpgvrCbL3VZfNlNtleKKQmY0KmISRavEPTYRc9iZsywrzoHJVDqvS_yutM7pQrClGniQWOUGtsbGT1T3SRmy/s320/20230916%2009%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr6AaBh6TGjtPiyU9tf3farZnyLcX68WDv2rq6brsoRJbSeL9GLIs7sRQlaDvjEa6YxviOvIef6_h2ugmiYPSFaEEIkyxXm_QacELV8mXnnKo37lrGJXGp3za41M1Dh4CFtgmNGuhP4lF3FkdcGz3FOkowGzGDnEIhC6n64JUqGy5MXyzeMUyqP0X/s5184/20230916%2010%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr6AaBh6TGjtPiyU9tf3farZnyLcX68WDv2rq6brsoRJbSeL9GLIs7sRQlaDvjEa6YxviOvIef6_h2ugmiYPSFaEEIkyxXm_QacELV8mXnnKo37lrGJXGp3za41M1Dh4CFtgmNGuhP4lF3FkdcGz3FOkowGzGDnEIhC6n64JUqGy5MXyzeMUyqP0X/s320/20230916%2010%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHFRBSe6xDXfeoFJoaAj5woDw3o5mGXdpt8HkeSSAnSPsRR_T68L8Frn-RfxasgdfvNUkP_KJPNnfp5D4J74AOpCjqP9WGPz3XcCkAV4qS3kLIoCdCH-X90WwQ7LJsrngKBL3dDDnMi72hotkKL1ICqXPTGUEMrjMTr60SBcgPUpLcFzM0FsTWDtf/s5184/20230916%2012%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHFRBSe6xDXfeoFJoaAj5woDw3o5mGXdpt8HkeSSAnSPsRR_T68L8Frn-RfxasgdfvNUkP_KJPNnfp5D4J74AOpCjqP9WGPz3XcCkAV4qS3kLIoCdCH-X90WwQ7LJsrngKBL3dDDnMi72hotkKL1ICqXPTGUEMrjMTr60SBcgPUpLcFzM0FsTWDtf/s320/20230916%2012%20Henry%20Hudson%20Bike%20Trail,%20Highlands.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The trail ended outside of Waterwitch.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIB2dTMbPX6DzqT4vSeNo5QZqnbjUJfndmLqtH4hg9k5dFJXC7rnSPDIJeOsbWaYBBmuvj-5fNOV1MrW-LkN06JApNCW1V5zO_MuJ8vKk2j0XSU5BQd-H7W7VuvaNNj8qe6aXiZp06tGopagnzgzO1ioKwLGnYsTcc7bt3IUY3nOQa0-8asf8Voct/s5184/20230916%2013%20Waterwitch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIB2dTMbPX6DzqT4vSeNo5QZqnbjUJfndmLqtH4hg9k5dFJXC7rnSPDIJeOsbWaYBBmuvj-5fNOV1MrW-LkN06JApNCW1V5zO_MuJ8vKk2j0XSU5BQd-H7W7VuvaNNj8qe6aXiZp06tGopagnzgzO1ioKwLGnYsTcc7bt3IUY3nOQa0-8asf8Voct/s320/20230916%2013%20Waterwitch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We crossed over the Navesink River on the Highlands Reach bridge.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6kQj9cpu4YH72Hm2FwUMF3toJw6ZQKz1OklX3Fxx-SopEg1V8j1pdvnZzk7o45-RcYc9Vyo0V9dcGdlo9vsbK3yOriBhkrQI2jqhnBBgXd4KrRaN-AGFgfTGhCTj7S0m3gOJF7ckF8n4fDFIbXQH6oCrJetmwr70dztWh7wBe-teocNsrENAtbMu/s5184/20230916%2014%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6kQj9cpu4YH72Hm2FwUMF3toJw6ZQKz1OklX3Fxx-SopEg1V8j1pdvnZzk7o45-RcYc9Vyo0V9dcGdlo9vsbK3yOriBhkrQI2jqhnBBgXd4KrRaN-AGFgfTGhCTj7S0m3gOJF7ckF8n4fDFIbXQH6oCrJetmwr70dztWh7wBe-teocNsrENAtbMu/s320/20230916%2014%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Every time I see those houses on this narrow spit of land, I wonder how and why they live there without the constant fear of their homes being swept out to sea. I mean, I love an ocean view as much as the next sucker, but there's a limit.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jh0LHiqkOv44IFQpCaHpSCE0eimtdyx7H7Smm036GvTn15v5L1kIKRS7cYWAIX_PMLPds3NyI9APJULudKjHOVg5QMxB4QYaXFgJuetrUegcRPE9_s8t36oMthbvGXXchm5mm3L_zB-QGyXY7l2B0Fo_6qmUsRSBlirsFxZjyGH6Fnboz2HCg57U/s5184/20230916%2015%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jh0LHiqkOv44IFQpCaHpSCE0eimtdyx7H7Smm036GvTn15v5L1kIKRS7cYWAIX_PMLPds3NyI9APJULudKjHOVg5QMxB4QYaXFgJuetrUegcRPE9_s8t36oMthbvGXXchm5mm3L_zB-QGyXY7l2B0Fo_6qmUsRSBlirsFxZjyGH6Fnboz2HCg57U/s320/20230916%2015%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Vz5RH3NepUdzKsa2f7Vt4B6Id3cugZNn1EJCOPkZCMxhbwlV2H68xEI6gwp9D83MmtDsRPkryZudfkgZMsxhGycxTkl1zx6QpCOn-VJQeYpQC6L8_L7BCwP4va9qAgQCp4hRhEWo6H9uS0DOKfJbQcy-29OSweeSBkovjXVd3JZMJMJJZYtKzHv2/s5184/20230916%2016%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Vz5RH3NepUdzKsa2f7Vt4B6Id3cugZNn1EJCOPkZCMxhbwlV2H68xEI6gwp9D83MmtDsRPkryZudfkgZMsxhGycxTkl1zx6QpCOn-VJQeYpQC6L8_L7BCwP4va9qAgQCp4hRhEWo6H9uS0DOKfJbQcy-29OSweeSBkovjXVd3JZMJMJJZYtKzHv2/s320/20230916%2016%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYue3fJVSu0gr6nbPZOpHXsZ4L_Y-Gye-5XYyRQb5MHuDbZ0-zz6io6QqSw1s8w2QNAvvm1illcSpe5xg2keegoEO6c7LsP4i887n-kkL4tiuw_ICzJK8-T9Bc5PFpx_pfGpFRENT7ofN7kLOYl_mfDcMsx1IEwmORLgVCDwvKcPXQ6ocTMEop8NCQ/s5184/20230916%2017%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYue3fJVSu0gr6nbPZOpHXsZ4L_Y-Gye-5XYyRQb5MHuDbZ0-zz6io6QqSw1s8w2QNAvvm1illcSpe5xg2keegoEO6c7LsP4i887n-kkL4tiuw_ICzJK8-T9Bc5PFpx_pfGpFRENT7ofN7kLOYl_mfDcMsx1IEwmORLgVCDwvKcPXQ6ocTMEop8NCQ/s320/20230916%2017%20Highlands%20Reach%20Bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was a lot of traffic on the Sandy Hook peninsula. We rode on the bike path instead. A strong crosswind made things interesting. On the bay side, we could see a dozen windsurfers' kites and decided we'd get a closer look on the way back down the hook. For now, we stopped at one of the parking lots and climbed the stairs to the beach.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZtjwLzXJ-JTbIPtepln0D2i2P_k4HH1FxbfUAYUUBLV9Pw9KqgfbIOentpkUE4DqMoYFjN87oYhGi6BiSDrjcoanoh1m7ViRZuJYODXl96IzjP8dt4oHBNRTAi_07rUKSPhW_NlMgtarhFVUi7SnILFf1G0HE-NLiKWNJt1pr7kl_SNuKlY7CvZI/s5184/20230916%2019%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZtjwLzXJ-JTbIPtepln0D2i2P_k4HH1FxbfUAYUUBLV9Pw9KqgfbIOentpkUE4DqMoYFjN87oYhGi6BiSDrjcoanoh1m7ViRZuJYODXl96IzjP8dt4oHBNRTAi_07rUKSPhW_NlMgtarhFVUi7SnILFf1G0HE-NLiKWNJt1pr7kl_SNuKlY7CvZI/s320/20230916%2019%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEiBcUh4jb6i82Sa23qWTbhMQQ11DhP7Cr0NlGmKqxiva5uTKGoRBoY-56-CSQkvwU6IlJowNOAX-FGLHjMIJYssK2RE1G60NZY17kjMhQZ9HGdBN-3slSDCKf0QUqNasJQpgPvBPHgK001sRpZVOdaKZRa48lza9J60s-9GKfReihh-gq06TMjhu/s5184/20230916%2020%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEiBcUh4jb6i82Sa23qWTbhMQQ11DhP7Cr0NlGmKqxiva5uTKGoRBoY-56-CSQkvwU6IlJowNOAX-FGLHjMIJYssK2RE1G60NZY17kjMhQZ9HGdBN-3slSDCKf0QUqNasJQpgPvBPHgK001sRpZVOdaKZRa48lza9J60s-9GKfReihh-gq06TMjhu/s320/20230916%2020%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HDB0NBtYE1StIMZuS-r5khGAIFvYY84RpcMAh6qdBLYcmFAufGrqW-CjLcOuD2Zlm4r3ATaMOzjwkFR462pWqiSkXCNMymeWcy7JS8ItK1qkCiPtBKMPSOPhYnyXElnwd8eYOI_NzMzMIJ2i57wyXg75P_Dz2oStHIRsf0iJGQYB9E-oJ2jq7Uh3/s5184/20230916%2021%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HDB0NBtYE1StIMZuS-r5khGAIFvYY84RpcMAh6qdBLYcmFAufGrqW-CjLcOuD2Zlm4r3ATaMOzjwkFR462pWqiSkXCNMymeWcy7JS8ItK1qkCiPtBKMPSOPhYnyXElnwd8eYOI_NzMzMIJ2i57wyXg75P_Dz2oStHIRsf0iJGQYB9E-oJ2jq7Uh3/s320/20230916%2021%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>All the gulls on the sand were pointing themselves into the wind.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXsJbkTAP8-5Mf6auxHyt-2_32hfNqtVgVZ9_6D5GTC-NUdL_Pf0Vth8o61JLtAaG0BbzBtlP4aw_aL6pQHiG-52FGCoVoYeKnvz3ZHWPphhDjL6GRWiy9i1DRCQTapwq12R0uFvlg4EjafslZdgzA_3mbwRIHHmYsA0jDVH8ihxLKmwk-dLgJF7W/s5184/20230916%2022%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXsJbkTAP8-5Mf6auxHyt-2_32hfNqtVgVZ9_6D5GTC-NUdL_Pf0Vth8o61JLtAaG0BbzBtlP4aw_aL6pQHiG-52FGCoVoYeKnvz3ZHWPphhDjL6GRWiy9i1DRCQTapwq12R0uFvlg4EjafslZdgzA_3mbwRIHHmYsA0jDVH8ihxLKmwk-dLgJF7W/s320/20230916%2022%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In the distance was a container ship, a gray muddle on the horizon.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrqsagYbm2vD-G5K-BuZg2g15H9bDxzVhqVpxv0dDyFtuNlS1myBNMqKf0nBQw3Fv7_-UegOYs9HovkDHfq-bZjcZxq_5ZmfRGBdHM2NDN4f69gqRpXucs6oYqlIGEFjLunHU_6YhEA2oxicXAluh-NCXm1F0xcgy3WUBGgEFIDcRxW3QJwXPmSRv/s5184/20230916%2023%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrqsagYbm2vD-G5K-BuZg2g15H9bDxzVhqVpxv0dDyFtuNlS1myBNMqKf0nBQw3Fv7_-UegOYs9HovkDHfq-bZjcZxq_5ZmfRGBdHM2NDN4f69gqRpXucs6oYqlIGEFjLunHU_6YhEA2oxicXAluh-NCXm1F0xcgy3WUBGgEFIDcRxW3QJwXPmSRv/s320/20230916%2023%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>With New York across the bay, waves from Hurricane Lee, which was pummeling New England at the time, crashed on the shores of Sandy Hook. There aren't usually waves here.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivek73L_fEUpr1SDSuPor3U25jcRN2LhRJ3YtXbWgzByYJj1ck0-Mj2oRqq_vSj7gcOO8oPf3Sr0W-IoKnC89x-LEqXbgoPL_iIG6FXP3NbKdoz3U7xjzwcThjd6C1W61Aff9p2h7egXkDmcvyb1-6eMoc4LZuF4-z0eyn4MKEyWDCcDxxGOKyKE39/s5184/20230916%2024%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivek73L_fEUpr1SDSuPor3U25jcRN2LhRJ3YtXbWgzByYJj1ck0-Mj2oRqq_vSj7gcOO8oPf3Sr0W-IoKnC89x-LEqXbgoPL_iIG6FXP3NbKdoz3U7xjzwcThjd6C1W61Aff9p2h7egXkDmcvyb1-6eMoc4LZuF4-z0eyn4MKEyWDCcDxxGOKyKE39/s320/20230916%2024%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisspu94YUk8Pve7TEOfRtIL7M2NREEKgIh5dHXaH_Bxz3ZNcodo7clv_jKcomyp5qFWD6ASuEDSjlwxfBGLwUHHxqGvGlIL8zamjQQCJNTS5YR6NwFtvwOkeMC58T2ad_C5LCCE1bfDnvYWxLczTz-MEHvWSkJwkEls7mAHapySPKIzd_8A4vVTmD_/s5184/20230916%2025%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisspu94YUk8Pve7TEOfRtIL7M2NREEKgIh5dHXaH_Bxz3ZNcodo7clv_jKcomyp5qFWD6ASuEDSjlwxfBGLwUHHxqGvGlIL8zamjQQCJNTS5YR6NwFtvwOkeMC58T2ad_C5LCCE1bfDnvYWxLczTz-MEHvWSkJwkEls7mAHapySPKIzd_8A4vVTmD_/s320/20230916%2025%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdu5EHX8-IjUbfi3hpw3lWkWm4Rq7Hg0tnEMpUkL9CHQRQ75dFDP5miWdSFvBnOIwgNs4YzvrJ26eQ6LFqCWT8_i6nQVv2AA4_jOMsHAtHa8mTCh0fy87Yl1ROFyI461dxXM8o1itrWsTjxS1R48vD5XSxPeXRRdal_qKnHRcItv54j8eA3ILKwRk/s5184/20230916%2026%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdu5EHX8-IjUbfi3hpw3lWkWm4Rq7Hg0tnEMpUkL9CHQRQ75dFDP5miWdSFvBnOIwgNs4YzvrJ26eQ6LFqCWT8_i6nQVv2AA4_jOMsHAtHa8mTCh0fy87Yl1ROFyI461dxXM8o1itrWsTjxS1R48vD5XSxPeXRRdal_qKnHRcItv54j8eA3ILKwRk/s320/20230916%2026%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTig74YhKnwYLZaliztYk9JeeP1B6DVcpyMCKFsu2sFiyRIuX7aneMrRSgeRdTvx8WDXI9avt8n_bcoU-qGOmQk5_hiyPzwzhw_micawVOGkxzvC-TbA-kOQ5B88PIT__-idmchpWt1xDWZ2KODHykLq71Fq2H9g_8oYkuVLnGFriu_nP7CgKTbRry/s5184/20230916%2027%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTig74YhKnwYLZaliztYk9JeeP1B6DVcpyMCKFsu2sFiyRIuX7aneMrRSgeRdTvx8WDXI9avt8n_bcoU-qGOmQk5_hiyPzwzhw_micawVOGkxzvC-TbA-kOQ5B88PIT__-idmchpWt1xDWZ2KODHykLq71Fq2H9g_8oYkuVLnGFriu_nP7CgKTbRry/s320/20230916%2027%20NYC%20from%20Sandy%20Hook%20and%20wave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I took another picture of the gulls.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGJeXJ5B7OGrWmUN2yCwdUkbYtbyjAIj_ZY0twvD0W0SW4Cnu0rH0ihQtC6xNHXeiVKFxaN3dITnpzbxmdmGC9XuHjVvltseROjj92LYEqscIiGaJJmqb175NCM9wxieM-GJuLNXo1_4QbffQe4MsFbxutfYD6beVaL8nJPHU48PhyYTd6WHspQSH/s5184/20230916%2029%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGJeXJ5B7OGrWmUN2yCwdUkbYtbyjAIj_ZY0twvD0W0SW4Cnu0rH0ihQtC6xNHXeiVKFxaN3dITnpzbxmdmGC9XuHjVvltseROjj92LYEqscIiGaJJmqb175NCM9wxieM-GJuLNXo1_4QbffQe4MsFbxutfYD6beVaL8nJPHU48PhyYTd6WHspQSH/s320/20230916%2029%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And one of our bikes. That's Janice on the left. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeJ6i5I2ZmhqAJjltxKTBuSdVFNUMY3SiC8qKeWySousJQv3ZqLB9FqxFYoAECxNGOtCvMsFgJ7CfljRrdO85p5Sw3P5SLhdEuDJAE8NhxBfz7Ah9_pN_l2_-Y7ZZHHyz_-OueVthGI6-GAR7HjfRI5Lsje1bpGNgc_bX2J1ktpODfmZixFoan5K-/s5184/20230916%2030%20our%20bikes%20at%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeJ6i5I2ZmhqAJjltxKTBuSdVFNUMY3SiC8qKeWySousJQv3ZqLB9FqxFYoAECxNGOtCvMsFgJ7CfljRrdO85p5Sw3P5SLhdEuDJAE8NhxBfz7Ah9_pN_l2_-Y7ZZHHyz_-OueVthGI6-GAR7HjfRI5Lsje1bpGNgc_bX2J1ktpODfmZixFoan5K-/s320/20230916%2030%20our%20bikes%20at%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Rickety brought Barney. He thought I'd be on Kermit, but until Kermit and Beaker get their stems raised, Janice is doing all my long hauls.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EXSp8CC7FqfT2eZsnlY_3k1XSDGfIsTr622lJaCZfPuR7GZiq_OCkgxPDb124T97rUiPz1O9AYz8ASGB3Xls21stATFtRFCn5UR6WF_OPKa8e6_ptRxIhM-LQwX3YJH59Xt98c9MiRw8-6kPpA2uloXkHD4vAizuX91PYb0gRW43AELfGouEdXpc/s5184/20230916%2031%20Barney%20at%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EXSp8CC7FqfT2eZsnlY_3k1XSDGfIsTr622lJaCZfPuR7GZiq_OCkgxPDb124T97rUiPz1O9AYz8ASGB3Xls21stATFtRFCn5UR6WF_OPKa8e6_ptRxIhM-LQwX3YJH59Xt98c9MiRw8-6kPpA2uloXkHD4vAizuX91PYb0gRW43AELfGouEdXpc/s320/20230916%2031%20Barney%20at%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The sky was clouding up.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqmE4AHnvWdzlniviXkknENe1M1rLUlNedDQkVXZf1tMuR1xSYUz0qnkE9wuyx7NvZOK0pJ_69ZiUZiSMo_q-NRsjmIyNd8kK-1QMEx0c7MaSc1kwJBGa1bCA08BQpOlKCwiao3SlzGAowQsaNs4JJZSqjmN4P7KCVj-asTLoQ4tKlmql_VADGT2V/s5184/20230916%2032%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqmE4AHnvWdzlniviXkknENe1M1rLUlNedDQkVXZf1tMuR1xSYUz0qnkE9wuyx7NvZOK0pJ_69ZiUZiSMo_q-NRsjmIyNd8kK-1QMEx0c7MaSc1kwJBGa1bCA08BQpOlKCwiao3SlzGAowQsaNs4JJZSqjmN4P7KCVj-asTLoQ4tKlmql_VADGT2V/s320/20230916%2032%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KfCVYj4VCtTHKvHU9Tx4hNmkGvFxn7N3-L0Bo521ich5YsiQmdQjzkrxOLUNN-dI0guRXaBYbedTzrsnRVmxkmrvRfYMTrcWfQ5OoUT1lrlN5gmaPEKYFYkLJUdxHeXl97_jJ6pYQKOLXOdGrOLnXQ3yfO8C9HRDyX-Ni1H1bZdnTBJ5JZ6zvyy6/s5184/20230916%2033%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KfCVYj4VCtTHKvHU9Tx4hNmkGvFxn7N3-L0Bo521ich5YsiQmdQjzkrxOLUNN-dI0guRXaBYbedTzrsnRVmxkmrvRfYMTrcWfQ5OoUT1lrlN5gmaPEKYFYkLJUdxHeXl97_jJ6pYQKOLXOdGrOLnXQ3yfO8C9HRDyX-Ni1H1bZdnTBJ5JZ6zvyy6/s320/20230916%2033%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We went a little farther north, but Tom didn't want to have to fight the wind all the way back from the tip of the peninsula. We stopped about halfway, before the path went into the low woods.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX_aofRX7PHiQ4gxgTAQf-_2kVKvEuD8bBZtATQZrWaiudXRA-Ty-s-f5a9ehB0ddmSXNNCKsKpJkfMGkWTkiD9OyH8hVhAqQswaBzstpcBNWJ-D0x0vXlnBBWWDVZZ1RZ17Oyjlvg_VHuYCclu3U7zNsO7e3pKucBKZgr6vD-gz1TyavyWiFWtpE/s5184/20230916%2034%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX_aofRX7PHiQ4gxgTAQf-_2kVKvEuD8bBZtATQZrWaiudXRA-Ty-s-f5a9ehB0ddmSXNNCKsKpJkfMGkWTkiD9OyH8hVhAqQswaBzstpcBNWJ-D0x0vXlnBBWWDVZZ1RZ17Oyjlvg_VHuYCclu3U7zNsO7e3pKucBKZgr6vD-gz1TyavyWiFWtpE/s320/20230916%2034%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ElUGOA7xXKNDpTHvheUR3ttV3TgT-a9zhNpqouNKST2NwsJYnQZGgyWwFqUdoC7WYmhQ-LCXs0GdGuNfi1vpWZK_T90HfMMskAVtIh_J6A2jCOG5iOkWS5YRJUOxROELO2YpxVJFc_3Kx1q_LIoQMjP6_Xc3oc0E1348ZxXIk1sgC5MiplWxokR6/s5184/20230916%2035%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ElUGOA7xXKNDpTHvheUR3ttV3TgT-a9zhNpqouNKST2NwsJYnQZGgyWwFqUdoC7WYmhQ-LCXs0GdGuNfi1vpWZK_T90HfMMskAVtIh_J6A2jCOG5iOkWS5YRJUOxROELO2YpxVJFc_3Kx1q_LIoQMjP6_Xc3oc0E1348ZxXIk1sgC5MiplWxokR6/s320/20230916%2035%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the time we got to where the windsurfers were, they'd all stopped and were resting on the beach, their sails in the sand. There wasn't a good place to stop even to get a picture of that.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the way back, after leaving the park, Tom stopped along the road where we could see surfers riding the waves.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcrkXsGdZLwAYflICQuQ1Ezder_rZXLnQtn0l2-3DWq-CrtLEc0T1v3jhvjAhPRlWt7D-nZQ_ZN54kxsdO65BrFNXAmC4CL6qcWn9yYhTNolm8enddncvsrBty88gohchVpUXtgolGACjr4ay_nCZbhBQIPDojp5ptWgqwebETTxBBw3UyWTh8g2T/s5184/20230916%2036%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcrkXsGdZLwAYflICQuQ1Ezder_rZXLnQtn0l2-3DWq-CrtLEc0T1v3jhvjAhPRlWt7D-nZQ_ZN54kxsdO65BrFNXAmC4CL6qcWn9yYhTNolm8enddncvsrBty88gohchVpUXtgolGACjr4ay_nCZbhBQIPDojp5ptWgqwebETTxBBw3UyWTh8g2T/s320/20230916%2036%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIotXptDo-6Irs70mUxAwb-jcbgIaL-Wc_Eglgq8hoIH57DhZlD5To-RpWHzZ9lzWqYIkfXDk26YHINCO4MCJ9z80ZaUBEc3Uvsh9xKrLLoXSMSnjOS86uHzkKLteUevzgp-gwqPheUpCoo3-tiauEUTLTJkTy0mXLwJTonWXg62fvJrpTgorjLOHf/s5184/20230916%2037%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIotXptDo-6Irs70mUxAwb-jcbgIaL-Wc_Eglgq8hoIH57DhZlD5To-RpWHzZ9lzWqYIkfXDk26YHINCO4MCJ9z80ZaUBEc3Uvsh9xKrLLoXSMSnjOS86uHzkKLteUevzgp-gwqPheUpCoo3-tiauEUTLTJkTy0mXLwJTonWXg62fvJrpTgorjLOHf/s320/20230916%2037%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5sYzzh9lL7d8OktlgCinIT12joeSolo49kMtEAAoMu06c98lLcTfn54hOLwaBUjMJ97ZE7RNhTR_cFIRHFUVbYR3KhgWzALpyGieB3JktREy55vghAc5Qw0lQS0uvWTz-ICa-LzZjPrZnVNglBnSeCEAZHttbK50DV86mlDU6aCaz2M9HCd0t0Wx/s5184/20230916%2038%20surfer%20at%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5sYzzh9lL7d8OktlgCinIT12joeSolo49kMtEAAoMu06c98lLcTfn54hOLwaBUjMJ97ZE7RNhTR_cFIRHFUVbYR3KhgWzALpyGieB3JktREy55vghAc5Qw0lQS0uvWTz-ICa-LzZjPrZnVNglBnSeCEAZHttbK50DV86mlDU6aCaz2M9HCd0t0Wx/s320/20230916%2038%20surfer%20at%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know what this little guy is on the fence post, but I like it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeSnARVrWZ3Nvn2v3XSanYTYmdHqwC44yPXPX6itFKpKUJibYnKZ2BCKotk1wNrYQjgjf79BTQXE5fljCn_kdrfWnDaqNSmMbMOiD9SHimnx0Xlh9ITT9ylqmHHMOq3rOJ8dLQhvt6OVXo1IghUF7ZIFmei5Jtoyum1eQ9eyArZtQxuWub8Qq1VKP/s5184/20230916%2039%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeSnARVrWZ3Nvn2v3XSanYTYmdHqwC44yPXPX6itFKpKUJibYnKZ2BCKotk1wNrYQjgjf79BTQXE5fljCn_kdrfWnDaqNSmMbMOiD9SHimnx0Xlh9ITT9ylqmHHMOq3rOJ8dLQhvt6OVXo1IghUF7ZIFmei5Jtoyum1eQ9eyArZtQxuWub8Qq1VKP/s320/20230916%2039%20Sandy%20Hook.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We continued along on the sidewalk, against the rock barrier between the beach and the road. At regular intervals were stairways that went up and over the rocks. The majority of them were marked as private.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7q9OeYw6MqJU27PQMtMJlWk7WIgLDpGr8A9x9zzFGNRK4TllBNt6CGuWgwQ2pIVBdjp8XS7QkUN3EEL16RgX1EKiuLomwLP2QXDeBrStkkLfujHdEfoY5f_TfxnFiRpCq_jMPvtu3TSTsXTaboNALUuo0kLxt1QTjBCps7iq67RX_WtBVnPLXGxgK/s5184/20230916%2040%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7q9OeYw6MqJU27PQMtMJlWk7WIgLDpGr8A9x9zzFGNRK4TllBNt6CGuWgwQ2pIVBdjp8XS7QkUN3EEL16RgX1EKiuLomwLP2QXDeBrStkkLfujHdEfoY5f_TfxnFiRpCq_jMPvtu3TSTsXTaboNALUuo0kLxt1QTjBCps7iq67RX_WtBVnPLXGxgK/s320/20230916%2040%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7ReoK87LOpZbX_vR5FEVC1H33O1uiYsYHVPdnFviQIyJhldY24D-jxtvtgc_x1L4K5prRQt1j-hfYx86gauYBPCwroHbyod9AwEAaS9MIsuyCFNY3UaZWQEfmWgFkBpsVm_WlOAXNyg1FQhPaLxumbtNjVJXSdJY1v_K2GBw9LJGur9MnyX2YIVz/s5184/20230916%2042%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7ReoK87LOpZbX_vR5FEVC1H33O1uiYsYHVPdnFviQIyJhldY24D-jxtvtgc_x1L4K5prRQt1j-hfYx86gauYBPCwroHbyod9AwEAaS9MIsuyCFNY3UaZWQEfmWgFkBpsVm_WlOAXNyg1FQhPaLxumbtNjVJXSdJY1v_K2GBw9LJGur9MnyX2YIVz/s320/20230916%2042%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraY_22WmBzJDVd6oVwpdydjS9Kd1OKx8odSvwunk5u0agcm3vCwo-M-s1csHiLXuVejw3YRH2Pc-m4v74ZqjW2kf0WkbS0LYgpfeZU6oLVbrTpgs8Wkv3wkrezY4IH4MSghK9yLYzAAUOTBvDoDtt2jCwULIwHAHBndiSvsUzztk4v34oQtRGQYeS/s5184/20230916%2043%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraY_22WmBzJDVd6oVwpdydjS9Kd1OKx8odSvwunk5u0agcm3vCwo-M-s1csHiLXuVejw3YRH2Pc-m4v74ZqjW2kf0WkbS0LYgpfeZU6oLVbrTpgs8Wkv3wkrezY4IH4MSghK9yLYzAAUOTBvDoDtt2jCwULIwHAHBndiSvsUzztk4v34oQtRGQYeS/s320/20230916%2043%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everyone was waiting for me at the end of the path. Across the street was an empty parking lot facing the Shrewsbury River. Tom pointed out that there was a gull on every post. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNgHmVhkIKdeLJ-8CCRggCEk0GTb5Z8gczRfCSKqqKd2bxTp9fdJRgBTwlcvgsIkQeR37JXkVnY-d3eqhZapAP3PpNqDOxz0UV4leP_AHEQ1CH1Kt3Xq5E80TiEfdb-marKRcIjhnr0p274m9qb6005uKuVgm58ZCuWPbgC6CXIuw83JduP5eY-dT/s5184/20230916%2044%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNgHmVhkIKdeLJ-8CCRggCEk0GTb5Z8gczRfCSKqqKd2bxTp9fdJRgBTwlcvgsIkQeR37JXkVnY-d3eqhZapAP3PpNqDOxz0UV4leP_AHEQ1CH1Kt3Xq5E80TiEfdb-marKRcIjhnr0p274m9qb6005uKuVgm58ZCuWPbgC6CXIuw83JduP5eY-dT/s320/20230916%2044%20Ocean%20Ave.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMv1qPa76OQjg7lYrm6UHGdSTEbqb_wnCu0q-X1H-d-MaSp_8pDSge978CUFCB6AOxAng6E8WM8jxGu9YBIFDVAhDuyab-AlBHHeJPSylG_lHrPKs5CgyevAQiqx0QIPSMgtXdco20PdVTtZiN_e3b-zyWs-kQpkg5fIthgKsRX2_O7CMgMS4Lqjld/s5116/20230916%2044%20Ocean%20Ave%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="5116" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMv1qPa76OQjg7lYrm6UHGdSTEbqb_wnCu0q-X1H-d-MaSp_8pDSge978CUFCB6AOxAng6E8WM8jxGu9YBIFDVAhDuyab-AlBHHeJPSylG_lHrPKs5CgyevAQiqx0QIPSMgtXdco20PdVTtZiN_e3b-zyWs-kQpkg5fIthgKsRX2_O7CMgMS4Lqjld/w640-h98/20230916%2044%20Ocean%20Ave%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2ZeMLfhI3mUrbb3-PcIhJY6H9LVnr0jL-8S6wvz7GuTHh5CZxMmZ0O_TV-xYFsHVZ8cbs_vavDhokpq_j2Ha0zkpRq9LB6xlv_SWhEg2H9QcLlpQ3LVLNsQl_7r4pfB_R8KtL_Mr5Ow58L1310mXi6uONFNFGUap7Icb3r64XLXFEJASO25YuYh1/s5156/20230916%2045%20Ocean%20Ave%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1927" data-original-width="5156" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2ZeMLfhI3mUrbb3-PcIhJY6H9LVnr0jL-8S6wvz7GuTHh5CZxMmZ0O_TV-xYFsHVZ8cbs_vavDhokpq_j2Ha0zkpRq9LB6xlv_SWhEg2H9QcLlpQ3LVLNsQl_7r4pfB_R8KtL_Mr5Ow58L1310mXi6uONFNFGUap7Icb3r64XLXFEJASO25YuYh1/s320/20230916%2045%20Ocean%20Ave%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We crossed the drawbridge and rode through Rumson and Red Bank. The wind was kicking up now, but it was more of a crosswind, which wasn't so bad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our second rest stop was at a pizza place in Little Silver. There's really not much that's bike-friendly there. It's in the right place at the right time though. On our last visit here, I remember buying some garlic knots. I did that again and immediately remembered why I ought not to have done it again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Garlic burps for the rest of the ride home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We didn't have much farther to go. I got a second wind in Colts Neck and got a little ahead of the group. It was a busy road and I wanted to get off of it. At the turn onto Laird, I didn't see them behind me. There was no other place they could have turned in order to Sprague me, but if they did, I deserved it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I waited at the intersection.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WEjQ-ukvNwn_ELMTaw8LhzYJXm4UlkuSjoID8PkjF9GPCBLtC2MnZUQfZRVvvebnLaWfAA3U_8spGJx-7ITS1NuG2AKQjT4N5mTj8-vEEhfupPtXx0mtqtzblGOckvIwbsUC26aKZ5h73MnE_JjjFYWLJp5O0OmQsp4TcZtR4N8tiHMa2uPQzX6-/s5184/20230916%2047%20Rt%20537%20at%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WEjQ-ukvNwn_ELMTaw8LhzYJXm4UlkuSjoID8PkjF9GPCBLtC2MnZUQfZRVvvebnLaWfAA3U_8spGJx-7ITS1NuG2AKQjT4N5mTj8-vEEhfupPtXx0mtqtzblGOckvIwbsUC26aKZ5h73MnE_JjjFYWLJp5O0OmQsp4TcZtR4N8tiHMa2uPQzX6-/s320/20230916%2047%20Rt%20537%20at%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After a few minutes, I called Rickety but it went to voicemail. I had just left a message when Tom called. Xindi had a flat and they were fixing it. "I'll be down by the apple jack place, taking pictures," I said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Except that the sign that read "Laird's Apple Jack" is no longer there. I couldn't tell if the place was vacant or being used for something else.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYsbbeBV4nYVZVt4y8mLcVxP5Ctpnovs4mYSVM6C7Ro5toWlruF3pqzXb0BVMFZGRIZaPYUCht_TmAHAPkPA11doMvPaR_RkUtpnKElEhWUtzJe13aOnMKiEIumwaGb79cYlSZZirNKPlqha5GTsBnasJ52IqUfH-AlQ1b3IndaI-xWGwmLy_XV2Z/s5184/20230916%2048%20former%20Laird's%20Apple%20Jack%20distillery.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYsbbeBV4nYVZVt4y8mLcVxP5Ctpnovs4mYSVM6C7Ro5toWlruF3pqzXb0BVMFZGRIZaPYUCht_TmAHAPkPA11doMvPaR_RkUtpnKElEhWUtzJe13aOnMKiEIumwaGb79cYlSZZirNKPlqha5GTsBnasJ52IqUfH-AlQ1b3IndaI-xWGwmLy_XV2Z/s320/20230916%2048%20former%20Laird's%20Apple%20Jack%20distillery.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I crossed the street to take pictures of the apple trees through the wire fence.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXshmge7F452d7GGW8RqsRZBZ7XsWp0cElllqJRttQSpLGSm1UejF-NhatNxe5TxtYkzxjcWiitkExOI1IRI4ZCyH5drhr9-UP5Kl6zUjISi17tBF7EDvFNP_YaJcJzXHofvvaGgYFKuSPQQE4RrybiwLwAhtRCoV7rj8cQx-eAs4FrqqkSsA-VDt/s5184/20230916%2049%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXshmge7F452d7GGW8RqsRZBZ7XsWp0cElllqJRttQSpLGSm1UejF-NhatNxe5TxtYkzxjcWiitkExOI1IRI4ZCyH5drhr9-UP5Kl6zUjISi17tBF7EDvFNP_YaJcJzXHofvvaGgYFKuSPQQE4RrybiwLwAhtRCoV7rj8cQx-eAs4FrqqkSsA-VDt/s320/20230916%2049%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqGZelA0R1-cMFgbBztYFXsBRpszIyOvHxSAu8fJfwNqMGctCMJejnTULFccfpNFc7d7cPDJgRoas6-cd-ebUGRrnqO7yF8CrnuXlCuCHDK8u-HsN98oWC_IqPAukynPcEnfjPbqVeAT10PiVkLa-9iCAlBwbR47dwQCElhyi0OIv45gokgmyHqhj/s5184/20230916%2050%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqGZelA0R1-cMFgbBztYFXsBRpszIyOvHxSAu8fJfwNqMGctCMJejnTULFccfpNFc7d7cPDJgRoas6-cd-ebUGRrnqO7yF8CrnuXlCuCHDK8u-HsN98oWC_IqPAukynPcEnfjPbqVeAT10PiVkLa-9iCAlBwbR47dwQCElhyi0OIv45gokgmyHqhj/s320/20230916%2050%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There were a lot of cars leaving the orchard.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1tOmlW-u3jkJLt-g6eP__13cTwSellettCeFZZQsScR8rOYos0bCshP_35IgCvYkv1oEWXC44FCrVeC_v9odkP4jIDzEjhlUMihDRR0KA8q2QptuTO3k1LVo5Xu2c-oON2c7i6YmPko_iQpuHewZhTRb09BcG-NvNPRWtJ_KKoYLLt9AnJ7ifWsZ/s5184/20230916%2051%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1tOmlW-u3jkJLt-g6eP__13cTwSellettCeFZZQsScR8rOYos0bCshP_35IgCvYkv1oEWXC44FCrVeC_v9odkP4jIDzEjhlUMihDRR0KA8q2QptuTO3k1LVo5Xu2c-oON2c7i6YmPko_iQpuHewZhTRb09BcG-NvNPRWtJ_KKoYLLt9AnJ7ifWsZ/s320/20230916%2051%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-FCrchsZnDJGG6rxaEirQg2XaPgD03xYwikdTjdi-thNcPVnhMHtrdcGROSNsqbcCYEDPTf3A6zDJDBM9oAtLh0Z3PqGK92c7uldNTrJLy3sAtcrWYy3kRCgzChVpbPE5Vxkr5zYmKq_EVwWAkNFfuKQ5PG3DAXlXP9J69BWDYvzPsaqeZL0Fv9b/s5184/20230916%2052%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-FCrchsZnDJGG6rxaEirQg2XaPgD03xYwikdTjdi-thNcPVnhMHtrdcGROSNsqbcCYEDPTf3A6zDJDBM9oAtLh0Z3PqGK92c7uldNTrJLy3sAtcrWYy3kRCgzChVpbPE5Vxkr5zYmKq_EVwWAkNFfuKQ5PG3DAXlXP9J69BWDYvzPsaqeZL0Fv9b/s320/20230916%2052%20Eastmont%20Orchards%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I took a few pictures of a lichen-encrusted fence.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDyzxDv6ANV_TgNCG0fiTM98HoAPoLhxbC35Xua-XiYiXGVHARVvvd7Ns4yklO9ERLuBn60Jg09v7ZxDVw4reCrkVgV_bFV-Qy10HXJt_YkSNuSo9flXQuOFygXOncO9VS6uSC3oVi5r1Fxv-3um0HgDsxcJRVFO2YHd64jX-GK8qIuLtsz95BF7O/s5184/20230916%2053%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDyzxDv6ANV_TgNCG0fiTM98HoAPoLhxbC35Xua-XiYiXGVHARVvvd7Ns4yklO9ERLuBn60Jg09v7ZxDVw4reCrkVgV_bFV-Qy10HXJt_YkSNuSo9flXQuOFygXOncO9VS6uSC3oVi5r1Fxv-3um0HgDsxcJRVFO2YHd64jX-GK8qIuLtsz95BF7O/s320/20230916%2053%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2azE0h3iDuQBev_tbEmLwUgvTxpciURD3R5WUD7dprL-YaPDwYcA4eiMrV0so_dFnNwAtU0LYw90v9JYv_WkLkyuABtoOcyaStdX-qo9yc_5bPnG9ZJB64PbYwcO1Qh_RJ1K1NH1ZRAXWzCKW-hQrzFlQkh8wLJ1E4L7fCsiBCYRR0Q1ybnEAKCU0/s5184/20230916%2054%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2azE0h3iDuQBev_tbEmLwUgvTxpciURD3R5WUD7dprL-YaPDwYcA4eiMrV0so_dFnNwAtU0LYw90v9JYv_WkLkyuABtoOcyaStdX-qo9yc_5bPnG9ZJB64PbYwcO1Qh_RJ1K1NH1ZRAXWzCKW-hQrzFlQkh8wLJ1E4L7fCsiBCYRR0Q1ybnEAKCU0/s320/20230916%2054%20Laird%20Rd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then I backtracked towards the intersection in time to see everyone coming down the hill. </div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the ride was uneventful. We stood around in the parking lot for a bit, discussing riding plans for the next few weeks. Tom's other bike friends, his new ones, his new family, were planning a ride from Liberty State Park to the George Washington Bridge. When he said what time he'd have to leave home, I said, "Too early."</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">II: The Sourland Limbo: How Slow Can You Go?</div><div><br /></div><div>"Too early" was why I didn't expect to join Blob and Pete on a very hilly training ride in the Sourlands the following day. 55 miles of wind and rollers aside, they wanted to start at 8:00 a.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>I should back up a bit here and explain. Blob was about to leave for a biking trip in Bhutan and wanted something on the order of 30 miles with 3000 feet of elevation gain. Mid-week, I sat down for about ten minutes and came up with a ridiculous route for him that started in Hopewell. It would be 37 miles with 3100 feet of elevation, riding up and down roads on the east side of the Sourland Mountain five times. I picked the worst roads and didn't include a rest stop. I did not expect him to write back, "Looks good."</div><div><br /></div><div>I also did not expect to be there and told him as much. But I felt better than expected when I came back from Sandy Hook. "If you start at 9:00 I'll join you. I need sleep." He checked with Pete and agreed to the later start.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not wanting to add 20 miles to the stupid route, I drove to Hopewell. Pete and Blob had each ridden in from home. I didn't think I'd last the whole route, but with five ascents, I could bail at any time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Blob was on his mountain bike, a one-by geared so low he couldn't have gone fast even if he'd wanted to. Pete is so strong he couldn't have gone slowly even if he'd wanted to. And I was in the middle, on Janice, the only rule for myself being that I wasn't allowed to use my lowest gear (36-36). We stopped at the top of each ascent to collect our wits and slow our heart rates.</div><div><br /></div><div>We started with Spring Hill, which I'd somehow never climbed before. We continued on Long Hill to Hollow and cut across Grandview to Route 601. Next was Dutchtown-Zion, which Tom describes in his Road Biking NJ book as a "rude" hill. It lulls a rider into a false sense of securtity then throws a wall at the end. We went east on Long Hill down to Wertsville, then climbed back up the mountain on Zion, a hill that never seems to end until it does. We were 20 miles in, so we stopped to stuff energy bars into our mouths.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went left on Long Hill and walked across the nearly-finished bridge at Hollow (as I write this, the road is open again). Then we went down Hopewell-Amwell and up that bastard of an incline where it meets Province Line. We took Province Line to 518, where we could have called it a day. But we'd done 3 of the 5 ascents already, so up Hopewell-Amwell we went, all the way to the short, sharp shocks at the top of Lindbergh and down the other side.</div><div><br /></div><div>One more climb to go: Rileyville from the north, all the way up. I'd done this climb definitely once, maybe twice. This hill called for a little <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uInkKZpmkTU" target="_blank">Taj Mahal</a>. At the top, Pete announced that he was headed home and disappeared off the front. I coasted into Hopewell, straight across Broad Street to where my car was parked. </div><div><br /></div><div>Blob went on into Boro Bean to get a meal before riding home. I put on a t-shirt and met him there to get my well-deserved stash of muffins (I still have one and a half left a week later; I know how to ration these things). I hung out there while Blob finished his lunch. I left with the command that he send us a middle finger photo from Bhutan.</div><div><br /></div><div>He didn't disappoint.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8OSrzk8MWjmmrBXoG2D8UEDLWYA1YzoyFSkTohmbYPsFHiGjjJq1xYovPWkdKwKmDzcbrlS4ncWoBRl7eYWzN7brom-uXtv4Stqcqb2vWmgZaoLAICX3rNPUgKbyPMSeMsxwIxxvb5MVIWUjw8sDu1CG8Axla1njpMDc20iMr4jquDqnNwL8B8Sj/s640/20230924%20Blob%20in%20Bhutan.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8OSrzk8MWjmmrBXoG2D8UEDLWYA1YzoyFSkTohmbYPsFHiGjjJq1xYovPWkdKwKmDzcbrlS4ncWoBRl7eYWzN7brom-uXtv4Stqcqb2vWmgZaoLAICX3rNPUgKbyPMSeMsxwIxxvb5MVIWUjw8sDu1CG8Axla1njpMDc20iMr4jquDqnNwL8B8Sj/s320/20230924%20Blob%20in%20Bhutan.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">24 September 2023</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">III: Esteemed Order of the Double Eagle</div><div><br /></div><div>All of that Sourland nonsense put me in good stead for the ride that Our Jeff had been promoting (threatening?) all summer: his end-of-season Double Eagle ride.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been up Eagle Road, or Jericho Mountain, a few times, but I couldn't tell you which way I went. Apparently, there's a hard way and an even harder way. The first time I climbed that hill it was because our ride leader was lost. It was also my second week with Kermit, back in 2000, and the lowest gear I had was 39-27. I remember having to stand, gasping for air. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm pretty sure now that I'd gone up the harder way, because Our Jeff took us up the hard way last week and it didn't seem as bad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, with the Double Eagle, we'd go over the mountain twice in 15 miles. Having done the Sourland Limbo three days before, I felt ready.</div><div><br /></div><div>I cued up Taj Majal again for the first ascent (the harder way) and got 'er done. The second climb was the culmination of all the shit I'd put myself through this summer. It was me shoving anxiety aside. Finally. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our Jeff corraled us for a selfie after the second climb. Here we were, he said, the Esteemed Order of the Double Eagle, and I was the newest initiate.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp8U6XEwSROcTQ0GBq3K6O2evB8hlANH-B6gB9V3wDzmXVHdWOMvLFp38lBvdf6i3XiU1_TuYxEm_m3DA8I4-DeWEH5mIEl8r67cyzQWZzZ9FX6DLP5DmePj6q2t0RR5eHKoa0G986TwatNTrz66Z7k1TolHxWkUmWD415-rmAit-sttTuAIYFzSN/s1600/20230920%20Esteemed%20Order%20of%20the%20Double%20Eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp8U6XEwSROcTQ0GBq3K6O2evB8hlANH-B6gB9V3wDzmXVHdWOMvLFp38lBvdf6i3XiU1_TuYxEm_m3DA8I4-DeWEH5mIEl8r67cyzQWZzZ9FX6DLP5DmePj6q2t0RR5eHKoa0G986TwatNTrz66Z7k1TolHxWkUmWD415-rmAit-sttTuAIYFzSN/s320/20230920%20Esteemed%20Order%20of%20the%20Double%20Eagle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our Jeff (front), Roger (left), Luis (center) and me</span></div><div><br /></div>Now if I could just hang onto that relaxed attitude while I train for Nova Scotia next summer. <div><br /></div><div>Yeah, right. Not happening. I know myself.<br /> <p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104871907754925073.post-28942615547710313392023-09-09T23:45:00.000-04:002023-09-09T23:45:04.600-04:00Hopewell's Uncanny Valley<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQLam0duQja3e0A_bVbyNk6-PfxA8w4NwaoIMThF3mB4kxgHBK0Ebw6CBzbsuQ1x7IgC7mNjoitI5xumyl10nLGsXpd3LXQK7_RdkR89xWFWVyGgAkaAKNWfITDO8Wi1Tn2g9slthfcOAqUWa0nlqS3eAs5VxMV8BYuHdnlkfY26VEYcrnI9-aQwz/s5184/20230902%2036%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQLam0duQja3e0A_bVbyNk6-PfxA8w4NwaoIMThF3mB4kxgHBK0Ebw6CBzbsuQ1x7IgC7mNjoitI5xumyl10nLGsXpd3LXQK7_RdkR89xWFWVyGgAkaAKNWfITDO8Wi1Tn2g9slthfcOAqUWa0nlqS3eAs5VxMV8BYuHdnlkfY26VEYcrnI9-aQwz/s320/20230902%2036%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Awakening</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9 September 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last week I took a much-needed break from self-inflicted stress and joined Bobbi and Marty on their tour of the temporary Seward Johnson sculpture installations sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not a big fan of Seward Johnson's style. For me, it sits in the depths of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley" target="_blank">uncanny valley</a>. I do like that he dedicated his wealth to the arts. He's the reason we have Grounds for Sculpture, after all. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bobbi likes to start early. At 8:00, 13 of us headed out of the parking lot across from Sourland Cycles. Our first stop was "Bake Sale," on Broad Street.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc9HqpIIvOjQmOYgZzvC1bIlgNFJtn261VQDjDhg4woOQAKLTcf9PknVgWLe4gdOOV3MfkYQCpQtR7Sdiv0nVkQnX6av2xua15-HhMKkYDX15ENIuXt-yx79FOz3PywfSA9aCcuG7yyXCSpRPDqD5IrdW4I7J_sVNKvaG1Nvetf1rwBOQTzLm_4NP/s5184/20230902%2001%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc9HqpIIvOjQmOYgZzvC1bIlgNFJtn261VQDjDhg4woOQAKLTcf9PknVgWLe4gdOOV3MfkYQCpQtR7Sdiv0nVkQnX6av2xua15-HhMKkYDX15ENIuXt-yx79FOz3PywfSA9aCcuG7yyXCSpRPDqD5IrdW4I7J_sVNKvaG1Nvetf1rwBOQTzLm_4NP/s320/20230902%2001%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwLKI89UXDOOX0_-O5DwrTAKtRjCNm0EElQQOaVp8UNgAFyfBaJ8u5TW0RuFMzZfVwytY-KyjtmrURHK6tjSPONlHB0zxmTaO3v2WaiAJyzmSrTnBzp68f-MZHJkMLq0PNQLvp2i_SEpjD8M7-gkB5YiFoecvhGHkLYwqUgT_8vymjf0vujPgIBxz/s5184/20230902%2002%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwLKI89UXDOOX0_-O5DwrTAKtRjCNm0EElQQOaVp8UNgAFyfBaJ8u5TW0RuFMzZfVwytY-KyjtmrURHK6tjSPONlHB0zxmTaO3v2WaiAJyzmSrTnBzp68f-MZHJkMLq0PNQLvp2i_SEpjD8M7-gkB5YiFoecvhGHkLYwqUgT_8vymjf0vujPgIBxz/s320/20230902%2002%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuusv0bGeiPCsJL4-L4DYtHhZp62B7Kp1BtNYDRFxrKN0q1zRE_IsT0dWxb5Puu8HASnGMG7BrbZ5PvsaatFw5rEL6ZbF7e2wsyNFTzPCl98jSRjwa3IxITVOaFlUSJ90adKM1AdCmW5XdAIbULeue6KgN439oyyD7snIHaoGYl3UOPWWCj_LrJZMX/s5184/20230902%2003%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuusv0bGeiPCsJL4-L4DYtHhZp62B7Kp1BtNYDRFxrKN0q1zRE_IsT0dWxb5Puu8HASnGMG7BrbZ5PvsaatFw5rEL6ZbF7e2wsyNFTzPCl98jSRjwa3IxITVOaFlUSJ90adKM1AdCmW5XdAIbULeue6KgN439oyyD7snIHaoGYl3UOPWWCj_LrJZMX/s320/20230902%2003%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwf_f5Ob9WLBrNLmzGxgqs97mFgFgpEX9EUOFlo8xxJLrV-czQoibSqtryq0I8ox6sLWrZtvRAkUPIy6gYhByWpYsdpkJqwcjXDi_0TtwuH94U6VII9CwDk1OD2pl8QJ1M-N2AmxFKVM1iWmONnCmPANHy8Fflo5oX94kUgDLYbUh-3VzroqZqnRon/s5184/20230902%2004%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwf_f5Ob9WLBrNLmzGxgqs97mFgFgpEX9EUOFlo8xxJLrV-czQoibSqtryq0I8ox6sLWrZtvRAkUPIy6gYhByWpYsdpkJqwcjXDi_0TtwuH94U6VII9CwDk1OD2pl8QJ1M-N2AmxFKVM1iWmONnCmPANHy8Fflo5oX94kUgDLYbUh-3VzroqZqnRon/s320/20230902%2004%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I got distracted by a large orb web against a planter nearby.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSr99Fm6xqg0rIkd2LmYlZuyQ_l9FGAM3vnsyXYr5uJoc5qE465atZukFVyR85Tv27IBca6wo4dKthA-aHLBV1Xpi2RWGfpzx4s9AsBilIAZRyyfyuEz8BhpEx7y0DtPNwF7iDbdcmlEpmIbIFioQUrhsm2dgMbsSF4yUuukHJ9HXH7ZXMK8o4rEl/s5184/20230902%2005%20spider%20web%20at%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSr99Fm6xqg0rIkd2LmYlZuyQ_l9FGAM3vnsyXYr5uJoc5qE465atZukFVyR85Tv27IBca6wo4dKthA-aHLBV1Xpi2RWGfpzx4s9AsBilIAZRyyfyuEz8BhpEx7y0DtPNwF7iDbdcmlEpmIbIFioQUrhsm2dgMbsSF4yUuukHJ9HXH7ZXMK8o4rEl/s320/20230902%2005%20spider%20web%20at%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That's when I learned that Galina, whom I had just met, is fond of spider webs too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mj4tfY_BpwDkP7JYkSRi3Tk1n-maa1bbwDN3mOdYaQsAvdsaX4SBHwNULmKf0ZLaopGeYjsQtREAyEi-yaVY5pXEo1hSf97vaQPy_aoxOWyFcuLa5WZ5abrI81jRavPQCeeE4y21HNhUys3K04Y6TwNcIPHfqDQt8SY-K4054zwqD9nUMP2TQFio/s5184/20230902%2006%20spider%20web%20at%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mj4tfY_BpwDkP7JYkSRi3Tk1n-maa1bbwDN3mOdYaQsAvdsaX4SBHwNULmKf0ZLaopGeYjsQtREAyEi-yaVY5pXEo1hSf97vaQPy_aoxOWyFcuLa5WZ5abrI81jRavPQCeeE4y21HNhUys3K04Y6TwNcIPHfqDQt8SY-K4054zwqD9nUMP2TQFio/s320/20230902%2006%20spider%20web%20at%20Bake%20Sale.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At the Timberlane School was "Keep Life in Balance." It's Albert Einstein on a bike, because Princeton, or something.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4vyiluVB7vlhltDRpWLTm5kENBFSL2EfuPTePyqO_Dx1Hzytx7RIR0zHNiio9pn6atPC_JRwtZxcKjPtIw-3bJ2w0TdglV1MHvCdvaBiQ6uMNCyJjF7KI4i1RyqQD4ALC6BtX3B7DgNrRDroWEvODcDIcCLDtjgPquAooPtaynOCGJH0Xp3mYLcG/s5184/20230902%2007%20Keep%20Life%20In%20Balance.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4vyiluVB7vlhltDRpWLTm5kENBFSL2EfuPTePyqO_Dx1Hzytx7RIR0zHNiio9pn6atPC_JRwtZxcKjPtIw-3bJ2w0TdglV1MHvCdvaBiQ6uMNCyJjF7KI4i1RyqQD4ALC6BtX3B7DgNrRDroWEvODcDIcCLDtjgPquAooPtaynOCGJH0Xp3mYLcG/s320/20230902%2007%20Keep%20Life%20In%20Balance.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The detail on the sweater, with its cables and wrinkles, is impressive. The trousers too. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iIb3iew64IRPdkeKx4iiXJWXdEpXVS2EqCOMuz4QwsQEfX6hlkGFNzUBXwqPSLDWciHtUJScKh4ZPsXjgNpqT6E9p4JhHH-VZjsQnlV4jUli0VvUjVAyU8V_YCife_ruy8DKhN6z_spjH6oNaCxAVv1CFAAj19Ql8v-fYAG0-09IKH2a2lpezqnb/s5184/20230902%2008%20Keep%20Life%20In%20Balance.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iIb3iew64IRPdkeKx4iiXJWXdEpXVS2EqCOMuz4QwsQEfX6hlkGFNzUBXwqPSLDWciHtUJScKh4ZPsXjgNpqT6E9p4JhHH-VZjsQnlV4jUli0VvUjVAyU8V_YCife_ruy8DKhN6z_spjH6oNaCxAVv1CFAAj19Ql8v-fYAG0-09IKH2a2lpezqnb/s320/20230902%2008%20Keep%20Life%20In%20Balance.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNhvH61n1iFG2qMMeJqT9YQxyYLHwx2WDCW29GqJS4Q1EiC2jHzsGffRJtcHb06KWYfily6bA-QbXDFatQnL1V30zTUQV4igi9od8IAefJESam2HinOTc0W_9WNE50Tl8G42YJuyHaFYzXAI17uOFA_FgF6gyKAJVhyIwFeiu7BQmDekdJVx2XzYY/s5184/20230902%2009%20Keep%20Life%20In%20Balance.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNhvH61n1iFG2qMMeJqT9YQxyYLHwx2WDCW29GqJS4Q1EiC2jHzsGffRJtcHb06KWYfily6bA-QbXDFatQnL1V30zTUQV4igi9od8IAefJESam2HinOTc0W_9WNE50Tl8G42YJuyHaFYzXAI17uOFA_FgF6gyKAJVhyIwFeiu7BQmDekdJVx2XzYY/s320/20230902%2009%20Keep%20Life%20In%20Balance.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We turned out of Pennington towards the river on Pennington-Titusville Road. "Garmin says this is the only hill," Stacey said.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd seen the route. "Garmin is a liar."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we coasted down Church Street, I made a mental note to revisit this climb. Come spring, it's all going to be about that damned trip to Nova Scotia.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we went along River Drive, the sun was just right to see spider webs stretched against the wooden railings of the stairways leading from the road down towards the river.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the grass by the Washington Crossing parking lot stood "Monet, Our Visiting Artist," doing some plein air work. I figured there would be a speckled likeness of the Washington Crossing bridge, which the statue was facing. But no, he was painting Washington crossing the Delaware. Which is just wrong. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLT4yfWRAlf_xDyjlAFaDyqia_deveWeza8KUvYLSdTaTfzbr3qGFVepTHegnO5vTJhaYR5WxsqXBCJLUyQydS6Oys4RrlYZqXVB-WGdNMzurJF_CiErsHym-HCpc5W_U_n2L7SHmk-SyXLh3wkOhHFjghxQrf4ISln0svIosUYBPf3YhgbvX_1mM/s5184/20230902%2011%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLT4yfWRAlf_xDyjlAFaDyqia_deveWeza8KUvYLSdTaTfzbr3qGFVepTHegnO5vTJhaYR5WxsqXBCJLUyQydS6Oys4RrlYZqXVB-WGdNMzurJF_CiErsHym-HCpc5W_U_n2L7SHmk-SyXLh3wkOhHFjghxQrf4ISln0svIosUYBPf3YhgbvX_1mM/s320/20230902%2011%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8HXo5DyE_2wfJ8WynIZJmJaIBaxrGJl95DW51YW8ExJINBSA5lT6VcMkf9KmFdQ0am5fD0UbKJKKVw60RRIwPy_HAwVuxTQESQKDejSn0obuikPF6ydnYYVfC6cQIi2nbJ0uSYJyPOnVTEXv7vug9smci0gpZGQ-5LmEss3oSN8dMQU7P9tXIwQ7/s5184/20230902%2012%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8HXo5DyE_2wfJ8WynIZJmJaIBaxrGJl95DW51YW8ExJINBSA5lT6VcMkf9KmFdQ0am5fD0UbKJKKVw60RRIwPy_HAwVuxTQESQKDejSn0obuikPF6ydnYYVfC6cQIi2nbJ0uSYJyPOnVTEXv7vug9smci0gpZGQ-5LmEss3oSN8dMQU7P9tXIwQ7/s320/20230902%2012%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CbLylTCmOi8pU7xlGSFf81MF9Fw_F4hpWTatStOQh4Cst5kdrNuKFPQUB09KVgZDhR7Ly6rP9xe1Zyg-YPDP0gb4oASCHviSYOfXV85CbC3McSeE6ZzutydKXoABbHIls1Nkc9d9b0IEo9QiW5Zygn34rRxFQWEvR8Nsm7vVteWvpi3sIo7NzlQP/s5184/20230902%2013%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CbLylTCmOi8pU7xlGSFf81MF9Fw_F4hpWTatStOQh4Cst5kdrNuKFPQUB09KVgZDhR7Ly6rP9xe1Zyg-YPDP0gb4oASCHviSYOfXV85CbC3McSeE6ZzutydKXoABbHIls1Nkc9d9b0IEo9QiW5Zygn34rRxFQWEvR8Nsm7vVteWvpi3sIo7NzlQP/s320/20230902%2013%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAXl8V5q55OQsnEq6PygYZmShoytifkc4c9zCxI0kPF_d3sq_TixGjYTLJAqhZv9hF_9j2QnBO6Eew77cvhvWcwqhcBrKSN5Z1qjs-FcWeCrSur2WiMVkDvC9rMlwqOc8xn4CGBTrAuvc1YtEQ3eTSFyxweKozk9qouc6f5IbSVsY_ftvHjEbk_S0/s5184/20230902%2014%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAXl8V5q55OQsnEq6PygYZmShoytifkc4c9zCxI0kPF_d3sq_TixGjYTLJAqhZv9hF_9j2QnBO6Eew77cvhvWcwqhcBrKSN5Z1qjs-FcWeCrSur2WiMVkDvC9rMlwqOc8xn4CGBTrAuvc1YtEQ3eTSFyxweKozk9qouc6f5IbSVsY_ftvHjEbk_S0/s320/20230902%2014%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Taking pictures of our bikes lying in the grass was more fun.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_G3BFec0tStIK0e7Q8pUEIzRVOEBMZq0izeyFL9Ovjhwq0lm5hiX4wZ_8Yes-GHrnjarBMs7UKa3-eJ5pI4LT4DnEDJ5PSZo1LpE9xHZ-Vj2oc0FXSnpSrb8Zh6RoVvybQ0WuvKcO2goRRarTfPvTSfiMlHvVXMB95BFLupIGdp5jvjV3K9xHO7F/s5184/20230902%2017%20bikes%20at%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_G3BFec0tStIK0e7Q8pUEIzRVOEBMZq0izeyFL9Ovjhwq0lm5hiX4wZ_8Yes-GHrnjarBMs7UKa3-eJ5pI4LT4DnEDJ5PSZo1LpE9xHZ-Vj2oc0FXSnpSrb8Zh6RoVvybQ0WuvKcO2goRRarTfPvTSfiMlHvVXMB95BFLupIGdp5jvjV3K9xHO7F/s320/20230902%2017%20bikes%20at%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OWLr9L1uSuu6BV7na8HOpMNrV8FXR4Twjd-_HfQ-GNqpFbN4I9abfb7nlCjynb-Le0_fk7gL2XXsNY-LT_dOqtZfsdENSt949a1YIYwlxqIfEoCPbmVe1yMHCTuG3xU5GP8DaR3SWa8sj-U8R-PSzFS-q7OyTf0m0dNCzsBv3RCGZXFbHXlb-q-U/s3607/20230902%2016%20bikes%20at%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3607" data-original-width="1541" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OWLr9L1uSuu6BV7na8HOpMNrV8FXR4Twjd-_HfQ-GNqpFbN4I9abfb7nlCjynb-Le0_fk7gL2XXsNY-LT_dOqtZfsdENSt949a1YIYwlxqIfEoCPbmVe1yMHCTuG3xU5GP8DaR3SWa8sj-U8R-PSzFS-q7OyTf0m0dNCzsBv3RCGZXFbHXlb-q-U/s320/20230902%2016%20bikes%20at%20Monet,%20Our%20Visiting%20Artist%20EDIT%20zoom.jpg" width="137" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>On Bear Tavern Road was "Follow the Leader." Everyone rushed to pose among the figures.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5hhWOC2LTraMATlC1NWCX30QioXuRWBKUa3RoUMC8jwtM0XCRl3jjuABcgtwAakx0KmnoBLqKKlCh2JeZsLuywHzsQrYIucpI1ZjmQMRQ5YF3eKAuTa_lydntFydVA2lzWcWYuqhWOTBxxph0DMXU73JPaXEmTgocECX8xVQcSE5cDVP9QfwLrzI/s5184/20230902%2018%20Follow%20the%20Leader.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5hhWOC2LTraMATlC1NWCX30QioXuRWBKUa3RoUMC8jwtM0XCRl3jjuABcgtwAakx0KmnoBLqKKlCh2JeZsLuywHzsQrYIucpI1ZjmQMRQ5YF3eKAuTa_lydntFydVA2lzWcWYuqhWOTBxxph0DMXU73JPaXEmTgocECX8xVQcSE5cDVP9QfwLrzI/s320/20230902%2018%20Follow%20the%20Leader.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTNgzZvcCEjpD0bnQfhDzBCLYJ18CbB-20ogCW9FftMorhRpvmo_uXT07cybjdCHeB2Qb2PR8mmsiCQuGE0j0bfmx1xRFf9bhiw88xNtmUBbvtTMJEohO0amzE2vNh0O0V-7XmsO06_6xpIonHTZzz10tPeXwHxOILT67Yd-x_9QKsbkWX4uCQgGN/s5184/20230902%2019%20Follow%20the%20Leader.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTNgzZvcCEjpD0bnQfhDzBCLYJ18CbB-20ogCW9FftMorhRpvmo_uXT07cybjdCHeB2Qb2PR8mmsiCQuGE0j0bfmx1xRFf9bhiw88xNtmUBbvtTMJEohO0amzE2vNh0O0V-7XmsO06_6xpIonHTZzz10tPeXwHxOILT67Yd-x_9QKsbkWX4uCQgGN/s320/20230902%2019%20Follow%20the%20Leader.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't even see what the sculpture really was until everyone was ready to leave.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24D3uUP47o0-WHbwb-jtAu3-KCTMOBTKvKMkrfyULUOmlH74Sk5ETu0WO77otc3VfcmkKegOKApPY5ZRzHwkzAoc8dr-FgqwQ4v9PkqRlfxOGTWXVVGupA9ndXgzlorZtEXhWfIos7JuyCq87Wgbd7J0Ry-w8edSFaupLQh95f-thq7dohygq13sg/s5184/20230902%2020%20Follow%20the%20Leader.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24D3uUP47o0-WHbwb-jtAu3-KCTMOBTKvKMkrfyULUOmlH74Sk5ETu0WO77otc3VfcmkKegOKApPY5ZRzHwkzAoc8dr-FgqwQ4v9PkqRlfxOGTWXVVGupA9ndXgzlorZtEXhWfIos7JuyCq87Wgbd7J0Ry-w8edSFaupLQh95f-thq7dohygq13sg/s320/20230902%2020%20Follow%20the%20Leader.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped for a break at the new Terra Momo on Delaware Avenue in Pennington. "Time's Up" is at the intersection of Delaware and Main. (... da police.)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKSN3ZTBtMiNNN-VPggKgD0FJJNv65wX0F3-uFOCXBgXcsofZCweYt_W6491aK1o-gNyFHU_GX90kiu-LzeAPdN1tpTK2Y0tll-EbFYpFXf9WGN5exCwhnEDMBzQyG0VYqeLJ-N1WWLvvDts3r2wM46D4_Tw0tjwNwdpc2cWsIYyLSGVOOveh0Tpr/s5184/20230902%2021%20Time's%20Up.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKSN3ZTBtMiNNN-VPggKgD0FJJNv65wX0F3-uFOCXBgXcsofZCweYt_W6491aK1o-gNyFHU_GX90kiu-LzeAPdN1tpTK2Y0tll-EbFYpFXf9WGN5exCwhnEDMBzQyG0VYqeLJ-N1WWLvvDts3r2wM46D4_Tw0tjwNwdpc2cWsIYyLSGVOOveh0Tpr/s320/20230902%2021%20Time's%20Up.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Heading south out of town, we visited "Captured."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg4F9ceh7KeH3SSdRPzEojUh5cyNYOVCrnObD4VYTXrZdcS0hpWcttNf4zev7VBImIKCn0t0e1MGBi3jSE5yArcWeWgYyX-WHjnLn-sUw7HerSoqo3LvFMcP3P9otszXdQ2tev2HCbmmdm4iYavWuDoo_-msFtrN5qxsgIAehKq13bbRf5IVyhBMk/s5184/20230902%2022%20Captured.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg4F9ceh7KeH3SSdRPzEojUh5cyNYOVCrnObD4VYTXrZdcS0hpWcttNf4zev7VBImIKCn0t0e1MGBi3jSE5yArcWeWgYyX-WHjnLn-sUw7HerSoqo3LvFMcP3P9otszXdQ2tev2HCbmmdm4iYavWuDoo_-msFtrN5qxsgIAehKq13bbRf5IVyhBMk/s320/20230902%2022%20Captured.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OB2osJoAq0MS3gUoYU1cd0joDYOOuhwlad8lJoNQo1khT5bhB49HKSwSavwMRbuWIj7lllsVIDDHpuDxnkv5d6HETDPbk2QHvUCuPc7fRWd26OmC6w5kywEIWYjvyDgf1JKOBrDsIIZ5zXmlE8HWAPaKvJ7Pjx_27R6ddkI0w-31GXuy3B5YXrRa/s5184/20230902%2023%20Captured.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OB2osJoAq0MS3gUoYU1cd0joDYOOuhwlad8lJoNQo1khT5bhB49HKSwSavwMRbuWIj7lllsVIDDHpuDxnkv5d6HETDPbk2QHvUCuPc7fRWd26OmC6w5kywEIWYjvyDgf1JKOBrDsIIZ5zXmlE8HWAPaKvJ7Pjx_27R6ddkI0w-31GXuy3B5YXrRa/s320/20230902%2023%20Captured.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Galina took off her shoes to pose. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjl3AusQCE85EF6yYDW7M7NJazfOqjnVh_5wz2rCH-6Mj3Jtvt8RZWCBS_s0T7yBzE6TNVAgtC6i861StpAv-CpTJ9AeYep8OhweqwhdmfSyLG5qMXM_I-pV66pny0TzJYL0ok8SV7isl4ryQBcfcFcj0j5msldk4PaWxhSbf2Rbtx6xGQ9paaqor/s5184/20230902%2024%20Captured.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjl3AusQCE85EF6yYDW7M7NJazfOqjnVh_5wz2rCH-6Mj3Jtvt8RZWCBS_s0T7yBzE6TNVAgtC6i861StpAv-CpTJ9AeYep8OhweqwhdmfSyLG5qMXM_I-pV66pny0TzJYL0ok8SV7isl4ryQBcfcFcj0j5msldk4PaWxhSbf2Rbtx6xGQ9paaqor/s320/20230902%2024%20Captured.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujRT3AcvIhTFk_2xiIB2643IyGcOK9XydGNskSe54LAopjIuElTsVvEO79hMLY_qtUKPSpBnQ0blzKEmLQr4FGEsyOZ7PED5UGYRZgM8uWJBT-zRJ68e9_zNiOEZz1tPnFzYYEPoR8Si9YNWuq_lBUdNgTL5M7wDo7x0zxEi3R7hhp3WG-MA-od3f/s5184/20230902%2025%20Captured.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujRT3AcvIhTFk_2xiIB2643IyGcOK9XydGNskSe54LAopjIuElTsVvEO79hMLY_qtUKPSpBnQ0blzKEmLQr4FGEsyOZ7PED5UGYRZgM8uWJBT-zRJ68e9_zNiOEZz1tPnFzYYEPoR8Si9YNWuq_lBUdNgTL5M7wDo7x0zxEi3R7hhp3WG-MA-od3f/s320/20230902%2025%20Captured.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>"My World" was a few doors down at the Tollgate school. Bobbie sat next to the child.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm38D36-JpIGdkJ1jhvhaj3pdyfhoa-QN40fXxuBBqtjTOy3pZt4WUsjF1_w3eI24f7C284mO4BEo3w6pJAPG2-IQvOlauiTqjRFLDAIQpc30zwxtsk230B-ss10rGl_04DKy7mU8XgPzslUTu3Jg7yMsUjG7qUpKBuX9Pcm_RA_g1R-vLUl0W8pA-/s5184/20230902%2026%20My%20World.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm38D36-JpIGdkJ1jhvhaj3pdyfhoa-QN40fXxuBBqtjTOy3pZt4WUsjF1_w3eI24f7C284mO4BEo3w6pJAPG2-IQvOlauiTqjRFLDAIQpc30zwxtsk230B-ss10rGl_04DKy7mU8XgPzslUTu3Jg7yMsUjG7qUpKBuX9Pcm_RA_g1R-vLUl0W8pA-/s320/20230902%2026%20My%20World.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zPoQ46Ty3DEhBNNNK3pW8mPWHGDALV-vE48BclHpHkJ05-LT1pi2D1HK-cqsSrdqyG7DZBHvAjUL6ySeYffA7ykpEtoIDtvqs_EOh_yOsyCbX5hF6kajZJQt307U6nuGbhbiHvSsfNbLdhC0LbJC0415oWIGvWy8GdKpLOSq36OmfhCLAIJZ8lRN/s5184/20230902%2027%20My%20World.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zPoQ46Ty3DEhBNNNK3pW8mPWHGDALV-vE48BclHpHkJ05-LT1pi2D1HK-cqsSrdqyG7DZBHvAjUL6ySeYffA7ykpEtoIDtvqs_EOh_yOsyCbX5hF6kajZJQt307U6nuGbhbiHvSsfNbLdhC0LbJC0415oWIGvWy8GdKpLOSq36OmfhCLAIJZ8lRN/s320/20230902%2027%20My%20World.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>She'd inadvertently left one off the tour. Mike V knew where it was and guided us to it, "Can We Dance Here, Mommy?" at the Stony Brook elementary school.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFM8wFpRN01RHPh1i63sivSsQd7pelgxzaIULZPV0vClKTA44PeEiHlTvuNvKywK-j5mNWFFsqDt9qh-Rut1bsckRfoTl7Obc6MRw4qZo5XNblO-jW1qdyobdQBhtwGIxmlK50b369XpHyHtK7LN9XDeuc4BRWool4xqxeWoLPQ7LIiUkkL4niH-Q/s5184/20230902%2028%20Can%20We%20Dance%20Here,%20Mommy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFM8wFpRN01RHPh1i63sivSsQd7pelgxzaIULZPV0vClKTA44PeEiHlTvuNvKywK-j5mNWFFsqDt9qh-Rut1bsckRfoTl7Obc6MRw4qZo5XNblO-jW1qdyobdQBhtwGIxmlK50b369XpHyHtK7LN9XDeuc4BRWool4xqxeWoLPQ7LIiUkkL4niH-Q/s320/20230902%2028%20Can%20We%20Dance%20Here,%20Mommy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meh. Heteronormative.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think this is Bobbi's bike:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElrvP3PzGXTP_nV-CrWjqHWv2BDY5S8bn670WQUgllx9PuOWD-OnSLqauVdfYPSM0UbtjXBpobVn87GJcd_qlgOa0yEBlNAv1igcYAEJOydfkWAwNII-6z_2gG3m3_0KDp2mWxHP704Nidiig-inoKR6mSitPaDamHJuJl19uxIpodVZnML78OckI/s5184/20230902%2029%20bike%20at%20Can%20We%20Dance%20Here,%20Mommy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElrvP3PzGXTP_nV-CrWjqHWv2BDY5S8bn670WQUgllx9PuOWD-OnSLqauVdfYPSM0UbtjXBpobVn87GJcd_qlgOa0yEBlNAv1igcYAEJOydfkWAwNII-6z_2gG3m3_0KDp2mWxHP704Nidiig-inoKR6mSitPaDamHJuJl19uxIpodVZnML78OckI/s320/20230902%2029%20bike%20at%20Can%20We%20Dance%20Here,%20Mommy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I pass "The Awakening" every time I ride into Hopewell, but I've never gone in to look at it. This one is different. It's abstract. It leaves a lot to the imagination. I like it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL5I8UbXDYxux8uCBAbjhBKeff8GZhQFpCNl4SVdihOyH-6SjaD0tdT0dBay5-JjleKP_GQJkYkbam1aa_2jKkpT1E8IJYeAtArBdQ4VjJhrfcQoJ1InnW2SxwN0hvm3S4TMpnoioKn8yybzEMcV3fqhOPQCsjGWrWcTJOwtjModDIfEFRtbVh9GC/s5184/20230902%2030%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL5I8UbXDYxux8uCBAbjhBKeff8GZhQFpCNl4SVdihOyH-6SjaD0tdT0dBay5-JjleKP_GQJkYkbam1aa_2jKkpT1E8IJYeAtArBdQ4VjJhrfcQoJ1InnW2SxwN0hvm3S4TMpnoioKn8yybzEMcV3fqhOPQCsjGWrWcTJOwtjModDIfEFRtbVh9GC/s320/20230902%2030%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxCgyLAd3NcPpT5W9Hm_2-c6DUdEfyWmqK7hPm55oqSn4LXfsb_usebJTHP5WRWkjjkHp_tBt6XDF_vYaT4asS15mhbA4AHNUHCTzWyV7oyHAaUCw98bT4bS6LTFF43NsYAXfZ_DK-PbQ8LYFsEl1UksdcaQYhWeLxpgUKt4neq-MXdWmFX6tgqMn/s5184/20230902%2031%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxCgyLAd3NcPpT5W9Hm_2-c6DUdEfyWmqK7hPm55oqSn4LXfsb_usebJTHP5WRWkjjkHp_tBt6XDF_vYaT4asS15mhbA4AHNUHCTzWyV7oyHAaUCw98bT4bS6LTFF43NsYAXfZ_DK-PbQ8LYFsEl1UksdcaQYhWeLxpgUKt4neq-MXdWmFX6tgqMn/s320/20230902%2031%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTh4G0nxJnxQHjErQV4gQFkiFfQ4PRUT2dOZIEpwLGW1H3kccxDoXEtv6XO3AdnsuASzGakpVYTFFjWDIJCfbpQ_8lCJma4vxNAN6SY0BMGbkp4dIcIMWctwzd4W3kzTaYXcOfhd2bRiqQcRzl90B8PXd8gOgB0p2fxp1lYr8FWwtFbc4HperZdUgo/s5184/20230902%2032%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTh4G0nxJnxQHjErQV4gQFkiFfQ4PRUT2dOZIEpwLGW1H3kccxDoXEtv6XO3AdnsuASzGakpVYTFFjWDIJCfbpQ_8lCJma4vxNAN6SY0BMGbkp4dIcIMWctwzd4W3kzTaYXcOfhd2bRiqQcRzl90B8PXd8gOgB0p2fxp1lYr8FWwtFbc4HperZdUgo/s320/20230902%2032%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I stuck my head inside the mouth.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Emf8ID0luHlu8QcdyCZE_OqIaiiA24ds0EeHNQgY0-oJZXxvBoher8SCFwyPul0TapGWpjHfKRL17YBovNWaJzyB7yVyEXJeGMHXRATSxWmqaJetiwUcVgXakICM4cCRrTJCDJ8p2_PnODob_EabpBFtRrgMtXasF-FqYeG-jYOE-PPWqlNvEF5F/s5184/20230902%2033%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Emf8ID0luHlu8QcdyCZE_OqIaiiA24ds0EeHNQgY0-oJZXxvBoher8SCFwyPul0TapGWpjHfKRL17YBovNWaJzyB7yVyEXJeGMHXRATSxWmqaJetiwUcVgXakICM4cCRrTJCDJ8p2_PnODob_EabpBFtRrgMtXasF-FqYeG-jYOE-PPWqlNvEF5F/s320/20230902%2033%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Bobbi took a picture, which I swiped from her Facebook post.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XiJX_uCs_8BFE2PQpkI89IKp00gZ14tMUiyuRpvQtjkq0nxXxd3GkezLPnqmMvxwkB7eGor-g0dum_EYlKg8B42179e6PXSHgcmVEw8oYzpZrD8Ry7vR8zVhe4x8hXRYIJvdgWLuUezG8PRtahu5aw9mjvAWU4Z5R1Lt6ZsqZwmEMz702MBJk4zo/s2048/20230902%2034%20The%20Awakening%20photo%20by%20Bobbi%20Binder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XiJX_uCs_8BFE2PQpkI89IKp00gZ14tMUiyuRpvQtjkq0nxXxd3GkezLPnqmMvxwkB7eGor-g0dum_EYlKg8B42179e6PXSHgcmVEw8oYzpZrD8Ry7vR8zVhe4x8hXRYIJvdgWLuUezG8PRtahu5aw9mjvAWU4Z5R1Lt6ZsqZwmEMz702MBJk4zo/s320/20230902%2034%20The%20Awakening%20photo%20by%20Bobbi%20Binder.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3EOXisiTZ-tSNjzoYded4ASFLLBMl2bxUsfIIx90DHMuVmV8IkivvkbwqNI0ceEfLqlxKo9KDSFN8LRxoRYehvS54pc4dlWOyq1XChGFTeuDkP6VCMnqtZsmh_bL60D8AwOuBI6QmKbN--0W7FYkIfKOyej07bF-zvXd11sfV2xxNwXptAY-qw8q/s5184/20230902%2035%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3EOXisiTZ-tSNjzoYded4ASFLLBMl2bxUsfIIx90DHMuVmV8IkivvkbwqNI0ceEfLqlxKo9KDSFN8LRxoRYehvS54pc4dlWOyq1XChGFTeuDkP6VCMnqtZsmh_bL60D8AwOuBI6QmKbN--0W7FYkIfKOyej07bF-zvXd11sfV2xxNwXptAY-qw8q/s320/20230902%2035%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQLam0duQja3e0A_bVbyNk6-PfxA8w4NwaoIMThF3mB4kxgHBK0Ebw6CBzbsuQ1x7IgC7mNjoitI5xumyl10nLGsXpd3LXQK7_RdkR89xWFWVyGgAkaAKNWfITDO8Wi1Tn2g9slthfcOAqUWa0nlqS3eAs5VxMV8BYuHdnlkfY26VEYcrnI9-aQwz/s5184/20230902%2036%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQLam0duQja3e0A_bVbyNk6-PfxA8w4NwaoIMThF3mB4kxgHBK0Ebw6CBzbsuQ1x7IgC7mNjoitI5xumyl10nLGsXpd3LXQK7_RdkR89xWFWVyGgAkaAKNWfITDO8Wi1Tn2g9slthfcOAqUWa0nlqS3eAs5VxMV8BYuHdnlkfY26VEYcrnI9-aQwz/s320/20230902%2036%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx50NOcY5nRQ77jns4PE22v3xLq_aG-gXalU5GAD2RzN78vkLvlqZbL4YdMkT92PKZHTNYGd7KehI5342tkDN-LyyAcd5gZfazrnjbtC9UQxUkedCyBy9W_AFJ9n0IgPx8N2DyG6l51imem6i0EAIAEc3BnPO1amz8ChbyEr7MN9vF_ffh5essgbMB/s5184/20230902%2037%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx50NOcY5nRQ77jns4PE22v3xLq_aG-gXalU5GAD2RzN78vkLvlqZbL4YdMkT92PKZHTNYGd7KehI5342tkDN-LyyAcd5gZfazrnjbtC9UQxUkedCyBy9W_AFJ9n0IgPx8N2DyG6l51imem6i0EAIAEc3BnPO1amz8ChbyEr7MN9vF_ffh5essgbMB/s320/20230902%2037%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZhCYjMOwTb8XXp5T13-2qyAcflyB_t79HPwWNmx6pswTIPQTj7pT4rYEnt11YtN49hU2WrX9fVxTFIi7rgt2sLS0v8UTaWw05NcYoC4kjOUHic1jp9vcQalPoWAOTSlv3X_-jOVf6eY7pe3ZPdLc9APz8GCBEKx2p7cdy9eoVip3B4WVeyqQRwy8/s5184/20230902%2038%20The%20Awakening.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZhCYjMOwTb8XXp5T13-2qyAcflyB_t79HPwWNmx6pswTIPQTj7pT4rYEnt11YtN49hU2WrX9fVxTFIi7rgt2sLS0v8UTaWw05NcYoC4kjOUHic1jp9vcQalPoWAOTSlv3X_-jOVf6eY7pe3ZPdLc9APz8GCBEKx2p7cdy9eoVip3B4WVeyqQRwy8/s320/20230902%2038%20The%20Awakening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>"There, Now You Can Grow" was at the elementary school. We had to walk down a grassy slope to find it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YXz98D9u25vGlFz17pVG9uB2JBaZYnXiEr7CeJq-q4RTjA8Xgi05PuCZGNXa_rFzzIMvAS7KiGks5X_iwQGaGkquYuSEZCQogfLWcOeLM7Tq6UOJPg48pQUBujIEXaEHP4E1QUKEx1tZ52lpe0z-jvQiTyCVCca2-9Eq73D9mp3dL7Rw_j-8J3_J/s5184/20230902%2039%20There%20Now%20You%20Can%20Grow.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YXz98D9u25vGlFz17pVG9uB2JBaZYnXiEr7CeJq-q4RTjA8Xgi05PuCZGNXa_rFzzIMvAS7KiGks5X_iwQGaGkquYuSEZCQogfLWcOeLM7Tq6UOJPg48pQUBujIEXaEHP4E1QUKEx1tZ52lpe0z-jvQiTyCVCca2-9Eq73D9mp3dL7Rw_j-8J3_J/s320/20230902%2039%20There%20Now%20You%20Can%20Grow.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkl8tfK-Ir2jcqs8F6DyVeyZSD7A-cU-8Gx5FpQ0ihNEDdPnMCsl-UQHVEnuSs24uOsq1dXioEvBw_rcgAsPTuFIRxItfKrS3WD7xfCIFzk_TIaSKxwGuZCbvhU2YoGID2OvPdpLwqnHdZmn4gHSOF_WkQmWTXDiKt9TdoPh88vEPorqGEP7pWn6l/s5184/20230902%2040%20There%20Now%20You%20Can%20Grow.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkl8tfK-Ir2jcqs8F6DyVeyZSD7A-cU-8Gx5FpQ0ihNEDdPnMCsl-UQHVEnuSs24uOsq1dXioEvBw_rcgAsPTuFIRxItfKrS3WD7xfCIFzk_TIaSKxwGuZCbvhU2YoGID2OvPdpLwqnHdZmn4gHSOF_WkQmWTXDiKt9TdoPh88vEPorqGEP7pWn6l/s320/20230902%2040%20There%20Now%20You%20Can%20Grow.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3K_kiRxa5KJ9NbQ4o1vHjOETrwb3yzuwiFolLJggKHeMZeLhX8AIz9tKHkyDhY1EfcGoiO2WNC4v25yIJpLn4FVARXY1OumhCLd6R_IoPoIaNxBWGZHBoDl0fH7X5XyEfkDm0zmLsr2nvx115wR0BDunIGY-H90hEBNBpwURCh8oBpSoQ4U0ybzxe/s5184/20230902%2041%20There%20Now%20You%20Can%20Grow.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3K_kiRxa5KJ9NbQ4o1vHjOETrwb3yzuwiFolLJggKHeMZeLhX8AIz9tKHkyDhY1EfcGoiO2WNC4v25yIJpLn4FVARXY1OumhCLd6R_IoPoIaNxBWGZHBoDl0fH7X5XyEfkDm0zmLsr2nvx115wR0BDunIGY-H90hEBNBpwURCh8oBpSoQ4U0ybzxe/s320/20230902%2041%20There%20Now%20You%20Can%20Grow.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In front of the Brick Market was "Wine, Food and Thou." It was way too deep in the uncanny valley.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyOo1O6Y5vWfxg6oib4PTO_UtvPuDxhI0Z-NBGGQ290YVH2lKmzj-8vpqEZcfVMCO2nOGWUSxGYj7Hy5AYd1oP3AWaHT8fVaFu2gKl12s3UQsH4fZ9EqFxrQbgxo-NzedteOuAKZm2xVnMbkoXKXn4egsYnd_e6yth7GjPXSKhAyFATRyPXXMQa1q/s5184/20230902%2042%20Wine,%20Food%20and%20Thou.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyOo1O6Y5vWfxg6oib4PTO_UtvPuDxhI0Z-NBGGQ290YVH2lKmzj-8vpqEZcfVMCO2nOGWUSxGYj7Hy5AYd1oP3AWaHT8fVaFu2gKl12s3UQsH4fZ9EqFxrQbgxo-NzedteOuAKZm2xVnMbkoXKXn4egsYnd_e6yth7GjPXSKhAyFATRyPXXMQa1q/s320/20230902%2042%20Wine,%20Food%20and%20Thou.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I took a picture of Janice to round things out. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l1tvzaENaZWIishXFRQQo4juWmUQrW_e-FRFYz2YZh6V5LXgBI_0NGJJz5xrt5xPKqORHLL86OuHGxEYNxweh16IhkLZQUg6ToO-fJQ6Ji_NpHdLATH5EuqzGxzShacj0plu-rx8VGpClkTaVz0sjpLP741KVputx6nMm3fK8k-4Py4nFj406QgZ/s5184/20230902%2043%20Janice%20at%20Brick%20Market.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l1tvzaENaZWIishXFRQQo4juWmUQrW_e-FRFYz2YZh6V5LXgBI_0NGJJz5xrt5xPKqORHLL86OuHGxEYNxweh16IhkLZQUg6ToO-fJQ6Ji_NpHdLATH5EuqzGxzShacj0plu-rx8VGpClkTaVz0sjpLP741KVputx6nMm3fK8k-4Py4nFj406QgZ/s320/20230902%2043%20Janice%20at%20Brick%20Market.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Jim held his second "Run What You Brung" ride the following day. I hadn't had Kermit out since the day Janice's battery died the night of a Wednesday ride in mid-July. So I got up early and rode over to Canal Road, where I waited at Suydam for Jim's crew to come rolling down the hill.</div><div><br /></div><div>This time, it seemed that nearly everyone had brought their regular bikes. Until April, Kermit was my regular bike too. Although my back was fine on this no-pace ride, I need to get the stem raised on Kermit too if I want to put him back into regular rotation on rides where I have to push to keep up.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DnZ4TkGHbjN3VOUTd4cAW5ujs0b4GipsZwMupDmDsbVuG49epImjM8pyjQ8vvXNAFmD4Om02ludDvZKErU3HkGeUndQCvdxBNPuU19asIy0Y7tEkKjh180nney61xNO6X6xAcDM4I5mF9Mew7TgFXgL5FgxSgvQ86m70Va5iL4TPmXrv8-VIitPj/s5184/20230903%2001%20Kermit%20at%20Sweet%20Gourmet.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DnZ4TkGHbjN3VOUTd4cAW5ujs0b4GipsZwMupDmDsbVuG49epImjM8pyjQ8vvXNAFmD4Om02ludDvZKErU3HkGeUndQCvdxBNPuU19asIy0Y7tEkKjh180nney61xNO6X6xAcDM4I5mF9Mew7TgFXgL5FgxSgvQ86m70Va5iL4TPmXrv8-VIitPj/s320/20230903%2001%20Kermit%20at%20Sweet%20Gourmet.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We had a mid-week heat wave but I took Miss Piggy to work twice anyway. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tom had been planning a three-day bike trip in Gettysburg. We'd drive out on Sunday and come home Tuesday. He'd even worked it out so that I could get home in time for my evening glassblowing session. With three days of riding followed by four hours of glassblowing on the final day, I opted not to ride on Saturday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our Jeff and I were going to carpool. The plan was to make hotel reservations at the last minute, depending on the weather. As we got closer to the weekend, the forecast worsened. On Friday morning, Tom canceled the trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>I immediately registered for Saturday's Sourland Spectacular. Jim and Our Jeff were already registered. Blob and Pete proposed riding the metric, starting at 7:30. I replied that riding in from home would give me a metric and that I'd be doing the 44-mile route with Our Jeff, Jim, and Elaine starting at 8:00.</div><div><br /></div><div>I woke up at 5:30 a.m. Sunrise was an hour later. There was fog and mist when I left the house at 7:12. I took the most direct route to the Watershed Institute. On Titus Mill, I had a brain fart and couldn't remember if the entrance was on Titus Mill or Wargo. I stayed on Titus Mill and rolled into the gravel parking lot with about 7.5 mies. My glasses were completely misted over. I was already wet from the humidity and sweat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our group consisted of me, Our Jeff, Jim, Elaine, Marc, Mike V, and Fitz. We rolled off into the mist and we stayed close together most of the time. We got separated on Goat Hill. At the top, I managed to get a few pictures of the field across from the intersection with Hewitt.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHUXnPdHaemqlx0qlv1lj6B-aeaKWHY0Vd6sonYkUTlKD9iVmIZte7JRVlvx7_uR-GEeKktcbwhDgWdN8kmSmihnuxCuEtAjtAym3XbAvTsLcFA5uGj0uy-k19p_ovZJFnicbBy9WqVzGVX96HDGz38n-8wJPgWOfcGW50It55kaPrunrMJJMxF0S/s5184/20230909%2001%20Goat%20Hill%20at%20Hewitt.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHUXnPdHaemqlx0qlv1lj6B-aeaKWHY0Vd6sonYkUTlKD9iVmIZte7JRVlvx7_uR-GEeKktcbwhDgWdN8kmSmihnuxCuEtAjtAym3XbAvTsLcFA5uGj0uy-k19p_ovZJFnicbBy9WqVzGVX96HDGz38n-8wJPgWOfcGW50It55kaPrunrMJJMxF0S/s320/20230909%2001%20Goat%20Hill%20at%20Hewitt.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2F-mn24Pu_5gy6r4ury3kO2SNDTctCjaTWDthZvFD-9amKDGRf-eEWJw-a67zJs0OOhlRBxstYeKe5aQi1VWwk4xluXfPqAgiG_KD6aiK9P4fDPLdRCRLI45Tp9pTeYyS46fdUkUjNJO7wj9UeVM7OYJgNZxtuoGgSCJ6mQ3FpOHgo4WCl_JQ-mbS/s5184/20230909%2002%20Goat%20Hill%20at%20Hewitt.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2F-mn24Pu_5gy6r4ury3kO2SNDTctCjaTWDthZvFD-9amKDGRf-eEWJw-a67zJs0OOhlRBxstYeKe5aQi1VWwk4xluXfPqAgiG_KD6aiK9P4fDPLdRCRLI45Tp9pTeYyS46fdUkUjNJO7wj9UeVM7OYJgNZxtuoGgSCJ6mQ3FpOHgo4WCl_JQ-mbS/s320/20230909%2002%20Goat%20Hill%20at%20Hewitt.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdg94wOAa7GnkqzGv5Z27i-mvhm8X7ZcvR0rfZPaTfiKjfa58G0qbqYZUFAEuthmxB9T8bwPOGipdIrODnXm97cV1HbLJFwcdONSsoHGu7VBhgzRjFOwleXMLXDWOe_0png1AQ4mjTz7swYoyQXM0CEgYtBEamx-iAEF5Q-h6FQEeZ48M6ZV-xjzS/s5184/20230909%2003%20Goat%20Hill%20at%20Hewitt.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdg94wOAa7GnkqzGv5Z27i-mvhm8X7ZcvR0rfZPaTfiKjfa58G0qbqYZUFAEuthmxB9T8bwPOGipdIrODnXm97cV1HbLJFwcdONSsoHGu7VBhgzRjFOwleXMLXDWOe_0png1AQ4mjTz7swYoyQXM0CEgYtBEamx-iAEF5Q-h6FQEeZ48M6ZV-xjzS/s320/20230909%2003%20Goat%20Hill%20at%20Hewitt.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The first rest stop was at South Hunterdon High School. With the small crowd milling about the food and water tables and the orange-shirted volunteers hustling, I thought of the time in early 2020, before we really knew what Covid was about, when we all left from our homes and rode by ourselves to the high school, where we sat and ate our bars, 15 feet apart from each other, in the otherwise deserted parking lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had to stop at the top of Mount Airy to take pictures of where the cows usually are.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHBLol9fk_JHXL_3cN00yhtP0_DxtRT7Vpp2pgHIZDK4H8rOXQudsWqWRHRqFBoLhFE7XQ2GduJ3yafF5BBrzqrDwPGwGUI2i1f6Xx0XEyF91h-K6Ldx8TGdxVf6YRKvs9ZILqHJwu251Topy-t-VhjpNqriwyVuQsQhnAyct0vKe9IhpWyaLrIcY/s5184/20230909%2004%20Mount%20Airy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHBLol9fk_JHXL_3cN00yhtP0_DxtRT7Vpp2pgHIZDK4H8rOXQudsWqWRHRqFBoLhFE7XQ2GduJ3yafF5BBrzqrDwPGwGUI2i1f6Xx0XEyF91h-K6Ldx8TGdxVf6YRKvs9ZILqHJwu251Topy-t-VhjpNqriwyVuQsQhnAyct0vKe9IhpWyaLrIcY/s320/20230909%2004%20Mount%20Airy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gvjBjLRdxJOhNdr2q3_5r8nuTYRX4bfClxABc4uW77xeZyCF07Tmk2kXrA66kOli1ANtqoXquyS_7S6_aRkeCvOQlYXszCZzU8ZpZsHi7rZVgEr3wED0F1O9CbUatK_A9dxqXQ7o5wmBESFG9YkkjDtE828S4UkBkHER00VUClmr58j-DzoyQwKz/s5184/20230909%2005%20Mount%20Airy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gvjBjLRdxJOhNdr2q3_5r8nuTYRX4bfClxABc4uW77xeZyCF07Tmk2kXrA66kOli1ANtqoXquyS_7S6_aRkeCvOQlYXszCZzU8ZpZsHi7rZVgEr3wED0F1O9CbUatK_A9dxqXQ7o5wmBESFG9YkkjDtE828S4UkBkHER00VUClmr58j-DzoyQwKz/s320/20230909%2005%20Mount%20Airy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We went up to Sandy Ridge, down to the Green Sergeants covered bridge, up to Sergeantsville, across on Lambert and Dunkard Church, and then up a detour to go around a bridge that was out on Dunkard Church. It has to be said that the thought of trying to cross it anyway did flicker through my mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>We wound our way to Ringoes on Boss Road, and nearly rode past the second rest stop on Old York. By now, I was so wet that water from my hair was dripping into my ears. I had to ask a volunteer for a paper towel to dry off my hearing aids; the bandana I carry was already soaked from cleaning the mist off my glasses and just the humidity in general.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fitz said, "Imagine if the sun were out."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Yeah, that would be so much worse."</div><div><br /></div><div>The sun came out as we left the rest stop.</div><div><br /></div><div>We turned down Dutch Lane, then took Wertsville to Losey and Rocktown. I had to stop partway down Rocktown for photos.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ30GZYZGdDVITDSIQ9e1m3xto6CaQpQQ-XLtp1sBwp5B0OHby9VU_zncEURDraTiOBJDFmi3XWTZiNJeW-E1PtujZPWQ8-jaIvZFzOD3Qkc2ZX-aB4CnK7tSss4bNonDReR-Nb1k_Qz2ChR_XqrTiO-kuvBNvG-Sy0gG7c_E-L_o80pVB1jql9pl/s5184/20230909%2006%20Rocktown%20Road.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ30GZYZGdDVITDSIQ9e1m3xto6CaQpQQ-XLtp1sBwp5B0OHby9VU_zncEURDraTiOBJDFmi3XWTZiNJeW-E1PtujZPWQ8-jaIvZFzOD3Qkc2ZX-aB4CnK7tSss4bNonDReR-Nb1k_Qz2ChR_XqrTiO-kuvBNvG-Sy0gG7c_E-L_o80pVB1jql9pl/s320/20230909%2006%20Rocktown%20Road.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That's Jim on the left.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaVLnejtW99PqIB0BVceIx3X17lxJMyVVrTqRX12JH0STwo7BPvudevZMVudisabg-ygvhGGKawl_SBCAUoHhgIkASIsXCN9Myfd29O2OI7WzdhYXnZX2RqZsX44EA87tX5QLvcjGAnicEPyyGkMxUVtYEptwoeict2sb5l16MpIc7Jo1lyXEIT8T/s5184/20230909%2007%20Rocktown%20Road.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaVLnejtW99PqIB0BVceIx3X17lxJMyVVrTqRX12JH0STwo7BPvudevZMVudisabg-ygvhGGKawl_SBCAUoHhgIkASIsXCN9Myfd29O2OI7WzdhYXnZX2RqZsX44EA87tX5QLvcjGAnicEPyyGkMxUVtYEptwoeict2sb5l16MpIc7Jo1lyXEIT8T/s320/20230909%2007%20Rocktown%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CZ2EflN4lN2QwtzXQgB6OdHrnDkt8VDBiC8bxMBzzJZVo1IXzsQKd-N1D8RgpuHUD_UHWU7IFZzggru25U_cn0uJRegooNZXek3exn91f0cUc5qQsooSY-AorlKUWbnk9xGThqXQXe2yOcpG6iWCcg_7tuRMqt6Bfgx2KKYvOnc8R3wcZffJ09Ie/s5184/20230909%2008%20Rocktown%20Road.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CZ2EflN4lN2QwtzXQgB6OdHrnDkt8VDBiC8bxMBzzJZVo1IXzsQKd-N1D8RgpuHUD_UHWU7IFZzggru25U_cn0uJRegooNZXek3exn91f0cUc5qQsooSY-AorlKUWbnk9xGThqXQXe2yOcpG6iWCcg_7tuRMqt6Bfgx2KKYvOnc8R3wcZffJ09Ie/s320/20230909%2008%20Rocktown%20Road.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At the top of Linvale, we ran into Pete, Blob, Rickety, Luis, and Rocket, who were coming in from Mountain on their metric. I told Blob, "I didn't want to go with you because I didn't want you to have to wait for me."</div><div><br /></div><div>"We'd wait," he said. Then, when we all got started again, his group got ahead and that was the end of that. They were in my sight for the rest of the 8 miles back, but I never was able to close the gap. </div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't stay for lunch. I didn't want to stop that long or eat so much that biking home would be a chore. I had to find a couple of extra miles on the way home to make my ride a metric. I went the long way 'round and came in less than a mile short, with less elevation gain than the real metric folks had, but so what. Close enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, the route was the Sourland's greatest hits: Woosamonsa, Pleasant Valley, Valley, Goat Hill, Rock, Dinosaur Hill, Harbourton-Mt Airy, Mt Airy-Sandy Ridge, Covered Bridge, Lower Creek, Lambert, Dunkard Church, Losey, Rocktown, Linvale, Rileyville, the Joe McBride Memorial Shortcut, Moores Mill-Mt Rose. And it was all for a good cause. The <a href="https://sourland.org/" target="_blank">Sourland Conservancy</a> protects the open spaces we spend so much time pedaling through.</div><div><br /></div><div>The predicted bad weather is catching up with us. On Saturday evening, Jim canceled his Sunday ride.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0