Winter and a woodstove

I am still alive and kicking. We are currently in Montreal as winter looms and we still have not installed the Intrepid II wood stove from Vermont Castings. It is such a beautiful little stove and it will allow us to stay longer into the colder times ahead.

And this is the building it will keep warm once we solve some of the many small insulation issues.

I am late, I am late for a very important date, no time to say hello, goodbye... I am late, I am late, I am late.

I feel like the white rabbit these days with the move from city to Gore and then back to the city to glaze and fire. Also doing things in preparation for my niece's upcoming wedding which took me to the land of twilight while trying to be dressed in clothing I have great difficulty in relating to. I have so many deadlines and delivery of work next week I hope I don't forget my own name.

End of the May already!

MAY 2012 just a few days left. Here is a picture of Gary working today with another of his specialized hats (a recycled brown paper bag with famous logo which you see lying everywhere by the roadsides).

We saw this specimen of a skunk cabbage poking through the ground last week. The following is quoted from a botanist's webpage ....

Common wisdom is that skunk cabbage is a stinky, ugly trash plant. Wrong. I have read that the smell comes only from the leaves that only unfold after the flowers are done but that the smell's purpose is to attract pollinating insects. Not possible. It is said that you can eat raw skunk cabbage leaves after boiling; other reports indicate that you'd do better to invite an actual skunk into the kitchen because, then, at least the skunk would (possibly) enjoy the process. We continue to work inside erecting a dividing wall for the bathroom. Here is Gary with his Tom Terrific hat on, allowing him to do the best job ever!

Elements

Arts Morin Heights is having a group exhibition. Saturday is vernissage day. The theme is Elements which I interpret as Earth, Fire, Water, Air or Wind and Space. I made five tiles and using oil paints proceeded to paint the bisqueware. I didn't have enough time to use slips and mason stain so I opted for this approach.

More photos with my Nikon D3100

In the right hands this camera can do a whole lot better but not bad from a newbie.

Evidence that winter is really over

This was the winter that never really packed any punch. Today we could almost drive up the snowbound road. Later this week we will drive up the last 500 feet no more snowshoes.