automatically. All I do is start the exhaust fan and take an electric meter reading. Jo keeps track of how many KW are used for each firing.Jo's been putting off this firing for a couple of days because thunderstorms were in our weather forecast. Losing electricity at the wrong time could ruin this load of pots. Rain continues in our forecast, but the chance of storms looks small, so she decided to risk the firing tonight.
3:00 AM: Went back over to the studio and closed the lid on Jo's kiln. During the early part of the firing the lid is left open slightly so that the fumes emitted by the glazes as they heat can escape.
The rain has stopped again for the time being.
Pandorus Sphinx Moth posted on Nature in the Ozarks.
4:00 AM: Bedtime. Jo washed the dogs' bedding, but our rain and overcast skies prevented it from getting dry. Jo substituted an old towel inside the dogs' crates. Our problem child, Bucket, didn't want to go the bed because the old towel did not meet with her approval. 70º
10:00 AM: Light rain and drizzle continue. Another .9" of rain in the gauge since this time yesterday. That makes a total of 2.4" since this session of rain began. 73º
10:45 AM: OMG! The sun just broke through the clouds, a very brief glimpse of sunshine.
Noon: That bit of sunshine earlier was just a tease, and not even very much of one of those. Have seen no more sun.
Kiln fired okay. Jo is holding it at upper temperature for a while and then will slowly reduce the temperature before letting the kiln begin fully cooling.
2:00 PM: This could be just another tease, but the sun really seems to be breaking through the clouds now.
3:00 PM: Another very brief shower followed by the sun again. Our temperature is slowly beginning to climb and it's getting a little steamy.
5:00 PM: Skies continuing on a trend toward partly cloudy. Took our afternoon walk up to the gate. Non-threatening enough that I took the camera along. I'm glad I did because we found a terrific dung pile just teeming with insect life.
7:00 PM: Jo made a trip up to the main county road. She'd ordered a pair of shoes that were being shipped via UPS. The UPS tracking site said they'd been delivered, but we hadn't receive the package. That generally means that the UPS driver has left the package with our neighbors instead of bringing it all the way down to the house. Sure enough, Jo's package was at the B's house.
The B's also had a stray dog they were trying to find a good home for. It was a long-haired dachshund, not your typical country stray. Jo said it was very cute. I'm sure it was, but Jo knows as well as I that with our two dogs we already have about one-and-a-half dogs too many.
The dogs' bedding hanging out on the porch finally got dry today. I'm sure Bucket will be glad to have her crate furnished more to her liking tonight.
