It’s so good to be able to take a walk at the end of Burrard Inlet. Alan and I watched the last of the salmon drifting in Noon’s Creek, having completed their epic journey. The creek was roaring down from the mountain after serious rain the day before.

I thought I’d just get another kiln load made and fired before Christmas. There are 18 new pieces plus 4 plates that Eric has painted so I’m loading the kiln this afternoon while it is not raining. But, oh no! here’s an email from the airport Crafthouse wanting 8 more now. Only 5 that I have ready to fire are the size they like. Back to the wheel..

We thought we’d get a new tub and sink in our main bathroom and that we’d have tiles installed around the tub. I did that job 30 years ago and feel that someone else, younger and more agile can do it for me this time. But who knew it would take 3 weeks? It’s amazing how hard it is to concentrate on studio work when there’s work being done in the house, over one’s head, or no-one has shown up today! When the old tub surround was removed we found the original wall-paper from 1914!

A beautiful Pileated Woodpecker showed up at the suet feeder yesterday. He is the inspiration for my Woodpecker jugbird. For the firing I plan for the next few days I made some of those and another of the other ones I make, the Red-Breasted Sapsucker. The red is so intense and I do enjoy making the swooping lines on the body. Whether or not it is recognizable as that particular bird doesn’t really matter. The original RB Sapsucker from my ‘Ornithikos’ show at Gallery of BC Ceramics in 2003 now lives in Portland, Oregon. It’s fun to imagine where all the birds have flown to.

I’ll post photos next week of the new jugbirds. There is a large Western Bluebird.