Mango Season is Here!

Just thought you would be interested... looks like a great season for mangos this year!  Lots of them on every tree, with some trees ripening already and some just putting on little green ones.

The first ripe tree I've seen so far.

Even the chickens like these!

This is the size where most of the mangos get eaten.  The people here mix tabasco and salt, dip, and eat these while still very sour and crunchy hard.  Another favorite is to cut them in strips and pickle them in vinegar and tabasco.  Nice hot pickled mango!  I still prefer them ripe... but then I'm strange.

Fire and earth...

Weeeelllll, back to the drawing board.  Did a pit firing last night.  Put in the two coil pots down on some stuff to make good coals.  I had wrapped them in foil to keep some seaweed tightly wrapped around them.  I was trying to get the salts to give me some color.  It was a real nice fire, and the coals lasted well into the night, so I uncovered it this morning to find .... nothing.  Better luck next time I guess.

Too hot too fast?  Maybe I should have put them in the oven at 350 degrees for a while before firing.  They have been sitting outside on a shelf for two weeks, exposed to the breeze - and the 90+ % humidity...

Oh well, try again.

Comments?

13'N 144'E

For those of you who have never been here, or actually seen any pictures of my home, I thought I would provide and arial view of my island home.

Keep in mind this was taken from about 10,000 feet in the air.  The island is approximately 35 miles from the top of the picture to the bottom, and about 8 miles across at the widest point.  We do have tropical jungle, grasslands, mountains, and (as you can see at the bottom of the picture) a nice coral ringed lagoon.  The coral reefs surround the island, and provide some protection from heavy surf conditions during typhoons.  If you would like to see my photo albums of my hikes around the island, let me know, and I will send you a link to go view my photobucket account.  Hope you all have a great weekend, and Happy Mudding!

Black 'n Blue

I was going through some boxes last night, doing an inventory for a possible senior show for college.  I came across this item, which for some odd reason, was never photographed!  I did the interior in a floating blue, and the band on the outside is a cobalt stain mixed in a good ^6 clear glaze.  That blue band has a slightly rough texture to it to give you a good grip on the cup.  After waxing that band, I dipped the outside in a nice Licorice.  Tell me what you think....

Ready for bisque

Well, it's not six pieces, but it's a start!  Finally grabbed some time the last couple of days and did two coil bowls.  It reminded me of why I like the wheel so much!  I am not really patient enough to do nothing but handbuilds.  It seemed to drag on and on.  I  really need to find a wheel!  
       I built these out of Half and Half, which should help give it strength - even if pit fired.

       I want to seal them in foil for the bisque, and seal them again in foil with the seaweed and some copper shavings for the final pit.  I plan on using some local pine, and some creosote treated wood for the second firing to get it much hotter.  Hopefully several layers of foil will keep out the black from the fire.

Beach Time!

Took the 15 yr old middle grandson to the beach yesterday morning to collect some seaweed.  Thought I would try it in an aluminum foil sagger to see what happens.  While there, I thought you all might like to see what the weather was like here yesterday.  The breeze was blowin pretty good so it sounds kind of loud in the mic. - sorry 'bout that.  Enjoy!