springsnow

vernal equinox came with beating winds, full moon and high tides. ditches are full. the morning’s snow added to the waterlog.

earlier this week I found a casualty of the harsh weather – a young kestrel flew out of the hedge into the path of the dogs and lay there on his back, one wing raised, beak open and talons ready in defence, eyes glaring. thinking he had a broken wing, I picked him up with my down jacket (if the head is in the dark birds are usually quite passive) and got him into a cardboard box at home. the local Hawk and Owl Trust are only a couple of miles away, they found him all in one piece but starving, so took him off for feeding up in a big aviary. I am going to release him when he’s ready, so I hope to have some photos of that later.

the sheep with very tiny lambs arrived in the paddock behind my house this week …

sheepandlambs.jpg

there are two old pony shelters in there and the first day there was much calling as babies were in the shelters away from the rough weather. I am sure they were cold and wet this morning.

lambsinsnow.jpg

my early cowslips looked a bit surprised too …

primrosesinsnow.jpg

briefly everything looked very pretty, with about half an inch of fluffy snow icing on every branch, flower and budding leaf. by midday it was all liquifying and dripping everywhere. snowicinghazel.jpg

green took over from the white.

lambsinmeltingsnow.jpg

this week I noticed how many plants are showing green leaves suddenly, in my garden. the montana, the dog roses, the wild clematis, honeysuckle and buddleia are all sprouting inch long or more new growth. (I have yet to prune the buddleia).

more pots have been sprouting too.

newpots.jpg

I am fighting this magma crank clay … it is much too well-behaved and refuses to split or crack. perhaps I should moisturise and wedge up the two buckets full of reclaim stuff I have, I think it would be more flexible. however, I came up with this

newpot2.jpg

and this

latestpot.jpg

yesterday, the first an attempt to work the vase shape from the smaller ones as a more massive and monumental piece, and the second a tried and tested shape, both crank layered with the smoother S&T material which fires to a beautiful smooth ivory. maybe the first one needs a bit more doing to it – like the combing on the tall blue-black topped piece (now sold).

3 Comments

  1. Kestrel is a beautiful bird. Good for you for saving it from starvation.

    Seems like pots making?/burning?/shaping means perpetual experimentation.

  2. yes, and that’s the joy, the perpetual journey! arriving is no fun. do you find the same with writing? a need to experiment … and when the book is finished rather than a feeling of completeness a need to start the next – and do it better, and differently?

  3. Can’t wait for kestrel pics!!
    So interesting to compare your attempts to put cracks in your pots and how that’s like whatever it is that’s putting cracks in those trees you saw in the roe deer woods.

    xoxoxo

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.