Le Grand Feu

Meir started firing last Friday evening,doubtless to the accompaniment of sundry traditional potters' rituals [Robin,my teacher,used to spit in the kiln for good luck before closing the door],and tomorrow night I hope to join him,after teaching at Tel Hai.My 4 glaze firings are completed-not the most even firings,but everything came out well.Yesterday trimmed a few Seder platesand threw a cake-plate with a [separate]high foot for an order - the last one I tried [in porcelain]warped alarmingly but predictably - this time I'm using a very stiff groggy white stoneware.It'll probably still warp...Also pruned the vine,a job I would enjoy much more if it didn't involve balancing on an unsteady stepladder a long way from the ground.Still,the vine always looks so smart after its haircut,and it's fascinating to see where it is planning to send its ageing sap this year;sometimes it just seems to give up on one branch and put its energy into another one.Fixed the light in the sunroom [more precarious balancing,this time with electricity],a long-overdue task,and sold a slew of pots to a bunch of Spring visitors to the studio.Motti the gas showed up in the afternoon and connected my new lump of a gas-tank,and today I started firing a crystal kiln [two large porcelain sinks,some shallow bowls,some washing-cups].About an hour ago I saw that the kiln was far hotter on the bottom,and,there being no way to juggle with heat distribution in these oxidised firings,decided to turn the kiln off at 1000degs,let it cool,re-adjust the shelves,and fire it again-probably next week,after Meir's Firing.