Flashback

Tomorrow we head to WF for the HHH. There is a big trade show – lots of bicycle stuff at the MPEC – lots of bicycle people from all over the world. It is very interesting and fun – especially if you like people watching. They serve beer too. Later in the evening there is a pasta dinner, but we were thinking of heating up lasagna at Mom’s house. Everyone carbs up for the big ride.

I’m really looking forward to this year’s ride for several reasons. One of the reasons is that it sort of signals the end of summer for me. I am ready for things to cool off so that we can work on the house. I’m also ready to start my younger art classes back up. Yesterday was my first Wed in over a year that I have not painted with the Ladies. While I missed them, I did feel freedom. And I needed that. Having that extra day will hopefully make me feel better about my classes – "my classes" being the key. I want to avoid spreading myself thin doing art for others. Maybe that sounds selfish, but there it is.

Yesterday, Jes and I glaze fired our pots. Once the kiln turned off, I was itchin’ to open it up and look inside, but it was way too hot. Before bed, Jesse did peek in and said there was lots of color. Yeha! I will go have a look-see this morning. We are already rubbing our hands together at the thought of throwing more pots and buying more glazes. UDATE: Jes and I walked out to the barn and took the glazed pots out of the kiln. The colors were great – mostly. There was one "bronze patina" that was a bit boring. Jes is going to take photos later, and I will post some then.

Since working on the house, I have had this flashback that I will try to share with you. Most of you know that my dad was a school principal, but in the summers he was a carpenter. One summer he built a little house in Red River at the end of High Street where the road meets the Pass. Back then there were no other houses on that end of the street except for Col. Johnson’s log house on the side of the mountain hidden in the trees. I would bet people still don’t know the Johnson cabin, which was very cool. Anyway, Dad was building our cabin at the base of the mountain. When it came time to put up rafters or trusses, Dad had planned on making a loft – not really a second floor, but sort of. So he needed a tall pitch in the roof. Now most carpenters would have figured out the pitch mathematically and built it on the ground setting it up on the walls after it was built, but not Dad. That summer he had Billy Addison helping him. I think Billy was probably about 16 years old, but was over 6’ tall (Dad was 5’9"). I remember Dad and Billy standing on the walls of the house with Billy holding up two boards over his head – as high as he could – like a large A – while Dad reached way up and nailed the boards together. As a kid, I did not realize the craziness of this move, nor the danger, but I do remember Dad and Billy laughing as they struggled to get the high pitch of the house, balanced precariously on the walls. And we all lived to tell about it and have other memories of building with Dad. That house was eventually bought by the Gills and moved behind the old Texas Red’s.