Counting down

Back in the studio this last week, making pots for (hopefully) Corvallis Fall Festival--and the usual mixed bag of special orders. I had 500 lbs. of clay at the start of the week, so I phoned in an order for another ton. As of Friday, it still hasn't arrived, and I have 10 lbs. left, enough to make some salt and pepper shakers, but not much else.

I did make a bunch of tall mugs and pie plates, and took advantage of fall sunlight to get them dry. I'm also down to four incense dragons, total, in my stock, so I spent a couple of days making twenty more. Wednesday was entirely handle day--between batter bowls, baking dishes, and a set of special orders, I made three dozen of these crock-style handles in all.

The special order? A pair of these. I wouldn't normally consider making them, but they're for a long-time customer, and, frankly, sounded kinda fun. Any idea what they are?

That's right, they're toilet brush holders. To be decorated with bears, in rear view. Bear butts, if you will.

Dog days of summer

We seem to have regressed. Back in masks, every other booth vacant. Add in yellow tint to the sky and a hint of smoke in the air, and you get a day I'd really rather have slept in.

But I came to Market like a good potter; I'd gotten an email last Saturday from someone looking for plates. Told her I was in Silverton, but would be back to Eugene this weekend. So here I am.

She did come and get three dessert plates. And Cara and Jeremy picked up their weekly addition, a salmon soup bowl. Also met a nice couple from Portland, who said they always stopped in to get something whenever they were in Eugene, and today was no different. And then there was the woman who couldn't decide which dinosaur bank to get to accompany her pig--so got both.

Yeah, it was actually a pretty good day.

People were really reasonable about wearing their masks. Maybe a dozen without, all day, but as long as they were on the sidewalk, and not in my booth, I wasn't gonna fuss. Even the little kids would adjust their masks, cover their noses, before coming in to look at the pots.

And speaking of masks, KEZI-TV came down to Market to get a reaction to the outdoor mask mandate, and after getting some background from Market staffer Vanessa, they came next door to talk to... me. Yep, I made the late news Saturday night. You can see the article and the video on their website. Even generally accurate, though I've actually been coming to Market nearly 30 years.

And my masked bear, Bella, even appears.

I have no idea

The things you see at a Saturday Market...

No idea whose van this is, or what the images signify, but the paint job slaps.