Today is one of those big ones age wise.....

Thought I would quickly go down to my favourite place today and take some photos to add to the morning pictures of family and gifts for my big 60!    We have had some blustery weather and many trees toppling under the onslaught.   The little stand of beach paperbarks are slowly secumbing to the pounding waves despite their huge lateral roots clinging to the sand.  There was safety in numbers and the entertwining root systems held them together but last year's huge tides and rough weather broke this combined force and they are slowly falling prey to the ocean's fury.   We are all part of this ever changing world - how lucky am I to have had 60 years of living and a great family to share it with.

Working......

Michael Kline's 12 to 12 plus walking here
finally got some hands dirty. Little hands also made their first pot. Now I have to get down to business and stop procrastinating. Yesterday was a dry day so all pots are trimmed and a few jugs even have handles but today is different - humid and the odd shower - am I looking for excuses here?

Nature is full of surprises - tucked away amongst the paperbark roots was this multi-coloured mangroove seed (I have never seen one with such a varied palette), standing tall while its mates were gathered on the high tide line in a jumbled mass.

Not a lot of pots

Life takes twists and turns and we never quite know what is in store. Pots have been few - I like to think this will change as the mud in my veins nourishes the soul and I have missed it.
This was my morning beach scene - for those who have followed my ramblings there is a noticeable change to the paperbarks. We have had higher than normal tides and strong winds as a cyclone was lurking in the lower gulf. The waves are a powerful force on these beautiful trees with their entangled root systems so many suffered in the onslaught........

and this was the tide and wind in action on the first day and the paperbarks had to weather another full day of the forces of nature with a second huge tide.

For all those potters out there - the band of kaolin has been exposed during the monsoonal weather. Large chunks lie amongst the rocks so I think some of these pieces will find their way back with me. A shino with this kaolin is salt and iron laden so gives interesting hues.
Dusk often draws Midnight and I back down to catch the last glimmers of light across the ocean.
The cacophony created by hundreds of frogs is incredible and these pools are filled with tadpoles.
I have a few more dillies - these were thrown before life became tangled - weaving in another direction!
And this bowl is one of those gems from a firing - images don't do them justice and they are always hard to part with.
And finally I did make a little batch of porcelain using the local kaolin - didn't stir or age - but couldn't wait so threw these pieces after 2 weeks. Of course its not translucent but its a wonderful throwing body and I love the results so now I have a bin which is being stirred several times a day and will sit for at least 2 months. I plan a few more smaller test batches to see if I can get a translucent body - my usual fly by the seat of my pants changes. Its still great to have an affordable local workeable body.

A day in clay!

This was yesterday's morning treat - the cormorants coming to land followed by several white egrets - a stunning sight in the early morning light I never get tired of. There has been a lot of bait around so the word must go round in the birdworld that a feast is to be had if you get in early.
Putts Palm's waterhole is shrinking and the outer edges have dried so it didn't take much for the fire to take hold. All night the air was smoke filled and this morning the town was covered in a smokey haze. Fires are a problem this time of year and I expect the beach to soon suffer the same fate.

At least the paperbarks on the edge of the waterhole managed to resist the leaping flames - it was still smoldering all along the outer edges when I took these photos this afternoon so a few of the smaller trees will not survive.

And here is the work for the day. With this hot weather the clay dries out really quickly so I can trim a few hours after throwing. I must say I am over the recycled clay but I have to stick with it and try and get rid of it all but it makes the process a lengthy one as I pull it out of the buckets and allow the dry air to do its work then the wedging and adding local clay takes ages. The dogs hate the sudden bangs as I work away at deairing. Bowls and beakers are loosening up the bones so another few days and I can have a change of clay and work on something a bit more creative. Don't get me wrong, I love bowls and have added the odd scratch here and there with my the trusty shells, marks to grab the bauxite and shino in the glaze process later on. After the break I have had from clay I know I need a good week working solidly to get in clay mode and start throwing the odd something special.
A walk on the beach alone after work was called for. The dogs were given a bone as enticement to stay home and I slipped away to walk and savour the sunset with not another soul on the beach. The soft coral I use for my handles is coming ashore with seaweed attachments and this one sits wedged in the sand catching the dying sun.
A fitting end to the day!

Work at last

The house is very quiet - seems so strange. Mum and Dad have returned home to the cooler southern temperatures. Time slips by when you are having fun with all the family.
The two little boys are growing - still keeping parents awake at night - this is why its so nice to be a grandparent - we can get a decent sleep!Finally got my hands in clay and it feels soooo.... good - working with recycled clay so lots of wedging which is a bit of a pain but its a start and sometimes the starting part is the hardest of all after a long break. Need another day to loosen up and then maybe I will get the porcelain out and do some more refined work. Had a few breaks, one for a snake of all things. The dogs decided a tree snake was fair game and poor snake succumbed before I could rescue it from three relentless pursuers. I am not a lover of snakes but if I know they are non-venomous I am happy to share my yard. The Torres Strait pigeons have arrived and their distinctive call is a beautiful wake-up sound and a reminder the 'wet' is not too far away and I have a shed to build!
I sent a dilly off to the city - I am sure it will stand tall and proud in its new abode. The paperbarks last night had the wonderful sun tinged hue and I was almost tempted to run back home and bring some of the porcelain pieces down for a sitting. I love this little stand at the end of the beach with its tangled roots making perfect seats to enjoy the setting sun.
This little insignificant bubble caught my eye as I walked the beach doing my usual eyes down to catch life in miniature along the foreshore. This was no bigger than my nail but it must be one of the first box jellyfish to come in on the tide - I won't be putting my feet in the water from now on as this little bubble packs quite a punch. November seems to be their month so this one took me by surprise. Now I haven't had time to mention the frogs from the last wet season - they are still hatching and hopefully by the start of the monsoons they will all be gone. I wonder how many have survived the garden and one of the large resident frogs living in my pot. They seem to wait for nightfall to make their escape so perhaps a few will add to the cacophony of calls when the storms begin.