Here are a couple of new bowls.. not crazy about the glazing results.. :( But I'm learning.

One of the first plates I made cracked because I didn't compress it enough. Compressing is the process of pressing out from the center of the plate and back in as you throw the plate, to eliminate any air pockets. If it's not compressed, the pressures caused during the drying process can destroy pots. Plates are highly susceptible to this problem. The thing is, when they crack, it's usually in an S-shape. I think these S-Shapes are pretty good looking. This plate broke in two with a nice S-shape. Then a section of the rim broke off while I was handling it post-bisque. So, with this plate I decided to Raku fire the component parts and mount them. After the Raku firing, the section you see on the bottom broke off when I put the hot plate in water to cool it. Here are the results.

Another weekend, another great hike. This trail is literally called "666", and I don't know why. The good news is that there were no recorded encounters with beelzebub. The only hellish component was the one hour steep uphill climb that you start the hike with. For the first time this season, the packed snow and ice was a factor, but it was a small one. We really enjoyed the falls 2/3rds or more of the way up. I think they were called Jasmine Falls, but there was not really a good vantage point to get pics with my (pathetic) cell phone camera.