Trip to the Airport

This week saw us heading out to one of the major cities in our state.

Why did we go? Well, we did not go for the restaurants, or shopping, or museums. We did not attend a conference or other meeting.

We went to the airport.

No, we did not get on a plane. We did not drop anyone off and did not pick anyone up.

DH and his best friend (nearly a brother, co-conspirator in teenage antics, godfather of our son) came up with a plan for a visit. The S family, returning from a trip south, would have a long lay-over at the airport. It would be enough time to clear customs and catch up a bit.

And it was.

We made a sign. The youngsters at 8 and 10 came through the sliding doors and read their name (the grownups recognized us without the sign even though we are all older, heavier and our hair is turning grey).

Our choices for food were vending machines and coffee shop. But we were there to talk - eating was secondary.

We met young JS for the first time and reintroduced ourselves to MS who we last saw as an infant.

Yes. It seemed a crazy plan, but it was a good one.

The escalators were well used. We took the train to their next terminal and bade them a fond farewell. The next trip will need to be longer - with sky and fresh air. For now, this was enough.

How do you find your car at the airport? Take a photo of the sign. It still took us a bit of time as we discovered at least 4 columns with the same information.

Heading home.

We watched them all the way through security.

The stairwell was really amazing...

as was the exit ramp from the parking garage...

as was the sunset.

[Sorry. It is a a fuzzy photo through a dirty windshield, but almost captures this hazy sundown.]

I am not sure what the sailors would say of this sky. Was it the haze from the fires out west? Even so - it was beautiful.

The long road home.

It would not be a "road trip" without a trip to Whataburger. The tray liner no longer has the realistic French fry that I regularly attempt to pick it up. I do not appreciate "foolie" French fries.

Random Weekend Views

It was a busy weekend - technology issues, donations, food, friends, cat sitting and so much more...

Armadillo Clay warehouse - I felt faint or giddy or both!

This is NOT DH's car. He got a kick out of the bumper sticker on his car's clone.

OK. I collect hundetoilette graphics.

No. I did not take a bag.

Old radio and TV tubes...very cool.

Odd little restaurant on Burnet Road - Fork and Taco.

Watermelon salad with jicima and cilantro

Taco of um...not sure. Salad was a fabulous apple, celery, and other stuff amazing thing.

We found our favorite clematis - old man's beard - on a traffic island.

Then we passed this mass of old mans beard vines on a fence.

Camera display at a junk store (yeah, I found the "NO PHOTOS" sign on the way out). OK. Am I the only one who thinks they were looking at me?

LOVED this bottle.

One can never go wrong with an outfit trimmed in rickrack! [OK. I KNOW these guys were looking at me.]

My children often took photos like this. So I snapped it.

At my next house.

DH and a redhead share the bench.

Love zinnias - Dad always planted them.

Dia de los muertos window display.

Dia de los patos window display

DH and I never go to bars anymore, but we did with friends. I had to grab a profile with the electric heart.

A friend's "buy of the day" was this small toucan creamer.

Modern totem poles

I love them.

Perhaps should call them temporary totems.

At home the schoolhouse lilies felt the rain last week and know tomorrow is the first day of school. Time to bloom!

Found this egg on the ground.

Never saw the nest, but of course I looked (egg was cracked, so no attempt to save).

Dissed by the cat.

"Go away - you bother me!"

"What's that smell?"

"It's you! You smell!"

"I do not want to socialize. Go away, I say."

I ended the day loading up the car with clay and tools and a couple of buckets for glaze supplies (ashes - I think I know a friendly barbecue joint).

Weird day - flashing lights, insects, mud, and a bookmark

EARLY:

We started right - rising at 5:30 to walk dogs and get on with the day.

DH has found so many interesting things as he sorts and clears 25-35 years of his "stuff."* Among the "keepers" are these odd lights that must be for runners, hikers, and (just maybe) dog walkers! Paddy got the green one, Scruff the red. And we headed out for a walk in the dark.

I have no idea why the photo "took" like this.

Two dogs wrestle with a shrub.

Well, that must smell interesting.

DH holds tight to coffee mug.

I love how expressive Labby ears are. I think she is "hearing" a dog across the street.

We managed to navigate our way around the trash cans looming like monsters in the dark.

Running man arrived in the park to grab the attention of the pups.

The cold front was in and just cooling down things a bit. It was still a sweaty walk and we stopped for a "bag of water"** before heading home.

The cloud blanket kept us from enjoying the sunrise, but gave us a hope of rain later in the day.

Midday found one walker observing the beetles...

These beetles have the run of the barn in the summer. Some years they wander the floors in such numbers that it is impossible not to run over a few. I have also found them clogging the sinks - looking for water.

Today this guy just walked back and forth dragging a tiny dust bunny behind him.

I dragged nothing behind. It was a "set up" day - get paperwork completed, research, plan, spend a little time in the clay, clean up, and prepare for next week. Then I made a quick change into my old costume,*** brushed off the stray clay dust, and headed to the farewell reception for retirees.

There was a good turnout to say goodbye - laughter and tears, sighs of relief, handshakes and hugs.****

And the rain poured down.


NOTES:

* 25 years if you are counting the time we have lived in this house/35 years if you count the number of years we have been together. He is making huge progress. I am just starting.

** Years ago I would hunt around for a stray cup to cool the pups off on a long walk (when I forgot to bring a bottle of water. Now I just use a clean hundetoilette bag. They are perfect to provide a deep drink.

***Yeah, I have 7 pairs of black pants. So far I have kept enough for the occasional thing.

****And a plaque and engraved bookmark (the bookmark seems most appropriate). I started working (per my pay check) there in 1996. This plaque says I started in 2002. New math, right? But the magic is in the way the retirement calculators work. That is all that matters.

How did I retire so young? Well, thanks for asking - Four years with a city + four years with the state + 19 years (for retirement purposes) with the college = 27 years of service. 27+ my young age = 80 (actually more than a few years over 80). So I reached retirement age in my mid-50s.

Now they pay me for breathing and I pay them back tuition to play in the mud. Seems a good deal.

I have always laughed at these plaques - what do people do with them? The college has given me two 10 year plaques over the years (Why? I have no idea. I give them to a woodworker to recycle the wood. I will need to move this one along too).

But I have read quite a few books since retirement (yes, I have a list so I don't forget)...I will put that bookmark to good use.

Back to the barn

The clay has been waiting for me all summer.

It and I had to wait a little longer while I went through the PROCESS. I paid my tuition, got my "student" parking sticker, and started the "access" paperwork which gives me time in the barn outside of class. It has become essential to this girl who occasionally wants quiet and room to spread out a project.

I am way behind on the dove project* and have another couple of projects added to the list. There is a fund raiser in November (I plan some covered jars**) and I will be researching glazes this semester.

So, it is time to make a schedule to make sure all the "gottas"*** are taken care of.

A few former Belton high students were in line with me at the cashiers' office. I couldn't help myself - they got a pep talk (and I might have looked at a schedule). Talk about some lovely young men - very excited! And then it was back to the barn.

People say that a break from throwing is good. When you sit back down at the wheel you will be surprised that throwing is easier, your skills now part of "muscle memory." Um, maybe, maybe. I used "used" clay. It is sometimes harder to throw. I found chunks of something - rocks, metal, whatever - as I threw. It stopped me cold and I pulled out what I could before proceeding. There is no muscle memory for that.

I am home now. Twenty-seven doves are drying. Thirteen other doves are are waiting for me to fill the kiln. That will take some time. Two jar-ish containers are waiting for trimming and lids. So, tomorrow - lids and more birds.

NOTES:

*Details on "A Salvation of Doves" can be found here - http://artofpeacefestival.com/13.html

2015 dove, maybe. It all depends on the kiln.

25+ doves drying. I need 100.

** Last work from spring 2015:

Waiting to fire.

Small, but it was the first.

And like the first child, there are loads of photos of this one.

Not a bad start (or end, as it was).

The blue blotch - the God spot. Another piece dripped on mine in the glaze kiln.

*** DH and I have fretted over the "gottas" for 35 years. These are those nagging things you must do. No, not basic eating & sleeping, but EVERYTHING else you "gotta" do. My list is a little longer now, but I hope I will organize better. We have both spent months "doin' nuthin'." We figured we owed ourselves some time to just be. We are slowly coming out of it -- Okay. I am slowly coming out of it.

DH has been working hard clearing 25 years of HIS stuff. He has a way to go. I have just started. But in the great scheme of things, it is "barely" started.