Time to lock myself into the barn...but first....

It's a rerun, in a way.

My work in the barn is a continuation of a long term project. And I am behind. I have less than two weeks to complete and have been distracted and derailed a bit. But I am getting closer. And I do love a good long weekend that will allow me to spread out and clean up only on the last day. No duplication of effort.

But there is an issue of keys. Where once I could let myself in and out - coming and going at will, now I must have a "pass." Still, I have access. That's the point.

For a full day of work, I must bring food and drink to last. There can be no running to the corner store. Once locked in I stay put until time to call it a day.

So I stopped for breakfast and a big drink. And, because my brother posted a photo of fall wildflowers, it was late enough in the day to avoid dove hunters, and I have been longing to see the wilderness, I drove to the wildlife area.

I suppose I should add that I avoid the place during the hot and snaky days of summer. I have a healthy respect for snakes, and snakes we do have. They enjoy the relative cool of mornings and evenings. So, I do not wander the prairie in the summer. I limit my walks to neighborhood sidewalks and well mowed parks.

There were three vehicles at the western entrance to the area. No one was visiting the eastern side, but me.

I stepped through the gate and immediately saw the eryngo* were blooming. I had seen "snow on the prairie" in a large field on my drive. A number of plants were blooming just past the gate. I had been curious about the differences in "snow on the mountain" and "snow on the prairie." I hadn't been able to tell from the photos in wildflower books. I can tell that the "petals"* on the prairie plant are longer and thinner.

It looks like they are just starting to bloom. I have never watched this - never seen the green immature bloom (upper right). Before long there will be great swaths of this plant. It is beautiful, but a menace - spiky when fresh - a hazard when dry.

Bits of snow on the prairie

Sad little plant - some are very tall and full.

Blooms are the tiny white and yellow flowers. The bi-color long petal-like things are leaves.

More eryngo.

Yucca seed pods.

They are still full. Do I harvest a few and see if I can grow them?

Mesquite beans ready to harvest if anyone wants jelly. I suspect it is something I will leave for another day/year.

Hunters are out and leaving trash and expended shells everywhere. Must bring trash bags.

I sat at the gate and ate my breakfast and then headed to the barn.

Looking through the "drive through" gate. It is chained and padlocked.

First thing, I jammed the slab roller. Yes, I have done this before (7-14-13 - another post in another blog). No, I wasn't in a hurry. No, I don't know why it happened, but having done it before I know how to fix it.

Looking up. I should have had protective goggles. Little bits of clay kept falling on me.

Irritated. So I worked on doves.

Interesting view from the floor. Lots of legs in the empty studio.

The arm on the slab roller sent a big message. It is the "not" symbol. So I did NOT use the roller any more today.

It is a fairly easy process. Lay on your back on the concrete floor and remove the bolts for the table top. Remove the canvas. Put the bolts back in. Get up off the floor. Don't do it again.

Do other things while you debate whether or not you want to try the slab roller again. I decided once on the floor was enough for today. So, I worked on things in progress and stayed away from the roller.

It was a good and productive day. Glaze kiln is firing tonight. 30 doves are ready to go in tomorrow. I should be done in time if the silly things will just glaze correctly. If not, well, I will figure something out.

Stay tuned. Walker vs. the Slab Roller III in the morning.

NOTES:

* I know I have talked about eryngo before. This is the first place I remember seeing them bloom. They are not (as far as I know) one of my mother's favorites, but maybe they should be - so like thistles. I always have to look up how to spell the name since they are "new to me" and it is not a name that comes easily to mind.

**Actually, they are not petals, they are leaves. Once again, snow on the prairie and snow on the mountain are new to me in the past few years. The master gardener at work cultivated one a few years ago - turning it into a good sized shrub/small tree. Then I saw them everywhere during a fall trip to the river. And, now that I hunt down fall wildflowers, I see them here.