Lantern light

Summer and Chinese lanterns go so well together. I've been painting some with birds and flowers, and mixing them up with others and hanging them just outside my front door. It was just about 8:30 last evening when I snapped this picture. Still light out!
I even added some Japanese character handwriting.
We've been in Big Sur and a bit further north for the Mister's birthday. I hope if you haven't been before you can plan a trip here. It really is this beautiful.
And there's a couple of eateries you must try. The best bread, scones and Coffee I've ever had are here,
Just around the bend,
At the Big Sur Bakery. Do yourself a favor and order a scone. They have a wonderful cookbook too.
This is a beautiful porcelain tea light holder, (getting back to lantern light). Its got little raindrops etched in the side and gives off the prettiest glow. Its from Maki, at
http://www.makikohastings.blogspot.co.uk/
and all the proceeds from the sale go to a little village in Japan that is still trying to find its way after the terrible tsunami last year. Maki is going to hand deliver the funds right to the town.
The reverse reads 'The Light of Hope' stamped in.

Hope is a wonderful thing , as Rabbit well knows.
I've started to make little vegetables from porcelain. Radishes and turnips. In lantern light almost everything gets a lovely glow. Even turnips!
We visited a museum that had a rose garden in back.
The kind of painting that can make you weak in the knees. A scene of St. Ives, Cornwall painted by E. Charlton Fortune in the 1920's.
They were getting ready for the Lantern Festival in the Monterey Bay area.

It was a lovely time, but I'm glad to be home. I've got alot of blogs to visit and some recipies to try from the Big Sur Bakery cookbook. The first thing I'm going to try is the scone recipie and I'll tell you how they turn out, and share the recipie with you........thanks so much for all your lovely comments on my bird watcher post!

xxx

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

bird watchers

We are all birdwatchers really. Even if you watch a flock of geese honking across the horizon you are bonafide.

Then there are the binoculars. You know you are a goner when its more important to have a good pair than that new pair of pink shoes you've been longing for.

Here's a guy I saw at San Simeon last week.
Look at these wonderful nests in Zambia, Africa

I don't have those, but I have bluebirds in my garden.

and somewhere there is a dipper that I am going to see soon. That is my dream bird sighting.

They run along the stream, then right underwater looking for water bugs. Sometimes they nest behind waterfalls. Have you seen one?

I once had a bird land on my head and stay for a while. Do you think he thought my hair was good nest material?

Second bird dream: To see the migration of the sandhill crane
I've heard Indiana is one of the best places to see them.

A nest from a friend, it was found abandoned in a tree at San Simeon Ranch. Lined with horsehair and three real eggs.

Have you seen any interesting birds lately?

Don't forget to polish those lenses~

xx

julie

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

sunny side up

Thank you so much for your comments on the hollyhock post! The cup is going to Lynne H., who I will write as soon as I tell you about my promised update.....

I lost a kilnload. The whole thing; there was a miscalculation and the firing went klafooee.

I did have a woe is me moment or two. But I've tossed the pottery in the bin and I'm moving onward.

I do have a small listing of an earlier firing that did turn out; but still I'm setting off today with two others in tow, to Sebastians outdoor restaurant where I plan to have a turkey sandwich to go with my beer, which will be the main course.

And where I plan to do plenty of birdwatching inbetween sips.

xxx

julie

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com