I was looking forward to getting Kate McKinnon's book on Sculptural Metal Clay but was also a little apprehensive.  The ring on the cover was light years away from my level of expertise and I figured it might be a good read and something to think about in the future.  Not!  McKinnon teaches the little things that will lead to the big things and I learned more from this book (and the attached video) than I have from any of the beginner books on metal clay. 
Her enthusiasm is contagious and the kiln is back on the must have list.
I'd recommend this book to anyone with any experience or interest in metal clay - I couldn't put it down.

Oh, Glorious Day! I played hooky!

Canada Day!  It dawned clear, sunny and just the perfect temperature.  I threw a load of laundry in the washer, made a run to ADL for some emergency ice cream for the store, went upstairs and sat virtuously at my computer doing my (very behind) books.  I was going to ignore the sunshine and get caught up, right?  Not.  The phone rang and it was my friend Charles down the street.  Last week he bought a bigger and better fishing boat and had to take it from Borden to Summerside - his parents and some other friends were making the trip, did I want to come?  Oh no, Charles, I'd rather sit crosseyed at my computer on such a beautiful day.
No purse, no cell phone, just a cooler full of water and pop and the nicest day I've spent since Anne and I went lobster fishing with Charles and his brother two years ago.  My pictures got a little fuzzy with the movement of the boat and the salt spray on the camera, but here's a little slice of my day:

These shots are of the Confederation Bridge, the longest bridge in the world over ice-covered waters. 
Eight miles long, costing a billion dollars.  Four years in the making, with over 5,000 workers, it opened in 1997.

Doesn't look very big from below, does it?

Beautiful, graceful curves.

Approaching the Seacow Head Lighthouse.  A spring storm and excessively high tides created a storm surge that ate away a lot more of our shrinking island.

As long as there are cliffs, there will be boys who need to jump off of them. 

I want to be back on the boat!

Charles' father John, his amazing mustache and his wife Rhoda Mary's newest child, Tiffany.  John fished all his life and is supposedly retired but he spends most of his time working on his pleasure boat or Charles' fishing boat.  Possibly so that he doesn't have to hold Tiffany.

It pulls at my soul.

We took a little tour through the Summerside Yacht Club.  Lots of people on the boardwalk and they were more excited to see a real fishing boat than admire the millions of dollars tied up at the club's wharf.

Just before we docked, we cruised past the Canadian Coast Guard vessel, a perfect ending of red and white on this Canada Day.
The display of electronics on the boat was impressive and the boys spoke in awe of the amount of horsepower this ship could boast.  

Did I say I didn't want to come home? 

Someday......