Day 26

Juggled work in and out of warm kilns and finally got everything into #13.

It sat at 85 degrees for most of the afternoon and then I switched it on. Some of the rings, especially 3 big ones, were very wet and had just been turned, so fingers crossed.

Visit from Judith Carswell and her husband, from AVID, en-route to a family wedding.

Did the guided tour. I sometimes feel that I have not done enough work, bit it is only when you show people what you have been doing that the work seems to mount up to quite a bit.

The black tests were promising so I mixed more of two of them. Should have bought some  Rados powder, but bringing small plastic sachets of white powder through customs gave me Schapelle Corby nightmares. Went on a wild goose chase to an art supply shop to try to buy some fixative, but managed to get a clear water-based gum from Officeworks that is similar the the old Stephens Spreader Gum (gum Arabic solution I think).

Googled Rados etc and they are all basically carboxymethyl cellulose or CMC (stupid me) which they already have here, but the students apparently only know it for its glaze suspension qualities, not its drying ability for ease of handling.

Mixed and then started banding them on.

The glaze room, the epitome of organisation.

Had regular Friday lunch with the Archaeologists.
Noticed this gate as I was heading in.

Was talking to Jean more about the Fictitious Culture PhD idea and I said that my intention was to not send Archaeology (and by inference - Lapita) up and not to take the mickey.

Her reply was that "there was a lot of mickey to be taken". Best Quote so far.