A new dragon by Gary Rith

 My Gary Rith dragon arrived on Monday! I'm so thrilled. Tuesday's coffee will be imbibed from the lips of the mug, while dragon looks on from the handle. Isn't she cute?

Thanks a lot, Gary, for creating this charming mug!

A complete surprise was the little tail on the other side of the mug!

Here's his Etsy shop if you are looking for some unique and charming pottery.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Rith?ref=l2-about-shopname&from_page=listing

Today's quote:

In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary. -Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (1880-1966)

New little dragon has joined the family

 

Dragon number 4

Number 3 and 4 sided by side. Dragon No. 3 is actually a Dra-duck-gon. I made that up.

Size doesn't matter until they sit next to one another!

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Yesterday morning was apparently pyramid day. Look at this chart showing how the great pyramid was structured...which appeared at the top of my Facebook page today!

And then my newsletter, Open Culture brought an interesting article about the Grateful Dead playing at the pyramid and near the sphinx. No coincidences are there? Well they gave 3 clips on YouTube of the Dead playing...which of course I'm listening to right now. These recordings are great, much better than my many-times-copied cassette tapes of the 70s. I haven't ever been to a Dead concert, so I guess I'm not a real Deadhead, but I do enjoy their music.

In September of 1978, the Grateful Dead traveled to Egypt and played three shows at the Great Pyramid of Giza, with the Great Sphinx looking over their shoulders.

Logistically speaking, the concerts weren’t the easiest to stage. Rolling Stone reported that an “equipment truck got stuck in sand and had to be towed by camels.” Because the electricity in Egypt was an “a winkin’, blinkin’ affair,” Bob Weir later recalled, the jetlagged band had difficulties recording the first of the three shows. But, as with most adventures, the inconveniences were offset by the wondrous nature of the experience.

Here I shared..."the Dead performing “Ollin Arageed,” with Egyptian oudist Hamza el-Din and other local musicians, before seguing into “Fire on the Mountain.” The clip gives you a good feel for the awe-inspiring scene. Just above, we have a longer playlist of performances that took place on September 16, 1978 — the same night there was a lunar eclipse. The complete 9/16/78 show can be streamed on Archive.org, as can the shows from 9/14 and 9/15. A 2CD/1 DVD package (Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978) captures the Dead’s visit and can be purchased online. 

Today's quote:

Dragons be all around these days!

 Not sure where this first flying one came from into Facebook-land ... but what a gorgeous view.

Someone was very creative to make these dragon bookends.

My friend and fellow potter, Gary Rith made a dragon mug, and one with a unicorn!

I just put my 5th little one into the kiln with glaze on her. No. 6 is waiting to bisque. I haven't felt quite up to creating in clay for the last week or so. I have some big ideas stewing in my mind however!

I've always loved the Bosch detective stories, and listening to this one again has been enjoyable. I can stop the story any time my coughing interferes with the story. Incidentally, no dragons were harmed in the making of this book...indeed they are simply a reference to the Triad gangs from China. Those people were violent!

Dare I share dragons with Eileen's Saturday's Critters?

Hope you have a great week ahead!

Today's quote:

The history of the Universe has been summed up thusly:

"Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas, which, given enough time, turns into people."

—John P. Wiley Jr.

(quoting Edward R. Harrison)

Not the heat

 

I feel like a dragon girl today. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, in a way. Paying attention to political situations, volcanoes, and now focused on relatives living in Texas, hoping they and their homes are safe with Beryl coming through right now.

And not blogging but doing more health related things (like actually some cardio workout from videos yesterday, and plans to do some today too!)

Thinking about more relatives, my oldest son has COVID and my ex went to hospital overnight with breathing problems. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't made Sunday calls to all 3 sons...it may be a good thing to have for a habit.

Staying indoors as much as I can to avoid the hot mug whenever I step outside.

So I have just been on a slightly different reality, and forgot to post anything today here.

So at least I'll offer a quote:

The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014)

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

 

Main Street (now State St.) looking east on US Highway 70 Black Mountain NC (date?)

Today:

Looking east on State St. 2024

State St. looking west from corner of Montreat Rd. (NC 9) 2023

Tomorrow:

 I  will return in a few days from visiting family out of state, and resume working on clay again.

Sharing with Tuesday's Treasures

Today's quote:

We’re built to live simultaneously in love and loss, bitter and sweet.

SUSAN CAIN

A Saturday hodge podge!

 
Good morning (when I am writing this!)

I hear birds chirping, though we're back to winter temps...but at least no snow and it will stay above freezing all day!

Not my shot, and this bird obviously isn't outside my windows...but I had it in my files! 

Progress on the tiny tall house on First St.

Someone else posted this beautiful tree. Now that's a great example where a tree can just grow and grow all directions...but I wonder if there isn't a space underneath where kids could hide.

A sweet little critter I met this week. Sharing with Saturday Critters.

I may like dragons, but I think this is a bit over the top!

So we should call upon this dragon slayer, eh?

Last week I was at a birthday party for a dear friend, who just turned 39 (er 90!). Bette is also a Mudbuddy too! 

Photo by The Valley Echo

Today in Black Mountain there will be hundreds of runners that hope to run up to Mt. Mitchell, but due to snow probably at high elevations, it may just be a marathon, turning around and coming back to Black Mountain from the Blue Ridge Parkway. For me it means lots of new people in town that are in the parking places I usually would use!

I hope everyone has a happy Saturday!

Today's quote:

I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face. Don't trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance, any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it. -Charles Dickens, novelist (1812-1870)

There be dragons and other beasts

Fellow blogger, Gweneth Rixon, shared some dragon photos on her blog. I like them, and wanted to give you a chance to see them too. How many people do you know with concrete dragons gracing their property? These are in Wales, UK.

Dragon!

We are in Wales, so....

There are dragons on the gateposts where we are staying!

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I love these little dragons... babies to my mind, but quite capable of burping flames I'm sure!

And my beast contribution is from Susan Seddon Boulet, artist of many fantastical creatures.

"Cockatrice" (1980)

--Picture in: 1991 Bestiary Postcards

--Published in: Engagement Calendar 1993 (A Bestiary, as "Cockatrice", with Michael's text: "The Cockatrice was capable of killing a person with a single glance from its glowing eyes. A winged beast with the body of a cock or wyvern (dragon) and always the tail of a wyvern, it was so poisonous that its habitat became the first desert.")