Firing Ruminations

The firing that I first thought might happen last Wednesday eventually happened on Monday. Now the kiln is cooling and I’ll unload tomorrow. The firing of the first chamber lasts about 16 hours and I start early in the morning so we’re not here too late into the evening. I hate getting up early, but I do understand the pleasure in watching and hearing the world wake up as I light the tiniest of fires. Morning people are often righteous about their early rising… they have a point, but when I’m still at work at 9PM, they are already tucked into their smug (I mean snug!) beds!

Anyway, that little fire grows slowly each hour until it becomes a voracious wood eater, needing a new meal every few minutes. There are always one or two times in the firing, mostly when we’re getting pretty hot, that the kiln will stall… dropping 75 -100 degrees in just a few minutes and then taking many more minutes to regain the former temperature. And then, just when it gets aggravating, it’ll start climbing again. This firing could be magic…it’s never been so even with cone 11 down everywhere and cone 12 standing everywhere. That’s my ideal temperature and I’ve never seen it in all 4 spots that I monitor!

And then I got a peek through the spy holes yesterday and I’ve been borderline giddy… this could mark another big change in my work. This firing has the first big batch of black n’ blue slips  and the bits I can see look sweet. I actually woke up early today, too excited to get back to sleep. Tomorrow will reveal all. Can’t wait. Of course, we might have a tornado…