Smells of bacon wafted through the air on Saturday morning as we awoke early to have a great homemade breakfast and get ready for our pottery lessons...
Although I normally have a ‘no feet on the floor before 10’ rule on Saturday mornings, my feet were on the floor and I was ready to have breakfast well before 8 a.m. We headed to the dining room for a lovely breakfast of pancakes made from scratch, (side note...while I like things ‘made from scratch,’ I have to say ‘made from scratch’ does not have a particularly appealing sound to it... ;) homemade syrup, link sausages and fresh fruit. It was all very yummy. After eating I was very anxious to get our pottery lessons started...BUT...we needed to head to the local grocery and get Kaeley some medicine to get her through the day.
After taking care of getting some meds, we headed to the Ft. Davis High School Ceramics studio. We were having our lessons at the high school studio because our innkeeper and ceramics teacher, Bill Davis, is the art teacher at Ft. Davis high school as well as being an Art Education professor at Sul Ross University in Alpine.
The opportunity to learn something...especially something completely new to me like ceramics... was one of the biggest reasons I chose to stay at the Davis Mountains Inn. Really, how many places offer you excellent accommodations, wonderful food AND an opportunity to learn something new? ...AND I LOVE LEARNING.
Our lesson started off as many good lessons do by introducing us to the language of pottery. All disciplines, art forms and areas of study have their own vocabulary and understanding that is key to being successful in new ventures. Once we learned about the kiln, and the difference between thrown pottery (which is pottery created on the wheel and is something I really am interested in doing at some point...BUT... is also something that does not produce many pieces -- or even one -- in the first day of working with it because it’s a skill that takes more practice and time to perfect) and hand built pottery, as well as glazing and firing of pieces, we were ready to ‘play in the dirt,’ which is what our instructor explained to us that creating things from clay essentially is. We began by watching Bill use the tools of the trade to cut pieces of clay off of large blocks for us to mold. We simply started then to make our first project, a pinch pot. This was done by forming a ball from the clay and then using our thumbs to make an indention that would eventually form the center of the ‘bowl.’ We learned to make a good, flat, strong rim that wouldn’t break easily and learned to think of our pieces as they would be when they became glass. The lesson didn’t produce a magnificent work of art by any means, but it did teach us a lot about the basics of handling clay and forming edges and how to view the clay as what it would become as a finished product. AND I am actually having mine glazed and fired to use as a small bowl to place my jewelry in on my dresser.
The next thing we started on was a bowl that depending on the pressure you applied when putting it together would either turn out looking like a tortoise shell type bowl (which Kaeley’s did) or like a bowl that simply had an interesting texture to it. We made these bowls by making small balls of clay and pressing them in to a bowl (mold) lined with a plastic bag. We also had to be careful to make a good rim on these pieces and to consistently even out the clay to approximately a quarter inch thickness all over.
While we were creating our ‘masterpieces,’ Bill used the wheel to show us some techniques used in throwing pottery. The use of the wheel is fascinating. It is not only an art, but also a science. The amount of pressure and speed of the wheel make such a difference in what is created. I suppose it would have been fun to spend the day attempting to learn to do thrown pottery, but I do feel like I’d have been disappointed with only making what would have basically amounted to a very small cup with no handle, or lid, or any real artistic form.
We also had the treat of being joined by Bill’s wife, the other innkeeper, Judy, while we were learning as well as the couple’s sweet Border Collie, Ebony. Judy actually joined in on the lessons ( although her husband has done pottery for years, she’d never learned how) and made a tortoise shell bowl of her own.
After working for a little over three hours, we decided to break for two hours for lunch. Kaeley and I decided since Murphy’s had been so good the day before that we would go there for another meal. We shared the Caesar salad again (yes, it’s that good...they make their own Caesar dressing) and we each had a sandwich as well. While I certainly couldn’t complain about the sandwich, it wasn’t quite as yummy as the calzone (I might have mentioned, the calzone IS phenomenal ;) ... And the chocolate caramel pecan cookie I had for dessert was pretty great, too.
We had a little time after our delicious lunch to do a bit more looking around in Ft. Davis before we headed back to our afternoon lesson. We decided to hit the few other shops that we’d missed the day before. We went to the Brass Boot (which had some great belts, buckles and jewelry,) and the Limpia Hotel Gift Shop. The gift shop had a nice variety of crosses, western art, clothing and even a bookstore, all of which I enjoyed browsing through. Other than the stores we did visit, the only thing that I would have liked to have had more time to view was the Broom Shop. This store makes brooms and apparently does demonstrations throughout the day on how brooms are made as well as showcasing walking sticks and demonstrating how they are made as well. While I regret not having the time to see these things because I believe both would have been interesting learning opportunities, I do like that it gives me a reason to go back and see/learn something new.
We had just a few more minutes before we needed to head back to our lessons so we strolled down the street past the Limpia Hotel toward the Courthouse. Outside the Limpia there were some trees dressed in full fall color that were truly beautiful and had the biggest leaves. Kaeley really wanted to climb up on the stone wall and snag a leaf from the tree, but being that I was responsible for her well-being and I knew I’d already be returning her to her mom sick, I thought it best not to let her do that (see I CAN be responsible...I didn’t say I AM...just I CAN ;). She headed across the street to spend a few more minutes looking at Hollyhocks & Javelinas and I took the opportunity to take some pics of the fall color, the bank, and the courthouse. AND, of course, to snag one of the huge leaves off that tree myself...Maybe I had to climb up on the wall I wouldn’t let Kaeley get on to get it, and maybe I didn’t...BUT I’m the only one who will ever know...AND, we both survived the incident unscathed.
We headed back to the studio to continue our afternoon lessons and I took the leaf with us, which was great as it would later become a part of both mine and Kaeley’s last piece of pottery for the day.
When we returned, we learned about putting a foot on a pot and took care of placing them on our creations from the morning. Bill also showed us how he could use the wheel to make a foot for pieces of pottery. After those pieces were complete, we began our last creation of the day. We learned about the slump or hump method (insert your own joke here ;) of using pottery molds to make pieces. We also learned about flattening out clay to make large uniform pieces that could be draped in or over a bowl to create a new piece (basically the slump or hump method.) We both tried our hand at kneading the clay so that all the air bubbles were removed. This is extremely important because a piece placed in the kiln that has air bubbles will break. We then used the press to flatten out our pieces of clay. Both of us chose bowls to drape our clay in to and create a bowl of our own. Kaeley went first and decided to press the leaf we had brought from downtown into her bowl and have that imprint in the bottom. She also decided that instead of forming a rim on her bowl that she would basically form it into the shape of a leaf and create more of a free form piece. After seeing her leaf-shaped bowl, I decided to do something similar. When the clay for my bowl slumped down into the mold it left some very interesting edges that I formed into curves. I didn’t trim any of the clay off so my bowl is a larger piece and I was able to press the leaf into the bottom of it. Bill asked if I wanted to just leave the leaf in the bowl and let it dry so that it would form a deeper impression. I decided that sounded like a great idea and asked him if there was any chance that when the bowl was placed in the kiln that some residue of the leaf would burn into the glass. He explained that because of the extremely high heat used to fire our pottery (somewhere between 1800 and 2300 degrees) the leaf would just burn away, but that allowing the leaf to dry into the piece should deepen the impression and show more of the veining and texture of the leaf in the finished product.
After we finished up these pieces, we got to glaze some other samples that Bill had created for his classes. It was impossible for us to glaze our own pieces because they have to be fired first -- a process that with time for cooling takes at very least 72 hours -- and then glazed and fired again. So, we glazed the pieces that he’d already created as samples and discussed the glazes we wanted him to apply to our pieces once they were fired. We found out that it would probably be a few weeks (actually Bill and Judy will be in Lubbock in a few weeks for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which made me happy because I won’t have to pay shipping costs AND I won’t have to worry about the pieces getting broken) before the entire process is complete and that our pieces would be delivered to us. We finished up the day by making some samples with new glazes that Bill had gotten so that he would have them to show his students what glazes would look like once they had been applied and fired on pieces. The glazes that are applied to the pottery look much different than the finished pieces. For example, in order to create a piece that had gold, hunter green and maroon, I painted on what looked like white, grey and pink. We learned more about why this is the case when Bill taught us about how it is the chemical reactions in the extreme heat of the kiln that causes the glazes to turn to certain colors and further explained how unpredictable the results were when doing firings of glazes. Making matching pieces of pottery isn’t an exact science and the bit of mystery or uncertainty that goes in to each piece made me not only more in awe of pieces I’ve seen created, but also very anxious and excited to see just how our pieces turn out.
After thanking Bill for such a wonderful day full of new knowledge and the opportunity not only to learn but to create (and yes, that’s just about the perfect day for me... learning and creating...laughing and spending the day making new friends while also sharing the experience with my sweet niece who I love)... learning, laughing, loving and living --it was indeed an excellent experience.
And an experience that despite her sickness Kaeley had been a real trooper about making every effort to enjoy. The rest of our evening was not as eventful, but we did enjoy a nice enough dinner out at the Davis Mountains State Park Lodge at the Black Bear Restaurant...AND, the best part of that excursion --at least for me -- is that we saw actual wildlife... (NO, not a party ;) ...We saw several javelina crossing the road as we made our way back to Ft. Davis from the state park. We had been warned many times to be careful when driving because the javelinas and the deer were often in the roads, but I didn’t really expect to see them because as I’ve mentioned before no matter where I go that they promise they have wildlife, I always seem to manage to miss them...But not this time. And no, javelina aren’t incredibly attractive or exotic, but they were wildlife, so I was happy.
Back at the Inn Kaeley took her meds, and I took advantage of the huge whirlpool tub in our bathroom. I won’t go in to details, but suffice it to say that even a little bit of bubble bath in a 10-jet tub is more than enough to make enough bubbles to get lost in.
Poor sweet Kaeley finished up her evening applying Vicks vapor rub and trying everything we could think of to help her breathe easier while I finished up mine watching a disappointing Texas Tech football game.
And normally, a bad game might diminish my mood and put a damper on my day...BUT...I had a day full of so many of the things that make me happiest that the only thing I wasn’t happy about was that I knew I’d get little sleep listening to Kaeley struggle to breathe all night and worrying about whether or not she’d be ok...When I turned in and checked on her about midnight, she wasn’t exactly breathing easy (in fact, I’ve never heard some of the noises she was making come out of a human being) but she was sleeping soundly and I turned in for the night concerned for her, but mostly content that I had shared an experience of laughing, learning and living with her that I hope she’d enjoyed at least half as much as I had and that I hoped she’d remember as long as I am sure I will...
Sunday morning...
We got up fairly early again -- although I’m not sure that Kaeley or I had gotten much sleep at all -- and again smelled a wonderful breakfast awaiting us.
We had our breakfast served to us in the breakfast nook that faced the east windows this morning instead of the dining room. Our breakfast included French Toast, bacon and fresh fruit. Our hosts were obviously dressed for church, but still had time to chat with us a bit before they went off to worship and we headed on our way home.
Although I knew Kaeley wasn’t feeling well, I also knew that I really really wanted to see a bit more of the Davis Mountains and get some pictures of the beautiful fall colors and amazing mountains before we headed home. And since Kaeley was going to be sitting in the car most of the day anyway, I didn’t figure sitting in the car amidst beautiful surroundings while I got out and snapped some pics would make her feel any worse...We headed up the road 14 miles to the McDonald Observatory to get a look in the broad daylight at what we’d observed in total darkness on Friday night. I took pics from this amazing vantage point and Kaeley actually felt well enough to drop a few quarters in a small telescope and entertain herself looking around.
From the observatory we headed back down the mountains and into the Davis Mountains State Park. We stopped at the Ranger station and I went in to pay. I have to say that the lovely woman who worked behind the desk may have been the happiest, most helpful state employee I have ever dealt with. She not only took out a map to show me where to find the trail to the Skyline drive, but also informed me that the entry fee I had just paid would also get me into the state park at Balmorhea and the one at Monahans as long as I visited both within 24 hours. Both were on my way home, but since Kaeley wasn’t feeling well, I wanted to get home before dark, and I’d already been to Balmorhea I knew I wouldn’t take advantage of what was basically a three-for-one deal, but I thought it was very nice of her to suggest it. She gave that suggestion as well as all the other additional information about the park with such a big smile on her face and such enthusiasm that I was glad I’d actually had to get out of my car on what was a fairly cool and pretty windy morning to go inside and pay my entrance fee.
I can not adequately describe the rustic beauty of the Davis Mountains ( I did however take almost 300 pictures, which are uploaded to my share site at http://queenstraveltourpics.shutterfly.com/ ) and I will say that the views from Skyline Drive are absolutely breathtaking. It was a special treat to see all of Ft. Davis from above and to be able to look off in any direction and see another amazing vista. I would love to come back to this park in different seasons since I am certain the beauty transforms depending on the vegetation and weather. I know I found it amazingly beautiful to see the rugged faces of rocks surrounded by the glorious golds, incredible oranges and radiant reds of the fall color. I would also love to come back and hike some of the trails. I ventured out to the edge of the mountain in a few places, but since I was wearing flip flops (of course, with my new mismatched flip-flop socks -- it was really chilly up on the mountain) and since the wind was blowing a bit much for comfort when I didn’t have on shoes that gave me any kind of stability, I opted to see a whole lot less than what I’d really like to of the mountain tops and trails. After probably two hours or more of snapping photos, then getting in the car and promising Kaeley we were leaving only to turn the corner and find another completely irresistible view to photograph and repeating that process over and over, we did finally leave the park and head back toward Ft. Davis.
Since Murphy’s was closed on Sundays we decided to head on down the road to Balmorhea to have lunch, which we did at a wonderful Mexican restaurant (and honestly probably the only currently operating restaurant in Balmorhea) called Cueva de Oso (or the Bear’s Den) that had great (although Kaeley thought it was a bit too hot) hot sauce and queso and wonderful chile rellenos that Kaeley enjoyed and a grilled chicken breast with roasted green chiles that certainly filled me up and made me ready to face the rest of our journey home.
Our ride home was pretty uneventful. We talked and compared music on our phones. And shared our favorite songs. And just enjoyed the open road (and, yes, I enjoyed driving a shade over 8o pretty much legally as much if not more coming home as I did going) and each other’s company.
All in all, other than the fact that poor Kaeley got bronchitis, I feel like the trip to the Davis Mountains was a tremendous success. I was most impressed by the countless incredible breathtaking views that change with every twist and turn in the road and with the excellent learning experience of pottery classes, as well as the hospitality of our hosts and everyone we encountered on our weekend getaway.
I left Lubbock feeling restless, eager to learn, and anxious to see new things and I returned content, calmed and quieted and mostly incredibly happy to have had and shared another experience that was an emotionally impacting, intellectually stimulating, and curiosity piquing adventure...
