Just as swiftly as the vibe at Watershed slipped into inactivity after Salad Days, so did everything seem to reawaken on Tuesday.  Residents and summer staff were out and about, working in the studio, glazing pots, and loading kilns (pictured below is Philadelphia potter Lauren Sandler at work in the studio.)  I think the rapidly approaching end of session three on Friday gave everyone the little bit of incentive needed to get things back on track.  Whatever the reason, I am happy to report that the atmosphere was perfect for me, and I was able to get down to work!

However, the big event on Tuesday was the preparation and loading of the soda/salt kiln.  In grand Watershed style, this was to be no ordinary salt firing.  Among other oddities, the carcass of a dead weasel (found on route 1) was added to the kiln, in hopes that during firing, the skeleton would act as a resist to the atmospheric glaze and leave a faint impression beneath it.  This is a perfect example of the true spirit of the place…total freedom to experiment and create.