Yo estoy una incendiaria.

Hello Hello!  I stayed in CT for Memorial Day.  Kevin and Cheryl Ryan had a firing. Saturday they had filled their wood-burning kiln with 114 pieces of Kevin's pottery and bricked up the door ready to go for Monday.  This was their 15th firing, and my 1st!!!!  The usual group of helpers were not all in CT, due to the holiday, so I got to be much more useful than I was expecting (a.k.a I got zero studying done). But truthfully, I was a-okay with that.  I had much more fun playing with fire all day long.  Kevin started the propane at 7:30 pm Sunday evening.  And then started the campfire at 1:45 am Monday finally turning the propane off at around 5:00 am.  I was out at the kiln by 6.

 Backyard of the Ryan's 6:00 am.  Wood-burning kiln on left.  Red building is Kevin's workshop.

Using clay mixed with sawdust to close the cracks in the opening.

 All the water from the wet clay becoming steam when against the door to the kiln.

 Before we've started actually stoking the fire. Still building up the campfire.  This is looking through one of the two stoking holes.  Notice all the black soot.

 Wally Carlson feeding the campfire through the mouse holes.

 Replacing Wally at the mouse holes.  The first log was thrown through the stoking holes at about 7:45 am.  Temperature wasn't quite 1000 degrees F yet.

The day wasn't simply playing with fire all day long.  More chemistry was discussed than I'd had to remember in a long time.  I am glad to say I didn't get lost amongst all the reduction and oxidation, endothermic and exothermic.  I couldn't write out the chemical equations for you of all these reactions that were going on like I could 7-8 years ago, but I at least could recall the principles and understood what was happening. 

 For example, at one point after we'd started stoking Kevin put the kiln into pure reduction for about 40 minutes. Closed the dampers and mouse holes basically starving the fire of oxygen.  For those 40 minutes black smoke billowed out of the kiln.

 And inside the fire roared.  Well, the fire was always roaring, but it seems that much more intimidating when it's producing thick black smoke.

 There are a few places in the kiln from which you can remove a brick and look inside.  At this point looking in the kiln you can see the fire flowing just like water.  I understand you can't really see "flowing just like water" in a single picture, but at the bottom you can see those brighter licks of fire.  It's really quite something!

 Stoking the fire.

 Stoking from the other side.  I pointed out the black soot on the stoking hole previously.  The temperature has now risen past the point where the soot has been burned off.

 This was probably my favorite point of the firing.  There is no thermometer telling you what the temperature is inside the kiln, but at four spots in the kiln cones are placed (two top, two bottom).  Specific cones bend and then melt at specific temperatures.  That way when cone 6 bends you know it is at least 1629 degree F, etc.).  This picture was taken approx 7:00-7:30 pm.  If you squint you can make out the cones bending at the forefront of the view into the kiln.  You can't see cone 12 clearly here (just up to cone ll), but it was also starting to bend, meaning that temperature was roughly 2350 degree F.  I say this was my favorite point for probably the same reason that you can't distinguish anything within the kiln in this picture.  At this temperature you no longer saw fire flowing like water. The entire contents of the kiln was glowing.  But not glowing like the embers of a fire glow merely red hot.  It was a glow mesmerizing, brings me to a loss of words.  It makes me use an adjective, I save for only situations worthy.  It was a glow awesome.

Revelation 1:13-15

¹³ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
¹⁴ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
¹⁵ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

The mental picture I know have from this description has been given a make-over.  When you don't think Jesus can get more awesome, you're blown away unexpectedly.

 Kevin normally throws salt on the fire around the time cone 8 starts to bend.  It was thrown on later than that this time, so we kept stoking a little bit longer than necessary.  Here's one last look in through the stoking hole.

Little Harvey Zahner cheesed for a picture for me.

Hasta!