Tuesday, April 21, 2009

1954 Chevy Gets New Home


Our 1954 Chevy, five-window, single-wheel (kind of a rare option), flatbed truck got a new home this weekend. Perhaps you recall seeing it in our garage while Gary was working on it. He had requisitioned my roll around drying rack for all the parts. The guy who purchased our truck plans on completing the restoration and then signing up the truck to be used in movies. He lives in Orange County and he said some of the jobs he's gotten have given him $900 a day as a driver of his old cars in various movies. Perhaps we shouldn't have sold the Chevy. But we don't have a car trailer and don't live close enough to Los Angeles.


Fremontodendron californicum
California Flannelbush, a California native plant,
be sure to look at the texture on the leaves

By the way the color of the truck is Ocean Green, the original color for this truck. It had eight layers of paint on it and there were traces of the Ocean Green as the bottom one. We're glad we sold the Chevy. Kind of sad though, Gary never even got to drive it around the block after he got it put back together. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Over the past month or so Gary has been laid off, then called back to work, then reduced to a three days of work per week, now he's being paid hourly instead of his regular rate of pay, what a roller coaster. Another reason for my post about (bullshit) White Feather.


Gary is fast becoming an experienced studio assistant. Last week he helped with the barrel firing. And yesterday, Gary helped me with this window box vase. Remember this window box vase, Crowded City? Well when I placed it in the bisque load a couple of weeks ago, I leaned over to put something else in and the brick I was using as a stilt, fell against the side and knocked off a couple of the end sections. Thank goodness I was the one who broke the piece. This piece was a crowning achievement in porcelain hand building for me. It has 17 pieces I had to keep together and get them to stand upright all at the same time. I didn't have the heart to dispose of it, so I decided to fire it anyway to see how it would do in the bisque load. Glad I did, it made it through just fine.


Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr'
a clumping bamboo with variable stripes



A day or so ago I was thinking of sawing off the projections all the way around, but decided to just saw off the opposite end pieces to match those I broke. Since I was ill last night, Gary used the dremel tool and sawed off the pieces for me. Today, I'll take it to school and glaze it. I've still got a bit of sanding to do, but that won't take long. Gary called this vase, Blades of Grass. One of my fellow classmates said the same thing. I may glaze it with a green color, perhaps green to black satin matt glaze. I could just see a vine house plant growing in this window box and the vines growing out and around the ends.


Gazania rigens
Treasure Flower, native of Southern Africa

This morning I took a walk around the yard. I observed so many plants in bloom but, as I got close to each plant, I noticed there's even more to see if I'm really observant and take the time to look closely. So I've sprinkled in a more than one plant today for you to enjoy.

13 comments:

  1. I would enjoy hanging around with your Gary and that beautiful truck. He did a great job. You are both up to so many interesting things!
    I hope things come together a little better for you two in the coming days.

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  2. The chevy is beautiful. Gary did a great job of restoring it and the color - wow. I'll be looking for it in the movies. It must be nice to know that it may have a life of fame. Glad you were able to save the planter. It looks like it was planned to be that way. My Fremontia is covered with big black buzzing bees - maybe Carpenter bees?

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  3. Hi Gary, thanks, I think we are going to.... a rather crude expession came to mind. I feel I know you well enough now not to mince words. But we have had so many old cars and trucks that this is really ok, I think the recession is just now hitting California, previous recessions were the same, our state has always been the last to be hit, but it was hit hard, which I think is happening to us now. We've still got a few tricks up our sleeves.

    Hi Barbara, yeah, thanks we were finally glad to get that Chevy out of our garage another project we didn't need. I am amazed at the wildlife that is now frequenting our garden due to the plant diversity. Funny I am appreciating all the little bits of nature I see each day more than ever. We have had 'good news bees' on our flowering plums, that is a whole other post.

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  4. HI! We use to own a 1956 Ford. We drove him across country with a little wooden house built on the truck bed- this was the early
    70's. We loved that truck! But- kids and life- we sold it years ago.
    I too have dropped a brick or two on pots as I was loading the kiln. Last time it was a platter of Marks......it hurt me more than it hurt him.
    Your garden takes my breath away-
    such beauty!
    Thinking of you- times are hard.

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  5. Cool truck! Sometimes it's better to let these things go to someone who is really going to use it though...

    The window planter is awesome - I don't remember seeing it before. Bummer about dropping a brick on it though, but I think you came up with a good solution to save it. I normally pick greenware up by edge or handle only to have it break - doh.

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  6. The window planter looks great. I would've never known it was damaged, had you not mentioned it or had I gone beck to the previous pics.

    That Treasure Flower is a beauty!

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  7. wow! that truck's older than me... not much though, i really love that Fremontodendron californicum.

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  8. Man, I hate that, I had a response to your posts and they were lost. I meant to copy them but didn't, I should listen to my internal voice.

    Hi Meredith, those were the good old days, driving around in an old truck. When we sell our house we'll be driving around in motorhome, we need our creature comforts now. I think selling the truck hurt me more than Gary cause I would have liked to see him drive it to a car show or two.

    Hi Cynthia, yes you are right, we're glad someone got it who is going to keep it stock and not hotrod it. Thanks about the planter I found out the dremel tool can be a life saver.

    Hi Jerry, I guess all the odd angles lend themselves to being withdrawn or added which helped. It's in the glaze load now and will be fired Thursday, so I'll get it out next week, hope it makes it through this next trial by fire. Gazanias are easy to grow and love the heat.

    Hi Jim, they don't make them (cars and trucks) like they used to, do they, they were meant to last a lifetime. The fremontodendron has such cool leaves, I should make a plate with the impression of the leaves, heck I should make a whole botanical series. Oh No, not more clay ideas, yikes.

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  9. hope the Starr truck makes its way to movies. gorgeous flowers; your place is rich!

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  10. Just think you'll be able to see it on the BIG SCREEN so it won't be lost forever. You can remember when. . .
    Your flowers are amazing! So colorful and vibrant. I just love um and can;t wait for spring flowers here!

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  11. re: your comment about my plate. Yes, it has a small foot; gotta make a bigger one. porcelain sand? I don't understand. Would love to know how to prevent some of the warping with the earthen red clay.

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  12. Flowers are little bundles of joy that gladden the heart and add colour on gray days. I'm glad that you are noticing the flowers in these tough times (sometimes I can forget to look!). Nice window box vase, good on Gary for helping save it.
    Best Wishes to you both, P.

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  13. Hi Amy, I hope it does too, yeah rich, and you don't have to be rich to buy it, but richer than me, te he.

    Hi Mary, yes, thanks, every day is a treasure this time of year in the garden, hope your weather warms soon, we've had two scorching days this week.

    Hi Amy, I sent you an email.

    Hi Peter, you are so right, flowers are so wonderful. I have a mockingbird singing to me each day and want to get a photo of him, but he sits in the highest tree and my camera won't bring him in, hopefully one of these day. thx.

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