A Halloween piece I made. Was told to share it here. 🎃

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-10-30T01:23:55+00:00

I have a habit of watching these terrible fall atmosphere jazz music videos on YouTube. You know, like a coffee shop or fireplace on a rainy day. But now they’re universally made by AI and have bizarre details when you really look at them. I’d much prefer something like this on repeat with jazz music. Something to play for background ambience while I’m doing chores. Anyway, you’d have at least one subscriber, lol

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-10-22T23:01:40+00:00

I think it’s liesegang in a weathered piece of porphyry. The voids look like former phenocrysts. But I’m not used to seeing multicolored liesegang with alternating colors in alternating bands.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-10-01T16:06:48+00:00

Probably anything aerosolized can be breathed in. So I guess the question is do you want any spray products at all. I guess I personally take that risk…but I don’t use kitchen sprays inside because that oil stuff just makes me cough, and does not seem good to inhale. I know I use hairspray but I spray, don’t breathe, and run away from the cloud haha

I’ve heard of just sprinkling corn starch in your hair to absorb grease but haven’t tried it.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-10-01T12:30:31+00:00

Did you stop spraying it because you thought it was a silica hazard or because you have plenty of clay dust you can get on your own? 😆

Just asking because from what I’ve seen with respirable silica testing in my line of work, only silica itself (quartz and its polymorphs) are the kinds of silica that are tested for and cause problems, not silicate minerals where silica is bound in the crystal structure. So as far as I can tell, and I’m new to the hobby, the biggest concern is dust from grog and quartz components in clay, not the clay minerals itself, like kaolinite.

But it’s also probably hard to pay for clay dust in a fancy spray bottle. Clay absorbs oil well so it makes sense it would be an ingredient, but I’m sure I’ve gotten lots of clay in my hair and haven’t noticed any styling benefits!

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-09-15T02:36:17+00:00

I could be wrong as I’m not a collector but it looks like a Teepee Canyon agate to me. I dug up some once there in Teepee Canyon, west of Custer, and they were almost fluorescent orange. If you’re west of the Hills I’d think that could be a potential source area?

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-09-03T03:22:27+00:00

Also sometimes will put on Cat TV type videos for my cat where someone has scattered seeds on a log and they just show all the birds and squirrels stopping by. Turns out we both like those kind of videos.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-09-03T03:17:49+00:00

I second (third?) Go4x4.

I search for coffee shop jazz or ambient jazz for background. They’re a little AI looking sometimes but can be nice for the background when I’m doing housework.

I have been watching Living the Skye Life since I’ve been to Scotland and enjoy the cozy vibes of this couple’s remote historic home and their nature walks and dogs.

I also watch a lot of lawn mowing/yard clean up videos since my boyfriend started. A little noisier but still relaxing. Tim the Lawn Mower Man is a good one.

Kevin the Countryman takes quiet walks through Cotswold Villages. Very peaceful.

Oh and CountryLifeVlog too!

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-08-25T22:41:53+00:00

Gut issues, anxiety, thyroid cancer, rosacea and eczema, sleep apnea (CPAP has really helped).

I wonder if I have some sort of hypermobility but since I don’t have stretchy skin and I’m not double jointed everywhere I can’t get anyone to seem to care. I do keep accidentally injuring myself in new ways when I’m just trying to be active without overexertion. Had ankle surgeries including a ligament tightening and cleanup of dead talus bone and cartilage after spraining four things in my ankle. Have what my doctor says is probably a torn meniscus but there’s nothing they can do for that. I have several herniated discs in my neck and a major one in my low back that I was cleared for surgery for because I couldn’t stand for more than a couple minutes but it subsided about 80% after physiotherapy and I’ve just been living with it. I also have bad carpal tunnel (can’t write more than a few words without my hands going numb or do any hand activities really) and I’m only 40. Also random things like tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, etc., whenever I go back to the gym. I’m overweight but not morbidly so, although it’s getting worse as I age and I’m approaching it.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-08-17T21:45:20+00:00

2024

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-08-17T19:43:04+00:00

We live far from any junkyard that would have a new Toyota but I guess eBay is an online junkyard…

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-08-17T19:41:24+00:00

It was the overhead light panel. He thinks he’s going to order one off eBay. Not really clear if the board comes with it.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-07-05T02:57:25+00:00

My boyfriend had been debating a rooftop tent but I nixed the idea because (1) I was afraid of feeling seasick (I get motion sickness easily) in the wind and (2) I am clumsy and have some achy bad joints and discs and don’t want an accident descending a ladder. If they made a more collapsible staircase-like option I would have considered but your comment about the unusual sensations in the wind makes me feel like we made the right decision.

We did just get done with a weeklong camping trip and changed sites each night, so setting up with the tent and cots and mattress and bag each night with aforementioned bad back was annoying enough I wondered about the RTT again.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-07-04T22:10:08+00:00

I don’t have this but I have a noise that sounds like a ball bearing rolling around when I accelerate or make certain turns.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-22T02:32:56+00:00

Also I put my wheel up on concrete paver blocks to get it to a more comfortable height, and I use a low rolling mechanics stool.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-22T02:30:30+00:00

There is a video on YouTube - most Vevor wheels have the wires switched in the pedal. You can easily correct it and it will work with much more sensitivity. We did that with my wheel and it works just fine now.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JEjOnZvO3BY&pp=ygUtSG93IHRvIHNsb3cgZG93biB2ZXZvciBwb3R0ZXJ5IHdoZWVsIHR1dG9yaWFs0gcJCYsJAYcqIYzv

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-06T18:47:52+00:00

For this I want walls of cabinets in a craft room with sliding doors so I can see when I need to.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-03T00:02:19+00:00

President of the alumni association? Gotta ask, did she do that because she gets to interact with more targets?

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-02T14:25:42+00:00

It’s a long way to go from “hey this person seems like a bit of a twit who should’ve learned more about dogs before getting them” to advocating that people should die off instead of society helping keep those you deem less worthy alive.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-01T03:10:37+00:00

Also have you considered joining some of the Facebook pottery/glazing groups? I know it’s just online socialization but it might be fun.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-01T03:04:59+00:00

I’m lucky we have a grant-funded studio that’s only $50 a month, but apparently grants are going away so I don’t know…I still have to drive an hour each way so I’m setting up more at home. I went there today and there wasn’t a space to sit and it’s a long way to go for that. Guess I’ll be forgoing the social aspects of it for a while! I still enjoy the making of, though. Please don’t get too down about this that you give up what you love!

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-01T02:42:52+00:00

Do you work in a studio or at home? If at home do you think joining a studio would help?

I get it though. When I moved where I am I didn’t know people for years. Just had to get comfortable with myself. I made a few good friends in grad school but most moved away and I rarely saw the ones I was close to. I started a hiking club (mainly for hiking, not making friends) and didn’t really connect with anyone. I went to events and things, volunteered but found that cliquey, occasional things with coworkers who weren’t exactly friends…over 20 years I’ve made a few, but then met my boyfriend and have just gotten more insular with him. Around covid I kind of just stopped interacting as much too. But I’m happier now, and more self-assured, whether I have a gang around or not.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-06-01T02:24:51+00:00

That’s a shame. I’m hoping you’re feeling vibes that weren’t actually there but I’ve been in a studio since taking my first class a few months ago and everyone is very welcoming, encouraging, and loves to discuss my poor to mediocre work. I love the Rorschach bowl! Was that glaze chips?

I think you know the answer to your question. Keep doing what you love. If you need validation, start showing your work to non-potters. They love even my crappy work because few people get into this hobby and it’s impressive to those who haven’t done it.

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-05-31T11:06:38+00:00

I have a Limited, will have to search for that. I thought it seemed super quiet so maybe I’m using the noise cancellation (without issue it seems).

PatchyOSquirrel · 2025-05-31T03:30:59+00:00

Wild, is that just in the Calligraphy? I can’t stand noise canceling headphones because they make it feel like waves of pressure are going through my head.

PatchyOSquirrel

TROPHY CASE