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smoke, guns, pugmill, strange day, mostly ot

updated sun 9 jun 02

 

Connie Christensen on mon 10 jun 02


By midmorning, while working in my studio, I noticed a yellowish glow. I
looked out the upper rounded part of the window and it looked cloudy,
but clouds don't usually cast a yellowish glow. Then I heard on the
radio it was smoke from the wildfire burning about 60 miles southwest of
Denver. It gave a very eerie feeling to the studio (which now feels like
foreshadowing for my day).

About 3 p.m. decided to head home. I walked out the back door, locked
it, turned around and saw a police car across the parking lot with two
police officers in the car. They got out as I was walking toward the
kiln yard gate. I thought they were going to walk toward me but they
sort of started edging off to the side, but since they where policemen,
I wasn't too concerned. I unlocked the gate and went through and turned
around to lock it. When I turned back around, one of the police officers
was right there, asking me what I was doing there, if I could get into
the building next door through the studio, my name, birthday, etc. Then
asked me which vehicle was mine and then determined I could go. I had my
"clay is everything" T-shirt on, so I guess I appeared harmless.

As I walked around my truck I came face to face with two more police
officers with GUNS POINTED DIRECTLY AT ME! These weren't little ones
either, big, shotgun type guns. Geez, I stopped dead in my tracks, my
mouth fell open and I nearly peed my pants!!!! Then the police officer I
first talked too said it was ok and they put their guns down. As I got
in my truck, I noticed the alley was blocked off on both ends (where
more officers had had their guns pointed at me) and the street in front
was blocked off. Evidently someone had broken into the building next
door (which is a bar with a not so good reputation) and they hadn't
found the person yet. I just came waltzing out of the building in the
middle of all this, totally oblivious to the fact that this little
standoff was happening and that there were real guns pointed at me.
Hmmm, maybe I should be a little more aware of my surroundings.

Everything still seems very yellow, there is even ash falling. Smells
bad, burns the eyes and can't open the windows or the house will smell
of smoke. At least here it's only smoke and ash, I feel bad for the
people that are loosing there homes and for the firefighters out in the
heat tackling the fires (there's 5 or 6 of them burning in the state at
the moment). It's very dry here, pray for rain.

Ok, my strange day isn't over. I could see red lights flashing as I was
typing this. I went outside and found all my neighbors standing around.
Someone was drunk and crashed their motorcycle into a fence across the
street. There are 4 police cars, 1 ambulance, 1 rescue vehicle, and 1
fire truck in the street where I live. And I thought it was going to be
just another normal day as I headed for the studio this morning.

And for the good news - I just got a Peter Pugger!!!! The small one,
it's wonderful!!!!!

Connie Christensen
(still a little shook up from the encounter with the guns)

L. P. Skeen on mon 10 jun 02


Wow Connie,

Sounds like quite a day for you! Reminds me of a date I went on once where
we ended up surrounded by cops and guns pointed at our heads. I know the
true meaning of the term "hair raising". ;)

As for the Peter Pugger, congrats. I got one in October and love it. One
word of advice: When you get ready to de-air and pug, be sure the top seal
and the mouth of the beast (where you throw in the scrap) are absolutely
clean. If not, the thing won't de-air. You'll know you have a problem when
the pressure gauge registers low or bounces around, and you hear a hissing
noise around the seal. ;)

L
----- Original Message -----
From: "Connie Christensen"
To:
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 2:31 AM
Subject: smoke, guns, pugmill, strange day, mostly OT


> By midmorning, while working in my studio, I noticed a yellowish glow. I
> looked out the upper rounded part of the window and it looked cloudy,
> but clouds don't usually cast a yellowish glow. Then I heard on the
> radio it was smoke from the wildfire burning about 60 miles southwest of
> Denver. It gave a very eerie feeling to the studio (which now feels like
> foreshadowing for my day).
>
> About 3 p.m. decided to head home. I walked out the back door, locked
> it, turned around and saw a police car across the parking lot with two
> police officers in the car. They got out as I was walking toward the
> kiln yard gate. I thought they were going to walk toward me but they
> sort of started edging off to the side, but since they where policemen,
> I wasn't too concerned. I unlocked the gate and went through and turned
> around to lock it. When I turned back around, one of the police officers
> was right there, asking me what I was doing there, if I could get into
> the building next door through the studio, my name, birthday, etc. Then
> asked me which vehicle was mine and then determined I could go. I had my
> "clay is everything" T-shirt on, so I guess I appeared harmless.
>
> As I walked around my truck I came face to face with two more police
> officers with GUNS POINTED DIRECTLY AT ME! These weren't little ones
> either, big, shotgun type guns. Geez, I stopped dead in my tracks, my
> mouth fell open and I nearly peed my pants!!!! Then the police officer I
> first talked too said it was ok and they put their guns down. As I got
> in my truck, I noticed the alley was blocked off on both ends (where
> more officers had had their guns pointed at me) and the street in front
> was blocked off. Evidently someone had broken into the building next
> door (which is a bar with a not so good reputation) and they hadn't
> found the person yet. I just came waltzing out of the building in the
> middle of all this, totally oblivious to the fact that this little
> standoff was happening and that there were real guns pointed at me.
> Hmmm, maybe I should be a little more aware of my surroundings.
>
> Everything still seems very yellow, there is even ash falling. Smells
> bad, burns the eyes and can't open the windows or the house will smell
> of smoke. At least here it's only smoke and ash, I feel bad for the
> people that are loosing there homes and for the firefighters out in the
> heat tackling the fires (there's 5 or 6 of them burning in the state at
> the moment). It's very dry here, pray for rain.
>
> Ok, my strange day isn't over. I could see red lights flashing as I was
> typing this. I went outside and found all my neighbors standing around.
> Someone was drunk and crashed their motorcycle into a fence across the
> street. There are 4 police cars, 1 ambulance, 1 rescue vehicle, and 1
> fire truck in the street where I live. And I thought it was going to be
> just another normal day as I headed for the studio this morning.
>
> And for the good news - I just got a Peter Pugger!!!! The small one,
> it's wonderful!!!!!
>
> Connie Christensen
> (still a little shook up from the encounter with the guns)
>
>
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