A Day In Full

At A Ceramic Architectural Workshop With Our Grandson, Mitchell

7:05

8:57

A sunny morning, again, and it is warming up, 62º out there. At 7:30, we are both up, enjoying our coffee, on our devices, and thinking about what the day will bring. It's 9:35, and I paddled for forty-five minutes, my usual, along Woodlawn, over to Long Point and back. 

Kayak Morning

Bemus Bay

Osprey

Great Blue Heron Above Victoria

Yesterday was a full day, starting with breakfast in Bemus Point with my friends. I skipped kayaking because we were driving to Buffalo, leaving at 10:00, because our grandson son Mitchell was part of a group of engineers and architects from all over the world who were participating in an Architectural Ceramic Workshop Showcase at the University Of Buffalo. 

For the past four days, eight teams developed a product, using ceramics, that might be used on the veneer of a building. The event has taken place for the past 10 years and is sponsored by Boston Valley Terracotta. Mitch's team was made up of Arup employees, two from London, two from Toronto, and Mitch from Los Angeles. Each team showcased their product yesterday, starting at noon and there were ten teams. We sat through the first four then decided to head home. Mitch's team was first and they showcased a veneer for a building using ceramics of different colors and textures. 

Mitch Explaining Their Project

Arup's Team Leader From London

Arup's Engineers/Architects 

Three spoke about the process and Mitch was one of the three and he was the most articulate and clear of the three, of course. We were impressed by each team, their knowledge, ability to explain their process and reasoning. Terra Cotta is used because it has low heat retention, is long-lasting, has interesting textures and plays of light. After the four showcases, there was a break and we were able to meet Mitch's team, take photos, and talk about their project. Mitch, a potter at heart, was really excited about it because it had some of the qualities of pottery and three of the team also were potters. We reluctantly said our good byes around 3:00 and headed home.

Selfie With Mitch's Team

The Team And Their Project

We were unsure as to our drive home because on our way to Buffalo, the traffic heading west  was backed up for miles because of narrowing down to one lane. So we made the decision to drive on back roads even though it might add a half hour or more on our drive. We got off at RT 219 and headed south, eventually approaching East Otto. 

In The Middle Of Nowhere, NY

I had read about a fairly new bar in East Otto called the Boar Valley Tavern and since we had not eaten lunch, we took a back road and found it. We were greeted by four bikers leaving the tavern and a parking lot full of pickup trucks and it was 4:00 in the afternoon. 

Notice The Wallace For President Sign Lower Right

We ventured in, past four bearded guys sitting outside drinking and luckily found two seats at the bar. The bartenders were women and friendly. It was wing night or afternoon so we ordered a basket along with beers. We felt comfortable and talked with a couple at the bar because the guy was wearing a FloraBama tee shirt, a bar and music venue we loved just on the Alabama/Florida border. 

Good Times At Zoar Valley Tavern

After finishing our wings and beer, we headed home through lush, green fields, stopping finally on #394 in Randolph at their market. I ordered a chocolate shake for dessert and Evie bought a melon and beefsteak tomatoes. 

Western New York's Beauty

We didn't get home until around 6:30, having driven close to 200 miles. It was worth it. We relaxed on the front porch and I was really tired from the drive and was happy to just relax and read. Around 7:30, we watched some TV and I had a snack, half of the leftover Reuben sandwich from 2 Ginger's Inn. We watched the news on CNN and went to bed early, whooped from our full day.