Could it be that they are the first ones I can remember that have successfully instilled (or resurrected) some sense of national pride in the majority of Canadians?  I’ve always been a nationalist.  I suppose that is one of the reasons that kept me wearing an Army uniform for 20-plus years.  Ask our boy how many folks we’ve talked to about the condition of their flag flying out front of their home or business.  He even continues my peculiar habit by doing the same when he sees a Canadian flag in tatters.  Wears the flag, has “Made in Canada” tattooed on his butt, and is strangely fascinated by beavers.  But it really seems to me like the population is far more into being a Canadian than they ever were in the past.  Could the media have finally done something good for a change?  Hard to believe but it is a possibility.

Perhaps my interest has something to do with the “Own the Podium” programme?  I’m not a fan of the government shelling out big cash to keep attractive kids entertained, but some aspect of it seems to have worked.  Could it be a parallel to the growing interest in the Arts in Canada and the fact that being an Artist or Artisan is no longer akin to being a dental floss rancher?  Perhaps it is, either directly or indirectly.  In any case it’s a good thing… however the name is a tad on the pretentious side, don’t ya think?  Did anyone consider “Do way better than we ever did in the past on the podium” when they were brainstorming a few years back?  Wait a sec… Unless we have to send the actual podium back to Olympic Headquarters than we in fact do “own” it, don’t we?  Whose name is on the bottom?  Everybody puts their name on the bottom of something they make, don’t they?  Or did the podium come in the ready to use Winter-Olympics-In-A-Box kit that has to be returned next Monday in the original packaging?

No matter what the reason, I’m pretty happy about our current third place in the overall medal standings.  I’ve watched some hockey (we never watch hockey) and some curling (normally reserved for when I can’t sleep), and even some skating that I’m sure is WAY more difficult than it looks.  We’ve watched people who appear sane head face-first down an icy chute and not scare themselves out of 10 years of growth, and we even watched a woman from PEI and her sporting partner win a gold medal in a bobsleigh.  How about that?

Here’s the question though… will we all go back to our complacent “normal” once all the flag waving is over?  Will the nation’s focus return to the trivialities of our federal government and how even an elected politician (as opposed to a senator) can’t help themselves but shout profanity in public places like the Charlottetown Airport?  I sure hope not.

In the mean time, I’ll be at my wheel…

Yup, yesterday was a “Snow Day” here on Prince Edward Island.  For those of you who don’t know what a snow day is… an official “Snow Day” such as yesterday is when practically EVERYTHING in the whole province shuts down, or at least either opens late or closes early.  I mean government offices, banks, garbage pickup, schools both French and English - except thankfully the liquor store !  OK, the big dogs like Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart don’t miss a beat, but pretty well everything else is in “Snow Day Mode”.

There are a great deal of benefits to snow days that other provincial governments would be wise to take note of.  First, with a heap of places closed there is far less traffic on the roads.  This of course makes it much easier for the road crews to clean everything up instead of navigating around cars and leaving huge-big piles of snow everywhere where huge-big piles of snow don’t really belong.  Then there is the mental health aspect of it all.  I mean come on… who doesn’t remember the anticipation of listening to the radio an hour before leaving for school and the incredible joy that came from either hearing your school bus on the cancelled list, or hearing your school is completely shut down ?  That was like a get-out-of-jail-free pass for kids.  We’d be into our snowsuits and headed out to play with our friends before the news announcing the blessed occasion was done.  So now we’re adults, but I still feel that little buzz when I think of it.  A whole day to hang out at home in my slippers - I don’t normally wear slippers, but slippers just seem to be something one should wear during a snow day - and do all those little chores that you never get a chance to do like watching 5 hours straight of HGTV or sorting out 100s of CDs and DVDs that have that amazing ability to mix themselves up when no one is looking.

Living in the country lends another aspect to a snow day that our city friends don’t get… silence.  It’s so silent outside on a snow day at our house that all you can hear is the odd crow cawing at my dog who seems to be too near to a speck that may or may not be a bug for the crow’s lunch. Yes, I know there are very few bugs out crawling around on a snow-covered field this time of year, but I won’t tell the crows that as they seem to enjoy poking about none-the-less.  Carley and I (Carley is our goofy Chocolate Lab) like to just walk around and find stuff to do outside in the snow, much like kids do on their fortunate days off.  We just don’t build snowmen and forts, all due of course in part to Carley’s lack of opposable thumbs which really reduces the amount she can help when building a fort.  However, she is always ready to entertain me by chasing her Frisbee at least 367 times an hour

I had to go into town yesterday - during the snow day - to go to the bank which of course was going to close down at noon.  Afterwards I decided to take the plunge and get myself some real snowshoes.  I’ve had snowshoes for many many years, but it wasn’t a sport to use them.  They were the big clunky cargo-carrying jobs the Army gives you to make your life miserable, not to mention to leave large bruises across each shin from falling face-first on their outrageously sharp ends.  Wait now… I never fell face-first on the actual snowshoes… Mostly my face landed very close to where my shoulders hit the show, driven forward of course by the 60-pound rucksack I was fortunate enough to carry, and equally propelled by the nasty weapon someone thought I should carry along as well.  So I bought some snowshoes and to make a long story slightly shorter, Carley and I have discovered how much fun it can be to trek out across the fields and along the wood lines, me huffing and puffing as I walk on top of a couple feet of snow and Carley running back and forth from wherever I’ve thrown her toy to wherever I happen to be.  Fun stuff.

Here’s a thought… why don’t you try a Snow Day of your own?  I bet you’ll love it !

Cheers !

Both shows went super well.  We met a lot of new friends, saw a lot of old friends, and all-in-all had a great time.  To all our new and returning clients - Thanks very much for your confidence in us and your interest in our product !  OK, I can’t miss mentioning a couple facts that we are really proud of… We were awarded the “Best Booth Award” in Charlottetown and the “Best New Product Award” in Halifax.  Pretty big deals in our humble opinions and both were something we had been shooting for so it was nice to close those loops.  Another awesome aspect of the Halifax show was that we bought ourselves a huge-big 16′ cube van to take the stress out of getting out inventory and displays from point A to point B.  What a difference :)  Finally and because we always bring a wheel to shows (to entertain me and keep me out of trouble) I got the chance to throw a bunch of one-of-a-kind pieces.

We got to talking during the drive back to PEI late last night (on the crappy slushy snowy windy roads) that there are as many methods that buyers use to decide on their orders as buyers themselves.  There were the folks who hit the booth early and hard and seemed to know exactly what they wanted the second they saw what was available.  15 minutes later and the order was done and done.  Then there was the buyer who would pass by a few times to get a glance, then swing in for a good chat before deciding on placing an order.  That sort was always fun as it gave us a chance to get to know the person behind the retailer and vice versa.  A third type of buyer was the one who would come by for a look, get our retailer’s information package, then come back the next day with a carefully crafted order that seemed so very precise, like they could see directly into the future and decided that they will need 38 goblets… not 36 and not 40.  Very very precise.  We gained one new client in Halifax (more than one, but that’s another story) who placed an order on Sunday, then came back and padded their order on Monday. In the end however we were more than happy to meet every single one no matter what the method.   

We also had 3 opportunities to attend seminars at ACTS.  Day one was an hour and a half on Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark information delivered by Cécile Klein from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).  Very interesting stuff that I had never considered before, especially with respect to copyright rights either registered or not, and the option of a simple intellectual property employee agreement just to keep the facts straight.  Day two’s seminar was about exporting to the New England States put on by Wendy Diltz and an extra bonus of a 4-person panel of gallery / shop owners that were able to both support Wendy’s advice and also offer different opinions.  Monday’s presentation was done by Jeff White of Kula Partners all about the ins and outs of social marketing and how it can help business grow.  I must admit that Jeff’s presentation is part of the reason I’m updating our blog.  Thanks for the insight Jeff.

So that’s about it.  We’ve had a busy couple weeks and we’re glad to be back home on PEI.

Cheers !    Darryl

It’s a cold and rainy Friday night and I’m in a van heading for Greenwood Nova Scotia while Cindy & Elly are taking care of business in Summerside at the Three Oaks Christmas Craft Sale.  You’ll never know how bumpy the Trans Canada Highway could be until you’ve tried to type something at 100 kph :)  So, forgive me but there may be a couple typos before I’m done.

What’s going on at Right Off The Batt World Headquarters?  Well, we had Matthew Gillis from ACOA out to Kinkora for a chat and a bit of a tour and it seems ACOA likes us !  That’s nice to hear.  I tell ya, the Maritimes is a good place to do business.  PEI Business Development likes us - check.  ACOA likes us - check.  The Banks?  Well, that’s a different story but they don’t like anyone these days.   I went to a Maritime Electric presentation Thursday night out at Slemon Park that was pretty interesting.  It was geared toward businesses and talked about the results that have been seen from Energy Audits - You know… ways to save money here and there like shutting down the computer and FAX machine instead of leaving them on all night.  I think I should be installing a thermostat on our exhaust for the kilns too.  Have to have it on for the first 600 degrees or so for the fumes, but sometimes I know the exhaust is running when it doesn’t need to be.

What else?  Well ya, we’re at the sale at Three Oaks this weekend.  That’s a pretty nig deal.  Next week we’re at another one (check the schedule link because I’ve lost track !!! ) and then we’ve got a weekend off before the third and final November weekend sale during the last weekend. Again, check the schedule link for more info.

Otherwise we continue to chip away and make lots and lots of pots…  Until next time:)

It seems a real surprise to me when I consider the fact that October is nearing the end and November is right around the corner. What ever happened to June?

We’ve had a temporary visitor at the Studio over the past few days - well OK, a couple visitors, but we won’t count the mouse that is trying to find a warm place to stay during the chilly PEI winter. Yup, Joy from the Wellington PEI Katimivik Group has been staying with us this week and it’s been a blast. Joy is from Korea but has been living in Toronto for a few years and has been loving life on the Island. We found out last night that she is a big fan of Lobster Feeds as we had a great meal of lobster, potatoes (Craig’s from North Tryon) and corn from somewhere here on PEI. For a small woman she sure can pack away the groceries ! She’s going to treat us to a Korean supper tomorrow night so we’re looking forward to it.

We’ve been putting Joy to work at the studio too. The group did a workshop with us a couple weeks ago and (conveniently) all their pieces needed to be sanded, cleaned, waxed, and glazed. So, she’s got all the responsability to ensure her friends’ pieces turn out well. Big pressure ! I’m pretty certain everything will come out well. Elly and everyone else has been keeping an eye on her so far and it all looks good.

Speaking of new additions… We are hopefully finally going to welcome a new member to the ROTB Team soon. Yup, Angel Kelly will be coming on board very soon and we’re looking forward to having her in the studio. She’s only one of the changes… we’ve recently pried another 400 square feet from our Landlord so we’ll be planning a major reorganization very soon that will include a partnership with ACOA, but we’ll wait and see if they want to support us. Very exciting times !

We were pretty sad to hear the news about Best Of PEI shutting its two locations down in Charlottetown. They were great customers but I guess business is business. I’m not going to try and speculate what caused it as that would take someone with WAAAAAYYYY more business savvy than I to figure that one out. We just keep our heads down and try to keep everything on an even keel. Working out very well to this point so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

OK, keep checking back from time to time for new posts… Cheers !

We were very fortunate to add 2 team mates to our bunch in the early summer.  Jacqui Green was chiefly a hand-builder and Nancy Lavigueur who toiled away at the wheel and helped with my struggling french.  Sadly though we couldn’t convince them to give up on their academic careers and choose a life in clay. Jacqui went back to Queens University in Kingston to continue with her sciency degree thingy and Nancy returned to Quebec City to finish her 3rd year of Ceramic Arts.  We’ve got our fingers crossed that Nancy will come back next year.  Oh and there’s the part where I retired from the Military after 20 years to become a fulltime potter (and full-time live-at-home husband).  I’ve joined 721 Comm Regiment on a part-time basis to keep my fingers in the pie - when they’re not in the clay that is. Mmmmmmm pie

What else?  Well, we’ve pretty well managed to catch up on all our orders and even find ourselves with some inventory - which is pretty handy and we are moving into the Christmas order and sale season.  I’ll update our schedule (yes, another update) very soon, but it looks like we’ll be back to the Three Oaks Christmas Sale in Summerside for the third year, and a couple others too here on PEI but you’ll have to forgive me because I can’t recall when and where they are !!!  Give me a break… it’s not even 5 AM yet.  I promise I’ll update the schedule link.

Oh I almost forgot… we had the Katimavik troops out again for a workshop in exchange for some work around the house.  The Wellington Crew with Natalie came by and helped plant a heap of shrubberies and help me erect a movable-type garage riggins.  We’re also fortunate enough to be hosting Joy for a week starting today.  I’ll admit it though… I can’t remember which one Joy was.  My bad.  Do people still say “my bad” anymore?

So that’s about it for this installment.  Back into the studio on Monday - or should I take a day off ? Anyhoo, until next time clay fans

I enjoyed a whole lot of good information sessions during the PEI Craft Forum today and part of it was about blogs and the usefulness of blogs in marketing Craft.  I figured I was probably a couple months behind on this thing but NOOOOOOOOO.  I haven’t made an entry since wayyyyyy back in the spring.  How about that?  Time flies like crazy I’d say.  Must be the clean PEI air.

Bad news is… I must run so I’ll have to catch everyone up very soon.  Until sometime during the weekend…

Wow we finally got a load of clay into the studio.  Cindy - the sneaky bugger - just happened to show up to help unload the truck just as it was leaving.  Coincidence?  Ummmmmm  I don’t think so.  She’s a devious one, that Cindy.  But, she can throw a heck of a bowl.  I can’t really talk much though.  I was in New Brunswick so I missed out on all the fun too.  Elly had the smarts to call up Robin though so she didn’t have to do it all herself.  Next time Elly, we’ll all be there… I promise.

Man oh man it was nice yesterday.  Because we were running low on clay I couldn’t throw a mountain of mugs, so I pugged a 15 pound heap and had fun throwing a huge-big vase, just for a break ya know.  Pretty humid over the weekend so it was nowhere near ready to trim, so I left it for Cindy to experiment on.  Coolest part is finding out what she did with it when her imagination got going.

Speaking of imagination, Cindy is looking forward to another opinion about our “It Takes A Village” vase.  She’s thinking about entering it in the South Korea something something as an entry from PEI.  That would be very cool.  If you’re familiar with that vase then you know what I’m talking about.  Otherwise, I’ll have to figure out Word Press enough so I can post more pics on the site.

OK Kids… Catch you soon…

We’ve been rockin in the studio for the past while… Elly is whip crackin, Cindy is finishing up 2 long-term projects with Seniors in Summerside and up in Alberton while getting ready to fly to Boston at the end of the month, and me… I’m working away as hard as I can to meet our Spring Orders.

I’ll be sure to add more very soon about Cindy’s 2 projects and what the heck a trip to Boston is all about.

I said I would comment on our New Year’s Eve meal at the Stonewall… It was GREAT !!!  The service was great (thanks to Niclole), the meal was great (very tastey pepper steak) and the company of course was perfect. We all enjoyed our meals and the time spent in the intimate atmosphere of the restaurant and we’re pretty certain we’ll be returning.  I must add a quick comment about the Athens Restaurant up on Quinpool where we ate on the 30th… The new location is much nicer than the old one down a few doors and the rice pudding is still the greatest on the whole planet !!!  OK it wasn’t perfect… my lamb came to the table cold somehow but our server took care of it.

Cindy and I spent the entire day on the 1st relaxing and watching a Sarah’s House marathon on HGTV thanks to the storm that decided to roll into Halifax on New Year’s Eve.  Yup… 13 shows in a row.  Seems we did that on Jan 1st a couple years ago too.  Good way to ease into the year, wah?

All our best to you in 2009 and keep in touch !!!

Cheers