Getting Ready For December Nights

Here's a photo I took this evening of the wizard with green gloves. He's featured in one of my earlier entries. Now he's been glazed and he sits beside his large treasure box on the shelf in the pottery studio across the main patio from me. His creator says he has a very serious expression on his face although she didn't say why. I hope he's not distressed by any of the happenings around Spanish Village. I wonder if he has something in his box that will help us out. Maybe he's just feeling the weight of the responsibility for December Nights which is the two-day event starting tomorrow here in Balboa Park.

Lots of preparation is occuring around the Village and throughout the Park in preparation for the event. The large pottery kiln is going, lights fill the trees, ornaments and wreaths hang everywhere. Booths and tents are being erected. The whole main plaza of the Park is filled with blue and purple lights. There's a huge Christmas tree on the stage at the Organ Pavillion and it's covered with red lights. I don't remember seeing the sleigh and reindeer, but I'm sure they're there.

My favorite bakery booth is in place. I suppose I have to say my all time favorite food is Christmas butter cookies. I'm definitely planning to eat some tomorrow night. Or before. Actually, we have to be here early to get a place to park. I'm going to try to come over around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. We can't park in our usual parking lot, so we need to get here early to get a place that's reasonably close. I've brought everything I'm going to need over here this evening so that I don't have to carry a lot tomorrow.

There will be streams of people walking through the Village. As a result, I plan to sit out at my worktable outside. The event goes on until 10:00 p.m. both nights. I've already brought extra sweaters and boots over to help keep me warm. Actually, I plan to leave some warm clothing in my studio so that I can still sit outside on winter days and remain warm. Now that the sun is further to the south, my table is in the shade all day. I've been very cold the last few days. The thing is, it's just as cold inside as it is outside. But with boots instead of sandals, sweaters instead of tee-shirts, I should be fine.

Today I was at school, attempting to create another photo etching. Unfortunately, the transparency was too dark and the plate will be too difficult to wipe. So I agreed with my professor that I will make it a little lighter and then try again next week. Also, I have another photo that he likes, but it has a scratch on it. So I'll print it over as well. Hopefully, I can create two editions next week. In the meantime, when my plans today didn't work out, I printed a small edition of another plate that I had with me at school. So my day was not entirely wasted.