And then the FUN began!!! Finally the whole reason I came to Alaska in the first place!!! To teach a pottery workshop for the Fairbanks Potters Guild. It was a two-day workshop basically to show them anything & everything I wanted to… plus, Theresa requested stamps & hybrid mugs!

So Saturday we did some introductions, told some stories, shared some insights & made a LOT of pots! It was a full day of interactive demos where I did the demos… and then they all had a chance to give my techniques a try. We went through a LOT of clay during the all-day workshop!!! So much fun!

We made mug cylinders, bowls on purpose instead of cylinders gone bad, altered not-so-basic bowls, platters & more! We also did a little combo wheelthrown & handbuilt hybrid mug form to be finished the second day.

We ended with a little stamp-making demo where they all made their own stamps. My hope was that their pots would slowly dry overnight to a “soft-leatherhard” overnight AND their stamps would be dry enough for them to stamp their pots! Fingers crossed… as we didn’t have enough time to dry & bisque the stamps!

I was very pleased with how Day One went. We made a LOT of pots & it seemed like everyone was having a good time. There were a few “a-ha” moments as I was showing them some of my techniques & tricks along the way. And in return, they all taught me a few things too. I also had a giggle when I saw possibly the “smallest sink ever” in the restroom. And yes, I did bring the OREOs!!!

Saturday morning we decided to go over to the Fairbanks Farmers Market before starting the pottery workshop. I was impressed by the colors, textures & flowers all over the market. As well as some “crib balls” the were hand-sewn… and brought some childhood memories as my Grandma Kitty made the same stuffed fabric balls when we were kids! The Fairbanks Potters Guild has a booth there every time… so it was great to meet some potters & see some pottery ahead of the workshop.

After a long day of hiking & sightseeing… what better way to cap it off than with some chocolate ice cream?! Even better when served in handmade pottery!!!

After hiking all day and a fun “Meet & Greet” potluck dinner, Theresa & I headed over to RAVEN CITY CLAY STUDIO in Fairbanks. We wanted to stop in so I could see where the weekend workshop was going to be taking place. We met with Tammy, the owner, who walked us around & got the feel of the place. A nice studio with plenty of space, plenty of wheels & good lighting wheres she offers classes, camps & open studio times. We talked about the “plan” for the workshop. She was providing wheels , tools & clay for the participants… the rest was going to be pretty much up to me!!!

So we woke up Friday morning in Fairbanks with a plan… to go find MOOSE!!!

There was a workshop “Meet & Greet” Potluck Dinner planned for later that night. So we had a good day to go see some nature, do some hiking, get some photos & hopefully find some MOOSE!!!

Theresa’s plan was to drive us down Chena Hot Springs Road to see what we could along the way. There are so many ponds, creeks, rivers, swamps, forests, moss, mushrooms… all of them ideal for a moose to be hanging out in. It was slightly overcast, misty & rainy at times, but so beautiful! This was more of the Alaska I expected. But I will say… I was surprised by all of the flowers everywhere??? Again, as an unknowing Midwesterner, I must admit I kinda thought Alaska was always cold & frequently covered with snow!!! Who knew is was no nice in the summer with flowers everywhere??? Not me.

And the wildlife scorecard?…
two scrawny squirrels, some ducks… and still NO MOOSE!!

Okay, so we didn’t see any moose… as “promised.”
But we did see some musk ox!!!

Apparently these are “a thing” up in Fairbanks…
penned on the side of the road at an animal research facility.
Close.. but still no moose!!

As part of my Alaskan search for wildlife… I was on a constant look-out for moose, bears & eagles. My host, tour guide & workshop organizer Theresa had a great plan. Her daytime job is at the local landfill. And apparently that’s where all of the eagles & ravens go to eat?! So after hours, we drove up into the landfill area, up on top of the mounds… surrounded by bald eagles, younger eaglets & ravens! So cool to see so many up close… but a weird being on top of a landfill??? I learned so much…

Continuing on our Fairbanks tour… we stopped by Pioneer Park. A charming collection of Fairbanks history with old log cabins, a paddlewheel boat, a carousel, a small chapel, plenty of crafty shops & small food venues. They even had a very nice history museum… which was even cooler as some of Theresa’s family were shown in the museum as her roots take her back to being a native Alaskan!

Continuing my “Welcome to Fairbanks Tour”… we also stopped by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). We’ve all heard about the Alaskan Pipeline… but who knew parts of it were above ground? Not me!!! As a Midwesterner, I guess I assumed it was all underground. Even crazier, it is built with these support beams that allow the actual tube to “slide” around throughout the seasons. Wait, what?… it moves??? And oh, but wait there’s more… the weird “tuning fork” pylons are there to help keep the ground under the pipeline cold enough all year long so it doesn’t sink into the melting ground. And, the weird “missle” thing is used to run up & down inside the tube to clean it out!!! So much going on here… I had no idea!!!

After Theresa picked my up at the Fairbanks Airport, we went out to lunch and then North Pole, Alaska. Okay, so it might not be the “real” North Pole… but this cute little town is all decked out for Christmas year-round!

This gift shop seemed to be the main attraction. Complete with a huge Santa Clause, oversized Christmas Tree, reindeer & some painted tiles around the store. Cute… quaint… thematic… but it all looks like it coulda used a nice re-hab a few decades ago!