Dot, the news from NZ is really good. Sounds like a bit kharma may be happening to her bro. Stay warm mate xxxx
Robert, you are so right. The big yard sale near Christmas, may have to become a reality. I am still building things, but at a much slower rate now. It is also making be more of a perfectionist. If not 100% happy with any piece, I am taking the hammer to it or cutting it down and refiring until the results are exactly what I want. Could be a good thing, in the line of quality control.
The firing last night went well-ish. The plate on the top shelf oozed a bit off the shelf and ran down the front of the kiln. It was not a difficult fix, but it's having another warm up now. I chopped off the excess glass, smoothed out the edges and made super sure that it was properly on top of the shelf, with room for stretching all round it. I will be firing a few more lots of flat plates, before I settle back into putting them onto molds. Then They have to have homes found upstairs. Something is going to have to go and it won't be the glass.
nighty night all xxx
Goodnight Macca x 
adjusted the alternator/water pump belts because they were screaming and belt grip didn't solve the problem 
....... put the new 24v balancer on the house battery ... well it's been waiting for 3 yrs to be done but ya can't rush these things .... sort of run things to do rather than going off to do this job .... so it looks like I'll have to go and do it tomorrow now