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Show 2 - BUSY TIMES - JUNE 1992 Kindred Spirits else. He was not to return to glass blowing for seven years; other plans An Interview with Michael awaited him. Returning from a mission for the Glover Michael Glover is a glass blower. Like other people in the Valley, he in education. They did not say it was watched and we talked. I learned that glass blowing is an art and Michael an artist And I found in Michael and Leslie more kindred spirits in the Valley. —Joan Sangree until it had reached the perfect heat for so bad after all.” , mm mm. .-. love at first sight, but they both have a glow and twinkle when they talk about designs. Wearing glare-protective glasses, I sat on a stool and watched Michael weave his magic, using only a propane torch, a pair of pliers, a tin can, and a pair of strips. He moved as if in a dance, rhythmically and patiently, gently twisting and turning the glass counterbalances the droning of the propane torch, and a large window fan keeps the room surprisingly cool. This is where Michael melts and molds long tubes of Pyrex glass into whimsical dragons, flowers, hummingbirds, horses, hearts, and other original shaping. Orange light glowed from the rods’ ends, Michael’s fingers only inches away. “Glass doesn’t conduct heat the way metal does,” he explains. “Pyrex glass has extra silica so it can be reheated without cracking.” I watched in silence, but stare as I might, that moment when the glass yields its pliableness remained invisible to my untrained eye. Michael began glass blowing, or lamp working, as this type of glass work is called, when in eighth grade he attended an alternative high school called Free School. “That one year had more influence than all the rest,” he with a glass horse proudly rearing, muscles rounded and tail gleaming, a horse which took shape while I their early years that shows the deep affection and respect still flowing between them. Michael's introduction to Castle Valley was coming here to meet Leslie’s parents, the Stuckis, who lived then where Michael and Leslie live now. Married in 1980, the couple spent their December honeymoon in a tiny unheated cabin by the creek, with only a down comforter, a wedding present from Leslie’s parents, to keep them warm. They moved into the rock house on Shafer Lane, and Michael worked graveyard shift at City Market “I worked there for two years, and it was two years too many,” he remembers. “I decided glass blowing wasn't stored clothes. A James Taylor tape ing many of our generation’s mistakes. I had watched; we had talked. I left LDS Church, Michael met Leslie at BYU, where she was getting a degree .. works out of his home in what is known as a cottage industry. In a small workroom, ovens for annealing thick and thin glass and a sandblaster for making glass opaque share space with prepare for the difficult task of correct- Slow Down, You’re Moving Too Fast Friends and neighbors, our roads are “feelin‘ groovy” due to speed induced washboards. Suggestions have been made for more speed limit signs along the main road. Another suggested an enforced ordinance limiting speed—— i.e., tickets! Rather than make rules or pollute the scenery, perhaps we all need to raise our driving consciousness. Case in point, myself. Since I was asked a week ago to write this anicle, Thus in 1983 Michael resumed his career, traveling to places like Aspen and Telluride, where he filled blown glass orders out of his van. He soon realized this was too much traveling and time away from his family. So in 1984 the Glovers moved to Las Vegas where the bigger markets were. They lived there for six years establishing a reputation and a market, until they could UPS business out of their home. In August of last year they came home to Castle Valley. “You know the Valley,” says Michael. “It’s magic here. I hope I never have to leave.” Leslie enjoys its peacefulness and the warmth and generosity of neighbors. “Our church is very important to us, like a family. The larger community can be like a family too,” she affirms. affirrns. A Boulder, Colorado, resident, he had been bored through school, with the resultant behavior that “made my reputation proceed me.” Free School They both feel strongly about commugave Michael the opportunity to find nicating and working out differences himself through meaningful learning within their immediate family and the experiences. He remembers learning larger community. They speak with math by studying geodesic domes built ‘ passion about the importance of in New Mexico. In one class, an creative thinking, of going beyond the industrial glass blower demonstrated known and often pat answers, the “easy the art ofmaking beakers and test yeses.” We talk of alternative education tubes. “I just took to it," Michael for our children, wanting to help them recalls. From age 13 to 18 he spent summers performing his magic in front of countless tourists in Estes Park. He blew glass in an ice cream shop alongside a portrait artist. Five years of blowing glass for tourists left Michael “burnt out” and ready to try something Olivia Kulander I’ve made a conscious effort to slow down, that is, I’m paying attention to what I'm doing when driving. I catch myself barreling along when (1) I am going nowhere that I couldn’t arrive 11/2 to 2 minutes later, (2) I am creating a dust billow that could be minimized to almost nothing at 20 mph, (3) I am driving without giving any consideration at all to what speed I‘m actually going. So I'm trying to become more aware of my driving habits. It's not so hard, folks. We're spending a lot ofmoney watering and grading our main road to get rid of washboards that can be minimized at no cost except slowing down. We create immense clouds of dust (especially for our neighbors who live near the road) which might be lessened or avoided entirely if we would slow down. There is $5,000 allocated in our town budget for a dust control study. The best dust control for free, and far better for our air and our roadway neighbors, is just slowing down. We all drive on “auto pilot" some or much of the time. Try motioning your speeding neighbor to slow down: wave your hand palm down or flash your lights. And please be mellow. Don't “flip someone off” for giving you a friendly reminder which could benefit us all. Beats rules and regs, and our vehicles will love us for it. —Annie Benge |
