Man, I read something a while back that really stuck with me. It was about how we're in a "lawsuit happy" time, and nobody wants to get sued if a kid gets hurt in an empty lot or an old quarry. So they just fill it all in or put up fences. It makes everything feel so... tame and boring. All the good, messy, find-it-yourself spots get turned into another housing plan or a sterile park. Really hits home hearing about your quarry getting covered up.

My buddy tried your hot baking sheet trick and his peach pie finally crisped up.

The manual labor in hand-firing was rough.

Nice! I figured out that switching between sitting and standing every hour or so works even better for me. It keeps my legs from getting tired.

Yeah graphite works great on metal... but it can actually stain glass or ceramic over time. For those, a tiny bit of cooking oil on a paper towel works better. Or just use actual mold release from the hardware store.