Opening the kiln is both exciting and nerve wracking.

Woodfiring is a less predictable process than electric firing- it is not completely within the artists control. Although it is possible to understand the path of the flame through the kiln, you can not be sure where the flame will hit the pots, what the ash will do exactly or, in this case, where the soda will fall. There is an element of preparing for the unexpected.

Opening the kiln door can require a balancing act between the expectations of the artist and whether they are willing to incorporate the work of the kiln into their view of the finished piece. Sometimes this might be marks and colours you never dreamed were possible, sometimes effects you wish had never happened- but the one is necessary to achieve the other. 

Change is a difficult and uncomfortable process, it requires time and reaquaintance. In my, (limited but growing), experiecnce some of the biggest shocks can become the most treasured pieces in time.