Rosh Hashanah 5772

Veys mir!  Everyone is going to synagogue and I'm out re-building rock sculptures.  I'll never get my name inscribed into the Book of Life this way.  Maybe I can get it inscribed into the Book of Stone.  (As in "You're gonna sink like a stone all the way to Hell.")  Alas, my fate, is written in stone.  It used to be written in composite resin, and before that it was in amalgam.  Such is the progression of life - always improving.
Anyway, I went to Ardmore Ave. and, to my surprise, the sculpture was still standing.  Is it possible the miscreants that knock it down have gotten tired of doing so?  Or is this a Rosh Hashanah gift?  A couple small stones had fallen off from yesterday's heavy rain.  I replaced them.  Nothing worth a photograph.

I went back to The Oakhill Condos and re-made a couple of sculptures.  How do you think they stack up?  (That's a rock sculpture joke.)  Hey, I didn't say it was a funny joke!  Unfortunately, it's one of my better jokes.  The rock sculptures are similar to the joke.  Just OK, but nothing to write home about.  So, I'm done writing. 

Ardmore Train Station (And Ardmore Ave. - Again)

It's been a while since I've visited my site near the Ardmore Train Station, so I returned to it only to find almost all the stones knocked back into the planted area.  No big surprise there.  This is another location that gets destroyed regularly.  It's a secluded spot, perfect for surreptitious (yes, I looked this word up in the dictionary.  So what?)  building of rock sculptures, as well as under-aged drinking and drug use.  I use the area for all three activities.  Shh, don't tell.
Since the rocks were still present, I re-built the sculpture.  You'd think that it would look the same as the original sculpture, but it doesn't.  I'd forgotten what it looked like originally.  I already forgot what I did yesterday, so there's no way I'd remember the original look of this sculpture.  Hope it stays up for a while.  I like the way it presents.  The spike adds some pizazz (don't see that word very often) to the piece.

And, of course, I re-built the Ardmore Ave. sculpture.  It took quite some time.  People stopped in cars, on bikes and on foot to talk to me about the rocks.  Even Mike, the owner of the car wash and this lot, came over to talk.  He told me that a mother and her young son stopped and built a small sculpture near mine.  It makes me happy to hear that my efforts have produced a creative learning experience, rather than an opportunity to destroy someone's artistic creation. 

A bike riding philosopher stopped by to comment on the plight of humanity, especially in this country, where it seems, we're going to hell in a hand basket quite rapidly.  All this because kids knock over my rock sculptures.  He suggested I plant a camera to catch the low-life culprits.  Right, then I could confront them and get the shit knocked out of me.  No thanks.  I'll stick with the Metamucil.

Ardmore Avenue Revisited (Often)

As predicted, the rock sculpture at Lancaster Ave. and Ardmore Ave. has been knocked down nightly.  The person(s) goes to great lengths to completely knock down even the heaviest rocks.  (I do so admire a diligent worker.)  Fortunately, I get my coffee at the Wawa in Ardmore West, so I stop every morning to re-build the rock sculpture (like I have nothing better to do with my time - which I, sadly, really don't). 
But it does give me time to refine the sculpture, and get many people giving me a thumbs up as they drive by.  I had a call from another writer for the Main Line Times who had seen the sculpture, and wanted to confirm that I had built it.  So, people do notice my works, though they have no idea what they mean.  (As if I do.) 
However, someone must have similar urges to create like me because I found the sculpture re-built a couple of times by another's hand.  (Or is that hands?)  I re-did the sculpture to my liking, thinking, "Yo, these are my rocks, my spot and my gig.  Go somewhere else and come up with your own idea."  Yet, I'm happy that this person constructs, rather than destructs.

I took photos of the sculpture yesterday and today.  To be honest, I was into it more yesterday, and more interested in getting my coffee this morning.  I really, really need my morning coffee! 

Labored on Labor Day Weekend

Finally, I found a place for a new rock sculpture.  This location is on the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Ardmore Avenue.  It's right near the I-Hop and across from the Mickey D's in the large, empty lot that was made available especially for my rock sculpture.

Oh sure, you chuckle.  A location reserved just for me.  Well, it so happens that the lot's owner, who also owns the car wash, saw me building the rock sculpture.  He came over to me and (surprise) asked what the hell I was doing.  I explained about the rock sculptures and how they were highly valued by the local citizens.  He was so pleased that he gave me the "OK" to leave it on his property.  Though he recognized right away that the likelihood of the area kids leaving it alone was quite low.  No problem, I said, as I live nearby, and will be back often to re-build it.  (Only too true.)

You have no idea the sacrifices I make to do these sculptures.  Today, I sacrificed my Muhlenberg College T-shirt, the rear fender of the car and multiple parts of my body while getting one of the large granite blocks into the trunk.  The intercostal muscles (look it up, you should know what they are) on my left side are big-time sore, as are my elbows and knee.  And, of course, the hole in my driveway, where I dropped the rock, is going to be a long-time reminder of this day. 

After building the sculpture I had a nice gentleman pull into the lot who asked what I was doing.  Again I explained about the rock sculptures, and he asked if I would build him one.  I (regrettably) declined, saying that they were street art, meant for the public, and I wasn't doing private works (that would fall down in a week or so).  I gave him one of my cards (well, yes, I have cards) so he could read the blog. 

So now I've used up all the large, base rocks I had.  Even if I see a good spot for a rock sculpture, I'd need to visit one of my sources of granite rocks.  I really don't have the back strength to lift them, but when has that ever stopped me?  My tombstone will say "Great dentist and decent rock star, who doesn't know his own strength".