Hello Beatrix Lily

She's my first grandchild and she really is beautiful.  Born on November 23rd in New York City, she's now here in Pennsylvania along with her Mom and Dad.  Adding delight to an already wonderful Thanksgiving, my daughter, Emily, is also home for the holiday, albeit a little under the weather.  With so much joy, what could go wrong?  Well, the toilet could break!  And it did just after we got home late last night.  Thankfully, Mape's had the part and all is well.

The same could not be said for the sculpture in the small alcove at Wynnewood Train Station.  I decided to give it a complete make-over.  I'll be interested to see if this configuration will withstand the forces of chaos better than the previous rendition. 

I stopped off at the Ardmore and Lancaster Avenue sculpture and found that it was not only knocked down, but was also being encased in a six foot high, chain link fence.  My first thought was,"Wow, how nice of the owner to put up this huge fence to protect my sculpture from being knocked down."  However, the nice young men installing the fence told me they would be putting Christmas trees on this location.  My sculpture was not going to be included inside the fence.  BUT, I could re-build it outside the fence.  Don't have to tell me twice.  I grabbed my rocks and rolled out of "their" space.  The sculpture is closer to the street, and, thus, more vulnerable to destruction, but it wasn't so invulnerable where it had been.  I'm hoping the passersby are more in a giving spirit and give me a break on my sculptures.

                             

Ain't that little girl great!?!

A Copy Cat

"Imitation is the greatest form of flattery."  So, why am I slightly pissed and greatly annoyed that someone else re-built the rock sculpture at Ardmore Ave. and Lancaster Ave.? And, especially, that it's not been knocked down?  What?  Is this a better built, more aesthetic sculpture than the one's I make?  (I think not!)  Has this person found the Rosetta Stone for preventing people from knocking down the sculpture?  (Or is this actually the person who has been knocking them down?)  Yes, I've left it up.  Why should I strain my fractured rib to re-build it, even though it's not what I would have made.  When (and if) it does fall, I'll be there to make something I like.  (Like the one at Media Lima Dental Associates which is pictured below.)

The sculpture in Ardmore is a pile of rocks, starting with the four largest rocks as a base.  It then builds up to smaller and smaller rocks like a four sided pyramid.  The viewer who comes east on Lancaster Ave. doesn't get to see much of anything till they get directly nest to the sculpture.  The sculpture in Media is more open.  It can be enjoyed from different viewing positions.  It requires greater skill at balancing the rocks, giving a more aesthetic, interesting appearance.

Oh, yeah, I guess I am more than slightly pissed.  I should just get over it.  After all, they're only a pile of rocks.  BUT THEY'RE MY PILE OF ROCKS!

Rockin' In Radnor, PA

The township gardeners did their Fall clean-up at the Rte. 320 and Rte. 30 intersection.  Unfortunately, the rock sculptures located in this park area fell victim to their vigorous attention to detail.  That minor detail being the partial destruction of both sculptures.  It really was a shame.  These sculptures had stood the test of time.  (Well, at least for a couple of years.)  God knows, most of these sculptures fall (or are knocked) down nightly, so two years is a substantial amount of time.

Somehow I got a spurt of energy, and applied mortar to these two sculptures.  If left alone they should make it through the trials and tribulations of winter.  (Anybody wanting to see rock sculptures in Florida, please feel free to pay for my expenses there and back - as well as food, lodging, entertainment, etc.  I shall joyfully oblige.)  As it is, I bought an expensive pair of gloves so I can continue to maintain this idiocy during the winter here.

The rock sculpture at Penn  at Radnor was in fairly good shape.  I just gave it a minor touch-up.  However, the sculpture at Radnor Park was totally knocked down.  The rocks were strewn (ah, that college education, again) around the base rock in the leaves.  Yes, it's obvious, even to me, that someone doesn't care for my artwork.  BUT they left the rocks!  So, obviously, they want me to re-build it.  It's just a matter of making a sculpture they do like.  Right?  I know there were more rocks, but I wasn't able to find them all in the leaves.  It's not the greatest rock sculpture I've made there, but considering it is forever getting tossed about, it's good enough.  Besides I tire easily these days - oh hell, I"ve been a lazy SOB my whole life - and wanted to get home to write up the blog.

I've thrown in a nice photo of Gracie.  I was trying to get a picture of Shayna Punim (which you, of course, know is Yiddish for "pretty face") with her nose sticking out of the crate, when Gracie sat herself down in front of me.  It was a perfect pose.  Hope you like it, as well as the shot I was going for of Shayna.