The Gift

I came home from work on Sunday and was greeted by my wife with the question, "Did you see your rock sculpture in front of the house?"  Well, the answer, of course, was, "No".  I thought it must be totally destroyed and needed to be re-re-re-built.  She took me outside to see the surprise.  Turns out someone left me a gift of a two foot long, white marble slab that was an inch thick and three inches wide.  It was in pristine condition.  (Certainly not how it looks today having gone through several tumbles and crushings.) 
I usually don't care for such obviously man-made "rocks", but as it was a gift, or, more likely, a throw-away, I decided to use it in the Ardmore Ave. sculpture next time I needed to re-build it.  (Like that was going to be a long wait.)
So here it is at the top of the sculpture, appearing as a long white line.  I was quite pleased with the look of this sculpture.  Wish it had stayed up a little longer, but fate had other plans.  (As we all know, the universe devolves toward chaos, and with rock sculptures that happens rather quickly.)

When I have the time, I can really make an interesting and complex rock sculpture.  (Yeah, yeah, I know, they're just an effing pile of rocks.)  But to me there is a certain beauty to the positioning, balance, coloring and textures of these natural materials.  The next time I built the rock sculpture with this marble piece, I was rushed to get to work.  The result is not nearly as striking.  (Or maybe it is, but not due to the long marble strip.)  The marble piece is further down and on the left side.  Yes, it is shorter.  It's now two pieces.  (Twice the gift it originally was!)  This is going to be a temporary (aren't all my sculptures?) work, since I wasn't able to balance it solidly.  Don't worry, you'll get to see it's next reincarnation.  

While doing a Google search on rock sculptures, I discovered this site.  www.teamsandtastic.com/RockBalancing.  It's really worth a look.

So I Added Another Rock

Last night was cold and snowy.  This morning the rock sculpture at Ardmore Avenue was still up!  Oh, sure, one of the rocks had fallen off, but that was all.  Certainly to be expected considering I haven't cemented the rocks in place.  And since they aren't cemented, it gives me the opportunity to add (or take away) rocks.  Today I added a rock that had been sitting in the back of my car for weeks.  (Yeah, it's a special rock.  It's flat on two sides.)  (Sarcasm.)  I really just wanted it out of my back seat area.  I'm sure the person or people who knock down the sculpture will enjoy having more to knock down.

While getting ready to photograph the sculpture for posterity and you readers, an SUV pulled into the lot.  Drove right up to where I was, and stopped.  I walked over and had a nice talk with Randy.  He said he passes by the sculptures at the Wynnewood Train Station daily and wondered if I was the guy doing them. 

At this same time, a police car stops on Lancaster Avenue and the red and blue lights start flashing.  Is it me or the car in front of the cop?  I'm hesitant to admit anything to Randy at this point till I know where the cop's going.  And he goes to the car - yes!  

Turns out that Randy and I know the same people and live in the same area.  Not even six degrees of separation.  More like two.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate people taking the time to tell me that they enjoy seeing these rock sculptures.  It certainly helps to make up for all the time I find them totally destroyed.  (Must be those damned squirrels, right?)  So, here is the newest version of the rock sculpture at Ardmore Avenue.  

   

Yes. It's Been a While.

So I'm re-building the sculpture at Ardmore Ave. and Lancaster Ave. for the umpteenth time before going into work at Pet Valu, when a man stops by and asks if I'm the person who does the sculptures.  Naturally, my first response, which I stifled, was, "No, I'm just a stupid idiot who stopped by to scatter the rocks around the lot".  But, he seemed to be a fan, so I bit my tongue and responded appropriately.  His daughter likes the sculpture and he wanted to pass on her appreciation. 
Well, she may like my work, but when I passed by after work, it was already knocked down.  I quickly cut across the traffic and turned into the lot to do a rapid re-do.  While I'm working on the sculpture, a man in a electric wheel-chair comes across the lot to where I am.  He slowly unzips his jacket and starts reaching into his coat.  And I'm standing there thinking,"If he pulls out a gun, I'm dead!  Why the hell would he pull out a gun?  I can't hit a guy in a wheelchair because he looks like he's pulling a gun on me.  Or can I?"  By this time he's already taken out his camera, and has started taking pictures of the rock sculpture.  Damn, am I glad I waited to see what he was going for in that jacket.

At any rate, these folks prompted me to get back to this blog.  I gave both of them my card.  You remember.  The card my wife, Gloria, had made for free for me.  It has this web site on it.  So, if either of the two gentleman who approached me take a peek, thank you for your kind words, and know that I'll still be re-building the sculpture till they make something on this corner and throw me out.

Another New Year. So It Could Be Worse!

An opportunity to start afresh is upon us.  I hadn't even realized that I needed to start afresh.  I thought I was doin' OK.  Let me check.  Yep, I'm doin' OK!  My rock sculptures, however, are still in a state of flux.  (That's a place in South Jersey where the Mob use rocks to help memorialize ex-friends visiting the fish in the river by the aquarium.)

The person or persons who destroy the sculpture at Ardmore Avenue haven't resolved to change their behavior with the New Year.  They knock it down and I build it up.  It's a really great location.  As I re-build it people yell out to me from their cars.  Either they want to thank me for building it, or they want to know what it is.  Like they've never seen a bunch of rocks before?  Well, certainly not a bunch like this.  Beautifully balanced one upon another, esthetically placed and doomed to be destroyed by some idiot that night.

But, then, there are other people who really do appreciate these rock sculptures.  On my way in to work, I spotted a car parked in the empty lot at Ardmore Avenue.  A woman was out of the car, kneeling down and photographing my rock sculpture.  By the time I drove back to the area, she was gone.  Damn.  She probably works for Architectual Digest.  I was so close to international fame and great wealth.  Sigh.

I've been spending a lot of time working (playing) at Pet Valu, and haven't spent as much time checking out the rock sculptures at the ends of my territory - Bala Cynwyd and Villanova.  I hope to get to them soon.  Meanwhile, I was in Media yesterday to have my teeth cleaned.  The sculpture in front of Media Lima Dental was in pretty good shape.  Only had to place a couple of smaller rocks back on it.  The one at the hair salon was completely knocked down.  I restored it to it's usual glorious appearance, and happily went home for lunch.

It's Gotten Colder

Christmas is just around the corner, and I'm all set.  Sent out my cards and got my gifts.  Of course the greatest gift was delivered on Nov.23rd when my granddaughter, Beatrix Lily, was born.  She has these wonderful, long, delicate fingers.  Obviously, the artistic gene has been passed on.  I've included a picture of her whistling.  This is one precocious child.  She's beautiful and intelligent.  (Hey, I am her grandfather, but I'm telling you the God's honest truth.)

Back to the rock sculptures.  Someone finally decided it was time to knock down the sculpture at Ardmore Ave.  No big surprise there, as it is in easy reach of the sidewalk, since the Christmas tree place has arrived.  I re-built the sculpture and took the photo so you can see the trees, just in case you want to stop by.  It's actually two sculptures next to each other with the smaller one slightly closer to the Christmas tree fence.  Yes, it is hard to tell from the photo.  So get up and go out and see it.  Jeez. but you guys are getting lazy.

As I'm re-building the sculpture, the people passing by tell me how much they love seeing it.  Guess they're not the guy knocking it down.  Better yet, no one has driven by and taken a shot at me.  Yeah, life is good.

Found $5 At Wynnewood Train Station

Yes, once again both sculptures were down at the train station.  Awise man once told me, as he passed me by, "You must be nuts to do that!"  Well, I certainly can't argue with him over his evaluation of my actions.  It's becoming more and more tedious re-building these sculptures.  The fact that it's becoming colder and colder outside, doesn't help.  Even finding a five dollar bill at the train station didn't make re-building the rock sculpture for the umpteenth time any more satisfying.  So, again, there's a rock sculpture up for unknown people to pass by and marvel at.  That is, marvel at the insanity of it all.  Sure, I could cement the sculptures, but then they lose the natural appeal of being balanced just so.  Well, we'll see how much longer I continue with this endeavor.

Meanwhile, I've thrown in a photo of Olive.  She's a French bulldog that comes into the Pet Valu regularly for baths and treats.  Now that I work at Pet Valu, I have less time to play with the rock sculptures.  However, I'm making friends - both two legged and four legged.  And am really enjoying this new phase of my life.

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!?!