Day 6 – Friday, July 5
No way to get to my installation site from the cemetery road parking area... water over the path in multiple spots... hm mm?!
I turned around when I got to the second one because I could see yet another spot further ahead.
Wonder what is going on?
I drove around to the in town parking area, and on the walk in from there was noticing the grass was all muddy looking, still, it didn't dawn on me until I got to the original site for my structure and figured out the river had jumped it's banks, sometime between Wednesday afternoon and today.
I hoped all the other sculptures had made it through unharmed, but, because I've been getting to my spot the other way around, I hadn't yet seen any of them, so, couldn't really tell, if they were all still there. (They were).
I arrived at my site to find that Rachel had installed my identifying sign.
Hurray! I keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming!
the correct number to call for the audio tour is 802-424-3003
My piece was fine. There was a large area of standing water about 8 inches away or so on the north side, but all was well. pretty much where the large mass of Japanese Knotweed is. I had suspected that is a wet spot.
Day 7 – Saturday, July 6
Another scorching hot and humid day begins for me in amongst the steaming willow bed in Stowe. You know the drill, sweat running down and bugs crawling up. Nothing much new about it except one little thing, or, really two little things. There were two baby goldfinches. I have never seen such tiny birds.
They were adorable. They kept me company the whole time, twittering away. It was such a pleasure. They must have just left the nest because they were hopping from branch to branch to get from the top of the nearby sumac down and then back up again. One in particular seemed like it was trying to figure out how to co-ordinate opening it's wings in relation to the hop off an upper branch and landing on the lower branch, but couldn't sort it out.
It would hop off, land, then open it's wings.
It was the cutest thing.
I didn't spend all my time watching, but, it did make for a sweet diversion from the sweat and bugs.
Got the bundles tied up, then one at a time over to the car and ever so gently shoved in. Drove over to the downtown parking area and hefted each bundle over to my installation. One at a time. It's not that they were particularly heavy, just heavy enough to hurt my shoulder bones after awhile. I have black and blues.
After that, I determined that a big long break at Black Cap Cafe with a glass of iced green citron tea and my laptop was in order.
I am working on a Pecha Kucha presentation... more on that later.
Refreshed and refueled, about 3:30-ish, it was time to get back to work.
Next order of business, finish up a few rows of basic over and under weaving along the south side and back, then on to what I am calling, the 'willy nilly' weaving.
This is the top and upper side sections of my piece that is woven in a random, haphazard, asymmetrical fashion. This is a challenge for me. Even if I am working on a drawing where I am stippling, I will go at it for awhile, in that mindless fashion that stippling lends itself to so perfectly. When I stop and look at it though, I usually see that there is some sort of pattern going on...
Why can't I do asymmetrical?
What does this say about me, does anyone know?
It bothers me to a degree, so, I feel I must challenge myself in this area every so often.
Hence, the willy nilly weaving incorporated in my piece.
I worked until darkness was setting in and the mosquitoes were driving me crazy. They seemed to have an uncanny knack for knowing when both hands were occupied with willow that would unwind if I let go.
8:45 I headed for home.
A good, long, productive day!
Yawn...
Day 8 – Sunday, July 7
Arrived early afternoon and carried on into the evening.
Honestly, this day is really a blur. And I didn't make very good notes for myself about what I got accomplished.
One thing I do remember is that I had a very pleasant surprise in that one of my permaculture teachers and his family rode by on their bicycles, and stopped for a visit. It was really good to see their smiling faces!
Keith Morris & Kori Gelinas operate Willow Crossing Farm in Johnson. Besides the name and the fact that they have plenty of native willow growing there, they have done a large amount of experimental planting of food producing trees, shrubs and perennials including successfully growing several plant varieties that theoretically don't grow in Vermont.
You can read more about Keith and Kori and the work they do here:
http://prospectrockpermaculture.wordpress.com/about/.
Day 9 – Tuesday, July 9
It was sprinkling when I got to Stowe this morning so, I decided to get a cup of Brave coffee at Black Cap Cafe and update my blog until the storm passed. Of course, by the time I got my coffee, and got my laptop out and fired up, the sky's were sunny again. What's it to me?!
I got a post or two finished and we got a downpour just as I was heading out to the site.
Oh, for crying out loud.
I went anyway. It did die down after a bit to a sprinkle, so, I got a little wet.
That's okay. I don't melt.
I got the 'over and under' done on the north side then carried on with the 'willy nilly' for a couple hours before it was time to head to Dave's Community Fitness for my front desk sitting gig.
Will I ever finish?
Often times, over the course of a project, there is a phase where you are definitely getting things done and making progress, but, it isn't as readily apparent as during other phases.
I am in this phase...
Day 10 - Wednesday, July 10
When the sky's cleared in Waitsfield I called HDAC to get a weather report. Actually, that's not the reason I called, but since I had a real person on the phone who could look out the window and give me a report...
It was overcast but not raining.
I got in my car and drove over.
By the time I got to Stowe's lower village there were big raindrops collecting on my windshield. I did not turn on the wipers. I was pretending with all my might that it was not raining.
It didn't work.
I spent the afternoon at the cafe, nursing an iced coffee and working on my Pecha Kucha presentation.
Hoping the sky's would clear.
They didn't.
When the cafe closed at 5, I went home.
Sigh.
Day 11 - Friday, July 12
Beautiful summer day. That's two in a row.
I collected the peeled white willow soaking in my bathtub since the day before, along with the Japanese willow that has been in a pot of water in my kitchen since, what the end of April? (It had all rooted!!)
Stopped to borrow Susie and Rob's rake and arrived on site at about 1:30.
I got as many ends trimmed as I could see and/or get to with my loppers or secateurs, and did some tucking in and neatening up of the structure.
At 4pm I decided to get out of the sun for awhile, and went to Black Cap for an iced green citron and a bit of computer time.
My body is probably trying to figure out how to handle all the vitamin D it is producing from all the sun this last couple weeks.
A little before 6 I headed back out to weave in the last bits of Japanese willow and the white willow.
When I say white willow, I am not talking variety. I am talking color. It is white because, in the spring, as it was leafing out I harvested the willow and peeled the outer bark off (you can read about that in my blog entry here:
http://growinghealthbydesign.blogspot.com/2013/05/diamonds-are-girls-best-friend.html), which left it a beautiful white color. It has been drying ever since, and so, needed to be soaked to make it flexible for weaving once again.
Weaving finished and raking done I was taking a few final pictures, when I spied a couple hot air balloons floating up over the hill in the west. The Stowe Balloon festival began today, and this was their first scheduled launch!
They sure had a beautiful night for it.
So I am finished. It has been a challenge and fun all at the same time.
Here is a sneak peak...
I definitely had a 'play' as John Waller suggested, I do. Experimenting with weaves and materials other than willow, practicing my twisted willow hurdle makers knots and clove hitches.
It has been an awesome experience, working with the willow, and one of the most fun parts has been meeting and talking with folks passing by, and getting to know everyone at the Helen Day Art Center.
I have a massage scheduled for 10:15 in the morning, and boy, do I ever need it!
The Exposed exhibit officially opens tomorrow afternoon, with a walkabout from 4-7.
See you there?!
susie
