The Avant Garden

 Rocks have been in my hands and on my mind lately as the temperature has dropped back down to 'normal' levels, but mostly I have done repair work, such as the Bent Creek Sculpture Walk. Remember this guy:

He no longer exists. He (The Original Bent Serpent, or TOBS as he was known around the rockpile) was part of the Bent Creek Sculpture Walk that I had maintained for nigh on two-and-a-half years. Other humans have been there recently, and we have had some flashflood-quality downpours, so I don't know what happened. I went to fix him up and his rocks -- all of them -- were gone. They weren't downstream that I could tell, and I know those rocks well. I wrote RIP on a piece of vertical driftwood for him.

But back to this abstract patriotism business ... 

My only-friend-Joe has several pieces of artwork hanging in his LR by Atlanta legend Ab the Flagman, which I like very much. I also like Ab very much. So on my way back from Atlanta two weekends ago, I got to thinking about doing a piece inspired by Ab. Despite a muscle cramp in my back that won't let go, I came up with this over the course of several days:
No bad for a first and only, I reckon ...

Sidekick Rob was a great help, letting me do this in his shop, as a matter of fact. I was somewhat pleased with the result, though as with everything I do, the second one would be better now that I have made mistakes doing the first, but alas; I won't do another one. This was a one-off tribute to Ab. I hope he likes it. Right now it is hanging in our newly-decorated living room, though my wife is on her way home as we speak.

Just before my burst of gluing zeal, Joshua and I went over to Rob's to hang out. He brot Harry Potter with him, as he is re-reading the entire series:
Looks like some kind of hippy, doesn't he?
Not long after I took that photo, he grasped the lower arch of the stack beside him and shook it and asked, "How many Fugenauts is this thing, Dad?" Before I could say a word, the top arch started to fall. For a bright kid, that was a goober move. But he  didn't get hurt, as the rocks missed. But from now on, I think he'll leave the Fugenaut-rating to his dad like the other kids in the neighborhood.

and we are indeed in the Dog Days of Summer here in the mountains. We had a hi of 94F today. I have so many projects going that none of them will ever be completely finished during my lifetime, but the interesting piles of unfinishedness add a little something to the home of Avant family. The first thing to get to is the cool arch someone added to the area of Bent Creek where the Roadside Serpent hangs out:
That's plenty cool, aye? Wish I had done it ...

 I went there on the Saturday before I did that last blog entry, and looked up from the Roadside Serpent repair to see that arch.  I don't know who did this one, but I left them a note telling them that I thot it was truly top shelf, and rockpile compliments don't get much higher than that. The photo is courtesy of Anna of MistyBlueRidges.com. I also took one, but hers was better.

I found a place where someone had dammed Bent Creek and made three distinct channels, so I put an arch over each one: 

That same day, I went to Rob's and did The Keep on Truckin' Duo:
Out for a walkabout, aye?

The next morning I set out on a long journey east, allaway to Mt. Mitchell. I passed a cute little waterfall kind of thing and did a pair of stacks, starting with this fella:

They lived a short but happy life.He needed a hiking buddy, so just downstream a few yards, I made him a female companion on an idyllic moss-n-wildflower covered  bank:

... they barely lasted a week. Vandals.

Another projick I have been working on is the Great Wall of Utah:
Utah deserves a Great Wall.

 Though I am terrified of electricity, I managed to hang that track lighting system. It lights the wall well, but the halogen bulbs make it really warm back there. Since that photo was taken, I have added the final bit - rocks, of course.