The Avant Garden

... but if it's anything like that new-boot feel, I'll take some. I've been blessed with a pair of Vasque Clarion GTX boots for the past four years. I wanted another pair just like them, as a matter of fact, which usually means they've been discontinued. But no. I went to Diamond Brand Outdoors today and bought a new pair of 11 Wides, my feet having been widened and flattened by many summers of direct contact with hot Georgia dirt and asphalt. I put them on and laced them up and they felt tight and pained me for a moment. I took a few steps and the pain was gone. They fit perfectly. I have a layer of Grizzly Grease on them right now, probably the first pair of boots I have ever treated before running off somewhere in them. Buddy Smith wears Vasque boots as well. We need to set up an endorsement deal.

I ran into my boss and friend Joy Franklin at Diamond Brand. I was in my dirty wooly pullover and sweat-stained hat, so I figure she recognized me by the ever-present coffee cup.

This is a 30 second walk from the Avant Garden proper

I stacked a few things today, but all I photographed was this arc ---------->   

Supposedly, inclement weather is heading our way. We've had some rain-n-ice mix falling. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get that snow I want so badly. My fingers are crossed for a real snow, not the dustings and one-inch made-by-and-for-the-Weather-Channel "storms" we've had so far.

The organic FX filter at work

I meant to put this photo up yesterday. I took a few photos before I realised I had fogged up the lens with my coffee breath yesterday while I was out watching the frost melt on the Marchin' Arches. If I were unemployed, I'd do that every morning. Watch the frost melt, not breathe on camera lens, I mean.

..after a trip to get coffee filters, I went to the downstream Rockpile and added 7 inches -- without answering an e-mail! 
Buddy, who once owed a framing shop, framed thisI added two more rocks to the JollyStoneGiant.

Compare today's shot of the tallest stack I have ever done:
Seven foot five or six or so ...

...to yesterday's tallest stack I'd ever done:

Tallest thing I'd ever done ...  JollyStoneGiant  

I added Rocks L and M. They were a pleasure to work with.

Back in mid-Feb., Buddy and I started repairing the Stone Serpent, but I left it partly rubbled since he left. I finished her today and gave her a baby stone serpent as well:
It made Anne say, "Aaaah..."

I'd planned on giving her multiple offspring, but decided birthing one of those at a time was enough to ask of her.

By the end of the day, this is what the back yard looked like:
That's a whole lot of rocks, aye?

I cleaned up a lot of rubble and limbs.

And here is the view looking down from the top deck, with saxophone player:
K-T filled the Valley with slick sax licks 

She had 40 cents in her saxophone case when I looked. Here's one from the other direction:
PhilosophenEcke rocked for a while...

I stood my favorite piece of driftwood up again in PhilosophenEcke. I have extended an open invitation to any and all to come sit in PhilosophenEcke (Philosopher's Corner) and think deep thoughts, or just stare off into space and drool. Or read, or play sax, or all of the above. It's a groovy place.

... Wenesday night I went out and danced in the moonlight to a CD I burned and entitled "Loud and Oddnoxious." I danced watching my shadow created by the Moon (thanks to Cat Stevens, I can no longer say or type the word "m--------w") on the rockstack I call "Moonlight" and probably lost a pound or two. I remained clothed, but barely. Thursday I came home from work and had what felt like an MSG-attack, as I have had before. Blaaahed the day away.
Tallest thing I've ever done .. may get tallerToday I went down to the Rockpile and stacked this guy:

He is about 6'10" tall, and he clicked together so well I think I can make him taller tomorrow. I've never stacked anythying so high that I had to stand on something ... I'll keep my cellphone in my breast pocket.

This is the latest incarnation of the rockstacklamp:
Now what do we do with it?

Wednesday night I drilled a hole in a rock to insert a brass finial to hold the shade on. The rock split, but remains my next rainy day project.

I bought a stanied glass lightbulb (something about that makes me snicker) for it.

...cuz it's funny. Check out my new rockstackfountain:
Pitiful, ain't it? But it's a start ...

I had a pump from this old gargoyle cement fountain thing that Joan gave us years ago. I took it to work, but we never even plugged it in. I brought it home yesterday and started drilling. The long term plan is to buy a bigger pump (this one moves water about 10" upward, and whines about that) and make a rockstackfountain between belly button and nipples high on the village rockstacker in one of the little streams near my house near electricity. We'll see what happens.

Katie Russell will give a free saxophone concert in the rockpile today beginning at 16:45. Reservations recommended.