The Year in Sand 2007

Missing the Bus

The rain actually showed up. The scent of rain carried in through my open door carried me out to stand in the sprinkle. I hoped it would continue.

It did, accompanied by lightning and sharp thunder. What could I do in the early predawn gloom but go take a look? I rode up to Will Rogers and watched sunlight work its way through decks of cloud over the city.

Offshore were rainbows, fire in the sky drawn in an elegant arc that I hoped the Mosaic Great Racers would duplicate in a few hours. More clouds out there showed the unsettled weather.

Build number: 07P-6 and 07P-7 demo small arch
Title: none
Date: September 22
Location: Venice Breakwater, south side
Start: about 0930; construction time approx 1.5 hours
Height: about 3 feet
Base: yes
Assistant: none
Photo digital: about 25 shots with 1D mark2 and 24-70 zoom in the rain
Photo 35mm: none
Photo 6X7: none
Photo volunteer: none
Video: none
Equipment note: A challenge: only small mussel shells

At home I rinse all the mud off the mountain bike. It hasn't been this clean in months. Dust in layers from each dry ride. Then I get out the beater bike and ride to the Breakwater so I'll have time to do a demonstration sculpture for the race group.

It's nearly done when Debbie and Christine walk up. Offshore there are squalls but clear sky around them gives us a chance of staying dry.

I renew Deb's piling lesson and we go to work on more demonstration pieces. One is just a pile, to show how it's done. Then I make a small arch, tall enough that one of the Official Great Race water bottles can stand underneath, and wide enough that the bottle can go through on its side. It's an elegant little thing and I go get my camera to take a picture.

Then a man walks up and takes out a small silvery flat thing and asks if he can take a picture. It looks like nothing I've seen before.
"What is that?"
"Apple Iphone, of course."
He shows me some of its tricks. While this is going on a couple of frisky waves roll up and take out the small arch.

So, Deb and I complete her little arch to the necessary specification. By this time the tide has pretty much given up. It stands.

Deb is on the phone regularly, getting updates. The rain approaches. Who is racing whom? The first team arrives at the checkpoint, and then goes haring off toward the boardwalk. I overhear part of the phone conversation.
"You told them to follow the beach?... OK... it's their bad, then."
We wave and holler. Deb has a bright yellow shirt that could be seen from a mile away. The team determinedly ignores everything but their own fantasies and disappears behind the graffiti walls. You now need a license to paint there, I see.

We await the next team. They lose the race with the rain. We pack our stuff into somewhat rain-resistant bags and hunker down. Rain isn't the problem out here. The attendant cold is what drives me away. We shiver.

Then three teams arrive at once and start pounding sand. Two teams try the pillars-and-crosspiece approach, but one guy tells his team to make a big pile and tunnel through. They all finish at about the same time and rush off. They've paid no attention to any of the demonstration pieces. Well, they're racing to a destination, not to aesthetics. They race off. We await the last time. The rain doesn't wait.

It just plain cuts loose from a dark cloud directly overhead. We gather our stuff and run for the lee of the lifeguard tower. Much better. After a few minutes the day brightens and the western sky starts to show some blue. The last team shows up and gets "rain grace," sent on their way. Good thing because the sky gives us one last blast, heavy big raindrops that soak us. After that everything sparkles in the sunshine. Deb and I resemble rats after the spin cycle.

Deb and Christine follow the racers. I go get a pizza.

2007-September-23