Dolmen Project (Year Twelve) Confessions of a “Guerilla Artist”: Again with the Biting Ants

Giacometti Rebuild

Day 19 (7/30/12)

It has been over a month since we have been out on the bike trail and over three months since I have done any building. I am so ashamed. I could make the excuse that it has been a hot busy summer but even though it has been a hot busy summer I have just been lazy. Eileen and I hit the trail last night just to peruse the area. To our surprise many of the builds were still standing, perhaps not altogether but standing none the less. The one exception was “Dangler” which has survived so much for so long. I decided it was about time to get back on the trail so this morning I took off early to do some building. It felt good to be back at it. At my first stop I was reminded of the biting ants. I can’t complain about them because it is me who is trespassing on their territory but to use an old expression of my Mom’s, “Uffamia” which I can’t find any translation for but it sure does sum up the experience. I left that one kind of half built. I will try to get back when the ants have settled down. Then it was time to rebuild “Dangler”. I was quite happy with how it turned out. I hope it continues to stand for many years to come. I rebuilt a couple more before I decided to call it a day. On my way home I ran into an elderly couple who, after I passed, asked if they could ask a question. I kind of knew what was coming but was a little worried about what to say. The elderly gent asked if I was the guy who built the cairns along the trail. I said, “I guess that depends on whether you like them or not”. It turned out that they were some of my oldest fans. I had heard from their Grandson that they enjoyed the cairns but up until now I had never met them. They said that they would even set some cairns back up that they saw tipped over. I told them I was spending more time these days on tie builds, which is what I call my large scale pieces even though it is getting harder and harder to find ties for material. Hopefully I will be inspired to get out more. These first two were still standing after three months. Somebody may have redone the cairn on "Tripod Build".