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Fortress A220Home \ Fortresses \ Oct 2000 \ A220
Location: Bellows Beach |
Sunday, October 22, 2000
Me and Lisa went to Bellows Beach. High tide was around
11:30, and since the tide would be on its way out when we got there, a drainage system
wouldn't be practical so I left the pipes at home. It was around 1:00 when
we left and we didn't want to stay very long. So on the way, I decided to build
another wall, because they're easy, quick, and fun to build, and I can change the angle
of the wall as I build it, adjusting to the tide.
-Shut up and get to the pictures-
Although it was raining when we left, you can never tell what the weather's like on another part of the island. When we got there, it was mostly cloudy but warm. And it didn't rain.
I decided I'd build a nice tower and build a wall in front of it. I built right at the level of the tide. I dug up some sand for the tower, which had the secondary effect of creating the traditional pit to capture water when the tide runs up the beach, giving me a ready supply of wet cement. Today I was in total synch with the water. Every time I used up the cement, it seemed, the tide would run up and fill it for me again, without disturbing the tower-in-progress. We sang together.
After the tower was piled up, I started building what would be its protecting wall. I gave this wall a rise of sand for an ornamental peak, directly in front of the tower (a first for me and walls), and two fairly tall towers, each about five feet from the tower in the rear. Then I started carving.
I decided on a dual tip for the main tower. I gave each tip sort of a fin design; tall and thin, with a sharp edge on one side and a flat edge on the other. To make it more interesting, I made each tip facing opposite directions, i.e., the sharp edge of one tower facing the water, the other facing away from it.
Then I worked on the wall, putting more time into the two taller towers, then continuing, extending the wall on each side of the central tower. Every time I build a wall, I think about going for pure distance--to see how long of a wall I can make. I had the same thoughts today, but the amount of detail on the three main towers took so long to complete, I ran out of time before I could really get the wall going. I also thought a lot about the Great Wall of China (the inspiration for the walls I make) and trying to make towers that are more normal, more square, to more closely resemble the ones on the Great Wall. So I did that with the last couple of towers.
People at Bellows Beach generally seem to keep to themselves but today, I had quite a few people stop and talk to me. Two people asked if I was there the week or two before. One woman said she saw the fortress I made the week earlier, another said she had seen me, but didn't talk to me. Uh oh, they're starting to recognize me. They all gave me positive comments and in fact, I have never heard anything but positive comments about the sand fortresses. I guess it's hard to dislike a nice sand fortress. A couple of families came by at different times and also talked for while. One guy asked me if there's anything in the sand to hold it up, another asked how I get the towers so high (and the tallest one today was only about 3 1/2 feet tall), and they all seemed a little surprised to find out that it's just sand and water. One woman asked if I have ideas of what I want to make before I get to the beach or if I just make it up as I go after I get there. I told her it's a little of both; sometimes I have images in my head before hand, sometimes not. Today I did not. As one family left, the guy thanked me "for decorating the beach." I said I was happy to.
One of the difficulties with making a wall is that it's so difficult to capture in photos. To get the impact of how long it is, I generally need a wide shot, but then you can see virtually no detail. Close-ups almost always make better pictures in general, but for a long wall, I feel like I have to take so many to get the full feel of it. Hopefully, the photos I did take will document it well.
The next time I make a wall, it will be for pure distance. Simple towers. Long wall. The Great Wall of Bellows.
Photos pending - coming soon...
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