DAY 10-THE MOLE, THE CRICKET AND THE LADDER

 I am Miss mole, clawing into the earth,

Longing for a proclamation

From the Almighty pointing a finger

In the direction of the secret path.

             -C.Kane 8.22.2012

Miss Mole Climbs Out of Her Hole, 12" x 12", charcoal, conte, and oil stick on paper

DAY 10, Wednesday: High 70’s. Bright sun. Low humidity. 

Cecelia lashing the rungs

Dearest readers,

I feel better today. Louis, a marble sculptor working at the Carving Studio, showed me how to create the first rung on my aspen sapling ladder using the boyscout method of lashing with natural twine, like jute or sisal string. He started by showing me how to make a clove hitch knot and how to attach it to a piece of branch that I had sawed to size for the first rung. Louis worked the twine in figure 8’s around and down, under and up the end of the rung and the pole of the sapling. He finished it off with the familiar square knot. The trick is keeping the line tight at all times. I improved on the method by notching an angled trough in each pole for the next round rung-stick to nest snugly inside. The lashing was surprisingly strong and stable.

Mole and cricket trapped in the small hole. Mole clawed away at base on left side.

 When I arrived at the dig site this morning, I discovered a trapped cricket and a brown furry mole at the bottom of the hole. I thought the mole had dug her way in, but she kept running around the perimeter and it appeared that she had tried to dig horizontally into the wall to escape, but only managed to destroy the shape of the cylindrical shaft of the lower hole.

Ethan, another marble sculptor put on gloves and scooped Miss Mole out of the hole and gently placed her in the brush on the opposite side of the road. Not sure if she’ll make it. She squealed and squeaked like a little mouse. Then she did not move. Moles need to eat a steady supply of insects and earthworms to satisfy their hyper metabolism. I forgot all about the lonely cricket in the excitement of removing the mole. 

Ethan completes his marble figurative sculpture-"Reach" in 4 days

This is kind-hearted mole-man Ethan who finished this marble sculpture, entitled “Reach” in four days. I saw him starting it on Sunday from a sharp hunk of white marble. It is now Wednesday. I’m in awe of his speed, skill and vision.

More lashing and learning tomorrow...