Traffic Lights for River Traffic

Traffic Lights for River Traffic, originally uploaded by e s c h e r.

If I go off on a bit of tangent somewhere in these notes then it is because I have baked my head out in the sun today. If I really start to go off on one then it might be best to call the men in white coats. If you tell them to pretend to be selling ice creams then I will go with them without too much of a struggle.

I wanted to do something with water (other than drink it) today but I just can't leave (you see what I did there) coloured leaves alone especially in the wonderful sunshine we are enjoying. First I thought about making the discs so they were parallel with the water but the light shining through them was too much to resist. I am sucker for it don't you know.

I can sense some of you are hovering by your phones looking up the local mental institution number. Anyhow...

The red one is made from copper beech leaves, the yellow and green from rhododendron. Thorns and dried grass stalks were used to pin it all together.

This stream is right next to a footpath and I guess for the average passer-by it is a little unusual to see two fully grown adults splashing about in wellies in a small stream. Not unless they have met either of us before.

At one point a lady and her dog walked past and they were a little shocked (both of them) to see us there especially as the dog wanted to jump in a follow the water upstream just where we were.

As we were finishing up another walker went past and stopped to ask what we were doing. I explained to him about land art and showed him the sculpture.

"Why are you doing that then?"

"Well you know, it just making a sculpture" I replied

"Yeah but why would you want to?"

"Errmm, just for fun?"

I started to pack up, collect together the bits and bobs and fold up the tripods. Our new friend fancied a bit of a chat and being a friendly chap I joined in.

Soon, I am not sure how, the conversation turned to his nephew and how he is 17, 6' 5" but not fat you understand, just a big bloke. And he's got this motorbike see, that he has trashed and he never looks after his things because his parents always do everything for him. And he's got this phone right, cost £400 it did and guess what he'd only gone and lost it two days after buying it! You wouldn't believe it would you! Two days! Kids today eh. And then he went to the snooker club with his uncle and when they came out he had a flat tire. "A flat tire!" I exclaimed. "Kids today having flat tires willy-nilly, never would have happened in my day!"

Meanwhile I can feel the skin on my right ear and right forearm slowly starting to burn and crisp up nicely. The smell didn't seem to bother my new chum. "I am helping him build a new motorbike, but he seems to think I will do it all for him."

"Does he, what a cheek eh!" I replied.

"He reckons he is going to get Terry to do it for him, but I know Terry I've talked to him about it" he said.

"Nothing gets past you does it mate" I agreed.

"No it doesn't. He reckons if Terry can't do it he'll get his Grandad to do it. Wrong again - I've been to see Grandad too, he's got no chance!"

The blistering was becoming quite intense now so I took my chance, pushed him into the river and legged it.

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