the wall is advancing, though recently stymied by the beginning of its first apse. we decided to incorporate sound-barrier features such as apses, as well as the curvilinear shape, to further reduce the noise pollution we receive from the boulevard. an apse is, more or less, half a cone. the idea is to curve around the cottonwood tree on the north boundary with three linked apses, two large ones that will later become sitting areas with benches, and one smaller one that will be more of a devotional, with sacred art.
here’s the wall snaking it’s way east:
and because my dad asked, pics from the top of the wall, showing the line of its curves. looking west:
and looking west from further over — it doesn’t all fit in one frame anymore.
and looking east:
the clay slip we applied a couple weeks ago, after the first good solid monsoon rain this past saturday. makes a kind of pretty wash, but we won’t paint any more on until we’re good and ready to start plastering in earnest.
looking east down the wall
i liked the way the light hit that locust tree, coming through the window.
as much of the wall as i could get in one photo, seen from the Gherardi side of the line.
beginning the apses.
from the other side, including the cottonwood tree.
the sticks there in the center are radial compasses, to allow the inside curve to hold to a particular line.
Ian & Ryan begin the upward arch of the apse.
that’s as far as i got with photography. When i came home last night, Ryan told me that they’d continued with the upward V shape until it was about 4′ tall, at which point the apse collapsed. Ryan wants to corbell it instead. They are going to sort some of that out today, with any luck. This is the first setback in the process, so i count us lucky.
Sunday, a contingent of Sunflower Riparians and cohorts drove up to Santa Fe to pry Jaime’s unused hot tub out of his back yard and drive it home again. We had lunch at the Cowgirl; always a treat. it’s a 20 year old tub that should seat 6-8 people. it has been unused for the past 5 years, but ran fine last time anybody tried to run it. We have some hope that it may still run, and failing that, we’re quite willing to replace parts until we get it running again. it is going to be heavenly to be able to soak after work days! and with friends, of course. happily, the arrival of the hot tub coincides with the wall reaching a parallel with the house; by the time the tub is running, the wall will secure the tub’s, and therefore our, privacy from the street.
Alan posing before we unloaded it:
note the bumper sticker; we put the tailgate back up just so you could see that. :)