I’m back at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch in Nebraska this week, advising the crews as they labour to finish the mini-golf before the season opening in less than four weeks. The worksite is bustling with multiple crews, all doing their specialized tasks. They have accomplished a great deal in the two weeks since my last visit. The half-acre site is now mostly shaped, with the soils stockpiled and ready for final grooming soon. The greens are all poured, and the ponds and the twisting waterways are well on their way to finish. Today we placed the last of the features, and Randy McFarling and his crew began laying bricks around the edges of all the greens. By week’s end, it will look much more like a mini-golf course, ready for landscaping and carpets. This is the fastest transformation I have witnessed, with the bare land transformed into an elaborate mini-golf course in only seven weeks. Stay tuned as things progress this coming week…
Roughing in the scorpion
Henry was a little disappointed to hear I would be in Nebraska all of this week. We made up for it by devoting much of Friday to the float. We changed two tires and roughed in the armature of the scorpion's body. Henry measured and cut steel while I did the welding. We managed to do the bulk of the lower body and started on one of the claws, which will be articulated by pulling the rod from the driver’s seat. He was happy to delegate that operation to me as he figures he will be plenty busy throwing candy and squirting the stinger from his lofty perch on the tail. Stay tuned for more progress next week when I get back to the studio…
Dancing Dino sculpt
Back in March at the ISA EXPO that was held in Orlando, on the first day of the three-day event, we held a quick informal meeting to determine the theme for next year’s event. It was decided to continue with a pub-style sign featuring a dinosaur theme. That evening, I stayed up a little later than usual to do a concept for my entry. presented it to my fellow competitors the next morning - just for fun. It was a competition after all, and how we play the game is every bit as much fun as winning. Yesterday I finally got the time to sculpt my ‘Dancing Dino ‘. Just like my illustration I created during the show, he’s playing an accordion while he’s dancing. Being a T. rex, his arms are too short to play a fiddle. When I get back from my trip to Nebraska, I’ll begin the painting process. Stay tuned…
