As the summer quickly unfolds we keep busy doing the last of the farm signs and features which need to be installed before the fall harvest season begins. Peter is just finishing off the small gnome that is perched on the top of the Magical Garden sign. Behind this sign is another that will get a small goat sculpted onto it making it ready for paint as well. Stay tuned…
Ready to hit the road with style
These days most of our signs and features are transported in closed trailers. This year’s projects bound for Vala’s Pumpkin Farm in Nebraska needed to be taller than usual, so we were required to haul it on a low flatbed trailer. Hauling this kind of load is always great fun as people take double looks, and break into a grin as the load passes by. JD Transport is our carrier of choice for the fifth year in a row. They dropped the trailer yesterday and Greg of Wishlow Cranes did the loading. I’ll be boarding a plane on Tuesday morning to arrive before the truck on Wednesday morning. Then I’ll direct the Vala’s crew as they install these giant features around the farm. As soon as that task is done we’ll begin the planning for next year’s features. Stay tuned…
There's a castle!
Assembling the castle tower was the trickiest challenge. The lower sections first had to be perfectly aligned using a prefabricated jig we had built in our studio. It worked perfectly. Once the lower towers were in place the giant bridge section was hoisted into place. Weighing in at almost 10,000 pounds it pushed the boundaries of what the crane could handle. John, the crane operator was skilled and calm under pressure. The NEB’s crew was professional and everything went smoothly. The upper tower sections proved to be even trickier as there were only inches to spare under the roof structure. Slow and easy won the day. By day’s end, everyone could breathe a huge sigh of relief as the castle was erected without a scratch. It is always a great day when a plan this complex comes together perfectly!
