Day Nineteen

November 18

Actually the rain has never really stopped since yesterday, it has come in waves
heavy then soft, heavy again... 

Sort of setting back progress.
All in all I did get some work done.
I am glad that I worked Wednesday as that day put me closer to finishing, and
gave me more peace of mind.
Today was spent freeing up the other side of the inner relief.(the part
where the chicks go...)

I took pictures in the morning to observe how it looked when washed.
But even with all the rain, all the talc was not cleaned off.
Well I am at a point where cutting if more critical.
And today, one week late, my assistant, Jair, showed for 3 hours.
So I had him trim the skirting, as it was all that could be cut unsupervised.
Well as of noon tomorrow, about  90% of the heavy cutting, should be done.
And then will start the test of my skills.
Wonder if I have been avoiding this for a while....

With all the cutting in tight confined areas, it is becoming harder to avoid
debris in the eyes.
I have always had troubles as no matter what I use for eye protection seems
dusk and small fragments find their way to my eyes.
So I have had the ritual eye fishing hourly...
"eye fishing"
When you take a rolled piece of napkin and fish out lumps of  white mud, and
bits of stone out of your eye.....
Think I spend too much time with this chore, but it gives my hand a rest...

This first set of pics is after the morning wash as well as pictures of the piles of rubble around "Armi".
It just keeps piling.
Actually about 1/3 has been stolen by onlookers and landscapers that
come and scavenge free marble.
I actually stocked a few small pieces away, in case one day nothing is
left....
Notice how the storm was nice enough to leave my tarp half there...
Actually a few posts that are used to tie it down were torn out of the ground....






Well I have to admit a lot of pretty ladies do come by to observe.
And My friend Elias, shown in this first picture, is like the song bird of
warning....

Over the grinders, over the hammers, over the ear muffs come the echoes of Pavarottie....
Elias bellows out, and I will admit quite well... Italian Opera.....
Yes he booms out with a deep voice that can be heard by all and he is 150 feet
away.
Whenever pretty women are near, he begins to sing ballads of love trying to
woo their hearts as he sculpts away effortlessly and with a joyful smile....
I think some of the ladies have taken a charm to his operatic chants...

The next pictures are of the days progress hard to see but I was in a hurry
from the rain...






The first picture, the man in Red is Pedro. 

Our great bus driver who is at the hotel every morning at 8 am and fetches us for supper and waits to take us home.


The group picture is some of the rain soaked scuptors, waiting for evryone to get into the van after a days work
from near to far

Adrian, Lillya, Fernando, Evrim, Saul

Well this is dinner
and lunch
and dinner tomorrow
and tommorows lunch....
They change the meat and rearrange the veggies to let us think we get variety.
Last night we went for pizza,
Nice change, but the pizza is different here......

On the closing of the day.
I have decided to try to strike every single finger of mine with a hammer....
So far I am 2 days in a row...
I liked the toe injury so much, thought every finger should get the same color treatment.

Later...

SAY