In the Land of the Midnight Dusk!

Our late- night snack: cold beet soup, lox on rupmaize bread, dill potatoes, and a striped pastry  

Hello from Riga! Latvia is very far north, so in the summer the evening lasts a really long time, and people stay awake. Then they wake up early. And so did we!
We stayed overnight at an apartment in a museum, Mencendorfa Nams. It was built in 1695, as a house with a glasswork studio and sales rooms. From our room at the top, we had a snack and listened to a choir practicing at a church close by. It was really cool. Lauris was up at 5:30 the next morning reading!

Pinky at Niagara Falls

Here is Pinky at Niagara Falls (in Buffalo). They should fix those fences! There was this big crack. Imagine how someone could just slide under there! If someone didn't see you, the only possible escape is certain death. Unless you could climb up the bank, eventually you could climb up to safety. It's a really long way down right by The Falls. Once you get further and further from The Falls, you get closer and closer to the river.

See that puffy cloud stuff? It may look like smoke, but it's actually mist from The Falls.

More later!

In New York State!

We left on a trip to Buffalo, New York this week. On the way we went to the Legoland Chicago Discovery Center. I liked the elephant building, the Lego Factory, Clutch Powers 4D Adventure, and the ride, where I saw dragons, spiders bats, and goblins all made of Legos! 

Here I am in Legoland Chicago posing in front of a wall of Lego Ninjago Spinjitzus (and sets).

 It's amazing! This Lego Chicago is built of 1,500 (or more) pieces!










  

Here's Olivia inside a hippo's jaws in the Legoland Chicago Adventure Trail!









This is Olivia at night in Grant Park in Legoland Chicago.

I got to Buffalo using the bus, a subway, a short walk in Chicago, Amtrak, and finally, a taxi drive. Here I am at the Buffalo Zoo Kid's Farm riding a metal pig. I saw bighorn sheep, lions, tigers, a mule, cows, sheep, Berkshire pigs, chickens, (and chicks), and gorillas named...Koga, Sidney, Agari, and Lilly.

I'll tell you more later!

Lighting up the night

This week, I could always find my mom at the mold making barn. They made shapes they would make into iron.

My Mom's project

On the day of the pour Coral directed the setup of the furnace on the lawn in front of the park. Patrick is helping. Before they started pouring they all went into town to celebrate a new show of work they made before. Coral was ready to go to the show!   


















 I helped set up the show with my mom.

My Mom's sculpture

Another one I liked...of course!

Everyone came by to watch as the iron pour began, in front of a huge sculpture on the front lawn.
It went late into the night!

Glow sticks!

Return of Superpig!

Welcome to Salem!

This is Lauris. I thought it would be nice to let you know what I'm doing here.

My mom is at an artist workshop, getting ready to pour iron and make sculptures, and my dad and I are having a lot of fun.
I have a special Lego tent. My mom's friends helped us make paper boats and launch them in the brook.

One night my side had a lot of pain, and I had to go to the hospital. I was OK, I just needed lots of water, and to eat more fiber. It's been really hot. We walk to town every day and buy ice cream cones. There are a lot of very old houses, from before 1800. Here I'm doing a Ninja move in the courthouse.

We found a toad too!

Tonight the first iron pour is supposed to happen, but it's raining. We all hope the rain stops and the artists can pour!
Let me know what you think. Do you have any questions? See ya later!

Save the Last Tap for Me...

Sparks did fly at the Franconia Sculpture Park Community Collaboration Iron Pour. After a couple of weeks, the double cupolas, the smoke, and marathon of activity in the sun are still burned into my memory, if not my corneas. Tamsie saved her experimental paper & loose sand mold for last. A bunch of us watched from the top of John's sculpture, the point of view of this video.
The heat finally broke. A time like this always came when we lived in Austin, Texas (but it was in late September), when the high pressure and heat would finally let up. A little bit of summer is left, then Lauris heads off to his first day of kindergarten, the leaves start falling and all that familiar stuff. Viva la vida!

Double Trouble at Franconia

It's been a few weeks since our last post...what happened?
We had a great iron pour in Lanesboro. Pictures will follow. Karl is a force of nature. Then it was straight up to Franconia Sculpture Park, where for the past two weeks Tamsie has led the Community Collaboration Iron Workshop and Pour.
Long langorous days under the big Franconia sky, where the workshop artists designed and built their molds.
All the hubbub built up to today...
Something like 150 scratch molds people from the community could buy and work on, then have molded into iron.
The big honking furnace borrowed from Anurag shared the stage with a furnace and pour crew from U of M...double trouble!
Smoke, soot, fire and fury.
And turkey.
Cheers to everyone!