Lost in the SNOW!

Here we are at day Five of the Multi-Block and the snow is coming down with force. So much so that the Sculptors are loosing their tools in it! Ross, a dedicated volunteer, is walking around with his trusty metal detector helping everyone find their chisels and other metal tools. Good thing we have him around. He found a couple hundred worth of tools so far. Without Ross these tools may have stayed buried until spring. Along with loosing vital equipment in the snow, it adds a dangerous twist. Things get slippery when they get wet and cold, so the Sculptors must watch every step they make on the scaffolding. For the past three years the weather has added a different element to the competition. In 2007 it was below -30 for ten days straight, in 2008 it got above 30 for the week, and this year it is the snow. Leave it to the weather to make things interesting. The neat thing about the snow is that it makes the ice look so blue. It is also means it is warm enough to stay outside and really watch the Sculptors work. As I walked around the park today I was able to really watch how different techniques were accomplished. For instance how an everyday iron was used to really smooth out and make a piece of ice crystal clear and turn it into a prism. Or how a drill could make ice look like a bunch of bubbles. As I was talking to a Sculptor about the bubbles, he told me that a couple years ago each bubble was carved by hand one by one, now it is done with a drill, quick and easy. I guess technology keeps improving in all walks of life.