Wedding Arbor 2 - Finished

I am so happy,

and a little emotional, as

this time comes to a close.

I feel  almost as if I have just given birth.

So much time and energy spent not only in the building

but also in the collecting of the pieces

 that have gone into this beautiful Arbor.

Oh how I love nature's many gifts.

As I take my final walk around this sculpture.

 I am reminded of my many walks along the sandy shores.

 Each walk would give me an opportunity to stop and

 pick up one of nature's discarded

jewels.

It has been such a joy to touch each piece

and place it in just the right spot.

I wanted this arbor to give one

 the feeling of walking into nature.

Branches weave in and out of each other

just as if they were still alive. 

A horseshoe crab lights upon the top of a stump.

This little crab hides among the branches.

Several sea shells get caught 

up in branches as if they were

 put there by the

wind and tide.

Now nature's gifts to me have been

 tied together with love and time.

 So I give this gift to future Brides and Grooms.

May your lives be ever entwined

and long lived in happiness together.

Wedding Arbor - Moving Day

Moving Day

we've finally gotten far enough along on the 

Wedding Arbor

that it can be moved up the hill.

I am so blessed to have a husband that

puts up with all my artistic craziness

and then he figures out how to move

huge objects like this one for me.

So with the help of Billy Ashmore and his

very helpful and strong crew Jay directed

the Arbor up the hill.

They used the Egyptian method by placing four large 

PVC pipes underneath the Arbor 

while pushing the Arbor up the hill.

As the Arbor rolled over each pipe

the pipe in the back would be

moved forward and placed in front of the Arbor.

Once the Arbor was at the top of the hill

the guys used the pipes to turn the Arbor.

then they carefully removed the pipes.

Thank you, Thank you to my

four hero's.

You're the best!

Jay is happy he has

 his driveway back.

Now I can finish the back of the Arbor

 and put on the finishing touches.

Driftwood Wedding Arbor - The Assembly

The first phase of this arbor

started back in September.

My son Jeremy built the arbor frame.

He built it so that it could be broken down

and transported.

My husband Jay and Jeremy loaded the
Arbor pieces onto a trailer
and Jay drove it down to the marina.
There our friend Billy
loaded the arbor pieces onto his work boat
 and brought them over to Useppa Island.

Once the Arbor was on Useppa Jay and I
then loaded the
pieces onto a trailer and brought them
 to Floridian Cottage.
Jay then assembled the Arbor frame.

Once the arbor frame was up I strained it.
While it was drying I placed all of my driftwood on
 the deck for easy access.

Each piece of driftwood was then carefully selected
and placed on the arbor

with bronze coated ceramic wood screws.

I stopped counting the number of screws I was using at 500.

Three weekends into this project
I was getting low on driftwood.
Suzy and Vic showed up one day with a
nice donation to the Driftwood Arbor project.

Week six

The Arbor is now ready to move.

Tomorrow is moving day.
Then the finishing touches.