So I was going to go to the new Frantic Rabbit tonight, but I realized, 1) I didn’t understand the directions because I don’t know Worcester that well, and 2) I was going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour late.

So I’m staying in, tonight. At the same time, I feel kind of lame about staying in. and I had a talk last night about our relationship, and creativity, and space and time, and one of the things I noticed is that I don’t really make the best use of my free time to keep my friendships going. Here it is, one of my two nights off in a week, and I’m staying home because I can’t get to a poetry reading on time. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

OK, so I’m still experiencing lots of allergic reactions, from post-nasal drip to a mildly-sore throat, nothing like yesterday. It’s partly because I’m outside all afternoon, running around and working. And that feels good.

Speaking of which, today we worked on one off the bridges in the woods. There’s a genuine stream there now, which needs to be bridged because the old bridge of milled wood collapsed. So, my colleague B sawed an 18′ log in half, lengthwise, and cut notches in one of the branching stems, and we laid the log, sawed-side-up, in the notches. Then each beam will eventually be secured by two nails at each end of the bridge. We managed to get three of the eight nails pounded in, but two bent, and we had to delay completion until tomorrow.

Right near the bridge are two large stones, roughly cylindrical and oblong. I intend to erect these, one on either side of the bridge, and perhaps dedicate them to Sun and Moon. This is kind of a long term project, as I will need prybars and heavier lifting capabilities than my students can provide. We’ll need much more muscle power for these two, I think. Still, I like the idea that two stones out in the woods can be impromptu altars for two powerful forces in the lives of ordinary folks. If I do dedicate them, I’ll have to think about how to mark them; I wonder if I can find a couple of stone-working chisels and do a sunburst on one, and a crescent on the other.

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