Thursday, February 6, 2014

Modal variations on a theme



At some point nearing the end of construction, Patrick McAfee decided the arched bridge we were building needed a two-light medieval round arched window to finish it off.
That evening at supper he did a drawing of what it would look like on the paper tablecloth.






He and John Divona spent days measuring carving and fitting it togetherfrom chunks of buff sandstone from Idaho



I helped out by cutting a few chamfers into the middle mullion. It's very contemplative work , not like dry stone walling, smashing stones with sledge hammers. 

Wafting through the trees we could just about hear monks singing Gregorian chant in the background (from my Bose Soundlink Mini) . With the only other sound being that of Patrick and I chipping, it felt like we had blissfully floated back to another time and place.


All the bridge including the window was done 'dry laid'. How the centre mullion was secured is a subject for a future post .