The dry stone wall competition on the beach was a bust. It started fairly well despite high winds and rain. Getting to the Symposium beach walling site required, among other things, a half mile hike in the rain over a muddy trail around a flooded footpath through the bush and up over a railway embankment. When we got there we were all focused on our various stacking projects and we were determined not to be thwarted by anything else nature or the local geography would try to throw at us. The various walls and cairns and balanced stones were all coming along splendidly. However we hadn't taken into account one other slight technicality; the rigorous enforcement of a little known official Ventura California Emma Wood State Beach Park regulation. A police ranger appeared on the scene around 10:30 am out of nowhere (presumably having risked the same obstacle course we had gone through, to get there) and told everyone they had to stop what they were doing immediately. Apparently it is against the law to 'stack stones' on the beach.
Our ill-fated event had finally been shut down not by the elements but by the law and every one participating would have to stop and go home or we would all be arrested.
Phew!
So, what was supposed to be a friendly 'hands-on-event' became a 'take-your-hands-off-or-you-will all-be-hand-cuffed-and -taken-to-jail-event'.
As we trudged home from the beach in the rain, back to our vehicles, my hands couldn't grasp the logic of everything that had transpired that morning.
"What was everyone thinking?"
