Yesterday seven wallers and I gathered at the magnificent country estate of Cote de Fleurs in St Marthe, to begin work on the special dry stone bridge that we hope to complete during the four days of the 'Festival of Stone', an international walling event held this year near Hudson Quebec. All kinds of stones and rocks were excitedly gathering here too, from far and wide, in hopes of being chosen to be fitted into this, the first double-arch bridge of its kind ever built in Canada.
Okay, everybody out.
A truck load of random sandstone eagerly waits to be let out of this dump truck just arriving from Ducharme Quarry an hours drive south of the festival site.
Whoopee, let's go guys !
Choose me, choose me.
This perfect naturally 'springer-shaped' hunk of red granite was found not far from where the bridge is being built . It seemed like it was just crying out to be used. It was amongst a pile of unwanted rocks left over from a nearby excavation going on where tons of bedrock had recently been removed in order to build a swimming pool.
Let me down easy guys !
More stones like this huge chunk of armour stone (over a ton perhaps) were being flown in and dropped onto the bridge foundation by a John Deere loader, using Lewis Pins and a strong chains.
