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Oh, man, it’s been a while since my last bison-build update. And for good reason. I threw my back out moving Becky Sue next to the bison cart she will sit atop for the rest of the build.
The good news is that my wrenched back turned out to be rather benign. After three days of rest, I was completely healed, and I took advantage of that speedy recovery by placing Becky Sue atop the bison cart.
But since February 8, the fateful day Becky Sue became mobile, the bison build has more or less languished. And it has done so for the following three reasons:
Supply-Chain Tomfoolery
I didn’t appreciate how much rebar I was going to need.
It turns out that a nine-foot bison requires a lot of rebar, and my practice of fetching one 20-foot piece of rebar at a time wasn’t going to cut it. So I finally decided to dispense with the supply-chain tomfoolery and order 400 linear feet of rebar. Here are the 40 10-foot sections of rebar that were delivered to Groovy Ranch a couple of weeks ago.
Weather
The weather here in North Carolina has been crappy.
For the past three weeks, it’s been cold and rainy. Last week, we even got four inches of snow.
Weather rarely affects my mood or enthusiasm. But for reasons I will discuss shortly, North Carolina’s weather has done a number on my sangfroid. I wake up, behold the dreary weather outside my window, and have no desire to grapple with the half-assed bison-whale sitting in my garage.
Ineptitude
The biggest reason for my lack of progress on the bison build is as embarrassing as it is simple: I just don’t know what the hell I’m doing! I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, how-tos are everywhere, but no one’s managed to put one together for a scrap-metal bison. So for the past three weeks, this has been my routine whenever I deigned to grapple with my half-assed bison-whale:
- Look at Becky Sue.
- Look at downloaded bison pictures.
- Try to figure out the dimensions of a bison’s head and body and how to place rebar around Becky Sue to reflect those dimensions.
- Give up.
- Listen to podcasts and workout.
The good news is that while I’ve been paralyzed by the bison build, my creative juices haven’t been completely stymied. Here are three rebar-based artworks I’ve completed while pondering how to advance the bison build.
Final Thoughts
Okay, groovy freedomist, that’s all I got. It’s been a tough three weeks but I’m finally breaking out of my bison-build doldrums. Here’s a picture of the rebar I’ve placed thus far to form the beginnings of the bison head. Let me know what you think when you get a chance. Peace.
Looks great so far!
I knew I had been missing something and your post reminded me. I have been sharing your bison-whale build with my dad since he is always building something, albeit with wood. Thanks for the update. Any good podcasts you have listened to recently?
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I’m totally impressed. The beauty of FI is the freedom to decide how to spend your time. In your case it’s Betty Sue.
I love the guitar, spider and chicken. Mrs. G might want to steal that chicken once she sees this post.
I love the sculptures you’ve done! I’d put them in my garden as art for sure!
I gotta say you are creative and love the three other projects completed! Not a doubt in my mind that Becky Sue will turn out equally well.
The bison head is definitely looking good. Just curious how you’re going to make her horns?
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