Shake, Rattle & Roll

Ok, I have some down time.  It happens to be in Chicago airport on my way home. The last place I want to spend my day… but here you go.

These last three weeks have been intense.  From the anticipation before my departure, the anxiety of pulling things together, the cut sculptures matching the contingent plans for bases, watching park employees pour concrete in 85 degree weather with 80 percent humidity, hoping the plan to install works with nothing but simple machines and no one gets hurt in process, 3 public presentations, media coverage by 4 TV stations, 3 radio stations and two newspapers (and counting), hoping that my dear husband has a good birthday and that I don’t loose my cool in any of these situations!

This whole trip has been a dream!  Everything has gone to plan. I couldn’t have asked for a better home coming.  The reception from the park, partners, district management and all the wonderful locals that took an interest in what was going on had been just unbelievable! There has been an incredible amount of support from people I don’t know, folks just enthusiastic for the improvements to the park or excited that a Finnish girl from the UP gets to have this amazing opportunity.  I’m just blown away!  There will obviously be some nay-sayers, but I have yet to find them.

I am enamored with the outcome.  This is the coolest project that I didn’t even have to make with my own two hands.  Ok, I did make it, but not in the many hours of hard labor sort of way.  These sculptures were made by me doing the digital design, sending the files to a fabricator, (In this case Massie Manufacturing/Laser North in Baraga.  High Five guys!  You hit it out of the park!) coordinating with the park for the bases to be poured, installing vertically on the bases, once cured.  Even the installation of the heavy, metal sculptures went smoother than I had anticipated!  (All four in just about an hour)

THANKS Y’ALL!  I can’t imagine a better experience!

My partners at the park, Wyndeth Davis, park superintendent; Amber Kraft, Interpretation and Education Program Manager; Dr. Sean Gohman, Executive Director of the Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission; Brett Boyles, Community Volunteer Programs Ambassador; Mark Wilcox, Executive Director and Membership Outreach Manager of Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association and Sandy Wilhoit, President of the Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association and all the others who had a hand in giving me this opportunity,

THANK YOU! I am so very grateful!