Oh my - One side is almost done!

Here is what the final placement of the pill bottles will look like. I have to admit that three is another side that is still needing pill bottling... Thanks Deb for this picture and so much else.

Please notice the lab coat that I am wearing.  It was my Dad's.  I am not sure how old it is, but he graduated from Veterinary College in about 1945. He didn't work much in the lab after that - mostly told helped other people get their funding for work that needed to be done. I like imagining that he wore it for his University labs as I use it every day for this massive project. It's been a great way to save my cloths from glue!

Eight inches to completion

Here are pictures taken last night after I finished gluing bottles onto the sculpture.

May 7th - Cleaning the Last Bottles

 

I think these are the last bottles I need to soak, scrape, oil, scrub, soap and sand. 

It is amazing to think that the sculpture will soon be completed.  Well - there are still 130 beautiful red beaded ribbons from Kenya to place on the bowl... I am tired but oh so happy with the result.

Spring is blooming all around me

I have had my head down - but can't help but notice the blossoms as I drive down the streets or walk through the garden here.  Its snowing pink in Victoria while the rest of Canada watches out for more of the white stuff! My little pagoda lilies are abloom too.  They remind of two wonderful places - Peggy Packard's garden, where I first saw them look so happy; and the maple forest in St Antoine de Tilly, where the wild lilies look a lot like these - and I seem to recall are called 'Hound's tooth violet'. Why would someone take such a pretty flower and give it such a name? 

Today, on the sculpture, I decided that a round of the beautiful tourqoise bottles would fininsh the bottom of the sculpture. This meant cutting pill bottles in half, cleaning the melted plastic off them and then cleaning, sanding and giving them the alcohol bath before attaching them to the - what appears to be the top but is actually the bottom - of the bowl. What do you think?

And yes - I made more progress today with a second gluing. I am going to have something to stand proudly in front of in Vancouver. 

Picture from Yesterday

Here is a picture I took yesterday.  About to head down to work today and will post again later.

Cross Canada Cocktail Tour Schedule

Its time to post the travel plans, as firm as they are. I have been struggling to complete the gluing so the travel arrangements are not as tight as they could be.

Cathy and I leave Victoria May 1 - our goal - to enjoy driving towards St Andrews.  Below is roughly what the month looks like for us. 

If you are reading this and know a group, or even someone, in a centre across the country who would be interested in hosting an event please comment on the blog or email peggy at pegfrank@telus.net.

May 1: Depart Victoria for Vancouver and the rest of BC.

• BC engagements confirmed: Hope - May 4;  Nelson - May 6;  Prince George - May 7.

May 8 - 11: Alberta

May 12, 13: Saskatchewan

May 14,15: Manitoba

May 16 - 24: Ontario (Toronto - May 20, 21) (Ottawa - May 24)

May 26-27: Quebec (Montreal - May 26)

May 28: New Brunswick

May 29: PEI

May 30: Nova Scotia

May 31: St Andrews and Kingsbrae Gardens

THANK YOU day!

Today is the first day that did a tour around the sculpture.  Now the bottles fit on all sides so that the glass grows more colourful each day in a more symmetrical way that previously. IT really doesn't look much different than yesterday but it is!

 

It's starting to look more and more like a party.  Today as Sherry sanded and cleaned bottles while I glued I realized that everyone that has helped so much. I have my technical advisers, Nic and Dutch to thank for the very fact that the sculpture will stand up.  I have the angels that appeared and washed bottles, Carol Anne, Carolina, Cathy, Sue, Maddie as well as Sherry, and Marney who dd as many as she could.  And then the colourful bottles have poured in from everywhere - pharmacies and individuals have augmented my own supply. 

The thoughts that run through my head - aside from gratitude for my life - are concerns about how many drugs and supplements people are taking - the costs of these - and the ridiculous number of different bottles that companies use to package their products.  I estimate there to be over 200 different bottles in my collection. I haven't had time to count.

So thank you - I'm almost there - keep cheering for me.  Love  -peg