Sunday, June 25, 2000

2:40 a.m. Well, well, well. As you can possibly see in the picture, we have managed to put together a pretty good rendition of a working fountain. We have sat in front of it this morning and an air of satisfaction has permeated our consciousness. We are very, very proud.

The container for the fountain is a nice metal wash basin -- the aluminum kind you'd buy for ice for the big party. We had used it originally as the container for a big tree-like plant, which we transplanted this weekend, as well. Busy, busy.

We have a small submerged pump and a length of black tubing and the tubing goes into the top of the clay guy in the middle and the water drools out of his open mouth. I knew the minute I say the little guy that he'd be perfect for our little production. It's a sort of Mayan or Mexican, and a miniature version of those clay fireplaces that you see in stores now.

The really great part of the fountain, however, was born of necessity. The little Mayan wouldn't balance properly on the upturned tall can that stands beside the wash tub, and in addition, water dribbled out the back of it onto the ground. Plus, the dribbling effect wasn't as artistic-looking as I'd hoped. Drool never is, I guess.

I solved all the problems when I remembered a funny black piece of marble that the former owners of our house had left on the stove. They left very little behind, and the greasy slab was left on the stove because two of the burners didn't work any more. I washed it off and put it in front of the fireplace just to get it out of the way -- and pretty much forgot about it.

Until I was lying in bed the other night, thinking about the fountain. Wondering how to put the tub and the Mayan together in some kind of pretty way ... thinking about a pile of rocks in the water, maybe ... the way your mind wanders when you're thinking in bed ... I'd always meant to walk to the beach each and every day and gather up just one or two rocks, and in no time I'd have enough for a rock garden, but the walk to the sand is very long and very ... sandy ... and you never really get the sand off your feet ... but maybe some driftwood ... and I drifted off to sleep ...

... thinking of things that are long and flat and might go across the pan ... and it wasn't until we'd put everything together this morning and the Mayan tipped over that I remembered the marble and ran to get it and well, it's just about perfect. The water comes out of the mouth now, falls onto the glossy marble, and then cascades -- there's no other word -- right off the marble and into the water in the pan, just as smooth as silk.

Now things are not perfect, of course. The plants on either side of the Mayan need work, and most important, the exposed plug socket in the wall will have to be masked by the exuberant growth of whatever new and perfect plant I find to put in front of it. But these are small things. For now, we have a fabulous, wonderful focal point and I, for one, sat outside this afternoon and focaled my eyeballs all over it.

Soothing sounds of running water, and not a burst pipe in sight. Such a thing could only be achieved on a weekend in June. It's a miracle.