It's All in Process

I really didn't realize how disruptive improving your environment can be. In upgrading the floors in the downstairs of our humble adobe, we have upped the value of the condo by far, but after the dust settled, it seems like nothing else did.

Example No. 1: The fountains.

We have two fountains (correction: had two fountains), one on the patio and one in the corner of the dining room. They're a feng shui thing, and, more important, I like the sound of moving water.

The fountain on the patio was an asian-inspired design, rendered in cast Fiberglas and resin. (Here's a picture of Beuford in the fountain, taken when we weren't quite sure where his permanent home would be.)

We've had the fountain for almost five years. Over that time, it has gotten its share of calcium deposits and algae growth, and it's on its second pump. So, before I replaced it on the new slate patio, I decided to get some bad-ass cleaning solution and scrub it clean.

Bad idea. It leaked. So I put aquarium epoxy in all the suspect places, putting it forth from the tube as liberally as buttercream frosting onto a cake. It still leaked. So I got some even badder-ass rubberized coating designed for the undercarriage of trucks. Six coats later, the fountain still leaked.

I'm intent on tossing the base, but I really like the twisted column top, so I'm holding onto that and hoping I can find some suitable squarish container to house it and the pump. Nothing has presented itself yet.

The second fountain many of you have seen, since I've had it for 12 years. It's in a blue hexagonal bowl and was made of rocks I collected from of a stream at Montana de Oro State Beach. It was a favorite meditation place for me, and I thought I'd build the fountain to take the sound with me when I found out I was moving to Los Angeles.

Over the years, the sandstone rocks have leached their minerals and were crumbling amidst a growth of furry deposits. When the slate flooring went in, I was hoping there would be some remnants left that I could use to build a more durable fountain from, but the guy used every last tile.

So we went out to Home Depot and found slate tiles on sale: five for $7.95. I spent a day or so last week smashing up neatly honed 12x12 tiles into craggy chunks that I could then fashion into a fountain.

It's like riding a bike, you know; building fountains. The last time I constructed one was the last time I was unemployed, and I'm not quite sure how I felt about rebuilding the same fountain here in the midst of this spate unemployment. I'll have to ponder on that and let you know.

So, after the demise of the fish on the Nazi Bunker weekend and the removal of the aquarium, and the decrepitude of our two fountains, there is no moving water in the house, save the dishwasher and the occasional toilet flush. Well, there is the lone surviving fish in his half-gallon plastic aquarium, but that's smaller than a pitcher of beer, so I don't think it has a lot of impact on our chi.

Looks like it's off to the hardware store today to pick up more aquarium epoxy to polish off the one fountain I can complete on my own.

Anyone with any brilliant ideas about where I can find an organic-looking vessel, approximately 2 feet square by 8 to 12 inches deep, drop me a line and I'll get the patio fountain back online.