watching stones grow

I finished re-reading Shogun earlier this week.  Just as good second time around, and this time I could wallow in the culture and not leap ahead to what happens next.

On Thursday the Pharaoh Dog and I decided we needed to find out more about the new marina which is taking shape on the opposite side of the river.

It's getting to look like Monaco around here.

Though I don't know whether Monaco has the same preoccupation with sandstone.

There was a heavy duty guard dog on duty but Jill PD and I decided to sit on a large piece of warm sandstone and seek some professional development.  You may recall I have a front end loader licence.

I really admire the drivers of these machines and the gungho working perched in such precarious positions.  The stone would not fit to their satisfaction so it was removed and re-shaped and then tried again.  It was still proving difficult and we left before they were happy with it.  The poor driver had to put up with his guard dog barking at us despite his shouted warning that, if the dog didn't shut up, he'd come over and they'd 'have words'.