Along the lakeside fence. | 44.964016/-92.632314

2024

27" x 21"     soil, acrylic binder, canvas  

July 18, 2024

74°, but the sun feels hotter on my shoulders.

It is very still, about a 5-mph wind.

Humidity: 46%

It is lush; blooming Canada tickclover is all around me. Bergamot and sumac, too. Bees everywhere. I believe there is a bee trying to pollinate my hat. The path I am walking on is overgrown, yet still distinguishable.

The path has led from rolling, open fields to a dense forest. The shade feels good on my back, but the many dead branches on the ground are difficult to navigate across.

I have lost the path.

I wandered through the woods for about 15 minutes before I found a fence separating me from the interstate. Along the fence, there is a steep path leading downhill to a serene lake.

A leopard frog is leaping through the grass.

Gathered the sample from 44.964016, -92.632314 at 1:21 pm.

My legs are shaking.

Oven-dried sample in oven at 220° for about 2.5 hours.

UNREFINED SAMPLE WEIGHT: 498 grams.

July 25, 2024

42 minutes.

This sample is made mostly of sand and small pebbles, making it a lengthy process to grind down. The powder has a warm, almost pinkish tone.

Not much progress made today.

July 26, 2024

1 hour, 47 minutes.

July 27, 2024

1 hour, 31 minutes.

This sample has very little plant matter: only the occasional stick or thin root.

Small larva fond. Yellow, segmented body, black mouthparts.

Two thin shards of iron flaked into sample from mortar and pestle. Removed contaminants.

August 4, 2024

45 minutes.

Another thin shard of iron. Two more, larger. They are flaking apart more, creating a total of 7. All removed along with some grains of sand.

Complete.

TOTAL GRINDING TIME: 4.75 hours.

REFINED SAMPLE WEIGHT: 491 grams.

August 5, 2024

Added 25 grams acrylic binder to sample (1/20 of sample weight) and water, mixing until smooth. It was difficult and time-consuming to spread evenly onto the canvas.

August 6, 2024

Dry and complete.