Building for impermanence, visiting for a dog The sculptures herein were mostly put together at Neahkahnie Beach, just a little north of Manzanita, Oregon. Driftwood collects there in a large jumble of rocks where the beach starts turning into a headland. The tide-smoothed sand in front of the rock jumble makes for an excellent place to cobble together scavenged material. A few of the other sculptures were assembled at Ecola State Park, Oceanside and Agate Beach (all on the Oregon Coast). Two were built on the coasts of Japan, one east and one west. As mentioned in the previous volume, these are impromptu, ephemeral experiments in balance and composition (and aerodynamics, on windier days). They are built during beach visits that usually include a walk, some throwing of various items for dogs (ours and others'), a bit of watching pelicans fish the turn of the tide (when it’s the right time of year), talking with folks who stop by (usually about dogs, sometimes about sculpture) and, for the most part, enjoying being close to the sometimes churning, sometimes (reasonably) tranquil giant that is the Pacific Ocean. Sand usually holds the vertical elements in place. Occasionally, with the right pieces, simple stacking works well. The rest is down to a matter of balance and gravity. Sometimes a rock or two holds something in place, especially if the wind is picking up (the number of rocks is often directly proportional to the amount of wind). Kelp makes an appearance once in a while. The pieces here varied in size; some were quite large while others were in danger of being stepped on (well, at least one was). Available material, and at what stage of construction it was found, dictated a good part of the process. The tide, as well as the wind, took care of recycling and redistribution. If the constructions seemed a potential hazard, especially for dogs or small children, they were disassembled before being left to the elements. A good part of the sequence here, and the last half of the previous volume, benefited from more-frequent-than-usual trips to the coast. Our rescue dog, Henry, loved the beach. And the exercise he got there was wonderful rehab for mended legs. Watching him so thoroughly enjoy himself was all the excuse we needed to get out there as often as possible. This book is dedicated to him. He was a great companion and he is sorely missed.