Fountain!

Some days are more exciting than others.

My favorite time to arrive at the site is just as the sun comes over the mountains.

It turns out this was the exact time the fountain was lifted off its delivery trailer.

My camera looked for detail while the fountain rose.

This was almost as exciting as Moroni's placement last year, except this time I was the only observer outside the fence.

Everyone inside the fence seemed quite pleased.

Besides the new fountain, there are new beehives on the gate posts on the east side.

Once I was sure the fountain was secure, I browsed around.  Geofoam competed for attention.

I don't know how  much more they can stuff in the nooks and crannies.

I was delighted to see the east deck gone.

Nothing blocked my view of the stunning east windows.

Forms for the stairs are rising.  I took this picture while reaching over the construction fence.

I crossed the street for this picture.  I want you to notice that there is no sidewalk.  Cars and people are both careful, though.

To my delight, Dawn and Richard Cowan arrived to see the new fountain, carefully making their way between traffic and the fence.  Dr. Cowan is writing a book about Provo's two temples.  These two people always treat me like I'm the Queen of England, even though I was hardly dressed up.

Dr. Cowan is blind.  I was a little worried about him being so close to traffic, but somehow he manages just fine.  Sister Cowan and I told Dr. Cowan what we were seeing.  There are now windows in the cupola above the pavilion.

While we talked, workmen removed the covering from this window.

Of course I did my best to peek inside.

I described the arches of the wooden grids over the glass to Dr. Cowan.

He reminded me that the windows on the second level are arched.  We discussed the lead arches in the center of these windows and their similarity to the new windows in the pavilion.

As we visited, Sister Cowan noticed the crane moving again.  It was lifting the top of the fountain.

I hadn't realized the fountain was missing any parts.

When the men inside the fence noticed Dr. Cowan, two of the project supervisors walked to the gate to greet him.  Andy Kirby, who is the senior project manager for the construction of the temple, is on the left.  John Emory, who supervises the construction for Jacobsen, is on the right.

I have learned that the best way to learn is to be quiet.  While I did that, those three men discussed the nuances of the fountain, which is cast bronze, about 14 feet high, and was built at a foundry in Lehi.

They told Dr. Cowan that there are eight spillway sections on each tier of the fountain.  These will actually give the fountain the illusion of being an octagon.

Our friend Brian Olson marked one of my photos so we could see where the leaves and the spillway sections differ.

Dawn had earlier pointed out to her husband that there was an exposed shaft at the base of the fountain.  He asked Andy and John about that.  They told him there was a base for the fountain on the site.  Once I knew there was something else to look for, my camera nosed around and found it. This was placed after I left.

I'm pretty excited about the fountain.

Not to mention that it was fun having a crane at the site again.

Of course this project was so big that the red ladders had to help. 

In the north lot, new fence segments are being placed around the garden area.

If you look closely, you can see some of this work from the construction cam.

All in all, I would have to say this was a spectacular morning.

The day itself was beautiful, too.

Little surprises, or big ones, they are all wonderful.

Spring Snow

During a break in our spring snowstorm, I visited the temple site this morning.

I spied an open doorway.  I can't resist those anymore. 

This was tricky to see. 

There was a lot in the way. 

We waited so long for fence posts and gate posts, and now we can't see past them.

I am anxious to see how this doorway is finished.

The chapel will be in this area, with the original pulpit from the tabernacle.

Unfortunately, my camera could only focus on snowflakes.

I didn't even try to peek past this workman at the southeast tower entrance.

I was delighted to see art glass installed in the east gable wall.

Bricks have been delivered to finish the doorway below it, with rebar and concrete in preparation for stairs.

The days are numbered for the east side decking.

A mason worked at this corner post.

He is starting the sandstone base.

Welders assembled the fence along University Avenue.

I hope this is a warm job, because it was really cold today.

The raptors, which we haven't seen for awhile, didn't seem to mind the weather.

Men worked in the garden area near the north doorway. Sprinkler lines and conduit for exterior lighting are in place. 

The pavilion is getting harder and harder to see.

Landscaping efforts are disguising it.

I'm always on the lookout for copper.

I wonder if this is for the roof.

Not long after I left the site, the pavilion looked like this, so we probably won't learn that today.

Waterproofing the lower part of this wall is in progress.  This corner used to be the intersection of First South and First West.

A tree just a few steps away has flowers growing out of its side.

First South stops at University Avenue at this point.  The missionary box used to be here.  Then it was a construction entrance.  Now there are forms for a new curb.

This new walkway runs between University Avenue and First West, in place of a one block stretch of First South.

The fountain will be a focal point of the walkway.  The fountain base is in the center of the picture.

This strip along University is being cleared after functioning as a staging ground.

I watched men drill the base of this lamp post into the ground.  This is a replacement for a city post which was removed during the construction.

Several posts were removed, but all will be replaced.

The lamp posts on the temple site are different from the city posts.

They are beautiful.

Perhaps you have guessed which one is my favorite.

This truck was full of boxes.  The labels identified the contents as cabinets.  Men offloaded them onto a smaller truck.

They did not take them down this driveway.

They took them down this way.

The south entrance is starting to make sense.  We are seeing a geofoam ramp gracefully rise to the porch.

The edge of an orbital walkway is visible.  It will meet that ramp.

This mason placed sandstone in the east stairwell which leads to the underground garage.

The stone is held in place with bolts, not mortar.

The sandstone on the stairway walls is the same stone used around the windows and in the niches.

The sky might have been gloomy, but the temple wasn't.

No matter the weather, the temple is always stunning.