j040629 (imported)
June 29, 2004
Congratulations to me, and thanks to the people who voted, for my Diarist Award for “Best Account of a Public or News Event” for this entry (even though, technically, I didn’t really write anything).
Congratulations are also in order for the wife, who picked up three awards, one for “Best Comedic Entry”, one for “Best Rant”, and one for “Best Journal (overall)”.
As promised a long time ago, below are some pictures from the quarry, taken with a disposable underwater camera.
One of the rock walls looks as if several truckloads of cement
were poured down it, into the water. It’s like a frozen waterfall.
Unfortunately, the crappy disposable camera didn’t really capture it well.
Here I hover underneath a rock overhang and practice a pose I call “The Lynndie”.
I’m using my legs as a light source.
Being underneath something and underwater at the same time is uber creepy,
especially with those fleshy stalactites growing down, rubbing in my hair and shit.
No wonder I caught the itchy worms.
A buoy marks a submerged houseboat.
A carp keeps a wary eye on us from the shallows, where the cattails grow.
A view from the surface. Have I mentioned how blue the water is?
Those of you who seem to be obsessed with what sort of vehicle I now drive,
please note that one of the vehicles in the picture is mine. So now you’ve seen it,
and don’t need to harass me any more. 
More of the creepy, slimy, fleshy stuff. It grows in sheets on the rocks,
and peels off if you hit it with your foot or pull on it. Like skin.
There’s this idea sort of knocking around in my head about a quarry that’s alive.
A quarry that doesn’t too kindly to people injuring it, peeling off its skin and whatnot.
A vengeful quarry, if you will…
But I digress. Back to the pictures.
A super-creepy submerged tree with quarry skin growing all over it, as the quarry
slowly claims the tree as its own.
And here’s me, swimming down into it like a fool. It’s a wonder I wasn’t grabbed.
Proof that I can swim down 15 feet and retrieve a Gatorade bottle full of gravel.
Except, I was actually putting it back in this picture (look to the left of my ass).
The picture doesn’t show the blood that was surely streaming out of my ears from the
pain and pressure. There’s another 35 or 40 feet of water below me there.
The fish and I check each other out back over by the submerged tree. To my credit,
I’d like to point out that I did a remarkable job of not showing how wild my
imagination was going during all this. It’s FUCKING creepy down by the tree, where
the dead things live.
YAY! I get to be first here too! CONGRATULATIONS! Your entry was one of the most powerful entries I’ve ever read.
Hmmm… a living, evil quarry… get to work!
I think my blood pressure skyrocketed as I looked at the creepy tree and ESPECIALLY the one where you’re under that ledge and it looks like something could just sling it’s uber creepy dead arm around your waist and pull you and your lightsource legs into the dark depths of that cave. ::gasp!::
Thanks for sharing the pictures!
And congrats on the Diarist award, too!
If the “creepy, slimy, fleshy stuff” grows in sheets on the stuff submerged in the quarry, aren’t you worried about it growing on you? The flatworm was bad enough.
love the pics.
I want to see the houseboat though
Nice legs Fred! Woo Woo!
Living quarry, ooh, neat idea. Congratulations on the Diarist Award, and thank you for all of the underwater pictures. You’re making me want to find out if there’s a water-filled quarry near me…
Congrats on the award, and thanks for the pics. I recently saw a good post that describes what I hope is a growing class of believers, called “progressives”. Take care!
http://www.livejournal.com/users/spiritgirl/166230.html
Hooray Fred!
I have to tell you that your March 12th entry was exceptionally moving and well done. Here in Massachusetts, life goes on as it always did before May 17th, except for a few more wedding announcements in the papers. Bravo to you and again, congratulations on your well deserved award!
Congratulations on your award - Awesome!
living evil quarry? have you ever read “the raft” by stephen king?
i think it would make a kick-ass mystery though: Nancy Drew and the Case of the Quarrelous Quarry.
Congrats, Fred. I was hoping you’d win.
Why do you swim with a Tshirt on?
Chris: Why not?
Aren’t you afraid you’ll get your foot or leg caught in the jumble of tree branches and not be able to get back up to the surface of the water?
Hey congrats to you and Robyn for your Diarist awards. Well deserved too I must say,speaking as a long time reader of you both.
You guys ROCK!
Congrats to both you and Robyn.
Thanks for the quarry pics. It was like watching an episode of National Geographic.
Oh Fred, have you thought more about writing that story/book that you previewed here a while back? The “chick” story?
Just wondering.
That shit is straight out of a King Novel, but cool pics too