For the Fun of It - my dad is obsessed with giant rocks

everyone has their passions, my dad's is moving giant boulders by hand

Hi! My name is Ashlyn Anstee, and I tell stories with words and pictures. Sometimes, that’s picture books (like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Select “Hedgehog”), or graphic novels (my series “Shelby and Watts”), and sometimes it’s animation (I’ve directed at places like Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network).

This column, “For the Fun of It”, will also have words and pictures. Sometimes it will be stories, or how-tos, or thoughts. A little bit of everything. Hope you enjoy!

I’ll return to my Art & Fluff branding next week (I’m in the thick of website building and product photography right now). Instead, this week, I wanted to tell you about my dad’s giant rock obsession.

I Like Rocks

In my family, our passions and hobbies were always honored. I feel very lucky and grateful for this. My mom is an avid quilter, and took tons of craft classes growing up, and was always trying to learn something new. My dad is the same- he went through a rock carving phase, and a wood sculpture phase. But one of his greatest lifelong passions (other than diverting streams on hikes), is really, really big rocks.

My dad doesn’t like power tools unless they are free, so he’s always had to kind of find them and pick them up by hand. If he’s lucky, they’re not too heavy, and they can be pushed into a car.

Recently, I was visiting my brother in Rossland. My parents and I drove from Vancouver (it’s about a 6hr drive if you stop for fruit and samosas). That meant my dad could drive rocks home. My brother very kindly indulged my dad by stopping by the side of the road so he could pick up some nice size rocks.

We know that it’s probably the best present my dad could get (other than samosas).

Buttermilk Baby

One of his favorite rock gardens was at our old house. He dug them out of the ground when he put in the in-ground bathtub pond (more on that on a later column, I’m sure.)

He carefully moved the rocks into place, levering them how he wanted. When I texted him about it, he said he wanted it to form a triangle, which is a big in ikebana (Japanese flower arranging). He really, really wanted some moss on it. It’s not hard to get moss in Vancouver, if you leave something outside long enough, it will get moss. BUT my dad wanted PLUSH, fully grown moss.

He transplanted some moss from the darker part of our garden. And then he would pour buttermilk on it??? Every few weeks??? As kids, we were very confused by this ritual (a strange pet?). I think he read about it online.

Actually I just googled it, and it’s totally a thing. You can also make a “buttermilk slurry” by blending moss and buttermilk together, and pouring it on things. I would probably not recommending drinking.

He also said he would try to grow venus maidenhair fern but it was too dry in the summer, and he would forget to water it. I don’t blame him, he had three children (three spirited children).

His Recent Rocks

My dad is now a distinguished citizen. But that hasn’t stopped him from wanting to set up big rocks in an area where he can look at them. Recently he’s been working on digging up some on Pender Island. Look at them! They’re so big.

He got one out and then was so excited to find another that he got that one out too. The process takes a while (he has to shimmy them out little by little, sometimes he gets help from my brother but sometimes he just goes outside and does it himself.)

And listen, I’ve asked him if he ever wants to rent a machine, but I think he likes the challenge. And it makes him so happy.

The Challenge of It All.

Isn’t that how we’re supposed to feel when we’re doing something we love like this? The difficulty is part of it, the puzzle of doing something new and trying to figure out how to do it. I haven’t found any big rocks where I live, but I’ve spent most of my life doing art. It’s not as much heavy lifting but it’s definitely a challenge.

My friend Joanna Quirashi suggested

Caroline Chambers

“What to Cook” to us a couple weeks ago. Each week you get a recipe delivered into your inbox, and they’re gooooood! You can either pay for the archives, or try it out with one recipe a month first. It’s super fun! I love these sort of weekly deliveries of delicious looking foods.

It was black friday this past week and I got a couple things- most excitedly an extended backrest for my chair.

I have been using a pipersong chair exclusively for the last few years. This type of cross-legged chair doesn’t work for everyone but if you’re someone who curls up, this chair is insanely great. I’m a big fan of making sure you invest in ergonomics (and specifically, what works for YOU and your body!).

you may have seen this advertising image around- I can promise I do all of these poses like 18 times a day.

I’m excited for this adjustable backrest- I find I have to change up how I’m sitting every once in a while and this looks like a great way to do that as well!

ok love u bye