Kinetics…

Vehicle Incarnations

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The Time Flies Years
2003–2004
Fabric-inspired Art
The idea for a clock theme came from fabric Sherry found. Bright yellow and dark blue analog clocks with Roman and Arabic numerals (side shown) on a light-blue blackground with comets and shiney silver stars. The words Time Flies appear on the fabric. She bought the entire bolt!

The fabric became our vests and included 4 pockets for trading cards and cold-hard cash.

A trip to the local hardware store along with a swatch of the clock fabric and matching colors were ready to apply to the wheels and part of the frame.
Gears and Hands
Time ran out [pun intended] so cut-out styrofoam gears were attached to the spokes of each wheel. A lot of thought went into trying to build non-symmetric gears.

The hands, however, actually moved and the hour hands were actually driven by full rotation of the minute hands. Of course, on one side time went backward.
The Case of Too Many Metaphors
Monafly's butterfly wings were redesigned to look bird-like, so that Time Flies.

But, when Monafly's old body became an arrow so that Time Flies Like an Arrow, there was no stopping the flow of metaphors. Groucho Marx glasses adorn the tip of arrow and the tip sprays water to unsuspecting spectators.
There was NO Banana on the Fabric! <Return to Top>
The styrofoam banana even has fruit flies buzzing above it (thanks to thin carbon rod from a kite shop).

Why a banana? Well, in the words of Groucho, "Time Flies Like an [sic] Arrow but Fruit Flies Like a Banana."

Of the hundreds and hundreds of spectators, I can count on my hand how many folks 'got it.'

Make a note to keep metaphors and complicated themes to a minimum. The crowds 'got' and loved Monafly, it didn't need any explanation. But mix this with folks who asked, "How did you find fabric to match your vehicle?" and you realize you have to keep it much simpler.
Pretty But Lost in Translation
This was the first year our costumes and vehicle not only were color-coordinated, but truely matched. The blue and yellow was easy to spot and the big numerals made it fun to roll down the road, up the dune, through the mud, and along the water.

The vests also allowed many places to pin bribes from other pilots. Yellow t-shirs and blue shorts completed our ensemble.

Nonetheless, we heard the cries of confused spectators: "Go Clock," "Go Banana," "Go blue and yellow thing," and the always warming, "Go Bob."
Swift on Water—sort of
Paddles in place, mud cleaned off for safety sake (not enough flotation to allow a thick coating of mud), it was time to make the dash down the Willamette River.

We've always wondered what innocent newbies to town think when they see one of these contraptions going under the bridge?
A Little Distraction <Return to Top>
When not thinking up metaphors to build and affix to the vehicle, we were busy with our fourth guide dog puppy, Chaucer.

He avoided the blue and yellow painting, the mess created building the banana, and was nonplussed about Groucho glasses on the tip of an arrow with wings that move.
Just How Does One Make a Foam Banana?
If you recall (see Monafly link) how Andi, the little girl was built, it is the same. To gain thickness, layers of pink foam were laminated with spray adhesive. Next a slot is cut to make room for length of EMT (held in place with spray foam), the bottom extends past the banana so it can slip into the top of the third wheel.

The two banana haves are put together and then it is shaved with a hot wire to give it a more round look. Thin layers of packing foam sheets are used to creat the peel.
Just the Bird, Please.
2004 we still called the vehicle Time Flies but we left it at that and removed extraneous metaphors. The arrow was transformed into a bird in haste the night before the Starlight Parade in Portland, OR.

Sometimes, good things come from a lack of TIME.

The legs and beak are made from foam insulation for pipes. Red blinky lights became the eyes. A beany cap from a dog store and a yellow ribbon were tied on head and neck, respectively. The feet were from another project and purchased at IKEA. Voila! Now time can fly sans arrow, sans Groucho, sans banana, sans confused spectators.
Chaucer Loves a Parade…Not! <Return to Top>
That cute little puppy in 2003 grew up. This photo was taken a week before he returned to Guide Dogs for the Blind in Boring, OR.

He joined Bob in the Starlight Parade but could not tolerate the crowds. That's Bob's job.
Updated: 11/3/06

© 2001 by S. Clark