We met Rob down at Hamlin Beach, just west of the city of Rochester on Lake Ontario. He caught my attention right away because we were just spacing out on the beach and there he was getting right down to business. He had his own full size plastic trash can and a pointed shovel with a long handle - real tools on the beach! It looked like he was going to build the biggest sand castle in the world and I was thinking "relax dude".

Rob, who lives in Rochester, was practicing for a competition down south. He had his own interpretation of some child's story that he was working out. He told me the concept but I just couldn't follow it. The contestants get a dump load of sand and twenty two hours over a three day period to create sand sculptures. He was telling us that some guys just shovel like mad for the first ten hours and then carve for the remaining twelve. His daughter was learning the trade. This little guy is her work.