Hello All,
So the patio posts below give you a sense of what we are doing, and even a partial shot of what we want in the end. But what you don't really see is the larger picture and what it looked like when we started. So I found some shots of when this all started. So this first shot show a couple truck loads of rocks stacked along the fence. I brought in a lot of rocks as Shanna said and you will see.
In this long shot across the back you can see the patio before the rocks, when the tree was small and piles of rocks in the back ground. Each trip out was always hot well above 90 and it took 85 miles of driving one way to get them. I had several different friends go out and help. We loaded everything from small rocks to big rocks that took two men a lot of effort to move. Some of the fun was found in retrieving the rocks. We made a mess out there a little too. Steve is still asking me when I am ready to go back. He seems to like it out there a lot. Said it's a good man's trip. I will likely need to make one trip to retrieve the more common and thinner stone like oakly stone. This will be needed to create retaining walls and boundaries as it's pretty
uniform in shape.
This picture is of the corner of the yard yes those rocks go up about 2 feet high and some are large. The largest rocks have still yet to be placed in that special place in the yard. You see each of the special rocks has a shape or coloring something very unique and not common to the other rocks, unlike the strained muscles each rock shares with all who helped. It must just be a weird morbid thing guys share when it comes to rocks. We all like to roll them down then hill and watch what they do, or as boys and even grown boys the funnest thing to do out there is find a ledge and try to make it collapse. Umm yah some of those events caused me to run really fast like a bunny because i was the one pulling on the key stone to make it all fall. But only minor scrapes and bruises so I will return another day to do it again.
You can see in the next photo the island took up some of the large rocks just to keep the willow tree in soil. Those rocks are still there just hidden by more patio and a much larger willow tree.
This photo shows a small willow tree and a different angle of the patio pad. Now this pad has 5 yards of road mix that I moved from the front tot he back yard, and then ran a compactor on it to be sure we had a good foundation. Pay attention to that willow tree, it doesnt look like that anymore.
Let's pause for a moment. My experience does not include this project. Meaning I have never undertaken something this large or complex of a project in my yard let alone for pay. I have seen a few shows like Shanna did but basically put this together from my a picture in my head.
The photos that follow will demonstrate how intense the placement of the rocks are.
This next picture you see shows you how I started on this thing. I started in the center with some large rocks. Well after a winter and spring went by that process was determined not to be the best method. I needed solid lines to follow and something to start us off right. So I moved to the edge of the patio and worked from there placing and leveling rocks.
Remember the rocks in the pictures above are just piled up in the flower beds. So as we went along trying to figure this out we would start searching for a certain shape and flatness. Now the piles have changed to like rows of rocks on their sides and are smaller.
To get that pergola out on this crazy thing I had to some extra digging and concrete work. I tried to be precise but concrete doesn't always want to be agreeable. I had one of those moments. I had to dig holes almost 3 feet down to get a good solid base for this pergola to anchor too. I also had to create a form that the base of the pergola would fit over. Well that's the part that didn't go as planned. I measured the wrong piece and I discovered a cross member inside the pillar that was in the way of the whole thing setting down on the peers and being able to bolt it all down. Now comes out the concrete saw and blades. This is where I learned how to saw rocks which I am still doing to fit the patio floor together. Ahh what a much better way to get the rock you want to fit where you need it. So lets look at these peers.
Remember this small square looking thing was a pain to control and goes 3 feet down. After tonight's winds I am not worried about it coming out of the ground or folding over. I did a good job.
So how did I look after all this work? A little hot and tired.
And the Big Kitty at the end of the day? Oh and all our animals love that tree. I never thought we could put something in the yard they all would enjoy.
So as I kept hammering away at this project it took on small changes over time. Here is the last few photos before I go to bed and end this blog.
This is a near ground level shot showing you the peers I built and some of the rocks coming in to place. Below is the same view point just a higher elevation. You can see how I am trying to define my boundaries and fill in the gaps. And how much more has yet to be done. Ugh!
Now once I finish this crazy thing I want to enjoy the fire place out on a cool Autumn evening. Then go in and work on things like these.
The red and black one started out a ying-yang pendant. You know it's about balance. Well the ying didn't agree with the yang so I had to change what I was making. I thought I would implode it a bit and then I thought what would happen if i let the color just run a bit. So I ended up with something like a mushroom cloud. The next pendant was made from a deep very deep blue that almost looked purple or black before I put it in the flame. I knew what I wanted since I just made the other pendant. I wanted to take another shot at a jelly fish. So I made the body of the fish and started on the tenticles. Now this part is not easy and has not by no means ben perfected in my skills. I did start with a black color for tenticles and added a amber green or purple to it. So that ghosting color is the amber. It turned out pretty cool. I really do enjoy creating with glass. It's a bit easier on my back and body most of the time. But land scaping has been in my life for 20 years and my dream was to have a yard similar to the feel of a park where I wouldn't need to leave it to have that comfortable feeling. Our new yard is taking on the shape and will take another 2-4 years before it is mature and perfected. But it will get there and it will be something to enjoy. I thank God daily for the many talents He has given me. Through Him I have wisdom beyond my years and far more talents than I know what to do with. I hope to one day put it all together in service for Him. I suppose it's arguable now if I am in service or not. Some days I think I am and somedays I feel a bit selfish. I know my landscaping is something that has always brought beauty to a location that was bare. This must be pleasing to more than me. And now with the glass works going, I hope to inspire others and expose them to a God who takes us to pinnacles we might not have even imagined.
Well my brain has stopped. That means bed time. So I wish you all the very best. May you find God and may he open your minds and hearts to Him and what he has instore for you. What a wonderful like I have lived walking with God here on earth. I can't imagine what heaven will be like and the thought of eternity takes my breath away. I love each and every one of you even if I don't know you at this time. It's been a real expreience and treasure to become a part of this family. I have never belonged to a group so large, it's fun. I also have discovered living through you all with our kids. I missed out on some good things with children and now I am enjoying every experience shared and every moment with all the nieces and nephews. It's been a lot of fun. I hope we all can stay close and make time for get togethers becuase I can tell you life is short my friends and unscripted. We never know what is next and who might not be with us tomorrow. So I encourage you to live each day like it's your last and as though you are being watched and could be someones hero. You will be amazed who is watching at a distance.
I gotta go, this is getting long. That's what happens when I don't use the cell phone, I type novels.
Good nite,
Tom
It has taken a few days to bring myself to post anything from the weekend. It was draining - but a good weekend spent with Mark & Brenda.
"Just wait I will get my revenge"
