JAPANESE MAPLE

 Here is a group of photos showing the progression of the loss of leaves over a few weeks.

I started taking daily photos as homework for my upcoming workshop with Irene Roderick.

We had a big windstorm at one point and the tree lost a lot of it's leaves overnight.

Then you can see, a few days later, where we cleaned up the leaves and debris.

This has been a very interesting project.

WOODWORKING

I helped Darrell with the splitting of the huge rounds from the tree in our front yard that we had to have cut down last year.  It took up pretty much the whole day.

He rented a splitter, I operated the wheel barrow, taking it all into the back yard.  Stacking will happen sometime in the future.

3 PROJECTS

I sewed together some of the pieces for my Pi quilt.  It's coming along - still a long way to go.

It didn't take long to sew together the pieces I had glue basted.  Next they need to be trimmed to size.

Afterwards, I worked on this other new project - something quick and easy (more or less).  I've switched out the fabrics for the 'sashing' parts a few times now.  I may just try something else - because it is not making those center squares, with the bird fabric that I just had to have and love, stand out.  This bright sashing is making them look dull.  Jeez.

I even managed to finish up my project repairing this one side of the outdoor fireplace.  I got this piece of quartzite custom cut and we set it on top of the old bricks that I had poorly re-mortared into place. 

It used to be a barbeque grill with a place for a woodfire below - see the neat old metal door?  I cleaned out the old ashes and things that were growing in there.  We have been thinking about what to put behind the door now - maybe a collection of bug statues?  or slugs?  maybe frogs?  We'll see.  

BIRDS IN THE POND!

The impetus for all this hard work in the backyard was to invite more birds in to use the pond for water and bathing.

A few days ago, the first bird I saw using the pond for a drink was a crow...not what I really had in mind.

But yesterday, as I sat on the back porch I saw a swarm of European Sparrows gather, looking longingly at the pond.  Eventually, one brave soul landed and hopped over to the edge and proceeded to bathe.  

BEFORE AND AFTER

Here are the before and after pictures of my backyard project:

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After!

After

MOMENT OF ZEN

FINISHING THE PAVERS

The final step - putting 'Paver Lock' in the space between the pavers.  This will 'lock' them all together and prevent anything from growing up between them.

First you sweep the sand into all of the cracks and try to get it even and looking good.  It's a lot like doing tile grout - you sweep one direction and get it looking great, and then when you sweep the other direction it messes it all up.

It took me most of the day.  It was a slow process.

Once you get it looking the way you want then you 'mist' it all with a fine spray of water, getting enough on there to soak all the way down to the bottom.

Sweeping

Misting

Cooling

It was a very warm hot day.  My feet were tired and hot, so I soaked them in the pond afterward.  Excellent.

FINISHING THE EDGING

I got up early and headed to get stones for the edging, some plants and other stuff.

This was my first time to Marenakos Rock Center in Preston.  What a wonderful place!

They have all kinds of stones and rocks and things to see.

I walked around until I actually found something that I was looking for, it was perfect.

Then I headed home, stopping to buy some plants on the way.  I found a water lily with a lovely peachy-yellow flower.

I laid the rocks out on the walkway first to wash them and try to pre-fit them together.

Here's what it looks like after.  I'm going to add some plants in the empty spaces.

THE WATER IS IN!

After Darrell's girls took us out for a Father's Day lunch, we got back to work on the pond.  There wasn't very much we needed to do, so it went fairly quickly.

Then it was time to put the water in.  I was so excited (and a little scared).

I used the spray nozzle to hose down all of the rocks and clean off any residual dust and dirt.  That was fun for a little while.   Then I put the hose in and went about doing other things.

I haven't turned the pump on yet because I want the dirt to settle first.  So I haven't been able to get a really good idea of how the waterfall will work.  I did put the hose up at the top and let the water run down, but it's not the same.  But, it looks pretty cool!

Starting to add the water and rinse off the rocks.

The hose is propped there, it's filling itself.

Hard to tell with such harsh light, but this is my view from where I sit on the deck - so nice.

Bentley is such a curious cat.  He had to taste the water about three times.

The plan is to finish it up on Tuesday.  I need to get a few more coping stones and start looking at plants.

So exciting!

THE POND COMES TOGETHER

Darrell and I got started early on the putting the pond together.

First was to put in the underlayment pad and then the liner.

Next we started rinsing off the rocks and putting them in, one by one.

The skimmer and piping installed.

I feel like I'm being watched.

So curious...

Darrell washed the rocks before handing them to me.

Bentley was supervising

Almost done...

We didn't finish, but there's not a lot left to do.