FINISHED THE WALKWAY

I took the day off work so I could finish up the walkway.  I hated thinking of it being half done.  I finished off one pallet of pavers exactly.  (Two more to go).

Pavers all down

Mixing concrete to fill in the gap

I added rocks to the concrete in the gaps

All done.

Add the border of red bricks, need to cut the rest to fit.

Added some rocks here and there for fun.

After several hours, I went back and sprayed it with water and broom it to expose some of the rocks in the concrete

Exposing the aggregate in the concrete

Done for the day.

LAYING BEGINS

This morning I went down to my favorite rental center, White Center Rentals (love this place), and picked up a Plate Compactor.  Heavy bastard.  Darrell helped me unload it and get it running, but I ran it up and back on my walkway quite a few times.  It kicked my butt.  It almost got away from me a few times.  And when all was said and done, I don't think I really needed it.  Live and learn.  What a chore getting it back into the pickup.  Thankfully, Darrell has a forklift of sorts (Big Joe) that we used.

Then the fun began.  Darrell made some new jigs for me so I could skreed the sand to the proper level.  After that it was just a matter of laying the pavers down, one by one.

There was a lot of wheelbarrowing of sand and pavers, but it went pretty fast.

The first pavers laid.

and a few more...

Starting into the slanted area...

This is where I stopped for the day.

This is what I have left to do of the walkway.

Everytime I went out to the driveway to get more sand or pavers, I walked by our big Rhododendren that is blooming the most fragrant white flowers.  It was intoxicating.  It made the day most pleasant.

I'm sore and bruised and battered, and somehow I managed to get one little blister on my hand.  But, this is greatly satisfying work.

THE PAVERS ARE HERE!

Had to hang around the house today waiting for the delivery truck from Mutual Materials.  They wouldn't even give us a time frame or a phone call.

I spent the morning putting some of the rocks back!

I wanted to make the edge where the pavers will be next to the sidewalk.  It was hard work.  Darrell helped me place a very big one at the end for a corner piece.  [Later I decided it was in the wrong spot, and now we need to move it so we will have more room to walk.]

Mom stopped by.  We were planning on going out to lunch, but since I wanted to be there when the pavers came, we went and got some take-out sandwiches from Eats Market Cafe.  Rueben sandwiches for everyone.  They were great.  Mom really like the coleslaw.

The truck showed up a little after lunch.  Now I have to start getting them out of the driveway!

Bentley lays claim to the pavers.

After Mom left I went back to work and got this end leveled and almost ready to go.

Here's the new row of rocks.

Here's the other end, by the garden shed.

Hopefully, tomorrow I can start laying some pavers down!

DIGGING

There's a Camillia bush stump in the way.  Darrell and I made an attempt at digging it out, but it was too much for us.

I decided to go hire some day-help from the guys that hang out in front of Home Depot.

While there I purchased some red bricks to solve a problem up by the garden shed.

Jose was a very hard worker.  He had that stump out in about an hour.

I then put him to work digging out the two fir tree stumps flanking our front porch.  We've been hoping they would rot and go away, but of course they haven't.

Jose spent several more hours on that and got them out, too.  He saved us so much work and pain.

It's out!

It is looking so good.  That is the jig Darrell made for me.

RAKING AND SORTING

I started in on the back part by the garden shed.  There was alot of raking and shoveling of those horrible 1-1/2" washed rocks.  I've been screening them and separating the dirt from the rocks.

The rocks then go up by where we park our trailer and the dirt goes into the garden.

STILL GOING

I've had a head cold since last week, but I'm feeling a little better.  Definitely don't feel like sitting around doing nothing anymore.  So, I'm back at it.

Started working on the rear part back by the garden shed.

Went to Home Depot and ordered the pavers.  There will be three pallets delivered on Thursday.  I better get to working.

MOVING ROCKS

Lots and lots of little rocks, lots of mud...

Making progress though.

Don't know what the wires were for, they are dead.

KEEPING ON ROCKING

There was a liner under the old 'stream' bed.  It was covered with rocks of all shapes and sizes.  My goal is to get that out of there.

There's still a puddle of water at the bottom, along with all those rocks and lots of fine mud.

I'm tired of dealing with the mud.  I was amazed at how difficult it was to puncture it so the water would drain out.  It all didnt, and I ended up just pulling the liner out, mud, rocks and all.  Yuck.

Should I or shouldn't I save the fern?  It's roots go all over and even down into the water at the bottom of the pond.  I'm afraid if I move it to the front yard with the rest of the ferns under our Cedrus tree it won't survive, its too dry there.

MOVING PLANTS

Done with my work week, it's back at it.

There are some plants living between the sidewalk and the patio that have to be transplanted.

I'm moving the daylillies and Lavender to the front of the house, and I'm putting the Firecracker plant on the other side of the patio.  The  Red Poppies will go into a pot.

Good luck plants, I hope you survive.

I moved a few more rocks, here's what the pile is looking like.

There are a lot of smaller rocks that lined the 'stream' bed.

I keep finding heart-shaped rocks.

MOVING ROCKS STILL

I've gotten most of the big rocks out of the way for the widening of the sidewalk.

I'm taking it slow and easy, trying not to hurt myself too much.

Most of the rocks gone from that side.

The bigger picture.

Now I have to wait a week, while I go back to work.

MOVING THE ROCKS

First step is moving the big rocks out of the way. 

I got a shovel, a dolly and a great pry bar.

I've started moving the big rocks.  Hi Bentley.

Got a few done.

I'm stacking them on the patio, out of the way.

So far, I've only had to ask Darrell for help with one of them - a biggy.

I'm putting the fist-sized and larger rocks into those green bins.  There is a huge amount of them, too.

NEW PROJECT - OUR BACK YARD

Our backyard has been in need of help for a while now.

I needed a project to keep me busy, so I'm going to tackle it.

I keep thinking I'm too old to do this, but I'm not getting any younger, so I better stop putting it off.

The impetus for this is my want of a bird sanctuary, particularly a bird bath.

There was a 'stream' with a little pond here when we moved in, but it never worked because it leaked and wouldn't hold water.  So we've never turned it on.

My plan is to make a bigger pond with a place where birds can come and bathe or drink.

And while I'm doing that we really should re-do the walkways.

So, here are the before pictures...

Looking from back deck towards the patio

The walkway along the shop

The walkway along the shop and the Japanese Maple

Standing at the corner of the house looking at the back deck.

Standing on patio looking towards back of house.

See all those rocks under the tree?  That was the original pond.  See all those  little rocks in the open area?  That's where the new pond will be.  All those little rocks have got to go.  We've always hated those little rocks - and they are everywhere.

After alot of talking with the husband about what we wanted and what we were willing to do, I've come up with a plan.  I even took measurements and put it on paper.

Here we go...

DAFFODIL ETEGAMI

I picked a few of the newly planted daffodils that are now on Lucy's grave and painted a little etegami....

I have a vintage stereo set-up in my studio with my Zune that has my selection of just good music (1000's of songs), everything from Beethoven to Led Zepplin.  I just set it to play randomly.

While I was painting this, it randomly selected "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

DAISIES ETEGAMI

After I decided I was finished with the Valentine's Day bouquet painting, I separated all the flowers and made a much smaller arrangement, and put them in water since they were starting to droop.

I couldn't resist doing an etegami of the daisies.

"Sunny Smile"

VALENTINE'S FLOWERS 2015

Here's this years Valentine's Day bouquet.  

Can't say I'm in much of a good mood, but I figured I'd soldier on and get it done...

I don't really like it, it looks amateurish.

But I'm done.

Hopefully, next year's will be better.

LUCY MOVES ON

We have been very priveleged to have had Lucy in our lives these last few years.  She came to live with us in November of 2008.   She left us today. 

  We will miss her terribly...

Our wish is that her next life be a happy one, one she deserves. 

She was a great dog.

LEXINGTON QUILT TOP FINISHED!

Yea!  

Sewed the rows all together today.  It's officially a finished quilt top.

It's too big for my design wall, so it's draping down onto the floor and getting officially covered with sawdust.  [Sawdust wafts up to my studio from my husband's woodshop below.]
It is 7 blocks by 7 blocks, the blocks are 14" square - that makes it 98" square.

What was I thinking?  It's going to be a bear to quilt.