The rock work on my bucket list

[thistlebloom]

This has been such a long running project. Looking back at the few pictures I've taken, I see that it has been going on for at least 4 years. My goal is to border the lawn on the west and south sides, and redo the east side dry creek bed that my son built when he was 14. That one is about 9 years old now and has had some soil washed into it.

If I say in print, that I'm going to get it finished past the dog run before the ground freezes and the snow covers it, maybe I will feel accountable enough to do that. It's not real hard work ( collecting all the stone is the hard part ) and I enjoy it. I put an audio book in my little portable cd player, put the headphones on and find a sort of rhythm to placing the stone.

Like Steve says "...thinking won't get it dun...."!


Here's the project:

This is where I was after the first two years. I went an entire year without adding a single stone. How embarrassing...

May of this year.

Today.

I'm nearly to the gate of the dog run, just a few hours work and I can accomplish this years goal. I'll really need to have some sunshine and a pretty day to get it done. That means time is not on my side!

 

[catjac1975]

Looks beautiful! Will be really great when it's done! I hate things left unfinished.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Woohoo, that looks great! It makes a nice definition from manicured lawn to woods. I'm guessing you have a neverending supply of rocks!

I am proof positive that telling everyone here about your projects (or plans!) is good motivation!! I cant remember how long ago, maybe 2 months ago , i mentioned in some post how i was having trouble getting motivation to tear my kitchen apart and paint the cupboards. I started the NEXT DAY, and now i'm done!! Every cupboard had the doors stripped, sanded, painted; cupboard faces and interiors all painted. 2 new cabinets installed where we'd had "temporary" walmart crap shelves for like 7 years! New knobs and hardware. New backsplash of wood sanded, polyurethaned and installed behind the butcher block countertop. Spent a whole day fixing the plumbing issues behind our clothes washer, drained and cleaned out the hot water tank (hard water). Tried to fix the leak under the sink, still dripping, but slower now! it feels like a whole new kitchen, although the bill was a lot more affordable!!

 

[Carol Dee]

Thistle and NwMtGardener. You all have been busy! Thistle the yard looks great already. I will try and send our lovely day your way to get 'er done! Gardener WE would love to see your *NEW* Kitchen.
Hmmm if writing about it help ... here I go.... The yard needs cleaning up. Plants pulled that are dead. Dead fall carried off. Weeds that have taken over yanked. Toys stored for another summer. Front porch painted.
Inside... everything picked up and put AWAY! Then make that king size quilt I started a year or 2 ago. Winter is coming.

 

[majorcatfish]

Wow that looks very nice
Amazing how a few tons of rocks can change the look
Of a yard. Been thinking about doing some rock work here as well

 

[ninnymary]

Thistle, I am impressed! It looks soooo nice. Since your son was so nice at 14 to do some of it, can't he finish the rest? I'm sure that at 23 he's much nicer! Tell him I said that! I bet if you told him this is what you want for Christmas or Mother's Day, he may go for it.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Thistle, I am impressed! It looks soooo nice. Since your son was so nice at 14 to do some of it, can't he finish the rest? I'm sure that at 23 he's much nicer! Tell him I said that! I bet if you told him this is what you want for Christmas or Mother's Day, he may go for it.

Mary

Mary, he really is a very nice kid, but tells me he must have been suffering from some sort of brain injury when he was 14!

He's an incredibly talented artist and it took years of wheedling to get him to draw me a tree for my birthday. It's a gnarly, windblown tree done in black and white and one of my prized possessions. I don't think he will be much persuaded to haul and place rock no matter my whining.

 

[ninnymary]

Thistle, did you drop him as a baby to have caused that brain injury?

Mary

 

[digitS']

There you go, Thistle'!

Get down on it!

The TEG crew is here to cheer you on . . . MajorCatfish is back to wave the pennant!

You just need a fight song, you young folks. Here's one from 1981, Kool & the Gang:

Get Down On It ♪ ♫

Steve
Tell me, how you gonna do it if you really don't wanna dance
By standing on the wall?
(Get your back up off the wall)

'Cause I heard all the people sayin'
(Get down on it)
Come on and
(Get down on it)
If you really want it
(Get down on it)
You gotta feel it
(Get down on it)
Get down on it

 

[so lucky]

Wow! Those rocks would be worth a fortune around here! We have to buy them by the pound. I can't remember how much they cost; depends on the kind, of course. Do you just gather them from the creek? or your back 40? We have a lot of creeks with shale bottoms around here. It is a pretty grey, and can be used for stone patios and such, but is kind of brittle, and will break and sliver off pretty easily. Not really that good for a permanent application. I want big round boulders.