Rock Wall Construction

the rose bushes have suffered some - and i still have more to go - the trick is to keep them watered.

Looks great, Bill! I'm liking the lichen too.

I've been lurking here, watching your progress. You're an inspiration. Fantastic job! It's absolutely beautiful.
Cheering you on from Ohio...Yay!!!

That last featured stone is very interesting. The swirling water erosion evidence mark makes it special in your rock wall. One has to wonder how that feature remains in view of the condition showing on the rest of the rock. That is a great use and presentation of interesting natural features.

Your work will be enjoyed for a couple hundred years by all who see it. It is priceless. The (ologists) will ponder while from the otherside you may enjoy their befuddlement.

Wow, it's beautiful. Can't wait to see the pics today!

dogpile you are going to send me to the dictionary - thanks for pointing out the interestign rocks and lichen everyone - i've tried to give those homes where thay can be seen.

Sorry about that...........To bad a site of this size and scope does not have a spell check built in. That would enable anyone to be as good as the local newspaper. :) I did not have to know how to speil. I could hire someone to take dictation and cover my needs. None of them strangely wanted to work for free when I retired.

weather has not cooperated today so not much done. only was able to take down the rest of the picket fence. off next week for vaca - be back in a couple weeks.

Have a great time, Bill! Go easy on the nephew.

i hear the same from my wife - we will - thx

wha, glad to see the latest work. Neat as a pin.

I just returned from a trip to my 93 year old moms cottage in Canada. Lots of work in the woods with some downed big yellow birches and the moving of tons of rocks. I made a small wall around a parking area, but sad to say it, despite your good examples, was not picture worthy. My little brother did a nice small section along the driveway, which he really rubbed in as a better example of a "wall". But I did supply him with most of the good big rocks that I dug out of the ground. I used all the little ones. We will rebuild my pathetic attempt with larger stones next year. Patti

it is all trial and error with dry walls that are built with basically rounded stones. you need a lot of rock to choose from. i'm sure the next attempt will be much better!

Bill, have a great vacation. Enjoy the break.
Welcome home Patti. Sounds like you didn't have any time to read. Of course you gave your brother all the good rocks - that what sisters do.
jan

Bill I stumbled across this thread and wanted to say the wall looks fantastic! Here's my retaining wall I just finished about 2 weeks ago. I know my semi-flat sandstone was a lot easier to work with than your rounded stones but some of mine weighed several hundred pounds too! Like an earlier poster said in your thread I used my garden tractor/mower and trailer to haul mine to the area from up on the hill behind the house. Keep it up after your vacation!

Doug

Very nice, Dug!

Beautiful job, Doug. Looking forward to seeing it when it matures.

Nice, Doug, I like it!

Great job, Doug. How long did it take you to complete?

About six weeks total but that was counting time to go get more rocks from the hillside and back in the woods behind the house. I've pretty much used up all the rock on my hillside because every flower bed we've got is edged and/or walled with the native sandstone and limestone from around here. That particular wall is dry stacked. This is one I did last October using mortar and all the plants have been put in since Spring this year.

Doug

Very nice also.

luv it dug. Where did you get the driftwood in KY?

From one of the many lakes in KY. Supposedly we have more miles of shoreline than any other state because of the rivers and lakes.

Doug

No kidding!

whodathunkit!!
DDIL is from Covington, KY. Pretty state.
Again, great job on your rock walls.

Thanks Jan.

What a great job, Doug.
You guys have all inspired me! Now, if the weather would just cooperate!!

You guys rock! Love your work. 1947 my dad built a monster homestead with fitted (no cut) blue limestone. It remains one of the nicest rock homes in the home area.

Wow! I'd love to see a photo of that!

ditto!!!!! DH has always wanted a stone house.

Those were the days of pride in craftsmenship.
Alas all over now except craftsmen who restore,walls and houses.

I grew up with stoneworking men. Few of their sons followed their dads. I do not know of a single structure in our whole area that is newly worked or fitted stone. When guys like you do a wall or small structure you likely represent the last. Few could or would pay for it today.

The last stone work I did and supervised was an archway to a Boy Scout Camp near Surry Virginia forty years ago. That great piece of work was done with river stone. Every boy and leader took part collecting, laying and brushing out the grout for about two years when the camp was open. Lots of memories went into that arch and a lot of grandchildren are shown the area each individual took part constructing. Each troop or campsite was only permitted to work an hour or so. With that understanding thousands of kids and leaders took part over two summers.

In that job we used a slip form. The rock or stones were laid in touching the form and the mud was dumpped into the hole with more random rock. It was inspired by one of the first motels being build in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area using a slip form.

Sorry I do not have pix. The 35 mm slides were left for the archives of the BSA Council whom employed my services as a district executive.

What a wonderful way to teach young men personal involvment in a lasting tribute.
Thay don't make them like that anymore.

On my recent trip north, we passed this house on the St Lawrence, east of Kingston, Ont . We stopped to look at it. We could see it was loved, but not being lived in. A women, most likely 70ish, came hurrying up the bike path that ran by it when she saw me taking the pictures of it. She hoped I was the new owner who bought it six years ago from the States. No such luck. Her great grandfather built it. The copper roof, paint color, window shapes, shutters and proportions were all lovely, as was the stone work. She said it had a beautiful wooden portico with a porch on top to view the river better. The view is now somewhat obscured by trees, but I loved it. Never know what is off the highway, so we always poke about. Patti

Here is the window with a stone arch. I bet Jan23's DH would like this one too. Patti

One more picture of the house and the shed. I forgot to ask her the date of the house. Her grandmother was born in it, so I figure it is mid 1800's, but only a guess. Math is not my strength. I got side tracked when DH who was walking the dogs on the bike path found a great garden down the road that he wanted me to see. Patti

Patti, that looks like it could be turned into a great English Pub! You buy it and I'll have a pint or two on the way through!!!

Doug

Doug, where are you going? Or do you just like to stop at nice stone Pubs anywhere along the way to nowhere? But you are right except I would like to live in it in peace and quiet. Doubt that a pub would be very quiet. Patti

OHHH Patti, I saw the first pic and said the same thing to myself - that DH would love that. Too bad the owners haven't shown up in 6 years?
Did I hear you right? 6 years. It's such a shame when things are allowed to deteriorate and boy, that can happen in the blink of an eye. Hopefully this story will have a happy ending. Thanks for thinking of my DH. I'll have to show him tomorrow - he is sleeping now.

Oh, that is truly beautiful. Who's mowing the lawn, I wonder?

The copper roof looked in good shape, and no broken windows that I could see. The great granddaughter said the people who bought it were going to "restore" it. They are paying someone to mow the lawn. She said they had asked for old pictures that would help with the restoration. But she is worried that it is a pipe dream as nothing is happening since they bought it in 2002. I will drive by the grand old gal next summer to check on her. Patti