Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Stone Walls

We have done some stone work outside recently - this wall is on the West side of the house, right outside the kitchen windows. It is about three feet from the house, and will become a planting bed of some kind.
Last spring we made a mental checklist of things that would make the next winter easier. A woodshed was at the top of the list. Digging under an ice and snow covered tarp for wood every weekend was not always pleasant, and the wood wasn't always as dry as it could have been. This shed will hold about a year's supply of wood; just under two cords. It is built from leftover 2x8s and sheathing boards from the house, and placed on top of a 4'x13' pallet that came with the roofing. When we move it into its final position, I will have a few more pictures.
This is another wall that has seen some progress. We scraped away a lot of soil to get to this point, and the grades will carry water away from the house. The far end of the wall will circle around a patio - possibly stone of some kind, possibly just a nice circle of lawn. The close end of the wall needs to have a drainage line plumbed under it before we finish the wall and the grading.
We were not the first people to use our piece of the planet. An old, debris-covered stone wall was uncovered this week up near the driveway entrance. I wonder who built it, and how long ago? We added a few rocks to this wall, and it adds a welcoming touch to the entrance.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow!! Nifty!!

Jennifer said...

they look so amazing...someone is working super hard....I wonder if that someone knows how rewarding it would be to build stone walls around their best friends the Baird's garden? :) HAHA