Okay, I was in a hurry, talking on the phone and obviously not paying close attention when I went to the hardware store on Saturday to buy the marking paint. The law states the area must be marked in white for the utilities mark out if you can't give the dimensions from the street or the house. As I already said, the paint didn't work too well in the pouring rain.
I went to mark out the space today--still no good. Why? It was CLEAR MARKING PAINT. Isn't that kind of like girlie man?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
#9--Downpour
The day started out grey and by mid morning became one of the worst rainstorms I've seen in a while. Pouring, pouring, pouring. Dan Lupino and I had an appointment to tag stone for the arch and figure out just how we're going to build it and of course it started storming about 15 minutes before.
I stopped to pick up some carpenter's crayons thinking they'd be waterproof and damned myself for leaving the brolly at home. The gravel drive to the mansion was a washed out mess and Dan, the stone man, was already there when I arrived. When I signed in the operations staff referred to us as the Druids, which I thought was a hoot. I promised to light a bonfire and dance around the garden naked on the night of the opening gala.
We attempted to mark the site boundary for utilities mark outs but the paint was useless in the rain. I'll have to go back when it's a bit dryer. We did discover the beginnings of a sinkhole about 20' from our area and will have to deal with that next week--you could hear underground water rushing through it. Retreating to the car for a dry meeting of minds, we fleshed out some of the details for building the first stone pile. It won't really be a pile because the arch has to be seated soundly. Dry stone construction relies on a solid base, so the area cannot settle or the arch will ultimately fail. So we figured that one out and hopefully arch construction will begin on Wednesday.
I stopped to pick up some carpenter's crayons thinking they'd be waterproof and damned myself for leaving the brolly at home. The gravel drive to the mansion was a washed out mess and Dan, the stone man, was already there when I arrived. When I signed in the operations staff referred to us as the Druids, which I thought was a hoot. I promised to light a bonfire and dance around the garden naked on the night of the opening gala.
We attempted to mark the site boundary for utilities mark outs but the paint was useless in the rain. I'll have to go back when it's a bit dryer. We did discover the beginnings of a sinkhole about 20' from our area and will have to deal with that next week--you could hear underground water rushing through it. Retreating to the car for a dry meeting of minds, we fleshed out some of the details for building the first stone pile. It won't really be a pile because the arch has to be seated soundly. Dry stone construction relies on a solid base, so the area cannot settle or the arch will ultimately fail. So we figured that one out and hopefully arch construction will begin on Wednesday.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
#8--Start Up
The weather has been iffy so hopefully, if all goes according to plan, I'll meet the crew and the excavator at the mansion today. The main goals will be to tag boulders for specific use, identify inhabited burrows and move the inhabitants, and generally mark everything out so we can begin getting it together. Weeds may or may not be removed depending on how thawed the ground is or isn't.
We start so far in advance because it's a volunteer effort and this work gets mostly done in between the paying work. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow so we have to get started asap.
Later that day...
Moving the granite medallion to a safe place
The 1/2 weird granite thing isn't a planter at all--I don't know what it is
Beginning deconstruction
Further Deconstruction--some of the boulders are massive
Today's drama included the fact that someone had moved boulders before we got there (the property owner) to remove tree stumps and I freaked out and the stakes marking the proposed placement of the gala tent--in the middle of where my pool will be, and one of the excavator operators almost tipped the thing over moving a boulder.
The day's goal was to sort boulders and to try begin to see what is going to go where. Tomorrow we'll mark out the basic shape of things and start placement.
We start so far in advance because it's a volunteer effort and this work gets mostly done in between the paying work. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow so we have to get started asap.
Later that day...
Moving the granite medallion to a safe placeThe 1/2 weird granite thing isn't a planter at all--I don't know what it is
Beginning deconstruction
Further Deconstruction--some of the boulders are massive
Today's drama included the fact that someone had moved boulders before we got there (the property owner) to remove tree stumps and I freaked out and the stakes marking the proposed placement of the gala tent--in the middle of where my pool will be, and one of the excavator operators almost tipped the thing over moving a boulder.The day's goal was to sort boulders and to try begin to see what is going to go where. Tomorrow we'll mark out the basic shape of things and start placement.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
#7--Ready, Set, Go...Rain
We were ready to deliver the excavator earlier this week and get rocking (pun intended) and the rains came. All of us were scrambling to get other (read paying) work done outside so that the forced time inside could be productive (read billable).
I've been having multiple conversations with Mike Deo the designer from NatureScape Lighting over how to best use the lighting that we're powering up with a solar panel. He ordered some cool bulbs from Taiwan to test and I'm hopeful they'll do the trick. We're trying to decide on some path lights that will work with those same bulbs as the more traditional path lights won't do the trick. I've been looking at some of the stone path lights from Earthstone Studio that might work. I don't want things to look to jumbled up so I'm trying to limit the materials. I'm not 100% sold yet.
I've been having multiple conversations with Mike Deo the designer from NatureScape Lighting over how to best use the lighting that we're powering up with a solar panel. He ordered some cool bulbs from Taiwan to test and I'm hopeful they'll do the trick. We're trying to decide on some path lights that will work with those same bulbs as the more traditional path lights won't do the trick. I've been looking at some of the stone path lights from Earthstone Studio that might work. I don't want things to look to jumbled up so I'm trying to limit the materials. I'm not 100% sold yet.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
#6--Detour--The Girl Who Can't Say NO!
One thing about volunteer projects for a cause...your skill set quickly is evaluated and put to additional good use.
Last Thursday an estate gardener who sometimes plants for me called to say he'd been asked to plant the entry to the showhouse and that the plants were going to be donated. Could I design it for him? This guy has done me many favors in the past so I was delighted to help. He sent over some pictures of the area and I told him I would go and measure it next week. I put the matter aside for a while.
On Friday, as I was getting ready to leave town for an APLD meeting, the landscape chairwoman emails me to ask if I can do an illustration for the journal of the area. She needed it quickly because it was past the actual deadline. So of course, I said yes. The two main features of this area are a stone wall with two driveway pillars, a semi-boarded up carriage house and a HUGE Japanese stone lantern. So, without a plan, here's a photo of the raw space from a slightly different view from the sketch (directly below)...I just can't say no.
Last Thursday an estate gardener who sometimes plants for me called to say he'd been asked to plant the entry to the showhouse and that the plants were going to be donated. Could I design it for him? This guy has done me many favors in the past so I was delighted to help. He sent over some pictures of the area and I told him I would go and measure it next week. I put the matter aside for a while.
On Friday, as I was getting ready to leave town for an APLD meeting, the landscape chairwoman emails me to ask if I can do an illustration for the journal of the area. She needed it quickly because it was past the actual deadline. So of course, I said yes. The two main features of this area are a stone wall with two driveway pillars, a semi-boarded up carriage house and a HUGE Japanese stone lantern. So, without a plan, here's a photo of the raw space from a slightly different view from the sketch (directly below)...I just can't say no.
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