Last two weeks fun.

haven't posted much since my trip west. I just didn't have anything interesting to say. I just took another 2 weeks off to work on a project that has been delayed for 2 years. Last year's 300' drainpipe took precedence.

I'm working on my landscaping, when you can't afford to hire you do it yourself.
My lot slopes down to the house and I have no flat area for a lawn for sitting.
A few years back I decided if I build a retaining wall 36" to 40" high and fill to the garage I can have a sitting area, I also want a fire pit.

My wife and I like the rustic look which makes my life a lot easier. My place is all granite boulders everywhere so rough stone will fit right in.

The first week, with the help of a friend I did the wall, about 60' I started a set of stairs and poured a pad for the fire pit. the pit is built into the wall so I can use it for cooking from the front and once the I back fill the yard we can sit around a fire in the ground.

Here are some pics

This is the pallet of slate I bought to stuff into all the cracks of the wall to stabilize it pefore pointing. the last is a photo of the completed wall. The pit has good color one the mortar dust washes off.

the next shots I took while sitting on the deck watching the hummingbirds coming to feed.


Please be kind as I've never done this before and will never do it again.

Nice work Guy!

I second Big Dog! I'd love to have that in my yard!

It looks great to Me RoadKing , Thanks for sharing the pics & great job so far

I'm impressed. I'm really impressed. It looks GOOD.

When I was a kid back in Scotland I used to spend part of my summer with an uncle who leased a "small holding", a small farm. He ran a few dairy cows and other things. One summer I helped him repair a "dry stane dyke". Now I can't remember much about the wall but I do remember the slow, tedious, backbreaking work involved. That made quite an impression on a 10-year old and that's why I said that I was impressed. Kudos to you.

Nice work RK! You probably need a few of these:

Thanks for the positive feedback. Believe me it's appreciated. I'm hoping to get back up in Sept and fill the cracks with the slate and start pointing. A friend of mine is welding a grate for the pit, a 38" diameter piece of fire escape grate on 20" legs to sit inside the pit and lift the fire up. I stoned around a 4 by 4 to vent the pit you can see the hole at the bottom left. I don't think I'll be filling until next spring. One thing at a time I guess. Thanks again!

PBinWA said:

Nice work RK! You probably need a few of these:

Click to expand...

If you ever get over this way You're welcome and I'll even take down my "Canadian" flag while your here.