Mid November Rocks, Tons and Tons

LEAF SUCKING TRAILER

This beauty makes fall clean up much easier and will save the customers a few bucks as we are more efficient removing leaves.  Oh giant leaf sucker truck where have you been all my life? Seriously this is just one more advantage of having sold our business, the mother ship has lots of groovy tools that make life easier.

LEAVES DUMP OUT

We are wrapping up leaves but will make one more pass over the properties we manage to collect any stragglers.  The weather today is supposed to be severe with high winds even possible tornadoes so if that does not drop the rest of the leaves I don't know what will.

The team of Ryan and Scott took a break from their difficult job on Coldwater Lake and installed some snap cuts and a rock wall for a job the boss sold on Lake Gage.  I think they were happy to be away from Coldwater Lake, Ryan says he moves 3 ton of dirt to install 4 snap cut stairs.  We should finish this week with the most of it.

SNAP CUT STAIRCASE

We concentrated on building new block walls, finishing the dry creek bed and installing snap cut stairs on the Snow Lake job this week. We replaced ugly red block with Versa Lock block, added to the old Versa Lock wall but had trouble matching block color, to eliminate the problem I decided to use the old block as a color band on both walls unifying the theme, looks great.

COLOR BAND ON BOTTOM & 4TH COURSE

The dry creek bed is an efficient, simple easy care choice for a hillside all you need to do is blow it out once in a while.  The creek looks like it terminates behind the new block wall.  In the spring the homeowner can decide if he wants to add some plant material, I think some ever greens would be stellar.  This installation was crazy hard because the entire hillside was back filled with 100% number 4 stone, as usual we were up to the challenge.

DRY CREEK BED FILLS STEEP HILL

As I have said before you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet and we made some dust and dirt running the wet saw and the concrete cut off saw on this job so blowing created a dust storm.  When I am on site at a job I try and do the lighter tasks these days and blowing is one, I was wishing for a breathing mask when I finished and I am certain that back pack blowers are getting heavier.

A TINA MADE DUST STORM

Bill and I went round a bit on the design and concept of the dry creek bed but it worked out just as I had envisioned.  There was nothing easy about the execution but you are not always sure what you're gonna get into when you open up the earth, especially if another human has been there before you.

Kick Butt Koi Pond

This is our first pond of the season.  It is tranquil yet invigorating.  Full of color, alive with the sound of rushing water.  The new deck and pond are a invitation to entertain, with a outdoor kitchen and two fire features this place has it all.

A good time was had by all.

Stone Walls, Swinging Boys, Stoops & Stairs

One week from today I will be in St. Lucia working once again at Ladera Resort consequently these last two weeks have been extremely busy as I attempt to get everything accomplished before my departure.  Yesterday I smashed my finger with a rock on the hand that is already swollen and bruised from another work injury I now realize how much I use my left index finger when typing.  In addition I got my ankle ran over when I was helping Jessica push a wheelbarrow full of dirt up hill.  Bruised and bloodied I was jolted from bed by one of my dogs, Finn who apparently ate something that did not agree with him and has spent the last three hours vomiting, the first load right next to the bed, good thing I love my dogs.

Last year I bought some water lilies on clearance at the end of the season and this pink one has been blooming for almost two weeks, the yellow lily was beautiful as well.  When visiting Brazil a few years ago I saw the giant water lily pads, the leaves are so big and strong you can set a small child on the leaves.

This Allan Block porch and paver job is one Bruce designed for an old friend of ours.  We removed the old wooden deck last week and hope to have the new patio completed for company this week end.  The steps are finished and will be flanked by a hand rail.  It should be a huge transformation.

The Lake James job is in the final stages we ran a bit behind last week as we had to work around the pier installation.  The snap cut staircase, bluestone custom stoop and rock walls with the large blue accent stones really tie everything together.  Hopefully today will be our final day as they are starting the basement dig out.  The customers are really liking the way things look and many of the neighbors have stopped by to marvel at Ryan's dry stacked glacial fieldstone walls.

I caught my great nephew in this action shot over the weekend as he was leaping off a platform with a rope swing much to his mothers chagrin, he already had one trip to the ER last week.  He is one high energy kid.

The Merger

We are well underway with work  at an old friends new house on Clear Lake and I am fortunate enough to be given creative license on the project.   What was actually an error in ordering pavers turned into  much needed additional patio space by adding just a little over 45 square feet where we merged the paver walk from the lake, patio and snap cut stairs with the porch entrance.  I am certain everyone will enjoy the extra space and I suspect occasionally they might use the portable grill on the lower patio.

The top patio will feature a full circle nearly nine feet in diameter.  This system is Paverlock and is manufactured in Cincinnati, OH our local distributor is in Kendallville, IN which is about 30 minutes south.  We are  still installing block and pavers made at the Reading Rock plant more than any of the other lines we represent.  They have a solid product line and middle of the road pricing. We enjoy supporting the smaller operations and companies.

The landscaping installation around a customers garage is complete although we are waiting on approval from the local landscaping ordinance inspector, we may need to install two trees to be in compliance.  Installing the trees is not a problem but the fact that no irrigation exists and our client is not always able to water makes success tentative.

On Jimmerson Lake we finished the hardscape and installed all the large trees and plants.  The natural stone walkways and fine beach area make this landscaping a sure winner.  We are waiting on the irrigator (or as one customer says irritator) then we will be able to complete the installation.  Hopefully that will be part of our schedule this week.  The customers are anxious.

A New Beach



Friday Night Sky

 Installing drain tile is not one of the glamorous parts of landscaping but it is often the starting point with Bruce P on board and the support of Mike from M & C Trenching we are tackling more of tile installations ourselves.  Our little John Deere with its small back hoe is how we began this project but when the Deere blew a hydraulic line we rented a J.D. mini excavator which made short work of the digging.  I think Bruce was secretly glad that our tractor was out of commission since the mini works so much better.

Once Bruce got the tile work out of the way we began the hard scape much to the delight of the homeowners.  Starting at the lake Bill and Robert built this swell seating wall, we will install some nice sand for the beach next week.

Working overtime on Friday was necessary to complete the four foot snap cut staircase.  A natural landing about mid way will provide an opportunity for rest or reflection.  The color of the stairs is a great compliment to the stonework on the house.

The red log cabin is 98% complete and it really looks sweet.  The pergola, flagstone patios, porches, landscaping, benches and fire pit are a tribute to the skills and craftsmanship of team Millgrove.  My ideas and the customer goals are just lines on a paper until the crews bring them to life, thanks everyone for your attention to detail and desire to be the best.

Sunsational

This is the first wall that Mike has built and he is quite proud of himself. It was another one of those tough to get at sites, I missed the fun when they were hauling the boulders up the hill, they were not a good fit with the new stacked glacial wall. The thing about rocks is getting the right sizes and it seems the ones the customers have are the ones they don't want and the ones they want we have to haul in. Up the hill, down the hill.

The ivy covered wall nestles this beautiful iron sun sculpture, think I might send this photo to CBS Sunday morning they feature peoples sun photos as their logo. That is my Sunday morning ritual and one of the few television shows I claim as one of my programs, a very comforting beginning to the day although I wish it started earlier.

At our end of year company breakfast this morning we began a discussion of the years favorite jobs and Bill mentioned a job on Coldwater Lake which Bruce designed and sold and one I had not even seen. I went there today and shot these pictures of the stone walls and snap cut staircases, it is a pretty job and very functional, crushed stone provides the walking surface between the stair treads.