LysmachiaMoon's blog: I make like a mason

Not of the temple variety; the other kind. This morning, I got right out there and started slapping mortar and stones around on the little retaining wall. I think I envisioned just yanking out the drystone wall and setting in the concrete blocks, slathering them up with mortar, then sticking on rocks. it did not work out quite that way. First of all, one of the stones is HUGE. There's really no point it digging it out and trying to replace it with a concrete block that then is going to be faced with smaller stones...so I left it in and I'm working around it. But because of the uneven surfaces, it meant having to go slowly, adding rocks piece by piece, like a vertical jig saw puzzle. I was afraid to do too much and knock something loose before the mortar set, so I only got another section done. I'll go at it again tomorrow and with luck, I may be able to finish it.

While I was waiting for the first few stones to "set" I went up into the Storybook garden and started (FINALLY *yay!* on the Folly Wall. I set down a double first course, two rows of five blocks, with about a 3 inch gap between the two rows. I did not mortar them together. They are set on a level tamped bed of fine gravel and since this is purely a decorative wall and wont' be very tall, I've decided to leave the first course "dry laid" to help with drainage of any water that seeps into the wall. My next step... tomorrow I mix up mortar and start to actually set blocks in the second course. The second course will be probably 8 blocks (4 and 4) because I want the wall to taper downward at one end, as if it is the remnant of a long ago wall that fell down. The third course will be 6 blocks (3 and 3) and the last course will probably be just a couple of blocks. Once I get the concrete block wall up, then I'm going to "face" it with flat stones mortared on, to make it look as if the whole wall is built from massive thick stones. The area I live in has many many very old houses and barns actually made of massive limestone chunks so this should blend in pretty nicely.

Then, since I was in the "mortar mood" I mixed up some sand topping mix and added a little Top 'n' Bond and started the repairs on a trio of antique yard ornaments my neighbor gave me. They are all made of concrete: 1 duck, 1 hen, 1 rooster....they look ancient. They were painted in lifelike colors at one time but that's mostly worn off and I'm leaving them that way. The hen is in good shape, the duck had a chunk missing out of the back of the neck and the rooster's base/feet are nearly separated from the body. The duck was an easy fix and it's done, the rooster base will have to be done in 2 steps. I've got him laying down, propped up and the front fixed. Once that's solid, I'll turn it over and do the back.

I also got all my sweet corn stalks out of the veg garden and 2 nice corn shocks made. I might keep them for decorations or give them away. The cats usually end up having their way with things like that.... After they been at them a few days it's hardly worth the effort. *LOL*

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