The Big Rock Candyless Mountain

  Hand-picked ten yards of stone for a wall in Boothbay. There was no way to get him down once he got up there. Had to airlift...

Stone Symposium Mid-Week

  I stopped by the sculpture symposium again on Wednesday or Thursday and grabbed a few more photos.  It was interesting to see the different levels of progress by the the sculptors.  I never made it back at week's end for the final show, but shots of it can be seen on JC's site, linked in my last entry.

2012 Stone Sculpture Symposium at JC Stone

  This has been going on all week and will culminate in an auction or sale or something this weekend. I have stopped by a few times in the last few days and grabbed a few shots. I leave every time feeling a combination of inspiration and inferiority. Some of these guys have years of experience and some of them are just beginning, but they all seem to share a passion for the art of stoneworking.
  Here is a link to the official JC Symposium Website for further info: http://www.jcstoneinc.com/jc-event-gallery/jc-event-gallery-2.html

Potter Path

  Went out to Appleton to do a path for our friend the carpenter Tom Potter.  The tumbled blue-stone he picked out was a fine addition to his home (which he built, by the way), and we managed to get it in place in one rainy day.

Cultured Stone On Barter's Island

  Here are some shots of a couple hundred square feet of cultured stone we installed on a home in Barter's Island. The customers are friendly--A. actually made us chocolate chip/zucchini cupcakes yesterday-- and the view is amazing.  I am fond of this particular style of cultured stone we are using, as far as c.s. goes, and the installation has been relatively pain-free, when it isn't raining.

East Boothbay Wall

  Here are a few images of the wall we did for Jeff at East Boothbay Landscaping.  These were actually taken a few weeks ago and I haven't got back to take any of the finished product.  This was a fun wall to built--the rectilinear stones made for easy building, the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, and everyone involved in the project was happy.  If only every job could be so straightforward and rewarding.

Some Shots From Norumbega

  Here are a few shots of the work we did with Paul Belcher at Midcoast Masonry a few summers ago.

Norumbega Carraige House Patio

  We have finally gotten started on the Norumbega Carriage House patio.

  Note the wooden blocks we have nailed in along the edge.  The patio has a large pitch of about 3 1/2 inches over 12 feet, so the stones just start to slide down the slope after we lay them.

East Boothbay Retaining Wall

  Here are some shots of the wall Damon and I have been helping Dan Ucci of Ledge Hill Creations with:

  Joel Oyer on the left and Danny Harrington in the center. Damon, of course, on the right.

  Working on the cap...

  Randy Edgecomb back-building, one of the most integral and unappreciated aspects of wall building. The back of the wall must be constructed as sturdily as the front, the center packed tightly with stones, and the whole thing being interlocked with stones extending throughout the structure. None of this is ever seen once the wall is back-filled with soil, and the tender's work is hidden for all time.

Standing Stone

  It didn't take much effort, just planted one end of a long piece of granite in the ground and positioned an egg-shaped stone on top of it, but it sure looks great in the front yard.

Finished Drew's Wall

  Yesterday, Damon and I finished the wall, back-filled it, straightened out the steps on the left side, and built a small set of steps on the right. Damon also set the bird-bath he made and gave to Drew as a gift. Filled with water and positioned atop a large upright boulder near the wall, it seemed to somehow add a feeling of naturalness to our backyard project.

My New Ride

Getting To Cap Height

  Damon and I decided to go ahead with a round-rock cap, which he has been working on and which looks amazing thus far. The round-rock cap is always more difficult to place than flat cap, but Damon is rising to the occasion, as usual, with wonderful results.

  The stones we are using in this wall are particularly round and sometimes hard to lay, but having hand-picked each one, it is worth the effort when you stand back and see them all together.